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From Marketing Profs : On average, nearly one-half (47%) of social media users say they've taken some type of action offline (e.g., attending an event, meeting someone in person, making a purchase) after interacting with a social networking site, according to a survey from ACTIVE Network. Across the five social networks studied—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest—Facebook drives the most offline actions overall: 87% of Facebook users have taken some type of action offline as a result of an interaction via the site. Pinterest (70%) ranks second in generating offline actions, followed by LinkedIn (60%), Twitter (56%), and Google+ (37%).

So, you’ve just finished a task or an assignment and figure you deserve a little mental break. Why not check Facebook or Twitter? It will only take you five minutes, right? Wrong. As American students and workers spend more time on the Internet and on social media sites in particular, their levels of productivity are tanking. The average college student might spend three hours checking their various social media sites, but only two hours studying. That discrepancy is reflected in lower GPAs. Workers aren’t faring much better, either. Every time someone at work gets an IM, a Facebook message or a tweet, it takes them a whopping 23 minutes to get back on task. Taken all together, that costs the American economy $650 billion per year in lost productivity. The next time you think about checking a social media site, consider how much time and energy it will actually take. See infographic .

From Social Media Today : Most experienced marketers agree that a business blog is an extremely useful tool to expand online reach, build brand loyalty, and generate leads online. According to Social Media Examiner’s 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 79% of marketers with over three years of experience use blogging as a social media marketing tool. Whether you’re just getting started or need to revamp your approach, here is a proven four-step formula your business can use to reap the many benefits of blogging: (DEFINE+LISTEN+ADDRESS) X (COMMUNICATE) = BLOGGING SUCCESS Clearly define your target audience, listen to them, and then communicate solutions that address their pain points in a simple, concise and relevant way.

Do you know how much privacy your employees are entitled to? For example, if you feel employees are abusing their work privileges, is it legal to intercept emails or phone conversations to find out what they’re up to and confirm your suspicions? Can you ask potential job candidates for their Facebook profile log-on information? Here are some general guidelines that can help.

"Unfortunately, the whole B2B/social media relationship isn’t without its own set of growing pains as well. Which is, naturally, to be expected; as exemplified by the aforementioned cat videos and pop stars, figuring out exactly how your business ought to engage on these platforms isn’t perfectly intuitive, nor have these channels been around quite long enough for their to be a widespread, well-established protocol. As a result, a great many businesses are not only failing to maximize the benefit of being present on social media, but they might also be hurting themselves." Here are a few common mistakes in B2B social marketing and how you can avoid them: B2B Social Marketing Mistakes You're Probably Making

Or so says online marketing expert Tim Peter: "A few days ago, Mike Moran noted "nobody needs both Pinterest and LinkedIn." And, generally, Mike's absolutely right. Too many guys in black turtlenecks and very cool eyeglasses try to fit their standard portfolio of tricks and tips to your business, without really considering how to various social channels fit your brand's needs. But…Why don't you need both Pinterest and LinkedIn? Actually, you might. Read on to find out why. " Since I don't even have a Pinterest account, I'm behind the curve...again.

"Are you tweeting in your meetings? Do you complain online about your co-workers’ annoying quirks? If so, your employer probably doesn’t appreciate you sharing proprietary or negative information about their company with the world. But can they do anything about it? Yes, if they have a social media policy. "While employers adore social media for brand promotion and marketing, they don’t like it when an employee opens up a party popper of bad news about the company that can cover the world in seconds." Read more HERE .

Using social media to accomplish a meaningful purpose involves more than providing new technology and praying for success. Successful mass collaboration places new requirements on an organization, particularly its managers. While many organizations are technically ready for social media, they should question the readiness of managers to embrace new ways of working collaboratively to achieve social success. Why? Because social media and mass collaboration fundamentally challenge the relationship between responsibility, resources, and management. Normally, managers accept responsibility provided it comes with control of the resources required to deliver on that responsibility. The connection between responsibility and resources sits at the heart of management authority, control, accountability, and organizational design. Look at an organization chart and you will see the distribution of resources and responsibilities — the currency by which managers measure themselves and compare thems

Learn how to increase traffic, leads and sales by reaching more than 11 million people on Pinterest. Pinterest isn't just another social media network. What appears to be the fastest-growing social media site ever has become a huge traffic referral (arguably, more powerful than Google+) for all businesses. An increasing number of companies are leveraging the platform to reach a new audience, increase visits to their websites, and generate leads or retail sales. And guess what? It's working. More HERE .

Branding yourself can be extremely challenging. The main reason is that you are too close to the subject, as well as being emotionally and financially invested. The only way to figure out if your brand perception matches your brand reality is with a neutral outside perspective. (By the way, it doesn’t have to be me; it can be a small focus group of trusted friends or colleagues… which would be free for you, aside from the time investment.) Once you have the details of your brand perception, and where your branding gaps exist; you will be able to see the BIG picture where all the puzzle pieces finally fit (woo-hoo, clarity)! Then your branding success will come from self-packaging with powerful images and action words. This, along with a ‘can-do’ mindset and proper promotion will create a powerful brand. 3 keys to branding success HERE .

Mashable is a great web site for all things "social media". It is a one stop locale to find out what's trending in various sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Some great infographics and videos re: technology, business, entertainment and more.

The business press is full of stories about how small companies are using social channels to attract and engage customers. But while there are plenty of individual success stories, the confidence in what to do specifically is not always clear for small business owners that are strapped for time and online marketing resources. I was talking with a small business owner recently who was lamenting not updating his website and also that his competition was showing up “all over the place” online. The nature of his product requires some education and an effort to dispel common misperceptions. The rapid advancements in technology of his particular product category are not very well known amongst his target consumer market. But there’s a substantial amount of search volume and interest in the solutions his product provides. He’s also a small business with limited time and budget. To me, this was a classic opportunity for the power of persuasion through storytelling. More HERE .

Based on responses to a survey, local media spend in the US is forecasted to hit $149.4B in 2015 with $37.9B of that being online/digital. Local search is forecasted to hit $9.1B by 2015 – up from $5.1B in 2010. The percentage of ad budget spent online continues to sit around 25%. Businesses that are between 4-6 years old spend 33% of their budget on online advertising. Businesses that are less than 3 years old spend 38%. 40% have a Facebook page, 14% have a blog, 14% use twitter, and 10% have YouTube videos. 22% intend to create a YouTube video in the next 12 months! Those siting the importance of online ratings and reviews rose from 42% to 54% since last year. Over 50% are buying online advertising on their own – though sometimes with assistance. More HERE .

A recent article in The Albany Business Review quoted a "serial entrepreneur and social media guru" stating that "businesses have 2.6 seconds to get an audience’s attention". In the article, Promoting your biz 140 characters @ a time , Peter Shankman states that "a 140-character tweet translates to 2.6 seconds, the new collective attention span". So how can your business use a mere 140 characters, or 2.6 seconds, to grab and retain a client's attention span? Below are some articles and tips to do just that. Twitter 101 for Business - A Special Guide The Ultimate Video Guide to Twitter for Business An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Using Twitter for Business 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business 5 Unique Ways to Use Twitter for Business

A recent report released from the Small Business Success Index (SBSI) showed that social media adoption by small businesses is, in fact, increasing. Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business sponsored the report and found that over the last year, the number of small businesses using social media has gone from 12 percent to 24 percent. More HERE , including some downsides. The video . *** What Not to Do on Your Business Website

This article (" Social Media Helps Some Small Businesses Endure Bad Economy ") is something you've seen before, but it bears repeating. Use of Facebook, Twitter, et al. requires imagination, just like any marketing campaign would (but at a much better price). This article focuses on the efforts of certain eating establishments. For those clients seeking inspiration, read on.

I have read many articles dealing with the use of social media and employees. Some employees have been reprimanded and in some cases even fired for things they have said online about their workplace, pictures they have posted of them doing illegal activities, etc. The other day, I read an article about a boss who found himself in a sticky situation after posting pictures on his Facebook page of him attending the annual "weeklong anything-goes festival" Burning Man. The CEO of Joie de Vivre, a company that operates a collection of boutique hotels in California, posted pictures of himself (including one of him in a tutu) having a good time while off work. The reaction from his employees was less than favorable. In the end, he decided to keep the pictures online, despite the recommendations of some of his executive staff. It makes me wonder about rules for social media usage for both employees and the boss. Should your employer (or employees) dictate what you can and can't

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about specific articles from Mashable - The Social Media Guide , but if you have any questions about social media and how to use it, this site has a lot of helpful information. Today I discovered their neat-o " How-To " section. Topics are diverse and include " How to Integrate Facebook with Your Blog ," " How to Get Started With Google Wave " " How To Customize Your YouTube Channel ," and even " How to Plan a Wedding on the Web " (I'll be reading that one on my own time). There are lots of comments and suggestions from other readers, so one way or another, you're likely to learn something pretty practical.

Your new hire may have a Facebook account (you searched for them before the interview, right? No crazy frat party photos?), but do they know how to use social media for business purposes? It can be tricky to transition from the personal to the professional on the web, and new employees, no matter what their comfort level, could probably use some social media training. In “ How to Train New Employees in Social Media ,” Ben Parr of Mashable suggests writing a social media policy, testing employees knowledge of social media tools, making a list of required reading, and then handing over the reins without policing their activity. Ready to write your company's social media policy? Read 10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy first.

Here on the blog we’ve been talking about Twitter and have offered some reasons that small businesses might want to participate in the world of 140 character messages. Now Twitter itself is telling you why your business should be tweeting, and what you can get out of the service. Check out Twitter 101 , a collection of how-to information, best practices and case studies for the business twitterer. Why the new info? It looks like Twitter will be rolling out commercial applications for Twitter users , including fee-based analytics and account verification tools in the next few months. Before they ask you to pay for a Twitter service, they want to make sure you understand its value. While we’re on the subject of social media and why you should care, here are a couple of lists on using Facebook and LinkedIn for your business: 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business 33 Ways to Use LinkedIn for Business