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a gourmet popcorn retailer gets great ideas through a business network

chief branding officer of nakedpizza, a small new orleans-based pizza franchise, discusses why twitter is the best social media outlet for the business.

how social media can replace traditional media

tips on blogging

making it easy for customers to join your network

6 page action guide with step-by-step step suggestions to beat your newest competitor

this 5 page action guide provides proven techniques to successfully increase customer loyalty

it is easier to keep your customers than trying to get new ones. so, stop losing customers! this 7-page guide will help you learn ...and most importantly how to win them back.

mired in a slowdown and wondering how to get more customers back in your store?

the free google local business center action guide will help you get your business listed on google's free local business listings that appear when a user types in a category with a geographical location, ie., "pizza san francisco." in addition, you'll learn how to customize your account by adding details about your business and visual media like pictures and video.

microblogging is a way to keep in touch in real time with customers who want to keep in touch with you. more than that, though, microblogging provides a unique way to learnmore about what your customers are doing. is microblogging for your store?

things to consider before creating a myspace page for your business

for small business, craig’s list provides a quick, free way to reach members of your local community with informationabout specifi c products and services at your store.

retailers encouraged to reach out to moms via social media.

i’m really focusing on referrals…i make a point to mail a postcard to former clients and ask for referrals, and send a gift certificate to a nice restaurant to every client who gives me a referral.patrick o. rapid city, sd- real estate

"word of mouth spread offline is more positive and more likely to be interpreted as credible than wom spread online, according to a recent research study from womma member company the keller fay group. fifty-nine percent of those surveyed indicted they found wom transmitted face-to-face and on the phone was "highly" credible, versus 49% for online wom. the study also found that 66% of face-to-face wom communication was "mostly positive" versus 57% of the impressions on blogs and chat rooms. offline wom was also found to be 7% more likely to lead to purchase intent, according to the research." marsha t., advertising agency, baton rouge. la.

two food giants...general mills and kraft...have just started wom communities. gm is called psst...and kraft's is called first tasteandrea k, virginia beach, va, shoe store

“we use newsletters to get information from our customers. have a poll or a survey. it can be short, and even fun: where are you going on vacation? what tv show are you enjoying this summer? then post results in a future newsletter. people love taking polls.of course, always best to use a poll topic that is of interest to your audience.our customers are into new bands, especially hip-hop. we like to poll about "who's hot" in order to let them chime in about their favorites, and it also let's us get a sense of trends.”anson l , natchez, miss clothing store

“we partner with the local animal shelter for their adopt-a-pet program each spring and fall. we put together a “welcome to your new home” bag of food, treats and toys, which are handed out at the shelter when a pet is adopted. we include a discount coupon for their next total purchase at our store as well as their first grooming appointment.karen d, portsmouth nh, pet shop