YP.com publishes a great Local Insights digital report each quarter that is full of valuable stats on how consumers are searching for small businesses across the YP.com network. The report is focused on identifying emerging trends in local advertising by analyzing YP.com's vast search database.

The quarterly report highlights the performance of the YP.com ad network, top search categories, top growth categories, local search by U.S. geography and detailed search data for featured...

There is no more enduring or powerful source of new business than referral. Let me say it again. As a business you simply cannot have a more motivated prospect arrive at your doorstep than someone sent there by a raving fan. Business people know this, but it’s surprising how inconsistently they act in deliberate ways to nurture and develop referrals. I’ll get to the basic things all businesses should do to promote referrals in a bit. With all this talk about reviews though, it probably makes...

It has become popular to refer to the Yellow Pages as a relic of the past, but do you know the facts? In this three part series we’ll de-bunk three commons myths about the Yellow Pages.

Myth #1 – Consumers Only Use the Internet to Find Local Businesses

Times have certainly changed since the first Yellow Pages directory was printed in the late 1800s. For many years phone books were the only available source for finding local business information. In the last decade the search engines, social...

It has been a busy year at Berry as we focused on becoming a one-stop provider of digital advertising solutions. Our Berry Blog launched this year as a means to share our knowledge on small business marketing. In case you missed them, here are our top posts of 2012.

1. The Power of Pinterest Part I: Have You Gotten Hooked Yet? and The Power of Pinterest Part II: Drive Leads to Your Business

Pinterest has exploded this year and the interest in it is evident by the views of our blog posts. Did you...

“The purpose of business is to create a customer.” – Peter Drucker 

We are excited to unveil our website at TheBerryCompany.com. The new site has not only been given a fresh look, but has added content and functionality to show you the advertising solutions we offer to help your small business grow and succeed. Here’s an overview of what you can now expect when you visit our website.

1. More information on our advertising solutions and expanded digital marketing options

Berry offers a suite of digital advertising solutions to help small businesses connect with...

We are excited to be part of an effort that the Local Search Association (LSA) launched last week called Local Pays Off that encourages consumers to buy locally. As a partner with thousands of small businesses, Berry is a strong supporter of the local shopping movement. The advertising solutions that we offer, including websites, online video, SEO, YP.com and yellow pages are all designed to help connect consumers with local businesses.

As part of Local Pays Off, LSA has outlined some...

Search Engine Marketing - everyone's doing it, but are they doing it right? 

There are many things to consider when placing your website and advertising on the World Wide Web, but the five big things to pay attention to are "The 5 C's".

1. Content

The content of your search campaign is crucial to your business's success. Do not just create fluff on your website hoping any poor sap with read it. Inserting key terms where you think they might come in handy or not creating a "need" will only work...

About six months ago, I was searching online for a flooring company to refinish my hardwood floors. I did the customary Google search and up popped a video describing the refinishing process by someone who appeared to be very knowledgeable as well as professional. I quickly called and scheduled an estimate with this local small business and eventually chose them to do the work. I didn’t know if they were the best choice, but his video was enough to convince me to give them a call.

In the...

In today's cyber world, small businesses need a website - that is a given. But a website isn't enough - you also need viable sources to drive traffic to your website or it is like building a house in the middle of a cornfield without a road to reach it.  

Online directories are a great way to drive traffic to your website and ensure that consumers can find you. With over 38 billion annual searches and 76 million monthly visitors, YP.com is ranked the 34th most used Internet site. There are many...

Word of mouth has always been an important means for small businesses to gain new customers. Good word of mouth can bring in referrals and new business while negative word of mouth can damage your reputation.

Traditional word of mouth has gone digital based on a recent study which found that 72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Social media has given all consumers the ability to easily share feedback about businesses with their friends and family. This is why...

About two years ago I recall standing in front of our sales division for the first time after joining Berry. I was asked to share my vision of what digital marketing might look like in the short term future.  The three things I shared that day in no particular order were: