How difficult it is to start a blog or a Twitter account? Well, “starting” is never terribly difficult, but keeping consistent with your writing and updating can be. However, it’s possible to lessen some of the stress and strain by understanding, then utilizing, what can be termed “Created Content” versus “Generated Content.”

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Tags: Blog, Blogosphere, Online Communities, Rule of thumb, Social Media, Social network, Twitter, Writer

Building customer loyalty is a core goal for anyone marketing a business. Recruiting brand loyalists can be a grueling pursuit, but one that can pay dividends. We’ve provided a few ways you can take things even further by making your customers your friends.

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Tags: brand loyalists, brand loyalty, customer loyalty, Foursquare, geo-location, Gowalla, location based apps, Small Business, small business tips

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Maryland and Network Solutions, 2009 was the year that small businesses really started to understand the value of adopting social media. Is your business socially engaged?

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Tags: CRM, customer relationship management, small business and social media, social engagement, Social Media

Brian Solis is one of the top thought leaders in the world of new media. I had the opportunity to sit in at his session at SXSW, and synthesized my thoughts, boiling some of his most brilliant insights down to the best tips and soundbites.

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Tags: Brands as media, Brian Solis, Comcast Frank, Conversation Prism, CRM, customer relationship management, Dennis Crowley, Engage!, Foursquare, Frank Eliason, Jeremiah Owyang, new media, newtek web services, Social Media, South By Southwest, SXSW, web 2.0

We’re heading South…South By Southwest that is, the yearly event that techies covet. Take a look at my picks for the top sessions discussing all things small business, and send some questions my way.

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Tags: Austin, B2B marketing, B2C marketing, Bill Leake, Chris Winfield, customer service, David Sloly, Erik Wolf, growing your business, Ian Sanders, interactive, Melanie Baker, Small Business, small business growth, small business tips, Social Media, South By Southwest, Stephanie Frost, SXSW, Tony Adams

Where do you get your daily nourishment? What inspires you to continually improve your business? Take a look at these 10 bookmark-worthy spots and help build a comprehensive list fit for any driven small business person.

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Tags: industry news, marketing, Small Business, small business blogs, Social Media, tips, top 10 blogs, trends, tricks

It’s been said time and time again by just about every social media guru out there. If you adopt ONE form of social media, start a company blog. Launching and maintaining a blog is especially important small business owners, as you’re trying to not only build awareness for company, but also create a deeper connection with your current and potential customers that will hopefully lead to brand loyalty.

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Tags: blogging for business, business blog, customer communication, customer feedback, merchant blog, reasons to launch a blog, Social Media