Below is a great example of both.

Jess3 has brilliantly put together the lastest statistics on the internet growth, including internet usage and social media.  Put this research in to an amazing presentation and then shared it for us all to enjoy.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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In a recent post , we discussed how the downturn in the American economy was leading to a substantive downturn in the $175 Billion corporate meetings market. 

Driven by companies slashing their conference, event and major meetings budget.  Such budgets incur not only event equipment rental and event hire costs, but also travel, accommodation/venue costs.

Surveys indicate that over 60% of all companies intend to reduce their spending on meetings next year.   See earlier  post in this blog – titled Why tough times should benefit the hire and rental industry

One factor that is concerning is why!  Many companies recognize the importance of holding client and staff events and meetings.  However in the current climate, many shareholders and Government Agencies providing stimulus funds perceive such events and meetings as lavish junkets.  Companies and Corporations are “sheepish” about defending the business value, hence opt to cancel them.

Now a coalition of event and meet industry- including event rental and event hire companies, as well as planners and organizers are fighting back.  They have formed a coalition to lobby the USA Government about the benefits of events and meetings to the USA economy and USA Corporate Health.

The “Keep America Meeting“ campaign provides on line information about the business value of the industry.  Furthermore it includes an online petition to be presented to politicians.

This initiative of the event industry is welcomed, and should be seen as a role model for other event and meeting industries is similarly effected countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

Making Life Ezy suppliers of the most innovative event and party rental software welcome the coalitions initiative.

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

Alexa provides the generally accepted global rankings for websites.

Whether it is accurate or not, the point is mute, the fact is that it is the generally accepted web site ranking.

Did You Know

That in July 2008, Google announced that it had just indexed over 1,000,000,000,000 (USA one trillion) unique web pages (url’s). Impressed well you should be because ten years earlier it was only 26 million (which is only 0.0026% of one trillion).

What are Alexa Rankings?

Alexa ranks sites based on the information gathered from Internet users who use the Alexa tool bar on their browser.

OK, yes not every one has Alexa tool bar so the traffic rankings are estimates only.  Hence the criticism levelled at Alexa from some quarters.

But then again what’s the difference between these estimates and television ratings, they are only estimates as well
The primary users of the data are advertisers.  Trying to determine which show (web site) to advertise on to reach their target market.

But Alexa actually offers more than that!

The Only Advertising on Our Site is Our Own – So Why Bother About Rankings?

Great question!

Yes, you can actually have a very low ranked site, yet be effective in generating traffic your website from good keyword usage.  Evidence that you have a good SEO practise in place.

Under Rated Benefits of Alexa

Alexa is a under rated marketing tool:

1. Enhance Your Credibility. One aspect of the sales process, particularly on-line marketing and sales is proving that you are credible.  Basically you can deliver what you say.  Customer testimonials on your site as well as other proofs.  Having a good Alexa traffic ranking can form part of the credibility proof set.  Why because it implies to on-line customers that other people value your site.
2. Market Research. Alexa is an excellent market research tool to support your competitor and market analysis.  In areas like your performance relative to them, keywords, reach etc.
3. Guide to Social Media Marketing Performance. Ok out on a limb here, but we found that when we were really active on social media marketing our Alexa ranking went North with a bullet!!!  So arguments about methodology etc of Alexa aside it was a useful tool we think in measuring our performance.

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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Blogs can be a excellent tool for the vast majority of hire and rental businesses. 

Specifically party, audio visual and general equipment type hire and rental businesses.

Did you know?

Companies that blog have 55% more visitors

source: hubspot industry survey

Increasingly as other posts have discussed the primary lead source for most successful hire and rental businesses is the web.  Hence the marketing objective becomes how to increase web site traffic.

Janet Meiners Thaeler in an excellent article for Small Business Trends shows that companies with blogs generate 55% more web traffic than those who dont.  The full article is a must read, on the upside it is also short and easy to understand.  Link to the article is below.

Blogging: The Best SEO Tool for Small Businesses

Remember that in HireEzy 2.1 we provide you with desktop integration to your blog, and even help you set one up. 

Making it so much easy for you to get started and maintaining your blog.

Not sure how to write a blog article, then read this -How to Write a Blog Post .

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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It’s not just a new year, its also the start of a new decade.

It seems every decade creates its own characteristic trendy items that later become synonmous with the decade.

So what are the prediction trends for events and party – starting with 2010.

Well here are a couple of starters -

• 57 predictions for 2010 via BizBash | 57 Predictions for 2010: Event Pros on Budgets, Social Media, Catering, Decor Trends, and More.
• Moreton Hire reveals 2010 special event trends at NYE Event
• Bubbles may be all the range with the new party craze from Bubblemedia.org

And One Special Mention

When we first posted this article we received a great reply on our Twitter Account from the Wheelie Keg Man.  Given they showed great social marketing ettiquette and they are also a local company – we will have to give them a definite mention.

If anyone else has any thoughts please share them with us!

on Twitter @makinglifeezy

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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The current generation of managers (C Levels) are the barrier to Social Media.

And the problem is not social media that has just brought it to a head

There has been lots of traffic over recent months how junior staff are struggling to convince older managers of the benefits of Social Media.

The are stuggle has to come to a head because of Social Media

The C Level Managers today were junior staff in the 1980′s.  A time when the whole western world got so wrapped up in down-sizing, right sizing – productivity improvements.

They think, and I should know I went through it too, all about lean and mean – minimum staff to do a job – its all about the productivity per person.  To most of them Social Media is idle chatter in fact all chatter is idle.

All Customer Conversations are Idle Chatter

To the C Level Managers today whose careers started in the late 1970′s and 1980′s – any customer conversation is idle chatter.  Think about it, have you heard things like this.

Telephone Calls:  You spent too long on the customer account call! And by the way what were you talking to them about their kids playing basketball for?

Counter Service:  Stop talking to the customers just serve them and move on, time is money.

Now Bring on Social Media

Social media is about engaging with people, actually chatting to them.  That is most definitely not going to fly with a productivity mindset manager, especially when the results are hard to prove.

So as BenYoskovitz puts it

Unfortunately, too many mid-level and junior-level employees are forced to spend a disproportionate amount of their time figuring out how to justify things to their bosses ….

Marketing Will Tell Customers

Its not up to YOU  to create a relationship with customers – marketing will TELL our customers we want a relationship with them.

Probably a bit harsh that line, but I spent twenty years in Corporate life before joining the excellent world of a Small to Medium business.

But there is an element of truth to it.  Corporate marketing departments “control” the public message, including defining the companies relationship with clients.  Depending on the value of the client that is.

Measurement is the Key

The 1980′s crop of managers are not dumb, ( well I hope I am not) our careers have been built around measurement.  Measuring results is needed to justify decisions. That is just the way we were taught to think.   However we all struggle to measure the intangible value of customer conversations (relationship building conversations).

Social media will in time develop the metrics to prove it works.  Once it proves it and allowing for some time to change mindsets it will be adopted.  And it does work, for example

We dumped google adwords and just use Social Media and our leads went up 83%.

True Customer Relation Building May Become in Vogue

And this may even flow on to the broader area of customer conversations.  May be Dale Carnegie‘s principals for enhancing relationships may become in vogue again.

• Become Genuinely Interested In Other People.
• Be A Good Listener. Encourage Others To Talk About Themselves.
• Talk In Terms Of The Other Person’s Interests.
• Make The Other Person Feel Important — And Do It Sincerely.

Ultimately we will get back to talking to customers either on the phone, in the aisle, at the counter or on facebook etc.  Because the proof will emerge that it pays to do so.

For example more companies like us will be able to show themselves and others that Social Media infact time anytime spent on customer conversations works.

Please add your comments!

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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Its great as they take the time to interview and canvass the opinions of some of the World’s best social media thought leaders.

Our Prediction for Equipment, Party, Event Rental / Hire

Our prediction is that in 2010, the hire and rental industry will begin to actively start to use Social Media.  At present analysis shows that most are only putting a toe into the water.  However there are some real social market leaders out there in the industry.  As their success becomes more apparent, we believe others will begin to follow.

Social media aligns naturally party rental and party hire as well as event rental and event hire sectors.
We offer a free advisory service to hire and rental companies considering social media marketing, simply email us.

Now for the Social Trends of 2010 by TrendSpotter

This was a surprising finding given that it is an natural marketing channel, in particular for party rental and event hire companies.

In a recent report by Small Business Success Index,

small businesses are steadily increasing their adoption of social media to attract and retain customers at a relatively low cost.

Despite this slow start- Growth Has Doubled

Nearly One in 4 small businesses now use social media.

The main reason cited is that they believe it will help attract and retain customers.

The full article with detailed discussions can be found by clicking the link below.

Small Businesses Use Social Media to Pursue Customers.

Caution Needed

Too often many small companies leap into social media without having a plan in place.  Social media like any marketing endeavour needs to be thought out and a plan devised.

If your not sure where to start and you are a hire or rental business.  Then please contact us for an obligation free discussion.  We are happy to share our experiences.

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

About Us

HireEzy is the complete business management solution for hire and rental companies. Not only does it include digital marketing, web integration it also includes social media marketing tool integration. For more information email us sales@makinglifeezy.com.au

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So here is a simple guide to how to relate to Christmas interpretations of common jargon we use.

- Firstly  – We dont re-tweet presents we open them

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- We dont make blog posts we open letter posts

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- Christmas is about Face to Face not Facebook

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 - The only Digg we do is in to the bottom of the Esky (cooler) for another beer

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- The only buzz should come from general family table chatter,  (hmm unless novetly presents are involved)

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- MySpace is a reference to the spot you sit down at, or in the Southern Hemisphere where your going to have a Nanna nap after lunch in the heat

- Delicious is a reference to the quality of the meal, bookmarking it later does not qualify as a taking home a doggie bag

-

- Finally Stumble upon refers to not to a social bookmarking site rather the finding of another beer in the Esky when your thought you had run out.

Finally if you want to do something useful on the Computer.

 For those of you with Children, Grand Children or even younger siblings here is the tool of the day- NORAD’s santa tracking web site.

I hope you enjoy and on behalf of all the staff here all the best to you and your family for Christmas and The New Year!!!