This week on Sprout Social Insights we tackled guides for Facebook, Twitter, and small business to help you better reach your customers with the social media tools that make a difference.

Check out our articles below to find out more about each one and how they can help you with your social media goals.

And check in every day to Sprout Social Insights for more how to guides and breaking social media news.

4 iOS 6 Features That Matter Most to Businesses

While there was certainly a lot to take in at this year’s WWDC, iOS 6 is one of the most exciting things that was announced by Apple.

Although your current iOS might now seem like dead weight, there’s a lot to look forward to when the updated version is released this fall.

Apple’s new mobile operating system brings with it 200 new features, several of which are specifically targeted toward the professional crowd. Let’s take a look at the four iOS 6 features that will benefit businesses the most. [ Read More... ]

How to Translate Foreign Language Tweets With Sprout Social

This week we’ll show you how (and why) to use Sprout Social’s translation feature to easily translate tweets from a variety of foreign languages.

Did you know that of the 200 million or so daily tweets on Twitter, only about 39 percent of those are in English? In fact, Arabic is one of the fastest growing languages on the social network!

If your company or its products and services cater to an international audience, chances are pretty good that your foreign customers are tweeting about you in their native languages. Here’s how to use Sprout Social’s powerful translation tool to make sure you don’t miss any mention, mencionar, or mención of your brand on Twitter! [ Read More... ]

5 Traits and Skills to Look for When Hiring a Social Media Manager

The business is going well, you’re getting some traction with fans, but you’re at the point of social media burnout. Sprout Insights has discussed the need to hire a social media manager before, so let’s say you’ve taken the advice to heart.

You’ve decided that it’s about time your business had a dedicated social media manager. Great move! Do you know what you should be looking for in the perfect one, though? Social media management is a big job, even if you have the best tools. What skills, traits and experience should an effective social media manager? Read on to find out.
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ExpressionEngine vs. Joomla: Which Is Better for Your Business Website?

Whether you’re looking to launch your brand’s first site or you want to overhaul an existing one, you’ll want to have a strong content management system at your back. While WordPress is a great system for blogging and regularly updated content, two of the hottest platforms for more static company websites are Joomla and ExpressionEngine.

Both systems have solid core features and the potential for serious customization. So which one is your best option? Take a look at our comparison below to help you decide on a platform that will best fit your company and your goals. [ Read More... ]

Now Hiring: Sprout Insights Is Contracting Great Freelance Writers

Sprout Insights and Sprout Social have both grown tremendously over the past couple of years, but we’re not done yet. Our mission to help business owners, marketers, community managers, and other professionals develop practical strategies for tech and social media continues, and we need more writers to help us spread the word.

If you want to write for us, you should be able to find the essence of complex topics and present that information in plain, clear language with just a touch of passion and enthusiasm. We’re not looking for in-depth analysis of IPOs and acquisitions, but down-to-earth strategies and opinion pieces about dealing with social in the world of business.

You should also be able to closely follow a style guide and our established processes for formatting and editing work — basic professional writer stuff.

There is one available paid contract position: Contributing Writer. Below are the responsibilities and qualifications, along with instructions for how to apply.
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Why West Elm Sets a Standard for Pinterest Presence

Many companies have jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon and have quickly built strong presences on the network. Whole Foods and Sevenly are two examples of how to succeed by emphasizing content related to lifestyle and company missions.

West Elm, a home decor and furniture store, has taken a different approach to achieving success on Pinterest. Rather than a mission or merchandise, West Elm has de-emphasized the business side and kept the focus of its account on social, sharable visuals.

With more than 40,000 followers, it certainly has strong numbers backing its success. Here are a few specific reasons why West Elm is so popular on Pinterest. [ Read More... ]

Spotlight on Startups: Filanthropists.com unites shoppers with a cause

At Sprout Insights, we comb the web to bring you the most up-to-date and actionable resources on how to use social media to grow your business.

To that end, we’re pleased to present the Sprout Insights series Spotlight on Startups. We’ll find the most innovative, useful startup companies out there, get the inside track on what they’re doing, and tell you how you can leverage their products and services for your own business.

This week we’re pleased to cast the spotlight on Filanthropists.com — an online shopping website based in Oakland, NJ, that unites shoppers with cause-marketing products. [ Read More... ]

5 Radical New Approaches to Corporate Culture

One of the best ways to keep your employees happy is to create and maintain the sort of cultural and social environment where they want to work. This is not as simple as putting a foosball table in the break room. Corporate culture, at its best, is integrated with all aspects of the business.

Here are five businesses that have unique attitudes toward company culture. Keep in mind that you don’t need to adopt any one of these approaches in order to succeed. Culture is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Use these examples for ideas and inspiration to develop a corporate culture that fits your organization. [ Read More... ]

Is Facebook’s New Promote Button for Page Updates Worth the Cash?

Facebook’s new Promote button has been available for a few weeks now for Business Pages with more than 400 fans. The feature does seem to have plenty of potential to increase the visibility of your brand’s content, especially considering the report by EdgeRank Checker that found the average post reaches just 17 percent of the Page’s fans.

So, clearly you can get the word out to more of your followers through the Promote button. But as the number of estimated viewers for a promoted post goes up, so does the cost. For example, using the feature can cost as much as $100 for just three days of featuring your post. At what point does the expense outweigh the benefits? Here are some things to help you decide whether promoting your Facebook updates with the Facebook Promote button is worth the cash. [ Read More... ]

[Image credits: MDGovpics, lululemon athletica, Jerry Bunkers, Ciaran McGuiggan, Filanthropists(FB), Troy McCullough, Johannes Fuchs]