That group prefers text, instant messaging and social networks as primary methods of communication. From Marta Kagan at the Hubspot Blog, here are twelve statistics that demonstrate that inbound marketing is essential. 78% of Internet users conduct product research online." Your website will likely be a potential customer's first impression of your company, and they probably got there via Google. In the past year, Web-based email usage dropped 59% among 12-17 year olds." All Internet users under the age of 55 are sending less email. Optimize email newsletters for mobile devices. MORE >>

From TabJuice, here's an infographic that explains social commerce from both a brand and fan perspective. View Original Article MORE >>

From Pagemodo, here's an infographic that shows how small business owners feel about social media and how small businesses measure what they perceive as success. View Original Article MORE >>

While 91% of online adults use some form of social media, only 22% of businesses have a social media manager dedicated to maintaining their brand online. From uberVU, here's an infographic that shows how businesses are still failing to grasp the importance of social media marketing. View Original Article MORE >>

Be Social - If you are going to make social media work for your business you (or someone representing your company) are going to have to become actively involved. Keep in mind that blatant promotion rarely works in social media and can kill your social media presence quickly. Start by listing as many social media groups and communities that you can think of for your industry or market. Profile Your Target Audience - before getting involved in social media, you need to know who you are trying to engage with. Where does your market get together online? MORE >>