This weekend is full of goodies for you to read. I have read some already; while others I have yet to have a chance to chew on.

What are you reading on the internet this weekend? Share your great reading finds by commenting on this post.

Here is the Social Savvy Weekend Wrap Up for this week:

The Social Impact of Friendships and Lies -I found myself laughing as I read this post. Jason hit on such a relevant point of how watered down friendships have become as a result of social media.  Does that mean that social media is the cause. No, I don’t think. Read it to find out Jason’s take.

How Sticky Is Your Site? – Lexi uses her own client as an example of how to make your site sticky. Great read!

The Most Powerful Marketing Tool – Pat shares how the art of story telling can serve s strong component to your marketing strategy.

Reality Check: A Blog Is Not a Business – This had to be one of my favorite reads of the week. It is a good read for anyone looking to become a profitable blogger. The advice is practical and makes a great deal of sense. David Risely talks about getting real and understand how you really make money blogging. You have to read this!

I hope you enjoy reading these posts. Do me a favor. Come back here to this post and let me know what you read and your thoughts.

There are many people who think that there is some big secret to marketing online. Really there is not. Many of those same people trying to figure out marketing are already doing it, but may not aware of it. They just need to tweak their efforts a little bit.

Just about any business owner who utilizes the Internet for any purpose, will likely find that whether or not they intentionally organized an Internet marketing campaign; they may already be marketing their products and services on the Internet.

Do you have a website for your business?

Business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their products or services online.  Having a live website means there is the potential for curious Internet users to access your website. You may not be actively promoting your website, but you may still find that your website generates interest in your products despite the lack of promotional endeavors.

However, it takes more than simply having a website to increase your online presence and gain a loyal market that will buy from you again and again.

Do you participate in message boards and include a link to your website in your signature?

If you answered yes to this question then you are taking an extra step towards marketing your website online. Savvy business owners realize the importance of participation in industry related message boards. They know that these boards (forums) can be used  to create an interest in their products and services, establish themselves as an expert in their industry, and offer a link to their own website even if it is in the signature line of their posts.

If you are participating in message board and people know about your products, services, and website then you are inadvertently enjoying the benefits of Internet marketing. You may just be a part of the community because you enjoy it; but you are, in essence, marketing your business.

Now in order to reach your bottom line goals you need to make sure that when they click on the URL that leads to your site, that the landing page is marketing ready. You can do this by making sure that you site has everything it needs so that people know all about what you offer. Create some calls to action, have an optin box, and make sure that your content compels your market to pay attention. Present value for your visitors so that they want to come back to your website again and again.

Do you solicit feedback from your customers online?

Most business owners realize the importance of soliciting feedback from customers for business purposes. Whether it be via online polls, email, or client testimonials it is understood that client feedback is an integral part of business. Although the business owners may be doing this simply for a business purpose it is a part of online marketing.

There are several other ways that you may be marketing and did not know it. What you have to do is look at your overall plan, see exactly where you are marketing and how you can enhance the experience for full marketing opportunities. Discover those ways that you can leverage what you are already doing and add it to the market portion of your overall business plan. If you are not quite sure how to further benefit from what you are doing, it is a good idea to enlist the help of an online marketing consultant who can show you the way.

What are some of the ways you have been marketing and did not know it?

If you are reading this and you know how to market online, share your insights as well.

This week we are talking with Rod Kirby from the Success Center. Rod knows his way around the social media marketing arena well and you can tell from the posts he cranks out over at his blogazine. I thought it was a good idea to start this series of interview with one of the most Savvy Entrepreneurs I have met in a long time.

Tell us a little about your business.

My company is called, SBLS Enterprises. It’s basically a holding company for my intellectual and media properties such as The Success Center (Christian entrepreneur blog-a-zine), Inside the Success (online radio and web show), and an audio book titled, “Business Leadership Wisdom from Proverbs.” Officially, I’m an editor, author, speaker, and business coach. It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta be successful . . .

What is it about social media that makes it so unique for marketing?

There are a couple of things that make it unique, #1 – With no overhead, no print marketing materials to develop, and zero fees the return on investment can be huge if utilized correctly. #2 – It opens up conversation and dialogue between the seller and buyer that wasn’t there before. Instead of going directly for the sale, the seller has the opportunity to ask questions and get to know potential buyers first.

What do you think most people miss when it comes to marketing online?

I think people get excited about the tools to help them market online but fail to understand the best way to use them. They just jump in without testing the water or reading the instructions on how to use the boat. . .

What are your top three marketing tools?

Firstly, I don’t consider them marketing tools, I consider them marketing platforms. A tool is typically used once and discarded (in other words, something useful but not valuable). A platform is something solid used to stand on. Something sturdy you can build something on top of. My top 3 platforms are Twitter, Facebook, and my blog. Twitter for starting conversations, sharing information, and broadcasting my offerings. Facebook for deepening relationships. And the blog for offering valuable advice, tips, and information.

What advice do you have for the business owner seeking a viable online presence?

Therein lies the problem, you can’t have just an online presence. . . you have to present value to visitors, followers, fans, and friends. A website is only as good as it is useful to someone visiting it. A blog is only a great as the conversations started there. Create something valuable and you’ll find the success you’re looking for.

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About Rod

Rod Kirby is a success coach, speaker, and editor-in-chief of The Success Center; the #1 Christian entrepreneur’s blog for small business, marketing, social media, and personal branding help.

He is also the producer of Inside the Success, the show that aims to equip entrepreneurs for success by going “inside” the lives of others making it happen in their industries.

Rod has been on the forefront of entrepreneurship since 2002 when he started his first business, a video game tournament event company. In March 2009 Rod launched his personal blog, The Success Center, where he shared inspirational success stories and offered small business advice. The blog quickly developed a following and in June 2009 Rod re-launched it with a “blog-a-zine” focus. One factor in the blog’s success is Rod’s multimedia content, focus on community, and consistency in delivering quality content 5 days a week.
Rod’s mission is to inspire, empower, and equip entrepreneurs of all walks of life for success.

You can read more about Rod on his very informative “About page” over at the Success Center.  You will enjoy what you read.

I like to read a lot over the weekend. I visit blogs that may have missed during the week. It happens when you own your business. The cool thing is that with tools like Delicious and Feedly you can bookmark great reads and come back to them later.

This weekend I will be reading the following. Read along with me or share your own Great Reads for the Weekend!

Here is the Social savvy Weekend Wrap-Up for the week of January 29, 2010! Have fun reading and learning!

How to Build a Beautiful Blog

Site Review: Where is Your Call To Action – I love learning from Lynn Terry!

Create a Blog or Website - Another goodie from Lynn. If you are looking into Internet Marketing or Affiliate Marketing to earn some residual income, Lynn is a great keep it real person to learn from.

How to be a Twitter Rockstar Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 - Regina Baker is my mentor and has been online as an Internet Marketer since 1996. I read her stuff with great care because I always glean something applicable from it.

How Well do You Know Your Audience – I just discovered this blog through a friend’s tweet and I have been eating up since discovering it.

If you want to know what is good to read here on the Social Savvy Online Solutions Blog, let me suggest the following:

Virtual Tour Tips – 12 Days of great information to help you organize you very own Virtual Blog Tour

Review and Book Giveaway – I am reviewing Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel and giving away 5 copies.

Marketing Tips from the Shark Tank – Do you watch The Shark Tank? I do. You always learn some of the more valuable lessons for business.

For the last month I have been taking bites from one of the most delightful books on the topic of social media and marketing that I have read in a long time. Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone by Mitch Joel is an easy to read book with plenty of tasty morsels for the small business owner who doubts social media’s power to learn the truth.

Mitch Joel does an excellent job of intertwining digital marketing, social media, personal branding, and entrepreneurship in a clear, entertaining, and instructive manner that everyone can understand and apply. By reading the book we are able to see that in this technological world, we are all really just six pixels apart. This new “closeness” is why the face of business and marketing is changing by leaps and bounds.

I found myself laughing out loud and shaking my head in agreement with Mitch’s realistic approach. There is no way a curious or doubting business owner would not glean a a great deal of knowledge from reading Six Pixels of Separation. It is simply filled  with logical useful information. No “guru” promises or fairy fantasies. Mitch Joel presents the truth and nothing but the truth.

It made me so curious that I found myself digesting his site, Twist Image Blog and the Six Pixels of Separation podcast. There is so much practical information there that I simply breathed a sigh of relief.

Mr. Joel was not trying to sell me anything. He was not making promises about huge numbers or six figures. He was simply providing stuff I can use and resonate with.

About the Giveaway

I was so exited when the folks over at the Hatchet Book Group told me that I can give away 5 copies of the book to the Social Savvy readers.

Are you ready for your chance to win? Really, this is a great book and the rules are pretty simple.

How you can get entries for your chance to win.

• Retweet the post using the hashtag #ssgiveaway or share it on Facebook. There are icons on the top right of this post that sharing on Twitter or Facebook easy.
• Leave a comment and tell me about your biggest pet peeve when it comes to social media.
• Leave a comment and tell me why you think you need to read Six Pixels of Separation

You can choose to do one or both!

Didn’t I tell you that getting an entry for the giveaway was a breeze?  I did not even tell you to sign up for my feed or the newsletter. Of course if you decided to do either, you will get an additional entry but it is not mandatory at all

Please know that the contest will run from January 26, 2010 until January 31, 2010 at 12:00 Midnight EST and is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents