The topic concerned a CIO’s perspective of IT Investment Strategies, that not only large businesses, corporations and government agencies needed to be aware of – but also that smaller businesses and startups should consider.

Find the presentation below, or here: IT Investment Strategies, the CIO’s Perspective; Loudoun SBDC .

Topics discussed included Business Process Improvement, Cyber Security, Mobile Applications and Platforms, Enterprise Architecture, IT Leadership roles and others. Contact KME Internet Marketing for additional information or help with IT strategies – for IT Due Diligence, Assessment or Auditing purposes, to assist in planning or executing IT strategies and investments, or to make sure a significant IT or Digital Initiative for your company, nonprofit or agency gets the CIO-level insight it deserves.

The Social Media Examiner has distilled five ways businesses have hit the ground running on Facebook Timeline.
You can use these examples to help make your Facebook Timeline richer for storytelling and more actionable for sales.
Here are five tips based on the success stories of these heavy-hitters and Timeline movers-and-shakers:

Note your interesting milestones. Does your brand have a history? Coca-Cola, founded in 1886, uses Timeline to highlight how it has evolved. The New York Times, founded in 1851, lets users revel in history with its milestone posts. But our favorite example is Spotify, which shares disruptions in the history of music, all the way back to the year 1000!

Incorporate the profile picture into your cover photo. Most brands use profile photos for company logos. Since it overlaps the cover photo (that wide photo in the header), why not get creative and blend both images? See the Examiner article mentioned above for great examples, then read Tim Ware’s article that provides a Photoshop template for blending profile and cover photos in a fun way.

Tell a story in photos. Since photos in Timeline are larger, use the Highlight feature to showcase an album. Kia Soul’s concept car album includes plenty of great concept photography.

Brand with apps. Apps are more visible on the new Timeline. The Facebook Photos app is always in the first position in the first row, showing the most recent photo, so fill the next slots with your top three apps. That just might inspire people to click to see the other apps you have, too! SoLatina’s apps section is a great brand-builder.

Use the About section for a CTA. You can’t put a call to action (“Like this” or “Buy now!”) or website address in your cover photo, but you can put one in About, the text that appears under your profile photo and to the left of your apps. Again, SoLatina is a great example of how you can pull this off.

Few people seem to use this feature, perhaps because they just don’t know how. Click on “About,” then mouse over the upper-right corner near your About section until you see the Edit button with the pencil. Click Edit to fill in your About section.

Source: MarketingProfs

Thanks to the great staff and volunteers at the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development (DED) for highlighting this very important information, for startups and new businesses in Loudoun County VA, Northern Virginia, Washington DC or any other area of the country!

Here’s the original “Internet Checklist for DC, Northern Virginia and Loudoun or Fairfax startups” (originally posted in 2010; updated for 2013!) – read on for the DED’s summary blog…

Ten Tips for Start-Up Social Media Success

Posted on February 11, 2013 at 10:59 AM by Kona Gallagher

By: Ted McLaughlan (Intro By: Susan VanEpps)

Entrepreneurs launching a new business today are wise to consider the options and opportunities provided by the world of social media. A 2012 Manta survey of 600 small business leaders showed 90 percent adopting an active role in social media, with 74 percent viewing it as important as in-person networking.

Among those leading the charge in Loudoun County is KME Internet Marketing co-founder Ted McLaughlan, who has 25 years’ experience in IT consulting. Here are just a few of Ted’s top suggestions for Internet marketing:

1. Establish an interactive website, with a clear “About Us” page, which includes your local address, phone (seek a local number), directions, service hours and payment methods. Use new photos or even videos of your new business – preferably photos with great people in them! Be sure your website works well with mobile phones or tablets – it should be just as easy to conduct business with you on these devices, as with traditional computers and laptops.
2. Note that designing your website and marketing or advertising your website are two related, but different activities. If you don’t have anyone on staff with these skills, get help!
3. Establish an attractive, consistent business and personal profile in all major, relevant social communities, like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
4. Spellcheck everything! For example, if you’re in Loudoun County, don’t spell it “Loudon”!

Read more at the Loudoun County DED blog site, and via their “Loudounpreneur” email newsletter!

We’ll put it out there – as you evaluate prospective partners like KME Internet Marketing to help with web marketing initiatives, gaining exposure for your business and driving new sales from the Internet, this is exactly what you should seek.

Research and ask about ALL of these skills and expertise domains, either directly, or as part of your Solicitation or Request for Proposal/Information (RFP/RFI):

1.    Is the firm accessible, with local, hands-on, in-person availability of subject matter experts?  Professional, personal service and communications are critical.

2.    Who exactly will you be working with; are these professionals accessible?  The firm’s website should include leadership profiles and pictures, and these individuals should be well-known in the industry and accessible via professional social media (i.e. LinkedIn). The firm’s leadership should have demonstrated at least 10 years in the Internet Technology industry.

3.    Is the firm established, well-known and engaged in the community, with clear evidence of success over time?  Avoid the newbies, the out-of-towners, the affiliate marketing scams (there are MANY around), the off-shore-ers, the “website marketing mills”, the inexperienced recent graduates, the recent career-changers, the part-timers and interns.  Seek those with community roots and involvement, knowledge of local geopolitics. Does the firm appear among the top results itself, in local search engine results? (Try this – search for “Loudoun Internet Marketing” in Google – and note KME is referenced in nearly every result on the first page!). Is the firm engaged in local business and social media forums?

4.    Does the firm require a long-term contract? This is a clear sign of a revenue-focused firm, vs. a customer services-focused firm.

5.    Is the firm “in it for the long haul”? Firms with established certifications and designations, for example “Disadvantage Business Enterprise” (DBE) designations by the State of VA and the SBA, provide evidence of invested commitment to industry and clients.  KME is a designated “SWaM” (VA DBE) and “WOSB” (SBA) enterprise (in process). KME also maintains Google Adwords certifications.

6.    Is the firm focused on sales, or service, from the very first conversation? Fancy websites and reams of sales material or teams of traveling salespeople are no substitute for personalized, expert advice without the overhead – and therefore lower prices and better return on your investment (ROI).

7.    Is the firm specialized, or comprehensive?  You won’t achieve success employing just a web design firm, just a programmer, just a PR contractor, just a social media expert, just an advertising company or employee – you need a firm with the chops, flexibility and expertise to address all your online objectives and challenges, at your price point.

8.    Can the firm “scale”? Does the firm have a robust network of partners and service providers that enable rapid growth and responsiveness to unforeseen or unplanned needs?

9.    Does the firm deliver the right expertise? You may want some of the following services, at different times – but proven, certified expertise across ALL of the following domains is absolutely required for comprehensive interactive marketing success – ask your prospective firm about each and every one; KME is one of only a very short list of “boutique” firms in Northern Virginia whose local personnel can claim this range of expertise, this “value proposition”.

13 Domains of Required Interactive Marketing Expertise:

a.    Project Management – organizing time, schedule, resources, people, budget, campaigns, reviews – with rapid response and undivided attention, with experience from the smallest to the largest and most complex programs. Experience with PMP, CMMi.

b.    Business and Marketing Strategy – understanding your business, evolving the business case, managing requirements scope, dealing with nonprofit or government constraints, managing financial concerns, complying with policies, laws and standards, advising the startups.

c.    Communications – excellence in copywriting, PR, correspondence, Social Media – in Perfect American English

d.    Traditional Marketing – creating and buying print or broadcast ads, direct outreach, etc.

e.    Interactive Marketing – current skills in SEO, SEM, PPC, Mobile Ads, Social Media, Online Coupons, Ad Networks, Reputation Management

f.    Creative Design – unique, compelling audio, visual, video planning and production, for your website, your advertisements, your branding, your social outreach, your email, newsletters and other direct communications

g.    Information Technology (IT) – web technologies and architectures, Internet services and hosting, security and privacy, mobile platforms, digital content management, licensing and SLAs, ITIL, custom programming, systems integration, technical performance, continuity and disaster recovery.

h.    Systems Engineering – managing the lifecycle of a web technology project, from design through testing and “going live”, including conversions, migrations, maintenance and integration with other projects. Experienced with Enterprise Architecture (EA) and SDLC methods.

i.    Information Architecture – the organization and placement of digital content and text copy on your site and social channels, use of “metadata” and “semantics”, the navigation routes and funnels, the user experience (UX) and accessibility (i.e. Section 508) concerns

j.    Training and Transition – understanding what’s necessary for your business and employees or partners to understand and use the new website, review and update content, modify business processes and roles, change application features and configurations.

k.    Business Performance and Analytics – creating and using analytics and reporting tools, to monitor, measure and dramatically improve the success of your marketing, mission or business.

l.    Industry Awareness – constantly evaluating new technologies, testing new services, maintaining awareness of digital trends and events that may impact your business – from search engine algorithm updates, to new website plug-ins and mobile consumer platforms.

m.    Industry Channels and Relationships – your business should be able to take advantage of the firm’s social media channels and networks, content networks, publications and professional relationships. The firm should have access to experts in your industry.