By Samuel J. Scott

Note: This is the first part in an ongoing series. Part two and three.

If you are using a social-media marketing strategy without a corresponding content-marketing one, you are most likely wasting your time. As different parts of the Internet increasingly affect and influence each other in marketing terms, it is also increasingly important to use an integrated strategy that incorporates these numerous factors.  Read more...

By Samuel J. Scott

If you follow marketing news, you have probably heard of national brands launching large social media campaigns like Kohl’s and Target on Facebook and Radio Shack and Nestle on Twitter. Still, it is very easy to use social media for business even if you just have a local store.

In Boston, where I lived for nine years, one of the most-famous pizzerias is Santarpio’s in the neighborhood of East Boston. If you live in Eastie – as Bostonians call it – and order delivery from somewhere else rather than take-away from Santarpio’s (pictured), your neighbors will think that you are crazy or have bad taste in pizza.  Read more...

Today’s edition of the New York Times has a great article explaining how Twitter can help small businesses with their marketing. It also emphasizes how this service, with millions of members, is mainstream and requires community management.

Many businesses are struggling to make sense of Twitter, but even if it strikes you as an enigma or hype, consider this: many of your customers are already there.

The article points out several important best-practices:  Read more...

1. Listen - “What are people saying about your company? Unlike conversations by phone or e-mail, Twitter conversations usually are not private, and listening is fair game.” People are talking about your company, your competitors, topics that are of interest to you and your business.

While some companies are still debating whether they should market online, it’s a settled matter, at least according to the Small Business Administration.

Adding Social Media to the Business Marketing Mix – No Longer a Question of “Why?” but “How?”

According to the latest *Small Business Success Index™ 61% of small business respondents use blogs, Twitter and Facebook profiles to expand “…external marketing and engagement including identifying and attracting new customers, building brand awareness and staying engaged with customers.”

How are small businesses using social media? According to the report:  Read more...

• 75% have a company page on a social networking site