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Buzzhound Learning Lab trains business owners, marketers and web professionals to effectively utilize organic search engine optimization and paid search to grow business through a hands-on teaching approach in an interactive lab.

With a student teacher ratio of 5:1, classes teach the everyday business owner to increase site traffic, increase ranking in search engines and ultimately create conversion by the proper use of keywords, site submissions, link building and more. 

Classes begin January 15th at their St. Louis office at 7303 Marietta, Ave. Visit their site at www.BuzzHoundLearningLab.com to register.

Make sure to check out Buzzhound's latest Blog post: 

TOP TEN QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR WEBSITE IN 2010

Y: A Generation of Opportunity -  A Financial Services White Paper dives into the Generation Y Market, exploring their purchasing and online habits and offering strategies for credit unions to capatlize on the target's activity.

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Google's Android Platform, regardless of who manufactures it, already
trumps iPhone in distribution in the US. Google will continue to push
smart phone advancements. If it doesn't, it will be extinct in a few
short years, here's why;

Smart phones will outnumber computers in the US in the first half of
2010. A Deloitte survey just released found – 39% of 18 to 29 year-olds
planned to use smart phones for holiday shopping in the US and the
number is only going to expand at an accelerated rate as a record
number of smart phones are being purchased right now.

GPS and Blue tooth proximity based messaging with augmented overlays on
video enhanced cameras, combined with snap tag information, real time
on-line comparison shopping and instant coupons connect the web with
packaging, point of purchase, store shops and even routes to the store,
all in real time one-one-one communication.

Consumer consumption for all things web has been running at 3-4 years
ahead of marketers' spend, simply because marketers haven't been
sophisticated enough to catch up. This chasm has made marketing spend
on the web value priced. Now the mobile web is coming on board at a 3G
pace, and consumption is already well ahead of anything anticipated.

Significantly faster 4G is just beginning to come on and the lightening
speed of 700 Mhz, the old TV spectrum, was slated for now, however, the
new administration doesn't think it is appropriate to simply unleash it
on the open market, because it's too advanced.

The US Federal Government auction for the 700 Mhz spectrum took place
in 2008 with the top bidders being AT&T, Verizon, Craig McCaw's
consortium that included Sprint and T-Mobile, Cablevision regionally,
and Google.

Google asked and was granted that if any bid for spectrum came in over
$4B, then the access provider for the spectrum could be switched at a
moments notice on any device (open platform) for the best price. This
would make carrier exclusive phones, even the iPhone, and cable set top
boxes, a thing of the past.

This scenario would create an environment where app bots continuously
shop for the lowest access cost for spectrum and immediately switch to
the best provider, similar to roaming on a cell phone.

A scenario like this will lead to price compression in exchange for
locked-in connectivity that guarantees sizable audiences for
advertisers. Equipment will become a commodity that is driven by open
source developers. Sitting atop this food chain?, Google and few other
developers/search giants/ad networks.

That's why every marketer needs a mobile strategy right now. The $1B
anticipated in mobile media spend in 2010, should be 3-4x that.
Additionally, the majority of spend in the space should not be media.
It should be on the development of content and interaction with
customers. Very soon mobile will be the primary way consumers access
and interact with the web.

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Trust us, we know we’re hard to shop for. Our style can be considered off beat (we prefer trend setting and cutting edge, but call it what you will). And we’re nothing if not picky. 

So because we know it’s tough to keep up with whether we’re into Chuck Norris, ninjas or pirates this month, we’ve put together a no-fail list of gift ideas. (Santa, listen up, big man.)

10. Office Supplies (but our way, of course)

• Album Cover Sketchbook  
• Ceramic Notepad
• Apple's Magic Mouse
• Casette Tape Measure
• Pantone Coffee Mug (uh, yes – coffee is totally an office supply)

9. Modular Shelving
We've got a lot of stuff (read: toys) around our desks, but we get bored easily. So these let us reconfigure our space as often as we want.

8. Fanny Pack Hat
Hip sack OUT, Cap Sac IN. No further explanation available.

7. The Beautiful Losers DVD
We may even let you watch it with us.

6. A Turntable
And after you get us one, it wouldn't hurt to throw in some vinyl… You can't fail with any of these albums:

• Merriweather Post Pavillon – Animal Collective
• Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix
• Manners – Passion Pit
• See Mystery Lights – Yacht
• XX – The xx
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
• Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
• Logos – Atlas Sound

5. A Camera Level
It's ingenious, and we need it.

4. A 'Stache
Really, who doesn't want one of these or one of these. Pretty please?

3. Some Cool Shades
Take your pick.

2. An iPod Boombox
No, not just a ho-hum dock and speakers, we need a retro-way to share our tunes with the rest of the Embassy.

1. Clothes
Psyche! No, you don’t have to try and pick something out. Try a gift certificate, to a place like Threadless or even a sewing machine so we can craft totally unique pieces.

Happy wrapping! And warm wishes for a great holiday season.

Innovation is essential for CPG companies to bring forth more value and to hold their market share at retail.

Retail private labels have been gulping up turf that won't easily be given back.

Two advantages CPG's have over retail brands are innovation and branded voice.

Retail brands tend to lag and follow on innovation and rely on existing
customer traffic and store fliers for their media vs. proactive media.

These two differences are beginning to change as retailers are getting
savvier in marketing their private labels. These two intrinsic values
are how CPG branded products differentiate themselves for consumers and
retailers vs. private labels.

So, what are CPGers waiting for?
Slashing innovation and share of voice are only going to make their best customers more and more their best competitors.

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A good summary and I'm looking forward to a nice follow on measurement
of investment vs. results and comparison of those who were heavy into
social media vs. those that weren't.

This time next year, an article just like this will be discussing the
importance of mobile at retail during the holiday season, as smart
phones outnumber computers and bring not only social media in the
store, but also GPS and Bluetooth proximity identification that will
trigger sales messages and augmented reality overlays that empower
shoppers to better navigate and comparative shop stores in the physical
presence.

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