Looking Beyond Social Media Hype

Due to being blinded by hype and caught in an emotional rush of excitement and hope, many small business owners have been jumping on the social media bandwagon.  As a social media consultant, I am anti-hype.  Don’t get me wrong, social media has opened many doors of opportunity for businesses, and it does touch every [...]

Ask Mirna: Will My Blog Be Penalized for Duplicate Content?

QUESTION:
“What is the impact on your blog rankings if you take some of the blog posts and repackage them as e-zine articles? Effectively, you are using the content twice. Will my blog rankings be penalized? If so, how much?” — Rob B.

ANSWER:
The duplicate content penalty is used by Google and other major search engines [...]

Ask Mirna: Should I Use an Intern to Manage My Social Media?

QUESTION:
“I met a social media strategist at a networking event last week who recommended I get a summer intern since I don’t have time to manage my social media.  I read your blog and find your tips very helpful and easy to follow.  Would it be possible to please share your opinion on this?” — [...]

“Who’s Blogging What” About Social Media in 2010 eBook from HubSpot

Thanks to HubSpot, you can now have a free download of the “Who’s Blogging What” about social media in 2010 eBook.  Read the collective wisdom of over 30 top marketing bloggers who made predictions for social media in 2010.  My predictions are on page 30, so make sure you take a peek!
You can also read [...]

The 21 Essential C’s of Social Media

To succeed with social media, you must be open-minded enough to embrace its many essential elements. Here are the 21 essential C’s of social media listed in alphabetical order:
1. Caring
The essence of social media is caring.  Consumers want companies they do business with to show that they care enough to listen to their comments, complaints, [...]

99 Favorite Social Media Quotes and Tips

Here are 99 of my favorite social media quotes.  Yes, it is a long post, but it is a fast read, and I am sure you will love every quote!  I would like for us to grow this list together.  Please post any other social media quotes that you absolutely love and want to [...]

5 Social Media Time Wasters and How to Avoid Them

It’s probably not surprising to learn that many people avoid using social media because they think it’s a time waster. You can waste a lot of time on Twitter, Facebook and other such sites if you aren’t careful.
Here are some time wasters and how to steer clear of them:
1. Games. More specifically, game applications. Facebook [...]