The following articles form a handy guidebook for negotiating social media and developing sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn into tools that will grow your small business.

10 Newbie Mistakes Made by Businesses

By Mike Johansson

As a beginner, you are expected to make mistakes. Even if you have had a Twitter account for some time, it is likely that you have made at least one mistake on this very handy list. The primary mistake of not presenting a personality on a highly personal site can be avoided by following this simple list. Followers will be satisfied with the content you post and will give you valuable feedback if you show a human side.

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/179967

How 5 Top Companies win with Twitter

By Adam Schoenfeld

Many businesses are beginning to maintain a high profile on social networking sites such as Twitter. This article takes the reader through five different approaches taken by top companies to approach Twitter. The effectiveness of their categorized Twitter accounts has been anecdotally successful and some of the same techniques can be applied to small businesses.

http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/177952

The 11 Commandments of Corporate Twitter

By Bernhard Warner

While you are learning how to manage a Twitter, it’s important to remember these rules regulating whether or not you should have a Twitter. In the sea of business Twitter accounts, is your Twitter going to improve your brand by creating interest or be another vehicle of PR boredom? Learning the commandments will help you create meaningful, informative tweets that will keep people from clicking the dreaded ‘unfollow’ button.

http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/c-tweet/2010/03/05/11-commandments-corporate-tweeting

Israeli raid called off after Facebook Slip

By Associated Press

The military said Wednesday that a planned raid on a West Bank village was called off after the soldier disclosed its details online. The military said the soldier posted the time and location of the raid on his Facebook page, saying that troops were planning on "cleaning up" the village.  Fellow soldiers reported the leak to military authorities, who canceled the raid, fearing that the information may have reached hostile groups and put troops at risk.  The soldier was court-martialed and sentenced to 10 days in prison.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ijxfEmOkxSKjZ_pDqWl-mJS3-sUwD9E7CU5O0

Group, Fan Page or Both?

By Dani Babb

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a Facebook fan page and a Facebook group? While you can connect with people and inform them about your business with both, you might want to make a decision about which to use to conserve time. Babb explains the differences, and helps you determine which strategy is best for your business.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/theonlineprofessor/article205406.html

13 Ways to  Move Your Facebook Fans to Action

By Mari Smith

Now that you have a fan page…is anyone visiting/interacting/engaging? In order to get your fans on your site in a participatory manner they need prompting. This article gives 11 suggestions to get your fans on the same page as your brand and keep them aware of your services. YellowWebMonkey’s favorite tip? Respond Promptly. Your fans want to know that you’re in business for them, and Facebook is one of the best ways to let them know.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/13-ways-to-move-your-facebook-fans-to-action/

5 Social Media Tips for Ecommerce Marketing

By Lee Odden

This article makes the brilliant connection that consumers shopping online likely are plugged in to social networking sites. In order to build relationships with potential consumers through Facebook or Twitter, proper marketing of your ecommerce site promises returns. By giving your social network followers an insider pass to your ecommerce, increasing traffic and word of mouth becomes easier.

http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/181151

When Crisis Attacks

By Scott Monty

This article discusses the importance of using social media when there is a crisis in your business.  It uses Sea World has a case study, examining how they handled the aftermath of the death of one of their trainers.  He praises them for having mechanisms in place (blog, Facebook, and Twitter) which had a large following.  However, he faults them for not addressing their less official accounts such as a @Shamu account which had several twitters about how much the whale liked to eat things and how tasty they were.

http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/02/when-crisis-attacks.html