From our very first blog post over four years ago, the goal of the Qonverge Blog has been to educate, inform and entertain our clients, community and peers. We also view the blog as an inside look into the people that make their home “In the Q”.

Starting today you’ll be seeing less from us on the blog (that’s actually been happening for quite some time) and more through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and whatever comes next.

Given the proper commitment and dedication, blogging can be a powerful marketing tool. Frankly, we’re busy creating super cool Web sites, videos and print material and like working out, blogging is hard work. Social media on the other hand is quick, engaging and honestly a lot more fun.

While the medium may have evolved (subtle tagline plug)…our message remains the same. We’ll just be presenting it through more concise, timely and relevant media. After all, that’s what you’ve asked for and if nothing else we’re accommodating folks.

As always, your blog comments, Facebook posts and retweets are welcome.

Ever wonder how people get those cool tabs on their Facebook Fan pages? It’s called FBML or “Facebook Markup Language”. If you know a little HTML, you can deck out your Facebook page the same way. Here’s a quick “How To”:

1) Go to the FBML page and select “Add to my page”.

2) Next, go to your page and click “Edit Page”.

3) Title your FBML “box” and add the content for your new tab. This is where you need to know a little code.  Paste in your HTML and “Save Changes”.

4) Go back to your page and click the (+) icon.

5) You now have a fancy, new FBML tab that is sure to impress your Facebook fans.

Check out FBML in action on the Qonverge Facebook page. Enjoy!

What kind of Bizarro World do we live in where the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl and mainstays like Pepsi and Miller Lite are conspicuously absent from the big game? Welcome to your television set for Super Bowl XLIV. In a lackluster year for Super Bowl ads, a few spots stood out from the pack.

1) Careerbuilder: Casual Friday
Way too casual Friday. Pants down the best ad of the game.

2) Snickers: You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
You can’t go wrong with Betty White. Throw in Abe Vigoda and I want to eat a candy bar.

3) Dove
There’s something about funny songs that make me want to use girls soap.

4) Coke: Hard Times (featuring the Simpsons)
Even Montgomery Burns can’t escape this economy. At least he’s got Coke.

5) Audi: Green Police
I like that they kept us guessing who the ad was for until the end.

Dishonorable Mention – Google
I don’t know why the pundits are gushing over this ad. Everyone over 4 years old knows how to use Google. You could have saved yourself $6 million by not running this spot.

Your feedback is welcome. Check out last year’s picks or let us know your thoughts on this year’s Super Bowl ads.

We are in a revolutionary period of skepticism as the marketing potential of online social media is now becoming a little clearer. Hopefully this post will enlighten you on the impact a social media strategy can have on your company’s marketing strategy.

A more functional popularity contest
Social media sites were the most popular online activity, surpassing e-mail and search engines in 2009. In fact, there are more exchanges of information on Facebook than any other platform on the Internet.

Today, social media harnesses the theory of “never do anything alone,” by offering users a community of opinions, advice, information, reviews and the answers to questions we have always wanted to ask.  This wealth of information is not only accessible by companies, but also easy to infiltrate (using the right strategies from Q, of course).

Social media can no longer be looked at as a popularity contest, there are conversations occurring everyday that companies must become involved in.

Don’t just stand there, do something
This revolution of a new mass medium is well within the reach of businesses small and large. The ability to connect with consumers has never been easier or more measurable. Not only can you connect with former customers (retention) and their friends (acquisition), but you can see what they are saying about you (customer feedback) and your competitors (competitive analysis) all on a site maintained by your company!

No need to dig up your business model and switch your marketing ideas, some of your old fashioned techniques still come in handy, but instead of sending an old client a fruit basket, write a note on their wall. Instead of congratulating them on a feature article in the paper, @them on Twitter and post a link to the story. As a company, you are still relevant to your consumer, but you have to be able to effectively reach them on their medium of choice.

Yes, I’m listeni… ooooh shiny!
You’ll be lucky to get an average American to sit through a minute-long advertising spot, yet users spend hours a day interacting with fellow customers, employees and affiliates discussing companies, products and services. This level of engagement is something that has never been possible with traditional media.

Traffic on company social media pages can often times rival that of commercial Web sites that charge for advertising. Not only are you saving money on your banner ads, but your consumers (who have learned the positioning of your leaderboards and buttons) will appreciate a more in-depth perspective of your company.

Bottom line
Personal connections with consumers has never been more attainable through a mass medium, and if you want to get a real pulse of what people are saying, you have to get in the mix!

In these tough economic times, most businesses are doing more with less. The following list presents “101 No Cost and Low Cost Marketing Ideas” for getting your business noticed without breaking the bank. Best of all, 66 of the items in bold are FREE.

1) 24 Hour Rule for E-mails, Telephone Calls

2) 800#

3) Answer Your Phone

4) Ask for Referrals

5) Banner Ads

6) Barter

7) Be Creative

8) Become an Expert

9) Blog

10) Board of Directors

11) Chamber of Commerce

12) Community Organizations

13) Contests

14) Copywriting

15) Coupons

16) Craig’s List

17) Cross Promote with Others

18) Cultivate Relationships with Media

19) Customer Loyalty Cards

20) Customers Thank You’s

21) Direct Mail

22) E-commerce

23) E-commerce – Third Party (i.e. – eBay, Etsy)

24) E-mail Signature

25) E-newsletters

26) Educate Your Customers

27) Exclusive, Free Information for Customers

28) Facebook

29) Facebook Advertising

30) Follow the News

31) Forum

32) Free Advice

33) Free Samples

34) Free Tickets

35) Gift Baskets

36) Give Back to the Community

37) Give Referrals

38) Google AdWords

39) Google Local

40) Guerilla Marketing

41) Handwritten Notes

42) Interviews

43) Invite Customers to Lunch and Pick Up the Tab

44) Learn from the Pros

45) Link Exchanges

46) LinkedIn

47) LinkedIn – Answers

48) Local Online Directories

49) Local Online Newspaper Advertising

50) Local Online Television Advertising

51) Make It Easy to Do Business With You

52) Market to Influencers

53) Mentor

54) Message Boards

55) Mystery Shop Competitors

56) Networking

57) Newspaper Clippings

58) Non-Traditional Advertising

59) Online Listings

60) Peer Groups

61) Podcasts

62) Press Releases

63) Press Reprints

64) Pro Bono Work

65) Product Design

66) Product Differentiation

67) Promotional Items

68) WOW Your Customers

69) Public Speaking

70) Publicity Stunts

71) Put Your Web Site URL on Everything

72) Reward Referrals

73) Sales Letters

74) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

75) Seminars

76) Special Offers on Invoices

77) Sponsor a Highly Targeted Radio Show

78) Sponsor a Popular Local Event

79) Sponsor Local High School Events

80) Strategic Partnerships

81) T-shirts

82) Talk to Your Customers

83) Target Local Companies

84) Teach a Class

85) Testimonials – Written and Video

86) Trade Shows

87) Training

88) Twitter

89) Vehicle Graphics

90) Video – Do It Yourself

91) Video – DVD

92) Video – Product Demonstrations

93) Video – Training

94) Viral Marketing

95) Volunteer

96) Web Site

97) Web Site Content Management System (CMS)

98) Write a Book

99) Write Articles

100) Your Time

101) YouTube

Download List

This list is an excerpt from a presentation made at the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce on “Marketing on a Shoestring Budget”. View the full presentation at www.qonverge.com/shoestring.