Email newsletters–when well-written, visually stimulating and informative–are a cost-effective way to communicate with an audience. A few simple steps can help extend the life of an e-newsletter, compounding the return for your effort to create emails that people will actually open. Read more »

Wetpaint, a service that allows you to create your own social Web site and Altimeter Group, a digital strategy company, recently released a report on the value of social media engagement. The numbers are in; carving out a social media niche for your brand pays dividends.

There are too many social media platforms to count and more are emerging every day. How do you know where you need to be? What are the rules of engagement? First and foremost, determine the reason for incorporating social media into your business plan. Do you want to increase sales, raise awareness or test new ideas? Once you’ve got a goal in mind, it’s time to figure out where your audience is.

“Listening” is a great way to get started finding your audience and carving out a social media niche for your business. If you don’t already know, ask your customers which social media platforms they are using and start exploring them.

Once you’re ready to dive in, the most important thing to remember is be authentic. Be up front about who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish. And remember that social media are not just new broadcasting channels; they are designed to be interactive. So go forth and post, tweet, friend and comment your way toward a niche for your business.