Google Alerts One of the easiest, cheapest ways to track what the media and your customers are saying about your business is to set up Google Alerts. Google Alerts is a free service offered through Google that sends e-mail alerts to users on specific keywords. By typing your company name in as a keyword, you’ll get notified when your business is mentioned in video, articles, blogs and throughout the Internet. Setting up Google Alerts is easy. You simply type in the keyword you wish to track, the e-mail address that you want the alerts sent to and how often you want to receive updates (as it happens, daily or weekly). You’ll also be asked what type of alerts you wish to receive. It’s best to select “comprehensive” and you’ll get alerts from all categories—news, blogs, video, groups and the Internet. To set up Google Alerts for your business, click www.google.com/alerts. It’s also a good idea to use Google Alerts to monitor your industry, your competitors and key people within your company. You can set up 1,000 alerts at a time! 5 steps to efficient time management Are you making the most of your work day or do you find yourself constantly distracted? Follow these five tips and you’re on your way to a productive day at the office. Prioritize. Know what the vital tasks of the day are and set out to complete those first. Most people are more focused at the beginning of the day than the end. Create a task list. At the end of each day, create a task list of all your priorities for the next day. Prevent burnout. Take a 5 to 10 minute break every couple of hours or so. This small allotted amount of time will refresh and refocus you for upcoming tasks. Eliminate distractions. Put your cell phone on silent and turn off your e-mail notification feature. You don’t have to answer every e-mail just as it arrives in your inbox. Try checking e-mail once every hour to reduce distractions. Stay organized. If you keep your desk organized, you won’t waste time searching for things you need. Take a few minutes after each project to file your work appropriately. 10 cheap marketing tips There are so many cheap marketing tips out there for your business to explore. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money market your business. These 10 easy tips are just a few of seemingly endless opportunities available. Leave business cards at restaurants, grocery store bulletin boards, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. Purchase targeted leads related to your business. Use your existing relationships to create new business. Promote your business through social media sites. Stay in contact with current customers through e-newsletters. Include a link to your Web site in your e-mail signature. Use a professional graphic designer for quality marketing pieces. Train yourself and your employees through free webinars and teleseminars offered online. Use coupons in your print advertising to track the success of a particular ad. We asked our newsletter recipients for their own cheap marketing tips. Thanks to recipient Dave Thompson from Deloitte Services for our last idea: Tackle e-mail effectively Each morning, begin by sorting your email and phone messages. First, answer any e-mail from the media Second, reply to customers or clients Third, respond to new business opportunities. Only then should you open any email from friends or other low priority (but tempting) sources. E-mail comes in so quickly it’s easy to lose track of your priorities. Some e-mail programs will flag certain addresses for you. Consider flagging important addresses. Promote your business with professional photography The photography in your advertisements and on your Web site can make a huge difference in how your product or service is perceived by the public. Your photos should mirror what your business offers and should represent you in the best light. Consumers make a direct connection with the photos your company releases and the product or service itself. In most cases, it would be better to have no photos than photos with dates in the bottom right hand corner, improper angles and use of space, and unnecessary objects and clutter in sight. All Seasons Communications’ client Rudgate had their six communities professionally photographed so consumers would have a clear understanding of what each community looked like. Avoid these obvious, but common mistakes when doing your own photography:   This photo doesn’t focus in on what’s important—the clubhouse. The dumpster and excess grass and pavement takes away the beauty of the clubhouse.   The photographer of this photo failed to pay attention to the car in the street before taking this street shot.   This may be a beautiful home, but you’d never know it based on this photo. A tree is obstructing the view of the home. All Seasons Communications is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency. Visit www.allseasonscommunications.com to learn more, call us at 586.752.6381, or e-mail us as info@allseasonscommunications.com. To be removed from future e-mails please reply to this message with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line. We apologize for any inconvenience. Click here to forward this e-mail.