Providing the best product won't be enough to carry your business into the future: You need to create experiences your customers want to share. Author Brian Solis discusses the need for innovative leadership, the new generation of consumerism, and his recent book, What's the Future of Business? more

Some 59% of decision-makers at small businesses say it’s harder to run a business today than it was five years ago, and more than half cite the economy as a major challenge. Decision-makers also said marketing, payroll, and the importance of being local have changed significantly for small businesses. more

Not all the fans on your social media networks interact the same way with your business. You need to draw out some and cool off others.To highlight the most common types of fans and how to engage with them, ReachLocal created this infographic. more

As social media platforms continue to evolve at an unprecedented rate, businesses are finding it difficult to stay on top of all the data. To show how much data is being shared (and to see what all that data means for businesses), Evzdrop created this infographic. more

This week was full of surprises. Get the lowdown on Apple's big announcements (and what matters most to marketers). Check out Chirpify, which lets you take payments on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And find out what time to tweet suits your followers best. Skim for flying kisses (really...). more

"Be nice" isn't just advice for kindergartners: Nice businesses earn more money. Author Peter Shankman talks about the value of creating a "nice" corporate culture in his latest book, Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over—and Collaboration Is In. more

All the talk about the importance of content marketing isn't just talk. Some 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing, and more than two-thirds of CMOs plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2013. more

What does Salesforce’s ExactTarget buy mean for social sales? What does great branded content look like? How do you pick the right Twitter name, or tweak pictures for maximum Pinnability? And can you really brand a mixtape? Skim for enlightenment! more

More than 8 in 10 people (83%) are satisfied overall with their online shopping experiences, but satisfaction drops below 50% when shoppers are asked about flexibility to choose delivery dates and shipping options, according to a recent report. more

Some 77% of European marketing students say Facebook is the most important social media tool a brand can use to communicate to their generation, according to a recent survey. more

National Geographic has dominated print media for 125 years, and now the organization is staking its claim on social networks and photo-sharing sites. EVP and CMO Amy Maniatis discusses brand management, the power of content, and the importance of emerging platforms like Instagram and Google+ for increasing your brand's reach. more

On social media, women are happy to see family pictures and hear good news but are much less interested in emotional status updates and location check-ins, according to a recent report. more

Online-savvy job recruiters are turning to social networks to find new talent for their companies. But the competition for talent is fierce online. So, which companies are doing the best? (You'll be surprised.) more

Social media is lagging as a traffic source to e-commerce websites and as a driver of online purchases, despite increased brand investment, according to a recent report. more

To help marketers best use Google Product Listing Ads, Adchemy researched PLAs, published a best-practices whitepaper, then created the following infographic featuring steps to success and a must-do list. more

See how Sephora scores Pinners, what social CTA works best, how Jell-O hijacked #FML, what’s new on Instagram, and the latest Gmail update. You’ll also learn how to conduct a winning webcast and tell a story like Pixar does. more

Links to mainstream media sites are the most commonly shared type of content by senior marketers on Twitter, according to a recent study by Leadtail. more

B2B Marketing Forum Keynote Jill Foster gives us a sneak peek of her presentation "Stuck in Elevators and Other Unsavory Networking Disasters," and provides valuable networking advice for marketing professionals. more

The majority of shoppers (62%) use a mobile device at a brand’s physical location to compare products and prices, according to a recent survey of global consumers conducted by SDL. more

A new study from Manta provides insight from more than 1,200 small-business owners regarding their top concerns, such as social media and ROI. Manta then created the following infographic from its findings. more

Get the breakdown on Twitter's new TV ad product, Twitter Amplify, Yahoo’s Tumblr purchase and flickr makeover, and Pinterest’s new sponsored Pins. We’ve also got a new cross-platform responsive ad solution, piles of stats, an Awesome Wall to liven up your next cocktail, and more. more

Digital ads and television ads are the most effective at driving interaction with a brand’s social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, according to a recent survey. more

Digital marketing expert and author Mitch Joel shares insights from his new book "Control Alt Delete" and discusses such topics as social media and content strategy, and how marketers can prepare for upcoming technological changes. more

If forced to only select only one social media platform to market on, 49% of marketers would pick Facebook, followed by 16% for LinkedIn, according to a recent survey by Social Media Examiner. more

Life before the internet? What's that? Today's teens and young adults only know about the digitally connected world. Here's a look at their hyperconnectivity and its effects. more