The debut of every new social media platform triggers a collective panic about our smartphones rotting our brains and destroying our attention spans.

In the “attention economy,” it can sometimes feel like we’re in a perpetual market crash.

I have friends who lament that they used to read books for hours and hours as children but now struggle to focus on a long-form article. Social media, in particular, is often compared to a casino, where users gamble away their hours, waiting for that lucky dopamine hit. I know I can spend a whole evening idling on my phone, only to look at the clock and wonder how the hours whirred by when I wasn’t paying attention.

Social media doesn’t feel incredibly important when you’re trying to build a small business, but it makes a huge difference when it comes to visibility. With consumers spending so much time on social media every day, it makes sense to try to reach them on their Instagram Discover pages or Facebook newsfeeds.

Marketing professionals know that running a successful social media campaign takes a lot of strategic planning. Whether you’re raising money for a good cause or selling a product or service, reaching the right audience with the right platform is key.

This week, Skye Learning® is spotlighting Bob Cargill, an award-winning copywriter, social media consultant, content marketer, creative director, teacher, public speaker, contractor, freelancer, and subject matter expert. He is also President of the American Marketing Association of Boston.

Formerly, Cargill has been an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and New England College of Business. He has also worked at various companies as Senior Copywriter, Director of Social Media, Creative Director, and more. Skye was thrilled to feature Bob Cargill in the online course Social Media Marketing.

Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Whether you’re looking to bring awareness to your brand, generate leads, or sell products, social media can help you achieve your marketing goal. Although social media marketing can widen your reach, it can also backfire if not done with care. Here are 5 social media marketing mistakes you’ll want to make sure to avoid.

In the digital age, small businesses have limitless choices in how to market to their target audiences. Small businesses can use a variety of social media platforms, from Linkedin to YouTube. They can announce new product lines and directly respond to customer questions on Twitter for everyone to see. They can use geofilters on Snapchat to transform a person's face into a cyborg, dog, superhero, or taco. These marketing options are available even for businesses with limited budgets, and the possibilities are limited only by the marketer’s creativity.

Of course, it’s difficult to make a noticeable splash in a large body of water, and the internet is a virtual ocean. To be successful, a social media marketing campaign must be crafted and delivered strategically.

Social media is transforming the way America does business, but it may be even more important in the nonprofit world. Nonprofits, after all, rely on personal connections to reach donors, and social media is all about forming personal connections. Janine Jacques – associate professor and Digital Media program chair at New England College of Business, and founder of her own nonprofit – explains it all in our latest Skye Learning video.

Have you ever had customer complaints posted to your social media channels? As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Rather than being caught off-guard when disgruntled customers show up in your social media feeds, create a plan for how to handle complaints when they arise.

While each industry and organization is unique, the following five tips are universal best practices when it comes to managing customer complaints.

No question, posting an inappropriate photo or ill-considered comment on social media can hurt your chances of landing that dream job. But when used appropriately, social media can actually provide a huge boost to your job search. Our latest Skye Learning video offers some valuable pointers for job-hunting in the digital age.

Social media marketing has quickly become an essential piece of an organization's marketing strategy. With millions of potential customers trafficking the Internet on a daily basis, social media platforms serve as centralized hubs for conversation and content sharing. Engaging with social media allows organizations to add their voices to the conversation and ultimately increase sales, promote brand recognition, and foster customer loyalty.