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While you may be eager to grow your fan base on Facebook and Twitter, promise us you'll follow this golden rule. DON'T buy yourself fans and followers! Trust us, it's much better to have a smaller fan base of loyal customers than a large group of people who could care less about your brand and who won't pay attention to what you have to say. When measuring success on social media, many people immediately think to look at number of Likes or Followers.  But the true measure of a successful social media presence is engagement and reach. How many people are you reaching with your social content, are people finding the information valuable, and are they engaging with it? This article from socialmediatoday.com gives us three main reasons why you shouldn't buy fans. 1. Numbers aren't everything: Most of the followers that you can purchase are...

Searching for content on Twitter just became much more efficient. Twitter's 'simpler search' has improved users' search experience and its full realm of features will be available to users over the next few weeks. While some of the features may seem long overdue, including autocompletion and spelling correction, other features like "Results From People You Follow" may help boaden your Twitter arsenal. 1. Search Autocomplete: We're not sure why Twitter hasn't always had this feature. This will certainly speed up the search process. 2. Spelling Corrections: While you didn't have to be a spelling bee champion to find what you were looking for, now Twitter is offering to lend a helping hand by offering suggestions for misspelled words rather than just a blank page. 3. Related Suggestions: Now Twitter does some of the thinking for you.  When you search a term, it will...

In a recent study for Mashable, webcam eye-tracking company  EyeTrackShop studied the viewing habits of Facebook users for brands’ new Timelines as opposed to their original pages.  The study took 30 participants and tracked their eye movements in 10-second intervals from Good Morning America, Pepsi, The Dallas Cowboys, and “The Muppets”.  In this revealing study, the most marked change was the focal point of the page gravitating from the Facebook wall to the cover photo.  Viewers always looked at the cover photo first, which makes sense because it is the most prominent feature of the timeline.  On average, the participants also spent the most time looking at the cover photo.  Other interesting findings of the study were: Ads on Facebook Timeline are less visible than ads on Facebook Brand Pages. Viewers see Timeline content last. Information that was previously invisible (Likes, events, and apps) is now a focal point. Cover photos with faces attract...

LinkedIn has changed the way people communicate for business affairs. Since its birth in 2003, LinkedIn has grown to over 150 million users with over 57 million in the US alone. As of February 2012, approximately 2 new users join every second. Despite its potential for online networking, many companies and business professionals have yet to utilize its full potential. LinkedIn is the perfect networking tool for developing business leads, and nearly every profession should be taking advantage of its capabilities. The single biggest mistake among LinkedIn users is the belief that LinkedIn is only an online resume poster board and a contact book. It’s not. Like any other networking tool, the amount of business you generate depends on the amount of time you put in. Just like showing up to a networking event and standing quietly in the corner won’t...

A report by Buddy Media shows that many brands are not maximizing their engagement on Twitter.  Many brands are not taking full advantage of the optimal times and ways to tweet.  While this report was done with big brands, many of the lessons can be applied to small businesses as well. Here's what the report found...

Today's article from Street Fight Magazine provides us with 7 stellar strategies for small businesses who want to jump on the social media bandwagon. These tips will help you get the most out of your social media presence. Here are a few of our favorites from the list: "Use the right platforms"- This article suggest that not only should you strategically decide which platforms to use, but also the right way to use them. For example, posting pictures works best on Facebook or Tumblr, and not as well on Twitter.  Check out our recent blog post, "Which Social Media Platform is Right For Your Business" for more tips on choosing your platforms.  Not everyone needs to be on Pinterest or Instagram, for instance.  It depends on who your audience is and what story you're trying to tell. "Treat social media as a...

There are dozens of tools out there to help make your social media management well, manageable. Social Media Management Software, or SMMS, allows you to consolidate your posting, scheduling, and analytics all into one space and across many different channels.  However, with so many competing sites including Hootsuite, SproutSocial, and Crowdbooster to name a few, it can be  difficult to decide which one is right for you.  This article, "A Buyer's Guide to Social Media Management Software" provides a checklist for what your SMMS should have. Here are a few highlights: Easy to navigate user interface Robust analytics dashboard Reliability Mobile platform   These platforms can take the pain out of trying to manage multiple channels at once and can save you a lot of time.  And if you want to start watching your online audience grow before your eyes, the analytics features of SMMS are an awesome...

Wondering how to get more likes and comments out of your Facebook posts? This article from Mashable offers tips and tricks on the best types of posts to ensure maximum engagement from your fans, as well as an insightful infographic. Types of posts: Photos will typically generate the most likes, comments, and shares, much more so than text, videos, or links. While links can provide your fans with helpful information, creative content in the form of pictures is the best way to create a personality for your brand, one that fans will be eager to connect with. Time of day: Posts published at the end of the day tend to receive the most engagement. Posts also tend to peak on the weekends and taper off as the week progresses. If you don't want to use social media for work during the weekends, you can...

There is no decisive formula for a stellar social media strategy.  Every business has a different audience, different resources, and a different story to tell.  While it's safe to say that almost everyone should be on Facebook and Twitter, not every social media platform is right for every business.  Google+ is one of those platforms that may be good for some but not worth the time for others.  Today's article from customerthink.com lays out some food for thought regarding Google+ and whether or not it's right for your small business. The article mentions a few pros and cons of Google+. One benefit is that it's a great way for your business to get discovered. Since Google is the king of search engines, listing your business on it's Google+ Local Pages will increase your chances of being found.  Another pro of Google+...

Today's article from Crain's New York Business offers insight on the dilemma that many small businesses face regarding dedicating time and money to social media. At times it may be hard to see the fruits of your labor.  But it's important to understand that the way small businesses approach social media compared to large corporations is very different. First of all, small businesses should avoid thinking of social media as a tool for advertising but as a forum for interacting with and forming relationships with current and future customers through intriguing content.  Avoid posting purely promotional content. Information is much more valuable than a promotion because it builds loyalty around your brand and will bring your customers back to your site again and again. Take this article's advice: "One of our clients was mystified because his firm had 90,000 “likes” on Facebook but,...