Most web-savvy business owners have discovered the power of tapping into social media. But are you going far enough?

Don’t get me wrong, if you are active on the big social networks you’re on the right track. Statistics from Web Fuel revealed that in 2011 50% of Canadians were active social media users. 86% of those had  Facebook accounts, with Twitter and LinkedIn gaining in popularity too.

Check out The Social Habit by Edison Research and you’ll find a similar story in the US, where over 50% of the population have a social network profile. Again, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn come out on top.

If you’re active on all three networks, these stats might reassure you that you’ve got social media covered. But you could still be failing to reach cultures different from your own, which will let you down when it comes to overseas business.

Here are some ideas on how to extend your reach. Continue Reading →

Twitter Followers

“Self-obsessed, potentially dodgy behavior never interacts” sounds like a conversation two women would be having about a bad date. Instead these are descriptions on the Twitter report I received from Twit Clean. Thanks to Owen recommending it in his article “Social Media Noise,” I gave it a try. I’m not a computer whiz, and was just getting the hang of Twitter so I was surprised when it said I was following 1,349.  Where did they come from if I didn’t connect with them? They’re called robots. Once Twit Clean ran the scan, they found 932 of the 1,349 people I was following were in fact twits …my words not theirs.

I was fascinated with the categories Continue Reading →