Using Social Media to build relationships

"A lot of people style themselves as social media experts, but social media hasn't really been around long enough to have too many experts," says John Andrews, founder of Collective Bias, a shopper media agency based in Bentonville, Ark. "Ted Rubin," Andrews says, "is one of the few people I actually consider an expert in social media."  Rubin was in town recently from New York, and shared his expertise with a group of members from the Bentonville/ Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. The workshop was a popular topic: How to win customers with social media. Read More >

Can your social media drive sales?

According to a recently released report social media rarely leads directly to purchases online. The report, a collaboration between Forrester Research and GSI Commerce, showed that during last season's holiday shopping season, less than 2% of orders were the result of shoppers coming from a social network. Read More >

 Who are you talking to?

The advance of social media has many of us scrambling to teach an old(er) dog new tricks. We're thinking that Tweeting and Liking in 140 characters or less -- in tweet-speak-- is the only wave of customer service and marketing. But whoa, big fella. The tried and true adage of marketing insists you talk directly to and in the language of the party to whom you are speaking -- as Ernestine was so fond of saying. If you know the character of Lily Tomlin's telephone company, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, well, then you are indeed the party we address. The average Boomer is now 54. Read More >

How Local Icons use Social Media
With so many people now on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media, how can you, as a business owner, rise above the clamor and connect with your customers and employees? Read More >

If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur or freelance guru you might want to consider which Social Media components you are going to add to your marketing plan for the coming year. The great thing about Social Media is that it is FREE. The worst part is that it all takes time and often we don’t have much of that to spare. It’s smart business to be savvy about online developments, and with a little effort you can see great rewards. Read More >

Using Social Media to best your competition

Keeping an eye on your competitors is smart business. You can't really stalk them, of course, but following their social networking activity is a safe and informative way to stay in the know. Here are 7 tips for watching byTwitter-light. Read More >

Maximizing Social Media

To ensure your business is thriving (not just surviving), your marketing must be aggressively at work even when you are not.  Rest assured your customers and potential customers have strong opinions about services and products, and you can participate in the conversation or allow it to carry on without you. If you’re ready to meet your customers on their turf, you’re ready to embrace social media.  Here’s your action plan. Read more >

So, you are sold on using social media to maximize exposure for your business, thanks to all the hype. Now, it’s time to tackle a few of the most basic tools available to you. Let’s start with Twitter. Read More >

Boosting your Business Influence with LinkedIn