Blockbeta Marketing: Ideas and Resources for Startups and Small Businesseshttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/Marketing, internet marketing, low and no-cost ideas and toolsen-US2010-07-31T18:56:59ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.5 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Remember, It's About Connecting with Your Peepshttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2010/6/30/remember-its-about-connecting-with-your-peeps.htmlRobbin2010-06-30T16:47:26ZMarketing How-To's Quick Tips Social Media social mediaSocial Media Times Offers Local Marketing Tipshttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2010/5/27/social-media-times-offers-local-marketing-tips.htmlRobbin2010-05-27T18:03:48ZMarketing How-To's Social Media small business marketing social mediaBeing Laid Off Doesn't Mean You're Ready (or Willing) for Entrepeneurshiphttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2010/5/15/being-laid-off-doesnt-mean-youre-ready-or-willing-for-entrep.htmlRobbin2010-05-15T15:45:15ZRants & Philosophies Seattle Area Business News Startup Strategies entrepreneurship seattle startupsSocial Media Slow to Gain Traction in Industrial Sectorhttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2010/3/30/social-media-slow-to-gain-traction-in-industrial-sector.htmlRobbin2010-03-30T15:04:17ZMarketing strategy Social Media industrial marketing social mediaSocial Media Marketing: Evolution or Revolution?http://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2010/3/14/social-media-marketing-evolution-or-revolution.htmlRobbin2010-03-14T19:12:09ZMarketing strategy Rants & Philosophies Social Media marketing social media social networksNew Animation Toolhttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2009/10/8/new-animation-tool.htmlRobbin2009-10-08T16:17:59ZSocial Media Tools to Run Your Business Web 2.0 animation social media web toolThere's a new tool from Xtranormal that claims that if you can type, you can create an animation. They've created an example about social media which is pretty funny. Didn't want to show it hear due to the language used, but you can go check it out on YouTube.

]]>Get a Glimpse of How the Internet Sees Youhttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2009/9/28/get-a-glimpse-of-how-the-internet-sees-you.htmlRobbin2009-09-28T21:28:16ZSocial Media cool tools social mediaPart geeky fun, part art project, Personas is a part of the Metropath(ologies) exhibit, recently on display at the MIT Museum. It was created by the Sociable Media Group from the MIT Media Lab. Simply type in your name and watch it go to work.

]]>A Tool for Brainstorming on the Cheaphttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2009/9/15/a-tool-for-brainstorming-on-the-cheap.htmlRobbin2009-09-15T16:06:11ZQuick TipsNever have enough white board space for your ideas? Well here's a great solution to a common problem -- build your own white board. Here's how

]]>Seattle Parking Meters Bad for Small Businesshttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2009/9/14/seattle-parking-meters-bad-for-small-business.htmlRobbin2009-09-14T16:05:55ZRants & Philosophies meters parking retailI've been complaining for a while about the new parking meters going up in the small neighborhoods around Seattle. When you want to simply run in to grab a coffee or your dry cleaning, you have to grab change or a credit card, sometimes run half a block in the rain to a meter, wait for your ticket, and run back to your car to stick that annoying piece of paper in the window. The glue doesn't come off easily either.

Oh, I pine for the 2-hour limit spots that used to dot our streets. I even find myself choosing where I'll go based on where I can park.

All this hassling of customers is bad for small businesses, because why would I pay for parking (and the time) in addition to that coffee? I'm simply going to stop somewhere with a parking lot. It's especially bad for the the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, like Fremont and South Lake Union, where the businesses are typically smaller and can rarely afford to offer free parking. I called the city about it, but they didn't agree (of course). And fancy, new meters keep going up all the time.

Seattle isn't the only one with the problem. In an article from MSNBC, Bob Sullivan in his Red Tape Chronicles column talks about the ticket abuses happening in other major cities.

 

]]>A Tool for Finding Customers and Determining Seasonal Demandhttp://www.blockbeta.com/blog/2009/5/25/a-tool-for-finding-customers-and-determining-seasonal-demand.htmlRobbin2009-05-25T18:28:44ZMarketing How-To's Quick Tips demographics geography market research psychographics seasonalityOnce again, Google comes to the rescue with a data tool that may help you figure out where your customers are and when they may be ready to buy. Based on aggregated search data, their Insights for Research allows you to plug in terms, then look at patterns across a number of filters. You can narrow your search by Web, image, news or product. Select geographies from worldwide to city. Search as far back as 2004 to as recent as a specific date. Filters are also available by industry and interest. The tool allows you to compare results by search term, location and time ranges.

I gave it a try comparing skiing to swimming. The results were unexpected. Then I thought it might be fun to compare ice cream and chocolate -- a little more predictable. Now granted, this data is based on what people are searching for; there may be no direct correlation between those searches and actual purchases. But the resulting data, graphs and maps are pretty interesting. It just depends on how you use it.

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