I'm always looking for the newest tools and widgets that make my life easier. I only have one arm so I depend on multi-tasking and speed. I put together a list of tools I've found to help.

Yoono - Useful Multi-task Tool - Yoono is an Internet plug-in that creates a sidebar on your browser (but you can decide if you want it visible or not). You can pick from 10 social networks that you update or follow the most. After putting in your settings, Yoono shows all updates on the social networks you chose to view and any RSS feeds you follow. Yoono is great because you don't need all those tabs open and you can update several profiles at the same time.

ShareThis - ShareThis is a nifty widget. You can add it to your web browser toolbar, a blog, and it also appears as an option when you right-click. ShareThis allows you to send anything you find on the web (e.g. cool picture, good blog post, interesting article, etc.) almost anywhere (e.g. email, Twitter, Digg, etc.). It's similar to the ReTweet button.

StumbleUpon - The web is enormous, so how can you cut your searches down to only what you want? With StumbleUpon, you give sites a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Based on your ratings ... read more >>

If you are a small business owner that has mixed feelings about the wonderful world of online marketing and even more hesitation about entering the social media realm, you’re definitely not alone. But being the business-savvy entrepreneur that you are, you probably know that this is the wave of the future and businesses that lack some form of online presence will be left in the dust. Consider putting a blog on your site; it’s easier than you might think.

The top three reasons that small business owners avoid developing their online marketing plans and stay away from social media is lack of capital, lack of time, and lack of skills. This is where a blog will fit your needs perfectly—it is relatively cheap to incorporate into your site, requires very little time, and you do not need any special technical skills or writing expertise to use it. View this guide for tips on getting started with a blog and for best practices on maintaining it.

What is most important to having a successful blog is to understand that it is like hosting a networking event on your site, around the clock. People can read what you’ve written, which should be entertaining and informative. They can also ...

Here’s a perfect way to engage your community by providing them with local breaking news resources using Twitter and Twitter Lists. And it only takes ONE HOUR to build… see the slideshow (best seen in full screen)!

If you build a local breaking news Twitter site from this slideshow tutorial, let us know @pkitano and we’ll LIST it!

Getting customers to talk about your product or service isn’t as hard as you might think. A viral marketing campaign that provides them with a way to connect with others you serve, a compelling story they can share, and a subconscious nudge is all they need.

I’ve found three strategies that make viral marketing especially contagious.

Provide A Way For Your Customers to Interact. Getting customers to spend more time online talking to  other customers is one way to help them spread the word. For example, add a chat room to your website.

People talk about what they do. And if they are using your site to connect with others sharing the same experiences, they can’t help but tell others about their experience. Pretty soon, you see folks using your chat room that are interested in your product or service, but want someone’s opinion whose used it before. If your product or service is good (and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be) then those prospects are fertile conversion for your business.

Make Your Product Easy to Work into Conversations. This is about your brand. For example Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan has become cliche. I remember using it all the time as a motivator ... read more >>

Have you ever had this scenario unfold? You’ve just created some amazing content, everyone that you’ve shown it to absolutely loves it and can’t wait to release it into the wild that is the web. You throw it on your micro-site, company website or blog and wait for the inevitable take off. After all the content is great and that’s all that matters right?

Wrong. Great content won’t mean much if you don’t cover the basics for activation and sharing.

Despite what you have been told, content is only king when it has been fertilized and nurtured. A farmer wouldn’t just throw seeds into the ground and just hope that they grow. Why would you do the same with your content?

1. Target a specific audience for activation. Not all content is the same. The content that will work on Digg will not necessarily thrive on Delicious. Why? Different audiences. Just like any medium you need to play to your base. Seeding effectively will be key here.

2. Build in sharing capabilities. Now make sure that those sharing capabilities adhere to both your audience AND work effectively. Cutting and pasting a url isn’t going to cut it anymore. People have built in sharing networks and audiences that ... read more >>