As social media continues to evolve so do those who participate, and how they respond is changing, too. Responding to social media criticism is difficult at best – creating a short, punchy response can make you look too aggressive, while a reasoned response is often lost on someone out for blood. The process of analyzing feedback has become more important to major organizations, so much so that the

There are hundreds of case studies highlighting social media’s strength as a traffic generating platform. There are hundreds more touting its ability to increase participation and inspire users to complete specific actions. What the industry is missing is a case study on one of the most important success metrics out there: its value for sales-driven businesses.

Unlike other forms of online marketing, social media marketing has no stone-set right and wrong behaviors; no cost-per-user statistics, and there is, by no means, a code of conduct or behavioral plan that must be adhered to. While pay-per-click advertisers and SEO experts are inundated with information on what is and is not effective, social media marketers are left without dedicated and accurate information.

The 1980s are remembered for their developments in business and technology, particularly computing. The 1990s for their advances in technology, particularly the growth of the internet and online business opportunities. If the 2000s are to be remembered for anything (although it may still be too early to tell), it will be their developments in communications and online communities, particularly the incredible power of social media.

In recent years, having an Internet presence for your business meant putting up a website. While still an important feature for promoting your business, a website is no longer enough. Web 2.0, or the social web, is an essential feature of a successful marketing plan to reach your clientele.

Blog forums are a great place to start generating free traffic for your blog. Because of the obvious shared interest in the topic, blog forums create new interest and grow your following.

Last week we looked at building relationships and growing our business by creating a blog. We discussed finding and incorporating our branding into free or low-cost themes, ways to capture an audience, and how to build trust by being honest and professional to attract a good following. 

A blog is a great marketing tool to connect with a specific audience.  Blogs allow you to build a relationship, and establish a level of trust, a critical piece in establishing your expertise and creating the desire to connect to you, and your products or services.   It is important to establish good practices on your business blog, being certain never to lie

There are many Internet marketing strategies to promote an online business. Using popular options like article marketing, pay-per-click advertising, forum marketing and email marketing can increase your success. The business owner will need to track click-throughs and conversion rates to achieve more success by converting people into paying customers. 

According to research released recently by O2, the mobile phone provider (“Small Businesses are Catching Twitter Bug,” Richard Tyler, The Telegraph, 16 March 2009), almost one in five small businesses now tweet regularly. Although the larger, multinational firms were the first to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, increasing numbers of small to medium sized businesses are taking the plunge.  … Continue reading the rest of this article...