Small Business Trends

If you want to market or network like a master for your small business today, you must be proficient at social media. There are few other options giving you the impact and effectiveness at such a low cost. Here are some important points to consider.

Social Media Basics

Social media and productivity. While many small business owners seem worried about the impact of so-called time-wasting social media when used by their staff in the workplace, the fact is that, like any other tool, when used correctly, social media can also boost productivity. Entrepreneurs can use this increased productivity to their own benefit. Consider the following points. B2C Marketing Insider

Adding a blog to your Website. One of the simplest ways to add social media to your online marketing efforts his to add a blog to your Website. Blogs are effective for both search engine marketing and social media marketing for many different reasons. But these three simple and possibly most important reasons are why you should add a blog to your Website today. ReviewZ ‘n’ Tips

What search phrases should inspire your next blog post? Developing interesting topics for regular blog posts will be an important part of your social media marketing campaign. But you can add great topics for possible future articles by doing more than just brainstorming. Lynn Terry suggests some simple search phrases you can research to discover what topics are hottest out there and what kind of content is likely to draw the best response from potential readers. ClickNewz

Community & Influence

Harvesting feedback in your social media. Though this particular post is about getting more comments on your blog, encouraging comments and interaction in any social media format is critical to building community and growing the audience for your brand. The important takeaway? Interaction is key. Though specifics may vary from platform to platform the key remains engagement. CIK Marketing

Building “massive” online influence with social media. You may have heard of online influence but what is it and how do you get it? Online influence goes beyond promoting your small business with a Facebook or Twitter account. It is about creating a community of followers who trust and are influenced by what you say. ?David Siteman Garland interviews Shama Kabani about this elusive quality and how to use social media to obtain it. The Rise To The Top

When negative comments are a good thing. We’ve all been there. You’ve sweated blood over what you believe is a well thought out post or worked hard at your product or service to make it the best only to have someone leave a negative comment on your bog or other social media. Now what do you do? As tempting as it may be to delete the offensive remark, Lisa Barone believes instead this can be your opportunity to shine. Outspoken Media

Upgrades & Updates

Not getting what you need from social media? Maybe it’s time to adopt a better strategy for using them to improve your business. Lacking a specific approach with well-defined goals when using social media is just like lacking a specific approach with well-defined goals in any other business endeavor. There is a better way. ere.net

Welcome to the brand new Twitter. A look at this important social media platform for small businesses shows an even more valuable tool. What are the features and updates on this exciting new upgrade and how will they help you in your online marketing efforts. Karriann Graf

What’s next?

Why mobile media remains important for bricks and mortar. It’s hard to remember, in the midst of an online media explosion, how much retail still takes place in the offline world. If you believe no social media marketing can effectively reach this group of offline customers, you’d be wrong. The key to engaging them is in their pocket right now! The Lunch Pail

Other applications for social media marketing. Outside existing offline products is a whole new frontier of online products equally marketable via social media. Check out this fascinating effort to market ebook fiction including a unique and potentially viral online video trailer intended to increase interest in the book. To what degree might this be the way the publishing industry eventually markets much of its content in the future? V3