Small Business News

March 2010

In this Issue:

Small Business Social Media Adoption Doubles Since 2009
Nine Helpful Tips for Business Blogging
.TEL - The New Way to Communicate
Leverage Social Networking to Attract New Customers

Most of us have heard the buzzword “Social Media” and have probably seen icons on websites and in print for places like Facebook® and Twitter™. Before diving in, a small business owner should know two primary things about social media.

First, social media is about having a conversation with people. Second, you need to have a place where those people will interact. Ask yourself how you can utilize social media to benefit your business. Then, understand what your measurements of success are with social media.

We've put together a social media checklist to help your small business get started. Read the full article>>

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Small Business Social Media Adoption Doubles Since 2009

A big take away from the most recent edition of the Small Business Success Index™ (SBSI) is that social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12 percent to 24 percent in the last year. Small businesses are increasingly investing in social media applications, including blogs, Facebook® and LinkedIn® profiles.

Read the full article >>

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Nine Helpful Tips for Business Blogging

It's one thing to create a blog – it's another to create a blog that readers want to visit again and again. If you're serious about using blog hosting to meet your business goals, we have nine tips to follow when developing a business blogging strategy.

Read the full article >>

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.TEL - The New Way to Communicate

What does your domain name tell people about your online business? .TEL domains allow you to publish, update and manage your integrated contact information in a single location online. Think of a .TEL domain name as an online business card that can connect you with customers, colleagues and even friends like never before.

Read the full article >>

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Tell Us Your Story!

WANTED: Small business owners who use social media as part of their communication and marketing efforts

Share your social media success stories with our readers! We’d like to showcase your efforts on our various blog properties including GrowSmartBusiness, WomenGrowBusiness, and SolutionsArePower™.

We’re interested in all types of small businesses such as restaurants, florists, dry cleaners, and more.

Send a brief 60 second or less YouTube® video link to smedia@networksolutions.com telling us the following:

• Who you are
• Name of your business
• Types of social media channels you use
• How social media has affected your business
• Your business URL, Twitter handle and other contact info!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Submit video >>

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Straight Talk

with Jay Ehret, Small Business Marketing Consultant

How to Leverage Social Networking to Attract New Customers

Jay Ehret (www.themarketingspot.com), popularly known as @themarketingguy on Twitter™, is a small business marketing consultant who has coached several entrepreneurs about how to build a powerful brand and, more importantly, how to create a rewarding customer experience.

According to the latest Small Business Success Index report, the biggest use of social media for small businesses is customer engagement. Jay will tell you just exactly how you can leverage social networking to attract new customers with some real world examples.

Listen to our first podcast with Jay Ehret and tell us what you think.

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