According to research carried out by eMarketer, US marketeers will spend over $3 billion on social network advertisements this year. That would mean that ad spend in this region would see growth levels of 55% in comparison with 2010.

The most recent forecast is a far more positive outcome than previous estimations, with the 2011 figures looking to beat initial predictions by some $1 billion. The rise will also increase...Read more at http://www.soldlab.com/social-media-advertising-2011/

The best independent practitioners have a singular focus on helping their clients achieve their goals. They deliver value at every stage of their work, and they do so as quickly as possible and with ruthless efficiency. I know, because roughly half of my own 28-year consulting career has been spent working in a large global firm, and half of it running my own practice. I also have an ongoing window into both worlds today: many of my clients are large professional firms, and at the same time, I belong to several communities of practice composed of highly successful independent practitioners.

As I look at these two worlds, I see eight practices that larger firms can learn—or relearn—from the most successful professionals who have small or solo practices. In observing them, I have noticed that: