Week 14 The best blog posts this week

When I consult with small businesses about their Digital Media Strategies, I'm often met with hesitations like: I'm just doing my job - and while I'm passionate about it, I don't know who else would be! Some aspects of my business are icky - do people want to see that?

There's a lot of buzz lately about brand storytelling. It's one of the hottest content trends in digital marketing, with good reason... Stories can often cut through noise and attract more attention than a down and dirty marketing pitch. Stories often lend themselves to more interesting packaging and imagery.

There are leaders to be found in every industry, from computer software to restaurants and cafes. These leaders come from all walks of life and have a wide range of skills. An emerging leader in the world of marketing are those who focus on generating results through content.

When I rant, it is not a knee-jerk reaction. It is more like a slow burn. Stuff accumulates in my brain until I can't take it any more. And then it breaks loose. Here's the kindling that has started today's fire: Endless "manifestos" about dreaming your way to success and adventure.

To be an influencer, you need to engage with your community. You need to engage with your community to establish trust within it. You want to establish trust so you can influence your community. To be an influencer, your need to influence. Make sense?

So much has been written about how to keep employees off of social media that researchers are starting to study the null argument. Namely, could using social media at work be beneficial? In a recent study published in the Information Systems Journal, the answer is yes.

Can a social media campaign translate into real-life results? It's a valid and particularly relevant question, especially for the not-for-profit industry. With high volumes of paperwork, national and sometimes international teams of volunteers, and donor-based financing, social media tools can be a not-for-profit's best friend when it comes to organizing and staying true to a bottom-line.

If you're a daring, unruly malcontent of a teen, the last place you want to be these days is on Facebook. As much as Zuckerberg probably hates to admit it, Facebook is now the Establishment of social networks, and for kids, that's reason enough to stay away from it.

Companies who have waited to get started with social media still have an opportunity to get started with website updates, social media interaction, blogs, and other digital marketing tactics. Whether you're the owner of a small company, or running a corporation, if bringing your digital marketing in-house isn't an option, working with an agency is an optimum solution.

The following is a summary of my guest article on Steamfeed When we look at how the Social Media revolution is changing all our lives, it can't be only nail-salons, wedding planners, major brands and celebrities who benefit from the new channels to reach their audiences.