This post was originally published by Retail Minded's Founder and Editorial Director, Nicole Leinbach Reyhle

Small business owners have known that consumers' main source of discovery has been the internet ever since Google first became a verb. I know what you're thinking, "You mean to tell me the word Google hasn't always been a part of the English language?" I know. Hard to believe. What's easy to believe is that potential customers are searching for a business like yours daily, and it is up to you to stick out among the crowded search results.

An easy way to online is through social search engine optimization. It may sound scary at first…

One major challenge that all marketers have is ensuring their email gets to the recipient's inbox instead of the spam folder. We're here to help you reach more inboxes!

First, let's start by explaining how the spam filter works. There is not one single factor that is going to put your email into spam. Not all spam filters are alike, but most spam filters work by a points system. If a component of your email is "spammy", it gets assigned a point. The more points the email receives, the more likely it is to go to spam. When creating an email, keep these points below in mind. These are general rules that will help no matter how your customers' spam filters works. Follow …

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a marketing campaign promoting an upcoming event when you realize your results are nowhere near your target goal? You have built a marketing campaign and shared it with your social media community. You think you've done your best to reel in customers by posting the same message on your social media networks, but they just aren't taking the bait. What's the next step?

The key is to change it up! Don't think you've covered your bases by duplicating the message you sent through email for Facebook and Twitter. Your email holds a lot of information and should highlight every detail of your event. By sharing only your email on y…

If you're hosting an in-store event, it's not enough to promote it solely through email. To attract the most customers and thus maximize profit, it's crucial to promote your event through a variety of channels. SnapRetail makes it easy to create a comprehensive marketing campaign with our cross-channel functionality.

Step 1: Create and send event email

The first step in designing a marketing campaign is to create an email. Choose one of SnapRetail's ready-made templates or create your own from scratch. Prominently display the basic event information, such as date, time and location, within your email. If your event is going to include special festivities, such as…

So you're back for more online customer appreciation tips to get your social following buzzin' about your biz. If you've implemented the tips from then you've learned how valuable positive word-of-mouth marketing can be for your store. Now it's time to incorporate online listings and Pinterest into your social media strategy.

Part two of will deepen your understanding of the power of online conversation around your brand. And if that's not enough to help you grow a loyal following, we're offering a free download of our Top 10 Customer Appreciation Tips. Before you …