I know everyone is tired of the “what is social media” question, but I found this article to be a great quick-and-dirty argument for embracing social media as it happens. It really nails down how the internet became an essential part of business (apparently sometime in late 1997) and concrete examples of how companies jumped [...]

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Instead of sending online shoppers coupons or information about sales, executives and employees at Henderson, Nev.-based Zappos.com regularly tweet about what happens to them at the airport, the fact that they eat marshmallows in between phone calls and the state of the economy.
This article in the New York Times is so informational, I can barely [...]

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So, I’ve been active on Twitter for an entire 50 days now. What’s that in Twitter years? And being the old Twitter salt I now am, I am entitled to list my top Twitter pet peeves. So here they are, not in any order of importance.

Excessively Retweeting Yourself: “In case you missed it.” I [...]

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What exactly *is* Twitter? And why do I need to use it?
I get this question from clients a lot. The other part of the Twitter question seems rooted in misconception. No wants to read you liveblogging your lunch! Until not too long ago, I was one of the people that didn’t really “get” Twitter.
Then I [...]

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I just got my new business cards from Moo this week, and I was very happy. They are all black, made of lovely partially matte paper, and alternate colorful backgrounds you might find draped in fine coated cotton across provencal-style farmhouse kitchen tables in the visual merchandising at Anthropologie. They come with sleek little deck [...]

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I will admit it- even as an early adopter, I was slow to “get” Twitter. My account sat dormant and silent for months, and when I came across Twitter-related news, I kind of glazed over. But fellow VAs (thankfully) kept banging on about it, and I started knocking around on the site- and it’s been [...]

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Interesting thing about mentor-types, in my experience. They are more than willing to share knowledge and experience merely because it moves them. While the position of consultant is necessary and worthy, the experienced entrepreneur who enlightens the young upstart is an amazing resource. I’ve learned things through various means, but no lessons were as practical, [...]

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Continuing on with our theme of avoiding social media embarrassment,  I’d like to share this must-read article for everyone over the age of 16 who has a Facebook account.  This comprehensive piece details how to CYA from every angle on the ubiquitous, all-knowing Facebook. It won’t save you from being tagged in unflattering and possibly [...]

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I feel really bad for this guy, and I think we’ve all fired off some off the cuff words into the intertubes only to have them come boomeranging back at us.
However, it’s worth noting that this sad tale starts with a disparaging tweet sent from the airport on the way to a client. To educate [...]

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Via JK Virtual Office Resources, a cautionary tale for the internet age about the power of good and bad internet attention and your brand. Background: Motrin created some ads that unintentionally portrayed mothers in a less than flattering light. From the article, some key points:
…outraged mums, furious at the suggestion that their babies were a [...]

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By now, most tech-savvy marketing strategies include some social media marketing. This cool Mashable post highlights 30 new applications to do more for your business with Facebook.
And none of them involve saving the rainforest through the exchange of virtual plants, thankfully.
Think LinkedIn is the only place for business? Facebook is growing rapidly and it’s becoming [...]

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Polyvore is a site that can suck hours from you with its sheer possibility. Above and beyond the fun of compiling infinite cool outfits is a neat little quick and dirty tool for short and long term planning.
Personally, I’ve used it to visualize a room before I change it around or decorate. I’ve also used [...]

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Having been already disheartened in our belief in love by the “subway sweethearts” story last year, no one was too impressed by this transparent viral marketing ploy in Sydney, Australia.
She told the world via YouTube that she was a Cinderella trying to find her Prince Charming, a mystery man in a jacket, but Heidi Clarke [...]

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