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		<title>Social Media Connection</title>
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog.cfm</link>
		<description>Learn Social Media Strategies &amp; Tactics That Grow Your Business and Increase Revenue</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2010 Social Media Connection, All rights reserved.</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:42:39 CST</lastBuildDate>

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		<title><![CDATA[ An Introduction to Twitter: How and Why to Tweet ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25790</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ In my last blog post, I promised to get &quot;practical and tactical&quot; with social networking.&nbsp; What better way to begin that process than with a &quot;Twitter 101&quot; of sorts?
Twitter has been a media darling for a while now; 2009 was the certainly the year of the tweet!&nbsp; Many of you reading this may have gotten all a-Twitter, hurriedly opened an account (everybody else was doing!), tweeted something like &quot;trying to figure this out,&quot; then never touched the site again.&nbsp; Everybody kept chirping, but your life rolled merrily along.&nbsp; Surely Twitter was gonna put the &quot;fad&quot; in &quot;fade.&quot;
Right?!...
Just when you thought all that bleating about tweeting mightdie down, the cacophony of Twitter news, usage and growth did an uptick.&nbsp; So...&nbsp; Maybe you should revisit the Twitterverse, now that the root system's grown and more of your competitors, colleagues or acquaintances are on board.
What the heck is Twitter anyway?&nbsp; Her... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:25:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/25790</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Practical & Tactical Use of Social Media for Small Business ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25503</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ It seems so contrary, that we would be &ldquo;practical and tactical&rdquo; about something identified as &ldquo;social.&rdquo;&nbsp; Yet as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like grow deeper roots in our everyday communications, it&rsquo;s essential for business people to (1) embrace social media and (2) learn to use it effectively. 
Let&rsquo;s peel that last thought apart.
(1)&nbsp; Embrace social media:&nbsp; Business owners should not create a Twitter account or start a Facebook fan page in a reactionary blur.&nbsp; Instead, they should gain understanding&nbsp; of social media and be able to place it in context of overall business communications, acknowledging it as a relationship building tool and starting social media efforts on solid footing.
(2)&nbsp; Use social media effectively:&nbsp; For social media to be effective, it must be treated as a long term commitment worthy of regular attention and nurturing.&nbsp; Also, it must be integrated into a total communications prog... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/25503</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Which URL Shortener Should You Use? Top Tools to Keep Tweets Short & Sweet ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25346</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ If you&rsquo;ve spent any time tooling around Twitter, Facebook or the like, you&rsquo;ve probably seen&mdash;and clicked&mdash;on shortened links to webpages.&nbsp; The most common short URLs start with &lsquo;bit.ly,&rsquo; &lsquo;ow.ly&rsquo; or &lsquo;tinyurl.com.&rsquo;
With a URL shortener, you can reduce this:
http://smallbizbigtime.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/do-you-need-a-facebook-group-or-fanbrand-page/  (gulp!)

to this:
http://bit.ly/4IXYAc (ah!)
Such shortening is essential when posting links on Twitter, with its limited, 140-character messaging, as well as when updating your status on other social sites.&nbsp; Those long URLs are clunky and junky.&nbsp; The shortened URLs are lean and clean.
If you want to keep your links short and tweet, here are a few pointers about the most commonly used URL shorterners.
bit.ly
This service is the URL shortener associated with Twitter since midyear 2009.&nbsp; Simply paste a long link, and the site will shorten it for you.&nbsp; ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:32:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/25346</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ SEO & Video:  A Solid Combo for Big Time Google Ranking ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25233</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Wanna know the big numbers for Americans who indulged during the month of November '09?



170,000,000 &amp; 31,000,000,000

No, these strings of zeroes have nothing to do with the total pounds of turkey consumed or total weight gained due to too much pie eating last November.&nbsp; These impressive figures reflect the number of Americans who watched video online, as well as the total number of videos viewed&mdash;respectively&mdash;for that month.
Yes, that's right!&nbsp; 170 million of us looked to the Internet for video, and while looking, we took in nearly 31 billion videos all told.&nbsp; This is according to a news release by comScore, a leading provider of digital intelligence.
Suffice to say, online video is, uh, the real deal.&nbsp; Just as big time advertisers are reaping the benefits of this truth, so should small and mid-size business owners.&nbsp; With technology and resources, the online video playing field may not be level, but it surely is open&mdash;for busines... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:34:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/25233</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Is Social Media Worth the Effort? One Blogger s Year End Review ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25000</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ As 2009 becomes yesterday's tweet, I'm reflecting on 12 month's worth of professional adventures and social media endeavors.&nbsp; 
Back when '09 was shiny and new, I&nbsp;was already&nbsp;strapped in for a bumpy ride.&nbsp; 2008 had taken its toll, with nearly every client o' mine on budget freeze and&nbsp;retainer accounts devolving to project-basis only.&nbsp; I&nbsp;opted to make use of the slow down to bone up on the emerging and increasingly relevant realm of social media.&nbsp; 'Twas an important decision, indeed.
By March, I had two Twitter accounts, this blog and a valuable involvement with my ultimate laboratory of social media learning: the Social Media Connection website.&nbsp; I also started nurturing my LinkedIn account, launched a Facebook group and absorbed practical knowledge from any reputable source I could follow.&nbsp;
Between&nbsp;these social media commitments,&nbsp;my day/pay job and an expanded freelance business, I often found myself working triple normal h... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:10:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/25000</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Think Social Media Is a Panacea for Small Business?  Get real! ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23922</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ 751 LinkedIn connections.
1,443 Twitter followers.
410 Facebook friends.

Those are my stats as of this morning.&nbsp; Trust me, I know there are countless people whose numbers make mine sound limp.&nbsp; And trust me again, I know the numbers don&rsquo;t mean much for anybody if the connections aren&rsquo;t real.&nbsp; 

Collecting followers, fans and friends is an ultimately fruitless hobby unless something substantive happens after the point of &ldquo;accept&rdquo; or &ldquo;approve&rdquo;&mdash;or unless something substantive had already happened before the request was made.&nbsp; Even as my numbers organically grow in my social networks, the most valuable online relationships are the extensions of real-life, three-dimensional, old-fashioned human contact.

As social media has taken hold in the business world, there&rsquo;ve been those voices touting its use as a panacea for small business sales and marketing.&nbsp; Of course, those voices typically follow their definitive ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:36:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23922</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/23922</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Group Dynamic -  Make the Most of Social Media Group Participation ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22638</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Social media groups are topic-specific communities accessible for &lsquo;members&rsquo; via&nbsp; popular social networks such as Facebook and the business-oriented LinkedIn.&nbsp; Members of these virtual groups can post questions, discussion starters, even news and job listings. 

I&rsquo;ve previously written about starting, leading and nurturing virtual groups, but there&rsquo;s also an art to being a member.&nbsp; Master that art, and the benefits will be plentiful.&nbsp; Here are some ideas to help you get the most out of virtual group participation.


It&rsquo;s just as sweet to receive as to give!
It&rsquo;s truly okay to be a group participant who&rsquo;s more focused on receiving information than giving it.&nbsp; Groups can be excellent sources of information and ideas, which is exactly why they may be worth your time. You are perfectly welcome to slip in the &ldquo;back of the room,&rdquo; so to speak, and simply take in the online banter.&nbsp; 

And if you&rsquo;re... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:29:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22638</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/22638</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Too Busy To Blog? Tips for Small Biz Bloggers ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22542</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I knew this was how it was going to be. 

I knew there&rsquo;d be seasons in which I&rsquo;d get so busy I&rsquo;d have to let my own blog take a backseat to my paid writing gigs.&nbsp; As a matter of fact, that&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;d been a writer without a blog for years; I&rsquo;m usually blessedly busy doing this stuff for other people who deposit money in my account for the effort.&nbsp; So when I finally committed to starting my own blog&mdash;this very one you&rsquo;re reading&mdash;earlier this year, I made my peace with the reality that busy seasons would come and I&rsquo;d have to prioritize accordingly.&nbsp; 

Though I&rsquo;d prefer to never have a lag between postings, it&rsquo;s reasonably acceptable in my case because...


    This is self-governed blog.&nbsp; Though I&rsquo;m committed to writing for my readers, I&rsquo;m not obligated to any sponsors, advertisers or clients who dictate my schedule on this endeavor.
    I&rsquo;d established a good root system f... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:24:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22542</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/22542</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Social Media's Contributions to Society ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22255</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ An interesting phenomena happened again the other day and while it's happened before, the intensity of the reaction this time made me smile... and think about an important feature of social media:&nbsp;Accountability.
A person on LinkedIn sent a spam message to all his contacts including me. The reaction was swift and severe. A great number of contacts sent him back varying degrees of negative feedback, some of it rather emotionally charged. As an added bonus, in this case, because some of the replying people copied everyone who received the original message, the &quot;dope-slap&quot;&nbsp;was public.
I&nbsp;think everyone will agree that spam is extremely antisocial and relies heavily on anonymity for its success. Since social media is anything but anonymous, participants must be accountable for their blog posts, emails, tweets and other public comments. If they are not behaving in a &quot;social&quot; way, they will find out very quickly.
So two important contributions result from... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Social Media ]]></category>
		<author>jack@socialmediaconnection.com (Jack Massari)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:24:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/22255</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/22255</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ The Collective Connective - Time for Small Business to Face Up to Social Networks ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21963</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I have her email address and phone number.&nbsp; She lives no more than a mile from me. However, I opted for direct messages on Facebook to set up our recent dinner outing.&nbsp; Why did I communicate with my friend this way?&nbsp; 

Because I was already there&mdash;and she was, too.

Like millions of other Americans, my friend and I are spending time on Facebook.&nbsp; Thus, I found it just as simple to reach out via Facebook direct message than to switch over to my email account to do so.&nbsp; (And God forbid I pick up the phone anymore!)&nbsp; In the end, Facebook successfully led my friend and I to some quality face time.&nbsp; 

While Facebook helped me stay connected to this friend from my zip code, it&rsquo;s also been an incredible tool for reconnecting with friends spread across the globe.&nbsp; Whether they&rsquo;re in Houston, Singapore or any point in between, I easily, communally mix and mingle.&nbsp; Gone are the days of blasting my friends via traditional email w... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:57:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21963</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21963</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Is Your Biz a  Must  or  Lust ?  Use Social Media to Convince Customers They Need What They Want or Want What They Need ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21862</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Windshields.&nbsp; Cupcakes.&nbsp; 

In the gravel-spattered roadway of life, windshield fix-it shops exist to meet the needs of drivers.&nbsp; A cracked windshield could pose a danger; it&rsquo;s imperative it be repaired.&nbsp; Thus, this service is pretty much a &ldquo;must.&rdquo;&nbsp; 

On the contrary, cupcake bakeries offer optional fare.&nbsp; There&rsquo;s really no &ldquo;must&rdquo; about a$3, 3-bite confection; this delectable is truly a &ldquo;lust.&rdquo;&nbsp; 

&ldquo;Must&rdquo; businesses often focus on advertising&rsquo;s frequency more so than its creativity, knowing their messages must align with the steady stream of potential customers&rsquo; needs.&nbsp; When that cracked windshield happens, customers will zone in on the most prominent, present advertiser and call the shop that&rsquo;s top of mind.&nbsp; 

Promoting a &ldquo;lust&rdquo; business&mdash;goods or services that are truly optional in the course of life&mdash;is a different endeavor.&nbsp; Gen... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:33:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21862</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21862</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Can You Make Money on Facebook, Twitter or Other Social Media Networks? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21603</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ &ldquo;Has anybody figured out how to make money on here?&rdquo;&nbsp; 

I&rsquo;ve run across people asking this question on Facebook and Twitter quite often, and the topic even comes up frequently offline.&nbsp; 

Of course, this question isn&rsquo;t coming from casual passers-by who&rsquo;re just interested in reconnecting with their pals.&nbsp; The question of social media monetization belongs to the business people, the entrepreneurs who&rsquo;ve logged on with blatant or subdued hopes of cashing in.&nbsp; And the question seems fair enough.&nbsp; After all, we&rsquo;re spending lots of our time and energy on these sites.&nbsp; Will there be a pay-off...ever?&nbsp; 

My quick answer is &ldquo;no and yes.&rdquo;&nbsp; 

If the motive is the fast buck, good luck.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ll risk repeating myself to say that social media is not an outlet for ceaseless strings of 140-character classified ads.&nbsp; If you deluge followers and friends with nothing but direct selling messa... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:58:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21603</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ How to Create and Maintain a Facebook Fan Page ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21570</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ A Facebook fan page can be a great tool for your business, personality or endeavor.&nbsp; It serves as a fun way to update interested parties about what&rsquo;s new and what&rsquo;s news and is especially effective since so many people are already turning to Facebook as a means of staying connected.&nbsp; 

Before you create a Fan Page, make sure this is the right option for you.&nbsp; Sometimes people confuse Facebook fan pages and groups.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve blogged about this topic before (click here to read that post); it&rsquo;s my most read blog entry, as people search for this information every day.&nbsp; Here&rsquo;s a quick recap.

Create a Facebook fan/brand page if
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; * you want to build buzz around a brand name or create interest/support of a product or service.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; * you want to convey information to a core group of people who show interest in your specific topic.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; * you want a place for comments and feedback, yet with l... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:25:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21570</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21570</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Dig In!  Treat Social Media Like a Full Meal ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21499</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ A social media plan is not an &agrave; la carte menu, so if you&rsquo;re using social media to help take your small biz big time, come hungry.&nbsp; This stuff isn&rsquo;t for snacking.&nbsp; Maybe you can get away with some &agrave; la carte, pick-and-choose in a marketing plan (operative word:&nbsp; &ldquo;maybe&rdquo;), but you simply must order the full course meal to get a social media plan&rsquo;s impact.

For example, a solitary blog is like an island&mdash;hard to get to without a boat or a bridge.&nbsp; A Twitter account unto itself will serve little purpose for many business people.&nbsp; A Facebook fan page without the nurturing of fresh content or interconnectivity will wither and fade all too quickly.

Social media requires commitment to a process.&nbsp; One link leads to another, like tributaries flowing into a river that&rsquo;s flowing toward the sea.&nbsp; Ignore one aspect, and the flow is affected.&nbsp; Ignore many aspects, and the flow will ultimately cease com... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:28:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21499</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21499</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ SEO & Online Marketing for Small Business:  Let Customers Seek and Find ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21460</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ It seems many marketers still find &ldquo;search&rdquo; to be the engine for successful advertising and branding campaigns.&nbsp; 

In a recent survey of senior-level marketing and media execs conducted by Forbes, 75% of respondents ranked SEO and email/e-newsletters as their top digital marketing tools.&nbsp; Likewise, SEO and email also ranked high in terms of effectiveness in generating conversions (48% for SEO and 46% for email/email newsletters).&nbsp; Pay-per-click also ranked high in terms of use and success for participants of this survey.

Use of ad networks, attempted by 40% of total respondents, proved to be the lagger among digital marketing components according to this survey, with 44% of those who tried them indicating results did not meet expectations. 

Mind you, this survey was definitely of the big biz - big budget variety; approximately 44% of respondents have $1MM+ digital marketing budgets.&nbsp; Big bucks in the budget let companies try a variety of tactics,... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21460</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ PR in a Web 2.0 World:  Tips for Small Biz & Any Biz ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21385</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I have seats on both sides of the aisle as a member of the media and a PR person.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What a fascinating view, seeing firsthand how it works from either direction!&nbsp; And now that view is bathed in the light of the social web, it&rsquo;s as if the glow of a computer monitor is spotlighting the many aspects of PR in this evolving age.&nbsp; 

From either angle and in this light, I see clearly that the more things change, the more they stay the same.&nbsp; The basic truths for earning coverage have really not altered that much, though the modes of communication and the face (and faces!) of journalism have.

Does &ldquo;Spray &amp; Pray&rdquo; Pay?
The ol&rsquo; &ldquo;spray and pray&rdquo; PR approach hasn&rsquo;t gone anywhere.&nbsp; Ten years ago, the &lsquo;spray&rsquo; of mass press releases came in the form of unsolicited junk mail.&nbsp; Today, it comes as email spam.&nbsp; Either way the &lsquo;spray&rsquo; typically does not pay.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s rare thing ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:05:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21385</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21385</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Want Visibility & Crediblity for Your Small Biz? There's No Marketing Microwave ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21333</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I&rsquo;ve spent my career explaining&mdash;and explaining again&mdash;the difference between advertising and PR.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve got the short answers down pat.

&ldquo;We pay for advertising.&nbsp; We create and control the message and place ads where we want them.&nbsp; Advertising increases our visibility.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We do not pay for editorial coverage; we earn it through our PR efforts.&nbsp; PR helps us gain credibility.&rdquo;

It&rsquo;s helpful to blend advertising and PR into a communications plan, to utilize paid messages to get attention and earn editorial coverage to build reputation.&nbsp; Of course, the ability to do both (and do them well) often becomes a matter of budgeting, creative amperage and people power.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve seen so many potentially powerful campaigns wither because the money was tight, corporate was antsy about allowing a message to be shared, and the staff was already strained under normal workloads.

That&rsquo;s why social media is ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:12:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21333</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ New Stats on Small Biz & Social Media - Are We Telling or Selling? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21267</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ What&rsquo;s the real scoop on the usage and effectiveness of social media for small business?&nbsp; Between information from a couple of recent research reports and real life scenarios, it seems small biz is using social media primarily for telling&mdash;not selling. 
A new white paper based on a survey of 151 small businesses using social media (sponsored by Sage and conducted by AMI-Partners) states that 64% of respondents spend most of their time in social media sites answering customer questions.&nbsp; 57% ranked networking activities as their most prevalent, while 44% indicated &ldquo;reference/education&rdquo; as their most dominant activity.

Only a few businesses indicated they were using social media sites for direct sales.
These stats hold true for Lars Hundley, gardenpreneur of Clean Air Gardening, an online retailer of eco-friendly lawn and garden supplies.&nbsp; (Hundley, pictured jumping like nobody's watching above, was not part of the AMI survey.)&nbsp; Because his... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:24:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21267</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21267</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Attention Small Biz - What's Your Social Media "Win"? ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21226</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Games don&rsquo;t go from being favorite pastimes to big business by having ambiguous rules and indeterminate winners.&nbsp; Nobody&rsquo;d show up for the World Series if there wasn&rsquo;t a vested interest in a specific outcome:&nbsp; one of the teams playing is gonna win.&nbsp; 

And so it is with social media.&nbsp; I mean, let&rsquo;s be honest.&nbsp; Most of us aren&rsquo;t motivated to be here&mdash;online, using these tools&mdash;simply for the challenge of articulating thoughts in 140 characters or less. 

So why do you do this social media thing each day?&nbsp; Why do you devote any portion of your day to tweet, blog, post, update, add, forward, link, bookmark, connect or click?&nbsp; What&rsquo;s the &ldquo;win&rdquo; for you?

Surely, or hopefully, you and I are here for specific reasons, for clearly defined gains.&nbsp; Why suit up for the game if you&rsquo;re never going to look at the scoreboard?&nbsp; I contend that if we haven&rsquo;t named our &ldquo;win&rdquo;... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:21:00 EST</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21226</guid>
		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21226</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Five Elements of Social Media   Download Your Free White Paper ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/21175</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ When it comes to social media, do you ever feel like you&rsquo;re blowing a kazoo in the middle of a marching band brass section?&nbsp; Or do you feel like your occasional trumpet calls get quick salutes but no lasting results?
As with any marketing effort, social media takes strategic, sustained creativity to get attention, draw attraction, spark affinity and build an audience that will ultimately take action.&nbsp; We call it &ldquo;earning all A&rsquo;s,&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s what it takes to make the grade.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
I know firsthand that the &ldquo;A&rsquo;s&rdquo; can be moving targets.&nbsp; What might work during one season (or, heck, one day!) may become pass&eacute; the next.&nbsp; Just when you think you&rsquo;ve got &lsquo;em in your court, somebody else, with just as inviting a court, may come along.&... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Small Biz Big Time ]]></category>
		<author>irene@smcbn.com (Irene Williams)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:54:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.socialmediaconnection.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/21175</comments>
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