We’re Moving! Won’t You Join Us?

smoc home page

Congratulations:  it’s a new website!  I’m proud to announce my new website:  SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com, where you can take my online social media classes on your schedule.  Here at Willow Ridge Media, I’ve focused on educating small business owners on how to promote their businesses online, and I’m taking that much farther, empowering you to DIY.  I’ll [...]

19 Must-Have Resources for Small Business Owners

Aspiring small business owners need help but often don’t know where to turn or who to trust for advice.  Here’s the SocialMediaOnlineClasses.com Small Business Resource Guide, a primer on the big issues facing business owners and where to turn for help.  Bookmark this page so you can return to it when you need help. I’ve [...]

7 Email Marketing Tips to Guarantee Results

email marketing by maria peagler

Does anyone still use email marketing?  Absolutely, and if you’re an entrepreneur, you should be too.  Why?  Because EVERYONE has an email address.  While some of your customers read blogs, a majority are on Facebook, and a few might use Twitter, they all use email.  You need to show up in their Inbox offering quality [...]

6 Elements of Your Social Media Strategy INFOGRAPHIC

6 elements social media strategy by maria peagler

6 Elements of Your Social Media Strategy View more presentations from mariapeagler Small business owners:  here’s a slick way to keep your online marketing campaign on track:  watch this quick presentation on my 6 Elements of Your Social Media Strategy to keep you and your staff on track.  No matter where you are in your [...]

Creating YouTube Videos for Your Small Business

canon powershot

Chances are if you’re a small business owner, high-priced commercials are out of the question.  Lucky you!  In today’s age of social media, commercials aren’t nearly as effective as a DIY YouTube video.  Who, me?  Yes, you.  You don’t have to be a video pro to create an authentic video that showcases your business. How [...]

15 Strategies to Use Video to Differentiate Your Business

How are you using social media to stand out from your competition?  Have you effectively differentiated yourself, especially on social networks?  The challenge in using any social media channel is you’re playing by their rules:  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and other major players want a consistent look and feel for their users, but the result [...]

10 Ways to Be Comfortable on Camera

Video is a terrific medium for business professionals to show the human side of their brand.  However, many of my clients are hesitant to go on camera, no matter how fabulous their company is.  They are highly uncomfortable with the idea of putting themselves on a YouTube video for the world to see. If you’ve [...]

Promoting Your Facebook Business Page

Congratulations!  If you’ve been following my month-long series on Building a Facebook Business Page for Your Small Business, you’ve developed a fantastic presence in the largest social network on the planet.  Now how do you promote it?  What’s the secret sauce recipe to get people to visit your page and Like it so you can [...]

5 Ways to Gain Fans by Customizing Your Facebook Business Page

Having a Facebook business page isn’t enough, even for a small business:  you need to give it a custom look to really get results.  Why?  First impressions mean everything, especially online, where people’s attention spans are easily diverted by cute YouTube videos, Farmville, or the latest quiz on your friends.  You need to grab people’s [...]