Ever since Facebook first applied the reply function to comments on pages, many admins were a little frustrated that the comments weren't in chronological order.

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.

You know about Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You might be using them every day for business and consider yourself a social media professional.

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.

It could make us more willing to express how we feel. Or you could say it over-simplies our complex moods and lives. But today the Facebook status update box began offering the option to “share how you’re feeling or what you’re doing” through a drop-down menu of emoticons and media. We’re entering a more structured era of communication, where both friends and big data know exactly how we tick.

Facebook began testing the new sharing options in January, but only released screenshots. Now it appears the feature has been given to a much wider audience. It’s likely the beginning of a global or at least US or English language rollout. I’ve contacted Facebook for details. Most mentions I’ve seen of the feature have been from the US, and many note the similarity to an old Myspace mood sharing option.

I’m an infrequent runner. Sometimes I’ll run if I have to chase down a paper that blew out of my hand. Or to chase down Shadow when he gets away from me. Or perhaps I’m late to get somewhere, so I’ll do this kinda run/kinda fast walk thing. But I call it running. It makes me feel more…athletic.

But, no. I’m not a runner. At all. I’ve tried, and I can’t get into it. Sure, I’d be better off in some ways if I ran. But I also know I would pay for it in the knees.

Visual Social Media Marketing: learn how to share more visual content and create a visual conversation with your audience.

Have you noticed more photos on social networks?

Do you have a visual component as part of your social media marketing strategy?

Do you need some help in getting started or maintaining momentum in sharing more visual content and in creating a visual conversation with your audience?

I keep hearing about a problem on social media, so I sat down to write this post to help both those suffering from repeated requests for “favors”, and those who make them.  It’s perhaps not the “help” those making the requests were asking for, but it should help them.  Please do take this unsolicited advice in the spirit of future success and friendships, both online and offline.

A new study shows that Facebook users' perceptions differ from their reality. Most users have a larger reach than they think.

Social networks are captivating – there’s no doubt. The minds behind building the popular social media platforms of today knew exactly what they were doing and they saw it before any of us ever did. It’s a brilliant idea really – create a medium that allows people from all over the world to connect, share and collaborate like they never have been able to before in the history of the Earth. Incredible!

But an unforeseen (or potentially foreseen, but ignored) consequence is addiction. Social networks have been so good at “helping” us, but now they’re hindering us. From what you might ask? Well, ask your friends, family, parents, even children what they think. And although it is often joked about, it isn’t a joking matter.

Small businesses that use Facebook to get the word out and promote their companies should check out a new report from Buddy Media, a social ad-management software provider. The report is drawn from the company’s analysis of 200 clients’ Facebook posts over a two-week period, in addition to the comments and “likes” spurred by those posts.

The report contains a number of good takeaways, including its findings on post length. It found that Facebook posts containing 80 or fewer characters had 27 percent higher engagement rates than longer posts. (You’re not the only one who struggles to be brief: Just 19 percent of all posts analyzed were that short.)

Need a Twésumé?

Get Twesumator.Generate résumé tweets automatically with Twesumator.

How quickly can you summarize your life in 140 characters succinctly and poignantly while conforming to the tweet algebra?

Twesumator, the new tweet automation tool, generates twesumes automatically from click-and-go user input without compromising the parameters and efficacy of a tweet.

Stand out as a candidate on Twitter.
Use Twesumator today.

In Facebook's quest to generate more revenue, it's going to muck up your News Feed with auto-playing videos, the FT reports.

Facebook is set to launch video advertising in its newsfeed in July...

Get smarter with social sharing in 2013 and learn how to add social updates from anywhere.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn can be found in the majority of social media management apps. It is with Google+ that things get a little bit more complicated: very few social media tools support it due to some technical challenges.

However, most social media managers would prefer a solution that would allow them posting to all social networks in one place, Google+ including.

In this post, you’ll find reference to all tools that are to date integrated with Google+. We’ll bring small business editions to a special focus and review social tools that (1) support Google+ and (2) the ones you can use for free or under $10 a month.

Social media is one of the most effective ways for you and your business to get more traffic and generate new leads. Having a presence on all the major networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is a necessity these days for any business. But what tools are the social media gurus actually using to manage these multiple accounts?

How do you find the time for social media? This is the question I get asked probably more than any other.

I have four lovely children, a demanding job, a wife with a successful career and more. So how do I find the time to tweet, blog, share, and comment?

The answer is simple: I make the time for social media because I think it’s important.

I believe that business people in general, and marketers especially, have an obligation to do more than just consume content or share other people’s content, but to become a content creator and to contribute to your work and your life.

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.

Here's our admittedly tongue in cheek list of reasons your small businesses still might not be using Pinterest. Join in the fun.

Recent reports suggest Pinterest is well on its way to being one of the biggest social networks ever.

A study last month indicates that while Facebook still maintains its domination with 67 percent of American Internet users, Twitter, the second runner up with 16 percent of the same audience, may soon be overtaken by Pinterest, which now has about 15 percent.

Do you run contests on Facebook?

Would you like to make your next Facebook contest stand out?

This article will give you 4 ideas to improve your next Facebook contest.

Why Facebook Contests?

Facebook contests are a popular way for you to get your audience engaged and excited about your brand. More and more companies have adopted the use of Facebook contests to better track participation and engagement.