recently spoke to Mark Schmulen, general manager of social media at the small-business-focused e-mail service provider Constant Contact about how to go beyond the Facebook wall and make the social network a practical and measurable small business marketing platform. When we look at what platforms our small business customers are using for social media marketing, 94% of them are on Facebook,” Schmulen said. Forrester Research has estimated fewer than 15% of people who click a Like button ever visit the page again. That’s the herd mentality at work. MORE >>

The notion of using social media for business has gone from cutting edge to commonplace in an amazingly short time. And for those laggard firms still resisting social media, recent changes by Google now make it all but imperative. Of course, there’s no single cookie-cutter approach to social media marketing that works for every enterprise. And many companies that jumped in early experienced failures and disappointments, pulled back, and then re-approached social media from a more strategic angle. Social Media Marketing Tips and Tactics. And again. MORE >>

Google + or Google - ?  The onslaught of new digital technologies, decline of traditional methods of reaching customers and the increased use of social media, doesn’t exactly make being a CMO an easy job.   Forrester’s advice to CMOs:  “Elevate digital to the highest level of business strategy.”  (source: Forrester Report “CMOs must connect the dots of the online brand.&#   Mary Beth Kemp-Forrester, July 27, 2010). Google has just introduced Google+, a new social networking service to compete with its arch rival: Facebook.  MORE >>

Today, Tom Pick ( @TomPick ), Online Marketing Executive at KC Associates , who blogs at his award winning B2B Webbiquity , and I ( @ckburgess – Blue Focus Marketing @BlueFocus360 ) present 50 remarkable men on our 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Men list. These men are indeed using Twitter to rewire and reorient the Web. So, as promised in Tom Pick’s blog, “ 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Women ”, in honor of mothers, our 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Men now honors fathers. Senior Analyst at Forrester ( @TomGrantForr ) “You don’t build a community. You expand it.” MORE >>

Today, Tom Pick ( @TomPick ), Online Marketing Executive at KC Associates , who blogs at his award winning B2B Webbiquity , and I ( @ckburgess – Blue Focus Marketing @BlueFocus360 )  present 50 remarkable men on our 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Men list.  These men are indeed using Twitter to rewire and reorient the Web.  So, as promised in Tom Pick’s blog, “ 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Women ”, in honor of mothers, our 2011 #Nifty50 Top Twitter Men now honors fathers.  Senior Analyst at Forrester ( @TomGrantForr ) “You don’t build a community.  Adam L. MORE >>