Blue Sand Group Articles
BSG Articles

BSG Articles (192)

Children categories

The History of Google’s Search Equation

The History of Google’s Search Equation

In 2006 both the Oxford English and Merriam-Webster dictionaries added the verb “google” to their pages. Though Google itself resists the public’s broad use of the term to dissuade them from genericizing its trademark, it’s difficult to believe the company didn’t feel just a touch of pride. After all, it achieved this landmark less than a decade after Google.com was first registered as a domain. Co-founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in September 1997, Google began as an outgrowth of the same Stanford servers that had hosted the duo’s first search engine, BackRub, in 1995.

View items...

In the latest of our endeavors to remain ahead of the technological curve, Blue Sand Group has developed a new return on investment platform, called The Ad Auditor.

You may be asking yourself, “what is The Ad Auditor?”

(more…)
Is your Facebook or Instagram ad campaign working? No, this is not a pitch for The Ad Auditor. It’s a question you have to ask of yourself, or the agency you’ve hired to handle your social media advertising.  (more…)

13 Video Editing and Production Tips for Social Media

Search Social Media Strategy and you will no doubt find a bunch of articles and lists from social media experts or social media marketing companies that all preach the need for video marketing as part of your plan. And you know what, they’re all right, video does need to be a part of your digital marketing and social media efforts. But, like most things in life what really matters is quality over quantity. That’s where editing video for social media posts comes in. Now, these videos do not have to be Spielberg masterpieces, but there are simple things that you can and should be doing to present yourself in the best light.  (more…)

Today we're going to talk about creating meta titles that will drive clicks to your website.

(more…)
Once Again, Return of the Feed As the sound of Mark Morrison is no doubt playing in your head right now, we swear we’re not lying to you, Instagram has listened to the people (cue the “Yes!” chant here) and has reverted to a version of the original chronological newsfeed. (more…)
Whether you think Facebook’s new posting feature is totally useful, a little bit scary, or something your business will never use, it does signal a continued change in the digital marketing world of anticipating the intent of the consumer. (more…)
Increasing sales is the key to any business, whether you sell customized accessories, or you have a teacher supply store. For a website, it's all about CRO - conversion rate optimization. In this week's newsletter, we'll discuss how to increase cro for your website with two different ways.

(more…)

We're filling you in on how to make your social media work for you in 2018! With Facebook's new algorithm change, a new approach is absolutely necessary for your business. (more…)
In this week's newsletter, we run through some of the basics of YouTube SEO.  We will also give examples of what to do, what not to do, and how you can optimize your YouTube channel. (more…)
Have you ever walked into a museum, looked at a painting and thought "Hey, this person looks just like me?" That's what Google is doing with their smash hit, the Google Arts & Culture app. This new feature compares your selfie snapshots to famous works of art. It even gives you a few choices that you can post on your social media accounts. (more…)
The Google Search Engine Console is getting new updates! And it is most certainly about time. The Console is probably one of the most underutilized Google platforms. But with these updates, that may change.
In this week's newsletter, with the help of Search Engine Land, we'll breakdown the changes.
(more…)
You're serious about building your brand, so you need to get serious about taking advantage of digital networking in addition to in-person interactions. Here are some tips for getting the most out of LinkedIn: (more…)
Email marketing plays a big role in any business. Whether it's announcing a new product, or new specials, getting people engaged in email can help separate you from your competitors. Want to get better at email marketing? We'll go over six different ways to get you better at generating more leads with your emails. (more…)
Are you on social media yet? It's not just for selfies; it's a place for building your brand and should be a part of your marketing strategy since it lets you tap into large networks. So what are you waiting for? Here's your crash course on how to utilize the popular social media platforms and make the most out of them for you and your business: (more…)
It's coming. Voice search is on the rise and you need to have your site optimized accordingly. But these search terms are different than what you  search for on a desktop or mobile device. Ready to dive into this brave new world of optimization? Here is how you should optimize your site for voice. (more…)
How will you socialize and reach your target audience next year? These predicted social media trends for 2018 might help you plan your strategy for the new year. (more…)
One of the best things about SEO is that thanks to Google, Bing, Yahoo, it is constantly evolving. This past month we have seen changes in SERPs, most noticeably the increase of meta descriptions. In this week’s newsletter, we’ll go over why this update is important, how you can make the necessary adjustments, & more. (more…)
Facebook will now find photos of you that you're not tagged in, and maybe didn't know existed. (more…)
You take a look at the analytics for your company's website and notice that people aren't staying on your site very long. What can do you do to increase your average time on site? You will have to create phenomenal content that is going to keep users coming back for more. Here are four tips that will help you do more with your content. (more…)
Facebook is launching its 2017 holiday features and we can't wait! Get your camera ready to snap photos and videos from all of your holiday gatherings and celebrations. There are new effects coming to Facebook Camera on December 15 that will make your holiday posts shine brighter than the star atop your tree. (more…)
We are back with part two of our 2018 SEO trends. This week is focusing on voice search, mobile ready, a new kind of link, and even has some SERP talk (one of our favorite things). (more…)
The newly introduced Facebook Watch is already poised to overtake YouTube as the biggest video platform. (more…)
Google is well know for driving traffic for many websites. Now with Google's updated knowledge panel, the search engine company can generate traffic to your social media profiles. It's as simple as telling Google which social media profiles your business uses and the name and the link to it. (more…)
Snapchat, which began as an escape from other social media, is now reinventing itself as a platform for social and media interests, with a separation of the two. (more…)
Nothing can upset a customer more than expecting your business to be open, only to find out it's not. Save your business from a terrible Yelp review! (more…)
2018 is right around the corner. And that means that there are going to be new trends that SEO experts are going to have to be aware of next year. Here is a breakdown of the top trends for 2018 from SEO PowerSuite.  We will go over the second half of the trends next week. (more…)
Instagram is testing out a new feature that allows you to follow hashtags the same way you follow accounts. The move aims to increase engagement by letting users find curated content more easily, and specifically content they like. (more…)
What is A/B testing? How does A/B testing better your site? How can it help you get better conversions for your company's website? These are all important questions in the A/B testing world that will answered in this week's post. (more…)
Twitter decided to double the character count for tweets and the Internet's mind melted with all the new possibilities. (more…)
Social media is a fantastic tool for businesses. But as with any tool, it's only helpful if you're using it correctly. Otherwise it can do more harm than good. Bad, or lack of, social media strategy could seriously hurt your business. (more…)
The consensus used to be that there were only certain times of the day to be posting on social media accounts. But now that posts are no longer in chronological order, does the timing of your social media posts matter anymore? (more…)
Now that you are happy with your ranking on Google, you may think the job is done. But you couldn't be farther from the truth. As we emphasize at Blue Sand Group, SEO is constantly evolving, and needs constant attention. Even if you are placed at the top of page one, your competitors are always trying to bump you off the top spot. The following post will give some insight on how to maintain your search engine rankings. (more…)
Facebook's "Offers and Discounts" feature just became a whole lot easier to use. Discover the three simple steps it takes to bring customers through your doors! (more…)
Digital marketing is an ever-growing industry. It seems that every day there is new terms and acronyms to learn. Even if you don't interact with online marketing daily it is useful to understand terms to communicate with companies such as Blue Sand Group your needs and concerns. This weeks newsletter will help you understand the terms the SEO experts at Blue Sand Group use daily. (more…)
Millennials. Also called Generation Y. And for you, Generation "why should we use your business/buy your product?" Millennials are now the largest generation, surpassing baby boomers. They are poised to reshape the economy, and you need to tap into that market. But how? (more…)
Search Engine Optimization is a constantly growing and evolving tactic to improving your online presence. In order to stay current against the competition, you must be improving your site year-round to stay current. Every year, Google adjusts their algorithms causing marketers and businesses to adapt in order to stay in the spotlight of Googlebots. As businesses are implementing their strategies, SEO experts are preparing for the future. In this week’s newsletter, we will dive in to 2017 SEO Trends and predict future SEO trends. (more…)

Jaws, Michael Keaton's Batman, Transformers, Lays potato chips: The Original is always best. (Sorry, GoBots. Not sorry, Cappuccino flavor chips.) When it comes to social media marketing, content drives engagement. And when it comes to content, the more unique and original, the more it will encourage users to engage with you. Therefore, original content is of the utmost importance.

(more…)
You’ll often hear that social media is about more than just posting: you have to do a lot of outreach to get your audience engaged. But what does that mean? What does outreach look like for each social media platform? We’re here to break it down for you! (more…)
We here at Blue Sand Group have gone over link building before. It is an essential, but often over looked, component of SEO. There are quite a few way in which your link building can improve. Over the years, there have been major updates on how to build links. But, like with any search engine strategy, you can’t just throw random links onto your site & hope they work. No, you have to have a plan of attack when it comes to link building. In this week’s newsletter, we will go over what goes into a good link building strategy. (more…)
We recently discovered the sneaky way Instagram users are being hacked. When you think of your Instagram account being hacked, you may think of people posting on your page without your consent, but that is not the case here. (more…)
Facebook has been attempting to boost the usage of “Stories” on the platform since it was implemented earlier this year. The feature allows users to post a photo or video that will only be viewable for 24 hours. (more…)
When LinkedIn was launched in 2003, it was a dry and clean-cut site used for job purposes only. In the age when MySpace allowed you to create blingy backgrounds and customized layouts, LinkedIn was as bland as you could get. But things have changed for the social media site. (more…)
In the progressing world of digital marketing, social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram continue to change the tide dramatically. Instagram, in particular, re-tooled and upgraded its picture-sharing features by introducing Instagram Stories in response to the growing presence of Snapchat. (more…)
Having an internal linking structure is not only a good SEO practice, it's good for many more things as well. And while it may not exactly help increase your positioning on search engines, creating an internal link strategy will increase your site's authority. In this blog post, we'll dive into the ways linking your site together will be beneficial for your company's website. Read on to see what we have to say about building an internal liking plan. (more…)
In the “old days” (10+ years ago), the # symbol was known only as the pound key on your telephone. Fast forward to today, # is now the hashtag and it has single-handedly transformed modern communications and marketing as we use to know it. It is everything and everywhere, in both our verbal and digital language. They’re commonly used through social media as a tool to bring exposure to pages, profiles, and content from millions of users. Relevant hashtags are the ultimate device to amplify awareness and traffic, especially for businesses and brands. An entire marketing campaign can be driven around a single hashtag! Yes, we have certainly come a long way. (more…)
Creating an online store for your company can be a daunting task for anyone. But you have to also optimize your products that way you can beat out your competition. Here are four ways to get the most out of your e-commerce shop. (more…)
Throughout the past few years, Social Media has evolved to be an effective and influential section of marketing for many types of businesses. Brands are now utilizing social media marketing to keep up with the modern method of growing their reputation, building awareness, and connecting to their target audiences. However, social media mistakes can easily destroy the reputation of a brand or a company, even the tiniest ones. There are many common mistakes that marketers can make on social media, but they are avoidable! Don’t be a social media fail like some others. (more…)
Sure, you might know the very basics of Search Engine Optimization. You will probably need to have an understanding of it as you try to get your website ranked for certain keywords.
However, did you know that you could be making some simple mistakes on your site without knowing it? And did you know that these mistakes could actually be hurting your SEO performance? You did not know this?
(more…)
Facebook has made sharing videos easier than ever. You can upload, share, and even do a live video. But there’s a catch that you may not be aware of. Studies show that only 15% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound on. This may be for a number of reasons, from being at work or school to simply being too lazy to turn on the sound. So how do you keep a video engaging with no sound? Should we start taking pointers from the silent movies of the 1900s? (more…)
Does your company’s website struggle with generating new traffic? It may be that you aren’t getting the most of the keywords on your site. How do you make sure that the keywords you're using are the best ones? (more…)
Six years ago, Facebook launched its feature “Facebook Page Covers,” which allows everyone to display a unique picture to highlight their Facebook page. Businesses typically use the cover feature to place advertisements, brand logos, products, services, – really any picture highlighting their business. Since Facebook innovates every year to create more engaging and rich experiences for audiences, they recently updated their Facebook Page Covers to allow video or animation. (more…)
Ever walked into a bar on a Friday evening hoping to come across a party but only stumble upon a few people. Welp, that’s what it feels like to be on Google Plus, and it’s not getting any better. Google Plus was launched to help people keep their content organized but didn’t offer anything new compared to other social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). The company realized that Google Plus was such a fail. So to come back from that downfall, they’ve introduced Google Post. Keep in mind, ‘Google Post’ isn’t the official name for the feature but that’s what everyone is going with. (more…)
Social media platforms are extremely useful for businesses. It gives businesses the opportunity to reach people in the city, state, nation and even world wide. Although simple to use, it might be confusing and time consuming. Fortunately, Snapchat has made it an easy process for businesses to advertise on their social platform. Use this guide to help you create a winning advertising campaign on Snapchat Ad Manager. (more…)
From brand awareness, to customer relationship management, email marketing will benefit a business in multiple ways. It allows businesses to reach mobile customers, keep customers on their toes, provide incentives, and much more. Many marketers and businesses use this tactic to retain their customers, develop relationships, and get repetitive business. Setting up an email marketing campaign may be easy, but getting customer to open the email is not. This is a common problem many businesses face through email marketing. Although you've set up a great email campaign, there’s something that stands in between the customer’s decision on actually opening it: the email’s subject line. (more…)
Has Snapchat finally come to play with the big boys (aka, Facebook and Instagram)? While its competitors have been killing the social media advertising game, Snap Inc. has struggled to become a meaningful advertising platform for businesses. Now, however, Snap Inc. has released a new feature for advertising on Snapchat called Snap Publisher.  It’s a user-friendly ad creator where in a few simple steps you can create an ad to run on Snapchat.  Could this be the changing point for Snap Inc.? We think this is a step in the right direction, and we are actually excited to see where Snap Inc. will head from here. (more…)
Remember when you had to write a paper assignment in grade school? Whether it was a persuasive essay, a descriptive essay, or a narrative essay, they all had to include a title. If you had no title on your essay, you’d get points deducted. Although it was a tiny part of your essay, it’d hurt your grade over all. Well, that’s exactly how title tags work for websites. If your website doesn’t include any title tags for your pages, it’s going to hurt your overall online presence. Without title tags, search engines and customers will have a hard time finding you. (more…)
  Business owners and marketing teams have to strategically think of how to get customers to check into their business on social media networks. Businesses usually advertise it in store, or offer incentives to get customers to check in. Why do businesses even bother? (more…)
We are positive someone’s told you before how “optimizing your website will help you grow your business”. Let us assure you again, they weren’t liars. The right keywords, strategies, and techniques will make it easier for your customers to find you online. It’s not an easy task, but if you want to give it a shot, here are a few things to keep in mind before optimizing your website. (more…)
Snapchat has been the greatest tool for celebrities. They get to share their lifestyle with their fans in the most authentic way. Unfortunately, it’s been a downer for businesses. Although Taco Bell has done a great job on integrating Snapchat into their digital marketing plan, other businesses had trouble. (more…)
We all know that in this day and age that content (especially content optimization) is king. The more high-quality content you create for your brand, the more Google will want to rank you on their search engine.
And that is the goal isn't it?
But should you optimize your content to make it easier for it to be ranked on the first page of Google? Absolutely!
If you need any more convincing, here are five reasons for content optimization.
(more…)
For years we have been able to post on Google+, Google’s social media platform. We have also been able to post through Google My Business, giving people necessary information about our business. Now, Google has provided businesses with another way to engage potential customers: Google Posts. So what exactly makes Google Posts different from Google+ or Google My Business? When a person searches for your business on Google, not only will your Google My Business info pop up, but they will also see a promotional post that YOU create for your latest event or product. These posts will be interactive, with a short message and clickable button. Want to learn how to make them for your business? Here’s how it’s done: (more…)
Recently, we discussed what off-page SEO is and how beneficial it can be for your business. We know that having informative content, keywords, and blog posts will help your website rank high on the SERP (search engine result page), therefore, it is also necessary to apply the practice of off-page SEO to help your website ranking high. Practicing off-page SEO is based on your reputation, authority, and popularity outside your website, like on social media platforms. Keep in mind, the practice of off-page SEO is a long term strategy but the payoff is huge because you are doing more than just increasing followers, you’re building a community that is truly interested in your industry. (more…)
You may not be hearing our title garbled through your computer or mobile device speakers any time soon. However, ordering food through Facebook has been made even easier for users. (more…)
Yes, keywords matter for small businesses and big corporations alike. Why is that? Well, they let people search for your content across multiple search engines. At the end of the day, keywords are one of the most prominent components in good SEO. What does good keyword research all mean for your business?
(more…)
We know, we know. We've been hounding you about voice search for quite some time. Telling you how imperative it is that your back-end (of your website that is), or SEO, more specifically, is ready to go because voice search is on the rise. Well, here it is, and it is booming. The rise of voice search is not surprising when you consider that in 2015 mobile searches surpassed desktop searches. Tie that in with Americans spending 17,600 minutes in the car each year and, bypassing a ticket by being hands-free, voice search was bound to be the next new thing. (more…)
According to Relevate Auto, 72% of people say that they’d visit dealerships more if the process of buying a car was easier. Your customers would even be willing pay a little more for a better experience at the dealership. This is why customer experience has to be the number one factor. It applies to your car dealership website, too. Today, the hunt for a new car begins on your company’s website. The CX (a.k.a. customer experience) is good on the dealership’s site, then people will tend to be more loyal to your dealership. And if this is the case, the process of purchasing a vehicle will be easier. So, now here’s the question, how do you make your dealership’s website geared towards customer experience? We’ll explain. (more…)
Here are five tips to improve your dealership's social media presence. (more…)
It's important to stay ahead of the SEO game, as Google is constantly updating their algorithm. Those brands that adapt thrive and succeed in the age of information. On the other hand, the ones who do not think ahead tend to fall behind. Don't be one of those companies that falls behind. Luckily for you, we will summarize what you need to do in order to get a jump on your competitors in both SEO and Content Marketing. (more…)
I once knew someone that believed there were no good cover songs until I pointed out the Jimi Hendrix version of All Along the Watchtower, and then they changed their tune. Much like the video at the top of our article here, Facebook has changed the game and made covers that are better than the original, testing out video cover images for pages. (more…)
Welcome to this week's edition of the SEO Learning Corner. Last week, we covered Off Page SEO, but this week, we're going back On Page, and discussing image optimization.
Should your images be optimized?
That dreaded question everyone in the Online Marketing industry, and many other industries get. How long will it take to get results? (more…)
A new client asked us recently what Off-Page SEO was. So, we thought we would dedicate this week's article to Off-Page SEO - if this client had this question, maybe other clients do too. Off Page SEO is similar to On Page SEO (SEO as you know it) in the sense that it improves and assists your website in ranking well on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). However, the difference between the two is in the name - SEO tactics, practices and activities off your page, in other words, off your website. (more…)
If you've signed into your Facebook business page lately, you've no doubt noticed the banner above. If you haven't been on your page lately, what are you waiting for?
(more…)
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is extremely important in the digital age. But we know that your SEO strategy may not be it's best. That's why we are summarizing five simple SEO tips that you should be including to stay competitive in your industry. (more…)
A study conducted by Smart Insights showed that 47% of businesses doing digital marketing had no defined strategy. In other words, they are doing digital marketing without any clear objectives or target. With this directionless situation, you cannot optimize the opportunity that you actually have. And guess what? You will think that all time and resources that you spent have brought you nowhere. Then you will begin to spend less and care less about digital marketing. As a result, you will lose opportunities to engage your target market on the online platform. The fact is, this is because you don’t take it seriously!
(more…)
A reoccurring problem that we seem to address frequency is the lack of control client’s have over their web properties. Because it can be very confusing, companies will want their web developer or SEO provider to take care of everything. While it's important that your online marketing company is responsive and proactive, the client should take some responsibility or at least have all of the relevant information for their website. Here are a few basic tips that will help you to have better control of your web properties. (more…)
I have always been a proponent of clients having control of their web properties. Having access to your logins and understanding how your domains and hosting are purchased, help give you peace of mind to know that someone else does not have control of your website. It can also save you money and headaches as well. (more…)
Here's the biggest number: in March 2014, people viewed 29 billion online video ads. These numbers all come from a recent study by Pixability. They really convey the enormous size of YouTube's reach. There are two approaches to using YouTube in your marketing, and they both involve producing your own video content.

First Approach

The first approach is to use SEO and your social media accounts to organically promote your videos. The second is to buy advertising views from YouTube. These approaches are certainly not mutually exclusive, and in fact they complement each other well. (more…)
Google's Pigeon update was implemented in July. Its aim is to improve the results page for local searches. Piegeon applies many of Google's traditional web search algorithms to local searches. Google has stated that Pigeon focuses on backlinks and the location of both the searcher and the relevant businesses. In addition to what Google has publicly acknowledged, it is clear that Pigeon emphasizes a few things. This includes brand, quality content (particularly images and video), and Yelp. With these elements in mind, here are a few steps you can take to make sure you're optimized for Pigeon. (more…)
On average, people are spending nearly three hours a day on their mobile smartphones and tablets. Searches make up a large portion of people's activity on those devices.

Mobile Device Study

According to a recent study by Flurry, people spend 14% of their time on mobile devices searching or looking at websites. That's a significant amount of time. This is why it's important that you have good mobile version of your website. (more…)
As the market has fragmented, web designers have often settled on responsive web design as the solution to the challenges posed by all of these platforms.

Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design combines media queries (which determine the size of the browser) with proportional rather than absolute sizes for the text columns, images, and other page elements on a website. (more…)
So once you have an Instagram account, you need to determine how to best use it to promote your business. One approach is to photograph your products or services. If you're a restaurant, bar, or cafe, Instagram is a terrific place to share pictures of your food and drinks. If your business deals with travel, be sure to highlight the beautiful locales or fascinating experiences you offer. And getting the right picture makes all the difference. BSG can edit your existing photographs to make them as appealing as possible, and our professional video- and photographers can create new ones that will really make your business shine. (more…)
Traditionally, search engines crawled the web and took note of all the backlinks to different websites. They used those backlinks to help determine which sites were most popular and relevant to searchers. Over time, the big search engines have refined their algorithms to remove spam and to make their results more relevant. Backlinks have been de-emphasized, and now there are a number of factors that go into determining search results. Search engines favor sites that receive links organically, and sites that feature fresh content that interests people. It's not a coincidence that this content is also what does well on social media. (more…)
Landing pages aren't a new thing, but they have become increasingly important. As new web platforms like social media sites have emerged, a great deal of the content you produce is no longer on your website.

Landing Pages

At the same time, it is still vitally important to get potential customers to your site to learn about what you have to offer and to make purchases. Businesses have responded to these developments by using landing pages, particularly ones that highlight the types of content they use in their advertising. (more…)
Parallax scrolling is often combined with what's called an infinite scroll. Infinite scrolling means that you keep most or even all of your website's content on a single page in order to keep drawing people further down your webpage. These features work well together and can help create an immersive experience for your website. There are a few things to consider when you're deciding whether parallax scrolling is the right look for your website. (more…)
When it comes to ensuring that your business can easily be found on mobile map applications, the two mobile operating systems to be concerned with are Android and iOS. Those two combine to make up over 90 percent of the smartphone market in the United States. The map applications for the two operating systems are Google Maps and Apple Maps. (more…)
One of the major benefits of using YouTube is that it is easy to embed your videos on other sites. Embedding your video directly in your business's website and social media accounts is a good way to increase your video's reach. Doing so makes certain that your followers on social media will see your video and perhaps share it themselves. In fact, people are much more likely to share video content than typical posts. This is why your YouTube marketing and social media accounts need to work well together. (more…)
Perhaps the most common reason businesses fail quickly is that they don't have enough capital at the beginning. Whether it's because they started operating before raising enough money or because they underestimated their costs, running out of money is often a death sentence for a business.

Start-up Capital

It's also important for start-ups to be well prepared for lower revenue in the first couple of years. Overestimating the amount of money coming in is also a frequent cause of money problems. (more…)
Google released the first Penguin update to its algorithms in 2012. Penguin aims to improve search results by penalizing sites that benefit from tactics like link bombing and spamdexing. These practices are aimed at increasing a site's ranking by including numerous links back to the site. They fall under the category of black-hat SEO.

Black-Hat SEO

Black-hat SEO leads people to unrelated or low-quality websites, and often makes users unhappy. Google's Panda updates also play a role in penalizing websites that post low-quality or unoriginal content. (more…)
Facebook's video service has been around since 2007. For a long time, it struggled to gain any real traction with users. However, in the past couple of years, Facebook has seen tremendous growth in its video service. It is now second only to YouTube in terms of views, and it's still growing. Facebook itself has published statistics that show 94% growth in the number of videos posted in the United States in the past year. In fact, Facebook has revealed that over half of all visitors to the site view at least one video each day. (more…)
Minimalist web design is a significant trend, because businesses see an advantage in presenting themselves in a straightforward manner. Clean, professional designs quickly convey the site's message and make it easy for users to find more information or even make purchases.

Minimalist Web Design

A minimalist design can put your business in a position to succeed by emphasizing your strengths and ensuring that people see what you want them to see. Here are a few more reasons to consider making your website's design more minimalist. (more…)
Spreading your business's message is probably the reason you’re taking part in social media. You want to be able to deliver important news (whether it's a new service you're offering or a sale you're running) to your customers. If you're treating your Facebook page like any other advertising opportunity, people will quickly lose interest.

Not Like PR

When people are willing to spend their time on social media with your business, it's because they really want to talk to you. They are certainly not looking for PR speak and form responses. It's vital that those running your business's social media accounts respond to people individually, and make them feel like they're having a conversation. In short, you need to interact with your customers and potential customers. (more…)
The fact that Google is using brand mentions (also called "implied links") in its algorithms came to light when one of the company's patents was put online. While actual links direct people to a URL, implied links are a reference to a website without a hyperlink. It's unclear just how Google is using brand mentions in its algorithms, but the fact that it filed a patent shows that it's seriously examining how people talk about brands and websites online. (more…)
So what exactly is card-based design? Let's start off with an example you’re surely familiar with: your Facebook feed. In your feed, individual posts are typically presented as distinct rectangles (cards) with options to view comments, like or share the post, and to hide posts you don't like. Facebook's cards are designed to highlight photos or videos and to keep the site's social interactions front and center. (more…)
There have been quite a few studies that have demonstrated just how compelling videos are to consumers. Eye-tracking studies demonstrate that people are naturally drawn to search results with videos, even more than they're drawn to the top results. People are more likely to watch through a video than they are to read all the way through an article. So videos not only attract more viewers, they also engage those viewers longer. And you can use analytics to improve your video marketing even further. (more…)
When it comes to mobile searches on Google and other search engines, the normal SEO strategies continue to apply. The big search engines are constantly tweaking their search algorithms in order to improve the search results they return. Many of the recent adjustments to those algorithms involve favoring pictures, videos, and other content that mobile users typically prefer. (more…)
The best way to understand longtail keywords is to compare them to short-tail keywords. When potential customers pull up their search engine of choice, sometimes they may search for something in general terms, like restaurants. This is a short-tail keyword. A more detailed search, like vegetarian restaurants in Long Beach, is an example of long-tail keywords. (more…)
One big reason you ought to consider using LinkedIn is that it keeps growing, so much so that 28% of all Internet users in the United States are now part of the site. In fact, LinkedIn is now used by more adults in the U.S. than Twitter. The platform also boasts some particularly desirable demographics, as it is disproportionately used by those with higher incomes and by college graduates. These groups are appealing to any business. If your business depends on customers with higher incomes, marketing on LinkedIn is a great way to expand your reach. (more…)
One of the hallmarks of flat design is the absence of elements that appear three-dimensional. This includes design elements like textures, drop shadows, and gradients. Those effects attempt to give users the impression that their screen has depth, while flat design is about emphasizing function and content instead of form. (more…)
iBeacon detects when compatible smartphones and mobile devices are near the iBeacon device. It uses Bluetooth low energy signals that transmit a unique identifier, which enables the mobile device to receive information from apps. Many manufacturers sell iBeacon devices. They're also relatively cheap compared to other Apple products. And iBeacon can interact with devices that don't run Apple's iOS, including Android devices. There are also competing beacons from Motorola and Datzing that offer similar services. (more…)
People look at directories to get information on a few different topics. They may be looking for a dry cleaner in their area. For this reason, it's important that your business is correctly listed under the services or products you provide. This is also when they'll be looking at reviews to find the business that's best for them. (more…)
There are a few different ways to approach making a video for your business. Any business would love to make the next big viral video and attract customers that way. Humor is perhaps the common element among many of the most popular videos. So making a funny video is one thing to consider, especially if you and your employees joke around fairly often. (more…)
Here are six tips for social media that you need to consider in doing business:

Determine What Social Media Works for Your Business

Many times when businesses take the social media plunge, they feel like they have to be active on every available platform. The end result is that they end up doing none of them well. They would be much better suited choosing a couple of platforms and learning to use those well. (more…)
In years past, website designers often frowned upon large background media. Large images and video took time to load, and many users would grow impatient with the loading time and abandon the site. Times have changed, though. Internet connections are faster than ever, so the time it takes to load those images has been greatly reduced. In addition to that, the improvements provided by HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript make loading images, video, and animations much quicker. (more…)
One way to better understand the mobile update is to look at it from Google's perspective. Google has implemented these changes to their algorithm in order to return better results for mobile users. The quality of the results they are returning is very important to Google. While it is the undisputed leader in search, Google does face a number of competitors, especially on mobile searches. Focusing on mobile is particularly important since mobile searches now account for more than half of all the searches performed. (more…)
  Video marketing offers quite a few advantages. It's particularly important to emphasize that people absolutely prefer watching videos compared to just about any other type of content. They are more likely to watch a video all way through than they are to read an entire article. And they're going to click on search results that contain video more often than on other results. Don't rely only on text content because there's chances business's website will undoubtedly explain your products or service. Consider doing demonstration video that to help engage your visitors. (more…)
Once you've decided to get started on social media, there are a few factors to consider. Creating an account for your business is straightforward enough, but how should you go about attracting friends and followers? It's important that you spread the word offline. So placing signs with the relevant details in your brick and mortar location is a good first step. If you already send e-mails to customers, let those who have signed up for those know as well. And be sure to let your friends, family, and most loyal customers know about your account, because they can be your best ambassadors. (more…)
The reason why you should use icons on your website is because they convey your meaning rapidly. People have been using similar principles for a very long time. We see icons throughout our daily life, whether we're looking at traffic signs or at the stores in shopping centers. (more…)
Earning links is about making sure the links your website receives are the links search engines are looking to reward. This means creating unique, high quality content. A search engine's objective is to direct people to websites with information relevant to a users their search. A site with minimal or unoriginal content isn't likely to capture the searcher's attention. Search engines work hard to weed out those sites. Engaging and original content will get people to link to your site. (more…)
  YouTube cards work in a very straightforward manner. You can apply the card to one specific video, after selecting from one of the available card types. The cards most relevant to businesses are probably the associated website card and the video and playlist card. Clicking on these cards will lead the viewer to the website associated with the video or to other relevant videos, respectively. (more…)
Social media and mobile devices work very well together, especially when it comes to sharing. In fact, users on mobile are twice as likely to share pictures, videos, & other posts when compared to desktop users. And iPhone users are actually three times as likely to share as desktop users. Having your existing customers share your business's message with their friends is the biggest reason to be on social media. Having your messages designed to engage mobile users will increase your chances of reaching a wider audience. (more…)
The first approach is often called a sticky navigation bar. It is essentially exactly what it sounds like, because the navigation bar or menu remains fixed at a point on the page (usually the top), regardless of how much the user scrolls down the page. In the past, people would scroll down pages with a quite a bit of content. Then they'd have to scroll back up to the top to find the navigation. Now the navigation bar is always present, so fewer people will grow frustrated and leave your website. (more…)
Conversational phrases really took off with Apple's introduction of Siri on the iPhone 4S. It became very popular that other big tech companies came out with their own voice recognition software. But the ability to recognize what people are saying is only part of the process. The software needs to to understand the content of people’s questions in order to deliver the search results they need. (more…)

Live Video Streaming: Is it good for your business?

Video live streams has been around for a while. YouTube has enabled just about any user to host a live stream of their own. However, when Periscope and Meerkat were released earlier this year, they really took off. They connected with users in a way that the other services had not. Platforms are easy to use. Anyone who downloads their respective apps can stream video to anyone else who also has the app. (more…)
Designing an app specifically for your business is a great way to separate yourself from the competition. An app can make it easier to communicate with your customers, make sales, and even receive feedback. And many customers want to use apps for these services. This study of people ages 18-34 shows that nearly three-quarters prefer to make purchases directly in apps, while two-thirds want to be able to submit concerns and receive offers directly from apps. Thinking about an app for your business is great. Keep in mind, it's important to consider whether the potential app will showcase your strengths. (more…)
One of the biggest reasons for the rise in local SEO is the increase in smartphone and mobile device use. People with smartphones can use their device to access information anywhere. A 2013 study shows that 80% of people use their smartphones to find local information. And those users are likely to convert based on their search because two-thirds take direct action and one-third make a purchase. (more…)
A split screen in this case refers to a website with two distinct sides divided vertically. Split screens can either be a single, static page, or (if they need to display more information or content) they can scroll down. In some cases, scrolling down one side will cause the other to scroll in response. Split screens also help to simplify things for potential customers. They are given two sections to look at, and they can focus on the one most relevant to them. This can help to reduce the clutter on the website and give it a streamlined look. (more…)
Over the past few years, Facebook has worked to emphasize its role in distributing content. It seems like a lot of users felt that they were missing important posts by their friends. The News Feed still displays updates from brands and publishers for Facebook users who interact with that content. (more…)
At first glance, many people might assume video marketing is more for businesses aiming to attract the youngest demographics. However, there is ample evidence that people across all demographics prefer video. And this infographic shows that business executives are a great audience for video marketing. It states that three-quarters of all executives watch work-related videos weekly, and over half share those videos with colleagues each week. Furthermore, nearly 60% of executives state that they prefer video over text. (more…)
It's important for businesses to keep up with changes. Make sure that their detailed information is displayed alongside the typical search result links. The best way to ensure that search engines will pick up on that information is through structured data. Structured data is a way to annotate (or "tag") the information for the search engines' web crawlers. Search engines look for this data when they add information to the results displayed on relevant searches. (more…)
The animations you choose to use play a big part in making your design intuitive. Animations work with the gestures people use by letting them see the effect their actions make. A visual effect for dragging and dropping will literally show the object the person is moving be dragged across the screen. Of course, this is an illusion, but it's one that people readily understand. (more…)
The move to selling directly on social media could be very beneficial for businesses. For one thing, you'll be able to get a clear picture of the impact your social media marketing is making. You will be able to see which of your social media accounts generates the most sales. Refine your approach to social media marketing with more informed A/B testing. (more…)
What do you think a company’s most valuable asset is? If you said their customers, you are correct. You'd be surprise that most executives don't spend time on customer service. Customer service is  not about assisting those who have complains. It's be about enhancing customers experiences so there are no complains . With out great customer service from a company, the competition has a chance to win a new client. There are many different ways to enhance customer service in your company. (more…)
Paid amplification is an especially useful means to cut through much of the content clutter out there. Stop competing with other businesses on social media to appear in people's feeds organically. Paid amplification can guarantee your business content will reach a certain number of people. You'll be able measure the impact your content is making, and refine it with A/B testing. (more…)
Google groups the three top businesses in the area in a distinct box. It also displays their locations on a map. It allows people to quickly determine how far they are from each business. There's also an option to show more results. This is a big departure from the past, when the top seven businesses in the category and area were displayed. The businesses that fall outside of the top three will likely see less traffic coming from local searches, and the top results may see a boost. (more…)
It's important to provide people with eye-catching visuals that will pique their interest. It helps to catch their attention. On mobile devices (and particularly on smartphones), it is even more important. Smartphone users are typically reluctant to wade through a large block of text to learn more about your business. On a small screen, text can really be daunting, while videos are quite convenient. In fact, videos typically take up the full screen on smartphones, so they enable you to maximize the space available and really hold people's attention. (more…)
The other day, I was having a conversation with a criminal law attorney who had been practicing for about 30 years in Southern California. I asked him how business was going and he said that it was terrible. When I asked him why, he told me that he is getting very few new cases — a stark contrast to his practice about 10 years ago. The new cases he does get are based on referrals from past clients, which are drying up quickly. He went on to say that younger attorneys are working for hourly fees much cheaper than him. He is also not receiving any new inquiries like in the past. Further, he said people that do contact him are much harder to close because of price points. To me, this was not really a surprise. Today, it seems being an attorney is more of a business than a profession. (more…)
The wide variety of fonts we see everyday have their origin in the world of print. Purists may prefer the term typeface (which directly refers to its origins in moveable type) to font. Newspapers, publishers, and print advertisers use different fonts to convey distinctly different emotions. While fonts were a major part of word processors, the number of fonts designers could use was limited until recently. Widely used web browsers have implemented changes that allow them to display a plethora of fonts. (more…)
A few years ago, it was unknown if social media was going to help business get lead calls. With the rise of mobile apps, social media and phones can connect easily more than ever. Facebook is taking advantage of this by allowing businesses to include a Call Now button on News Feed ads. This button will enable smartphone users to call a business by tapping a button. It will make it easier for people contact your business. And phone calls will put you in touch with customers who are not only interested in what you offer, but who're looking to make a purchase as well. (more…)
Search engine crawl  through apps like they do to websites. The information search engines get is used for mobile devices to help determine search results. Google and Apple began to implement app indexing. They have include information from their indexing in search results. This is the latest step to make sure their search algorithms have access to a lot information as possible. They'll direct people to the most relevant results. (more…)
Video now mention how many views they get. Youtube is a powerful too for that. They know that advertisers don't like it when autoplaying videos. People who quickly stop watching are counted as a view. Now, they only count people who watch more than 30 seconds of a video. This means your video is seen the way you intend it to be seen. Your company will benefit with great sound and images to convey your message. It comes with great benefits to your company. (more…)
Your website's user experience (often abbreviated UX) is more important now than ever. People demand attention more than ever before. They expect to find exactly what they want when they visit a website. If your website confuses some portion of the visitors you attract, it is undoubtedly costing you. Plenty of people will simply move on to one of your competitors' sites to find what they need. It is troubling to think that all of the effort you've spent driving people to your site can be undermined by a poor UX. (more…)
A big part of separating yourself from the competition is the content that you share on social media. Your content should not just be specific to your industry, it should also say something about your business. The right photos and videos can help you tell your business's story. Your audience will understand what makes your business truly exceptional.  Great content will help people gain a relationship with your business. (more…)
Page speed has factored into Google's results since at least 2010, when they announced that their algorithm included page speed. And it became even more important in 2013, when they began applying page speed measurements to mobile sites as well. Page speed also impacts how much of your website Google is able to crawl. It allocates an amount of time to crawl specific sites. Sites with many pages load slowly and may not be fully indexed. This means that all of the time and effort you put into designing some of your pages may be for naught, all because your page didn't load in enough time for Google to index it properly. (more…)
You've undoubtedly noticed push notifications from the apps you have installed on your smartphone. You see them from social media apps, news apps, games, commercial apps, and just about any other type of app you can imagine. They can let you know about updates to the app itself, breaking news, and new or limited-time offers. Push notifications are a great way to reach your existing customers. Catch their attention with new offers and to remind people about your product or service. Businesses without apps are able to find options through Apple Wallet and Android Pay to reach customers through push notifications. (more…)
This can fit quite naturally with the rest of your social media marketing approach. After all, one of the aims of social marketing is to spread the word about your business. Influencers can really help you achieve that goal. And working with influencers can help your social marketing be more of a conversation and less like a sales pitch. People typically follow and interact with influencers for good reasons. They may be insightful, fashionable, or even just funny. (more…)
Conversion rate optimization is about perfecting the work that's been done on your online marketing strategy. Whether you are a retailer, a restaurant, a law firm, or any other type of business, you've undoubtedly seen the impact that seemingly small improvements can have. That applies to the wording in your marketing just as much as it applies to the amount of seasoning in a restaurant's signature dish. (more…)
  Many of the elements that take up space on the page use structured data. Rich snippets, direct answers, and other elements are designed to help searchers find the information they need quickly. They're not only a way for other businesses to circumvent your position in the organic search results. They're also a way people can gather information about your business without visiting your website. In order to make your business stand out on SERPs, you need to include the right structured data in your website. The search engines will then be able to display information relevant to your business. (more…)
If you're not creating and sharing videos to promote your business, you will risk being left behind by an entire generation. The old models of advertising are effective for some parts of the population, but overall you will be missing out on a huge portion of the population by ignoring online video. This isn't just a future concern, it's been happening for some time now. The type of video and the message you use also need to change, because the younger demographics are not content to passively absorb your message the way their parents are. (more…)
Introducing these expanded search functions is natural enough for Facebook. After all, they have trillions of posts worth of content to display, and people are already performing 1.5 billion searches each day on Facebook alone. Making it easier for people to find what they're looking for is just good business. Some of the search features, like an autocomplete function, will be familiar to those businesses who've dealt with SEO. Considering that, it makes sense to keep the keywords most relevant to your business in mind when creating new posts. (more…)
Let's start at the beginning. A responsive web design is one that adapts to all of the devices people use to view the site. For your business, this means that people can look at your website on their computer, smartphone, or tablet and still have access to all of the information and features. If they look up your business's hours of operation on their home computer, they'll be able to find the same information when they go out and need to check again on their phone. A responsive design also means that people can get the full experience of your website, regardless of the device they're on. You will reach the largest possible audience by making sure everyone can access your site. (more…)
There are differing camps. One says that Content is King. The other claims SEO is the only way to get eyeballs on your site. And it is 2016 now which means everything is viewed through the lens of Social Media. The truth is a hybrid: SEO and content marketing are two different critters, but they work together in tandem to offer several benefits. Social Media is a blending adjunct. Since there are dozens of social media apps, concentrate on the half dozen most popular or the handful that are most appropriate to your particular issue, business or industry. (more…)
BSG Proven Websites and Online Marketing will Actually Help to Grow Your Business. Yes, it is a bold claim. However, there is some actual strategy, technology and creativity stacked neatly behind all we accomplish. Most firms build you a site that is full of “geeWizardry” — lots of pretty bells and whistles. However, it does little behind the scenes to actually draw viewers to your site and get them to actually interact and contact you and purchase your goods and services. (more…)

Why You Need to Hire a Professional Web Designer

There are any number of reasons you really should pursue a professional to build your site. For brevity, Blue Sand Group will offer four compelling reasons here. Look anywhere and everywhere. There are numerous free Web-hosting services, even ones with free templates you can use to build your website. Yes, you can build a quickie website in a few minutes without any cash outlay. The problem is that your website, and your reputation, look exactly like that — a cheap, slap-dash effort that lends no confidence in you or your business. (more…)
Not up to Social Media Speed Yet? Take a look at that old photo. That is the Univac computer in the NASA control center. That computer helped guide three astronauts to the moon and back. All the massive computing power of that entire room of mechanical marvel is but a tiny fraction of the capability of the device you hold in your hand today. (more…)
Why are you here? The same reason we are here. Clearing the fog away… You want to clear the fog, We can clear the fog. Together we craft clear skies for you and your business. So, the whole Internet marketing thing is a total mystery to you. Well, it's not a mystery to us. It is a tool kit to utilize. It helps us build and assist clients like you to achieve greater success in business using a vast marketplace that can reach anyone, anywhere. Let’s take a quick look at what Blue Sand Group offers: (more…)
Here at BSG, every aspect of what we do, be it web design, SEO, content, or social media, deals with communications. It makes perfect sense – whether online or in the physical world we are all dealing with other people. Communication is not only critical, but unavoidable. And yes, if you pursue it, then taking the time to perfect your communication is highly desirable. So when I came across this quotation from George Bernard Shaw, I thought it would be worth sharing with you for your thoughts and actions . . . (more…)

Yes, You Need Mobile Website Optimization…NOW.

Yes, you have a fabulous website. It is grandly interactive, possesses stunning graphics, lots of informative links. It stretches panoramically across your desktop space. But how does it look and function in the palm of your hand? (more…)
Content: The Highway that Leads to Your Site. Our instantaneous world makes creating successful and timely content all the harder. Online content operates in a realm where the supply vastly exceeds demand. People lack the capacity to consume even a fraction of it. The challenging dynamics of gaining and holding viewer attention are mashed up by the proliferation of venues through which marketers can publish, distribute, and promote endless content. And today’s consumer has had to become far more selective about what content they consume, and when. They have also become co-creators in the vast universe of content, sharing and curating content on digital media. (more…)

BSG Wants Your Business to Succeed, Which Means Creating Quality Content!

Although some will fill the page with pictures, internet insiders will always tell you that “content is king.” So, how do you create that killer content that will bring them in and hold them on your site? Here are 5 steps to achieving that goal:

(more…)
UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER MEMORY There are many factors that play a role in the things we remember. They include such elements as how much we’re paying attention to something, how new and engaging an item may be, what emotional connections we may have with the object or experience, and, interestingly, even the very timing of our own neuron rhythms in the brain. Additionally, memories also have different life spans: the shortest memories last only milliseconds, whereas long-term memories can last hours, days, even years. (more…)
Social media has propelled the careers of numerous amounts of people and have given them entryway to new avenues of revenue and success. So why is it so important to branch out to other platforms even before reaching a megalithic proportion of followers? Well it all comes down to diversification and reaching the right audience. (more…)
Social media header dimensions and the content they can contain do change from time to time. If it's Google Plus or YouTube they tend to change more often. If you don't keep up with these changes, your logo or any other important information about your business may literally be cut off from the public. (more…)
So you've decided to open up a vape shop online or in Korea Town or anywhere Orange County. You’ve either created your own juice brand that no one has even thought of, perfecting the bacon and syrup pancake flavor. Or you’ve been able to get all of your favorite vape flavors and equipment into one online super store. Now what? (more…)

Congratulations! After a great deal of time and effort you have designed an incredible, great tasting, deeply satisfying craft beer. Everyone will love it.

Yes, it is a small number overall, but 6.6% of the total US beer market by volume happened to be from craft brewers last year…good news! And even with all of this growth, there’s a huge market share out there to tap into. The other 93.4% of beer drinkers (and even non-beer drinkers) are where you will find your new growth. Educating the non-craft beer drinkers on the shocking wonderfulness of a more robust beer is the way that you will gain a foothold and can continue to get more people transitioned over. (more…)
Yes, every time you turn around there seems to be yet another indecipherable, highfalutin’ tech term language or sophisticated set of algorithm runes that simply flummoxes you. At the same time, it is rather frightening how some new number crushing computer flashes up with high percentage predictions on what makes humans do what they do…and how to make them do what we want them to do. (more…)
Take a note… Something old is better than new. Perhaps you have endured the same situation: A high level meeting is called and once gathered about the conference room table, everyone pulls out their devices…except you. You have a legal pad and a pen. Stares and smirks all around as the obviously superior younger set begin frantically typing away on their various sets. Yet, somehow, the person with the hand transcribed notes always seems to get a little more insight and details out of the meetings. Studies out of Princeton, UCLA, North Carolina and the Wall Street Journal bear this out. (more…)
It is the constant buzzword - SEO, or search engine optimization. Thinking about SEO drops into two camps: If you’re not an SEO expert, you probably believe your company needs SEO but don’t know the first thing about it. The other side is that you know you need SEO and think you can do it yourself. Either way you need SEO. But step back a moment. The very first questions should be, is SEO even the right for the company? (more…)
Are you insane? Definitely, a ‘mirror-mirror-on-the-wall moment’ is on tap for you. You need a bit of honest, cold truth. Certainly you know the saying of Albert Einstein regarding insanity…that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Seriously, if you are training or selling the same way that you were just a year ago and not improving your sales performance, the next jacket to consider might be known as “straight.” (more…)
The Gift of Unforeseen Marketing Go with us now, into the Way Back Machine. We travel back in time to a time and location just prior to the Second World War. The city is New York and the Brooklyn Dodgers are about to take on the Philadelphia Phillies on a beautiful summer day — July 1, 1941. (more…)
How does App Store Optimization work? Let’s start by breaking down the various components that can affect your ASO: Main Elements:Title – Forget the fancy names! Place a keyword in the title with the heaviest response for search traffic. Spend time researching the exact keyword because changing your title often to include different keywords can be detrimental. Put in the best one, no matter how ordinary it may sound, and hold on to it as long as possible. It may be simple, but it reflects the exact word everyone is searching for. As your app begins to rank higher and gain more reviews, news of your app will begin to spread by word of mouth. Changing the title can make it difficult for word to spread about your app. A dull title does not reflect the ability of your app. • Keywords– To improve your search rankings, you need to know which keywords are relevant and used most often by your target audience. Monitor your competitors to see how you compare each week. (more…)
1. Be Specific: The more specific you get with your targeted words and links, the more closely your site will get traffic from people looking specifically for the information you have to offer. Users are searching for 'long tail keywords' such as "Long Beach Pizza Delivery" instead of "Pizza Delivery", users want better results. So,  the more specific you are with your keywords, the better your SEO response will be. (more…)
THIS IS WHY (a futurist rant) Take a quick look at the picture. That was the city of the future, created by Walt Disney for the 1964 World’s Fair. After all this time, it still looks sleek and dynamic. However, like the internet, the true future is found in things that cannot be seen or even described. Just one fact to get us going today: 80% of the children in elementary school today will be working as adults in jobs and in industries that do not yet exist. (more…)
Unplanned Marketing part 2 Keep in mind that any stray away from core work creates Unplanned Marketing. Those off the beaten track forays create new non-working assets that cost nothing and offer potential enhancement of the brand, culture and continuous planning process if you grab control early and maintain it throughout the process. (more…)
How in the world can one ever keep up? Every week the algorithms change and the SEO words and rules shift dramatically. Actually, they can alter by the hour. Yes, it’s absolutely necessary to stay abreast if you have a website that seeks continuous traffic. SEO is your green light to get them there. How you implement changing SEO must also change to reflect the latest Google rules. And yes, they may have changed while you have been reading this. (more…)
Is your business ready to embrace the future? Do you have even the slightest concept of what that future holds and how you and your business fit into it? Here is a brief glimpse...a blink, so to speak: When they say “Fast as the speed of light” they will not be telling the truth. Soon you may be connecting your smartphone to the web with a lamp -- that is the promise of Li-Fi, featuring Internet access 100 times faster than Wi-Fi with revolutionary wireless technology. (more…)
Getting ketchup in a glass bottle is something of a rarity anymore. Unique designs now have the top on the bottom so that gravity draws the sauce to the place you want it to be…the opening. Squeezable containers allow for the product to then flow easily eliminating the annoying bottle thumping and all the frustrations, accidents and difficulty. (more…)
We have mentioned it before. 80% of children in elementary school today will be working in industries and careers that do not yet exist. Yes, there are pockets where youngsters who truly apply themselves will emerge as the leaders in the future. And additionally, it may not be this country that produces them. (more…)
With all the high tech gee-wizardry out there and social media spectrum, it all comes back to basics. Publicity, Propaganda, Public Relations — there is a standard strategy as old as Ogilvy. Here at our little enclave, we and the personnel and the formula to achieve amazing success in creating and packaging our intrepid leader, Mr. Brian with some powerful personal branding and image reconstruction. Ramping him up to a very visible celebrity-level pitch with shoestring publicity, and then selling that icon we’ve crafted for high issue public consumption should be the forte of this tech team. Americans elevate well packaged and publicized brands to high value. That is our goal…or at least mine as the Editor in Chief of this tribe. (more…)
With all the high tech gee-wizardry out there and social media spectrum, it all comes back to basics. Publicity, Propaganda, Public Relations — there is a standard strategy as old as Ogilvy. Here at our little enclave, we and the personnel and the formula to achieve amazing success in creating and packaging our intrepid leader, Mr. Brian with some powerful personal branding and image reconstruction. Ramping him up to a very visible celebrity-level pitch with shoestring publicity, and then selling that icon we’ve crafted for high issue public consumption should be the forte of this tech team. Americans elevate well packaged and publicized brands to high value. That is our goal…or at least mine as the Editor in Chief of this tribe. (more…)
Mad Men was a great series, but much like those thrilling days of yesteryear it portrayed, it too, has vanished from the landscape. If Don Draper were working in today's ad business, there's a good chance his business card wouldn't read Sterling Cooper but instead one would find the Google, Apple or Facebook logos staring back at them. (more…)
Real Talent. There is a big difference between popularity and talent. The people that work for you…are they skilled or are they simply attractive? It could mean a great deal to your firm’s repute and bottom line. Let’s just look at an industry based on talent and popularity…movies. It’s no secret that there’s a pretty huge divide between old-school actors and younger, more social-media savvy stars — it could even be called a gulf if you consider the immensity of the internet. (more…)
Has Your Site Been Taken Hostage Without You Knowing? How often do you really check your site? Unless you have someone like BSG designing and running your site and its content, you have to do it yourself. Have To Do It! No, it is not that the site gets old, tired and dusty. It’s that it gets commandeered and your firm and reputation suffers for it. (more…)
No one cares about your hashtag. Here's what consumers really want. How do you get shoppers to care about a brand as dull and boring as some stovetop pasta and cheese product? Big Hint: It’s not in the hashtags. Seriously, Real People do not wish to use your brand hashtag. Honestly. It matters to you and only to you and to you alone. Get the focus off of you and on your audience. Building a community is not about bombarding potential clients with some odd, innocuous marketing slogan that spouts your campaign. It adds absolutely no value to anyone. Instead, strongly consider your people, and celebrate them as hard as you possibly can. (more…)
What should a day-in-the-life look like on rise to fame and fortune? Every day should be very different and exciting as you build and publicize your brand. Your brand concept is a steady forward movement on any and every element of your platform which is the sum total of your online presence, speaking engagements, professional activities, articles you write, media coverage, and image development. (more…)
Blue Sand Group means Hands-on Branding! So, let’s just say you are now in charge of marketing for your firm…Congratulations! Now what? The problem is that you are not really sure about marketing – you’re hired for a new in-house post and you have seniority. And you did a great job with the office Christmas party. That means you are the take-charge leader who can get it done! (more…)
BSG maintains strong associations with the beer and liquor industry and a variety of levels. Lately we ran a blog about craft beer. It remarked that beer sales are trending down: Is it the taste or…the marketing? Shock and Disbelief! Beer sales are trending down in America! Certainly this is not the result of mass supplies of skunky beer or some bizarre changes in taste trends towards green tea with a bourbon chaser. Could the reason be marketing? Has the once powerful advertising power of Big Beer aged too much, or lost its message on a new audience? So, it is not about the beer, but the marketing of it. (more…)
Here in California, the unions and government officials are crowing over the adoption of a $15 minimum wage, hailing it as a victory for average workers. As most fast food chain franchise owners will relate, such jobs were never designed for supporting a family. These are entry level posts for teens and college kids to learn the basics of the workplace. Most are expected to move onward and upwards to more responsible situations and a real career. However, the narrative has been altered to assume that a head of household can work a burger joint and should make a wage high enough to support more than one person. (more…)
Marketing is always the big topic here at BSG. As we explain to our existing and prospective clients, without a well devised marketing plan, it is tough to differentiate your brand apart from all the others in your industry. Due to our association with the American Bars website and app, we see a great deal of the beer industry, especially craft beers and micro breweries. Brewers always note that the first essential is great beer, or what might be called “true taste marketing.” It’s an obvious point, but it’s extremely important. The quality of your product and service is paramount prior to going forward with anything else. (more…)
Ah, selfies. They have grown into a love/hate relationship with the public. So fun, yet so annoying to those not involved with the particular selfie; the perfect narcissistic relationship with yourself. So, how do you turn this negative into a positive? Can you use this growing selfishness phenomena into promotion for your business or enterprise? In short…yes. (more…)
Are you a SaaS firm? It’s the powerful combination of great product, innovation-centric philosophy, and culture that ultimately makes a determined company into a world class SaaS company. Let’s review and reflect on the qualities that make a SaaS company truly stand out: (more…)
Asia? A trend setter? You better believe it. Be it Japan, China, South Korea, or Indonesia, these populous and advancing nations and often leading the pack in terms of what technology tends to ramp up or follow. Yes, In the internet economy, Asia is often a harbinger for new services such as messaging apps or mobile payments. It's now way ahead on another trend -- more people in the region have installed software on their mobile phones to block web advertising than anywhere else in the world. (more…)
The web is a very crowded place. Everyone seems to be starting a blog, launching a product or boosting a business of some kind. While early adopters would seem to have the biggest advantage, there are the masses who hold the dream of starting something online that just takes off. They seek something that can bring them side income or even replace their full-time income. (more…)
Here is Why You Aren't Getting Noticed Breakaway Millennials; that is what they are called. One has to envy them for their boldness, brashness and independence. Electing autonomy and freedom over traditional 9 to 5 careers, millennials have been dubbed the “true entrepreneur generation.” In fact, a survey by Bentley University reported that a full 67% of millennials say their career goals involve starting their own businesses. (more…)
Time to Get Noticed! Had you noticed? That is the whole problem, isn’t it? You don’t notice. And if you don’t notice, then your audience certainly is not going to notice. Businesses are increasingly becoming trapped between a rock and a hard place. On traditional channels, audience is shrinking and no one notices, especially to those running the enterprise. (more…)
Trends move both up and down. Are you aware that the top trending apps are now moving down? People are getting bored of Facebook and Instagram, a study says After a few years of having your private thoughts and pictures splattered all over the internet, and realizing you were stupid enough to put it out there yourself for everyone to laugh at Forever, you suddenly are craving a bit of privacy. Yes, let the younger generation plaster their lives all over the internet and lose out of employment, social standing, events and so much more in later life. (more…)
BSG operates in a very strategic, high profile, trendy, prestigious location at the very heart and soul of Long Beach, California; the corner of Ocean Boulevard at the foot of Long Beach Boulevard. If I could open the windows the sea breeze would waft through the place invitingly. I have views of blue skies, the giant Port of Long Beach, the downtown high-rises, and the convention center. It is always a hub of activity. (more…)
Ransomware, a type of malware that holds your computer hostage until you pay a certain amount of money, seems to be getting more popular since it sprouted up in large-scale form in 2013. Not only can you have ransomware on your machine, but others connected or connnecting to your site are vulnerable. (more…)
If you are here, chances are that you craft content and are attempting to zero in on some form of inspiration for your daily, weekly, or monthly grind; fashioning a beautiful story that gets sent off into the ether, never to be hear from again. OR…you are desperately in NEED of content, haven’t got a clue where to find it, but you have discovered that those college interns simply have not earned the experience to expertly tailor fine content that is worthy of your site. (more…)
Have you ever heard of the newest business term? The Blameless Post-Mortem Do you understand what it means to have a ‘blameless’ Post-Mortem? This is touted as the New and Improved way of doing business. Take a very close, hard look. Does it mean everyone gets off the hook for making mistakes? Not really. Well, it actually depends on what “gets off the hook” means. This requires an explanation. Again, read this very carefully. This is the future of business and manufacturing and marketing and every other industry. It is “enlightened” leading edge. And that edge might just be the side of a cliff… (more…)
Halifax, Nova Scotia on the eastern seaboard of Canada is a vibrant, modern community, but quite separated from most everyone and everything on the North American continent west of it. Even so, every year over 160,000 people travel to Halifax for the sole purpose of visiting an obscure little Victorian graveyard. They visit several rows of century old gravestones and most often place flowers on Joseph Dawson, who died on April 15, 1912…as did 121 others buried around him. And the key is, he is not the person they think he is. The person everyone believes him to be is actually imaginary. (more…)
Backfires happen, even with the best of intentions. You take a solid branding study, evaluation of the results, the hiring of a great designer, a ton of effort dumped in, and apparently everyone loves the finished logo. But once it goes live, any number of things can happen – and often do. There are widely spread jokes on the Hillary campaign logo - the H with the arrow. That’s a high profile example. So the question becomes, how do I make sure the new logo is free from problems? Honestly, it’s impossible to know completely, even with attorney’s running checks, but here’s some principles that can help keep you from experiencing a good logo that goes bad: (more…)
Attaining Digital Speed in an Analog World Although everything around you is in digital mode, you are probably still operating in an analog world you have created for yourself. You think you are speeding along. However, speed is relative. Racing in a car is fast, but the speediest roadster is not going to attain flight speed, thus even the slowest planes are naturally going to be a bit swifter than most autos in today’s world. (more…)
The BSG METHODOLOGY BSG SEES BEYOND THE OBVIOUS BSG does not observe pop trends and read demographic studies. We do not follow. Instead, we lead and create. BSG designs what others follow. We take time to fully understanding our client’s product, their market, the best practices, and how to ramp things to the top of various respective industries. Our experts know PR & marketing in Long Beach and Los Angeles so well, we can adapt our viewpoint to that of the targeted consumer. We build a campaign both striking and communicative. (more…)
Bounce Back People Do you know any? Chances are you do. They’re the people who, no matter what happens to them, always seem to bounce back. They may experience an illness, a family tragedy, or a run of bad luck, but it never seems to keep them down. Life can stretch them to their breaking point, but – like a giant rubber band – they always find a way back to their original shape. They are relentlessly cheerful and ready for the next test. (more…)
Last week, BSG chatted about branding. Some of the most fascinating stories about famed images and branding emerges from a source you may not have considered: Famous Musicians. Perhaps the first long haired, radical music star who always seemed to have an interesting life story was George Fredrick Handel; a rock star of Baroque Music. Although German in ancestry, he spent over 50 years in England and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Of course if we were to meet everyone who ever lived, musician or not, they would all have an interesting life story. (more…)
Go ahead and google it: Writing about what you don’t know. Amazingly enough, there are oodles of sites all dedicated to telling you that you should write about things you have no business discussing, no authority to be believed, no knowledge of the subject, and no way to express it well. Clueless content. The Internet is filled with vibrant, vapid opinion. People who get a couple of odd facts, easily discounted, under their belts and suddenly they are instant experts about issues they haven’t actually experienced or have no background or knowledge of. In the burgeoning world of online advice, writer Sean Blanda classifies the different levels of “expertise” like this: (more…)
Old School Social Media Lives On! Long before anyone thought of the Internet, before people did their messaging in 140 characters or less, politics had its own form of social media - campaign buttons. Short, sweet and to the point, the little pin backed messengers carried pictures, colors, graphics and a brief message that usually led to continued conversation…or perhaps fisticuffs. The buttons and other campaign memorabilia have been around as long as we've had presidential elections, initially to commemorate events and then to promote candidates. (more…)
I’ve written about this before, but until people get the message, I’ll continue to be a crazy prophet in the wilderness. Keep it short – please. At BSG, we know people, especially attorneys, who absolutely cannot send an email of less than 300 words. They feel compelled to add the backstory, all the details, the possible alternatives, and much more. Even their simplest email seems to drone on and on and on. I met with one of these lawyers recently. He was nice and friendly, but endless rambling and deviating from the purpose of the visit. He rambled on about world politics, his high school days, the direction of the legal industry – all entangled in the project he was trying to produce. A simple 30 minute meeting drew on to over two hour. (more…)
Please allow introductions. My name is Meagan, your new SEO coordinator. At BSG, we develop, deploy and maintain a good deal of technology that is not always easily explained and/or understood to those not immersed in computer technology. Therefore, allow me to offer a primer; an educational piece explaining one part of what I do for you and what it accomplishes. (more…)
Yes, Harry Potter had something similar, but this one is not magic, it's science! Here is an example of how an annoying little something was studied instead of cursed at. That singular moment of turnabout turned out to be a simple, yet amazing invention that will change the world of papparazzi. Sometimes science and technology solves problems that other technology creates. It’s a great chess game of oneupmanship that results in so many interesting turns and twists. (more…)
Some tech companies hold on from the point of leading edge to end up being known as a "legacy" company, producing a nostalgic widget that actually surges a bit in popularity due to antiquity and collectibility. Way back in 1989 there was an interview with a fellow who had been laid off from his technology manufacturing job after 35 years because his factory, the last of its kind, was moving to Mexico. Was he upset over the shift to an out of country solution and the loss of his tech job? Not really. He knew it was time to move on. (more…)
Everything old is new again…with a twist. Remember the View Master — the very popular 3D viewer that had a binocular red plastic receiver that held disks containing slides of popular places? Every vacationer had to buy them along with souvenir post cards to augment their Brownie camera photos of the holiday wonderland visited. That may have faded, but guess what, it is returning as a Happy Meal! (more…)
How diverse are your products? Have you ever considered tinkering just a bit with them in order to produce a product that serves a much wider range of clients for an array of needs that it fulfills? Consider these firms that are growing rapidly: The media loves to scare us about the Zika virus. Even without malaria and other vicious diseases, mosquitoes swarm in the summertime. It is their prime time. They are non-discriminatory, raiding the blue bloods at their tony mansions just as much as the denizens of the inner city. However, the looming threat of Zika makes this mosquito season underlined with uncharacteristic anxiety. Cue the mad scramble for mosquito repellents. (more…)
Today, customer service is the apex of retail and many other related industries. Beyond the cheerful greetings and smiles, how does one truly improve service to clients? Developed in partnership with IBM Watson, there is a new app tool that frees up staff and provides shoppers with helpful information as they navigate stores (more…)
Acrylic Nails Double As An Oyster Card. A set of false fingernails that contain a transit card microchip allow a rider to enter the tube with just a touch. Certainly entire credit card info will follow suit. Fashion student Lucie Davis from UAL Central Saint Martins has created a set of false nails embedded with an Oyster card microchip enabling her to get on London’s tube simply by placing her hand atop the card reader. The microchip will let her on and off the tube and can be topped up with money, just like a regular card. Money at your fingertips! (more…)
How rapidly are you moving in your business? Are you staying abreast of the technology and concepts that are racing through the hallways of the Internet? Here is an overview of some of the key research and strategies: Rapid Application Innovation Companies have to react quickly to any changes in the market and seize new opportunities or risk falling behind. Consumer and business needs are evolving and technologies are shifting at a rapid rate. The only way to keep up is to adopt continuous development cycles that focus on constant improvements, keeping in mind the importance of balancing speed with quality. (more…)
I love to talk about big picture issues like engaging today’s culture. But the other direction is just as important. We sometimes forget that just getting your message understood by your boss, or your employees or team is critical to making the big picture happen. Two types of communicators you need to understand are people who think by talking, and people who think by doing. I’m a doer. Maybe it’s my A.D.D., but I’m really not interested in most details. (more…)
The accompanying front page headline from 1993 says it all. The truth is sometimes stretched WAAAAAY beyond belief. These days, with social media, it is far, far worse. Twenty-five years after the first website went online, it is clear that we are living through a period of dizzying transition. For 500 years after Gutenberg, the dominant form of information was the printed page: knowledge was primarily delivered in a fixed format, one that encouraged readers to believe in stable and settled truths. (more…)
I’ve often been noted for positing the notion that every moment of life and every square inch of our world offers inspiration. Even sewers are stylish these days. Showing city pride on apparel is nothing new, but a Berlin-based art collective is taking it to the next level by creating prints for various clothing and making wearable art from the urban designs that already exist in cities around the globe: manhole covers. (more…)
And You Complain About Finding Time to Create? One of the greatest novels of all time was written under the worst conditions. I’ve heard every excuse under the sun that keeps people from writing, designing, composing, and otherwise creating great work. “I’m too busy and can’t find the time,” ranks right at the top, along with whining, “I get distracted,” or “I’m tired after working at my day job.” But recently I was reminded of the challenges Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes experienced, and suddenly, our feeble excuses don’t sound like much. (more…)
Little things count and matter in a Big Way. Simple things we don't quite understand can mean the difference between winning a Gold Medal and being an also-ran. It can be the same for your business. If you look for the details that give you the slightest edge, that edge can be the difference between success and mediocracy. Look at the current Olypmics swimming competition. The winner will be a hundreths of a second ahead of the next three competitors. An eye-blink of a time makes for a champion when all else is equal. How do you get that eye-blink advantage? Look at the suits. They are designed to mimic dolphins...material that glides through the water better than your own skin. Note that not one MALE swimmer has a wisp of body hair...they shave it all. Now, have you noted the caps? They wear two? Why two? Isn't that redundant? NO! As you’re watching Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps and the rest of America’s aquatic Olympians slicing through the water, you might notice that at the end of their races, they peel off one cap only to reveal another beneath. What’s going on there? Swimmers wear two caps for two main reasons: stability and speed. Many swimmers wear their goggles over one swim cap but under another; the lower swim cap can wrinkle and create drag. The lower cap is generally a latex material, which stays on the head better but wrinkles more, while the upper cap is a silicon material that reduces drag in the water. In a sport where hundredths of a second matter, every tiny bit of drag can be the difference between a place on the podium with a medal and a "good-job, good-effort" now go home. A smooth surface atop the head is thus mandatory. And no, shaving the head is not as good as wearing the cap. So, have you thought through your bag of widgets lately to reinvent something, repurpose something, find the new hidden element that makes it newer, better, stronger, more desirable? Two swim caps is simple...and it makes a difference. You can do the same with your product and service. Flummoxed? Contact Blue Sand Group now to discuss the future. To Your Success... Scott
Summer 2016 and a friend and I are wandering the streets of a popular LA tourist area on a HOT summer day… the kind of sizzler that sends you diving for the shade. So when my lady friend spies a sign for a rooftop restaurant in a classic 1930’s Hollywood Hotel, we veer into the lobby and up the elevator. (more…)
Manage Your Personal Brand If You Want Your Business to Succeed Imagine you were on the phone with a potential client, and during that time she Googled your name – what would you want her to read about you and your company? While it might feel like a daunting task to build and manage your personal brand, experts say that everyone – from an indie professional to the C-Suite executive – needs to spend part of their day managing their online reputation in order to build their business. (more…)
Invasion of the Bots Automated social media accounts - bots - have become a large part of our political communication. Even though everyone knows they are there and they are annoying. Believe it or not, bot armies can influence online discourse and actually pick fights with users. But are all bots bad? (more…)
Oh the Horror! There is a famous quote attached to the original Rubik’s Cube — “of all the things I’ve lost in life I miss my mind the most.” Yes, that’s the attitude so many had after endless, sleepless nights attempting to beat the quirky cube. Invented in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube has been a staple childhood toy ever since the peak of its popularity in the 1980s. Now, the Rubik’s Spark is set to update the classic puzzle for a 21st century audience. (more…)
When People Reject Your Ideas Two time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling is quoted as saying: “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” As a “creative” requests come continuously for fresh, innovative ideas. If you’re a creative person, at some point you’ll find a boss, investor, studio, or colleague who rejects your ideas. Sometimes it will happen so often you’ll start to question your own ability, and wonder if you’re really creative at all. In these moments (which will definitely come) my advice is: (more…)
Real conversation is a truly worthy goal in all areas of our lives. So few of us develop in the ability. Real conversation provides a platform for understanding of others and/or issues. Real conversation allows learning to take place, and real conversation promotes the nurturing and deepening of relationships. Perhaps most of all, real conversation can feed our souls in ways few other things can. (more…)
A Team Member Holding You Back? As BSG works in web design, we have often heard some interesting stories with model lessons. Here is one to share: Once upon a time, a large organization needed to hire a web-design agency, so they interviewed and evaluated five choices. The leadership team made the final decision, so after careful consideration it was decided by a majority which agency would be best. That seemed logical. (more…)
Startups need to focus… Around the world, many startups stumble on the road to success when they focus on growth instead of putting the right systems in place. Institutions and communities often assemble but, lack effective models for developing a entrepreneurial ecosystem. Their content and programs have no means of establishing and sustaining revenue, building better solutions for customers, or achieving scalability. (more…)
There was a time when loyalty was everything. My own generation of the ancient past, usually worked at the same company for an entire career. One tended to live in the same city for life. Professional athletes stayed long term with a single team. Ford people would never dream of owning a Chevy and vise versa. In those days, loyalty was the pinnacle. Loyalty to a job or company was absolutely assumed. I’ve actually seen employees fired – not because they were incompetent – but because the boss didn’t feel like they were loyal enough. (more…)
Your Social Media Profile Is More Important Than You Think When it comes to a “profile” or “bio” on social media, most people just have fun with it. That’s OK, but if you want to be an influencer, get noticed, or grow your followers, a more creative and strategic profile can give you a big boost. Here’s the three most important areas most people need to fix: (more…)
Everything Old (School) is New Again As one who has been around since the invention of the vacuum tube (Marconi and I were best buds, you know), I know every generation generates successive waves of popular prophesy regarding the demise of traditional TV, newspapers, print books, radio, and more. (more…)
We are in an information and technology economy. It is hard to understand sometimes that ideas are the currency of now. Widgets are produced elsewhere, based on the notions that are developed here. That is what crafts the superior, progressive industry that is actually produced here…thought, ideas, coding, software. These are the things that make the physical world hum along and all the machines in it work efficiently. (more…)
Who Shows Up At Your Funeral? Dearly Departed, we are gathered here to consider who are truly your friends and who are not. When you flee this veil of tears, have you considered who will actually attend your funeral? Statistically, on average, only 10 people are likely to even cry at your funeral, and only ⅓ of the people invited will show up if it rains. (more…)
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” It’s a catchy but, very destructive. It is an idea that does more harm than good, and here’s why: You can’t truly “make it” if you don’t have integrity. A general cannot lead an army without it. Men will not follow. They must trust him. (more…)
Most of the world, has been watching the Olympics for the last week or so. The world’s greatest athletes taking their place on the global stage is amazing to witness. Watching each event, from swimming and gymnastics to basketball and judo, The question begs to be answered. (more…)
Advice on Presenting Online — Stop. Stop Presenting, Start Conversations When you are presenting online, are you creating engagement and conversation?Do you enjoy sitting in on webinars and web meetings? (more…)
As the Editor in Chief for BSG’s various media and clients, I met someone recently who wanted to be taken seriously as a blogger. He hoped to increase his opportunities to reach larger audiences, and land a publishing deal in the process. But when I checked his social media platforms, here’s what I found: (more…)
Some of the most effective marketing to promote how superior your product happens to be is to promote stuff that is already out there that is exceptionally awful. Case in point: Adobe’s Cheeky New Clothing Line Celebrates Some of the Worst Stock Photos Ever Take your pick of these horrific visual clichés. (more…)
With current social media, there is a new generation digital-native millennials, comfortable with technology and expressing an devotion to social media. They embrace the capitalistic advantages that lie just beneath the surface and are fully addicted on the surface. (more…)
10 Essential items Your Website Should Have -- part 1 Why do people choose BSG to handle their web needs? Simple. All the allegedly easy things that turn into dramatic nightmares are easily and professionally handled right here. However, we do not want to discourage those of you who want to try your hand at building a website. So, here is some basic advice, broken into two parts or five suggestions each. (more…)
Hello again! After sharing to you the first 5 essential items that your website should have, this week, I will share the remaining 5 items that you need 6. Lead generation forms Lead generation isn’t only for big businesses. You can benefit from nurturing your leads as a freelancer as well. Not only will nurturing leads help you get clients to sign on the dotted line the first time, but it could help you get repeat business as well. According to a DemandGen Report, companies receive an average of a 20% increase in sales from nurtured leads. You might think that you aren’t a real company so that doesn’t apply to you. However, you should run your operations like any business. That means you need to collect and nurture leads so you can make more money. Blogging on your website and starting an email newsletter are good starting points. (more…)
Public relations and publicity are not interchangeable. It’s an error worth correcting. Although PR and publicity are related, they are not the same thing. Here’s Merriam-Webster’s definition of PUBLICITY: Something that attracts the attention of the public. Attention that is given to someone or something by newspapers, magazines, television news programs, etc. The activity or business of getting people to give attention to someone or something. (more…)
Variety Magazine’s Entertainment and Technology Summit stepped off recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. It featured representatives from the top media companies in the digital space today, all discussing what’s working and what’s not. Allow me to share some insights that were offered up to us ordinary mortals from the experts in Hollywood. (more…)
Before you start reading, the question to ask youself all through this is: Where is my business in this equation? According to market research firms, online sales this holiday season — defined as November and December — will hit $94.7 billion this year, or a record 10.7 percent of total projected holiday sales of $884.5 billion. And of that $95 billion in cyber sales, Amazon is expected to claim more than a 25% chunk. Yes, one of every four sales will be via Amazon. (more…)
Let’s file this in the “if they can do this, so can YOU!” folder. The headline says it all: ’Grumpy Cat' now has a wax replica at Madame Tussauds in Washington DC. Do you understand the implications of this? Some woman with a scowling cat, created a series of web postings that went so viral the cat has become and remains one of the most noted internet icons of all time. (more…)
By the time it took you to read the title of this article a potential customer has clicked into your site, scanned it instantaneously and has determined if they want to continue or move on. Yes, that quick. Did you capture their continued interest or not? As a speaker and writer, I’m becoming more and more fascinated with the concept of “perception.” After all, in today’s distracted and disrupted world, our perception of everything happens faster and faster. In fact, one study indicates that when we meet someone for the first time, we actually decide within the first 4-8 seconds what we think of that person. With a web page, that decision shrinks to 3 seconds. Now, scientists are looking at how quickly we make decisions, and a particular project focused on discovering how our brains combine sensory impressions with memory and emotion to form judgments. (more…)

How To Overcome Top Fears

What are you afraid of? No, not you personally, but your business. You may not be a wimp, but the truth is, everyone is afraid of something. In business, especially today, chances are when you get to the root of your fear, you start discovering what’s holding you and your business back. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich, poor, successful, unsuccessful, famous or not famous, fear is a problem for everyone. The five greatest fears of professional business people are: (more…)
Here at BSG we see firsthand how effectively a business committed to continual growth produces results beyond wildest imaginings. Because we’ve seen the power of growth, BSG is always fired up to share the principles and practices that will help people make it a habit. That’s the “how to” of growth. But before anyone is ready to learn the “how” of growth, they need to embrace the “why.” (more…)
What’s Your Line? When you read the following list, it will not only rush back memories, these words will remain with you for a very long time. As a wordsmith, my avocation is to craft phrases that motivate, inspire, promote and provoke thought, and call the reader to action. (more…)
In January of 2017 we discovered a way that made it easier for users to interact with your page on Facebook.
(more…)
© Blue Sand Group 2018
249 East Ocean, Blvd. Suite 670
Long Beach, California 90802

Telephone: 800-303-8803





All Services

Request A Quote

Send Us Your Request Information

    Social Media Web Design SEO