It’s no secret that social media is here to stay. It’s become a part of most marketing strategies and organizations are pouring a lot of money into social experts, marketing staff with social media skills, social media plug-ins, integration and advertising. Afterall, 72% of all Internet users are now active on social media (jeffbullas.com). But is social media right for all organizations? Is it right for yours, or could you be following others in the wrong direction?

Ask yourself these questions...

It's that time of year when we start to think about the past 11.5 months. We review things and think about what could have been done differently, what could have been better, what was great, and what we're proud of. In light of that, it seems like the perfect time to do a little year-end website check up. Don't wait until your site is on life support to identify areas of improvement.

Here it is, your year-end top 5 website checklist.

“It’s the cockroach of the Internet,” said Jason Hirschhorn, chief executive of the digital curator ReDef, in a recent New York Times article. “It’s a great place to get in front of people who are interested in what you have to say.”

What is this “cockroach of the Internet” that’s touted by media mavens and welcomed by consumers?

Surprise, email haters! It’s email newsletters—“the 40-year-old technology that is not going away for very good reasons.”

Email is a medium that has not only survived against all odds, but has thrived. More than 838 billion marketing messages were delivered in 2013! A Quartz study found 60% of global executives read an email newsletter as one of their first three news sources they check daily—more than twice as high as news apps.

An email newsletter done right can be a very lucrative marketing tool for your business.

Follow the best practices in this article and watch your email newsletter thrive.

 Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said, “If it isn't on Google, it doesn't exist.”

This probably holds true for the people who perform 100 billion Google searches every month. Many of them are your customers or prospects looking for products or information you provide. But are they finding it? Do you exist?

Experts estimate between 67%–86% of search engine market share belongs to Google. And your position on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) matters.

So, how do you get to the top of the first page of Google to get those precious clicks to your website?

Read this article to find out.

If you are not a BRAND, you are a COMMODITY. –Philip Kotler

You don’t want to be a commodity.

Nobody remembers a commodity. Nobody pays a premium for a commodity or tells their friends about it. If your customers aren’t making a conscience decision to choose your product or service over another, then it’s time to rebrand.

First, you need to identify why you’re not connecting with your audience. How did you get to this point? What problems will your rebrand solve?

Here are 5 compelling reasons to rebrand.

Are you a Wisconsin-based nonprofit with an upcoming marketing or web project? You may be eligible for Greenleaf's grant program. We've helped many nonprofit and community organizations meet their marketing goals over the years. You could be next.

Find out if your group is eligible.

Experts are predicting the “death” of the mobile web in 2014.

Wait a minute…what? Does that mean you don’t have to worry about what your website looks like on smartphones and tablets?

Exactly the opposite.

It means you have to start thinking beyond traditional mobile. You have to consider what your website is going to look like on every screen imaginable—from smartphones, to TVs, to screens that haven’t even been invented yet. The sky’s the limit on how “smart” everything is about to become.

Learn how to keep your website alive now and into the future.

Yeah, we said it —“information superhighway.” As in, are you still partying like it’s 1999? If your website still has mall hair, you might need a website redesign.

No doubt, you know the value of your site to your business. But do you know if it’s working for and not against you? Is it working as hard as it should be?

If you’re not staying up-to-date with the last technology and web marketing tactics, you just might find yourself on the road to nowhere—the place once relevant companies go to retire.

Stay relevant. Take our short quiz to find out if you need a website redesign.

Happy New Year! It's always nice to start a new year with positive change. We're settling into our new digs at 1917 Winnebago Street. The new space gives Greenleaf room for expansion and keeps us in the same great east side neighborhood.

What are your plans for the new year? Let us know if we can help!