Our third-annual social media blog contest generated nearly 600 nominations (almost twice as many as last year’s contest).

Our panel of social media experts carefully reviewed the nominees and finalists, analyzing the quality of their content, the frequency of posts and reader involvement (among other things).

With that in mind, here are ten blogs that need to be at the top of your reading list.

#1: Social Mouths

Social Mouths, the brainchild of Francisco Rosales, provides deep and honest looks at social media marketing and trends that impact our industry.

The site contains detailed posts with real-world examples, and addresses new and difficult topics.

#2: ViralBlog

ViralBlog provides a daily stream of social media trends and inspiration through case studies and other interesting articles.

The site has excellent content with useful tips and advice.

#3: Jeff Bullas

Jeff Bullas takes a close look at how businesses can get found online through social media.

The site has excellent content with solid social media insights.

#4: Hubze

Hubze has built an audience by focusing on social media trends and tips on social media marketing tactics.

The site contains a nice variety of media, including articles and podcasts.

#5: The Sales Lion

The Sales Lion from Marcus Sheridan is a blog that seeks to build community around inbound marketing, blogging, business and life.

The site fosters strong community with great participation through comments.

#6: Pushing Social

Pushing Social from Stanford Smith provides practical blogging tips and resources from a fresh perspective.

The site contains creative, informative and readable posts with deeper-than-average advice.

#7: Heidi Cohen

Heidi Cohen provides intelligent insights on social media tactics and trends, all while making the complex simple.

The site contains comprehensive and thoughtful content.

#8: MarketingTech Blog

MarketingTech blog provides a technology-focused approach to new media marketing.

The site covers a variety of topics and media, including radio and video.

#9: Likeable Media

Likeable Media keeps readers current on industry trends and new tools while also providing strategies and tactics for using Facebook and social media marketing.

The site contains very current information on new tools and platforms.

#10: SplashMedia

SplashMedia provides interesting takes on strategy, tips and trends, while their SplashCasts offer some great success stories.

The site features great use of a video show as well as diverse postings with good in-depth content.

Congratulations to the winners! Be sure to check out these amazing blogs.

The badge of distinction: If you’re a winner, you can post the image you see here on your blog and please link back to this page.

A special thanks to our judges: Andy Sernovitz (author, Word of Mouth Marketing and CEO, SocialMedia.org), Rick Calvert (CEO, BlogWorld) and Michael Stelzner (author, Launch and CEO, Social Media Examiner).

What do you think? Share your questions and comments in the box below.

What if that place was free?

Well, I have good news! Social Media Examiner is proud to introduce Social Media Examiner’s Networking Clubs.

Keep reading to learn more about the Networking Clubs and how you can get in.

Why Networking Clubs?

The social media marketplace has matured to the point where it needs a gathering place, a water hole, a virtual hangout where people can share ideas and connect.

More than 450,000 people visit Social Media Examiner each month.  But there isn’t really a place for folks like you to engage.

Yes, we have our Facebook wall with 71,000 fans.  However, we don’t really have a way for those fans to interact.  Plus, after a few days, whatever activity occurred on the wall is pretty much buried forever.

Our industry needed something different.

So I got a crazy idea…  Why not hire some of the best developers I could find and build something powerful and new?

After months of hard work, I’m happy to reveal Social Media Examiner’s Networking Clubs.

Here is a screen shot of the interest page for Social Media Examiner’s Networking Clubs

What Are the Networking Clubs?

I think the best way to explain the Networking Clubs is for me to simply show you.

Watch this video for a sneak peak into the clubs!

Social Media Examiner’s Networking Clubs are a place where marketers and business owners can help others, network with peers and get their questions answered about social media.

And here’s the cool part. It’s free now and FREE FOREVER.

How Can You Get In?

We’re currently accepting folks into our private beta site. We’re looking for people who want to test out our new baby.  We expect to go live to the public in early 2012.

The first 500 people to get on our interest list will gain access to the Networking Clubs within 24 hours. The remaining will be let in over time.

CLICK HERE if you want to get on the interest list for Social Media Examiner’s Networking Clubs.

Remember this will always be free and it’s gonna be a fun ride!!

What do you think? Share your thoughts and comments in the box below.

As of March 2011, Social Media Examiner has 59,000 email subscribers, 33,000 Facebook fans, over 60 writers and half a million page views per month.

In addition, the site has generated almost $2 million in sales; ranks among the top 12 websites on two Technorati lists – business and small business; and ranks among the top 1,500 websites in the entire United States, according to Alexa.

“We didn’t do anything unique,” Stelzner said. “We simply employed great content with smart social media marketing and our community did the rest. And any business can achieve great results.”
Listen to Michael share more of the story.

Here’s How Your Business Can Thrive With Social Media

Would you like to learn the tactics of social media from pros like Stelzner—all from the comfort of your home or office? If so, keep reading.

Imagine how much it would cost you to attend a week-long conference with 22 different experts in a faraway city. The conference fee, airfare, hotel room, rental car and restaurants would set you back several thousand dollars.

But you can attend an online conference with 22 different social media pros for a fraction of that cost.

Yes, we’re talking about Social Media Examiner’s upcoming third-annual social media conference, Social Media Success Summit 2011.

You may have been one of the 2,500 attendees at last year’s summit and now you’re wondering if you can skip this one. We don’t recommend it!

“LinkedIn and Facebook have gone through many changes just in the last two months,” Stelzner said.

If you’re one of those 59,000 Social Media Examiner subscribers, you already know that, right? Because you’ve read the following stories:

• 8 New Facebook Page Changes: What You Need to Know
• What the Facebook Message Platform Means for Business
• 8 New LinkedIn Features Worth Exploration
• How LinkedIn Apps Can Promote Your Business

All of these articles were published in the last two months.

Learn What Works in Social Media Marketing

“We have a whole new lineup this year,” Stelzner said. “And the major emphasis in this summit is monitoring and tracking your social media marketing results.”

Nearly all of the presenters have either authored a social media book or manage social media programs for well-known corporations.

You’ll hear from Boeing, Verizon, Intel, Citigroup and Cisco. Here’s a partial list of the 22 presenters:

• Jeremiah Owyang, Altimeter Group
• Brian Solis, author of Engage
• Mari Smith, co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day
• Frank Eliason, Citigroup
• Mario Sundar, LinkedIn
• David Meerman Scott, author of Real-Time Marketing and PR

And here’s a sample of what you’ll learn: Facebook news feed optimization, how big B2B brands are using social media, how to use LinkedIn to grow your business, how to attract local customers using Facebook Places and the 6-step process for measuring social media return on investment.

Last year’s attendees included General Mills, American Express, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, 3M, Kellogg’s, General Electric, MetLife, Fox TV, U.S. Army, NCR, Ben & Jerry’s, Xerox, Capital One, Disney and thousands of small businesses.

There are only 2,500 spots and a lot of them have already been taken. Grab yours before it’s gone!

Sign up here to see a FREE sample class or take advantage of the half-price sale. It’s only available for a limited time! Last year’s summit sold out.

Did you attend last year? What did you think? What are your social media plans? Please leave your comments in the box below.

Social media is a big subject. If you’re looking for some reliable places to go for the best tips and social media tactics, look no further!

Our second-annual contest generated more than 300 nominations. Our panel of social media experts carefully reviewed the nominees and finalists, analyzing the quality of their content, the frequency of posts and reader involvement (among other things).

The following are the winners of Social Media Examiner’s Top 10 Social Media Blogs for 2011.

If you’re looking to master all that social media has to offer, these rich blogs need to be at the top of your reading list.

1. Brian Solis: The grand master of social media, Brian is one of the web’s leading social media evangelists and his blog is required reading for businesses.
2. TopRank: This popular blog, the brainchild of Lee Odden, provides exceptional social media advice and should be one of your daily destinations.
3. Convince & Convert: Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert provides outstanding content for businesses seeking to embrace social media. This is the second year Jay has made our list.
4. Six Pixels of Separation: Mitch Joel offers consistent and thought-provoking content delivered with personality.
5. Social Media Explorer: This blog, from Jason Falls, provides excellent perspective on the current state of social media and should be a regular stop for serious social media marketers. This is the second year Jason has made our list.
6. Brand Builder: For businesses looking to dive deep into social media discussion, check out Olivier Blanchard’s rich insights. This is the second year Olivier has made our list.
7. Spin Sucks: Gini Dietrich’s blog takes a look at social media from a PR perspective. Check her site out!
8. Danny Brown: Danny Brown’s blog examines the human side of social media with rich content and insights.
9. The Anti-Social Media: For something completely unique, check out Jay Dolan’s satirical blog on the state of social media.
10. BrandSavant: This unique blog from Tom Webster combines a great intellect with with common sense, giving it an edge.

Congratulations to the winners. Be sure to check out these amazing blogs!

Share the love: Feel free to post the above list on your blog (just reference this post).

The badge of distinction: If you’re a winner, you can post the image you see here on your blog and please link back to this page.

A special thanks to our judges! Thanks to David Armano (Edelman), Debbie Weil (author, The Corporate Blogging Book) and Rick Calvert (CEO, BlogWorld) for their participation.

Do you frequent any of these blogs? What do you think? Share your comments in the box below.

Since we started Social Media Examiner in October 2009, we’ve published more than 280 articles. These original posts were written by dozens of social media professionals.

We decided to tap their knowledge and expertise to see what’s likely coming next year. Here are their predictions for where social media is headed in the next 12 months.

#1: Marketers will have more tools to stimulate conversation.

Tom Martin

“Social Media will become Conversational Marketing and its practitioners will shift their focus more to ideas and technologies that can create or stimulate conversation versus simply focusing on the engagement in conversation. These technologies will be very data measurement–driven, like QR codes for instance. By making this shift, social media consultants will retain and improve their standing within the internal ROI-driven cultures of today’s companies.”

Tom Martin is founder of Converse Digital. He works with companies and ad agencies to help them monitor, create and engage in digital conversations to grow market share or increase customer loyalty.

#2: More companies will invest in social media.

Nicole Kelly

“As paid search traffic and conversion rates continue to decline and become more expensive, companies will start looking to social media to replace volume. Therefore, measuring the ROI of social media will become a top priority as companies consider expanding budgets and staff members for social media–related activities.”

Nicole Kelly is the director of social media for CareOne Debt Relief Services and is passionately working to understand and help define social media measurement.

#3: Social media will become mainstream.

Debbie Hemley

“In 2011, the social media dust will finally settle and folks will stop referring to it as ‘new’ media. Social media will take its rightful place on the editorial calendars and budgets of corporate marketing departments. The calls to action will reverberate virtually and within the brick-and-mortar planning rooms of corporate marketing departments. Those who hadn’t before will report reading online news, magazines and books; and watching more full-length and short videos on a myriad of screens and devices than they did in 2010. We will catch up with friends and colleagues as we leap from one geolocation to the next.”

Debbie Hemley is a blogger and nonfiction writer. She writes about social media, marketing and writing.

#4: Quora will leave beta and become a serious player in social networking.

Peter Wylie

“Quora is superior to any other question-and-answer platform in terms of quality, and it has fantastic technologists working on the product to help it scale.  Its experiment with setting up Twitter handles for every topic on the site using Mechanical Turk was genius, and it shows a clear strategic desire to integrate more closely with other social behavior.  Expect Quora to be brought up in conversation with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube in 2011.”

Peter Wylie is lead researcher for Three Ships Media, an emerging media marketing company that specializes in using blogs and social networks to connect clients with target customers.

#5: People will demand more from social media.

Jason Falls

“Business will demand more business-driving proof, readers will demand more substance to blogs and those who are practitioners will have to demand excellence out of themselves. This will go a long way in cleaning up the industry, in my opinion. The ‘gurus’ will fade away while the practitioners excel. If you aren’t moving the needle, you’re done.”

Jason Falls is principal of Social Media Explorer, a social media marketing consulting firm based in Louisville, KY. He is the author of the popular industry blog SocialMediaExplorer.com.

#6: Social media will no longer be something the “cool kids” are doing.

Lewis Howes

“Social media is something all entrepreneurs and businesses have to do if they want to succeed going forward. In the last year, we’ve seen many start to jump in and experiment with various campaigns on Twitter, Facebook and geolocation networks. Going forward, we’ll continue to see more of that and I see mobile and social media meshing even more.  There will start to be actual numbers and statistics to back up what works and what doesn’t.  2011 will be an interesting year during which creativity will continue to thrive, yet social media will start to gain solid support with evidence that it does in fact work.”

Lewis Howes is the author of two books on the topic of LinkedIn and runs the largest resource of sports social media marketing content online.  Learn more at LewisHowes.com.

#7: Facebook will become a real ecommerce platform.

Tim Ware

“I predict Facebook will launch a Facebook-based ecommerce payment system so that users can truly complete the entire checkout process without leaving Facebook. No iFrames, no logging in to your Paypal account, etc. Look out, Paypal!”

Tim Ware is the owner of HyperArts Web Design, helping businesses build and promote their web presence. His focus these days is Facebook app development and Static FBML.

#8 Social communication skills will get better.

Linda Coles

“We will all get cleverer with how we communicate online and add a little etiquette as we realize we are not simply communicating with another computer, but a warm-blooded human. Networking and developing relationships online is no different than offline, so let’s stop treating it differently. The Internet has simply increased its scale.”

Linda Coles of Blue Banana is a sought-after speaker who also runs various workshops and seminars on how to use social media tools effectively and productively.

#9: Social media will expand through creativity, diversification and content.

Terry Lozoff

“Tumblr saw a decent amount of buzz in the business world during the latter part of 2010, but still has a relatively light presence in the corporate world. Following in the footsteps of brands like Huggies and news organizations like Newsweek and The New Yorker, more brands and content-based organizations will take a longer look at Tumblr in 2011, and how to engage with a new base of consumers through this channel, as well as others in the social periphery.”

Terry Lozoff is the president and CEO of Antler, an experiential and digital marketing agency based in Boston, MA.

#10: Internet noise will reach rock-concert levels.

Dino Dogan

“Three to four billion people are currently NOT online. However, given the growth and adoption patterns over the last 10 years, I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of 2011, more than 4 billion people are using the Internet, effectively doubling the current Internet population. Where is this growth coming from? This new emerging market is coming from Africa, the Middle East and South America. In 2011, a new playing field will open up filled with people hungry for specificity, quality and education.”

Dino Dogan is a blogger, writer, motorcyclist, dog trainer, singer/songwriter and martial artist. He’s currently working on Human-Dog Problem Tree, a thesis in human-dog relationships. His home is at DIY Blogger.

#11: Social media will become targetable.

Jay Baer

“2011 will be the year of convergence and integration. We’ve been talking about ‘one-to-one marketing’ for 20 years, but in 2011 we’ll finally start to see it become a reality. We’ll start to be able to send an email only to customers who clicked a particular bit.ly link on Twitter. We’ll be able to send a Facebook status message only to customers who visited a particular page on our website. We’ll be able to meaningfully segment our social communication, and that will make social far more useful for companies and organizations of all sizes and levels of sophistication.”

Jay Baer is a hype-free, tequila-loving social media strategist, speaker and coach. He’s the author of Convince & Convert, one of the planet’s most popular social media blogs. And his latest book is The Now Revolution.

#12: Social media will become more cross-functional.

Jacob Morgan

“Social media will branch out from typically being owned by PR and/or marketing departments.  Social media itself will be seen as just a channel instead of a panacea for solving all organizational business problems.  Social media will also be looked at as more than just an external-facing communication channel; it will be perceived as an internal communication channel.  I think we will also see a broader movement toward ‘social customer’ strategy, which seeks to solve organizational business problems as they pertain to customers. This means integrating people, process and technology.”

Jacob Morgan is the principal of Chess Media Group, a social business consultancy focused on customer and employee engagement strategies, and authors a popular blog on Social CRM and Enterprise 2.0.

#13: Small businesses will stand a better chance of competing with the bigger names.

Ching Ya

“2011 will be the year where social media can be a game-changer for many sectors. Data on user experience and personalized sharing will be more emphasized than ever, but so will be the dispute about privacy and where the line should be drawn. Profile security will probably be another huge issue that requires a clear standard and resolution from the authority.”

Ching Ya is the author of Social @ Blogging Tracker. She provides Facebook customization service for small business.

#14: There will be a shakeout in second-tier social media platforms.

Rich Brooks

“This shakeout will leave Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as the only viable social media platforms for business. They will continue to steal ideas from each other to where their services overlap and they’ll all become a bit homogeneous, leaving an opportunity for a disruptive technology in 2012. In addition, prominent B-schools will start promoting their social media course loads, legitimizing social media for giant corporations. Finally, Justin Beiber will cause a massive overload of the social media networks, forcing us all to re-evaluate our priorities.”

Rich Brooks is president of Flyte New Media, a web design and Internet marketing company helping small businesses succeed with SEO, blogging, email marketing, social media and websites that sell.

#15: 2011 will be the breakout year for social search.

Jeff Korhan

“There will be less noise as marketers seek more personalized interaction with consumers.  Fresh and creative methods of social marketing that encourage engagement will become the norm—along with a noticeable decrease in traditional brand marketing.  This progressive use of social media for what it does best will generally result in business becoming profoundly social.”

Jeff Korhan is a professional speaker, consultant and columnist on new media and small business marketing. Read more on his website.

#16: Content marketing will drive social media forward.

Kristi Hines

“More businesses will continue to jump into social media, but instead of pushing sales pitches, they will be pushing content in the form of blogs, infographics, ebooks, whitepapers, free reports and much more.  Content development is growing in popularity, and social promotion—when done correctly—is the best way to make content marketing successful.  The only real issue with this will be if businesses go overboard pushing poor content in an attempt to try to get it to go viral.”

Kristi Hines is an Internet marketing specialist with Vertical Measures and author of Kikolani, a blog that focuses on social media and networking strategies for successful bloggers and businesses.

#17: Social media will have an ever-larger impact in the search engine rankings.

Jim Lodico

“In the same way that the search engines currently value incoming links as a way of giving credibility to a website, I think we will also see Facebook Likes, tweets and other forms of social media sharing working their way into the formula. From a publishing perspective, this isn’t a big change. High-quality, outstanding content is still key to an organic SEO campaign. Publishers (and who isn’t a publisher these days) need to create content that others will want to share and make it easy for them to do so with Facebook Like buttons, Tweet This buttons and other easy-to-use social media tools built right into the post. Visitors should be encouraged to share across social media channels, especially as this sharing starts to play a more important role in the search engine rankings.”

Jim Lodico is a copywriter and marketing consultant specializing in creating powerful content and teaching businesses how to use blogs.

#18: Curation tools will become the primary way people use social media.

Jamie Beckland

“I could tell you that all key metrics (like time spent, amount of content generated and influence) around social media will hit new records in 2011, but you already knew that, didn’t you? With hundreds or thousands of online connections, it’s impossible for people to keep track of all of the great content from their social network. In 2011, we will reach a tipping point, where there is no way to manage social media without a curation tool. From Facebook’s Top News to Cadmus to Google Reader, filtering and prioritization is already a thorny challenge. In 2011, it will become a crisis as the number of voices, and number of channels, continue to explode. Look for a new set of consumer-oriented tools to lead the way, as business tools for marketers lag.”

Jamie Beckland creates social and emerging media programs for White Horse, a digital marketing agency, and has built online communities since 2004.

#19: 2011 will be a year of listening, courage and enabling.

Ekaterina Walter

“More and more brands will realize the power of listening before engaging (and not the other way around). I anticipate more brands will have the courage to open up and truly and humanly participate, not just broadcast. Brands are also realizing how critical it is to fully enable their employees to become brand ambassadors, hence you see more brands creating internal university-like training around social media and putting Social Media Center of Excellence functions in place. This list is not exhaustive at all, but it demonstrates that more brands are going back to marketing basics and focusing on their objectives, their stories and on empowering internally rather than on technologies and platforms.”

Ekaterina Walter is a social media strategist at Intel. She is a part of Intel’s Social Media Center of Excellence and is responsible for social networking strategy and social media enablement. Read more on her website.

#20: Influence will be measured by follower and fan engagement.

Dr. Rachna Jain

“Social media will continue to evolve toward followership/fans as a measure of influence. Not numbers for numbers’ sake, but instead, how many people can you activate to your cause or belief? It will be less about growing a huge fan base, and moving more toward growing an interactive and engaged fan base. Whoever drives the most engagement wins.”

Dr. Rachna Jain is a psychologist by training and a social marketer by preference. She writes about the interconnections of neuroscience, psychology and social media.

#21: Personal authenticity will become increasingly important.

Stephanie Sammons

“Business owners and professionals will cultivate personal authenticity to rise above the increased noise, earn the respect of their target markets and ultimately generate new business.  Outsourcing social media activity or utilizing shortcuts to automate blogging and social media participation will not be effective for building community and developing new business relationships within the social world.  My best advice?  Be yourself, develop a strategy and establish a system for managing all your efforts.  Remember, marketing is a commitment!”

Stephanie Sammons is the voice behind Smart Social Pro, a resource for professional practitioners to help them understand how to leverage the power of social media and blogging in their practices.

#22: Brands will use more one-on-one communication on social media.

Lori Randall

“Social Media is still a novelty to many. Brands that beam content via social media like a TV commercial enjoy some success just because it’s new.  I see a huge shift in coming in 2011. I predict that mass media approaches will continue to run riot, but that mainstream people will develop a clear-eyed view on this murky subject and seek out unaffected, one-on-one communication that meets their desire to be heard, understood and helped concerning what matters to them most.  Scripted answers from an outsourced ‘Social Media Department’ won’t do. This dynamic will cause brands that communicate like normal people (instead of infomercials) to rise above the babble and get noticed because they will be so rare.”

Lori Randall is an online marketing strategist specializing in social media and WordPress sites. She often asks, “What truth about your brand makes your heart pound? Then work it!”

#23: The social media industry will “reboot.”

Elijah Young

“Brands that have hired outside consultants to handle social campaigns will start to look for more than friends/followers/fans as a metric of success, and start looking at the bottom line of their business.  Expect many fly-by-night specialists and consultants to see much of their client base dwindle due to a lack of tangible business results from their campaigns.  Expect the entire industry to start to mature, possibly with some industry-wide metrics and standards being adopted by the most forward-thinking of the bunch.”

Elijah Young is the lead strategist and owner of Social Talk Live. He’s also a business strategist who helps existing and new companies promote and grow their business.

#24: Expect to see more traction, innovation and spending in group buying in 2011.

Christine Gallagher

“I believe we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface in the group buying space. Services like Groupon, Living Social and BuyWithMe will continue to grow, spawn competitors and change the way businesses offer—and customers reap—the benefits of discount deals.”

Christine Gallagher is a relationship marketing speaker, trainer and coach. Christine helps small business owners maximize their profits using social media and online marketing techniques.

#25: In 2011, we’ll see a further divide between Twitter and Facebook.

Bill Seaver

“Facebook will continue to grow and broaden both how many people use it and what people do with it (i.e., Facebook email), whereas we’ll see Twitter narrow in use and appeal. People who continue using Twitter in 2011 will have a reason for being there beyond connecting with long-lost classmates and sharing photos of their weekend activities. They will overwhelmingly have business reasons for staying connected on Twitter. As such, Twitter will become a platform where you can connect with some people in their professional lives, and Facebook will continue to be the platform where you can connect with most people in their personal lives.”

Bill Seaver is the founder of MicroExplosion Media, a social media marketing consulting firm based in Nashville. He’s an active blogger and podcaster.

#26: Social media marketers will get the value—and necessity—of relying on direct-response tactics.

Tia Dobi

“In 2009, I made $40,000 from one tweet, thanks to my skill in evoking ROI learned from teachers like Claude Hopkins, John Caples and David Ogilvy. Direct-response know-how will separate the men from the boys in 2011… exploding opportunities that apps such as Facebook Places, Facebook Ads and Amazon Facebook Connect Campaign afford us by making point-of-purchase available everywhere, all the time. For the savvy marketer with the right thinking—and writing—2011 is the year of profits beyond belief.”

Tia Dobi is a former TV producer, direct-response marketing consultant and author of the upcoming book Copywriting for Twitter Impact.

#27: Social media measurements will become visual.

Nick Shin

“According to many who participate in my weekly #smmeasure Twitter chat on Thursdays (with co-host Sheldon Levine of Sysomos), metrics such as the number of followers/fans are highly irrelevant. However in 2011, social media measurement will focus on why basic metrics such as the one described are very much relevant. As social media strategists explain the measurement aspect, the shift from data tables to visual statements will begin. Rather than Excel sheets, expect PowerPoint presentations to visually tell the success of one’s social media strategy.”

Nick Shin is an online marketing strategist specializing in SEM, social media and PPC. When he isn’t collaborating or consulting on marketing strategies, you can find him on the tennis court.

#28: Deals, specials and discounts will flourish inside of Facebook pages.

Amy Porterfield

“Facebook pages are quickly becoming the exclusive promo hubs; the place where businesses can offer exclusive discounts and specials to warm audiences on a consistent basis. And the best thing about Facebook promos is that they can spread virally inside Facebook and beyond quickly, cheaply and with few barriers. With the continuing sophistication and flexibility of Facebook pages, I predict we will see a huge rise of promo hubs inside Facebook and businesses will continue to create even more opportunities to gain greater visibility for themselves while offering enticing opportunities via great deals to their customers.”

Amy Porterfield is a social media strategy consultant. Her passion is helping companies, authors and speakers create raving fans using social media and online marketing.

#29: More collaboration between social media players.

Nathan Hangen

“In 2011, I fully expect location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare to be enveloped by Facebook Places, perhaps being relegated to ancillary roles as clients, rather than providers. I really believe that this is the only way the check-in model can reach mass adoption. As part of this evolution, Groupon and Facebook will strike a partnership in order to integrate Groupon’s service into Facebook deals in some way, shape or form. I wouldn’t be surprised if Zynga joined in on the action and added a game layer on top of these services, putting SCVNGR’s business model at risk.”

Nathan Hangen is an Internet marketing strategist and founder of Webrepreneur Media. He co-authored the book Beyond Blogging with Mike Cliffe-Jones and provides small business consulting services at Making it Social.

#30: Facebook will welcome its one billionth member to massive worldwide fanfare.

Mari Smith

“I predict that the Check-in button will become just as, if not more, popular as the Like button via sites and apps such as GetGlue.com and Clicker.com, where you let your friends know what entertainment you’re watching right now. I also predict some form of Check-in button will roll out for websites because it can be clicked each time a reader visits a website, versus the Like button’s one-time click.”

Mari Smith is a social media speaker, trainer, thought leader and co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day.

More Social Media Success Stories in 2011

And I’m sure we’ll have many more social media success stories to share with you here on Social Media Examiner throughout 2011.

Would you like to stay in touch with Social Media Examiner’s writers? Follow our “Social Media Examiner Writer” list on Twitter.

What do you think? What are your social media predictions for 2011? Please leave your comments and join in the conversation below.

I’m looking for your nomination for the Top 10 Social Media Blogs. The winners will be promoted in our 48,000-reader newsletter and announced here.

How to Nominate

Please make a single nomination by commenting below and include why you like the blog (only your first nomination counts). Be sure to include a link to the blog.

To make the cut, a blog must be nominated more than once.  Make your nomination by 1/5/2011.

The Judges: Our judges include David Armano (Edelman), Debbie Weil (author, The Corporate Blogging Book) and Rick Calvert (CEO, BlogWorld).

Winners will be selected based on the quality of their posts, the frequency of their posts, reader involvement and their blog’s ranking (in that order).  Think part readers-choice and part Oscars.

The winners will be announced here in January and also in our newsletter. Click here to see our 2010 top 10 blog contest winners. Note that the decisions will be made by an objective third-party panel.

Go ahead and enter your nomination right now in the box below and be sure to let your friends know about this contest.

What’s New This Week?

Facebook User Profiles Change: The new Facebook design collects more information from users (i.e., employer, languages, and location).  This should make it easier to use Facebook for business networking. To help you implement these changes, you should read this article.

You now have to navigate through the sidebar to see the bio information in this new layout.

Watch SlideShare and More on Twitter: When the new Twitter interface launched earlier this year, users could view YouTube videos, photos and other media in the links shared in tweets.  Twitter has just extended the list of media supported and you can now watch entire SlideShare presentations from your Twitter interface, as well as other media files from blip.tv, Instagram, Rdio and Dipdive.

Now you can view links to SlideShare presentations in the right-hand column of the new Twitter.

Gowalla Embraces Facebook and Foursquare Check-ins: Gowalla joins its bigger location-based rivals by supporting check-ins on both Facebook Places and Foursquare. They also support updates to Twitter and Tumblr.  Gowalla has also recently announced their partnership with the Sundance Film Festival.

A few of Gowalla's custom stamps for the Sundance Film Festival.

Cityville: Zynga Launches its Fourth Facebook Game for 2010: Only four days after its launch, Zynga claims Cityville is its fastest-growing game.  If you’re not sure how games could impact your business, read more here on social gaming.

Cityville had 290,000 users after its first day.

Here’s a new social media tool worth a look:

Vacation Relation: A New Tool to Socialize Your Vacation: Connect with people of similar interests before going on vacation.  Vacation Relation hopes to enhance the travel experience for their visitors in a fun and innovative way.

And you’ll find a few more new social media tools to check out in these articles:

• 5 New Online Services Perfect for Small Businesses
• 6 Newfangled Social Media Tools Worth Discovering

What social media news caught your interest? What do you think about these announcements? Please share your comments below.

Click through the links to get the full story and then be sure to come back and share your comments below.

This Week in Social Media

LinkedIn Releases a Share Button: Content publishers now have another social media share button to add to their blogs and websites—and it allows direct sharing to LinkedIn profiles and groups.  The new LinkedIn Share button will be appreciated by publishers who want to get more visibility via LinkedIn. Check out our implementation at the bottom of this post.

LinkedIn Share buttons make it easy for your readers to share your content with their contacts on LinkedIn.

Groupon Announces Groupon Stores and Deal Feed for Businesses: Groupon used to provide one deal a day. But this changes with new Groupon Stores. Now businesses can create and launch their own deals whenever they want, much like the equivalent of a merchant’s physical storefront. (Groupon has also been in the news this week because of a possible buyout by Google.)

Groupon Stores and the Deal Feed create more sales opportunities for businesses.

Facebook Makes Page Promotions Easier for Small Businesses: Unless you were already spending $10,000 monthly with Facebook ads, running Facebook promotions was a challenge.  Fortunately, Facebook has dropped its preapproval and minimum spend requirements.  And all you need to do now is simply follow Facebook’s promotions guidelines.

HootSuite Reaches One Million Users: HootSuite was launched  two years ago and now has one million users.  Check out the infographic below to see how people use the tool. Let us know in the comments how you use HootSuite.

HootSuite published an infographic showing usage across channels. Click through to see the full image.

Richard Branson Launches Project, an iPad-Only Magazine: Project is “the first global magazine app for creative people about creative people.” Do you think this is the future of publishing?

Here are two other new social media tools worth a look:

Research.ly: New Tool for Marketers: This new tool from PeopleBrowsr claims to be “the world’s most advanced search platform for Twitter allowing people to explore their social Interest Graph by seeing the 1% of relevant tweets, find people with related interest and engage with them directly.”  With Research.ly you can see in real time what’s being said, who’s saying it, break it down by gender or location and even see how the people having that conversation are related.

Jumo: New Platform to Connect People With Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations: This is the latest project of Chris Hughes, one of the founders of Facebook and the chief digital organizer behind Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, so it’s worth checking out.

And here’s one more item you may have missed:

LinkedIn Offers New Moderation Tools for LinkedIn Groups: LinkedIn group managers now have a new set of moderation tools for more granular control over moderation within groups.  This makes it easier to control spam and ultimately creates a better user experience.

What social media news caught your interest? What do you think about these announcements? Please share your comments below.

In the age where online reality is replacing actual reality in every facet of our lives, having YOUR face behind YOUR virtual real estate is paramount for people to feel close(er) to you.

This blog post will be your comprehensive guide.

Why Video Blogging?

Video blogging helps you build connections with your viewers like no other blogging format. The close second is perhaps audio.

A case in point is Michael Stelzner. He’s the face behind your favorite business blog SocialMediaExaminer.com, and he used this method to introduce himself and his website to his audience in a very effective way. Have you introduced video content to your personal or business blog? If not, why?

The usual excuses given are “I don’t have the right equipment” or “it takes too much time” or “I’m not entirely sure how the whole process works.”

In this article, I’ll show you the minimal, yet crucial, amount of equipment you’ll need and the quick and dirty way of getting your videos out there in record time.

So let’s get started.

Shooting a Video

#1: Audio

It may seem bizarre to start an article about online video blogs by talking about audio, but “hear” me out. (Pun totally intended).

If the audio sucks, no-one will watch your video. Simple as that. End of story.

Even if video comes out totally terrible, you can still salvage your shoot by turning your video post into an audio post. So how do we make sure audio comes out OK?

Many low-end and certainly mid-level camcorders come with a MIC in port. Buy an external microphone, plug it in and beyond that, all you have to do is make sure your levels are decent and you’re all set.

If you have a camera that doesn’t have a MIC in, you can record the audio on a separate device and merge the audio with video in post-production.

Do you know why movie directors use the clapper (a.k.a. clapboard) before starting every scene?

Tip: You can easily sync audio and video in post-production by using your hands to clap a few times to denote the starting points in which audio and video should match up. The audio spikes will be visible in the editing software and can then be synchronized with the video of you clapping.

If you’re forced to use the camera’s built-in microphone, be keenly aware of the following two factors:

• Environmental—for example, a strong wind if you’re shooting outside and electromagnetic interference or air conditioner noise if shooting inside.
• Position of subjects—you’ll notice how on-cam MIC mostly picks up the person shooting the video while the subject who is few feet away (or further) is quite low during audio playback.

In other words, be prepared to do some post-production magic to get the audio properly leveled and equalized.

Alternatively, you can look for the magic spot through experimentation that will yield good-enough results with minimal post-production editing.

#2: Lighting

If you’re going to spend money, this is the area where most of your budget should go. If there’s one thing video experts agree on, it’s the paramount importance of proper lighting in shooting a video. In fact, proper lighting is more important than the type of camera you use. Why?

Most modern digital cameras (even cheapos) are quite serviceable and have good-enough resolution for YouTube.

Whenever possible, take advantage of natural light. Make sure the source of the light (usually sun, or if indoors it’s the window) is always behind the camera (or slightly to the side).

Here is some “lighting” terminology you ought to be familiar with before we list the types of lighting equipment you may consider.

Key Light: As its name implies, this is the “main” light. Usually placed to the right of the camera and about 3 feet above the subject’s eye level (thereby emulating downward casting naturally produced by the sun).

Fill Light: This lighting fixture is placed on the other side of the camera and its job is to “fill” the shadow cast produced by the key light.

Back Light: Placed behind the subject. This light is sometimes called “head and shoulders” light because that’s the part of the subject it ought to illuminate.

Light kit options abound, but do keep in mind that entry-level lights—while quite affordable—will only last for few hundred shoots at the most.

Trick: Proper lighting is as much a science as it is an art. Having proper equipment and a zeal for experimentation are paramount. Have fun with it and allow imperfections to slide.

No-one expects Hollywood-style production from your blog. In fact, polished videos reek of corporate subterfuge so much that even content-producers who CAN make a polished video choose not to. You can check out these videos on lighting, they’re free, authoritative and extremely useful.

#3: Camera

What kind of camera will you need to do online video? Well… what kind of camera do you have? I would definitely start there.

No need to run out and buy a new camera if you already have one sitting around your house or office.

I’ve started out with a $75.00 cam I purchased at Rite Aid, then moved on to a $300.00 cam with an external MIC-in, and now mostly shoot with the new Olympus. They all do a fine job. In fact, even a PC cam will do.

Real Life: Most of the videos I make for my Facebook dog-crew on how to use Twitter are done using a PC camera. Why? Because it’s quick and easy. The idea is to get your face out there so that clients and potential customers can see you, hear from you and “feel” like they know you.

Golden rule of sales: People buy from people they know and like.

What to consider when choosing a camera:

Video Format: Some manufacturers save the on-cam video in proprietary formats that require special software to be converted into standard video formats (.mov, .mp4, .avi, etc.). Look for a cam that natively records in the format understood by your video editing software.

Sound: Look for a cam that has an external MIC-in. See the Audio section in the beginning of the article.

Storage: I like cams that use SD cards for storage instead of internal HD. It’s a preference, but SD cards allow for easy transfer between cam and computer (no cable necessary) and I can carry multiple SD cards in case one fills up and I need more space on-the-fly.

Batteries: Some cams can only be charged via a USB or power cable while others allow for replacement batteries that are charged independently. Having a spare battery for extended shoots comes in handy.

Size: The best camera is the one that you’ll actually use. So a small cam (iPhone or Flip Cam) that fits in your pocket and can be used on a moment’s notice may be exactly what you need. Otherwise, be prepared to carry your equipment with you wherever you go.

Beyond these five points, just make sure you can afford the cam and look for one that can be mounted on a tripod in case you need that functionality (most bloggers will at some point).

#4: Screen Capture

Who said you even need a camera to produce your next video post?

You can use software like Camtasia (for PC) and ScreenFlow (for Mac) to capture your computer screen. Combine it with an audio track and you can create visually rich and useful instructions for your viewership.

Tip: I strongly recommend you wear a pair of headphones with a mic while recording the accompanying audio track. This will eliminate the bulk of the ambient noise.

• Learn how to use Camtasia
• Learn how to use ScreenFlow

Honorable Mention: Screenr is a Twitter-integrated free online service that allows you to create screen casts. It’s quick and dirty and exactly how I like ‘em.

Editing a Video

(don’t edit if possible)

#5: Editing on YouTube

If at all possible, for the sake of speed and simplicity, don’t edit your videos.
The next step up from there is to edit (trim) the very beginning and the very end. In fact, you can do this on YouTube.

Trick (sort of): You’ll need to have your video uploaded and sign in with your Google/YouTube credentials.

Confession: YouTube has had a checkered past with online editing. The feature was available a while back but it was pulled due to molasses-on-a-cold-day qualities of its “speed.”

Now that YouTube is owned by Google, the powerful infrastructure is there to support simple editing capabilities. No, this feature is not part of YouTube-proper, but it’s available under the “sandbox” area which can be accessed here.

YouTube has a really good help section that gives you the basic info you need to create effective videos, from formatting and editing to lighting and split screens. See here.

Trick: Make sure your URL is the first line in the description of the video. This will make it easy for people to locate and visit your virtual real estate. See the link here as the very first line in the description field below.

Optionally, you can embed your website’s URL in the video itself; however, you’ll need to use a locally installed video editing app to do this. See next section.

#6: Editing Using Locally Installed Apps

MovieMaker (on Windows) and iMovie (on Mac) are free and quite serviceable.

• Learn how to use MovieMaker
• Learn how to use iMovie

If you don’t mind spending a few hundred bucks, my favorite apps for editing a video locally are Camtasia (for PC) and ScreenFlow (for Mac).

Trick: Yes. The same apps that allow you to capture your screen also allow for basic (but sufficient) video editing as well.

These two apps are quick, easy and intuitive. Here are the links to those tutorials again.

• Learn how to use Camtasia
• Learn how to use ScreenFlow

More advanced solutions include Final Cut (Express and Pro versions) for Mac and Sony Vegas Studio HD for PC.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a great (and free) online training resource for Final Cut.

Check out this course by Israel Hyman. The course consists of 16 wonderful and free video tutorials.

Larger Implications: The subtle implication of all this is that if it feels like the days of specialization are over, well… you’re right.

Specialization is a concept invented by the cogs of the industrial revolution and it’s NOT a natural state of the human psyche.

Imagine if Leonardo da Vinci specialized only in art. The world of science and architecture would have a gaping hole in it.

My point?

We all need to become jacks of all trades and masters of few. It’s not enough to be an amazing real estate agent or a photographer; you must also become an effective content producer.

Distribution Channels

#7: YouTube

YouTube is the second largest search engine. That should speak volumes in terms of the significance and importance of having a presence on YouTube. The other important factor is that YouTube is a social networking site on par with Facebook. You can make friends on YouTube (subscribe to channels) and others can make friends with you (subscribe to your channel).

YouTube allows you to tag your videos, share them easily on other sites (Twitter, Facebook, etc.), and it’s as socially integrated as a site gets. There are two very solid arguments to focus your strategic efforts ONLY on YouTube (basically ignoring other platforms like Viddler or Vimeo).

YouTube is the largest and arguably best integrated with Google and other colossal Internet hubs (in fact, YouTube IS an Internet hub of its own). If mastering multiple platforms seems like an overwhelming task, you would be well-advised to focus your blogging efforts on YouTube alone.

OK, Dino. I hear what you’re saying. But what kind of things should I put on YouTube anyways?

Well, here are some ideas.

#8: Other Distribution Options

blip.tv

blip.tv is not your average bear. The focus is on episodic content and the unique feature of blip.tv is that it can distribute your episodes to other video distribution sites (like YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).

Assuming your content qualifies, your episodes can be viewed via cable service providers (on TV) who’ve partnered with blip.tv.

Vimeo

Vimeo was established in 2004 (one year before YouTube) and it’s a solid alternative to YouTube geared toward skilled content producers. Vimeo doesn’t allow commercial, gaming or pornography videos; or anything NOT created by the user to be hosted on the site.

As per Wikipedia: As of March 2010, Vimeo has over 3 million members and an average of more than 16,000 new videos uploaded daily. Roughly 10% of uploads are in HD.

Viddler

Viddler allows you to make a comment at any point in the video. Very cool and unique feature.

Videos uploaded under the free service have advertising automatically overlaid, which is kind of lame.

The service does come with powerful paid options (detailed analytics, priority encoding, HD encoding, iTunes support, branding and control over advertising, including a revenue-sharing option).

In other words, hold off on using Viddler until you’ve established your video blog as the powerhouse it deserves to be.

Honorable mention: TubeMogul can distribute your videos far and wide (to other video distribution hubs like YouTube, Viddler, Vimeo, etc.) and provides powerful statistical analysis and even geographic tracking. Most advanced features are pay-to-play, of course.

The Secret Sauce

#9: Blog/YouTube Integration

This section is strictly for owners of self-hosted WordPress blogs. I will recommend 2+ WordPress plugins that are seldom used yet provide a powerful integration between your blog and YouTube.

Genki YouTube Comments plugin

After uploading your video to YouTube, you did remember to embed it as a blog post in your piece of web real estate, right?

If your tags are useful, your descriptions accurate and your content fascinating, you’re likely to receive comments on it. Why not “feed” those comments back to your blog using Genki?

Smart YouTube

Smart YouTube is a WordPress YouTube plugin that allows you to easily insert YouTube videos/playlists in your post, comments and in RSS feeds.

But wait…there is more…

The success of your videos will depend not only on the quality of the content. Your video blog should be easily shared and content seamlessly posted on other social hubs (like Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc.).

To that end, you may want to consider these additional useful plugins:

• 24 Impressive WordPress Plugins
• 11 Essential WordPress Plugins

#10: When You’re Ready to Go Pro

This entire post was focused on the do-it-yourself crowd. When you’re ready to go pro and enlist help from people who have the deep know-how, there are three people whose work I’m personally familiar with and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Full disclosure: While I’ve worked in one capacity or another with two of these content creators, it was strictly a labor of love and no money has exchanged hands at any time.

TWTMedia

TWTMedia is Tony Brokenborough, the man and the brains behind 2wheeltips.com (Facebook-like social site for motorcycle enthusiasts with a heavy educational slant).

Here are a few challenges Tony has had to overcome that you might benefit from if you enlist his services:

Motorcycle videos present a unique challenge in terms of not only shooting but also post-production stabilization processing due to vibrations introduced by the motorcycle.

One of the major drawbacks of having your videos hosted on YouTube is that YouTube might end up playing your competitors’ ads over your video content. You have no control over this and it can prove to be a case of your content working for your competitor.

Tony has figured out how to have complete and total control over the video content to the extent where he is playing the role of YouTube-like service to websites that feature his high-end quality motorcycle videos—and Tony is the one “feeding” the ads.

TWTMedia also specializes in Facebook fan page customization, particularly in the realm of Facebook/video integration.

Graphic Planet

Graphic Planet is Kenn Bell. If you decide to visit The Dog Files (Kenn’s labor of love and an effective showcase for his skills), you’ll find TV-ready 10-minute episodes, production values of which are head-and-shoulders above your average video blog.

In addition to creating killer video content, Kenn really knows how to tap into the power of the niche. Kenn’s latest video honoring Hero Dogs of 9/11 blew up among dog people.

Over 100,000 views (in less than 2 weeks) and 4000 of his closest Facebook friends shared his video on their Facebook walls.

Kenn’s magic is that he’s able to take your modest budget for a video shoot and churn out an episode that looks like a million bucks.

Last but certainly not least is…

Dan Perez Films

Dan’s work is awesome. It’s fresh, fun and addictive. Check out the brains behind Dan Perez Films video.

It doesn’t take much to fall in love with Dan’s video creations. I guess the fact that he’s an award-winning filmmaker, video producer, father and husband to a rock star doesn’t hurt either.

All three of these gentlemen are not only amazing content creators whose medium happens to be video, but all three have a deep understanding of the social media space and can help your company develop the right strategy for online video distribution.

#11: Bonus Tip: Skype, Skype Baby

One of the most underutilized methods of creating video content is having a sit-down with an expert in your field and recording the entire conversation. However, experts are often far away and that can present a challenge. In comes Skype.

Trick: In addition to Skype, you’ll need an application that can capture streaming video/audio.

Two apps I’ve used are:

• Call Recorder for Mac
• Super Tin Tin for PC

You can schedule a Skype interview with someone on the other side of the planet and record the entire conversation. What a great way to develop content and provide a service to your viewers as well as a platform for the expert. Because the interview is recorded, you can edit audio and video in post-production, trim the fat, add an intro if necessary and fine-tune the audio levels.

Here is a Skype interview Tony and I did with motorcycle legend David Hough using Skype and Call Recorder.

Honorable mention:

wetoku allows you to record and share a conversation between two people. The drawback is that you don’t have as much editing control over the content.

What do you think? I’m sure there’s an amazing resource, application or perhaps a technique that I’ve missed. Something you’ve had experience with and found tremendously useful. Add your thoughts in the comments box below.

Image sources: Flickr, Wikimedia, Flickr

In honor of this special day, I would like to help you grow your blog by sharing some tips we have learned over our last 12 months of explosive growth.

Before I share my tips, I would like to reveal the name of our mascot…

Our Mascot Is No Longer Nameless

Over the last few weeks we asked you (and your peers) to help us name our mascot.  Now that today is his first birthday, he finally deserves a name!

More than 500 names poured in, we narrowed down our top 5 favorites and then more than 650 people voted.

And the new name of our mascot is…  Well, you’ll need to watch this video to find out:

Congratulations to Dawn Barclay for suggesting the winning name!

Okay, so here are our tips for achieving successful blog growth…

#1: It’s All About Community

In the beginning, we had the mistaken notion that all that mattered was great content.  Don’t get me wrong, content is essential and always will be (see Tip #2).

Things really took off the moment we integrated our Facebook page into our blog.  Almost overnight, what I call “lurkers” (those people who read but don’t interact), came forward en masse.

At first they told us how much they appreciated our site.  But then they began to interact with each other, support one another and connect.  It was an amazing community that was building right in front of us.

This is a great example of community in action as readers are helping readers.

Here are some pointers when trying to build a community on your blog:

• Set up a Facebook page and be sure to actively engage folks as they write on your wall.
• Try to respond to as many comments on your blog posts as possible.
• Create events on Facebook that encourage folks to come together, like Expert Fridays, virtual happy hours or other Facebook experiences.

When people who share a common interest can come together on your site, you’ll be one step closer to explosive blog growth.

#2: Great Content Is Essential

I believe outstanding content is essential to ongoing growth.  But great content tied to a great community is the key to explosive results.  In the beginning, you might need to get your great content on someone else’s platform to ultimately grow your own.

Before this blog, I was a regular contributor to Copyblogger.  Brian Clark’s amazing site helped me build up my prior blog and set the stage for Social Media Examiner.

I’ve also seen many folks who write for Social Media Examiner achieve amazing results (like book deals).  So, great content in front of the right audience is really critical.

Here are the key components to great content:

• Your writing should be conversational and easy to read.
• Use lots of subheads, bold text and visuals to accommodate skim readers.
• Make sure each of your posts looks good to the eye.  If it looks appealing, people will consider reading it.
• Work on a compelling opening… That means you should master the headline process and create alluring openings to all your posts.

Notice the way the headline and opening were crafted for this post…

#3: Go Beyond Just Text and Pictures

Great content doesn’t need to be limited to the written word.  We discovered that there are plenty of people who prefer to learn by watching or listening.  Try mixing up your media.

From the beginning we invested in video.  We took a camera crew with us to major trade shows and interviewed experts from big brands like Starbucks.

We also did recorded phone interviews with high-profile experts.  We transcribed the content and provided audio recordings.

This interview with Chris Brogan is one of many we did over the last year.

Here are a few video tips:

• You don’t need a video crew. You can start out with a simple Flip video camera for on-site interviews.
• Consider doing live video broadcasts.
• Conversational video between two people is often more interesting than a talking head.

Here’s to Another Great Year!

Thank you so much for being an integral part of the Social Media Examiner growth story!  We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for faithful readers like you.

I don’t know what our second year has in store, but I’m excited to see what will unfold as we journey together through the social media jungle.

What are your thoughts about these tips? Do you have any to add? Please leave your comments in the box below.