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After Google started changing the search game a couple of years back, there’s been a lot of discussion about blogging “authority.” Now, plenty of people throw around the term indiscriminately. But what does being an authority within a given blogging niche look like? And, how do you get there with your business blog?

If you examine the most well-known A-list bloggers, you’ll find several traits and characteristics in common:

They communicate with authority. Just about any known authority blogger will agree that the biggest names out there are not necessarily the ones who know the most about their chosen niche. Part of what sets them apart from the rest is how they give over the knowledge and observations that they do have. Now, there is a paper-thin fine line between talking with authority and sounding like a know-it-all. To find that balance just keep this in mind: someone who is truly an authority in a particular subject won’t try so hard to get others to acknowledge it, and he or she will be open to further knowledge and understanding. Having a question, needing help, or even making a mistake won’t seem threatening.

They are connected to other authority bloggers. The top bloggers in any given niche know each other, work with each other, and promote each other’s work- even if they seem to have competing websites. Unless you are working in a hyper small niche, there is enough of an Internet traffic pie that you don’t have to worry about another site stealing your traffic. On the contrary, there is definitely strength in numbers, and you’ll frequently see top bloggers mentioning, promoting, working with, and in general supporting other top bloggers.

They have large follower numbers across channels. Take a look at the online social profiles of successful bloggers and you’ll no doubt see that they have an active presence on several different platforms and mediums and a pretty significant following in each. Now, obviously, what constitutes as “large” will really depend on your niche, so take that into consideration. Also, I suspect that many top bloggers hand over some of their social media maintenance to their hired staff or virtual assistants.

They have Klout. Put simply, it’s not just that people share your content, it’s also that those who share your content are influential in their own respects and have large followings themselves.

Their content is about relevant and timely issues. Top bloggers know their audience really well. They know what topics to discuss and how to discuss them. They also excel at content curation, using services such as Paper.li and Scoop.it.

They know where to promote their content, products, or services to get the biggest impact. The minute a successful authority blogger has a new product, service, or announcement to promote, he or she just sends out a few emails and instantly has recommendations and several links back to his or her site. This last trait is really a build up from all the points above, and it allows the blogger to instantly get targeted, quality traffic to his or her site.

In short, being an authority business blogger involves having the right mindset, realizing the importance of networking with other bloggers and being in touch with the needs and wants of your target audience. Understand this, and you’ll rise up in the ranks of blogging authority in no time flat.

Have you spent a tremendous amount of time, effort, or money (or all of the above) trying to make Internet marketing work for your small business, but have nothing to show for it? Do you look at the web and scratch your head wondering what all the fuss is about? Do you have an “unsexy” business (are you a plumber, an electrician, a tree trimmer, etc) and think that Internet marketing is just not for your kind of company?

If you fit any of these descriptions, then this post is for you.

I know that there is a lot of frustration, confusion, and skepticism floating around among business owners when it comes to all things Internet marketing. At best, you see Internet marketing as a needless distraction, at worst, a bottomless money pit.

I really don’t blame any of you. There are a lot of conflicting messages, changing trends, technology, and platforms to sift through. And, hey, at the end of the day, you’ve got a business to run. Shouldn’t that be your priority?

I hear you.

But realize, you may be making a very big mistake by not including the Internet in the way you market your business and communicate with your customers, and this mistake can be costing you a lot of potential sales.

Why?

Because the way people are making purchasing decisions has changed, and it has really changed for just about any kind of purchase a person could make- whether it’s a product or a service, a big ticket item or a small accessory. 

Are Your Customers are Leading Connected Lives?

Even if you personally don’t spend much time online, it’s hard to deny the increasing prevalence and reliance of the Internet. How many people almost instinctively turn to the Internet for an answer they have simply forgotten, or asked for directions, or gotten a review for a product or service?

But, people aren’t just looking for information or entertainment, they are literally uploading their lives one picture and video at a time. They are also using the web for their sensitive data (think: online banking), their work-related documents and files, and their music collections.

I know all these examples may seem random and unrelated. But that’s my point. It’s the ubiquity that small businesses owners of all stripes cannot afford to ignore. Because most importantly, consumers are using the Internet and relying on their social networks in various ways to decide what to buy, when, and from whom.

You have to be where your customers are so that they can find you. That’s just common sense. It’s Marketing 101. If you don’t make yourself accessible in this medium, at least in the most basic ways, then you can’t expect your connected customers to even know you exist. 

What Are the Essentials In Internet Marketing for a Small Business?

That said, I know that many businesses have looked into Internet marketing but then walked away either because they couldn’t “figure it out,” and/or they couldn’t afford to pay people to help them with their campaigns. So, I’m going to go through the most basic elements that any small business will need for their online marketing:

1. Local Search. If you run a brick and mortar business, make sure you are listed with the local online search directories and that the information listed there is accurate and current. Here’s a post with some good local search resources. Just make sure that your local search includes a Google+ account.

2. Put Up a Decent Website. I’m not going to go into the essential elements of a good business website. Here’s a post that does a pretty good job with that. Just, please realize that in almost every case, you do need your own site (it really doesn’t cost a lot of money to set up and maintain. We’re talking about $50 to $60 a year). Try to stay away from the free website services. It just makes your business look cheap. Also, don’t rely on social networking platforms, such as Facebook and Google+, to be your blog. If you do something they don’t like or if they make a major platform change, you could end up loosing everything.

3. Pick ONE or TWO Social Media Platforms. Don’t buy into the hype surrounding all the social media platforms out there. You really don’t have to be on all of them or even several of them. BUT, you should pick one or two places where you feel comfortable AND where you can likely reach your customers. Don’t just jump into a platform, either. Take some time to look around and figure out what will be the most appropriate for you and your business, and  start building up a following.

I know that this is a very short list. I’ve left out things like content marketing, other forms of online advertising, such as PPC, email marketing or building up an engaged subscriber list. But, before you can even get to these things the three elements mentioned above have to be in place. You can, and in many cases, should expand your Internet marketing strategies beyond these three areas. They are initial stepping stones to give you some foundation as you branch out. Internet marketing is for every business, but you have to approach it correctly to get the results.

Have you ever walked in to a store intending to buy one or two things and then walked out with five other items? Have you ever gotten home, looked at your purchases, and wondered what you were thinking? Chances are pretty high that you’ve fallen for some old retailing tricks that subtly encourage you to purchase much more than you planned to. 

Just what are those “tricks,” you ask? Here are eight of the most popular retail pricing and promotion strategies designed to get people to part with their money. The next time you go shopping in a retail store or order a meal out, see how many of these strategies you can spot: 

1. Prices that end in 9, 99, or 95

Ever wonder why so many items end in 99 cents? Do the stores really think that a penny will tip the scales of a purchasing decision? Well, actually they do. Known as “charm prices,” prices ending in 9, 99, or 95 make items appear cheaper than they really are. Since people in the Western world read from left to right, they are more likely to register the first number and make an instant decision as to whether the price is reasonable.

2. Prices without dollar signs

Ever been to a restaurant that leaves the dollar signs off its menus? They’re trying to make you spend more. In a Cornell study, the guests who were given a menu with only numbers and no dollar signs spent significantly more than those who received a menu with either prices showing a dollar sign or prices written out in words. Like the strategy above, retailers are hoping customers won’t associated the stated number with money, and thus will be more comfortable running up a larger tab. 

3. Dollars without cents

If you ever see a price tag or a menu where then prices are in rounded dollars, the retailer or restauranteur is sending the message that you’re in a high-end place. They are trying to imply: if you’re concerned about pocket change, then this isn’t the purchase for you.

4. The bulk sales trick

Stores often advertise deals like buy 10 items for $10 or 5 for $20. The goal is to get shoppers to buy the full number of items stated in the sale. These days, many shoppers may psychologically feel better about a purchase if they buy in bulk, because they may feel like they just maximized their savings. But if you know that you really don’t need those 10 items, then realize that often you don’t have to buy in bulk to get the deal.

5. Per-customer limits

When stores add limits to product promotions, like “limit 5 per customer,” they are tapping into some pretty powerful psychological motivators. People will be more likely to act when they feel a desired product is scarce and the deal is exceptionally good. Many shoppers fall for this one and end up buying several items instead of just buying the one that’s needed. 

6. The “free” promotion

Who doesn’t like free things? Retailers know that these days in particular “free” is the magic word. Those buy-one-get-one-free deals, free gifts with purchase, or even free shipping can sometimes be pretty irresistible and we can end up buying things we didn’t plan on purchasing.

7. Simple prices

In a strategy that differs a bit from the prices that end in 9’s or 5’s, retailers sometimes put simple prices on products that will likely be marked down in the future so that shoppers can quickly calculate how much they’re saving. It’s easy to compute the discount on a product originally priced at $60 that now costs $40, rather than an item originally priced at $59.99, now on sale for $37.99. 

8. Price Font Size

This one seems a bit counter-intuitive. Marketing professors at Clark University and The University of Connecticut found that consumers perceive sale prices to be a better value when the price is written in a small font as opposed to large, bold typeface. The reason: the larger the font, the bigger the price seems!

 

If you are thinking about starting a new business or you are already in those early growth stages, then you’ve probably heard about the importance of writing up a good business plan. While having this collection of research, projections, goals, and strategies is very important, what many small business experts and consultants fail to mention is that chances are this plan will be pretty irrelevant a few years or even a few months down the road.

Nothing is Set in Stone

One of the unspoken “rules” of running a business is that you’ll probably end up doing things that you didn’t plan to at the beginning. It’s very common for business owners to change course along the way. Sometimes these changes are small; other times really big. Some of the changes are pleasant, others a bit painful. But as long as you approach these pot holes and detours with openness, flexibility, and the desire to work things out, you’ll come out on top.

The key is balance. Earlier this week I saw this video that chronicles how IMAX was able to use their setbacks and potholes along the way to totally adapt it’s business model. In the end the company was able to fit both the needs and realities of the film production industry and the movie theater industry. 

Over the past few years they’ve totally transformed the way they do business, but it’s clear that they’ve never swerved from their goal of making IMAX movies an accepted, prevalent, and profitable movie standard.

IMAX may be a big company, but the process that they went through to reach the point where they are today can be applied to just about any company regardless of the business’ size or industry.

If you are keeping the lines of communication open between you and your customers as well as your business partners and peers, then you can’t help but learn things that you never would have known otherwise, and you will realize that you have to respond to these things.

An Erasable Business Plan?

But if your plans will inevitably change, then why make such an effort to plan things out in the first place? Why not just jot down a few token notes and ideas so that you can quickly scrap the previous plan with a clear conscious and start totally anew?

The advantage of writing up a plan that can then be edited and erased is that you’ll still see all the cross outs and eraser marks- a silent testimony to all the twists and turns along the way. And that’s important, because you don’t want to lose the thread of where you’ve come from. That thread keeps you connected to your overriding business goals, and those objectives you don’t want to indiscriminately forget.

In short, as long as you are open to learning along the way, you take the time to refocus when those changes in course creep up, and you head into your business decisions with an overall plan in mind, then chances are good that you’ll go very far in your business.

 

Effective inventory management is one of the keys to running a profitable business, and yet it amazes me how out of touch some business owners can be about the flow of products in and out of their companies.

Inventory management is all about balance and flexibility. If you buy too much inventory, too often, then it can eat up your working capital and erode profits: capital is tied up in your unsold items, warehousing can get expensive and inventory that sits too long on a shelf is subject to damage, depreciation, and obsolescence. On the other hand, you don’t want to start running out of your most popular items. At the very least, you may lose those particular sales, at the worst, you’ll loose customers.

That said, here are four aspects of good inventory management that all small business owners should follow:

1. Conducting inventory projections.  Start with some decent projections of how much supply you’ll need and when you’ll need it. The best gauge is what you’ve sold in the past. If you’ve sold 100 items per month for the past 12 months, chances are that you’ll need 100 this month. Then there’s seasonality: Do you usually see a fourth quarter spike with holiday sales? Or, if you’re in the home and garden business, do you see more activity in the spring selling season? 

2. Set up a good system to track inventory. If you are dealing with a lot of inventory then you shouldn’t be relying on an Excel spreadsheet. Using electronic data interchange (EDI) and bar code scanning can help eliminate the data entry errors that can happen during receiving and during order fulfillment. They can also alert you to instances of theft. But, that’s not enough. You should also make it a point to spot test your inventory counts. This practice, called “cycle counting,” involves choosing a few items a week and comparing the inventory record to the actual count. Any best selling items should get counted more often.

3. Get the right tools in place. Aside from the scanning tools mentioned above you can use accounting software suites such as Quickbooks or Peachtree to both track and get a dollar value for your inventory and have all of this information in one central database. If you are running a retail operation, there are Point of Sale (POS) Systems, such as AccuPos, that work directly with Quickbooks and Peachtree. Alternatively, you can opt for a separate POS system, such as Shopkeep.com.

4. Back it Up. Unless you are using a cloud-based inventory management system, you need to backup any inventory data. Your backup plan can simply consist of saving critical inventory data to a removable thumb drive. You could also use online backup services, such as Symantec.

5. Set up Clear Policies. When it comes to inventory management, you can have the best equipment and set up in place, but if no one follows company procedures, then it will all be worth nothing. Thus, you need try to come up with inventory policies and procedures and then make an effort to ensure that your employees are following them. For example, what happens to a returned product that cannot be returned to the shelf? How is it recorded?

As you go about allocating your online marketing dollars, you may wonder at some point if you should be pouring money into a Google AdWords campaign, or trying your luck with Facebook advertising. Though Facebook gets a lot of negative press- especially among smaller businesses looking for ROI on their Facebook presence- there are plenty of signals that the social network is aiming to be a significant player in the online marketing space. In short, you may not want to pass over it so quickly. So, if your marketing budget is tight where should you focus your funds and your efforts? The answer is that it really depends on the setup and goals of your business.

While AdWords is better for targeting people and receiving click-throughs, the whole idea behind Facebook marketing is actually participating in the social experience and building a recognizable brand. In fact, the two networks fulfill two very different goals. Both Adwords and Facebook give advertisers the ability to target their ads to a specific geographic location and include other variables, such as demographic data. But, that is where the similarities end.

If your main goal is to get your ads in front of online users who may already be looking for the kinds of products you offer, or something related, then Google AdWords is your best option. AdWords ads are targeted to people online based on data that’s been collected from their online profile, searches, and browsing history- details that speak volumes about their interests. Moreover, if someone has visited your website before, you can create ads to target those people as they browse through other, similar websites- a process known as “retargeting.”

With Adwords, when people are looking for specific solutions and/or specific information online, your job is meet that demand by bidding on the right keywords, creating compelling ad copy, and setting up an effective landing page.

With Facebook, on the other hand, the data provided in members’ profiles and activity across the network is used to help target ads. Over the past year or so, Facebook has been introducing a series of easy-to-use apps and features, such as Promoted Posts, Sponsored Stories, analytics capabilities, and hyper targeting that can greatly enhance a small business’ marketing return. Another attractive benefit to using Facebook advertising is that it’s a lot lighter on the budget since most of the marketing can be handled organically- you just have to factor in the added time to engage with others on the platform.

If you are primarily looking to increase your brand awareness and online visibility, Facebook may be the way to go. Brand awareness is built by establishing lasting relationships, and one of the best places to do this is in social networks like Facebook.

So the bottom line here is: If you’re selling a specific product or service that enough people are searching for online and you are looking to simply pay some money for advertising and essentially walk away from it, then Google may be for you. On the other hand, if you want to expand your branding efforts and build relationships with your customers, then Facebook may actually beat out Google as your platform of choice.

(Image Credit)

Forget about what the media has been saying. If it feels like bank lending to small businesses has been on a decline over the last few years, it’s because it is really happening. Surprisingly though, this decline extends way beyond the past few years. According to data collected by the FDIC, small loans (those under $1 million) made to small companies have been a decreasing fraction of all bank loans for the past 15 years.

It’s an interesting find considering that the media has been quick to point fingers at the recent recession as the cause behind the sluggish small business lending rates. But if the recession isn’t to blame, then what is?

The answer is probably a few things. Scott Shane, over at Small Business Trends offers three possible reasons:

1. Many big banks have gotten into the nasty habit of “securitizing” their loans, which basically means they’ve been making gobs of money by bundling loan products into bonds that can then be sold to third parties. Since small business loans tend to be unattractive as securitized products go, the banks have opted to reduce the number of these loans in favor or more securitizing-friendly loans. 

2. A lot of small business lending happens at smaller, community focused banks. The problem is that over the past several years there’s been an overall consolidation of the banking industry and a lot of smaller banks have either closed down or were merged into bigger banks. With fewer small banks available to lend to small companies, the lending rate naturally went down.

3. Lastly, the banking industry has become more openly interested in bragging rights and a bloated bottom line then in the customers their supposedly serving. Part of the shift in lending may be due to the fact that banks are simply focusing on their most profitable loans- you’ve got it, those over $1 million. These loans loans tend to be more profitable because they can rake in the revenues faster. 

These reasons definitely seem plausible, but there may be a few more as well:

• It could be that for a variety of reasons small businesses are just seeking fewer bank loans. There has been a burgeoning of sorts of outsourcing and strategic partnerships over the past few years- both of which can effectively reduce operating costs. Smaller businesses have also been having a harder time trying to make a profit- especially over the last few years as costs in employment and healthcare have skyrocketed. Thus, they may be wary about taking on additional debt.

 

• Over the past decade, alternative, non-bank financing companies, such as cash advance companies and accounts receivables factors, have stepped into the small business loan space. A fair about of small business lending is now being done by these alternative private lenders as well as credit unions, private banks, leasing companies, and private investors doing debt financing. Typically, these financing options are more flexible and easier to attain than your run of the mill small business bank loan so small businesses may simply be bringing their business elsewhere.

• Finally, many more businesses may just be unable to meet the banks’ lending requirements and are thus not being accepted for financing. This lack of attractiveness may not just be a result of lower sales or poor credit (though they are probably playing a part). It could also be due in part to a broader shift towards intangible assets rather then tangible ones, as well as businesses sporting more flexible (i.e. less stable and known) setups- a situation that makes it harder to assess the risk of extending financing.

Whatever the case, the trend towards fewer bank loans for small businesses is an undeniable reality, and it’s something to consider if you plan on heading to the bank in search of financing for your small company.

Even though most topics in business tend to be rather technical and dry, the truth is a business is a lot like a living organism. It’s why many organic terms, such as growth, development, and maturity have found their way into the business vocabulary. An implicit aspect of the organic business model is that you have to make sure that your business gets what it needs to survive and thrive or else it will just whither away.

But, how can you tell if your business is being nurtured enough? Here are 10 factors to be on the lookout for that can quickly stunt the growth and development of your business:

1. You’re too focused on short-term gain. At their core, many of the factors below really can be traced back to a lack of long range foresight. Business owners end up eying instant payouts and in the process compromise on their long term gain. Sometimes this happens because the owners are too financially dependent on their business’ performance; other times owners just aren’t considering the long-term ramifications of the decisions (or lack of decisiveness) they are making today.

2. You have no or limited access to outside financing. If you don’t have ready access to funds- whether it’s a line of credit, a business loan, or even a pool of your personal financial resources- then you will have any extremely hard time growing and developing your business. You won’t have the capital needed to cover a cash shortfall and you won’t have the money to invest in necessary equipment, supplies, and even additional workers.

3. You’re not investing enough in your employees. Your employees make your business go round. If your employee satisfaction is at an all-time low, then it will hold your business back in several ways: your employees will be less productive, they’ll be less likely to offer their ideas about how to do things better and they will in general take less initiative on the job; their dissatisfaction will also effectively push customers away.

4. You’re not investing enough in your equipment and furnishings. Your physical assets, such as equipment and furniture, will eventually, become outdated, obsolete, or just plain too old to be put into service. If you don’t make a sufficient effort to revamp or replace those assets that have gone past their prime, then you may be exposing your business to an assortment of added expenses, such as repair costs, down time and lost productivity.

5. You’re not paying enough attention to the competition. There are two main reasons why you will be missing out by not looking at what your competitors are doing: looking at the strengths and weaknesses of these companies and how this is effecting their performance can give you vital information about your target market’s preferences; you can also use the information you get about your competition to help you differentiate your products and services from those of your competitors.

6. You aren’t cultivating customer feedback. If you aren’t actively trying to get your customers to tell you how they are feeling about your business as well as what the overall customer experience is like, then you are missing out on a golden opportunity to improve your business and strengthen customer engagement and loyalty.

7. You aren’t delegating enough. If you want your business to grow then that automatically includes bringing in other people to help you run your operations. These people will take care of the tasks that you have neither the time, interest, nor the expertise to complete. There are several ways to delegate jobs: You can give your current employees more autonomy and input; you can hire additional workers to complete certain roles: you can hire contractual workers for specific jobs.

8. You aren’t reaching out to other businesses and professionals. Similar to the factor mentioned above, if you are not actively perusing a bit of synergy with other business and/ professionals, then you may be missing out on countless, amazing opportunities to expand your reach ( via co-promotion), reduce costs (via group purchasing), and increase your product or service offerings via some strategic partnership.

9. You are not paying enough attention to industry trends. The minute you take your eye off the road, you are susceptible to crashing. If you don’t have your eyes and earns trained on key market and industry trends, then you will be setting yourself up to miss the boat on significant industry shifts and leave a wide opening for competitors to gain valuable market share.

10. You have a negative attitude. Last, but certainly not least, your own attitude can hold your business back big time. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you are putting out negative vibes, if you are cynical, argumentative, and unyielding then rest assured your employees and customers will pick up on it and send that same negative energy right back at you. That is most definitely not the kind of environment that will foster your business’ growth and development.

Now that the 2013 tax season has gotten into high gear, you may be considering using the services of an accountant- whether to help you with your tax preparation or to get your financial reporting in order.

But where and how should you start looking for the right candidate? Making a poor choice with a hired accountant can cause more headache and end up costing you more money than many of your other employees can because this person will have the ability to access and manipulate any sensitive financial data. So how do you find the right accountant for the job, especially if your knowledge of finance and accounting is limited?

Here are ten questions every small business owner should ask a prospective accountant before bringing this person on board:

1. Who are your clients and what industries are you familiar with? You want to be certain that your accountant understands your type of business and has experience working with clients within your industry. Companies in the construction industry, for example, will have a different setup and methods of operation that includes dealing with contractors and buying heavy machinery, than a restaurant or a store that may be dealing with tips and perishable inventory.

2. What is your availability? Are you looking for an accountant or an accounting firm to only help come tax time or are you looking for year-round help? Make sure that your accountant of choice follows the same schedule that you are looking for.

3. What are your qualifications? One of the things that you will need to determine before you go about hiring an accountant is what you expect to get out of the arrangement. Many financial experts suggest that small businesses hire a certified public accountant (CPA), because CPAs must go through rigorous certification requirements and will likely have more experience with broader financial planning issues. But, you have other options, such as an Enrolled Agent (EA). EAs are certified by the federal government specifically to handle taxes and are often former IRS agents with extensive experience dealing with audits. In some cases, a bookkeeper or professional tax preparer will be more than adequate.

4. Who will be doing the work? Be aware that many accountants outsource work to third parties. This can become an issue if you want to speak to someone who is familiar with your accounts. If you are working with an accounting firm, you should also find out who exactly will be processing your financial data.

5. What is your approach to accounting? 
You want to find out how aggressive your prospective accountant is. Some accountants want to write off everything they possibly can, while others are more focused on avoiding the red flags that can lead to an IRS audit. Decide which approach appeals to you and your business and then make sure your hired account abides by the same philosophy.

6. How much do you charge? Some accountants have an hourly rate while others have a set fee for certain tasks. Make sure you are clear about their billing preferences and any other expenses before deciding to take someone on.

7. Can you give me advice about my accounting system? If your accountant has been working with businesses in your industry then he or she should have a working knowledge of what works and what doesn’t in terms of financial recording and reporting systems. This person should also be able to advise you on what accounting software programs to buy for business use.

8. How will we communicate and exchange information? Make sure you are clear about how you will send financial information and documentation to your accountant. Will you be physically meeting with this person or will the exchange of information and meetings be electronically?

9. How often will we communicate? Every accountant will be different when it comes to the frequency of communication as well. So make sure that you are clear about this from the beginning and that you can feel comfortable asking questions when you need to.

10. Can you tell me about such and such tax deduction? If the accountant you’re speaking with is unfamiliar with typical deductions or financial reporting terms, you should be wary because that might be a red flag that he or she isn’t knowledgeable enough to handle your business’ financial accounts and information.  

As social media continues to evolve and expand, the business world has been hard pressed to keep up. Not only must businesses be concerned about what is appropriate for employees to post about their company within social networks, both at work and privately, but they also need to be mindful of a whole host of murky legal issues, such as how social media can be used to screen job applicants. Taken from a different angle, a business’ policies on social media usage can set clear guidelines that direct employees on how they can use social media to achieve business goals.

That said, if you are creating a social media policy in your business for the first time or you need to make a major overhaul on your existing policy, there are many resources online that can help you along the way. The following list are some of the best out there. Just make sure that you also consult with a qualified legal professional before you initiate any policies on social media usage in your business.

Sample Social Media Policies

Social Media Goverence

Socialmedia.biz

Social Media Policies Directory

Davefleet.com

Informative Articles on Social Media Policies from Around the Web

Social Media History Becomes a New Job Hurdle– New York Times

10 Tips for Creating a Social Media Policy for Your Business– Social Media Examiner

Legal Response to Newcomers’ Concerns in Launching Social Media Campaigns– kbhilferlaw.com

Tips for Updating Your Company’s Social Media Policy– Mashable

Acting General Counsel releases report on social media cases– National Labor Relations Board

How to Write a Social Media Policy– Inc

Does Your Social Media Policy Violate Federal Law?– Social Media Today

How to Develop a Social Media Policy– About.com

Other Helpful Online Social Media Resources

Policy Tool Generator for Social Media

Disclosure Best Practices Toolkit

Collection of social media policy resources