Saturday, December 24, 2011

SAMMY Awards

The SAMMY Awards are for Social Advertising, Media and Marketing Awards. Check them out at:

http://www.sammyawards.com/

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

Peak Sales on "How to Make Friends and Influence People in Social Media"

Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends and Influence People has been one of my favorite business books for many years. Salesforce recruiting firm Peak Sales does an excellent job of applying Dale Carnegie's principles to the world of social media in "How to Make Friends and Influence People in Social Media."

http://www.peaksalesrecruiting.com/how-to-make-friends-and-influence-people-in-social-media/

Monday, December 5, 2011

Augmented reality

Perhaps "augmented reality" is the next big thing in retailing?

Lego store augmented reality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N85srjA-GQ&feature=related
Grocery and clothing store augmented reality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ5_q2k55Mk
Clothing store augmented reality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYpxpgyCcns
Augmented reality in South Korea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fGaVFRzTTP4
CommonCraft video explantation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-A1l4Jn6EY

Friday, November 25, 2011

Groupon can work for small businesses but...

Apparently, Groupon offers can work for small businesses ...but you must be prepared to hold up your end of the bargain.

http://mashable.com/2011/11/23/groupon-cupcakes/

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Has Facebook made the world smaller?

This Mashable post suggests that Facebook may have made the world smaller by changing the "6 degrees of separation" to only "4 degrees of separation."

http://mashable.com/2011/11/22/facebook-six-degrees/

"Augmented Reality" by Layar

"Augmented Reality" by Layar appears to be very cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b64_16K2e08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW9gU_4AUCA

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

"Brandjacking" of Bank of America on Google+

This post talks about how Bank of America has been "brandjacked" on Google+.

http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/bank-of-americas-google-plus-page-appears-brandjacked.php

CouponFactory.com

Check out the 5th item from the top about coupon factory.
http://adage.com/article/special-report-media-vanguard-awards/media-vanguard-awards-marketer-media-spotlight/230923/

As the text indicates, “CouponFactory is about keeping things easy -- for marketers and for consumers. The turn-key system, which Rockfish Interactive launched in April, allows marketers to create and distribute digital coupons using simple templates, and then embed them anywhere (including Facebook); consumers can print them out without special software -- and whenever the coupons are redeemed, CouponFactory serves up rich analytics that can be used to tweak future campaigns. National brands using CouponFactory so far include Schick, Mentos, Mott's, Glade, Boston Market and Tyson.”

Monday, November 7, 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The use of social media by the Fortune 500 companies

These are interesting statistics about the Fortune 500 companies' use of social media.

http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2011/6271/fortune-500-adoption-of-social-media-slowing

GasPedal blog post on "How to respond to negative word of mouth."

This GasPedal blog post gives great advice on "How to respond to negative word of mouth."

http://gaspedal.com/blog/


#256: How to respond to negative word of mouth


Negative word of mouth happens to every company. Nobody is immune. But great brands have a plan that helps them convert a lot of the angry critics into happy fans. What you should do:

1. Act quickly


2. Be human


3. Write for the record


1. Act quickly

When a customer is upset, you need to act fast. A quick response (even if it's just to say, "I'm sorry, I hear you -- let me get back to you") helps soothe the original critic and also helps avoid an outbreak of more negative sentiment from others. It's common sense, but it's also been proven in studies: In one experiment, when a single table complained about food in a crowded restaurant, 26% of guests made similar complaints.

2. Be human

A canned response is worse than no response at all. Identify yourself, speak like a real person, and give them a way to follow-up with you. No frustrated customer has ever been won over with corporate speak, and there's no reason to expect it to start working anytime soon.

3. Write for the record

When you're responding -- especially in online forums -- remember that you're not just writing for the original critic, but for everyone else who reads it later. You want people to see that you tried to make things right. Even if you can't fix the problem, it's important to show that you're listening and that you care about keeping customers happy.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Linking social media activities to revenue

This SmartBlogs guest post by Eva Schmatz, president of market research firm Summus, Limited, argues that the best way to justify the social media's use to the C-suite is to focus on cost savings through customer service. According to the post, "The communications benefits will then follow."

I'm not sure I fully agree, but I do recognize that cost justifying the use of social media by making a direct link to revenue generation is an uphill battle at best. It is interesting to note that the challenge of linking actions to revenue is similar for traditional media advertising and public relations efforts.

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/10/28/how-to-make-the-business-case-for-social-media/

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Google provides data to governments

According to this Mashable post, the US and other countries request, and receive, data from Google.


http://mashable.com/2011/10/25/us-data-google/

Sunday, October 23, 2011

800 million active Facebook users

It looks like Facebook is up to 800 million active users according to this Mashable post. It also contains a number of other interesting, and important, statistics.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/21/facebook-infographic/

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

12 social media tools for business

Here are some interesting social media tools that can be used by businesses, courtest of Social Media Examiner. Thanks to Dr. Joy Roach for posting the link to the MSU Marketing majors and alumni Facebook group.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/12-social-media-tools-recommended-by-the-pros/

Friday, October 14, 2011

Facebook and Small Businesses

RT: Joy Roach -- Interesting article about small businesses and Facebook from USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-09-16/facebook-small-business-sandberg/50419654/1

Thank you, Joy, for calling this to our attention.

Let me make the following points about the article:

* With 750 million Facebook users, it looks like Facebook is going to be in the middle of social media marketing for the forseeable future.

* This article provides the following excellent example of how small businesses can use Facebook advertising -- "A wedding photographer, for instance, could advertise just to women in a specific ZIP code who list on Facebook that they are engaged. A movie chain could talk just to film fans."

* This is another example from the article -- "Sarah Loveland, owner of Daddies Board Shop, a skateboard shop in Portland, Ore., began using paid advertising with Facebook in 2010, in hopes of growing her business more quickly. She targeted fans of extreme sports and friends of those who ride skateboards and longboards. The result: She says her business shot up, and she attributes much of it to Facebook."

* The article also suggests that 10,000 fans is a majic number for small businesses that want to grow and reach a wider community. I don't know if 10,000 is the right number, but it seems to be reasonable target.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Occam's Razor post on social media metrics

This is an excellent blog post on social media metrics. Thanks to Daniel Fukuhara for calling it to my attention in our Social Media and Marketing class Facebook group.

http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/best-social-media-metrics-conversation-amplification-applause-economic-value/

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Content that goes viral

This is an excellent blog post on content that is likely to go viral:

http://socialtriggers.com/craft-contagious-content/

A new measure of engagement from Facebook

The number of "Likes" has been seen as a key measure of engagement for Facebook pages. Now there is a new one - "People Talking About"

http://mashable.com/2011/10/09/top-facebook-brands-talking-about/?WT.mc_id=obinsite

Monday, October 10, 2011

Optimizing social media for search engine optimization

This blog post from the Search Engine Marketing group provides excellent advice on optimizing social media for search engine optimization (SEO)

http://sem-group.net/search-engine-optimization-blog/seo/how-to-optimize-7-popular-social-media-profiles-for-seo/

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Social media and the organizational chart

Where do community managers (and other social media types) fit on the organizational chart? Do they fit in "the PR department? Marketing? Customer service? What skills do they need?" This blog post from WOMMA asks the question.

http://womma.org/word/2011/10/05/executives-and-community-managers-%E2%80%93-not-so-different/

Social media data and anecdotes

This LA Times article provides some good data on the use of social media for marketing purposes and provides some anecdotes about companies that have successfully used it.
Thanks to our our former graduate student, Laeeq Khan, now completing his Ph.D. at Michigan State University, for forwarding it to Department Chair Dr. Terry Holmes.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-smallbiz-social-20111003,0,4430023.story?page=1

Monday, September 26, 2011

The market for services pertaining to social media

This blog post contains an excellent delineation of the market for services pertaining to social media. Thanks to Vili Auvinen for bringing it to my attention.

http://mashable.com/2011/07/31/social-media-overload-startups/

Monday, September 19, 2011

Ways to optimize your Facebook page

This Social Media Examiner post on "5 Ways to Optimize Your Facebook Page" is quite interesting:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-optimize-your-facebook-page/

Airlines' use of social media

This Mashable post contains great data about airlines' use of social media. Thanks to Vili Auvinen for calling it to my attention.

http://mashable.com/2011/09/16/airlines-social-media-infographic/

Friday, September 16, 2011

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

AMA - engagement is now king

The introduction to this American Marketing Association webinar pretty much sums it up -- "Sales, marketing and customer service have changed incredibly over the past few years – engagement is now king. It’s no longer a question of “if” your customers are talking online, but 'when' and 'where.'"

http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/Pages/Webcasts/UnMarketing_Top_Tools_and_Techniques_for_Engaging_Your_Audience_Online_092711.aspx

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Goals that can be accomplished with social media courtesy of "Mashable"

Thanks to Vili Auvinen for posting the link to this "Mashable" post to the "Murray State MKT 578 Social Media & Marketing Fall 2011" Facebook group (which I maintain for my class). Among other things, it contains a list of 12 broad goals that can be accomplished with social media. To me, it is one of the most useful blog posts I have seen lately.

http://mashable.com/2011/08/29/social-media-case-studies/

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Comparing the major social media platforms

Thanks to Ryan Schuler for forwarding this to me via LinkedIn. It is an excellent comparison of the major social media platforms.

http://mashable.com/2011/08/10/social-network-comparison/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable%2FSocialMedia+%28Mashable+%C2%BB+Social+Media+Feed%29

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Mashable post on "5 Innovative Food Truck Social Media Marketing Campaigns.

Thanks to Alyssa Lewis for forwarding this Mashable post on "5 Innovative Food Truck Social Media Marketing Campaigns." Quite interesting.

http://mashable.com/2011/07/21/social-media-food-trucks-marketing/

Socio-Pathetic marketing

Socio-Pathetic marketing -- an interesting term this blogger uses to describe 5 mistakes to avoid in your social marketing program.

http://blog.emarketingassociation.com/blog/ema-blog/socio-pathetic-marketing

While you're at it, check out the eMarketing Association's Facebook page (the source of the link to the blog post) --
https://www.facebook.com/emarketingassociation

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The spending patterns of baby boomers whose children have left the nest and those whose "boomerang" children have returned home

This is an interesting Ad Age blog post about the relationship between the spending patterns of baby boomers whose children have left the nest and those whose "boomerang" children have returned home.

However, I urge you to be careful in interpreting this data. There is a difference between "correlation" and "causation." This appears to me to be more of an issue of correlation than causation.

http://adage.com/article/adagestat/stat-day-millennials-impact-boomer-spending/228539/

How "the social wave" is changing the Internet and business

This Knowledge@Wharton post talks about "the social wave" and how it is changing the Internet and business. Thanks to Emanuel Rosen for posting it to his Facebook news feed.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2808#.ThTh13G0kUk.facebook

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Building a social media following by giving things away

Many organizations are building a social media following by giving things away --
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-ways-to-build-a-following-by-giving-something-away/

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

Dunkin' Donuts uses an online contest to honor American soldiers and servicemen

Dunkin' Donuts uses an online contest and a tie-in with the Captain America movie to honor American soldiers and servicemen --

http://news.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view/2011_0628dunkin_teams_up_with_movie_studio_for_captain_america_contest/srvc=home&position=also

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

Intel combines YouTube with online gaming

Intel combines YouTube with online gaming in a unique "YouTube takeover" experience.

http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/06/17/intels-new-campaign-you%E2%80%99ve-never-seen-youtube-quite-like-this/

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

The Mayo Clinic launches its own social network

The Mayo Clinic launches its own social network --

http://socialmedia.mayoclinic.org/2011/07/05/mayo-clinic-launches-social-network-to-connect-global-mayo-clinic-community/

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

Kraft Foods adapts to social media

Kraft Foods adapts to social media --

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304450604576416051591186240.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

TNT's social media guidelines

TNT's social media guidelines --

http://www.webinknow.com/2011/06/tnt-employees-social-media-guidelines-a-great-example-of-can-do-attitude.html

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

The IRS and social media

The IRS and social media
http://vimeo.com/25695796

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

P&G's Bounty brand uses social gaming

P&G's Bounty brand uses social gaming --
http://adage.com/article/news/p-g-s-bounty-picks-fans-social-gaming/228506/

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at:
http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/

Amway on the importance of localizing Facebook pages

Amway on the importance of localizing Facebook pages:
http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2083230/amway-expands-facebook-efforts-talks-global-social

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/.

Social media jobs

This comes from "Social Media's Big List," which is published by SocialMedia.org. You can sign up for it at http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/.

Manager, Digital Marketing for Quaker Brands, a division of Pepsico -- http://careers.pepsico.com/job/Chicago-Manager,-Digital-Marketing-Job-IL-60290/1312756/

Associate Manager of Social Media for Quaker Brands, a division of Pepsico --
http://careers.pepsico.com/job/Associate-Manager-2C-Social-Media-IL/1327745/

MTV Networks - Vice President of Social Media
http://www.jibe.com/jobs/vice-president-social-media-mtv-networks-new-york-ny--1-0630-?utm_source=simplyhired&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=simplyhiredfeed

Home Depot -- Social Media Community Manager
https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_homedepot/external/jobDetails.do?functionName=getJobDetail&jobPostId=181164&localeCode=en-us

Virgin American -- Media and Communications Coordinator
https://www.virginamerica.apply2jobs.com/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=581&CurrentPage=1

New hires in social media cortesy of "Social Media's Big List

SocialMedia.org publishes "Social Media's Big List." You can sign up for it at http://www.socialmedia.org/biglist/.

The July 6, 2011 issue of "Social Media's Big List" identifies the following new hires in the social media field:

MARC USA's former SVP, Interactive Marketing Innovation, Adam Kmiec, has announced his new position at Walgreens as the Director of Social Media. >> Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/adamkmiec/status/81744498450898944


http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamkmiec

Sharif Renno has joined U.S. Cellular as the Social Media Manger and will be responsible for strategy, support, and implementation of social media across the company. >> Web-Strategy
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2011/06/20/people-on-the-move-in-the-social-business-industry-june-20-2011/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharifrenno


Expedia Worldwide has hired Peter Parkes as their new Head of Social Media for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. >> Hidden Chemistry

http://hiddenchemistry.com/2011/06/day-one/

https://twitter.com/#!/peterparkes

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Social media as a workforce communication tool

This article points out, correctly I believe, that use of social media as a workforce communication tool is the "next big thing." Thanks to Chris Wooldridge for calling it to my attention.

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/06/24/are-you-ready-for-the-second-wave-of-social-media/

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tips for running a Facebook page

This blog post identifies tips for running a good Facebook page. I picked it up when Elizabeth Thomas posted it to her Facebook news feed. Thanks, Elizabeth!

http://www.simplyzesty.com/facebook/top-tips-for-running-a-good-facebook-page-that-you-might-not-think-about/

Friday, June 17, 2011

Thee precautions to take when using Twitter

This New York Times post identifies three precautions to take when using Twitter. According to the post, Congressman Weiner meant to send a "direct message" but accidentally published it on his main Twitter feed instead. Oops!

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/use-twitter-always-remember-these-three-things/

Thursday, June 16, 2011

CEOs and social media

It looks like CEOs, as a whole, have not yet arrived on the social media scene. Thanks to Dr. Edie Busija for forwarding this to me.

http://blogs.forbes.com/marketshare/2010/10/11/ceos-social-networks-twitter-facebook-weber-shandwick-cmo-network/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

HBR/Management Science article on viral products vs. viral marketing

This is an interesting HBR piece on viral products vs. viral marketing. The full study will be published in a forthcoming issue of Management Science.

http://hbr.org/2011/06/vision-statement-forget-viral-marketing-make-the-product-itself-viral/ar/1

Thanks to Emanuel Rosen for posting this to the Facebook News Feed.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Ethical issues all around

Read these and try counting the ethical issues if you can ...


http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8255.aspx


http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2011-05-06-google_n.htm


http://pastebin.com/zaeTeJeJ

Thanks to Elizabeth Thomas for putting the original PRDaily post up on the Facebook NewwFeed.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Tupperware is moving to social media

It looks like Tupperware is moving to social media and embracing a cause that, in itself, is a "bigger conversation."

Thanks to Emanuel Rosen for posting this to Facebook!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=tupperware&st=cse

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Nestle wrestles with social media policy

This post explains some of the problems Nestle has had in social media land. It gives rise to interesting questions about what social media policies are, and are not, appropriate.
http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/8111.aspx

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Separating social media from sales-focused websites?

The first bullet-point on this blog post suggests that blogs (and, presumably, other social media venues) should be separated from sales-focused websites. The argument seems to be a good one -- "The focus of the .... blog is on engagement, not marketing."

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/04/28/andys-answers-how-scholastic-developed-their-corporate-blog/

The link between social media and online purchases

This Mashable post indicates that few shoppers come directly from a social network to make an online purchase. The article questions the link between social media and online purchases. Of course, that does not mean that social media does not influence purchases just as it does not suggest that traditional word-of-mouth does not influence purchases.A lot of social media's influence is in the "middle of the funnel" where consumers evaluate and establish their preferences. It is difficult to link that directly to a click-through purchase. Thus, the shortcoming of social media marketing efforts!
http://mashable.com/2011/04/27/social-media-retail-purchases/

Thanks to Emanuel Rosen for posting this to Facebook.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Five myths about the future of journalism from the Washington Post

This article about the "Five Myths About the Future of Journalism" from the Washington Post is quite interesting. Thanks to Emanuel Rosen for posting it to Facebook.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-future-of-journalism/2011/04/05/AF5UxiuC_story.html

Thursday, April 7, 2011

CNN's 6 painful social media screwups

Check out this list of social media mistakes, courtesy of CNN:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/technology/1104/gallery.social_media_controversies/index.html

Thanks to Steve Dublin for calling this to my attention.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Tips for improving online visibility

These are some great tips from "Local Visibility" on improving online visibility:

http://www.localvisibility.org/TipsPage.aspx

Monday, February 28, 2011

MarketMotive Internet Marketing Certification courses

MarketMotive offers a variety of certification courses for those who are interested in developing, and documenting, their expertise with various forms of Internet marketing. Thanks to Thomas Rasinen for calling it to my attention.
http://www.marketmotive.com/

ObjectiveMarketer

Thanks to Thomas Rasinen for bringing ObjectiveMarketer to my attention. It offers a variety of social media and digital solutions.
http://objectivemarketer.com/objectivemarketer/

Google Insights for Search

Google Insights for Search is very cool! Thanks to Thomas Rasinen for calling it to my attention.

http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=Murray%20State%20University%2CWestern%20Kentucky%20University%2CAustin%20Peay%20University&cmpt=q

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dealing with negative online brand sentiment:

This is an excellent post from Mashable about how to deal with negative online brand sentiment:
http://mashable.com/2011/02/21/negative-brand-sentiment/

Thanks to Dr. Sandy Miles for calling it to my attention.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

McKinsey Quarterly artilce about storytelling and engaging customers

This article from McKinsey Quarterly talks about storytelling and engaging customers. You will have register in order to read the whole article, but it is free and worth doing.

https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Digital_Marketing/The_power_of_storytelling_What_nonprofits_can_teach_the_private_sector_about_social_media_2740

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

SmartBlogs post re the relationship between social media and traditional media

This post from SmartBlogs addresses the relationship between social media and traditional media. Two quotes I particularly like are:

“Now that all media is social … all media campaigns should be inherently social,” said Tom Beeby, executive creative director and Beeby Clark + Meyler.

“Advertising gives brands a voice, social media gives brands a personality,” said MediaVest Senior Vice President Jon Halvorson.

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2011/02/08/live-from-social-media-week-blending-social-into-earned-owned-and-paid-media/

Strengthening Your Social Media Voice

This is a good blog post from Mashable about strengthening your social media voice --
http://mashable.com/2011/02/07/strengthen-social-media-voice/?utm_source=feedburner

Doritos/PepsiMax "Crash the Superbowl" contest

Check out the Doritos/PepsiMax "Crash the Superbowl" contest for a good example of "crowdsourcing" -- http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/

Thursday, January 13, 2011