Let’s face it; those of us that use social networking sites are pretty much addicted. Whether you are connected through Facebook or Twitter—or both—you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on around town. Businesses that have been paying attention for the past two plus years are aware of this phenomenon and have leveraged social media to broaden their reach to potential customers. Restaurateurs are no different. On Tuesday, the Social Media Club, Sacramento (@SMCSac) hosted the “Dining Social: Restaurants & Social Media” at The Urban Hive in midtown to discuss how local restaurants are using social media and the impact it has had on their business. Ashlee Gadd (@AshleeGadd), PR Manager

What or whom are you influenced by when you are looking for a new product? It might be commercials, television shows, or maybe if you are like millions of other people around the world, you are influenced by bloggers. Gone are the days when you only read ads in the Sunday newspaper, or watch commercials on the television. Today many of us are being swayed commercially by social media, the internet, and other digital mediums. In fact, according to Marketing Charts.com, nearly 50% of blog readers say they purchase products mentioned in the blogs they read on a daily basis. That is quite powerful when you put it in perspective. So what about here locally? What kind of power and influence do

93% of all American adults adult internet users are now on Facebook. While this is not a surprising statistic for anyone that has fielded a friend request from their mom, aunt or even grandpa, it does make it harder for small businesses to ignore Facebook as a platform to engage their target demographic. The argument that a business targets an older or less tech savvy demo than Facebook users just doesn’t hold water any longer. Businesses without a Facebook presence are not just passing up a valuable opportunity to engage their customers, provide customer service, and gain new consumers; they're falling behind. But just being on Facebook and setting up a business page isn’t enough. A Face

Losing weight and getting into shape often top the lists of New Year's resolutions Americans attempt to commit to annually, and that resolution is met with the advice that a plan that combines diet and exercise is the best way to achieve or maintain desired results. But diet and exercise alone isn't enough of a plan to keep an individual committed to getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. From everyman Jared Fogle to supermodel Cindy Crawford, the presence of a supportive community played an integral role as a third element toward goals that incorporate losing weight, getting fit and staying healthy. "Getting weight loss support from family, friends and sometimes even professionals

Unemployment and job-seeking are still the number one issue in Sacramento and that’s the impetus behind The Sacramento Social Media Club’s panel discussion, “Putting Social Media to Work: Leveraging social networking tools to find and fill jobs” at the Urban Hive on Tuesday, May 18. The speakers represent a number of perspectives on exploring the tools that job seekers and recruiters alike are using to connect with each other via social media. Curt Cetraro is the CEO of ConnectPoint Search Group, a Sacramento region recruiting firm that provides Direct Placement, Contract Staffing, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing, enabling companies to use social media to increase recruitment efficien

 The Sacramento Social Media Club (SMCSac) held their April meeting at The Urban Hive featuring a trio of experts discussing social media and the law. Formally titled “The Web of Justice,” some forty plus lawyers, law students and those just interested in the topic gathered to hear individual presentations, followed by a question and answer period. Jeff Marmins, Executive Director of the SMCSac, was the MC for the evening, welcoming the crowd, before introducing the three speakers. Jonathan G. Steinis a litigator whose law practice handles a variety of cases from personal injury to debt-collection. It is as a blogger, however, that Mr. Stein comes by his social media expertise. He contrib

It’s the title of the Sacramento Social Media Club’s April presentation. Half the title, actually: Web of Justice: Social Media & Law. Almost everyday brings a fresh news item or two about the nexus between the law and social media. Privacy issues, social sharing at the speed of fiber optics and server farms in the “clouds” are changing the legal landscape. How does that affect you, the concerned citizen? How does that affect us, the informed public? These and other questions will be the focus of a panel discussion featuring three active users of social media in their legal work. Jonathan G. Stein is the owner of a law practice that handles all manner of litigation, from personal injur

Police converged on a ballroom in a downtown hotel Tuesday night, but there wasn’t a crime in progress. “Social Crime” was the topic of Tuesday evening’s Sacramento Social Media Club event hosted by The Citizen Hotel in Downtown Sacramento. Representatives from local law enforcement shared how their organizations are using social media tools to prevent crime, improve community outreach, and even take down predators. Josh Morgan of Morgan/Dorado Public Relations and programming director for the Sacramento Social Media Club presented a “101” on Facebook Privacy. He explained how Friends Lists on Facebook can be used to limit information connections can see on your profile. Josh, for exampl