How BizBrag Workz
Turn Your Biz Newz into a Powerful Online Marketing, PR & Email Tool...Just Post Your Newz & Let Us Do The Rest
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Other Great Featurez
Find these in your BizFolio
Resource Center
(click on the [+] to read more about that selection)
[+] Increasing Your Biz SEO (search engine optimization)
[-] Increasing Your Biz SEO (search engine optimization): You may or may not have heard of this term, but it is important when it comes to marketing your biz online and getting noticed on the web. Search Engine Optimization is basically about utilizing certain tools/strategies to try and achieve a spot at the top of a search results page on Google, Yahoo!, etc. At BizBrag, we do SEO differently, both locally and across the entire web, because we use your biz newz to generate visibility to your biz thru these search engines. While the SEO firms utilize and emphasize your website, which is great, we offer another avenue for search engines to find you in a dynamic way. We like to get involved with these SEO firms, so that we can help them enhance their clients’ SEO experience along with the services they offer. Here, you will read just the important key points because your time is needed to run your biz. There are thousands of companies that specialize in SEO services via your website, tens of thousands of websites that cover the topic of SEO, and an infinite amount of theories and thoughts as to what the best strategies are to get your biz at the top of search engine results (the first listing of Google, Yahoo!, etc.). If you have time, it would be good to research further into more detailed SEO history and practices. Since we know you have to spend time to grow your biz, we are just going to give you the simple key points that you can control in order to enhance the SEO for your biz as it relates to your newz. The truth is, we don’t have all of the answers and cannot promise the very top of result listings, but then again, no one does…that’s just the harsh reality. What we do promise are unique ways in which to help with your biz SEO and supply your biz with the tools needed to put it in the best position to succeed with your online marketing efforts by using your biz newz.
The online marketing world may be a confusing one, but it doesn’t have to be an intimidating one, so jump into it now with us!
At BizBrag, we are here to help you and give you very easy-to-use tools so that you don’t even have to think about intricate technological aspects…we do all of that for you. If there is a change in search algorithm, we adjust to that change, if there are new items that search engines like or dislike, we implement those solutions for you. The great thing about your biz newz is that it is dynamic and always changing, like the SEO practices. Our BizBrag Team knows this, and that’s why your newz will always be working for you in the most effective way as we take your biz newz and implement it into search engine optimization practices. Our desire is for you to grow your biz, post your newz and let us worry about how it is getting to the web for the world and, more specifically, for your current and potential customers to see.
NOTE: All of these principles apply to your BizFolio as well. Your BizFolio is a very strong SEO tool for your biz as well because of all of the links, biz articles and participation in a large community.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to boost your biz SEO efforts:
[+] Dedicated SEO URL
[-] Dedicated SEO URL: BizBrag automatically generates the headline of your newz article into the actual url (this is the ‘http://www.’ box at the top of your screen). Thus, each of your newz articles are being seen as a website/webpage. This means, since search engines ‘crawl (or look for)’ url’s that relate to what people are searching for, you can constantly control what the url says, because it is your actual headline.
How to Use: Don’t just have a headline that says: “Is Your Lawn Ready For Spring?” Instead, use the headline: “New York Lawn Care Service Will Prepare Your Lawn For Spring”…and then go on to discuss your newz. This url includes a few keywords with a location…search engines would be more apt to list this url over the first example. Localizing and being specific with your headlines can help with your SEO efforts
What You Need To Do: Write specific headlines for your newz articles
[+] Text Links & Video
[-] Text Links & Video: When you type your newz article, BizBrag provides you with powerful html tools (insert images into the article, insert videos into the article, bold words, color text, etc). By using these tools, you can get very creative and form strong newz articlez. By strong, we mean strong SEO friendly articles that search engines crawl to look for text links (linking words or phrases in the article with another website or web page), images & videos. Search engines tend to like these ‘linked/interactive’ pages and will be more apt to list these types of pages in their results because it’s ‘busy’ with activity and linked to other sites (for example, Google is very fond of videos that are from YouTube…so, when you have a video for your biz article, upload it to YouTube first and then use that link in your article when you are typing it up).
How to Use: When you are typing your newz, use text links that link back to your website, specific pages in your website, blog or other web pages on the web. So, if you type a keyword such as lawn, you can link it to a page on the web or your site that may describe how to care for your lawn. Or, you can go on YouTube and get a link to show how to care for your lawn and what pesticides you may use. Then, take that video link and put it into your newz article…and there you go, a video link that is relevant to what your newz is about. This will help with your SEO efforts.
What You Need To Do: Don’t go crazy with text and video links (because too much is a bad thing in the search engines’ eyes!), but insert the applicable links that are beneficial and relative to the newz you are typing. Remember, you don’t need to include everything in one article…BizBrag lets you write unlimited newz articles for your biz.
[+] Relative Terms
[-] Relative Terms: This is pretty simple. This just means that when you are writing your newz, make sure the words and terms that you use are relative to what you are talking about. In other words, don’t write an article about lawn care and then go off on a tangent about Apple’s iphone. This doesn’t look consistent to the search engines, and they won’t like it…therefore, they will not recognize it. Make sure your content is newsworthy and flows with all of the relevant information, terms and keywords.
How to Use: Keep things very clean and professional. Also, post consistent newz articles to show activity, but make sure it is relevant content. The worst thing you could do for your biz is to post the same newz article more than once. Search engines pick up (negatively) on duplicated articles or editing the same one. This is known as ‘article spinning’ and search engines will punish you by knocking you down in results if you abuse this tactic. Look, take your time, post great newz articles consistently over time and you will see the benefits. This way, the more newz articles you post, the more they will be intertwined, thus creating a powerful SEO engine for your biz and brand.
What You Need To Do: Be consistent with posting your fresh and exciting newz, while including relevant terms and information. Make sure what you are writing is newsworthy and not duplicated. Once you do this, you are giving yourself the best chance to show up in search engine results.
[+] Tags (or Tagging)
[-] Tags (or Tagging): After you type your newz article in the ‘Post My Newz’ section of your BizFolio, you will see a few boxes where you can type in your tags. Tags are keywords that are related to your newz article. These keywords, or ‘tags,’ are very beneficial to search engine crawling (remember, that means search engines are looking for things). So, for a lawn care newz article, a few tags you may use are: lawn care, the location of your biz, or products/services your offer.
How to Use: Be sure to put the words in these boxes after you type your newz…they are strong elements in relation to the whole SEO game. Use the words that you want your biz to be connected with when people are searching the web.
What You Need To Do: It is easy to use, just type in the tags that are most relevant to your newz that you think someone would type in the search engines’ boxes when looking for services or companies such as yours.
[+] Simplifying E-mail Marketing for Your Biz
[-] Simplifying E-mail Marketing for Your Biz: You may not know it, but email marketing is everywhere and it is part of your life. How, you ask? Well, have you ever gotten a basic email from a company that you have done business with in the past? Have you ever gotten a ‘special offer product’ email with flashy colors and pictures all over the email? Yup, both of these are types of email marketing. The general definition of Email Marketing is a form of direct marketing by which electronic mail is the means of communicating. This direct marketing can be for the promotion of a product/service, a company/charity announcement of some sort, an advertisement, acquiring new customers, consistently staying in front of existing customers or just sending out an informative email. Guess what, you can do this at BizBrag. Just like that, with the click of a mouse, you too can now make your exciting newz an email marketing tool…how great and easy is that! Whatever the message is, there is an important element that must always be stressed (as we do here at BizBrag)…Spamming activity will be not be tolerated. We have implemented several controls to keep our community from not only sending spam, but to be spammed themselves. We have a very strict Anti-Spam Policy and we hold the CAN-SPAM Act in very high regard. By way of our Terms and Conditions, we hold our community members/users to strict spamming guidelines. So, please be clean and use this great feature to its full potential, and do not abuse it. With that said, having the clear conscious of being spam-free, email marketing can be a lot of fun! Use this feature as a way to reach all of your contacts. We have a great address book (BizContactz) section in every BizFolio that allows you to import your contacts’ email addresses from: AOL Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and other web-based email services. Plus, you can directly import email addresses from your Outlook and addresses you have on Excel spreadsheets. So, once you have these emails in your BizContactz section, you can easily put them into Groups: Vendors, Customers, Family & Friends, or whatever you choose. Once you have these groups, you will be able to send your exciting newz article to the groups or even individual email addresses. Send it to the same group every time, or switch it up…you have the control! When you use BizBrag for your email marketing needs, you are able to not only send to whomever you choose, but you can send unlimited newz articles to an unlimited amount of email addresses…no extra charge! Plus with an Upgraded Account, you can send these newz articles in the form of emails to your contacts and your newz article arrives directly into their inbox where they can see your exciting newz immediately. If you have the Basic Account, you will still be able to send your newz to your contacts, but it will arrive in their inbox in the form of a link that they must click to re-direct them back to BizBrag where they will be able to read your exciting newz article.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to boost your biz Email Marketing efforts:
[+] Templates (coming May 2010)
[-] Templates (coming May 2010): BizBrag will be providing exciting templates for your biz to choose from. You can choose the colors that apply to your biz along with the catch phrase that best describes what your newz article is saying (Big Idea, Update…whatever your biz is saying in its newz article). These templates are very informative in the way they are pre-constructed from you, for example, the templates have key elements from your BizFolio profile, which are: Your Key Biz information, Your Biz Picz, Your Biz Logo & the ability for other businesses to connect with you (BizLinkz). For compliance, your templates also include all of the necessary information needed to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. All of the above information is automatically included in each of your emails…pretty easy, huh?
How to Use: After you have typed your newz, just pick your template, then check the boxes where you want to send it…is that simple or what? This is a great tool for staying in front of all of your customers. Give them product updates, launch information, general company happenings…or just about anything else. Also, we encourage you to get creative: use it as a company newsletter, communicate with your sales team, use it to acquire new customers, as a professional who sells financial, accounting or medical services, as an artist who sells books, music or artwork, as a writer or even if you are a sales rep who doesn’t even have a website but needs to communicate with customers/clients and their office staff. Our simple Email Marketing Solution is for you.
What You Need To Do: Not much. Just pick the applicable template you would like for that particular newz article and send it!
[+] Address Book (BizContactz)
[-] Address Book (BizContactz): This is a very powerful and simple feature to use. Go into your BizContactz section, located in your BizFolio, and begin to enter your contacts’ email addresses. Like we had mentioned above: You can import your contacts’ email addresses from AOL Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! And other web-based email services. Plus, you can upload from your Outlook and addresses you have on Excel spreadsheets. So, once you have these emails in your BizContactz section, you easily put them into Groups: Vendors, Customers, Family & Friends, or whatever you choose. Once you have these groups, you will be able to send your exciting newz article to the groups or even individual email addresses you would like.
How to Use: Once you have contacts in your BizContactz section, and have put them into Groups, you now have the control of what you are sending to whom. So, after you type your newz article and wish to use it as Email Marketing, just click the boxes of those Groups you wish to send that newz article to. We really try to make this easy for you…did we do it?
What You Need To Do: Nothing too hi-tech here. Just go into your BizFolio, then head to the BizContactz section and begin importing and entering contacts’ email addresses. Easy!
[+] Social Media publishing made easy for your biz!
[-] Social Media publishing made easy for your biz!: Nowadays, you cannot go five minutes without hearing ‘Become a fan on our Facebook page,’ or ‘Follow us on Twitter!’ You keep hearing this, but you have so much work to do with your biz and you need to focus on growing it, so when would you find the time to weave thru all of these social media sites and really figure out how they work? And so the frustration sets in. But relax, BizBrag has provided your biz with a solution to the ‘Social Media Craze!’ We don’t claim to be the experts in the workings of social media, but we don’t have to be. What we do claim is that we are your answer to getting your biz involved on these sites and we give you the ability to stay current with your profile on these sites…all from BizBrag! You guessed it, whatever newz article you post here at BizBrag, with the click of a mouse, that same newz goes right to your social media accounts. The steps are quick & simple: Go to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and sign up for an account on each site. Got it? OK good. Now, when you log into your BizFolio, click on the Social Media link in your BizPower Toolz section. This will take you to a page with these (along with blog sites) logos. Click on the site that you would like to automatically send your newz to, and follow the very easy instructions (this takes about a minute and a half to complete). Once you have connected with the accounts that you want your BizBrag newz articles to go to…you are done! How easy was that? We are not lying when we say that we are trying to make your online marketing and public relations lives easier.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to make social media very simple & effective for your biz:
[-] Facebook: This is a very popular site (400+ million users will tell you that)…so it only makes sense to have an account with them. These accounts are free (Facebook makes money from advertising), so it won’t affect your budget at all. This site is more social than business. This is not so much an ‘outbound site,’ as it is an ‘inbound’ site. In other words, people come to see you at Facebook, your Facebook info does not go out to the world or generate SEO or Email Marketing solutions. This is one of the differences between Facebook and BizBrag: at BizBrag, we not only encourage and cater to inbound activity, but we really emphasize outbound activity and getting your newz out to the world through many outlets.
What You Need To Do: open an account (if you don’t already have one) at www.facebook.com and then connect with that account in your BizFolio thru the BizPower Toolz section. Once you are connected, you don’t have to go to your Facebook account to update it – with the click of a mouse, all of your newz and biz articles are sent to your account right from BizBrag after you have typed your newz article. Every once in a while, we encourage you to visit this account and get involved with your connections, etc. – don’t just ignore this account, make it work for you.
[-] LinkedIn: This site has become a staple, of sorts, for professionals. Notice we did not say small biz owners. This site is very good at connecting people who are looking for lost relationships, for those who are looking to network and those who are looking for job related searches and recommendations. All in all, it is a very good site for those purposes. In reality, this site is very different than BizBrag in that we ARE small biz and we are 100% focused on making your biz newz a powerful tool to drive and grow your small biz. With that said, having an account could be beneficial for individuals who are trying to connect with you. You can open a free account (or upgrade for the ability to send more emails).
What You Need To Do: open an account (if you don’t already have one) at www.linkedin.com and then connect with that account in your BizFolio thru the BizPower Toolz section. Once you are connected, you don’t have to go to your LinkedIn account to update it – with the click of a mouse, all of your newz and biz articles are sent to your account right from BizBrag after you have typed your newz article. Every once in a while, we encourage you to visit this account and get involved with your connections, etc. – don’t just ignore this account, make it work for you.
[-] Twitter: Twitter is a pretty cool site. It is a place where individuals or businesses go to type 140 character (letters and spaces – the same exact amount of characters provided for a BizBrag newz article headline, a coincidence?…we don’t think so!) phrases, observations, updates or comments on just about anything. Just like Facebook and LinkedIn, this site is very good at what it does and its core competency, but differs from BizBrag in that it is limited in total words and what it can do with those words. But, that’s ok, the world pays attention to Twitter and tweets (those 140 character statements) so your biz should grab a free account (it is free, they make money from ads). The coolest part about BizBrag and linking to Twitter is that since it is only 140 characters long, when you post your newz article just your headline goes to Twitter, not the whole article…but, there is a link allowing users to click back and see your article. Our BizBrag Team geeks were really thinking on this one!
What You Need To Do: open an account (if you don’t already have one) at www.twitter.com and then connect with that account in your BizFolio thru the BizPower Toolz section. Once you are connected, you don’t have to go to your Twitter account to update it – with the click of a mouse, all of your newz and biz headlines are sent to your Twitter account right from BizBrag after you have typed your newz article. Every once in a while, we encourage you to visit this account and get involved with your connections, etc. – don’t just ignore this account, make it work for you.
[+] Posting to Your Blog with Efficiency
[-] Posting to Your Blog with Efficiency: Many companies have blogs as their way to voice whatever is on their mind at the time. These blogs count on people to visit them and stay engaged with what they have to say (our blog is no different). Nothing keeps people more engaged than exciting newz about your biz, new products, company announcements, or any of the above. Blogs are different from BizBrag in that they are inbound (remember, inbound is bringing people to your newz and outbound is sending your newz to them) with some SEO opportunities. A blog, as a discussion platform or primary website, coupled with BizBrag only increases your biz visibility when it comes to search results. Why not utilize your newz in a very powerful way and not just post it to your blog, but send it to the world as well through BizBrag (and vice-versa). To make all of this very simple, we have included a feature that lets you go to your blog and connect to it, allowing your biz newz articles you type on BizBrag to be sent directly to your blog, with a single click of the mouse. Once you have a blog, it’s time to get started. Now when you log into your BizFolio, click on the Blog link in your BizPower Toolz section. This will take you to a page with blog (along with social media sites) logos. Click on the blog logo (that your blog works through) that you would like to automatically send your newz to, and follow the very easy instructions (this takes about a minute and a half to complete). Once you have connected with the blog(s) that you want your BizBrag newz articles to go to…you are done!
The exciting features BizBrag offers to connect your blog in a very efficient & effective way:
[+] WordPress
[-] WordPress: If you are researching this part, chances are, you have a blog already. If not, no worries, it is easy and fast to set one up. Just go to www.wordpress.com and follow the instructions to set it up. Utilize this blog as a way for people to come see what you are saying or use this blog as the primary website for your biz. Blogs are a great way to have a primary website that you are able to control without too much tech knowledge.
What You Need To Do: open an account (if you don’t already have one) at www.wordpress.com and then connect with that account in your BizFolio BizPower Toolz section. Once you are connected, you don’t have to go to your WordPress account to update it – with the click of a mouse, all of your newz and biz articles are sent to your account right from BizBrag after you have typed your newz article.
[+] Blogger
[-] Blogger: If you are researching this part, chances are, you have a blog already. If not, no worries, it is easy and fast to set one up. Just go to www.blogger.com and follow the instructions to set it up. Utilize this blog as a way for people to come see what you are saying or use this blog as the primary website for your biz. Blogs are a great way to have a primary website that you are able to control without too much tech knowledge.
What You Need To Do: open an account (if you don’t already have one) at www.blogger.com and then connect with that account in your BizFolio BizPower Toolz section. Once you are connected, you don’t have to go to your Blogger account to update it – with the click of a mouse, all of your newz and biz articles are sent to your account right from BizBrag after you have typed your newz article.
[+] Unique Live Chat for Your Biz
[-] Unique Live Chat for Your Biz: So, you have seen those cool icons on the websites of online shoe companies, or financial service companies, such as PayPal. What icons you ask?, how about those icons that say “Chat Live with us Now!” This feature is a great way to answer questions or take comments from current or, more importantly, potential customers. Our BizBrag Team believes that every small biz in the world should have this available to them. That is great, in theory, but unless that small biz is tech savvy and has the resources or funds to make it happen, it will be difficult to pull off. Sure, Yahoo! Chat and AOL’s AIM are pretty cool, but what if that customer doesn’t have those accounts? – looks like no chatting! Like we said before, our geeks are clever. We see this as a need, not a luxury for small biz. So, we have implemented a LIVE CHAT box in all of the Upgraded BizFolios. Now your small biz can have its own Live Chat feature to communicate with your current customers and close the deal on those potential customers. If that gets you excited, then this will really set you over the top: we have programmed and taken measures to protect the proprietary development of our Dynamic Live Chat feature. This is a cool, yet simple concept. When you have an Upgraded Account, every newz article that you type for your biz will include a Dynamic Live Chat box within that article. That’s right, your biz will have the ability to chat live with anyone who sees your newz on the web or in an email! How is that for making the life of a small biz simple, yet turbo boosting it at the same time?
The exciting features BizBrag offers with our Live Chat function:
[+] Live Chat in Your BizFolio
[-] Live Chat in Your BizFolio: Just like those big companies, you now have the opportunity to have direct, live conversations with customers and potential customers right from your BizFolio. You can open your Live Chat feature from your BizFolio, minimize it to the corner of your computer and just have it there every day for anyone who will want to chat with you and your biz. Just let everyone know that if they go to your BizFolio, they can communicate directly from there with you and your small biz. Our goal is to make communicating with your customers so easy that you will never want to conduct business without this feature again.
What You Need To Do: It is very simple, all you need to do is Upgrade your Account and then you will have Live Chat included in your BizFolio. Just go to your BizPower Toolz box in your BIzFolio and click on the Live Chat link and follow the instructions.
[+] Live Chat in Your Newz Articles (Braggitz) (coming May 2010):
[-] Live Chat in Your Newz Articles (Braggitz) (coming May 2010):: Imagine when you open up an email from a company, you are able to Chat Live with them to ask them about the email they sent you. Or imagine clicking on a newz article from Fox News or CNBC and having a Live Chat Feature that lets you ask the editor or author of that article a direct question about what they wrote. Ahhh, just imagine…well you can stop imagining, because that is exactly what the world is going to get when you Upgrade your Account and send emails and newz articles to the world. That’s right, every newz article you type will automatically include a Live Chat box that will let the reader chat live with you and your biz, directly! So, you sent an email about a new product…talk with a buyer who wants to place an order. Did you just send a newz article out to the web looking for a strategic partner or new customers?…why not answer their qualifying questions immediately with our proprietary Live Chat feature with every one of your newz articles! What is really cool is that you can go to your BizFolio, open up the chat box and then you can Log Off of BizBrag while keeping your Live Chat box open and ready for visitors to talk with you (just minimize the chat box and you can have it available the entire time you are on the computer).
What You Need To Do: It is very simple, all you need to do is Upgrade your Account and then you will have Live Chat included in every one of your newz articles. Just go to your BizPower Toolz box in your BIzFolio and click on the Live Chat link and follow the instructions.
[+] Start Social Bookmarking
[-] Start Social Bookmarking: Social bookmarking is a way in which people and businesses on the internet share, organize and manage websites, newz articles or other webpages compiled in a single web-based location – a website. In other words, it just like your ‘Favorites’ on your computer, except instead of being located on just your computer, ‘social bookmarks’ are located on a website for you to access from anywhere and allow others to access from anywhere. A few of the top social bookmarking sites are: del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Furl, Digg and Reddit. On top of that, people who view these social bookmarks are also able to add descriptions, comments or tags to a particular bookmark.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to utilize Social Bookmarking in a very simple & effective way:
[+] The importance of social bookmarking for your newz articles
[-] The importance of social bookmarking for your newz articles: Social bookmarking is important to your online newz because it gives people on the internet a chance to compile all of your newz into one place. But, a more important advantage social bookmarking has to your online biz newz is that a social bookmarking system can rank your newz article by how many times that article has been bookmarked. This is one more thing that is looked upon favorably by search engines.
What You Need To Do: Just like the many other features, all you have to do is Upgrade your Account and all of your newz articles and your BizFolio will automatically have the capabilities to be bookmarked by many social bookmarking sites.
[+] The importance of social bookmarking for your BizFolio
[-] The importance of social bookmarking for your BizFolio: Social bookmarking is important to your BizFolio because it gives people on the internet a chance to save your BizFolio into one place. But, a more important advantage social bookmarking has to your BizFolio is that a social bookmarking system can rank your BizFolio (and your biz) by how many times that article BizFolio has been bookmarked. This is one more thing that is looked upon favorably by search engines.
What You Need To Do: Just like the many other features, all you have to do is Upgrade your Account and all of your newz articles and your BizFolio will automatically have the capabilities to be bookmarked by many social bookmarking sites.
[+] Importance of RSS Feeds
[-] Importance of RSS Feeds: RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Now that we got that out of the way, what in the heck is it? Even though it is a ‘techy’ type feature, it is pretty simple. So, you have a biz that has newz. There are individuals/websites out there on the web who want to be consistently updated with what is going on everywhere. So, news sites (like Fox News or BizBrag), businesses (like Ford Motor or your BizFolio) and newz articles (like those about a Toyota product recall or the ones that you send from BizBrag) all have the ability for those news sites to ‘subscribe’ to the above mentioned news companies, businesses and newz articles. This means of ‘subscribing’ comes in the way of an orange icon (ICON). If this icon is clicked from your BizFolio or one of your newz articles that you sent from BizBrag, then those individuals/sites will be subscribers and then receive all of the newz you send by means of a news stream that goes directly to them – you don’t have to do anything at all for this to happen. This, again, is beneficial for search engine optimization because it links your biz, BizFolio and newz articles throughout the web, thru several means.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to stream your newz to the world, easily and efficiently:
[+] The importance of RSS Feeds and your BizFolio
[-] The importance of RSS Feeds and your BizFolio: RSS Feeds are news streams that go to websites and individuals across the web. Once someone clicks on the orange RSS Feed ICON in your BizFolio, then they have subscribed to your ‘news feed.’ And you don’t have to do anything at all. So, what does this mean for your BizFolio? Well, when you Upgrade your Account, an RSS Feed icon is automatically placed at the top right corner of your BizFolio in clear view for all to see. This then allows anyone to ‘subscribe’ to your ‘news feed,’ thus they will get streaming newz about anything you post from your BizFolio. How cool is that, we give you yet another way to get your biz out to the world…oh yea, search engines look favorably upon this because it links your biz throughout the web.
What You Need To Do: Just like the many other features, all you have to do is Upgrade your Account and all of your newz articles and your BizFolio will automatically have the capabilities to be bookmarked by many social bookmarking sites.
[+] The importance of RSS Feeds and your newz articles
[-] The importance of RSS Feeds and your newz articles: RSS Feeds are news streams that go to websites and individuals across the web. Once someone clicks on the ICON located at the top of your newz article, then they have subscribed to your ‘news feed.’ So, what does this mean for your newz articles? Well, when you Upgrade your Account, an RSS Feed icon is automatically placed within your newz article in clear view for all to see. This then allows anyone to ‘subscribe’ to your ‘news feed,’ thus they will get streaming newz about anything you post from your BizFolio. How cool is that, we give you yet another way to get your biz out to the world…oh yea, search engines look favorably upon this because it links your biz throughout the web.
What You Need To Do: Just like the many other features, all you have to do is Upgrade your Account and all of your newz articles and your BizFolio will automatically have the capabilities to be bookmarked by many social bookmarking sites.
[+] Tell Me About the HyperLink Badge (PRBiz Badge)
[-] Tell Me About the HyperLink Badge (PRBiz Badge): This is really cool, and it is free! Have you seen those little icons for Facebook ( a little blue ‘f’ square) or Twitter (a little light blue ‘t’ square)? These are called ‘Badges.’ These badges are hyperlinks (direct links) to where they are coded to go. So, the Facebook badge takes you to that person or company’s Facebook profile and the same for Twitter. Well, now you have that same badge for BizBrag! This PRBiz Badge means more than just a link to see what a profile is or what you have ‘tweeted’ about lately. This PRBiz Badge, when clicked on, takes that person directly to your BIzFolio. But, this BizFolio is not just any ordinary profile…it is the online marketing/public relations department for your small biz! Yes, that’s correct, you can send your customers, visitors or whomever, directly to see your archive of biz newz, biz picz vault and so much more… it’s your BizFolio! And in case you missed it (if you did, go to Live Chat), you can use this PRBiz Badge to send people to your BizFolio so that they can have Live Chat conversations with you and your biz. Yet another very powerful feature that lets you grow and enjoy the small biz you have put so much hard work into.
The exciting features BizBrag offers to hyperlink your website or blog directly to your BizBrag BizFolio:
[+] Using this hyperlink (PRBiz Badge) effectively
[-] Using this hyperlink (PRBiz Badge) effectively: When you go into your BizFolio, head for the BizPower Toolz and click on PRBiz Badge hyperlink. This will take you directly to a page that gives you easy-to-use instructions on how to install this hyperlink PRBizBadge. Once it has been installed on your site or blog, let the fun begin! Because it links directly back to your BizFolio, make sure you hype up on your biz’s website the fact that your small biz has its very own online marketing/public relations department. Imagine how this will impress your visitors and improve your biz image. To open a new department is very expensive for any biz…not for yours! But hey, the expense you incur doesn’t mean it shouldn’t look like a million bucks. Take pride in your BizFolio and send all of your visitors there so they can see all of your past newz, how you have grown and what a hi-tech online marketing/PR department you are managing.
What You Need To Do: When you go into your BizFolio, head for the BizPower Toolz and click on PRBiz Badge hyperlink. This will take you directly to a page that gives you easy-to-use instructions on how to install this hyperlink PRBizBadge.
[+] Using Your hyperlink to Chat Live
[-] Using Your hyperlink to Chat Live: Another strong way in which your PRBiz Badge can be used to greatly benefit your small biz is to encourage visitors on your site or blog to click on it and start Chatting Live with you and your small biz right from your BizFolio (the PRBiz Badge is free, but you must Upgrade your Account for the Live Chat feature). Just like those big companies, you now have the opportunity to have direct, live conversations with customers and potential customers right from your BizFolio.
What You Need To Do: When you go into your BizFolio, head for the BizPower Toolz and click on PRBiz Badge hyperlink. This will take you directly to a page that gives you easy-to-use instructions on how to install this hyperlink PRBizBadge. For the Live Chat feature, you will find the Upgrade Button in your BizFolio. This Upgrade will unlock the Live Chat feature and every other feature that we have to offer.
[+] Exciting Biz-2-Biz Connectivity
[-] Exciting Biz-2-Biz Connectivity: Everyone knows the importance of networking and connecting with others. Our BizBrag Team is no different, we think is very important as well. Understanding this, we have implemented a cool and easy to use feature that connects you with a biz that you see within our BizBrag community, we call it BizLinkz. This BizLinkz connection can be achieved by clicking on the green ‘Connect’ button at the top left corner of a BizFolio or a newz article. We are building a strong, loyal and exciting community and we wish to have the community available to each other for the uses of referrals, vendors, lead generation and anything in between. Have fun, meet some new friends or connect with those you already know. Also, don’t forget that when you are connected with a biz, you will receive one email every Monday that shows which of your BizLinkz have posted newz from the past week. What a great way to keep up with your friends, business associates or future potential partners.
[+] Effectively Using BizLinkz
[-] Effectively Using BizLinkz: you have a partner, vendor, friend, family member or some other business associate, encourage them to join BizBrag…they will thank you. Not only will it help them if they join, but it will help you as well. You will be able to keep up with their biz and congratulate them when they do something great, or contact them when they offer a new product or service you can use. Networking is a great thing, and within the community of BizBrag, the potential to hook up with outstanding small businesses is tremendous!
What You Need To Do: It’s easy, plus this feature is free. Whenever you come across a newz article or BizFolio that you find interesting…just click on the green ‘Connect’ button at the top left corner of a newz article or BizFolio, and you are connected and they are a BizLinkz.
[+] The power of BizTraxx
[-] The power of BizTraxx: So you know what BizLinkz are all about, right? If not, click on the link above this one and read all about BizLinkz. Well, once you are up to speed about the BizLinkz feature, the BizTraxx feature makes total sense. It goes like this, you have BizLinkz (the businesses you are connected with), and every Monday you receive one email (this email is BizTraxx) that shows which of your BizLinkz have posted newz from the past week. What a great way to keep up with your friends, business associates or future potential partners.
What You Need To Do: You just need to connect with your BizLinkz (as you learned from the link above) and the rest is auto-generated by BizBrag. Oh yea, you do have to check your email on Mondays to get the full experience of this feature.
BizBoost Extras
[+] 7 Ways to Maximize BizBrag for Your Biz
[-] 7 Ways to Maximize BizBrag for Your Biz: Use these following pointers to maximize your BizBrag experience. If you follow these and post your newz every time something happens with your biz, you will build a tremendous online marketing and public relations engine that will enable your biz to grow and become a success. Of course, there are many other ways to maximize your experience, but these are the top tips…and of course, we all know from marketing, that the number 7 is the best number to go with.
[+] Complete Your BizFolio Information
[-] Complete Your BizFolio Information: This is very important. The reason for its importance is because you will be driving people to your BizFolio (and so will the search engines), so you don’t want to miss the opportunity to showcase your great biz. Make your BizFolio exciting, energetic and busy – just like a real department in your business would be. Use this as your online marketing & public relations department. Be sure to complete the About, Biz TidBitz, Contact Information, BizPicz and all of the other great stuff in Your BizFolio.
What You Need To Do: When you Log On, you are taken your right to your BizFolio, so just start entering all of the information.
[+] Upgrade Your Account
[-] Upgrade Your Account: Basic (free) accounts are great…but to really maximize BizBrag and get the true benefits of all the tools, an Upgraded account is the way to go. Of course we are supposed to say this, right?…well, for $25 per month, it is almost like you can’t afford not to Upgrade. Think of what that Upgrade could get you in business: SEO, Email Marketing., Social Media connectivity, your very own Live Chat for the world to talk with you…and on and on. We are a small biz (and, yes, we pay $25 per month too) so we need to watch our budget just like you do, and that is why we made it a very manageable subscription price. Once you Upgrade, then the flood gates open and you just keep enjoying every single feature and all of the new features as they are implemented.
What You Need To Do: When you Log On, and you go to your BizFolio, you will see the BizPower Toolz box on the right-hand side, just look in that area and you will see the Upgrade button. Just click it and follow the instructions.
[+] Use All Tools in the BizFolio: PRBiz Badge, Live Chat, etc.
[-] Use All Tools in the BizFolio: PRBiz Badge, Live Chat, etc.: When you go into your BizFolio, check out the BizPower Toolz box on the right-hand side and you will see the tools available to you. These are fantastic and powerful tools that you will definitely want to use. Check out how they are used in our Key Online Marketing/PR Features & Solutions for your biz newz. Check ‘em out…Use these as Guidelines & Tutorials section.
What You Need To Do: Just be sure to hit the BizPower Toolz box on the right-hand side of your BizFolio and get to work!
[+] Connect with other Businesses
[-] Connect with other Businesses: Connectivity is very important for networking and SEO benefits. Check out the reasons and value of BizLinkz and BizTraxx in our Key Online Marketing/PR Features & Solutions for your biz newz. Check ‘em out…Use these as Guidelines & Tutorials section.
What You Need To Do: When you Log On, visit other BizFolios (vendors, business associates, various others) and click on the green ‘Connect with This Biz’ button, and just like that…there is a BizLinkz. Look for the same green button when you view a Braggit. Your BizLinkz are listed at the bottom right of your BizFolio.
[+] Connect with your Social Media Accounts
[-] Connect with your Social Media Accounts: Check out our Key Online Marketing/PR Features & Solutions for your biz newz. Check ‘em out…Use these as Guidelines & Tutorials section to see the benefits and how to make the connections. But, before you head over to check out that info, we just want you to know that while these social media accounts seem very hard to juggle (given that you run your biz all day, and don’t have time to work on these tech challenges), we want you to be involved with those sites, and we give you the avenue to make this happen. Just go to your BizFolio and make it happen.
What You Need To Do: Once you have opened accounts with these sites, just Log On and go to your BizFolio. When you look to the right and see the BizPower Toolz box, you will see the Social Media connection link. Click on that and follow the simple instructions.
[+] Appoint One Employee to Manage BizBrag Activities
[-] Appoint One Employee to Manage BizBrag Activities: No matter if you have 1 or 499 employees, BizBrag can do the same work for your biz…and believe us, that work will result in your biz looking and acting like a large company with a solid online & email presence. The only thing we ask of you (other than grow your biz everyday) is that you consistently engage in BizBrag and post regularly. This helps with emails to your customers and search engine optimization. So, for you to do this, it would be best for you or an employee to be the designated person who watches over your BizFolio, keeps it updated and exciting. This includes posting your exciting biz newz when it happens and talking advantage of features such as BizLinkz and BizLive Chat. Stay excited, stay consistent, and you will stay visible.
What You Need To Do: Appoint yourself or someone else as the key person who will be managing your BizFolio, all of its features and posting newz regularly. So, what are you waiting for…get to Braggin’
[+] Post Often and Enjoy this Site
[-] Post Often and Enjoy this Site: Think about it…you finally have the platform you have been waiting for - the platform to tell the world your biz newz. Not only that, but this platform turns your biz newz into a powerful online marketing and public relations tool. So, here you are, you now have your own online marketing and public relations department…the sky is the limit, now go grow.
What You Need To Do: We have already said it: Post Often and Enjoy This Site!
[+] Partner Programs
[-] Partner Programs: At BizBrag, we don’t believe in an advertising model. Sure, it is a great revenue stream, but we believe in advertising the small businesses that are in our community. This is the reason you will see THEIR biz information along side of the newz article (Braggitz) and not a Ford truck ad. We respect all advertising companies and online ad businesses but we just want the focus to stay on our loyal community. With that said, we do like partnerships…actually, we love partnerships because it greatly benefits both BizBrag and our partners. We have a unique approach that we like to discuss with potential partners on a one-on-one basis. We take our time and make sure it is a right fit for both parties. The strategy is: our partners get a discount, and our partners support us by means other than financial…pretty simple, huh.
[+] Become a Partner
[-] Become a Partner: If you have a group of small businesses or you biz is part of a small biz group, just let us know. We would love to discuss a partnership opportunity with you, just send us a message at [email protected]
[+] Contact Us
[-] Contact Us: We love creativity, so if you have a partnership idea, just let us know, just contact us at [email protected]
[+] Webinars
[-] Webinars: Webinars are a great way to reach a lot of people in a very convenient and effective way. Topics can vary greatly, and some of them can be incredibly boring and pointless. At BizBrag, we hope that no one ever describes the webinars we host as ‘boring and pointless.’ We hold ourselves to a pretty high standard of quality when it comes to everything, and our webinars are no different. Check our blog, or the upcoming events section (below this paragraph) to see what is on the horizon. If you missed a webinar or really enjoyed a webinar you attend, you can have access to it in our archive section (also, below this paragraph)
[+] Archives
[-] Archives: Did you miss or really enjoy a certain webinar, check below to find the link to any past webinars you are looking for:
- There are currently no archived webinars
[+] Upcoming Events
[-] Upcoming Events: Check out the following events and see if they are right for you and your biz. We hope you can attend.
- Next Webinar Event: May 6th. More details to follow, please check back.
[+] Two (2) Account Types
[-] Two (2) Account Types: First of all, it is free to Join BizBrag. We offer just two (2) account types. The two types of accounts are: a Basic (free) account and an Upgrade ($25/month) account. The reasons we offer both is because we feel it is important to give those who want to see what we are all about (although a Basic account doesn’t even come close to seeing the full potential) a chance to experience how easy and well structured our site is built. We want the Basic users to enjoy some features and benefits with the opportunity to Upgrade at any time. We have only one (1) Upgrade account because we don’t believe in ‘adding on features’ or ‘a la carte features.’ We believe in telling you that you have a limited amount for free or everything for one flat fee every month – nothing more, nothing less. We think it is a pretty simple model (we have had some people tell us we are crazy, but we tell them that as long as our community understands it and have no billing surprises, then we don’t mind being called crazy), so we are sticking to it. Speaking of Upgrades, did you see the ‘Promotion’ deal on the How BizBrag Workz page?…check it out, we think you will like it…but you better hurry!
[+] Basic (free) Account
[-] Basic (free) Account: With a Basic account, a user has access to the following:
- BizFolio: Biz profile
- PRBizBadge: Hyperlink badge for your BizFolio
- Compose Newz Articles (Braggitz): Not all HTML tools
- BizLinkz & BizTraxx: Connect with other small businesses
- BizBrag Headlinez site: All Braggitz will be posted to the BIzBrag headlinez site (the main site)
- BizContactz: Enjoy the ability to manage a robust address book
[+] Upgrade (Just $25/month. Period.)
[-] Upgrade (Just $25/month. Period.): When you Upgrade your account, you open a new world to your biz:
You Get all Basic Account Features, plus:
- SEO features
- E-mail Marketing features
- Social Media publishing capabilities
- Posting to your blog
- Bookmarking
- RSS Feeds
- Live Chat feature
- Powerful HTML toolz
- Content Distribution Partner Feeds
- …plus any additional features we add (see our Promotion on the How BizBrag Workz page)
Basic vs. Upgraded Account
Can’t Find What Your are Looking For? Contact Us
Let it Be Known:
- BizFolio is your biz profile
- Braggit is a newz article that you type
- Braggert is YOU & Your Biz!