It’s April Fools Day, and this issue of Good Small Business Reads, our monthly digest of interesting articles for small business owners, starts off with an article on how not to make a fool of your small business on social media. Written by journalist Donna Fuscaldo, “4 Signs You’re Doing Social Media Wrong” includes great pointers on how to get social media right. I particularly recommend focusing on the advice that social media is more about giving and less about taking. I constantly see small business owners who do nothing other than sell, sell, sell on their social media outlets. All you’re doing with that approach is turning people off.

Last week Instagram announced that they now have 200 million users. “How to Market Your Business Through Instagram” tells you how to get started on using this photo sharing network to promote your business, something that is becoming more common as this network continues to grow.

Speaking of social media, this month’s infographic, which comes from SCORE, shows social media trends among small businesses. Note that a whopping 87% of small businesses say that social media helps their business. Also interesting to see is that Pinterest is the fastest growing social network. Do you have a plan for how to exploit it yet? The possibilities are endless if you have a business that lends itself to visuals.

The title of the final article in this month’s roundup really caught my attention. It’s “Things Your Employees Won’t Tell You That You Need to Know Anyway.” Written by Crystal Spraggins, an HR consultant and freelance writer, this important article covers nine topics that employees will keep hidden that could negatively affect your business. The one I like best is this: “If you ever forget I’m a human being, all bets are off.” Don’t miss this article; it’s eye-opening and well worth your time.

See you next month for more Good Small Business Reads!