I am amazed by how many small businesses do not utilize social media to the maximum.  Think about it: social media, like the internet two decades ago, allows any business to compete with larger, more established entities.  Come on, what are you waiting for?
What further amazes me is how few small businesses maximize their presence [...]

Social media is a fascinating and new medium for businesses.  If done right, social media can be an incredibly viral way of spreading the word about your company, brand, or product.  However, because of its “viral” nature, companies are learning the hard way that social media can amplify the good, and the bad, about your company and/or [...]

A few days ago I wrote a guest blog post entitled “Social Media Was Not Created for Business…So Stop Selling to Us!”  With all of the talk about how companies need to get more “social,” all I see are a barrage of new “Follow Us on Twitter” or “Join Our Facebook Fan Page” advertisements.  As [...]

As the year comes to a close, it is time to look back, before looking forward to 2010, at all of the informative and insightful blog posts that the world has created in the past 365 days concerning LinkedIn.  LinkedIn itself, while beginning 2009 at a slow start, ended the year announcing 50 million members, [...]

When I began blogging about LinkedIn, I felt that there was a lack of information regarding utilizing LinkedIn in the blogosphere.  I have done my best to fill the gap, especially concerning the restrictions that you meet but don’t realize until you hit them!  This has evolved into my popular blog posts on using LinkedIn [...]

Image via CrunchBase

When I was in the Bay Area recently I had the good fortune to find my way into attending my first Tweetup that was organized by a company.  A Tweetup organized by a company?  Yes, I know it sounds weird, especially considering how organic and spontaneous Tweetups can be.  But, just as with [...]

I spent last week in the Bay Area, attending networking events and speaking at the Cool Twitter Conference.  I always love going to San Francisco because there is something inherently networking-friendly to the place and its people.  I always tell friends how different cities seem to have their own unique “networking culture,” and San Francisco [...]

An old friend recently sent me a question about the meaning of one’s Contact Settings on LinkedIn.  I should say it is more of a frustration and a LinkedIn complaint than a question, but here it is:
“Why do people bother writing that they are open to “business opportunities” on LinkedIn – if they never return [...]

Come on, I don’t really want you to write me one, but there has been unprecedented chatter about LinkedIn recommendations in blogging circles these days.  And I want to put everything in perspective to confirm whether or not LinkedIn recommendations really have value.
It was Jeremiah Owyang who started the debate.  Jeremiah is a renowned web strategist, [...]

Today’s blog post has been contributed by Breanne Cooley, the editor of my upcoming book “Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn.”
“How’s the job search going?” “Network, network, network!” “Hang in there!”
Those are the words every frustrated job seeker hears over and over from their friends and family. In fact, those [...]