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Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace. You've heard the names. Some of you even have accounts - personal and business. And everywhere you turn, another talking head tells you how these new Social Media platforms are going to change advertising as we know it. Yet the critic in the back of your head wonders if it's really true when they say Social Media is going to make all other forms of advertising obsolete.

There certainly are some advantages to using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. First, they're FREE. That has to count for something. You can set up a Facebook page for your company with almost all of the same information as your website at no charge to you. You can send messages to all of your fans without the cost of an email service. You can change pictures, announce events, and have chats with your customers without contacting the IT department.

And it's all Free!

Well, not exactly...

In life, no matter what you want, you have to spend one of two currencies - time or money.

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While Facebook may give you all of the above services at no monetary charge, there is a huge time commitment necessary. You have to create all the content yourself. You have to build relationships one friend at a time. You have to monitor discussions regularly. It can take months or even years to develop a friends list with enough people to move the needle.

The same is true of Twitter. Setting up an account is easy. Getting a bunch of followers is harder. Saying something worthwhile in limited space enough times to be relevant is even harder.

But both can be effective tools in your advertising tool box - especially if you have more time than money. Twitter can be an effective way for stores with a fast-turning product to keep customers informed of what is in stock. Facebook can be a great way to give an active fan base a platform for gushing nostalgic about you.

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If you're going to jump into the social media pool, here are some things to think about:

• Decide your purpose for doing social media. Is it to generate leads, keep people informed, set a platform for customer involvement, or some other purpose? Clearly define your goals and it will help you determine your path.
• Be transparent. No, you don't have to tell people what you had for breakfast, but if it has your name on it, it better be you writing it (or at least editing it). Don't just dump it off to the "young kid on the staff," and hope he stays consistent with your brand. Be honest, forthright and genuine. Don't try to be something you are not, just be yourself openly.
• Stay up to date. Update it regularly - at least weekly, preferably more often. If you can't commit to that kind of regularity, don't do it. A stale account can be more damaging than no account at all. (Yeah, I know, my Facebook account needs some more love.)

Knowing how the different social media work is important, too. The three most talked about - Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN all work somewhat differently.

Twitter is about inside information - no, not the kind of stuff for which the SEC sends Martha Stewart to jail, but information that lets your followers feel like they know more than the average Joe because they follow you. Your tweets need to have the kind of information they can't just get from your website or off the street. Let people into the workings of your mind by telling people why you're carrying a certain brand (or not carrying one). Show them how you decided on a certain product or service. Tell them about issues affecting your business that may affect them. Be the first place to announce new arrivals. Make your Twitter followers feel like an insider and you create a connection with them that raises loyalty to a whole new level.

Facebook is about making and keeping connections. Facebook is all about the customers and their interactions with you. It is the media of nostalgia - posting pictures and videos, sharing memories. Your Facebook page has to encourage this behavior. Start discussions, post pictures and videos. Keep up a dialogue with your fans. Yeah, you can announce events, but if that is all you do, your fan base will get bored quickly. It isn't about you. It's about them.

LinkedIn is often seen as a more professional site. I liken it to speed networking. Meet and greet people. Find people who think or act like you do and make connections. If you are a service provider or independent consultant, LinkedIn could be a valuable way for you to expand your circle of influence. But like all the social media, you have to be active. Just setting up an account and waiting for people to connect to you won't help. You have to join some groups, post comments, offer assistance, write recommendations, and actively seek out connections. The more active you are, the more connections you'll make.

As you can see, social media is a simple equation - time for money. If you have time, you can make social media work for you. If you have the discipline to stay current and active, you can make social media work for you.

And if you don't have the money to do traditional advertising, you better find the time to make social media work for you.

Reprinted with permission from the author.

Market season is winding down. Hopefully, you were able to attend a show to see the new introductions from many of the vendors. If not, however, we want to bring the new intros to you! Here are a few top-selling lines and the new products they introduced at market this year.

C.R. Gibson/iota

C.R. Gibson, in their 140th year, has experienced a renaissance in 2010 with some outstanding new licensing. They've partnered with popular license Lolita(TM) and debuted their line of casual entreating products, including acrylic wine glasses and melamine appetizer plates, and found huge retailer interest in the popular girlfriend-themed gifts. Jim Shore branded kitchen, stationery, photo and gift items received wide attention from retailers at market, as did the Carter's infant memory collections featuring Just Hatched, Laguna and Meadowlark designs.

There are also a number of new designs in C.R. Gibson's core products of baby, kitchen and photo/social items. Also featuring new designs is Gibson partner, the colorful iota. They have a new Cottage Kitchen collection that's been very popular at shows, as well as other design additions to their collections. Keep an eye on this hot vendor in 2010!

Napa Home & Garden

Being outdoors may not be on your customers' minds yet, but spring is coming and you need to be ready. Napa Home & Garden has great outdoor and indoor products your customers will love. One recent intro from them is the Napa Firelites(TM) collection. These beautiful ceramic candles use Napa's own Napafire gel fuel, which is ecologically safe & clean burning, and made in the USA.

Molly'N Me

Molly'N Me, a division of Ms. Dee, is kicking off hundreds of new introductions for 2010 in celebration of their 40th Anniversary. Their "Sassy Sparkle" Collection includes everything from new two piece chair and footstool to baseball caps, overnite bags, mirrors, diaries, disc curtains and lamps. Also, added to the Room Decor Category, is new chandeliers and orb lights...fantastic prices that lend to great markup.

Ms. Dee hits the trend high spots with jewelry accessories for ages 13 and over. There is a big statement with fabulous "one-size" fits all in rings, which have been expanded in 2010. Touches of color are reflected in museum piece styling, mixed metals, sparkle for fun, and retro accents in bracelets and rings...some with a western flair. There is something for everyone, speaking to the diversified interest of today's female consumer.

Alexa's Angels

In January 2010, Alexa's Angels proudly introduced many new pieces into its signature line as well as a whole new collection called Emma Rose - the company's first foray into "catwalk" fashion accessories. The signature line features inspirational jewelry ranging from Swarovski crystal to sand-etched capiz shells that are perfect for gift-giving or to keep for yourself!

Emma Rose is a fresh new line of modern pieces offering a unique combination of floral patterns and vivid use of color. Catering to fashion-forward women of all ages, Emma Rose consists of a sophisticated and stylish collection of jewelry, hobo handbags and satin scarves that are exquisite, yet affordable.

Urban Rituelle

Urban Rituelle is a special personal care line. The products appeal to women of all ages, they have a unique men's collection called HIS, and they have a popular organic collection of baby products called Mumma & Bubba. They've recently added new product offerings to many of their collections.

Fragrant Journey, Garden Party, Scents of Style, and the candy-themed Sweet Treats are all collections that have added products this season. The Mumma & Bubba collections packaging, is also noteworthy. Each box in the collections is designed to be used for play, either individually or as a complete set of 5 collectable nesting & stacking blocks. Each box features eye-catching patterns, numbers, letters and nursery rhymes and look lovely displayed on a shelf in the nursery.

Mad by Design

Mad by Design is a popular purse, bag and accessories line, and has recently introduced their Ecototes collection, which are made from post-industrial reclaimed canvas. Products include EcoTote, Eco Laptop bag, EcoMessenger, Eco Lunch bag and many more. They also made huge additions of new lifestyle bags, both in colors and style of bags.

The vendor has also made additions to their existing collections, including prepacks and displays, Pure Tafetta Silk, Natural Horn & Shell, and Eco-friendly Bamboo.

You can see any of these new products by clicking on the links in the article, or visiting a vendor's page and clicking "New Arrivals" in the left column.

Boutiques and retail stores are often short on space. How many times have you said to yourself, “If I had the space, I could do so much more with my business”? Sometimes it’s not that we actually need a bigger space, but that we need to learn to better utilize and organize the space that we have.

Gridwall and slatwall are the most popular, cost effective items on the market for utilizing vertical space in a retail setting. But, there are more benefits to using one of these systems than you may realize.

• Slatwall and gridwall panels are both fairly cheap to install. It is generally recommended that you have a professional contractor do the job to be absolutely certain that the wall panels will hold up the weight that you need them to. Check with your insurance company before you attempt it yourself because they may require that a professional contractor do it and guarantee the work.
• Once installed, both systems are easy to keep clean and neat. Shelves, hooks and hanging bars are easily moved about and both slatwall and gridwall can be simply wiped down with a damp cloth when needed. Slat wall panels come in a wide variety of colors and styles that are sure to match your décor. Grid wall sections also come in a few different colors and finishes that can help you to set the tone that you want in your store.
• Gridwall and slatwall allow you to conveniently and easily move displays around with very little effort. This is such a useful aspect in the retail environment where needs are constantly changing. The versatility is unmatched by any other retail display. You can quickly switch from summer to winter, from sweaters to shoes, or even from jewelry to power tools. The possibilities are truly endless.
• Gridwall and slatwall both allow you to put clothing and accessories on the wall instead of in your floor space. Not only does this save you from having an overcrowded sales floor, but it also allows you to coordinate your displays to make more sales. Let’s say that you are selling general apparel, like jeans, shirts, hats and jewelry. Normally these items would be hung on different racks around the store. But, with a grid wall or a slat wall, you can hang them facing outward and next to each other. You can even use torso mannequin forms to display the outfits in their entirety without using any more space.

Using your gridwall and slatwall to your advantage can save you on rent and power, but can also make your store or boutique easier to shop in. Customers appreciate being able to see what you have without digging through racks and crowded displays.

Joan Stewart

If you're trying to promote your store, but you don't have a big advertising budget, relax. There are lots of ways you can get in front of the audience you want to reach by using free publicity. Here are tips that will boost your publicity efforts and help you finally get noticed.

1. Participate in Facebook. When creating your profile, you cannot create a corporate identity or business identity account. You must first create an account by setting up a personal profile, presumably for the person who will be managing the Facebook account for your business. Once that's set up, that person can then create a fan page for your business by going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. Now, invite your friends to become fans.

2. Participate in Linkedln. Ask your customers,clients and others for recommendations, which will appear on your profile. Also, answer questions that pertain to your area of expertise. This helps position you as an expert.

3. Participate in Twitter. As of this writing, it's the hottest social networking site, and it allows companies or anyone to "push out" short messages of no more than 140 characters. Provide helpful, useful, practical information and tips for those who are following you.

4. Call the advertising department of every newspaper and magazine you want to get into and ask for a copy of their editorial calendar. It's a free listing of all the special topics and special sections coming up during the calendar year. It will tip you off to sections where your story idea would be a good fit, so you can query the editor weeks and even months ahead.

5. Invite a reporter from your local newspaper or magazine for coffee or lunch. Instead of asking, "Will you write about me?" a better question is, "How can I help you?" Offer yourself as a resource in your area of expertise. Talk about trends you're seeing in your industry.

6. Consider starting your own television show on your cable TV station's community access channel. A floral shop can do a program on how to create dried flower arrangements. The station can rent you the camera equipment for a nominal fee. Air time is free. Produce one show or an entire series of programs. Call your cable company for details.

7. Build a network of other retailers in your area. Agree informally that you will refer reporters to each other whenever reporters call and want your comments on a topic on which you all could comment, such as a new sales tax increase.

8. Write how-to articles - such as this one - for newsletters published by groups in your community or for newsletters read by audiences who buy your products or services. Be sure the last paragraph tells readers how to contact you.

9. Get on your local TV news and the morning TV news feature shows. Tie your product, service, cause or issue to a breaking news event, pitch yourself as the local angle to a national story, or suggest a feature story with great visuals.

Reprinted with permission from Dallas Market Center.