We learn through everything we do, and our experiences influence what we try and what we repeat. When something new comes along, we view it with either enthusiasm or skepticism—and in some cases a bit of both.

If you’re a business owner feeling like everyone around you is already fully immersed in social media and ‘getting it’, it’s intimidating to take those first steps or even ask for help. How do you hire a social media company when you’re not versed in it? What are you supposed to look for? What do you ask? How do you not embarrass yourself so they reject you before even knowing you? OMG, can’t we just go back to direct mail?

Are you sick of business blogging? Do you feel like you brain is empty and out of ideas for blog posts? This is a common feeling. (I know I, personally, have often felt this way.) The reality is that the web is full of too many great ideas and different types of content, that you should never run out of things to blog about, regardless of your industry. When it comes to blogging well and often, it usually comes down to how you see ideas and how well you explain them in a way that matters to your audience.

Do you read messages from friends and do they read your emails? If “yes,” then you know the best ways to generate click-throughs. Here are some strategies to generate click-throughs that don't involve loud, flashing “click me” links.

Many businesses are struggling to make sense of Twitter, but even if it strikes you as an enigma or hype, consider this: many of your customers are already there.

A compelling, active Facebook fan page should be an integral part of your marketing plans. With its 350 million users and average daily session time of 25 minutes, Facebook provides an exceptional opportunity for visibility, Google indexing, live search ability, and fan engagement—whether you’re a solopreneur, a large brand or anywhere in between.

Instead of watching the train wreck hurt your brand, here are warning signs of a weak social media strategy that you need to be aware of before things really get bad.

Many small business owners falsely believe that the more technical you are, the more readily you should be able to use social media.

We’re sick of the self-promotional ego machinations. The brands we love, come with a personality, authenticity, and unique point of view.

Like many progressive marketers, you believe that social media has the potential to propel your business to the next level. You discuss its merits with your friends and your co-workers — but you just can’t seem to get things moving.