There’s no denying that social media has quickly become one of the most effective and efficient ways to communicate with an audience. Social media provides the interactive platform necessary to build the irreplaceable connection between brands and their audiences. Consumers and B2B buyers alike are no longer viewing this interaction as optional – consumers expect to communicate with businesses where they already spend time. So why are so many businesses still skeptical as to how and why they should incorporate it into their marketing plans?

T’was the day of Christmas
And all through the house,
Every person was playing
But not with a mouse.

Thanksgiving is past. Christmas is bearing down and the end of the calendar year is upon us for all practical business purposes.

Have you ever left a comment on YouTube? What about anything on Blogger? Ever left a review on a Google Place or maybe you're one of the 540,000,000 accounts on Google+...if you nodded your head to any of these, there is a good chance you are about to become a Google advertising star.

Since the day I started tweeting, I’ve seen calculators that show me how much my account is worth. Generally, these are based on a ratio of how many people you follow to how many people follow you. They also consider your number and frequency of tweets, and the popularity of your content (number of favorites and retweets). We’re all familiar with the popular website and now app, Klout, which gives you a score ranking your social media influence. My personal Klout score is in the 30s – not too bad for a girl who neglects her Twitter 5 days a week. Barack Obama, for reference, has a Klout score of 99.

If you've updated your Twitter App recently you might have noticed a few changes:

A blog written by Belle Beth Cooper shows off 10 social media stats that will more than likely surprise you. You probably won't even click on the link to read them (although I encourage it) so let me give you the bullet points:

Tomorrow (Friday August 9) there will be a social media event in downtown Oklahoma City that is unlike any we’ve seen.

When DVR’s grew in popularity and households there was a collective scream from advertisers everywhere. Imagine telling an advertiser 15 years ago that people would have the power to fast forward through the ads they had spent thousands (or even millions) of dollars to plan, produce and place.

The average person checks their phone every six and a half minutes, totaling 150 times per day. This statistic does not even include tablets, e-readers or any other mobile devices that vie for Americans’ attention. As mobile devices continue to liberate Americans from stationary restraints and allow them to take their business (and social life) on the road, the digital marketing culture faces pressure to make the same fluid transition.

Ever met a business executive who watches Jimmy Fallon? Know a CEO that’s on Pandora? Seen one laugh? Cry? Even yell? Then why do marketers refuse to understand that business people are some sort of non-human entities that we must take a serious (aka BORING) approach to when we’re trying to sell them some sort of business related service?

For me, Facebook is a way to make personal connections. To stay in touch with old friends, make new friends, to be entertained, amused and interact intimately on emotional levels. For this and other reasons, I don't "like" many businesses on Facebook. The ones I do like are smaller, independent companies whose products or services I want to keep tabs on, and those that tend to have more to gain than loss by injecting a little personality into their posts.