From Janel Laban | January 25, 2010 | Apartment Therapy.

Easily, one of the greatest takeaways from the weekend was discovering (usually rediscovering!) the speaker’s own blogs. I pulled together this list featuring the blogger panelists along with their links – enjoy and be sure to bookmark your (new) favorites!

Nicole Balch of Making It Lovely
Allison Czarnecki of Petit Elefant
Jaime Derringer of Design Milk
Karey Mackin of Mackin Ink
Kelly Beall of Design Crush
Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy!
Rachel Jones of Black Eiffel
Emily Goligoski of The SanFranista
Victoria Smith of SFGirlbyBay
Gayla Trail of You Grow Girl
Sarah Jane Wright of Sarah Jane Designs
Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind
Megan Reardon of NotMartha
Kathryn Storke of Snippet & Ink
Joslyn Taylor of Simple Lovely
Stephanie Brubaker of Stephmodo
Sheila Bernus Dowd of Lookiloos
Chelsea Fuss of Frolic
Maggie Mason of Mighty Girl

More info on Alt: Altitude Design Summit

> Read the article on Mashable.

One of the biggest misconceptions with online marketing is that social media is only for large brands. Truthfully, a small business that invests its time wisely can improve customer (or client) loyalty and traditional word of mouth marketing efforts.

Social media is useful for almost every type of business. Cafes, retail stores, and even professional services can build their online reputation and increase trust. By taking advantage of social media, businesses can make themselves more accessible, more personable, and maintain long term connections. For a small business looking to increase referrals, social media can be a powerful tool.