Is your business on Google Places? If you want to be found online, it really, really, really (did I say really?) helps.

If you’re a business owner or manager with a serious business you’ll eventually get to the point where the question changes from, “Do I need marketing help?” to “How do I find the best marketing help?” Problem is, finding the best marketing help isn’t so easy.

This will help.

1) See the Work. Many marketing “experts” tend to be great talkers. That’s because they’re often trained sales people vs true marketing pros with the objective perspective, talent, and credentials to do what’s truly best for your business. So, after you hear the sales pitch, analyze the work and invest the necessary time to do that. It’s the best starting point to finding the best marketing help. But, you can’t stop there.

See full article

Marketing experts claim it’s easier than ever to market your business. So, why is it so confusing? I address that question and discuss the best marketing solutions to grow your business now and in the months to come.

“My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.”

- Steve Jobs

Considering that Steve said The Beatles were his business model, I suggest reading this:

A current poll via LinkedIn

(from Mashable)

Not only did Apple surpass Microsoft in market capitalization to become the second most valuable U.S. company in 2010, it also superseded Google to become the most valuable consumer-facing brand in the world, according to a study published by global research agency Millward Brown.

Apple’s brand value jumped 84% to $153.3 billion, driven largely by the company’s success with the iPad and iPhone 4, the study found. Google’s brand declined 2% to $111.5 billion. IBM, McDonald’s and Microsoft rounded out the top five.

With a 246% increase in brand value to $19.1 billion — the greatest leap of any company in the survey — Facebook made its debut on the top 100 chart at number 35. Baidu, the leading search engine in China, was the second-fastest climber at 141%, placing it at number 29.

Other notable findings: Amazon (14) overtook Walmart (15) to become the most valuable retail brand in the world at $37.6 billion; Toyota once again became the most valuable car brand; and 12 of the top 100 brands in 2010 came from China.

Brands’ values were determined by a mix of factors, including future earnings (discounted to their present-day values) and in-depth consumer surveys, Millward Brown says. For further information, see the full report.

One of the podcasts that inspired me to create this one (back in Feb ’06) was “Internet Business Mastery with Sterling & Jay.” Today, Internet Business Mastery is the #1 internet business and marketing podcast on iTunes…and, for good reason. These guys not only know what they’re talking about, they also present it in a fun, relaxed, and honest way. Have a listen and you’ll see what I mean. Right click to download.

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