For years now, there has been a raging battle between die-hard Apple users and Android fanatics. Because of the recent sneak-peek release of iOS 7 this battle has now, more than ever, begun to heat up. The new features that iOS 7 boasts has Apple fans jumping for joy; however it has Android fanatics questioning Apple CEO Timothy Cook even more. Let’s take a look at a few of these new and revolutionizing features of iOS 7 in comparison to the current Android operating system, Jelly Bean 4.2.

1. New User Interface

Apple iOS 7’s new interface is more simple, smoother, and in my opinion looks much nicer. Apple’s famous slide-to-unlock feature has been replaced with a blank screen that only demands you slide up in order to unlock. The layout of the entire lock screen seems incredibly similar to that of Android Jelly Bean 4.2’s layout. The icons on iOS 7 have been flattened and brightened in order to more effectively catch the eye. While Android also boasts flashy app icons with bright colors, I must say Apple has perfected this feature. The apps are going to look very sharp.

2. Control Center

Apple’s new operating system incorporates a much quicker and more efficient way to alter settings such as brightness, music volume, and Wi-Fi settings. With this new update, one swipe up from the bottom of your screen will bring up an array of toggle controls that can now easily be accessed. However, these features have been available for Android users through widgets that you can manually set up anywhere on your home screen.

3. Multitasking

Apple has finally introduced multitasking that can be used to easily navigate from one app to another. This is perhaps one of the most popular debates among Android users. The interface for iOS 7’s multitasking is eerily similar the multitasking interface that Android users have enjoyed since Honeycomb 3.0 (which was released in early 2011).

The real interesting feature is Apple’s swipe-to-close feature; also known as the exact same feature Android released with Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 (released in late 2011). Not only is the swipe-to-close feature extremely comparable, but Apple also has introduced a scrollable carousel list of currently running apps. This interface is nearly identical to Android. I feel as though Apple had an opportunity to portray the real creativity of the company, however fell victim to taking the easy route instead.

Apple’s new iOS7 operating system offers some much needed improvement to the iPhone industry. However, personally, I am upset with the overall quality of this system upgrade. I was expecting more out of such a successful and thriving company. I was hoping that this “massive overhaul” Apple has been boasting would unveil some new technology, something revolutionizing. However, all I have seen thus far is a lot of technology that, while new for iPhone users, is old news for Android owners.

Read more articles on this topic and see for yourself if you’d like.

iOS 7 vs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean: What exactly is “new”?

iOS 7 vs Android Jelly Bean 4.2

John Swanson
Asst. Community Manager
Learn More About John!

Lifeless computer carcasses and dead batteries mirrored the cadaverous state of the old basement. A lone lightbulb in the center of the room swayed on a thin piece of string, casting shadows along the ancient rock walls. Cobwebs covered the corners and dust littered the floor as we ventured towards the unknown darkness around the corner.

“Did you know this used to be a funeral home? This is where they kept the bodies,” I whispered to my co-workers as we crossed the threshold into another room, making the floor creak.

Suddenly, the little light went out, causing me to stumble.  Assuming we had accidentally switched it off, I reached for the light and pulled the string—but nothing happened. I pulled again, but darkness remained. The electricity had been cut at the breaker. My heart began racing as we trekked on, guided by the illumination of Ethan’s cell phone.

A door behind us suddenly shut. I stopped, aware that we were not alone. My sense of adventure kicked in as I looked into the connecting rooms to discover who or what was down there.

The lights flashed back on, revealing a slew of personal belongings scattered around the floor. Children’s toys, a bike, and some clothes were arranged in piles. Before we could analyze further, the light went out once more. The darkness began to seem a lot more creepy. We turned to go back, only to see two doors side by side. “Which one was it?” Leilani asked. I felt as if I had just been implanted into a bad horror film.

As Ethan pulled the worn wooden door on the left, it grated against the cement floor and the hinges creaked. Nothing but ebony blackness and stale air greeted us—as though it were a beckoning tomb. We decided to venture instead through the paint-peeled door on the right. As we made our way back through the musty crypt, we realized we were heading in the right direction. We finally made it back to the stairwell. When we reached the top, however, the door had been dead-bolted from the outside. We were trapped!

I banged on the door, yelling for someone to let us out. I would never admit that I was actually scared…but I almost was. Silently, the door opened in front of me, but no one was there. The room was empty.

As we walked back to our office, we saw Nate and Justin standing in Devlin’s office, pretending like they had been there the whole time, trying to cover their smiles. I instantly knew they had been the ones messing with us in the basement.

“Very funny.” I said.

“Yeah, real professional.” Ethan added, as they laughed.

“You actually survived the basement. I guess you are now officially initiated employees,” Nate said, smiling.

When I got this job at PayProMedia, I had no idea I would have an adventure in a basement that hadn’t had TLC in over 100 years. I also had no idea that my co-workers would be so funny as to initiate me and my fellow writers. However, it made me love working here even more because the environment isn’t just about professionalism. It is also a family of people who work together, and I am really grateful to be an official part of that family—even if we were the only ones to be initiated in the creepy basement.

If you want to make your workplace feel more like a family, try having an adventure together. Trust me—unique experiences that build memories also build community.

Ashely Mazelin
Content Specialist
Learn more about Ashley!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

Ashley Mazelin

Just a few weeks ago, I was sitting in class anxiously awaiting that blessed moment I could leave school to go to my internship at PayProMedia. Now, as I sit in my office, it’s hard to believe I am no longer a senior at Warsaw Community High School or an intern. Instead, I am an up-and-coming freshman at Indiana University Bloomington and am fortunate enough to be a full-time summer employee at PayProMedia. I cannot think of a better situation for my last summer in Warsaw before I leave to pursue my college education.


This school year was an amazing journey and chapter in my life. As unbelievable as it seems, my high school career has finally commenced. After years of feeling like I’d never graduate, I now see that time flew by. I have had so many life-shaping, character-building, and unforgettable experiences that will continue to mold the person I am becoming. Moreover, the opportunity to remain part of the PayProMedia crew and continue learning with them (and maybe even teach them a couple things) is such privilege.


After working a part-time job at the local Courthouse Coffee for the past two years, it is strange to transition a full-time, Monday-through-Friday position. Working as a barista and seeing all of the wonderful faces I came to know so well gave me two excellent years of my life. Although I’ll miss seeing those faces and serving all those espressos, I am excited to apply the skills I have learned to my new position as an Assistant Community Manager at PayProMedia. It’s awesome to have co-workers around to help, encourage, and push me to be the best employee I can be.


Monday was my first day back on the job after being given a week off by the wonderful Justin Farrell. Walking back into my office was very exciting—I saw my Snapple bottle collection in its usual corner of my office and (I’m a little ashamed to say) my messy desk, waiting to be tidied up a bit. Instead of strolling in after lunch for a two-hour intern shift, I now arrive early and join an office full of co-workers. It’s exciting to further my new role, meet clients’ needs, and keep learning as I experience new situations in this business setting.


I can’t say for sure what my summer position will hold, but I am ready to delve into my new responsibilities and continue with my old ones. I am so grateful that Mrs. Kelley Ross convinced me to join the internship program because I’m certain my school year and summer would have looked very different without my place at PayProMedia. I have met some extremely influential people who will always remain near and dear to me as I grow up. They have taught me and shown me so much through their kindness and willingness to mentor and guide me.


Now that you’ve heard some of my story, what is yours?  What motivates you to work hard and do your best?  What are you thankful for in the roles you hold?




Alex Sanchez
Asst. Community Manager
Learn more about Alex!

“We’ll activate your service on: June 4, 2013.”

It was with great horror and trepidation that I read the statement above after purchasing internet service for my new apartment. I believe my exact words were, “You have got to be kidding me.” I checked the current date—May 24. After doing a quick calculation, I realized this meant I would be living in my apartment without internet for a week and a half. I took some deep breaths to calm down and reassured myself that someone at my apartment complex would have an internet connection that was not password protected. I would be able to use theirs until mine was activated.

No such luck. After trying every internet connection that was available and seeing the irritating box asking for a password every time, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go without internet until June 4. For a girl who a) spends a lot of time on the internet, b) does not have a smartphone, and c) only has texting through an app on her tablet (which of course requires WiFi), this was going to be a long week and a half.

During that time, I came to realize how heavily I rely on the internet each day. Almost every time I thought of something that I needed or wanted to do, I remembered that doing it would require internet. I even felt some anxiety that I was missing something important because I could not check social media or any of the websites I visit on a regular basis. I went to the local supermarket at least once a day to connect to their free WiFi so I could check my email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I did eventually think of things to do that did not require internet, like reading books, going for walks, spending time with friends, and just taking time to be still and relax. Honestly, it was nice to not feel like I needed to constantly check my laptop and tablet for notifications and communication from my friends and family.

So, did I decide that I really did not need internet after all? Did I call CenturyLink and tell them to cancel my order? Oh, goodness, no! It was with great anticipation that I awaited the day when I would have internet service at my apartment, and I am now thoroughly enjoying an excellent internet connection. However, I did learn a lot from the experience, including:

1. The internet was consuming way too much of my time and killing my creativity. Going online was my default activity anytime I was bored and did not want to take the time to think of something else to do. When I did not have constant internet access, I was forced to think more about how I should use my time, and I came up with better, more creative things to do. I even pulled out some art supplies I had not used for months and worked on decorating my apartment.
2. The internet was actually creating more stress in my life. Part of this stress came from trying to keep up with all that was going on online. There was also the stress and irritation, however, that came from websites taking a long time to load/not loading properly or a glitch in the internet connection while doing something online. Those were stresses I did not deal with nearly as often during my phase of restricted internet usage.
3. Spending time with my friends in person was much more fulfilling than interacting with them through the internet and texting. Since my only communication options were phone conversations or face-to-face interaction, I had to take more initiative to create opportunities for spending time with people. I found, however, that I had a lot more fun and was able to focus more on the people I was with since I was not simultaneously trying to keep up with what was happening online.

So, my experience with very limited internet access turned out to be a positive one overall, and it is an experience I would encourage everyone to try at some point. In a world where more than one billion questions are asked of Google, 250 million photos are uploaded to Facebook, and 175 million tweets are sent from Twitter every day, it is clear that we rely on the internet heavily. Why not give the concept of “a break from the internet” a try? You may find it is exactly the break you need from the information overload you experience on a daily basis. And who knows? You might learn something about yourself in the process.

Have you recently lived with limited internet access? Was it a positive or negative experience? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Sources:

http://www.google.com/competition/howgooglesearchworks.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-honigman/100-fascinating-social-me_b_2185281.html

Caitlin Steiner
Digerati Strategist
Learn more about Caitlin!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

Today’s culture is saturated with mobile devices, and it’s only the tip of the technology iceberg. If you live outside the programming community, you might not have heard about responsive design. Responsive design refers to the ability to view the same webpage on multiple platforms, whether it be an iPhone, tablet, or desktop.

On average, 20% of a user’s time on a mobile device is spent browsing the web. In the future, more people will be accessing the web from these devices. Think about the times you have used your mobile device to check the web. Maybe you were out on the road and forgot a phone number, or wanted to find out if a business was open. When you brought up the browser page, was the site hard to navigate or easy to read? That is the difference in designing responsively.

Let’s get to the meat of the matter: how responsive design works. When you open a page in your desktop browser, the computer calls a stylesheet. That stylesheet sets the parameters for how your browser displays the web page. In the past, this has been a fixed width, height, layout, etc… Most developers now write code into the stylesheet so it reads the working browser’s screen size and produces a stylized page.

You can see which webpages are responsive by resizing your desktop’s browser window. Try it with this page! As the window gets smaller, the browser responds by moving stuff around to make it easier to view. Once you move into a mobile-sized view, it is very common for all the information to be condensed and stacked on top of each other so you see less but you can move through the page easier.

Chris Coyier, a writer for CSS-Tricks.com, said in a recent podcast, “Responsive design is the future of a developer’s career.” I believe this to be true. But even if you’re not a developer, being responsive and moldable to your environment is extremely valuable to staying effective in today’s busy atmosphere.

Now you know about how responsive web pages work! Have more to add on responsive design? Feel free to comment in the section below.

Sam Neudeck
Front-End Developer
Learn more about Sam!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

Photo by Mashable

According to Microsoft, in the last eight years, over 72 billion hours have been logged on the Xbox gaming service—that’s the equivalent of 8.3 million years! It’s clear that a huge market exists for the Xbox gaming system, so it is no surprise that the new Xbox One was the main focus of yesterday’s Computex 2013 conference.

Developers began work on Xbox One in 2010, refining concepts from the past and exploring new options for the future. They came up with a gaming system simple and holistic in design, yet powerful in technology. The 16” x 9” sleek exterior design is liquid black—a color developed by the Microsoft team.

The gaming system, set to debut this November, will feature 13 exclusive next-generation tiles. It will also have motion sensing to switch from gaming, to movies, to Skype, and will use some aspects of Windows 8—like snap view, which allows you to see two screens simultaneously. Xbox smart glass will also extend games. Though  it is comprised of high quality graphics, raw power and capability, Microsoft says users do not have to be rocket scientists to enjoy the game. “We designed it to have an invisible technology that produces simple experiences,” said one Microsoft developer.

A new controller was designed to complete the gaming system. An embedded battery compartment and comfortable contours that naturally fit your fingers make the controller easier to navigate. Micro-texture on the thumb-stick and small motors underneath triggers let you feel what is happening on the screen, making control easier and more realistic. For instance, if you were to play the Forza Motorsport 5 racing game, you could feel the acceleration or brake fade through the joystick.

Along with the Xbox One, several new games were introduced. A new version of the popular Halo game is set to come out next fall. Other games include: Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Kinetic Sports Rivals, Project Spark and Quantum Break.

Aside from the new gaming system, Microsoft also revealed a new mapping system that they bought from Waze for $1.1 billion. This will add a new Mapquest app for windows phones.

Microsoft also discussed Windows 8.1, which is designed to have better search results, better connection to devices through Skydrive and new ways to reflect personality—such as more colors, new tile sizes, backgrounds and motion for start screen. They tweaked the dual screen integrated model of Windows 8, hoping to make a more efficient and simpler tool for PC users who don’t have touch screens.

Other new releases include a smaller, sleeker, Xbox 360 and a Windows 8 tablet from Acer.

Ashley Mazelin
Content Specialist
Learn more about Ashley!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

With the endless technology that exists today, you should never be without the files you need, no matter how far from your computer you are. By now, you may have heard of the solution to this dilemma: “the cloud” or “cloud storage.” If you think cloud storage is for only techies, you couldn’t be more wrong.

A layman’s definition of cloud storage is “a place to store all your files in which your data is constantly backed up, at your disposal, and never uses space on your hard drive or mobile device.” It’s time to get on this bandwagon. And the best part is that it can all be yours for…wait for it…free. (I have about 200 GB of storage, and I pay a grand total of nothing for it.)

The game of cloud storage has many big players, including Box, Copy, Dropbox, Google Drive, Mega, and others. Here are “the big four,” as I call them:

Each provider offers an app for mobile devices as well as a folder for your home computer. In the words of Apple’s former leader, “it just works.” After selecting your cloud storage, follow the steps to install it—no need to have a technology dictionary or your junior high neighbor nearby. These products are easy to set up and use. Plus, they are extremely secure, meaning your data cannot be stolen.

After you complete the step-by-step directions, your files will remain on your home computer and “in the cloud.” They are synced constantly and simultaneously, providing you with access any time and anywhere (with internet access)—even if you have to run to a local library.

Most of these services start with a small amount of storage, usually between two and five GB, which can easily be increased.  Just Google “get more Dropbox storage for free” or something similar for the other providers. Or explore the individual websites.  For example, Dropbox (probably the leader and most widely known cloud storage providers) gives you more space if you share it with friends.  I presently I have 27.5 GB for free, just by following their steps.

I promise it is painless, and you will thank me later.  Or, you can thank me now by using the links I provided above—which gives us both more free space when you install the programs.  (Again, you can thank me later, but you might as well do this now.)

Scott Feather
Community Manager
Learn more about Scott!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

CEO Tim Cook and other high-profile Apple executives unveiled a new line of MacBook Airs, a completely redesigned Mac Pro, and new operating systems—OS X Mavericks for desktops and notebooks and iOS 7 for mobile devices—at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday.

A highlight of the event was the new iOS 7, which Cook called “the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of iPhone. It’s packed with amazing new features and a stunning new user interface.” The new operating system, overseen by new iOS head Jony Ive, includes completely redesigned looks. Colors, typography, and icons are all simple and beautiful, and it seems to emphasize translucency and cleanliness.

Craig Federighi gave the audience of several thousand developers and journalists a demo in iOS 7, highlighting new features like Control Center, which allows users to access their schedules, the weather, stocks, and other information with a swipe of their fingers. Multitasking has been made easier—iOS 7 will keep track of users’ usage information and run apps automatically so they’re ready to launch when needed.

Additionally, iOS 7 introduces a new Photos app which automatically organizes photos by location and date, creating an album of photos taken at the user’s home, for instance. It will also introduce iRadio, an addition to iTunes that streams free music based on user-created stations.

iOS 7 will be available in beta on iPhone immediately to developers, and to the rest of the market in fall 2013. It will work on iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini, and iPod touch.
Apple also introduced a new line of MacBook Airs, with “all-day battery life,” according to Senior Vice President Phil Schiller. The new Macbook Air 13-inch notebook will last 12 hours on battery, while the 11-inch will last 9 hours.

Schiller also gave a sneak peek at the upcoming new Mac Pro, a futuristic black cylinder of computing power, calling it “a Mac unlike any we’ve ever made.” According to Schiller, the Mac Pro will be 10 times faster than any hard drive you could put in a Mac Pro before, with up to a 12-core Intel Xeon 256-bit processor.

Compared to the current Mac Pro, the new one will be tiny—only an eighth of the volume. This new “stunning product,” according to Schiller, will be available later this year.

Cook also introduced the new OS X, naming which he joked presented a challenge since the company had run out of their traditional big cat names. “Maybe we could take this lion thing another direction,” Cook said, displaying a slide showing an OS X Sea Lion logo. “Okay, maybe not.”

In fact, Cook announced, future Apple operating systems will be named after “places that inspire us in California,” starting with this year’s OS X Mavericks.

OS X Mavericks includes an abundance of new features, including Finder Tabs, which will allow a user to combine Finder windows into tabs with different view locations and modes, and users will be able to drag files across tabs.
Next, Federighi showed the new tagging feature, which will allow a user to tag files with custom searchable words, such as “important,” to make them easy to locate in Finder.

Finally, Federighi demoed the OS X Mavericks’ multiple display capabilities. Menus and docks will be able to span multiple displays, and users will be able to pan spaces independently on each of the displays and use an AirPlay-connected HDTV as a fully featured display.

In addition, OS X Mavericks will improve performance and battery life with things like “App Nap,” which keeps apps that aren’t being used from consuming battery power. Overall, Federighi said, the new operating system will reduce CPU utilization up to 72 percent.
Cook opened the keynote by highlighting Apple’s 400-plus retail stores. He presented Apple’s newest store in Berlin, at a century-old building that used to house one of the city’s oldest theaters. He also updated the audience on Apple’s App Store, which features 900,000 apps, comparing the high numbers to Apple’s main competitors.

Ethan Sheckler
Content Specialist
Learn More About Ethan

I’m known as a bargain hunter among most of my friends and family. No, I’m not an extreme couponer. I don’t spend hours camped in front of stores, awaiting the latest and greatest deals. I don’t even go Black Friday shopping.

But I have learned some tricks of the trade. After years of “practice” and experience, I’ve gotten a decent handle on making the most of my money (usually). Whether you’re a small business owner or just on a budget, the issues of spending and saving are integral in all of our lives. Today, let’s cover some basics.

Know Your Needs

Even your great-grandma knew the value of making a shopping list in advance. Take inventory of what you actually need. This serves as handy reminder and provides clear direction when shopping—whether online or in person. While I don’t regularly make handwritten shopping lists, I always keep track of what items I need on a regular basis. This way, when I’m in the heat of the purchasing moment, I can refuse the frivolous and stick to the basics. Maybe for you it’s office supplies—those colorful, heart-shaped sticky notes sure are cute. But do you need them? Or perhaps it’s snacks—M&M’s just came out with another mouth-watering flavor! But do you need it?  (…Sometimes, yes.)

Know Your Options

Now that you’ve established your needs, investigate your options. If you’re new to the neighborhood, take an afternoon to explore the local stores, noting which offer the best prices. I do approximately 80 percent of my grocery shopping at Aldi because it meets my needs in both price and quality—for most products. (Author’s tip: If you love avocados as much as I do, don’t miss their 49-cent sales.)  Unfortunately, Aldi doesn’t typically carry everything on my list. For the rest, I look for local sales and scan mobile shopping apps, then proceed accordingly. For other items, like appliances or office supplies, remember to check sites like Amazon, eBay, and other online stores. And use coupons whenever possible.

Know Your Skills

You’ve probably seen some of those clever blogs circulating the web, providing step-by-step tutorials of how to make your own anything. (If not, just scroll through Pinterest for a few minutes.) While I love this concept, I don’t have much spare time on my hands. I don’t have time to hand-sew my own curtains or build a bookshelf out of recycled pallets. But I do have time to whip together some basic cleaning supplies and cook two weeks’ worth of breakfast to freeze for those busy work mornings. Do some digging, experiment a bit, and you’ll learn if any DIY options fit into your schedule. They do save money, and you won’t feel like you’ve left civilization (too much).

Know When to “Give In”

Some items are worth every penny and should be made to last. Know when quality matters. If you’re in the market for office decor, stopping at a few promising yard sales can save you lots of green. But when buying new computers, do your research. Ask advice from your techie friends. Make pros and cons lists. Then, go with a company you trust. You may pay more than you would in a Craigslist deal, but the peace of mind (and warranty/service plan) you receive makes it worthwhile.

While this blog post outlines the beginnings of shopping well, it doesn’t cover everything. What works for you? Share your ideas and experiences in a comment below.

Crystal Horner
Content Specialist
Learn more about Crystal!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.

There’s no denying that social media marketing is important to small businesses today, but now a survey by Fox Business offers even more proof. The survey found that 97 percent of business owners surveyed said they use social media channels like YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to market their businesses, compared to only 17 percent who use location-based efforts like Foursquare.

Even though nearly all said they use social media, 34 percent also said they still have reservations about social media’s use for their businesses, often because they don’t have the time to implement a social media strategy, or they aren’t familiar enough with social media to make an effective use of it.

This isn’t good, because small businesses should generally make social media an integral part of their marketing strategies. In fact, according to new statistics from HubSpot and Nielsen, social media marketing is becoming more effective than other common marketing forms used by small businesses. Social media lead conversion rates are 13 percent higher than average lead conversion rates, and according to Nielsen, 46 percent of online users count on social media when making a purchase decision.

So how can the 34 percent of business owners who have reservations about social media start to use it effectively?

1. Don’t focus on your products.
   Susan Gunelius, author of 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, says businesses should always spend 80 percent of their social media efforts on activities that are not self-promotional. This helps your audience connect personally with with your business, rather than tune out your constant advertising.
2. Integrate your marketing strategies.
   Social media is a marketing tool best used in connection with other aspects of your business. Do you have a great website or a blog? Link to new pages with social media. Did you recently create a local TV ad? Post it on YouTube and link to it on Twitter and Facebook.
3. Let go of the need for control.
   Some small-business owners worry that social media users will focus on the negative, broadcasting complaints to the entire ‘Twitterverse,’ but according to Gunelius, your biggest problem is being invisible, not being talked about negatively. Even if you receive criticism via social media, it gives you a chance to be proactive in responding to your customers’ concerns, which goes a long way in developing and keeping a great reputation.

If a small business can follow these three steps in implementing a social media strategy, it will be well on its way to effectively establishing itself in the world of social media.

Ethan Sheckler
Content Specialist
Learn more about Ethan!

About PayProMedia

PayProMedia is a full service marketing agency, based in Warsaw, IN. Providing services such as SEO, social media management, print marketing, branding, and videography, PayProMedia specializes in helping businesses of all sizes catapult their marketing and brand awareness to the next level. To learn more about PayProMedia’s services visit our services page or contact us with special requests or for more information.