Chad and Ian sit down (virtually) with a roundtable of digital marketing experts with a range of experience and expertise. Listen to this in-depth discussion on where small businesses stand today across the country, and what they need to do to take the next step. This is up-to-the-minute information for small business owners, touching on […]
Ken Boggis, Hibu’s VP of Digital Solutions, talks about what we’re hearing from our small business clients across the country, and walks through key steps your local business should be taking to keep in touch with your customers now, as well as, the best ways to position yourself for the transition back to the new […]
We’re proud to share the story of one Hibu client, Quick Response, a local restoration company in Round Lake, NY. When the crisis began, they didn’t shut down, they shifted direction – finding a way they could help their local first responders, as well as their business and their local community. Watch this quick video […]
Like many of you, we’re working remotely. And, just like you, we’re working hard to do everything we need to do for our clients during these challenging times. One of the most challenging things people seem to be running into is simply staying in touch — whether it’s with friends or family, business partners or […]
Gina Young, Hibu’s Director of Digital Performance, joins Chad and Ian to talk about what makes a healthy (effective) digital marketing campaign for your small business. Gina points out some surprising things most local businesses fail to consider when looking at their digital marketing – some relatively basic things that can have a big impact […]
Like all industries, digital marketing has a language all it’s own. The difference is, you need to understand the digital marketing business if you’re going to use it effectively to grow your business. That’s why we’re starting this series of quick (VERY quick) 30-second videos to help explain some of the digital marketing lingo you […]
The average small business has one person in charge of their website (maybe they even do it themselves) another person or agency overseeing search marketing (if they have it) and still a third person working on social (and, hopefully, we’re not just talking about cat videos). All in all, you might have to deal with […]
What are you looking for from your digital marketing? You want it to work smart. You want It to be easy. You want it to deliver results. That’s why we’re pleased to announce Hibu’s “Smart + Easy” synchronized, solution-based digital marketing for small to medium-sized local businesses. Our “smart + easy” digital marketing solutions make […]
We’re looking ahead to 2020 (and beyond) with a renewed commitment to delivering smart digital marketing made easy – and that’s a whole lot more than just a catchy slogan. “Smart + Easy” is our promise to our clients – with Hibu, your digital marketing will be smarter, better performing, delivering increased results – […]
When you’re running a business, there’s no shortage of things to worry about – competitors, customers, inventory, staffing — and a whole lot of other day-to-day worries. According to a recent insurance report, the top three “big picture” small business risks are: Liability risks Property risks Business interruption risks If you think about it, any […]
One of the most challenging parts of advertising your local business online is simply keeping up with non-stop evolution of the web. A few years ago it was enough to have a website, then it had to be optimized for mobile – now it has to be built for voice search too. And that’s just […]
It’s hard enough just getting found online. You fight your way to the top of the search results, you claw your way past your competitors and manage to get a prospect or customer to click the link that takes them to your website… and they take about three seconds, don’t see what they want, and […]
The majority of websites today simply aren’t built to give you the best ranking in search or to get you found with voice search — but Hibu Smart Sites are… and the secret is something called “schema.” Schema is advanced code that helps Hibu Smart Sites give search engines much more information — so they’ll […]
The majority of websites today simply aren’t built to give you the best ranking in search or to get you found with voice search — but Hibu Smart Sites are! Hibu Smart Sites have advanced technology that 80% of websites don’t have, helping Smart Sites perform better than other websites* — simply put, they communicate […]
You might be surprised to know that the first National Women Day was celebrated in America in 1909 – 110 years ago. The United Nations made International Women Day an official day of observance for all its member counties in 1972. In recent years, the annual event has focused on a single theme, like this […]
Take control of your online reputation It’s nice to think that your website presents a professional, positive first impression for customers searching for you… the only problem is that your site is rarely the first thing a potential customer sees. Generally, there are two things that create the first impression a prospect gets of your […]
Running a small business is a never-ending, all-encompassing, time-consuming challenge. Most small business owners find they have to establish daily routines and set specific processes in place just to keep the minutia from becoming overwhelming. If you’re like many the business owners we talk with, taking the time to update your marketing is pretty far […]
Think back… What do you remember about 2012? Who won the Super Bowl or the World Series? What long-time institution took its final bow and which modern day institution hit a huge milestone? Watch this quick video for a fast look back. Things have changed so much… or have they? Have they changed enough? As we […]
Lots of small business owners we talk with think “I’ve got a website — I’m doing all I need to do.” But in reality, a website alone is just not enough today. The way consumers shop online includes search and social media and customer reviews and more. Watch this quick video for 3 basic things […]
We’re pleased to report that Hibu’s own RC Thompson, Director of Digital Product Management, was interviewed by LSA (Local Search Association) for their Blog, LSA Insider. In the interview, RC talked about the expansion of voice search within Hibu’s current Websites and Listings Management program. LSA is a not-for-profit industry association of media companies, agencies […]
To effectively advertise your business online today you need a website and social media, ads on search pages, Facebook and popular websites. You need to share positive customer reviews and more. But if all these things are separate, disconnected programs then, to a certain extent, you’re wasting your money. If you’re going to reach your […]
Good news… the future is here! Bad news… there’s a really good chance your website isn’t ready for it. Changes in technology are driving dramatic changes in customer buying behavior. The expanding impact of social media, mobile search, site security — your website needs to be built in a way that it can easily adapt to […]
Big client meeting coming, do you… cross your fingers? Knock on wood? Rub your lucky rabbit’s foot? You may or may not be surprised by the number of superstitions you’ll find in the average small business. In honor of Friday the 13th — possibly the most popular superstition, in America anyway — we’d like to offer a list […]
It’s the middle of the summer. Half the country is getting hit with a heat wave, and the summer season is in full swing… so, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about the Holidays! Yes, those holidays – the ones at the end of the year. The time to start business-holiday planning is now! […]
We understand that Cinco de Mayo is not a celebration of Mexican Independence. It’s not even really a holiday in Mexico. Luckily for us, here in America – where we like any reason to celebrate – it is a holiday! So, to celebrate the American version of Cinco de Mayo – with its icy-cool drinks […]
Quick – picture your customer. Male? Female? Young? Old? Well… maybe not as old as you think. You might have to knock a few years off that image – if not now, very soon… like later this year. According to our friends at the good old Pew Research Center, U.S. population projections say that very […]
Ahhhh, the annual rites of Spring… April showers, daffodils, hay fever, and of course, Spring Cleaning. Today let’s not worry about cleaning your home or your office — let’s talk about cleaning your business… online. Specifically, your online business information. According to Google, over 50% of all mobile searchers are looking for your address or directions […]
To help you make up for the time lost while you and your employees fill out your brackets, we’d like to suggest five basketball-style digital marketing moves you should be making to drive past your competition online. 5 moves to help you score new leads Post-up – The easiest move in our digital marketing basketball […]
It’s March! In like a lion, out like a lay-up. It’s time for that great Spring sporting spectacular, when basketball brackets take over our nation’s psyche.. and cost businesses across the country hours of work as employees focus on their picks (instead of their productivity). In an effort to turn the Final Four into a fiscal […]
A lot of small business owners believe that if you have a website, you’re doing all you have to do to get found online. Add some search ads, maybe some social media, and you’re covering all your bases. Actually, there are a lot more bases to cover if you want your business to get found… […]
Once upon a time, when you wanted your house painted, or your car repaired, or needed a doctor or lawyer or landscaper…you asked a friend, or checked the yellow pages, or simply drove into town. Needless to say, when today’s consumer is searching for a local business, product or service, they search online… but that […]
What’s your digital marketing look like? A website? Search ads? Maybe some social? Are you happy with what you see when you compare the money you’re investing vs the profit you’re generating? Would you be happy with a million dollars in growth? $1 million in revenue growth If you own a small business, you’ve […]
You may have noticed that we’re focusing a lot of attention on online customer reviews. Why? Because there’s no question that reviews are having an ever-increasing impact on consumer buying decisions. Your customers are absolutely going online and checking out their options – you and your competitors – before deciding who they’re going to call. […]
We’re asking everyone to SHARE THIS VIDEO (or the whole post) to help us celebrate National Small Business Week, and acknowledge the momentous impact small businesses have on our country. Organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), National Small Business Week will be held April 30 – May 6. Administrator Linda McMahon, the head of the […]
Sure, who wins the basketball tournament is vital to the American way of life, but even more important, when it comes to getting your business found online, is which is better… SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or PPC (Pay-Per-Click — aka Search Engine Marketing, or SEM). Take a look at the infographic below to see who comes […]
30 years ago, when I was just starting out in marketing, my boss handed me a printed sheet of paper and told me to tack it on the wall. It was a list created by Erwin M. Soukup entitled “The 7 Steps to Stagnation.” Just like my boss passed it to me, I’m passing it to […]
Introducing Hibu Social — helping small businesses turn social media into social marketing There’s no denying it — if your customers are online (and they are) then they’re probably on social media. Trouble is, getting your business seen on social is getting harder with each passing year. In fact, just getting a Facebook post seen […]
It’s not unusual for people to ask us… “What’s Hibu?” Maybe this short video will help explain what we are, as well as who we are. More than anything else, to understand what Hibu does, you need to start with the thousands of small businesses we partner with. We’re here to help them grow. We’re […]
“Are you using social media?” I recently asked a friend and client. “You mean like the Facebook? My kids are on there all the time,” was the response I got back. Hopefully you’re a little more social savvy than my friend. I hope you’re already using social media to grow your business… but I’ll bet […]
It’s not unusual for a small business to try to write their own website – after all, you may have written your own sales letters before, either from scratch or using content from a brochure or print ad. And with so many DIY website options available, it might seem like it’s no big deal to […]
