A tip o' the hat goes to the Five Hole Fanatics for pointing out that ur-hockey stats analyst Alan Ryder has posted his 2008 Year in Review piece over at Hockey Analytics. Looking to curl up with a little summer beach reading? This is it, folks. I'll be back tomorrow with a reaction to Ryder's latest & greatest, but in the meantime, head on over and take a look for yourself.
Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.