Google’s new +1 button has already started surfacing on the internet. Even though it is appearing well ahead of schedule, it’s hard to believe it is just being integrated into search now. Similar to Facebook’s Like button (which started popping up on the web 1 year ago), a user with a Google profile can +1 a website in the organic listings as well as +1 advertisements in the pay per click sections. Digg came out with a similar and very successful concept years ago, where the most dugg articles would rise to the top, only they took it one step further and allowed users to bury articles they didn’t find useful. Whether you like it or not, Google is moving into the social realm and has slowly been incorporating features such as real time tweets and social group buying sites that will rival Groupon. The internet marketing industry is moving at a fast pace with no signs of slowing down thanks to Google and their constant changes to their algorithms and increased functionality. To be find out exactly when Google’s new +1 button will officially go live and be available in webmaster tools, click here. Hopefully this feature is more than just their yearly April fools joke!*Update – Helvetica...

Scan with your smart phone QR codes have been around for more than 10 years and are widely used in countries such as Japan. These codes are just now starting to make their way into the North American market. What is a QR Code? A QR Code, also known as a two-dimensional bar code consists of black and white modules in a square pattern. These barcodes are unique because they are readable by smart phones and are capable of storing encoded information such as text, contact information, URL’s and data. More and more smart phones are incorporating QR code readers into their operating systems. Google’s mobile Android system and Nokia’s Symbian system are equipped with QR code readers and while Apple’s iOS does not include a pre-loaded reader, there are over 50 free Apps available to choose from. Some Interesting Facts: QR codes were first created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994 for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing The QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional bar codes QR stands for Quick Response as it allows for stored content to be decoded at high speeds QR Codes for Marketing QR codes are becoming more and more popular in commercial applications targeting smart phone users, this is known as mobile tagging. It is now possible to embed vCard contacts, compose an email or text message and direct people to a URL. QR codes storing URL’s have been popping up in magazines, guerilla marketing campaigns, billboard signs, product packaging and on business cards. These campaigns are proving to be very successful because of their ability to generate intrigue and curiosity. This can be achieved by allowing certain demographics access to exclusive information or the opportunity to win prizes. Some Notable Marketing Campaigns In January 2011, the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum launched a clothing line featuring a QR code on the right back shoulder directing people to the museum’s web site or artist interviews LBP.me has created a QR code for all user generated levels in LittleBigPlanet 2 for the PlayStation. If you print that QR code and hold it in front of the PlayStation 3’s camera while the game is running,...

Collabo is proud to announce it is a Hubspot partner! Hubspot is not only a great software tool to help manage inbound marketing campaigns for businesses (SEO, SEM, SMM), but it is also a very good resource for online marketing beginners and business owners alike. Founded by MIT graduates and located in Cambridge, MA, this 5 year old startup company has recently come across some well deserved good fortune. Hubspot has recently received $32 Million dollars of investment money from Google Ventures, Salesforce.com and Sequoia. Hubspot gained popularity due to it’s widely used free website analysis tool WebsiteGrader.com that has over 3 million users. Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot is recognized in Wikipedia as the one who first coined the term inbound marketing. It’s no wonder Hubspot has over 4,000 current customers and growing. At the starting price of $3,000 per year for small businesses and $18,000 for large corporations there is a package for each level, which if utilized properly, will definitely pay itself off over and over again. Free 30 Day Trial or 20% Off Your Hubspot Software Contact Collabo...

Google Adwords is quickly becoming the swiss army knife for online marketing specialists (and now offline!). For those of you that aren’t familiar with Google Adwords, it is the advertising platform that makes Google all of their money! With an Adwords account you can create online ads that appear on the Google search engine results page (SERP) or on millions of affiliate web pages that use Google Ads to generate an income. Adwords gives you complete control of your Pay Per Click Campaign, allowing you to set your budget, schedule when and where you want your ads to display and fully track your ads performance. For those of you familiar with Google Adwords, you may want to take a closer look as new features just keep on popping up. Long gone are the days of simply entering a little ad copy and running the campaign. Now, you have access to keyword research tools, trending information, you can advertise on mobile devices, insert geo location and phone numbers (complete with tracking) and you can even advertise on TV! Cheap Advertising on TV with Google Google has outdone themselves with this one. You no longer have to be a big PR firm and have all the connections with the broadcasters. For as little as $20 for a tv advertising spot, anyone with a little video editing skills can showcase their talent, business or products. It hasn’t made it’s way to Canada yet, but at the pace Google is setting, it won’t be long. For more information visit Google TV Ads. Watch out communication firms, Collabo will soon be helping businesses grow online AND offline! Phone Call Tracking For Online Advertising Business owners like to see the stats. Knowing your return on investment is essential, but being able to drill down and analyze conversions is crucial to improving your profits. Google Adwords now allows you to add phone numbers to your ad campaigns and actually track the number of calls each keyword receives and the duration of these calls. They call this Adwords extension Call Metrics and it is a free and easy method of phone call tracking. Of course you could do this manually by getting...

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