Blog

5 Things I learned By Starting Twitter From Scratch

9/17/2014

by Lily Bradic

I’ve been tweeting since 2009, and after attempting (and failing) to use the same Twitter account for personal and professional tweets, I finally decided to separate the two. If you’ve been meaning to join Twitter for a while, or already have an account gathering dust, here’s what you need to know to get through the first week:

Yelp Can Cash In...Court says so!

9/16/2014

by Geoff Gillette

Almost since it first started selling ad space on its website, Yelp has been accused of playing it fast and loose with ratings depending on the size of a customer’s ad buy. The bigger the bankroll, the better your business fared.

Yelp has denied this for pretty much as long as they’ve been accused, with lengthy explanations of how their software isn’t designed for that.

Whichever side you favor in the great debate, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in with a resounding, ‘Yeah, Yelp can do that…nothing wrong with a little negotiating.’

REALLY?

Backstory Offers Less Stuffy Version of LinkedIn

9/15/2014

by Kim Niemi

If you’re a lawyer or financier, you probably have no issues with LinkedIn. The career-minded networking site is perfect when you have a serious job history, with lots of serious details to lay out.

But what about those who have chosen a less conventional career path – one whose seemingly random trajectory is actually the reason for their current success? When the bulk of your work history doesn’t seem to fit in a typical resume, how do you compete in an environment aimed at “typical”?

Using Facebook For Video? You Should Be

9/12/2014

by Lily Bradic

When it’s time to upload a video, most brands head straight for YouTube. And, while there are plenty of good reasons to use the Google-owned video giant, there are also several equally good reasons not to. It’s all about engagement.

Got PR? Here's How You Shouldn't Announce It

9/12/2014

by Mary C. Long

The next time you (or the PR firm you've retained) manage to land a mention in a fantastically popular publication, you might be tempted to (or advised to) create a "news" post for your website with a sentence or two linking back to the piece.

Don't.

Here's why (and don’t worry - what you MUST do instead will follow):*

Did You Know Third-party Apps Gossip About You?

9/11/2014

by Mary C. Long

Tailoring your News Feed to your interests and likes has been a core concept of Facebook since its early beginnings. But have you noticed that now, when Facebook recommends a store, brand, film, etc., it also lets you know which of your friends like it, too?

When that happens, do you scratch your head and say to yourself, “Well, how do they know what my friends like?”

Think Vine Is Useless? Think Again

9/10/2014

by Lily Bradic

When small businesses think about using Vine, the most common objection is that six seconds isn’t very long. And while that’s true, it’s also one of the best reasons to use it.

Four Ways To Lose Facebook Followers

9/10/2014

by Mary C. Long

Much like the Paul Simon song, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” there are probably that many ways and more to drive traffic AWAY from your page.

Building up a following on Facebook is an intricate balance between posting things of interest, fostering engagement and giving your followers a reason to keep you in their News Feeds. It is a delicate house of cards — and the wrong social media wind can bring destruction.

Like this:

Naked Celebrities and Moral Relativism

9/9/2014

by Geoff Gillette

Everyone from the mainstream media to social media has been abuzz over the hundreds of nude celebrity photos stolen and leaked onto a number of websites. While the origin seems to have been 4chan, Reddit has garnered a lot of attention over the issue.

But did they do the right thing for the wrong reason?

Which Businesses Should Love Facebook’s Clickbait Algorithm

9/4/2014

by Lisa Cabral

Facebook is at it again. This time they’re changing their algorithm to improve the content that people see in their newsfeeds. This is great for regular users, but may not be so great for your business.