In my opinion one of the most basic cornerstones to any social media engagement strategy is to find a real and authentic connection that can be made with a target audience.

Well, it's certainly been an interesting year for us, and I expect, for many other small and medium businesses.  While the "big guys" were making the headlines with bailouts, TARP payments, and all the rest of it, entrepreneurs and small business leaders have been burning the midnight oil to keep the doors open, with unfortunately little help from the top.

But hey, if there's one thing we know how to do, it's persevere. It's part of our DNA.

Here's yet another cautionary tale of how your efforts to create positive word of mouth online can really backfire if you don't take the time to learn your way around these communities.  On the other hand, it illustrates some simple things we can all strive for in building relationships online. 

I heard a fascinating story on NPR yesterday about the ubiquitous “star-based” online product ratings.  They cited a recent survey by Bazaarvoice Inc.  Bazaarvoice provides review software used by nearly 600 sites, and according to this survey the average online product review is 4.3 stars out of 5.  (Thanks to The Daily Beast blog for helping me find the original source of the review).

I'm always all sorts of calls and emails about social media, many of which sound something like this: “I know I’m supposed to be using (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.) but I just don’t get it.”

As 2009 continues in a rush of bailouts and budget cuts, taxes and tea parties, it's clear that it will take more than just a positive attitude to ensure your business goes "above and beyond" this year. It will take focus, careful budgeting and results-oriented marketing efforts.

In that spirit, in this issue I'd like to offer:
Three things to do before you hire a designer or an agency, that could save you thousands of dollars.

Our businesses face some unique challenges today. But I believe the true fundamentals of branding and marketing are the same in any economy. This, more than any other factor, gives me confidence that we will recover, grow, and prosper in the months and years ahead.

I had a great discussion yesterday with a new client that got me thinking about strategy - why it's important and why it's been at times maligned or misunderstood.

I'll be the first to say that I've seen marketing strategy be an endless process of research and "thinking about" work rather than getting the show on the road, and in that context it gets a (well-deserved) bad rap. But the reality is that, done correctly, strategy is a vital foundation to everything we do afterward.