Did you know that the bulk of businesses that think their websites are in great condition are, in fact, wrong? Sure, the page is flashy and conveys all of the necessary information your clients need to get in touch with you but that’s not quite enough. If you have a nice website, what’s the point in keeping it as nothing more than a landing page?

Fresh content is essential to keep new people coming to your website. Try to think creatively and utilize a blog that is ties to your site—make sure that it is easily accessible from your home page.

And of course, some industries don’t really call for a large amount of content. But you want to keep your site active in some way, particularly when it comes to sharing links via social media.  If you are having trouble thinking of ways to create winning content, there are some ways to make sure your content is always fresh and relevant.

• Create content about your products or services. Make it informative but also a way to highlight why the reader should choose you over the competition.
• When writing, be sure to include a photo, graph, chart or any other visual that might support the copy. Articles with a visual aspect tend to be more widespread and read.
• Make sure your social media identity is promoted through your content. Find a way to direct the reader you your Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or LinkedIn page.
• When something newsworthy occurs within your business or industry, you should be able to write a topic on it. This makes you seen like an expert in the field and that you stay on top of evolving trends and news.
• In your content, consider referencing other blogs and providing a link. Linkbacks are a great way to get discovered by members of your target audience.

Keep these tips in mind as you start to load your site with content and you should notice traffic results within a few weeks, so long as you are using special media to promote your content.

As social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter continues to grow in popularity, many small businesses are forgetting the power that LinkedIn can have. There’s also the fact that those small businesses that do get a LinkedIn account hardly ever use it.

Before getting lost in the tidal wave of every single social media platform out there, take another look at LinkedIn. When used correctly, it can benefit your small business in numerous ways.  Here are three steps you can take to harness the power that LinkedIn can still have on your small business.

Stick With Who You Know: LinkedIn is different from other social media in that it’s not about obtaining a massive amount of followers. With LinkedIn, your business will benefit more if you simply connect with people you know. These acquaintances can be passing—someone you met at a tradeshow or event, for instance—but you need to have at least some sort of familiarity with them. In the world of LinkedIn, most people won’t accept your invitation if they have no idea who you are. LinkedIn is all about business connections, not popularity.

Look for Events: You can find out what events other in your industry will be attending by using LinkedIn’s events section. This is a great way to keep up with local events and what sorts of things your connections are interested in. And of course, the events themselves are a great way to make business connections. With the events section, you can search for the most popular events around all of LinkedIn or just within your local region.

Keep Your Profile Current: You want to keep your LinkedIn page looking professional (another difference from other social networking platforms). More than that, you want to keep it current. If you receive a new certification or high profile client, add that information to your profile. Make sure to keep recent links and news articles within your profile to show your audience that you are active and current. By keeping your profile recent and up-to-date, you’re more likely to be seen as relevant and on top of things.

So don’t give up on LinkedIn in the wake of all of these other fancy and more modern networks. When utilized properly, LinkedIn can be just as useful as its social competitors.

Over the years, that have been many studies and other research conducted to gauge the effect social media has on small businesses. It’s no big secret that being able to successfully integrate social media practices into the small business atmosphere is of huge importance in order for a business to remain modern and competitive.

However, some of the facts that have come about as the result of this research is disheartening to say the least.

A few items to alarm you:

• Most small businesses are still “experimenting” with social media. Outside of infrequent Facebook posts and a profile on LinkedIn, nothing else much has been done.
• Less that 15% of surveyed businesses saw the importance of social media.
• At recent rates, small business still doesn’t look to be fully adapting social media—and it likely won’t within the course of the next year or so.

A recent survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that most small business are primarily relying on LinkedIn; Twitter, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as popular as a lot of internet hoopla would lead you to believe. In fact, here’s another alarming fact for you…

When asked which social media platform had the potential for the most growth within their business, the answer at a rate of 40% was LinkedIn. When asked which platform showed the second most potential, 17% answered “none.” This 17% listed higher than Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Youtube.

Another scary fact collected from this study showed that slightly more than 30% of those surveyed spend no time at all on social media with 48% spending a scant 1-5 hours a week.

What it boils down to is that many small businesses simply don’t see where social media has helped large businesses—so why would it help them?  And with finances being so tight for many small businesses, spending more money on a tactic they don’t find quick results in can be a scary move.

But there is success waiting in the realm of social media; the trick is to find out how your business can use it to your advantage.

If you’re I charge of a new business, an important part of your role is to keep up with developing trends. It’s also a good idea to keep tabs on fellow entrepreneurs that have become successful.

Luckily, social media makes this easier than ever. Twitter in particular is a great resource for staying informed in all of these areas. Experts in many fields often share links, tips, and other info that any small business owner should be studying up on.

Here’s a list of some of the most influential Twitter accounts to help small business owners.

Entrepreneur Magazine / @EntMagazine: Any small business owner—or even those just thinking about starting a small business—need to follow this one for a daily dose of info geared specifically towards small business owners.

Mashable / @mashable: This is a great account to follow to keep an eye on things like technological advances, social media, and developing new stories. This is one of the fastest growing Twitter accounts for small business over the last year or so.

Huffington Post Small Business Page / @HuffPostSmBiz: Direct from the internet-only newspaper, this account is a feed for the content that is posted on the site’s small business page.

SmallBizTechnology / @ramonray: This one is all about keeping you up to date on the latest technology that can help you as a small business owner, from social media cues to smart phone applications.

New York Times Small Business / @NYTSmallBiz: This account provides news direct from the NY Times on topics dealing with a wide range of material pertaining to small business.

Small Business Trends / @smallbiztrends: This one is exactly what it says, offering up information from the small business-oriented website SmallBusinessTrends.com.

Of course, with Twitter there are countless other accounts you could follow. If your business deals in a niche product, it would help to follow leaders in that subject matter area. It’s also a good idea to follow local news stations to catch breaking news about business developments and news in your local area.

If you’re looking for a unique way to stand out as an expert in your field, writing an e-book is a good way to gain attention. With an e-book, you determine the topic, the length, the approach, the price, the distribution model and every other detail. With the ease of access to e books that Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Program (KDP) has created—not to mention other alternatives such as Kobo, Smash Words, and PubIt—anyone can publish an e-book.

The question is: should you?

While it’s a great idea in terms of promoting yourself as an expert (and a way to generate some extra income), there are some things to consider. There’s a saying floating around some self-publishing circles that says: Just because you can publish an e-book doesn’t mean you should.

Before you sit down to hammer away at the keyboard, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you going to have time to finish writing a book? True, there are some e-books out there that are no longer than 5,000 words or so. But if you want to convey the idea that you truly know your niche topic and are an expert in your business, you should try to commit at least 12,000 words—20,000 words is even better.
• Is there an audience for your book? After you hit the Publish button, will there be anyone outside of your family and friends that would buy it? If your niche topic doesn’t have a built-in audience that would be interested in the information, maybe you should stick to writing the occasional blog post instead.
• Will you have the expenses to hire a professional copyeditor and cover artist? In the world of e-books, the covers in particular are key to grabbing the attention of a potential reader. You don’t want to use something you threw together in 10 minutes with Microsoft Paint or PowerPoint.
• Are you willing to spend time promoting it online? This includes social media and seeking out websites where you can ask to guest blog. This sometimes takes just as long to work out than the writing of the book itself.

And you thought sitting down to write the book was the hard part!