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Social media has single-handedly changed the face of marketing. In an industry that inherently grows and reinvents itself, the addition of social to marketing has added a whole new necessary level of thinking for marketers. We love the fast pace of social, so we're constantly reading to keep on top of our game, but we get it if you took a breather this week.

No worries...here are our favorite stories that came out in the last week. Our weekly top industry news post – this week, social's on deck. Happy reading and happy weekend!   

1. How to solve 3 major social media marketing pain-points that continue to exist (Business 2 Community)
   B2C bridges the gap between just using social media in your marketing, and using it effectively. Learn how to overcome the three biggest pain-points marketers encounter when trying to use social to their advantage – from how to find and utilize time and resources, to validating your ROI (oh, hey boss), to staying on track with your consistency. 
2. Looking for ways to improve your customer engagement on social media? Here are 8 (Entreprenuer)
   Eight rules for using social (and actually engaging, which is really the only point, no?) – from the no-brainers (post a lot, have a personality), to the less traveled path if you're just getting started
   (running promotions and campaigns to encourage engagement). 
   

Building a presence on Instagram is a great way to introduce your brand to a new audience. This concept is easy for most business owners to grasp. This is a very fresh and engaging platform, especially when compared to social networks like Facebook or Linkedin, which have been around for more than a decade. The part that is difficult for most is how and where to begin. Here are a few tips to get you on your way to #instafame:

Have you ever wondered how other companies are leveraging social media to generate leads? Or have you searched for a quick and concise guide that will teach you the basics of social media prospecting? Our free social prospecting workbook can help.

This handy workbook will teach you the fundamentals of leveraging popular social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more, to get REAL results in no time. It includes step-by-step instructions and exercises that will help you make progress without hiring an outside agency or freelancer.

Are you in the market for a new inbound marketing agency, but scared to death that you're going to make the wrong choice? There are many marketing agencies out there, but it can be difficult to determine which one is the right fit for your company.

Social media is an important part of today’s marketing campaign, but it can be time consuming. Without the right tools, you may not be accomplishing what you set out to do. Here are 4 social media tips that are worth acting on.

Video marketing is a great way to interact with your customers and give a personal side to your business and brand. However, in order to see a real return on your investment into video marketing you need your videos to go viral. There are 100 hours of videos uploaded every minute onto YouTube, so how do you set your videos apart to get the views you need and the chance to send them viral?

These days there is a lot of talk about “the Cloud” but other than Apple’s ICloud there are actually a number of different choices such as Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and more. Suddenly the Cloud has gotten very competitive. So how do you know which Cloud is right for you? It pays to know your options.

As of earlier this year, over half, or 56 percent, of American adults are now smartphone owners, according to a new study from Pew Internet & American Life Project. And more facts that mobile is here to stay: 25% of global watch time on YouTube is done so via mobile.

Timeline – Facebook users seem to have chosen sides about whether they like it or not. The fact is, timeline doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so why not learn how to visually improve your Facebook timeline page.

Social media tools are rapidly growing in popularity and small business is beginning to recognize the value. Here are 10 social media tools for small business.