Tag Archives: Business

Yelp, Angie’s List and Other Review Sites Create Reputation Manager

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Zeb Welborn
The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.
Latest posts by Zeb Welborn (see all)

Since the beginning of 2012 I have talked with a variety of businesses about the impact Yelp and Angie’s List are having on their business.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Yelp or Angie’s List, they are websites that rank businesses on their performance.  Customers can visit either of those websites and give feedback in the form of a rating and also comment about the services they have received.  The company has no control over these ratings and, for better or worse, they appear in search engine results when people are looking for a particular business.

System 1 Acoustic Ceiling Removal Gets Angies List Super Service Award

In the past month, we have been working with two different businesses to help build their online reputation.  Understandably, they had concerns about the impact feedback on these sites is having on their business.

At the beginning of the year I began hunting for an apartment and really had no idea where to begin. We traveled by car to local apartment complexes and I visited one that I thought was perfect.  It was in my price range and seemed to have a lot of extra benefits that really attracted me.  But just before I left, the woman trying to sell me the apartment told me not to pay attention to the ratings because sometimes other apartment owners sabotage the ratings or an evicted tenant leaves false information about their experience.  I hadn’t even thought to look at a rating site for apartments, but her statement made me want to see for myself what was written.

Thirty or so people commented on that apartment complex. Ninety percent of those people said something along the lines of, “Whatever you do, do not move here.”  There were stories of burglaries, drug deals, shootings and no help from the administration when a problem arose.  This was not a place I wanted to live.

The ratings on apartmentratings.com actively influenced my purchasing decision. I ended up choosing an apartment complex with a relatively high rating, Somerset Apartments, that I absolutely love.  If you have a business where people are rating and commenting about it online, know that these ratings are affecting and will continue to affect your business.

How do you ensure people are talking positively about your business???  Hire a reputation manager.

Check back in the next couple of weeks to see our tips for building a business that excels at the ranking and commenting websites to give you an advantage over your competition.

Welborn Social Media provides social media services for small and medium-sized businesses all over the United States.  If you would like more information about how Welborn Social Media can act as your reputation manager and enhance your online reputation please give Zeb Welborn a call at (909) 973 – 9089.

Design a Customized Profile Image for Your Facebook Business Page

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Lacey Welborn
Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

One of the many things we do is set up Facebook Profiles. It is important to fully fill in profile information and to have a to-the-point description in the About section, since that always shows up on the side bar on the left of the Facebook page.

We do these things, but our favorite part of setting up a Facebook Business page is creating the page’s profile picture.

The maximum width for a Facebook image (as displayed on the profile page) is 180px. Which isn’t a whole lot of room. The good thing is that this image can be much longer. The maximum height is 540px (as displayed on the profile page). Which makes a good size space for you to add some color to a page, add information, or add an image that really expresses the brand.

One important thing to keep in mind is the page thumbnail. The thumbnail is the small square image that shows up next to your page name whenever you post on Facebook. This thumbnail is taken from your profile picture. To get a good thumbnail make sure there’s a square portion that’s almost as wide as your profile image dedicated to giving your page a good thumbnail. (To set your page thumbnail: After you post your profile image you can click to ‘change picture’ and ‘edit thumbnail’ to pick the appropriate part of your profile image to be the thumbnail.)

When designing a Facebook profile picture I usually make sure the logo takes up nearly the whole width of the image, that it has a square portion all to itself, and there’s no distracting background behind the logo. This portion will make up the thumbnail. Then I work with the colors and the attitude of the business to create something appealing and attractive. Sometimes it is important to get more information in the Facebook image, one thing I always try to include is some contact information. It should always be easy to find out how to get in touch with a company. I always keep the Facebook layout in mind when designing these pictures. Once I get the image together I like to put it into a screenshot of a Facebook profile so that I can really see how it’s going to look on the page. After a little fine tuning and approval from the business owner we post it up and admire how much a well crafted profile picture can really enhance the look of a Facebook page.

Keeping the Facebook layout in mind can let you have a little fun with profile images.Try adding a shadow to the edges of an profile picture to create a little bit of depth, or use the white background to your advantage by adding rounded corners. The white background could also be useful in creating a super 3-d look, a photo at an interesting angle with a white background could be used in the profile picture to create a really dynamic effect.


Lacey’s super special tip: Most people recommend that the Facebook page profile picture be 180px wide by 540px tall, but it’s better to upload a page image that is 250px wide by 750px tall. That way when the profile picture is opened the image viewer it will be full size.

If you would like help setting up a Facebook page for your business, or if you already have one but want it maximized contact Contact Zeb Welborn at (909) 973-9088. Be sure to ask about the other Facebook services we provide.

Facebook Likes — A Pyramid Scheme that Actually Works

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Lacey Welborn
Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

Most of us know to stay away from Pyramid Schemes. It’s an unsustainable, often very unethical, business model, but sometimes when you hear the pitch it sounds so promising. If you join the scheme and bring a couple friends into the business, and they each bring a couple friends, then you’ll all be making thousands of dollars. It sounds great! It’s just that in reality it never works like that. Someone is going to lose money and whether that’s you or your friends, it’s an unhappy ending.

Facebook has it’s own sort of pyramid scheme and it has a happy ever after ending. The Pyramid Scheme of Facebook Likes. It’s a little different than a traditional pyramid scheme, of course. Here’s how it works, you get one Facebook like. Now that you have a Like you post engaging content on your page. Your Like finds this content interesting and is compelled to comment on your page. This action shows up on your Likes page and introduces your business to all of their friends. His friends now have a convenient opportunity to Like your brand. At this point you must share more interesting content. So that your new Likes will interact with your page and introduce your page to all of their friends, and so on.

As you can see from this diagram it looks very similar to a pyramid scheme.

The most important part about this process is the continuous posting of engaging content that will interest your customers. Content that your target market will identify with. So, when one of your Likes is in need of your product or service they will know your brand, know what you do, and will remember you at that critical point in time. Gaining likes doesn’t always generate an immediate monetary return, but it sets any business up to gain more loyal customers in the future. By building those online relationships you can have friends of friends of friends of friends participating on your page, turning your decision to invest in social media into the greatest investment you ever made for your business.

Unlike a pyramid scheme it takes continuous effort. But also unlike a pyramid scheme, it actually works!

Check out our other post on Facebook Likes: The Value of a Like on Facebook

If you have any questions or are interested in investing in social media for your business contact Zeb Welborn at Zeb@WelbornSocialMedia.com or at (909) 973-9088.

The Power of Facebook: How Facebook Helped Furnish My Apartment

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Zeb Welborn
The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.
Latest posts by Zeb Welborn (see all)

I moved into my first apartment earlier this month. I was apprehensive about the move.  After all, there are a lot of costs associated with moving into an apartment:  gas, electricity, water, TV, Internet, kitchen supplies, food, and . . . furniture.

Two weeks ago I had no furniture to call my own.  Now, I have a fully furnished apartment . . . all thanks to Facebook.

When I found out I was moving into my new, two bedroom I posted on Facebook to let my friends and family know that I could use some furniture. Man, did my friends come through!  I now have two couches, a refrigerator, a dining room table with chairs, a nightstand, a desk, towels, pots, pans, plates, bowls, silverware and a large list of other household goods. All of which didn’t cost me a dime!

Facebook, through the help of family and friends, has helped me furnish my apartment — something that very easily could have cost me thousands of dollars.  Love the power of Facebook.

If Facebook can help save me thousands of dollars in my personal life, just imagine what it can be capable of for a business.  By using Facebook businesses can connect with potential customers, engage with them and encourage them to become a part of the business and to become a repeat customer.

Every business can benefit from Facebook.  It’s a matter of understanding how to leverage your Facebook presence for the best results.  With over 800 million people now on Facebook, using it for your business is a no-brainer.  How will you use the power of Facebook to benefit your business?  Call us today to find out how we can help you use Facebook to build your business – 909 973 9089.

Thank you Mom, Dad, Rocky, Lacey, Lenore, Michael Nunez, Erin Rogers-Nunez, Joy Houghton-Klein, Jennifer Davis, Nick Cianflocco, Jimmy Wilson, Merriah Wilson and Laura Henson for helping make my apartment a home.

Five Tips for a Killer Presentation

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Lacey Welborn
Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

Whenever we meet a potential client we prepare a presentation for them. We share facts and ideas about what Welborn Social Media can do for their business.

Our presentations have been very successful.  Get our five tips for a killer presentation

Upon the completion of our presentation, our potential clients have a basic understanding of social media, how it can benefit their business, and, often times, business owners begin to see the massive potential social media has to offer.

Slide 1 of Our Presentation

Here are some reasons why our presentations are successful:

  • We alter our slide show to suit the business we’re presenting too. This is beneficial for two reasons:  we provide a personalized approach which gives us credibility that we can take their information and use it to communicate using social media, and it gives us on opportunity to delve into the business to better understand the needs of our customers.
  • We use lots of slides. Clicking through more slides during a presentation helps develop a strong, consistent flow of information to our potential customers. Instead of having one slide with a topic and three bullet points it’s much better for the tempo of the presentation to have four slides with very large, easy-to-read font.
  • Conversation is a must.  At the beginning of each presentation we explicitly encourage clients to ask questions.  Throughout the presentation we ask a lot of questions and make sure they are understanding the material we presented to them.  The presentation is less of a presentation and more like a guided conversation . . . our slides help guide the discussion.
  • Our slide show is very cohesive. It has a set color scheme, a few font choices and consistently placed items throughout.
  • While being cohesive we also have worked to make the slides more interesting. We have a lot of charts in our presentation to visually display some of the astounding facts around social media. We realized there were too many bar graphs and they became repetitive. By thinking of more creative ways to visually display information we’ve been able to make our slide show much more interesting.

Keep Slides Interesting

Our presentation is a constant work in progress. We are always trying to improve both the design of the slides and the manner in which we share them.

We love giving our presentation to business owners. By the end they can see the potential for social media in their business. They can imagine the success it can bring. They can visualize the ways it can allow them to share their passion for what they do.  Use our five tips for a killer presentation.

Welborn Social Media Can Help You Use Video to Build Your Brand

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Zeb Welborn
The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.
Latest posts by Zeb Welborn (see all)

Technology is amazing. One of the greatest tools for increasing your online profile is developing an array of videos that can provide potential customers with more ways to find you.

Use video to build your brand.  According to a Create Hype article, 5 Ways Business Owners Can Use Online Video to Grow Their Business, videos can be used:  for product/service demonstrations, to provide a video tour of your company, to profile your employees, to highlight your customers and to keep your customers informed.

The possibilities for using videos to promote your business online are endless.  One excellent  example of a company who has used video for their business is BlendTec. They have a YouTube series called “Will it Blend?”

In one of their most popular videos they blend a brand new iPad, completely destroying it.  To date, the video has more than 13,000,000 viewers and counting. Well worth it.

Can your business use 13,000,000 people viewing a message you put out?  Online video is an amazing opportunity to connect with your customers.

In 2012, we aim to help a variety of companies use video to build their brand.  We have access to high-quality equipment and develop ways to engage any customer.  We have already begun creating videos for The Tutoring Solution and Los Serranos Country Club and can do so for your business.

If you want more people to find your business online, use video to build your brand . . . and if you want help, come to Welborn Social Media.

Don’t be the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion or Dorothy – Be Toto

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Zeb Welborn
The owner of Welborn Social Media and the founder of The Tutoring Solution.My goal is to help business owners share the passion they have for their business with as many potential customers as possible.By helping passionate people achieve their dreams I am helping to create a society of passionate leaders that will help inspire others to make their dreams a reality.
Latest posts by Zeb Welborn (see all)

With a new year comes optimism and excitement. What will 2012 bring?

We are in the midst of an historic economic recession, because of that, just like Dorothy and her friends in Oz, our journey down the yellow brick road has been full of struggles and turbulence.

To stay afloat we’re having to adapt, downsize, economize, increase efficiency,  cut the fat… We’ve had to search out better, faster, more effective ways of operating. No question this prolonged recession has been difficult. But it also has forced us to restructure, to streamline, to try new things, to innovate. This is a good thing.

This morning I attended a networking event at the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce with a presentation by Ronnie Kovach, a radio & television personality for Fox Sports West and the Angels. His presentation was titled “Becoming a True Business Wizard:  What We Can Learn from Dorothy.”

During his presentation he said that many people believe this will be considered a “dark time,” but that we are taking the steps to bring ourselves into a period of prosperity and happiness.  Our response to this recession may, in fact, be laying the foundation for ingenuity and innovation that will translate into growth and prosperity for years to come.

The recession has forced many people to step out of their comfort zone and pursue things they hadn’t imagined.  When times get tough,  people have two options:  they can give up, or they can fight back and take control.  It is by fighting back that I found my passion . . . which coincidentally, is inspiring others.

Some of the most passionate and inspiring people I know are business owners.  At some point in their lives they took a huge risk and worked to build a company or a business. The only way to continue building and promoting your business is to have a strong passion — a desire to continue doing the work because you love it. I want to share that passion with the rest of the world.

Social media can demonstrate your knowledge, passion and expertise for a trade like never before.  People want to do business with people they can connect with, know and trust.  And nothing builds that connection stronger than demonstrating your passion for the work at hand.

Mr. Kovach said during his presentation that the dog in the Wizard of Oz, Toto, comes from the latin meaning for “everything.”  And the theme of the book/movie was that whatever we fear is missing from our self is actually inside of us.  The scarecrow, the tin man and the lion all felt deficient in some way, when the reality of the matter was they had the tools they felt they were lacking.

This economy has forced many people to do those things that are holding them back from achieving their full happiness in life.  We all have the ability for greatness and that ability to succeed lies within each of us.

We want to help small businesses excel and reach their full potential in order to share their passion and expertise with the world and provide customers the opportunity to connect with businesses that improve their lives.  To schedule a free consultation with us please contact Zeb Welborn at (909) 973 – 9089.

The Top 11 Moments for Welborn Social Media in 2011

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Lacey Welborn
Lacey and her brother Zeb Welborn founded Welborn Media. She has designed and launched websites, several projects, marketing materials, a podcast, a book and more. Her passions include her family, her friends, creating things and helping businesses grow.
Latest posts by Lacey Welborn (see all)

We founded Welborn Social Media in June 2011 and despite being open for business for roughly six months, we have many memorable moments.  The following is our top 11 moments for Welborn Social Media in 2011.  Thank you to our friends, family and the businesses who have used our services this year.  We are extremely optimistic about 2012 and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Welborn Social Media and the people we interact with.

  1. We began the year by expanding our social media, graphic and website design knowledge by learning new ways to promote The Tutoring Solution.
  2. In June, Welborn Social Media got it’s start with our first client Scrapbook Expo.  We have been running the Scrapbook Expo Twitter Page ever since.
  3. In July, we started work on Los Serranos Country Club‘s blog, Facebook and Twitter pages and continue to run their social media presence.
  4. In August, we began working for WireSpeed Systems, a global supplier for new and refurbished networking equipment.  We run their Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.
  5. In October, we started a Facebook and a blog for System 1 Interiors, Los Angeles’s best acoustic ceiling removal company.
  6. We launched the Welborn Social Media website and began developing our own social media presence.Welborn Social Media Online
  7. Attended the Arizona Business Growth Expo and began developing business relationships with wonderful people that will continue to help us as our business grows.
  8. As a result of our work, our client, WireSpeed Systems, was recognized by Cisco, the largest corporation in the networking industry, as their Facebook SuperFan. WireSpeed Systems has been featured in Cisco’s Facebook profile picture since the beginning of November.
  9. Hosted our first Twitter chat for our client Scrapbook Expo. It was a success and we’ve been hosting two Twitter chats a month ever since. Follow #ScrapChat at 6pm PT on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month to join in!
  10. Launched DLT Growers brand new website, built by Welborn Social Media.  DLT Growers sells ground cover to companies like Lowe’s and Home Depot.
  11. Helped the Women’s English National Football team’s starting goalkeeper, Karen Bardsley wish fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It’s been a truly memorable year. The most exciting part of this year is the possibilities for next year. In the past few weeks we’ve been talking with a variety of businesses about enhancing their brand with our social media services. We already have some exciting things in store for 2012 and can’t wait to write the year in review at the end of next year, it’s bound to be packed with even more memorable moments.

Happy New Year!