I receive several inquiries a week about what “social media” is. Unfortunately the real question most of them want to ask is “what is business social media?” or “how do I drive my business with social media?” Understanding all of the terminology and clutter surrounding emerging online tools and social trends is only part of the answer, the other part of the answer is developing a business mindset to evolve the way you have been doing business.

Social Media, blogging, podcasting, video, communities, networking, is not anything new at the core. In fact most of these things are simply an evolution of what they were five, ten, or twenty years ago.

As a business, using social media takes on a multi-pronged strategic and tactical approach. There is no “magic bullet” that is going to solve your problems overnight- however there are a series of points that social media can touch in your business and help tie together.

Below is my “must read” list of articles on the site that help decision makers educate themselves on how to utilize social media. Each article has a lot of information in it that a reader can spend days, weeks, or months on. The important idea is not to “jump in” on the details right up front. Casually read the articles, absorb the information, let it sit on the back burner for a day, then come back and start making tactical steps and case experiments for your business.

Social Media Keyword Tools - Consider social media a chance to explore your target market. One keyword leads to another, leads to another. Within a few steps you may discover that your best prospect for your business may be two or three levels removed from where you have been trying to reach them.

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Professional Social Media Profiles- The first place 99% of web viewers are going to begin looking for you online is in a search engine (Google / Yahoo / etc). Whether a profile in question is an individual or business one, establishing proper profiles on social media sites can increase search recognition, bolster traffic on specific phrases, and control how visitors perceive your information and presence. You need to have a PROFESSIONAL profile, image, and brand.

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Online Reputation Control, Branding, Insurance, or Blind-Luck?- Every blog, community site, customer review, or competitor has hundreds of different options to voice viewpoints and concerns against a company. If you haven’t done it already… start understanding how to use tools to monitor social media and take proactive steps to keep your business in working order.
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Ethical Media Consulting - 10 Questions to Ask Before Blowing Your Budget - the ethical approach to online marketing (in my humble opinion) is to focus on other like-minded souls and technologies. The next “big thing” could be designed by Bill Gates or some teenager that develops code at two in the morning while eating pizza in his mother’s basement. That leads us farther and farther astray from traditional marketing and advertising models, drives a stake in the public relations industry, and provides a wide-open opportunity for businesses both big and small. If you want to be a smart decision maker, educate yourself.

123 Social Media Education and Weekly Learning Page - 123 Social Media routinely publishes an article covering steps to developing a social media strategy and steps to implement it. Each article is in plain English, avoiding as many “techno babble” and “geek speak” phrases as possible. All of the content is sorted and tagged under “Weekly Learning” in case you miss something or feel like a refresher course on the basics. We encourage you to ask questions!

Free Search Engine and Online Promotion Report
Unethical SEO - Marketing Tactics that get you banned
Social Media Measurement and Brand Control
Can the Web Destroy Your Business? Yes It Can.

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