Let’s be honest for a second.

Small businesses have sucky websites.

There, I said it. 

it’s easy to understand why, too. They don’t have a ton of money to invest in one and they don’t need an uber-complex one either. Those two things combined equal a stale, rigid site with few pages and zero creativity. More often than not, it should just be the who, what, when, where, why, and how. And, coverings those bases isn’t all that jazzy, sexy, or fun.

But, when said small business hires you to inject those things (jazz, sex, fun, creativity, etc) into their brand via social media there can be a sort of disconnect between the two products. 

Here’s what will separate you from the other guys. Take the initiative. Find out who the web designer is, ask what their management/update parameters are, and impart your wisdom to help close the gap between the two.

Recently, I got with a web guy only to get the html color codes (to use in my photos, collages, newsletter styling, etc) from the page and to asked him to sprinkle a bit of copy (which I wrote verbatim) around about their Facebook page and new newsletter. Total time of work for me: 5 minutes. Total time or work for web guy: 30 minutes. Total time of work for business owner to deal with marrying the two objectives together: 0 minutes. Everyone wins and you look like a rockstar, go-getter to your new clients. What’s better than that?

The best advice I can give to anyone in any industry in any position is to get over yourself and just do what it takes to get your job done as best as possible. If this means going out of your way to work with someone else…go for it. It really will help you and your client shine!

LinkedIn announced yesterday that as of today (thanks for the short notice!) we’d all be getting new profiles. Exciting stuff. I always love when networks roll out redesigns. Not only are they, for the most part, cleaner and easier to use but it also allows me to use the site in ways I hadn’t before. 

LinkedIn’s new profiles are no exception. On first look, they are a lot more visual. Tons of imagery was added including logo thumbnails of companies you’ve worked for and groups you belong to. They also created some cute little icons to represent each category (skills and expertise, education, etc.) But, the one visual element that stands out is the integration of a bubble graph to illustrate your network in a whole new way. 

For me, this is the best new element of the new LinkedIn profiles because, as I indicated before, it allows me to use the site in a way I hadn’t before. You can search your network via company, industry, location, or school. When you choose a selection a bubble graph appears with the largest subgroup in the middle and other subgroups around that one. 

When I click industry, a large circle with 47 appears and nine smaller circles appear around that. As I hover, I discover that 47 people in my network are in the Marketing and Advertising industry, 18 are in real estate, and 11 are in law practice. Who knew? 

Unfortunately, that’s where it ends. I would have loved to be able to click the bubble and see a list of those connections. (Anyone at LinkedIn listening??)

All in all, it’s a decent roll out if only from a design standpoint. LinkedIn has come a long way in making their site easier on the eyes and less corporate stuffy while maintaining a professional feel. This is another step in that direction. 

Kudos.

There seems to be a gift guide out there for everyone on your Christmas list. I’m joining the party with my own version for the Social Media savant in your life.

1. Solar powered backpack charger: There’s a variety of sizes and formats of solar-powered backpacks on the market today to make charging everything from your phone to your tablet to your laptop a breeze.
2. “There’s a nap for that” onesie: It’s never too early to start promoting social media, right?
3. iPhone camera lens: Someone you know like to take photos with their phone? There’s some great quick-connect lenses you can buy that will allow them to zoom in on a subject, take a wide-lens photo, and/or take a picture with a fish-eye lens. It’ll give your little photog a great way to stand out though their photos. 
4. Phone case: Don’t under-estimate the power of a standout iPhone case. Huff Po published a collection of 21 Outrageous Covers That Will Have Everyone Talking. 
5. Tech gloves: These are great for the person who’s always social marketing on the go. The tips of the pointer finger and thumb on the glove are covered with a material that allows the touch-screen function of phones and tablets to work despite the fact that your fingers are covered. 
6. Apps (iTunes card): A lot of the social media apps out there are free (CardMuch, LinkedIn, Facebook pages, Pinterest, Twitter to name a few), but there’s never a shortage of paid apps that could make our work easier and more engaging. 

New stats are coming out about the popularity of social media in 2012. Perhaps the most striking is the mass number of followers for celebrities. Analyzed against country populations, I created this infographic to illustrate the comparison.