The following is a blog by Jim T. Ryan, a journalist, blogger and friend. He just joined the #Strella team last week as a freelancer and business development specialist.    Don't sweat, don't sweat, don't sweat, I told myself. It was my first meeting as a social media professional.  I haven’t been that nervous since […]

One of our clients recently inquired about the relevance of her website.  She said that someone informed her that websites don’t serve the same major purpose they did even a couple of years ago and that social media is replacing websites. This feedback is nothing new.  As social media continues to evolve, there’s been speculation […]

My friend and web partner, John Webster, loves to challenge me. In fact, we engage in frequent debates on issues related to marketing and business.   John’s a fan of metrics – and he’s very good at using them to show clients how they are achieving the ROI they seek. I thought he would be pleased […]

I recently started a conversation on a LinkedIn group about social media channels and their usage in B2B sales. It seems a lot of folks know LinkedIn is a valuable outlet for B2B, but not many know how to use it transition leads beyond, “thanks for connecting, here's what we do, if you ever need […]

I consult with businesses who sometimes agonize over what to share on social media.  They overthink newsfeed postings in an effort to perfect their message.  That’s when I remind them that social media doesn’t have to be so much work. It can be fun – and engaging.  A photo with a word or phrase can […]

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2013 and was updated in September 2026 to reflect what I’ve learned since then. When I first wrote about firing clients more than a decade ago, I approached the subject by identifying the kinds of clients who might need to go. There were clients who didn’t […]

Social media is a buzz-worthy communications tool that is piquing the interest of businesses across the globe.  I’ve worked with dozens of clients and have learned that, in order for the social media hype to successfully meet their expectations, there are some fundamental factors that need to be in place. In fact, these three elements […]

I was recently asked to write a guest blog about content marketing with an emphasis on making content ‘go viral.’  However, I ended up declining simply because “going viral” isn’t a goal I commonly have, especially for my small business clients. Content that “goes viral” may be good for a quick boost, but this content […]

Pinpointing what to write about on your blog can be a challenge, especially for new bloggers. But there are a few effective “types” of blog posts that can really help you get the wheels turning and produce compelling content. There are certainly more types of blog posts than this list, but here are some of […]