Tips For A Successful Facebook Campaign
Posted on Thursday, June 30th, 2011 at 12:21 pm.
Creating Facebook campaigns can be very effective business marketing.
Provoque blogger Kamila Hankiewicz came up with a list of tips for launching Facebook campaigns. She’s also the founder of Evoque, a web-based collaboration platform for PR and media members. Check it out.
Here’s how to make your Facebook page more appealing and visible to your audience:
1. Thursday is the best day of the week to get the most visibility for a Facebook post.
2. Release major stories in the early morning. If you post them between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, you risk your content getting unnoticed due to news feeds and other traffic.
3. When sharing stories, always include the full link; it’s 300 percent more likely to get clicked on than a shortened address.
4. Use both the like and send Facebook (and other social) buttons on your site.
5. The secret behind making it into your friends’ “top news” feed is based on an algorithm known as Edge Rank. Use words like “today,” “exclusive” and “limited-time only” to increase your Edge Rank.
6. According to a study from Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, Facebook is among the leading drivers of traffic to 21 news websites. When sharing a good media story, don’t forget to plug it on the leading social network.
7. Want to know which words are most “shareable” on Facebook? Try “best,” “most,” and those that explain, such as “why” and “how.”
8. Facebook may be a better platform for making a video go viral than other platform, probably because the site makes it easy to embed multimedia content into a post.
9. When posting a note, tag it. This will put your message on each of your tagged friends’ walls. However, you can only tag 30 people at a time, so limit your tagging to only those people who are interested in your announcement or they may view it as a spam.
10. If you post multiple notes, make sure to delete all posts but one from the news feed or you will look like a spammer when people see 15 identical notes on their wall. Alternatively, you can turn off your wall’s automatic feed.
11. Share a link (of high value) on your wall and ask your friends to share and like it. It’s simple but effective.
12. Encouraging interaction with your posts-likes and comments-will make them more visible in other people’s news feeds. That’s how Facebook’s EdgeRank (and Domino effect) algorithm works.
13. Facebook marketers suggest this idea: Keep AIDA in mind when posting to Facebook. That stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Your job is to stimulate desire and spark action, whether it’s increasing sells or engaging with your brand through contests, events, questions or content.
14. Engage followers in one-on-one conversation, create compelling contests, encourage check-ins and post cool status updates. All of these efforts will help boost your Facebook interactions.
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
PCS’s Favorite Mobile Applications for Small Business Owners
Posted on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 3:58 pm.
Mobile application downloads are estimated to reach around 50 billion across handsets worldwide in 2012. Pretty soon, mobile apps could be as common of a practice as using the internet. As a business owner, you need to make sure you are keeping up with the times so that other organizations do not advance on ahead of you. It is important to familiarize yourself with those applications that could prove to be pragmatic for you. Chances are, being an entrepreneur, that you are consistently on-the-go and have a rather hectic schedule. With mobile applications, you can get more done efficiently and in less time. Here are PCS’s favorite mobile applications for small business owners.
1) WebEx android/ipad/iphone/blackberry
Online meetings are a common practice within the work place. But, as we all know, life happens. What if something comes up and you cannot be by your desk? What if you literally need to be two places at once? This application allows you to host and attend meetings right from your cell phone, so you can be anywhere, and still attend your meeting on time. The app allows you to view presentations, applications, desktops, and much more.
2) Hootsuite android/ipad/iphone/blackberry/keitai
Any social media savvy individual knows you need to be constantly updating and monitoring your social content and feedback. Hootsuite provides great management of all your social media accounts on-the-go. This app allows you to pre-schedule tweets and Facebook updates check in on Foursquare, track statistics, share photos, save searches, and much more.
3) Iteleport iphone/ipad
Literally “teleport” right to your computer, from anywhere you may be, just as long as you have your cell phone! Have you ever needed that important file or document but you forgot to email it to yourself or print it out? Of course you have, we all have. That’s what makes this application so useful. It lets you actually access another computer remotely. You can read, copy, paste, and edit, all right from your cell phone! You never need to worry about forgetting a file anymore.
4) Dropbox android/ipad/iphone/blackberry
“Your files everywhere you are” as the brand motto says. Dropbox is a mobile cloud computing device where you can store documents, presentations, stream audio and visual clips, and much more. Also, the application will automatically sync the files to your computer so no effort on your part is needed!
5) Easy Task Manager iphone/ipad
Get yourself organized and make sure those seemingly never-ending “To Do Lists” get done! Easy Task Manager allows you to keep track of all that you must accomplish, in a simple, easy to navigate interface. You can track by name, dates, priority, as well as many other options.
6) Tungle.me blackberry
Syncs your calendar with a public version where you can invite partners or clients to meetings and allow them to book appointments at pre-approved times, and it automatically adjusted the times for different time zones. Tungle.me is a breakthrough tool to schedule across organizations, calendar systems, and time zones. Other features include sorting your replies, allowing reply to meeting invitations received, and prevention of double bookings.
9) BusinessWeek Mobile Application iphone/blackberry
Not only does this application keep you up to date on global business news, but it also allows you to create a “watch list” of companies of your choice. You can track important issues, stock prices, and news for your selected companies. The application also allows for dashboard customization ensuring the news of your preference reaches you, and allows you to share news of interest via email and social media.
For all your small business needs, call PCS 1-888-656-1293
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
Quick Business Tip – Understanding Website Bounce Rates
Posted on Monday, May 23rd, 2011 at 12:08 pm.
If you are running an internet based business there is one thing you need to grasp to better understand what makes your website profitable and that is website analytics.
Do you have a Google analytics account? If so, are you confused after you have analyzed the statistics for your website, not really sure what you should pay attention to, or how to take the information and make smart changes to your site?
One of the first indicators to understand is your bounce rate. In simple terms a websites bounce rate calculates the amount of people who come to the website the first time, and who leave without clicking further into the site.
To help you decrease your website bounce rate follow these three tips…
1. Add videos and engaging elements to your site
Visitors will stay longer on your site if there is content there that keeps them engaged. Leveraging the use of movies and interactive calculators and measurement tools is one way you can keep visitors within your site longer, making them click through to other pages.
2. Make finding the best content with in your site easy
If you set up your content in a manner that fosters a fluid path through each page, it is almost guaranteed that your bounce rate will go down. One key way to structure your site to decrease your bounce rate is to look at the key pages on your site that are getting the most traffic and ask yourself the question, “What do I want the visitor to do next?” If there is no clear cut answer to that, add something on the page that will enhance the visitor experience.
3. De-clutter pages, and create less options for people to click
When your page is cluttered with too much stuff, it can be somewhat overwhelming to your visitor, and make them want to leave quickly. One way to clear the clutter of your site is to step back and look at your site as if you were a first time visitor.
Ask yourself the question “As a first time visitor, do I want to explore this site further, or get out of here quickly?” If you can’t be honest with yourself, ask someone who is in your market what they think. The feedback you get will be priceless, and will help you integrate elements that will effectively help you decrease your bounce rate.
The bounce rate is only one specific piece of data to pay attention to amid what google analytics collects each and every day for you.
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
Tax records: Save them or shred them?
Posted on Monday, April 25th, 2011 at 6:29 am.
Tax day is over. Now it’s time to find the top of your desk. It’s not necessary to hang on to everything. In fact, keeping too many documents could make it difficult to find what you really need. Here’s a look at what you should save and what you can shred:
Tax returns. Save your tax returns and supporting documents for at least three years. The IRS has up to six years to audit you if you under-report your income by 25% or more. There is no statute of limitations on audits of fraudulent returns.
Keep W-2s, 1099s, acknowledgments from charities and other supporting documents for as long as you keep your tax returns.
Real estate records. Hold on to your closing statements, purchase and sales invoices, proof of payment and insurance records for at least four years after you sell the property. You should also keep records of any major improvements made to your home, such as an addition or a new roof. When you sell, you can add the cost of these improvements to the amount you paid for your home, which will reduce taxes on capital gains.
Most homeowners don’t have to worry about paying taxes on the sale of their homes. For singles, up to $250,000 in profit on the sale of a primary home is excluded from taxes; married couples can pocket up to $500,000 tax-free.
Investments. As is the case with real estate, you should hold on to documents that show the purchase price of your stocks and mutual funds until three years after you sell. You should also keep records of dividends, reinvested dividends, loads and stock splits.
Financial institutions will be required to track the basis for stocks held by their customers starting this year, mutual funds in 2012, and bonds in 2013. They’ll also report this info to the IRS.
Bank and credit card statements. Keep credit card receipts and canceled checks that support your tax deductions on your tax return for as long as you keep the return.
The IRS allows electronic storage systems as long as they provide an accurate and accessible record of the data.
For more info about IRS record-keeping rules, see Publication 552, available at www.irs.gov.
Request a free tax consultation 1-888-656-1293 Mon- Fri 9 am – 6 pm
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
New 1099 Reporting Requirements for Landlords
Posted on Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 at 8:38 am.
Congress in 2010 expanded the information return reporting requirements contained in Code Sec. 6041. Generally, Code Sec. 6041 requires payments of $600 or more to a single recipient in the course of a trade or business to be reported by the payor to the IRS and the payee, usually on Form 1099-MISC. There are exceptions to the general reporting requirements but these exceptions begin to disappear in 2011.
One of these disappearing exceptions to the reporting requirements involves landlords. The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (2010 Jobs Act) (P.L. 111-240) amended the definition of trade or business to include renting real property. Before 2011, most landlords were not subject to the reporting requirements because renting real property was not considered to be a trade or business. Under the new version of Code Sec. 6041, real property rental is now considered a trade or business but only for purposes of the reporting requirements.
There are some exceptions to the general rule requiring landlords to report payments of $600 or more made in the course of renting real property. The first exception is for those who receive substantially all of their rental income from the temporary rental of their primary residence. The second exception is for individuals who receive “minimal” rental income, which amount will be determined by regulation. Similarly, the third exception applies to individuals receiving rental income if compliance with the reporting requirements would cause hardship. What constitutes hardship will also be defined by future regulations.
Like all returns, Forms 1099 must accurately identify the payor and the payee, as well as the total amount paid. Accurate identification includes the name, address and taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the payor and payee. The telephone number of the payee is also required.
It is the payor’s obligation to request this information from the payee and Form W-9 may be used for this purpose. A landlord should request that Form W-9 be completed before making any payments to the payee because, if the payee fails or refuses to provide the correct taxpayer identification number, the payor is usually required to collect backup withholding from any payments due to the payee. The payor may be liable for a penalty for failure to backup withhold so withholding the correct amount from the payee is crucial. Also, a $50 penalty is imposed on a payee who fails to provide a correct TIN upon request.
Since landlords have not, until now, been “engaged in a trade or business,” the reporting requirements create a problem. According to the instructions for Form 1099, sole proprietors and others, like landlords, who are not otherwise required to have an employer identification number (EIN) should use their Social Security number (SSN) for reporting purposes. Moreover, the instructions state that the filer’s name and TIN should be consisted with the name and TIN used on the filer’s other returns. This opens up the opportunity for identity theft.
Fortunately, landlords have a few options to protect themselves. The landlord can organize a separate company or LLC to perform management services for the property, including making payments to contractors. As the payor, the management company or LLC would be responsible for reporting any payments on Form 1099 and could use its own EIN, thus shielding the landlord’s SSN. Another option is for the landlord to hire an employee. A spouse or child could be hired and an EIN obtained in order to report the wages of the new hire. This EIN could then be used on Form 1099, again shielding the landlord’s SSN. Or, the landlord may be able to place the real property in a trust and use the trust’s EIN for reporting purposes.
The deadline for providing Forms 1099 to payees is January 31 of the year following the year of payment. The deadline for filing the returns with the IRS is February 28 of the year following the year of payment. There is an extended deadline, March 31, when the returns are filed electronically.
The 2010 Jobs Act also increased the penalties for failing to file Forms 1099 with the IRS, for filing Forms 1099 late and for failing to provide copies of Forms 1099 to the payee. The increased penalties apply to information returns required to be filed after December 31, 2010.
By Deborah Petro, CCH News Staff
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
Precision Corporate Services Provides a Wealth of Knowledge
Posted on Friday, February 11th, 2011 at 1:39 pm.
At Precision Corporate Services, they want every individual and business to be successful. They provide up to date information through their news feed. You can read about how the iphone now offers a new tax application or how social media can help your business. They also offer live chat and free tax consultation. To view all of Precision Corporate Services information and services to help you or your business visit www.precisioncorpsvcs.com.
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
Obama calls on business to do more to boost U.S
Posted on Saturday, February 5th, 2011 at 9:03 am.
(Reuters) – President Barack Obama called on U.S. businesses on Saturday to do more to boost the economy by hiring more workers and making investments.
The government has an obligation to make the United States the best place to do business, by providing the best schools, incentives to innovate and the best infrastructure, he said, but added that businesses also have to do their part.
“If we make America the best place to do business, businesses should make their mark in America,” Obama said in his weekly radio address. “They should set up shop here, and hire our workers, and pay decent wages and invest in the future of this nation. That’s their obligation.”
Obama had difficult relations with the U.S. corporate community during much of his first two years as president, as some businesses — and the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbying group — balked at his initiatives to revamp Wall Street regulation and overhaul the healthcare industry and took umbrage at some of his sharp rhetoric on executive pay.
But the White House sought to mend relations of late, by toning down the presidential rhetoric and making staffing choices that appeal to the corporate community, such as making Bill Daley, formerly of JPMorgan Chase, the new White House chief of staff.
Obama heads into the lion’s den on Monday by making his first address to the members of the Chamber.
In the weekly address, Obama said he would tell the Chamber that government and business have mutual responsibilities.
“If we fulfill these obligations together, it benefits us all. Our workers will succeed. Our nation will prosper,” he said.
With the economy the central concern of U.S. voters, the White House has been promoting its push to support businesses, and generate more jobs, despite having its attention distracted by the crisis in Egypt.
Obama has been traveling around the country to tout initiatives including a program to increase the energy efficiency of commercial buildings and another to expand access to high-speed wireless.
“All we did for these companies was provide some tax credits and financing opportunities. And that’s what we want to do going forward,” Obama said.
His address aired the day after the Labor Department said U.S. employment rose by only 36,000 jobs in January, far fewer than economists had expected. But the jobless rate plummeted to 9.0 percent from 9.4 percent in December.
“This week, we received a report on jobs and unemployment that told us we’re continuing to move in the right direction,” Obama said. “But we need to get there faster.”
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
White House White Board:Startup America
Posted on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 at 11:14 am.
Precision Corporate Services is a leading Tax and Accounting Firm providing Tax Services in all 50 states. Our firm specializes in new and existing business: Entity Formations, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, Personal & Business Tax Preparation, Business Owner Training, Business Credit Establishment and Consulting. We also specialize in working with: Home Based Business Owners, Internet Based Businesses, Brick and Mortar Businesses, Real Estate, Stock and Forex Investors establish their Accounting and Asset Protection. If you need a Tax Professional to ensure you are keeping more of what you earn through IRS compliance, request a free 30 minute tax consultation 1-888-656-1293
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