Ingredients

• 3.5 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1-2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 c. sugar, divided in half
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 stick salted butter (softened)
• .25 c. honey
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extrack
• .5 – .75 c. chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, ets.) *optional
• 1 c. dried fruit *optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F and cover baking sheet with foil. *Hint: Use baking sheet with sides.
2. Combine oats, cinnamon, half cup sugar (you can add more later), salt. Mix well. Set aside.
3. Melt butter. Add honey, vanilla.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until evenly coated. (Leave out nuts and fruit for now.)
5. Spread mixture in to even layer on baking sheet.
6. Bake at 300 for 10 minutes. You may need to raise or lower the heat by 25-50 degrees, depending on your oven.
7. Stir in nuts and fruit after 10-20 minutes of baking.
8. Continue baking until mixture is slightly toasted. It is helpful to check every 5-10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
9. Allow mixture to cool completely.
10. Store in airtight container with lid. *Hint: I line the inside of my glad/Rubbermaid container with a couple of folded paper towels along the bottom and lower sides. I think it helps keep the moisture out of the nuts and oats. Mixture will safely keep for 2-3 weeks.

We like this question so much we’re passing it on. So tell us, what’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

Social media is much more than just a fad – it’s a FACT.  Your customers are online, and they are talking about you.  The only way to manage the rants and raves your customers are sharing with their friends and followers is to get online.  Give your fans an outlet for their gushing, and use it to your advantage.  What better way to secure new customers than have a page full of rave reviews from current and previous customers?

While it may seem simple enough to set up a Facebook or Twitter page (or maybe not), there is much more strategy involved in having a successful online presence.  Here are some considerations before you start Tweeting and Posting away on behalf of your business:

• Strategy is Everything – Before you start Tweeting and posting, decide why you are doing it.  Your strategy should guide your actions, not the other way around.  Some reasons for a strong online presence include: building brand strength and awareness, harnessing positive feedback, disarming disgruntled customers or generating buzz about an event or new product. 
• Engage and Connect – If you only post “commercials” on your social media pages, you are less likely to build an interactive community online.  Ask questions to reach out, and reply to your friends and followers when they post.  Thank them for connecting.  This gives them more of an incentive to return frequently, which increases the probability that they will see announcements about events, sales and new products.
• Captain Your Ship – One of the biggest mistakes that small business owners make is leaving their social media strategy to support employees.  To me, this is more risky than not being online at all.  I have seen more than one business on Twitter who has inappropriate content on their professional page, and it remains posted because the employee did not know better and management did not correct the issue.  As with any other business functions, management and guidelines should be part of your online presence.
• Be Creative – Engaging headlines are a great way to get people’s attention.  Use wordplay, puns and pop-culture references to spice-up a boring announcement.  Take advantage of eye-catching art or evoking photography.  As long as it is tasteful and appropriate, creativity is your most valuable tool in a online world teeming with competition.  
• Record Your Metrics – Is your campaign working?  The only way to tell is to record your metrics.  For example, if your goal is to increase sales revenue, compare your revenue before, during and after your campaign to see which components of your online plan are working and cut out those that aren’t. 

If you have any questions, or would like to learn more, contact us.  We can help with all or part of your Social Media Strategic and Implementation needs, including planning, set-up and maintenance.

Click here to read an article in Businessweek about the hurried frenzy of corporations to hire Social Media Directors, and then figure out what they do.