Marketers have questions, this post has answers: 87 vital social media and online marketing statistics covering everything from how executives and large companies are using social media for marketing, customer service and recruiting to fresh stats on the leading social media platforms to search, email, content and mobile marketing trends. Social media accounts for only 16% of customer engagement today, but is expected to increase to 57%—the second-most used channel, behind only face to face interaction—within five years. Should you include Pinterest in your mix? MindJumpers ). MORE >>

HOW TO: Create Custom Backgrounds for Twitter, YouTube, & MySpace by Mashable. Matt Silverman steps through the process of creating cool custom backgrounds for popular social media sites, with easy-to-follow instructions and rich example illustrations. Are you reaching your Best Customers through social media? by Cultivating Your Customers. and analyzes their capabilities in four sectors: customer communication, brand exposure, driving traffic to your site, and SEOs.&#. Social Media Marketing Tips, Tactics and Guides. by Kuno Creative. 5 stars. “Aha!&# MORE >>

For those fed up with the hype and “shiny sparkly&# type enthusiasm often exhibited in posts about social media, Niall Harbison provides a breath of fresh air: brutal honestly about both the benefits (you have incredible freedom, it complements other forms of marketing, helping other people really works) and the limitations (it’s not a quick win, your friends aren’t your customers, it’s easy to spend too much time there) to be mindful of in using social media for small business marketing. Adoption soared. 85% of Inc. Mistakes were made. by iMedia Connection. MORE >>

But people in your marketplace—customers, prospects, analysts, journalists, shareholders and others—are talking about your company and/or industry across social media channels right now. Though social media marketing is rapidly advancing in terms of adoption and sophistication, many marketers and business executives still struggle with it. They wonder if their organizations are doing enough, if they are doing things right, even if they should be involved in social media at all. This confusion is partly due to some still-common misconceptions about social media marketing. Argh, no! MORE >>

Susan Gunelius outlines five social networking features unique to Google+, including circles (which enable you to “separate your customers from your colleagues and online influencers from your business partners”) and hangouts (which can be “used for things like small-group webinars, question and answer sessions, and more”). Plant +1 badges on all your assets to take advantage of the Direct Connect tool that automatically brings customers and prospects searching in your category to your page.” So what makes Google+ special? Google+ Guides and Tips. MORE >>