Get in line at your local Apple store, because the awesome new iPad will be available for purchase starting this Saturday! You can also enter my contest to win a FREE one, by going to My iPad Contest.

That bridges over nicely to something I mentioned in a recent live show. Traditional desktop searching is changing rapidly. The way people are consuming the internet is changing. And as a business owner, it’s vital that you stay on top of these changes so that you’re not left in the dust. Mobile marketing is not just the future of marketing, it’s the NOW of marketing.

More and more people own mobile devices and use them for a majority of their internet searches. People search for the places they need to find while they’re out and about, from their iPhone or Android or Blackberry. And now the iPad will be the next mobile device, and along with it is coming Microsoft’s “Digital Journal” and HP’s version of the same.

The days of looking up things in the Yellow Pages are long over. And now even looking up things from your home computer are soon to be a thing of the past. It’s time to start marketing your business to the mobileverse. Think 4square. Think Yelp. Think Admob. Think local. For more information on this subject, watch the clip below. And make sure and stop by my live show at BusinessInnerCircle.com on Tuesday nights for training on local marketing and advertising.

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Training Videos

If you remember way back in December (for internet technology that actually IS way back), Google was trying to acquire Yelp.  That was HUGE news.  Not only that, but Google got turned DOWN by Yelp.   A Google representative was quoted saying THEY are the ones who turned down Yelp…which, aside from being a tactic I used in third grade, also makes NO sense.  Google buys EVERYTHING which makes sense to buy.  They would NEVER say no to Yelp, in my opinion.  Anyway, there’s some context for you.

Without further delay, here are a couple member questions answered on the subject of Local Marketing from that week…

1. How do you optimize your site for Local?

2. How local is too local?

Find out the answers in the clip below.

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Live Questions

I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it many more times: Local, mobile and social are the future of advertising and marketing.

What does this mean? People search for local businesses all the time. Where’s a good thai restaurant nearby? Where’s the closest place to get my oil changed? These searches are being done at home, on laptops in coffee shops, from people’s iPhones. And as a business owner it’s important that you know what’s happening and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.

Two companies in particular are seriously nailing this strategy: Yelp and Foursquare.

Yelp is a social networking site for reviews. You can do searches for local businesses, then see reviews that other members have posted for that business. And you can also post your own reviews. Restaurants with great Yelp reviews even get stickers like the Zagat ones to put on their front doors. It definitely means something to be highly reviewed by members of Yelp. Then came the Yelp iPhone app, so you can read and write reviews while you’re AT the business! And they didn’t stop there…

Foursquare is sort of derived from a couple different social networks for events: Upcoming.org, Meetup.com, etc. But originally specifically for iPhones. They’ve made a ton of updates and made the app available for other smartphones and the app is more fun and awesome than ever.

How does all of this relate to you as a business owner? Watch the clip and find out!

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Training Videos

1. Should I focus on Yelp and Foursquare for local marketing?
2. What kind of smartphone should I get for mobile marketing?
3. Will Flash be a thing of the past since mobile phones can’t handle it?

Watch the clip to find out the answers. And remember, if you have questions about online marketing that you want answers, stop by my online show at BusinessInnerCircle.com on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm PST and get them answered.

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Live Questions

Stop by early & say hi:

http://www.billmcintosh.tv/live

If you are a member of my Business Inner Circle, you should go to:

http://www.businessinnercircle.com/forum/forum/addonchat.php
(If you’re not a member yet, just click the link & sign up… it only takes a minute)

I look forward to seeing you there!

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Mobile Advertising & Marketing

Think about it, when you’re looking for restaurants, doctors, car repair shops or any of thousands of businesses you’ll need to actually visit, what do YOU put in the search field? Chances are you enter your own town into the search so that you don’t just get a list of places all over the world, right? Right. As a business owner, it’s vital that your company is represented online so that it actually shows up in these searches.

Businesses have been using the internet for international, national and local online marketing for many years now. But there are still a lot of local businesses that don’t use it, despite that nearly 80% of this country is connected to the internet daily. The internet is happening now and it’s the future of marketing and advertising…specifically LOCAL marketing.

There are sites that review businesses as well. Yelp is one of the most popular social networking websites on the internet. Consumers go there to find out about local businesses, where they are located and how they are reviewed by the other members of the site. And members post their own reviews after visiting local businesses. People make decisions based on Yelp results. Last July, Yelp had 8.6 million new visitors, which was an increase of about 80% over the previous year. So if you have any doubts as to whether local online marketing is just a fly-by-night gig, you need to dispel them.

The internet is here to stay. And local online marketing of your business is more important than ever. Make this the year you give your company a real online presence in your local area. And watch the results.

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Local