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Have you ever had clients who weren't yet sold onFacebook? Most people know Facebook could potentially help them grow their businesses, but getting a page set up and managed properly can still be a daunting task for many folks.

First off, you might need to nudge your clients toward acting. When researching your pitch, find examples of similar businesses that have vibrant Facebook presences. Let the clients know what they're missing out on. You can also get their attention by showing them the data on Facebook's exponential user growth and the mind-blowing predictions of continued growth. Here you can even focus on the clients' particular markets. Finally, show them some examples of pages you've helped develop in order to establish your own credibility.

Social Media doesn't work for the vast majority of small businesses.

That was the main message in the USA Today article titled, Study: Social media a bust for small businesses, published on April 17th, 2013. From the news item:"About 61% of small businesses don't see any return on investment on their social-media activities, according to a survey released Tuesday from Manta, a social network for small businesses. Yet, almost 50% say they've increased their time spent on social media, and only 7% have decreased their time. What businesses are trying to get out of social media: 36% said their goal was to acquire and engage new customers, 19% said to gain leads and referrals, and 17% said to boost awareness. Facebook was most cited as the hardest to maintain social-media platform, according to the survey." There is a big lesson in this data...

What you want from social media may be very different from what it is.

I have noticed that when the topic of social network is raised, it usually turns to a discussion of Facebook. Granted it is the biggest player on the planet however it is not the only one.

Ok, at some point in the discussion it may get to Linkedin, Google Plus and Twitter (which by the way is a microblog not a network but it is so widely used it surfaces regardless of what topic is being discussed). The reality is, although these are the “Big Four”, there are so many to choose from and depending on “your fancy” or strategy you may want to develop a presence at other networks as a starting point.

Now that I have planted this seed in your thinking, where do you start? There are so many out there – really. So whatever your passion, go and find your network. If it doesn’t exist, hey create one!

The owner of one of my favourite cafes recently started using Twitter and Facebook. However, when you interact with her business online, you get very little sense of the woman behind it. Her online footprint is polite but, frankly, it lacks personality. In reality, she is a larger than life character who epitomises her brand. She lives and breathes her cafe — and is well known (in real life) for her food, unique decor and events.

She told me: "I just don't want to be in the spotlight. I want people to interact with my business, not with me. I don't want to be the centre of attention."

Fair enough. However, in a world where consumers are bombarded with marketing and advertising messages, some experts believe we are living in an age where personal branding is vital for success. And that means NOT shying away from the spotlight.

Though some forward-thinking businesses are already using Instagram, chances are you aren't yet, and neither are your competitors. With its universal appeal, however, Instagram is not a medium marketers should ignore. And you'd better move quickly if you want to make an impact.

The aptly named world wide web has opened up new methods of marketing for businesses both great and small. The benefits of localizing company websites to target foreign markets are now widely recognized (Common Sense Advisory studies suggest an average return of US$25 for every $1 spent on localization) and many businesses now use social media platforms for domestic marketing, but very few appear to be using those platforms to promote their services abroad.

For example, Econsultancy’s 2010 Social Media and Online PR Report reported that 83% of marketers were planning to increase their spending on social media this year, yet only 26% had plans to run campaigns in more than one country.

Read more: http://bit.ly/MJM7kE

Retweets, you have heard about them, you know what they are but you aren’t gettin’ them.

For some reason you just can’t seem to get the engagement you are seeking, desiring and yearning for in social media and Twitter.

You may be new to Twitter and simply don’t know what the heck you are doing, how to get a retweet or why the retweets even matter. This post won’t teach you what Twitter is but provides good tips for tweetable content which you need regardless if you know what you’re doing or not (joking).

Or you may be a Twitter and social media veteran who just wants to boost your ego, increase your Klout score or simply show off for Grandpa this weekend how popular you are on the social waves?...