What You Can Learn From The Top 25 Brands On Twitter

May 21, 2013
Rieva Lesonsky

Are you trying to build more user engagement for your small business on Twitter? Then you could learn a lot from a new study of how the top brands on Twitter interact with their followers. A Study of the Most Engaged Brands on Twitter,...

Now You Tweet Me, Now You Don’t

May 15, 2013
Brian Solis

You’ve heard it a million times. A happy customer tells a few people, but an unhappy customer tells…everyone. In the age of social media, those numbers, especially for those expressing discontent, are only escalating. In 2012, American Express...

The Accidental Narcissist And The Future Of Customer Engagement

May 1, 2013
Brian Solis

Have you ever noticed that your Facebook News Feed is the digital equivalent to “It’s a Wonderful Life?” Perhaps you’ve likened your Instagram stream to that of  “Lifestyles of the Digital Rich and Internet Famous.” In each network, and across multiple social streams, you’re fed a visual buffet of travel, food, fashion, and celebrations. In assemblage, they tell the story of life well lived, or at least a life well...

5 Tips On Finding Your Next Customer

April 30, 2013
Cheryl Burgess

According to a May 2012 survey by Constant Contact, over three-quarters of small businesses agree on their primary goal: attracting new customers. Unfortunately, a more troubling statistic shows that many small business owners are missing out on a vital opportunity....

The Boston Marathon: Connecting Through The Chaos

April 23, 2013
Elizabeth Hitchcock

The Boston Marathon. I was there to cheer on our friend “Kendra,” a many-time marathon runner and a strong performer in her age group.  Our group (serious fans armed with cameras, gifts and fun) had made signs: “Whine now, wine later,” “We Love You Kendra,” and more.  Of course, we also carried mobile devices to stay connected with each other and the event....

Building Your Brand With Google+

Mark Burgess

Now that Google+ has been around for a few years, the benefits have come into sharper focus.  Most notably, this rapidly-growing social network is proving to be a popular, integrated platform for small business.  The brilliance of Google+ lies in...

Stop Being A Social Media Sledge Hammer

April 22, 2013
Alan See

In 1977, I failed my initial swimming test during Plebe Summer at the United States Naval Academy.  During my remedial lessons with other sinkers I still remember my instructor yelling “Mr. See, you look like a sledge hammer going through butter!”  My technique needed some help...

4 Tips From Alexander Graham Bell For The Social CIO

April 18, 2013
Elizabeth Hitchcock

Six months ago, I walked into AT&T and was immediately propelled into a social business netherworld that I imagined would make AT&T’s iconic founder, Alexander Graham Bell, incredibly proud. Bell would see a firm – peopled by Twitter...

Getting Back To Marketing Basics

April 17, 2013
Brian Solis

Question: What is your #1 advice for social media strategists and managers? Answer: Stop talking about social media. Type “social media” into a Google search bar and you’ll find roughly about 4.7 billion results in .30 seconds. Next, try “social media conference.” You’ll see something along the lines of 1.2 billion results in .25 seconds. Social media is important but...

Mobile And Social Media Go Hand-in-Hand

April 12, 2013
Rieva Lesonsky

Customers are increasingly engaging with brands on mobile social media—and not necessarily for the reasons you might think, according to a study by mobile video advertising firm Rhythm NewMedia. While it’s often said that discounts and deals are the driving...

4 Reasons To Know Who’s Looking at You

April 8, 2013
Alan See

HaHa, made you look!  When my kids were little they would taunt me with that phrase.  It was intended as a playful insult because they tricked me into looking at something that didn’t...

Brands See Twitter As The Second Screen To TV…Or Is It The Other Way Around?

April 3, 2013
Brian Solis

Twitter and TV go together like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Or to use a more recent reference, Jay Z and Beyoncé. In many ways, Twitter is an organic digital counterpart to television programming, as today’s consumers will almost always have a second screen in hand while watching the first screen. Twitter,...

Why People Love Social Brands

April 2, 2013
Cheryl Burgess

One of the fascinating things about social branding is that it doesn’t matter what size business you are or what your marketing budget is.  What really matters is why people would want to purchase your brand.  If you start with the why, the personality you will create for your business will help build...

The DNA Of Good Content Marketing

March 26, 2013
Mark Burgess

A good story helps your audience to connect more deeply with your brand. Content marketing is generating a lot of buzz in 2013. Businesses of all sizes are engaged in finding ways to leverage this new approach to marketing. According to Gary Vaynerchuk, wine entrepreneur and social...

50 Marketing Leaders Over 50 You Should Know

March 25, 2013
Alan See

Let’s recognize that age has little to do with ability. You’re never too young or too old if you’ve got talent.  In the marketing world, Advertising Age and Direct Marketing News have their “40 under 40” lists. Forbes has their “30 under 30.” This blog post counterbalances with 50 who are over 50 because to my knowledge a list of this nature has never been published. Now, before I present my list let me provide some...

3 Tips To Turn Google+ Hangouts Into A Powerful Resource

March 18, 2013
Susan Solovic

True confession -- I’m a social media junkie.  Kred, an organization that measures social media influence, recently placed me in the top one percent of influencers on the Internet. I’m happy to see the majority of small businesses owners like me are enthusiastically embracing social media as a smart, cost-effective way to market their businesses....

11 Steps To Mastering The Art Of Human Networking

March 13, 2013
Mario Armstrong

Networking online, through social media channels, email, and LinkedIn, is something everyone I know does pretty well. After all, you can take all the time you like to compose your pitches and online networking comes without the stress and anxiety that often accompanies face-to-face interaction. But by no means should...

Have You Socialized Your Enterprise?

March 12, 2013
Elizabeth Hitchcock

Social business continues to transform nearly all industries, and velocity is the watch word of the day. Some say that this seismic shift will continue for nearly two decades. In addition to social future proofing the enterprise —for example optimizing security and the network, leveraging cloud and hosting solutions, and...

Show Me The Money, eCommerce!

March 11, 2013
Lisa Thomas

If your website is all about making money for your business, mostly through the transaction of goods and services, then by definition it is an eCommerce site.   As with any business, making money requires investment, and running a lucrative eCommerce site is no exception.  By investing and integrating these five money-making traits into your site, your business will be bound to bring in even more money in 2013: mobile, social, personal,...

Tune In With Twitter TV

March 6, 2013
Brian Solis

Have you ever watched TV while using a laptop, smart phone, or tablet? Wait, why am I asking? Of course you have. That’s what we all do now, right? So I guess the real question to ask is how often do you use Twitter vs. Facebook while watching TV? In many ways, Twitter is becoming a bona fide second-screen experience while watching television. And in...

Secrets To Social Branding Success For Small Businesses

March 5, 2013
Cheryl Burgess

Welcome to the social media conversation of 2013, where business and marketing communities have accepted the why of social media, and now they have begun asking the how. Everywhere we look, small businesses are ready to go social, but many of them are wondering where to begin. With so many social media options...