What would you think if you visited your favorite store and they were closed? Over time customers develop expectations, and one of them is that your business is open, ready, and willing to serve. If you operate a small business you understand this. You open and close on time, and follow a number of other standard business practices. new expectation is that your business is friendly. It’s a by-product of our social media influenced world. Small businesses take pride in being open even during challenging times. It’s a mark of professionalism. Is your business answering the call? MORE >>

One of the most common concerns for new and experienced bloggers alike is the length of the post. Finding the Right Length. Some folks will not read a blog post that is more than 500 words. That’s understandable, because many of them are puffed up pieces that dance around a topic and never clearly make a point. Blogs where the posts are typically short, because they are racing to be first to report the news, also fall short of expectations. They only give you a taste, thereby sending you away hungry, and on a search for more. Is this what you want for your audience? How about you? MORE >>

Businesses have traditionally dedicated a great deal of effort to staying ahead of the competition. This tends to limit their focus on the variables that are easily matched, such as pricing and features. Business then becomes a measured battle that often leads to a downward spiral, one in which not even the customer wins. While While consumers may get a lower price, they have to deal with companies that are delivering the bare minimum for that price in an effort to remain profitable. That’s what every business should aspire to be – the one that changes the game. Here’s how. MORE >>

One of the best search features to come along in a while for authors of original content is Google Authorship – one that is not particulary well known outside of tech circles. Google Authorship. About Google Authorship. This week I received an email from Google about Google Authorship that suggests they are hoping to take it mainstream. The image above is a partial snapshot of the email that shows one of the most valuable attributes of Google Authorship. When regular folks like me write for popular sites such as Social Media Examiner, our content mostly benefits the site. Everybody wins. MORE >>

Whenever you get behind in any race (assuming you are competitive) – there is a tendency to expend considerable effort to catch up – and that only depletes your resources, thereby pushing you even further behind. Of course, everyone falls behind at some point. This is when you need a new strategy to regain and protect your confidence. If you want to win the race against social media overwhelm, the trick is to have a new plan – one that you can reliably execute to achieve acceptable results. Winners are always assessing their circumstances. Here are three to choose from. MORE >>