GROW News
April 28, 2010
Who Sold Online This Week?
These GROW Nebraska members sold items on the GROW Nebraska eBay and eCommerce stores this week.
State Capitol Thank You
GROW Nebraska put together a video highlighting the 2010 State Capitol event.
Thanks again to everyone who participated.
View Video >>
Web Evaluation
The goal of the GROW Nebraska web site critique is to provide members and non-members valuable feedback regarding their web site. Since $133.7 billion dollars was created in online sales in 2008*, an effective web site will increase sales of your product(s), as well as promote your business. The jury panel will consist of several web industry experts who have backgrounds in e-business strategy, graphic design, and usability testing. The jury will rate and comment on your web site in five areas: audience/purpose, graphics, navigation, content, and functionality.
*US Department of Commerce
Sign Up Now >>
Marketing Workshop in McCook
Twitter Tense? Facebook Frets? Utterli Uneasy? Social Media Stressing You Out? We Can Help!
GROW Nebraska has teamed up with the University of Nebraska Extension Specialists to help you reduce your anxiety in keeping up with the social media marketing craze.
Social media marketing is essential to increasing brand awareness and expanding your online business presence. However, if you don’t understand how it works, thinking about posting tweets, updating your Facebook page and incorporating your blog into the media mix seems overwhelming.
Not only will we teach you how to save time by being more efficient when using social media, but we are bringing the "Get Social Sessions" to you. Spots are filling quickly! Price is $10/person. If you have questions, call us at 888.GROW.NEB or e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please sign up
HERE.
- May 4 - McCook - 9am - 12pm
GROW Food Members: Important Network Meeting
GROW Food Members:
GROW Nebraska is going to host a network meeting for Nebraska food businesses. The purpose of the meeting to discuss marketing needs of businesses and how we can better work together. If possible, please bring something everyone can taste that contains your product so everyone can try your product – remember word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.
- When: Thursday, April 29
- Where: Conestoga Mall Grand Island Social Room
- Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Please respond by or before April 15 by
clicking here.
*Please note if you are unable to attend this network meeting, please plan to attend the GROW Nebraska Marke
Tech Conference on April 22. During the conference a network meeting is also going to be held for industry specific products.
Click here to sign up.
Google AdWords Pilot Project
GROW Nebraska is starting a pilot project for Google AdWords in conjunction with GROW Member eGrowth Marketing. This project will allow members to access Google AdWords for FREE. If you sign up, we will help to promote your product using our Google AdWords account to try and increase sales on our eCommerce site.
To participate, you must have your items on the GROW eCommerce site at
shopgrownebraska.org. To find out if your product is available on our site,
click here and to see if your business is listed. Please remember that to have items on our eCommerce site you must have them available in the Kearney retail location.
If you are interested, please
sign up today. If your items are not available on the eCommerce site, you will be required to submit photos and descriptions for your product. Members will be limited to 5 products each to open the opportunity up to as many members as possible. If you have any questions about this service, please e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
New Members
Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast - Nebraska City, NE
Whispering Pines B&B offers a unique lodging experience that includes a full gourmet breakfast. Facility rental for special events and other meal service is also available.
Learn more
here.
Inner Maker - Seward, NE
Rejuvenate yourself at this family’s comfortable bed-and-breakfast. Located in a New Colonial Style home near Concordia University (and only 20 minutes away from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln), this B&B features an antique stained-glass window from the original Catholic Church in Seward, a whirlpool bath and infrared sauna, biking and walking trails in a park behind the house, an outdoor patio, and a beautiful view. They provide a nutritious, home-cooked breakfast using organic, cage-free eggs; our specialty is quiche.
Learn more
here.
Member News
Thank you to Hunzeker Frameables and Free Smile Guy for participating in the Earth Day Green Fair at State Farm. There was a great turnout. David Staenberg and Marsha Hunzeker had a chance to network and share their lines with potential customers.
Congrats to Kara Parde of KD Designs for being featured on 10/11 News. You can watch the video
here.
GROW Members Katrina Frey of Heavenly Creations and Phil Stalnaker of JM Web Designs were recently featured on a NET Radio interview with GROW CEO Janell Anderson Ehrke. You can listen to the story
here.
Deb Brooks of From the Heart Creations is looking for people to donate for a benefit for Jennifer Andersen. She has gone missing in Omaha and they are trying to get some donations for gift baskets. Jennifer is the daughter and sister of the people who farm her parents ground near Edgar. They will be putting together made in Nebraska gift baskets among other gift baskets for a silent auction. They are also taking other donations besides the gift basket products. The date is not set but they are looking at May 15th from 1 to 4 in Omaha at this time it is set to be held at the Lift. If you have any questions or would like to donate, please let her know at
craftyladygma@yahoo.com.
Why Do I Need the Internet to Increase My Sales?
Join GROW members Nebraska Business Coaching and Sally Cohen of eGrowth Marketing for this workshop on May 4 in Columbus, NE. Conference fee is $25. Deadline for signup is April 30. For additional information please contact: Nebraska Business Coaching, Kelli Faltys at 402-910-2601
9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
9:15 - 10:30 a.m. Social Marketing
— What is social marketing?
— Why is it vital to your business and your bottom line?
— Examples of social marketing getting results.
— What is Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin?
10:30 - 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.: How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Social Marketing
— Explore the features of Twitter, Facebook and other applications and their value to your business.
— How do you link social marketing tools into your existing marketing strategy?
— Questions and answers
Session II
Noon - 1 p.m.: Networking lunch (at your expense)
Session III
1 - 2 p.m.: Hands-on Application with Sally Cohen & Dennis Kah
Discussion continues with hands-on application focusing on your specific business needs.
2 - 4 p.m.:
Business Social Networking
As Social Media changes, we must adapt quickly, so come to this workshop and get your hands on the keyboard and develop a Facebook or Twitter account. Observe first-hand how to create Twitter ‘convos’ and why businesses should examine how direct marketing with social media such as Facebook and YouTube can expand your network and potential client base by leading them to your business. If you would like to prepare in advance, create a Twitter account for your business or personally and be ready for a ‘convo’!
WikiCity Appears at I2E Club on May 11, 2010
Founded by Pat Lazure and launched last summer, WikiCity Guides an Internet based wiki site that has since become the largest wiki in the world (13 million pages). Lazure will present WikiCity’s story and applications to businesses and communities at the May 11th I2E Club meeting.
A wiki is a website that allows for easy creation and editing by users in collaborative websites such as Wikipedia. Communities can build their presence on WikiCity, defining each not just as a dot on a map or a collection of statistics, but as a chorus of raucous, opinionated people falling in love with their hometown all over again.
“WikiCity Guides was developed with the premise that everybody knows a little something about something… It cultivates a free, collaborative resource for anyone to share their knowledge of [their hometown]. Available for over 22,000 U.S. towns, the site is a collection of hyperlocal facts, figures, businesses, and opinions that will continue to grow in size and usefulness with each edit,” says Lazure. WikiCity Guides provides users with a unique opportunity to contribute in a way that suits them best. Communities can promote their favorite local businesses, share opinions, recap the big game, or chronicle historical landmarks and traditions.
The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a networking social being sponsored by the UNL Kimmel Education & Research Center. At 6:00, Lazure will appear via the Internet to give an inspirational talk on his endeavor and experiences. After Lazure’s presentation, participants will have the opportunity talk about their businesses and areas in which they need assistance.
I2E Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at the UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center, 5985 G Road, Nebraska City, NE. The Club is a collaborative effort of the Southeast Nebraska Partners for Progress and has been made possible by funding from a Building Entrepreneurial Communities Act (BECA) grant. Everyone is welcome. There is a $10 per session fee or participants may choose to join the club and pay a small annual membership fee.
For more information about the I2E Club or any of its programming, contact Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild at the UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center at 402-873-3166 or
creimers2@unl.edu. You can also learn more about I2E, including access to past video presentations and meeting materials, online by visiting
i2eclub.org. Become a fan of I2E on Facebook! Log into Facebook and simply search I2E Club.
