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0 0 votes Nestlé’s “no logo” policy triggers Facebook revolt by Bernhard Warner on 03/19/2010 09:07 3 comments , 4103 views Categories: Facebook Tags: brand management It’s not every day that a brand turns its most loyal followers into angry protesters. But Nestlé has done just that, taking flak today for its commitment to environmental sustainability and then for its heavy-handed response to all protesters: a full Facebook clampdown on personal expression. Not surprisingly, the two issues are merging into one angry discussion thread where it’s hard to distinguish the angry activists from the angry chocolate lovers... read more >>
0 0 votes Rely heavily on Google Analytics? You won’t like this. by Scott McAndrew on 03/19/2010 00:37 6 comments , 4534 views Categories: Marketing Tags: google analytics Google Analytics might be one of the best things that Google "Robin Hooded" to website owners large and small. The analytics package provides incredible functionality and does so for not a dime. That combination of functionality and free have lead to massive market share for Analytics. One estimate last year put Google Analytics at a whopping 80%, while another fell slightly shorter, but still impressive at 74%. It’s been a win-win for Google and for the sites that use the tool to measure their efforts, but a post on the Google Analytics blog today should have some eyebrows raising. The post is short, titled: More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way Maybe Google realizes they need to earn back some “do no evil” sentiment from the population at large. Maybe there’s a clever reason why it’s best that you not know what happens with the traffic on your site... read more >>

0 0 votes

Nestlé’s “no logo” policy triggers Facebook revolt

by Bernhard Warner on 03/19/2010 09:07 3 comments , 4103 views
Categories: Facebook
Tags: brand management

It’s not every day that a brand turns its most loyal followers into angry protesters. But Nestlé has done just that, taking flak today for its commitment to environmental sustainability and then for its heavy-handed response to all protesters: a full Facebook clampdown on personal expression. Not surprisingly, the two issues are merging into one angry discussion thread where it’s hard to distinguish the angry activists from the angry chocolate lovers...

0 0 votes

Rely heavily on Google Analytics? You won’t like this.

by Scott McAndrew on 03/19/2010 00:37 6 comments , 4534 views
Categories: Marketing
Tags: google analytics

Google Analytics might be one of the best things that Google "Robin Hooded" to website owners large and small. The analytics package provides incredible functionality and does so for not a dime. That combination of functionality and free have lead to massive market share for Analytics. One estimate last year put Google Analytics at a whopping 80%, while another fell slightly shorter, but still impressive at 74%.

It’s been a win-win for Google and for the sites that use the tool to measure their efforts, but a post on the Google Analytics blog today should have some eyebrows raising. The post is short, titled:

More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way

Maybe Google realizes they need to earn back some “do no evil” sentiment from the population at large. Maybe there’s a clever reason why it’s best that you not know what happens with the traffic on your site...

Recent Posts


0 0 votes Under the Social Media Influence by Joel Postman on 03/19/2010 15:59 0 comments , 1285 views Categories: Social Media Tags: influence The Million Follower Fallacy: Audience Size Doesn’t Prove Influence on Twitter, on Read Write Web, cites a recent survey that found “Twitter follower count is somewhat of a meaningless metric when it comes to determining influence.” I was excited that finally someone realized that these numerical measures were totally unrelated to influence. My excitement was short lived, however, as I read: “They then went on to measure various statistics about these accounts, including audience size, retweet influence and mention influence. The conclusion? Those with the largest number of followers may be ‘popular’ Twitterers, but that’s not necessarily related to their influence. High follower counts don’t always mean someone is being retweeted or mentioned in any meaningful ways.” “Retweet influence”? “Mention influence”? I have yet to see any of these things linked directly to real influence... read more >>
0 0 votes 5 Recent Celebrity Social Media Wins and Fails by Nick ONeill on 03/19/2010 14:48 0 comments , 1581 views Categories: Social Media Tags: celebrities Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter have attracted a lot of celebrity attention, and the aftermath has been a mixed bag of wins and fails, when it comes to their use of the medium. Here are a few recent incidents. You’ll note that ‘Hole’ singer Courtney Love could be part of a list all on her own. Win: Demi Moore and Mia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) help stop a suicide by responding to a distress message. Fail: Ryan Seacrest announces American Idol contestant Lacey Brown’s elimination… before West Coast viewers see the episode, potentially being the reason for the worst per-episode ratings this season. Win: Director Kevin Smith gets thrown off a Southwest Air flight for which he was already seated. Why? Because he was apparently “too fat”. He tweets about it to his 1.6M Twitter followers and creates a PR nightmare for the airline, causing them to issue an apology Fail: Courtney Love, whose mouth just won’t quit, has had public spats with several celebs and... read more >>
0 0 votes Is your Twitter Home Page your Biggest SEO Asset? by Andrew Bruce Smith on 03/19/2010 14:48 0 comments , 1289 views Categories: Search Tags: twitter Do you know the Page Rank of your Twitter Home Page? You may be surprised to find it is a lot higher than you think it is – and you probably achieved it without even thinking about it. For example, the Page Rank for my blog home page is 5 – and that’s taken a little while to get to, not withstanding the blood, sweat and tears of creating and maintaining content. In the course of some client work recently... read more >>
0 0 votes Social Media Can Work For Small Business Too by Geoffrey Kutnick on 03/19/2010 12:54 3 comments , 2151 views Categories: Social Media Today Exclusive, Social Media, Facebook, Strategy, Public Relations, Marketing, Social Networks We’ve heard about the social media success stories of large companies all across the news. Best Buy’s Twelpforce. Zappo’s amazing customer service. The millions of revenue from Dell’s twitter accounts. And that’s all great. But what about the thousands of small businesses hurting after the economic dip in 2009? Can social media affect their bottom line? YES, when businesses engage in social media with strategy and put real resources into the infrastructure and implementation. To prove social media can work for small business, The Kreisler Group (TKG) performed a 10-week case study with Alegria Cocina, a local restaurant in Long Beach, California... read more >>
0 0 votes Four Reasons Why Companies aren't on Social Media by Bill Stronge on 03/19/2010 12:03 2 comments , 2087 views Categories: Strategy Tags: corporate social media adoption While it's easy for individuals to jump on Social Media every day and write whatever comes to mind it's not the same thing if you're a large company. While there are those few companies that do it very well many of them don't have a presence or if they do it's a lame attempt. Here is my list of the 4 Reasons Why Companies aren't on Social Media... read more >>
0 0 votes 11 Uses of Apple’s New iGroups Mobile Social Networking Patent by Nick ONeill on 03/19/2010 10:46 0 comments , 1271 views Categories: Mobile Tags: mobile apps The USPTO just granted Apple a patent for iGroups, a mobile social networking application that could have immense value in this arena, especially if the relevant features are released as part of a public API for the company’s mobile devices – namely iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Social Times takes a look at some of this patent’s details, followed by a list of potential mobile social networking uses... read more >>
+1 1 vote The Future of Broadcast Media is Social by Brian Solis on 03/19/2010 08:06 0 comments , 2428 views Categories: Social Media Tags: broadcast models Six years ago I had the opportunity to work on an ambitious social project that set out to socialize the living room. Keep in mind, this was before the popularization of social networking as it exists today. In almost every way, this system predicted what would ultimately transform your experience on PCs as well as everything else. It was rooted in the realization that the Web was an isolated and lonely experience and that in order for online and terrestrial content to connect with audiences in the future, a new hybrid was required – one that fused social, consumption, and participation in the overall experience. For many of those who’ve flown Virgin America and experienced Red, their inflight entertainment system, you can get a feel for what lies ahead... read more >>
0 0 votes 4 Ways Fortune 500 Companies Adopt Social Media by johncass on 03/19/2010 07:09 2 comments , 1776 views Categories: Strategy Tags: adoption The question of how you deploy social media within a large multi-brand company, really comes down to budget, which department is going to pay for the resources to set up a social media program? Different companies have taken alternative approaches to corporate social media adoption. Reviewing the landscape and history of social media I believe there are four ways social media deployment has happed within larger enterprises... read more >>
+1 1 vote The 7 Harsh Realities of Social Media for Any Brand by Matt Rhodes on 03/19/2010 07:02 1 comment , 1997 views Categories: Strategy Tags: brand management Image by Scoobymoo via Flickr A lot of people are excited about social media and think it could have a hugely positive impact on their brand, their marketing and communications, the insight they get, the way in which they deal with customer service and many other benefits it can bring to an organisation and to the way it interacts with and engages customers. They are right to be excited, the opportunities are great but brands should not hide from the fact that getting an engaging social media presence takes proper thought, some effort and may take time to embed. When you are getting started in social media it is important to think carefully about what you as a business are looking to achieve and drive your activities from this, from a business-led social media strategy... read more >>
0 0 votes Social Media is Like Taking the Bus by Eric Fulwiler on 03/19/2010 06:25 2 comments , 906 views Categories: Strategy Tags: social media roi You would probably expect to impress people with these statements, right? “My business has 1,000 fans on its Facebook Fan Page.” “My company’s Twitter profile has 5,000 followers.” What about these? “I took the bus to work today instead of the train.” “I worked on this project for 2 hours/day for 5 days instead of 5 hours/day for 2 days.” Nobody would care. And people would probably wonder why you were even telling them. Do you see my point? All of these statements describe a means to an end. If you took the bus or the train to work, the only thing someone would care about is whether or not you got to work. If you use social media for your business... read more >>

0 0 votes

Under the Social Media Influence

by Joel Postman on 03/19/2010 15:59 0 comments , 1285 views
Categories: Social Media
Tags: influence

The Million Follower Fallacy: Audience Size Doesn’t Prove Influence on Twitter, on Read Write Web, cites a recent survey that found “Twitter follower count is somewhat of a meaningless metric when it comes to determining influence.” I was excited that finally someone realized that these numerical measures were totally unrelated to influence. My excitement was short lived, however, as I read:

“They then went on to measure various statistics about these accounts, including audience size, retweet influence and mention influence. The conclusion? Those with the largest number of followers may be ‘popular’ Twitterers, but that’s not necessarily related to their influence. High follower counts don’t always mean someone is being retweeted or mentioned in any meaningful ways.”

“Retweet influence”? “Mention influence”? I have yet to see any of these things linked directly to real influence...

0 0 votes

5 Recent Celebrity Social Media Wins and Fails

by Nick ONeill on 03/19/2010 14:48 0 comments , 1581 views
Categories: Social Media
Tags: celebrities

Social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter have attracted a lot of celebrity attention, and the aftermath has been a mixed bag of wins and fails, when it comes to their use of the medium. Here are a few recent incidents. You’ll note that ‘Hole’ singer Courtney Love could be part of a list all on her own.

Win: Demi Moore and Mia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) help stop a suicide by responding to a distress message.
Fail: Ryan Seacrest announces American Idol contestant Lacey Brown’s elimination… before West Coast viewers see the episode, potentially being the reason for the worst per-episode ratings this season.
Win: Director Kevin Smith gets thrown off a Southwest Air flight for which he was already seated. Why? Because he was apparently “too fat”. He tweets about it to his 1.6M Twitter followers and creates a PR nightmare for the airline, causing them to issue an apology
Fail: Courtney Love, whose mouth just won’t quit, has had public spats with several celebs and...

0 0 votes

Is your Twitter Home Page your Biggest SEO Asset?

by Andrew Bruce Smith on 03/19/2010 14:48 0 comments , 1289 views
Categories: Search
Tags: twitter

Do you know the Page Rank of your Twitter Home Page? You may be surprised to find it is a lot higher than you think it is – and you probably achieved it without even thinking about it.

For example, the Page Rank for my blog home page is 5 – and that’s taken a little while to get to, not withstanding the blood, sweat and tears of creating and maintaining content. In the course of some client work recently...

0 0 votes

Social Media Can Work For Small Business Too

by Geoffrey Kutnick on 03/19/2010 12:54 3 comments , 2151 views
Categories: Social Media Today Exclusive, Social Media, Facebook, Strategy, Public Relations, Marketing, Social Networks

We’ve heard about the social media success stories of large companies all across the news. Best Buy’s Twelpforce. Zappo’s amazing customer service. The millions of revenue from Dell’s twitter accounts. And that’s all great. But what about the thousands of small businesses hurting after the economic dip in 2009? Can social media affect their bottom line? YES, when businesses engage in social media with strategy and put real resources into the infrastructure and implementation.

To prove social media can work for small business, The Kreisler Group (TKG) performed a 10-week case study with Alegria Cocina, a local restaurant in Long Beach, California...

0 0 votes

Four Reasons Why Companies aren't on Social Media

by Bill Stronge on 03/19/2010 12:03 2 comments , 2087 views
Categories: Strategy
Tags: corporate social media adoption

While it's easy for individuals to jump on Social

Media every day and write whatever comes to mind it's not the same thing if you're a large company.

While there are those few companies that do it very well many of them don't have a presence or if they do it's a lame attempt.

Here is my list of the 4 Reasons Why Companies aren't on Social Media...

0 0 votes

11 Uses of Apple’s New iGroups Mobile Social Networking Patent

by Nick ONeill on 03/19/2010 10:46 0 comments , 1271 views
Categories: Mobile
Tags: mobile apps

Map: Cupertino/ Silicon Valley The USPTO just granted Apple a patent for iGroups, a mobile social networking application that could have immense value in this arena, especially if the relevant features are released as part of a public API for the company’s mobile devices – namely iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Social Times takes a look at some of this patent’s details, followed by a list of potential mobile social networking uses...

+1 1 vote

The Future of Broadcast Media is Social

by Brian Solis on 03/19/2010 08:06 0 comments , 2428 views
Categories: Social Media
Tags: broadcast models

Six years ago I had the opportunity to work on an ambitious social project that set out to socialize the living room. Keep in mind, this was before the popularization of social networking as it exists today. In almost every way, this system predicted what would ultimately transform your experience on PCs as well as everything else. It was rooted in the realization that the Web was an isolated and lonely experience and that in order for online and terrestrial content to connect with audiences in the future, a new hybrid was required – one that fused social, consumption, and participation in the overall experience.

For many of those who’ve flown Virgin America and experienced Red, their inflight entertainment system, you can get a feel for what lies ahead...

0 0 votes

4 Ways Fortune 500 Companies Adopt Social Media

by johncass on 03/19/2010 07:09 2 comments , 1776 views
Categories: Strategy
Tags: adoption

The question of how you deploy social media within a large multi-brand company, really comes down to budget, which department is going to pay for the resources to set up a social media program?

Different companies have taken alternative approaches to corporate social media adoption. Reviewing the landscape and history of social media I believe there are four ways social media deployment has happed within larger enterprises... read more >>

+1 1 vote

The 7 Harsh Realities of Social Media for Any Brand

by Matt Rhodes on 03/19/2010 07:02 1 comment , 1997 views
Categories: Strategy
Tags: brand management

: Image by Scoobymoo via Flickr

A lot of people are excited about social media and think it could have a hugely positive impact on their brand, their marketing and communications, the insight they get, the way in which they deal with customer service and many other benefits it can bring to an organisation and to the way it interacts with and engages customers. They are right to be excited, the opportunities are great but brands should not hide from the fact that getting an engaging social media presence takes proper thought, some effort and may take time to embed.

When you are getting started in social media it is important to think carefully about what you as a business are looking to achieve and drive your activities from this, from a business-led social media strategy...

0 0 votes

Social Media is Like Taking the Bus

by Eric Fulwiler on 03/19/2010 06:25 2 comments , 906 views
Categories: Strategy
Tags: social media roi

You would probably expect to impress people with these statements, right?

“My business has 1,000 fans on its Facebook Fan Page.”

“My company’s Twitter profile has 5,000 followers.”

What about these?

“I took the bus to work today instead of the train.”

“I worked on this project for 2 hours/day for 5 days instead of 5 hours/day for 2 days.”

Nobody would care. And people would probably wonder why you were even telling them.

Do you see my point? All of these statements describe a means to an end. If you took the bus or the train to work, the only thing someone would care about is whether or not you got to work. If you use social media for your business...

Weekly Most Discussed


+1 1 vote 10 Ideas to Help Business Navigate Social Media by Mike Johansson on 03/15/2010 02:09 8 comments , 9443 views Categories: Social Media, Getting Started, Social Customer, Policy & Guidelines, Strategy, Media 2.0, Marketing, Social Networks Tags: b2b social media, social media adoption, social media, business, strategy Almost a year ago I wrote a post called 5 Reasons Social Media is Like Sailing that was well-received. It’s time to update that post. Since then I’ve come up with more reasons sailors might just have the right approach to social media for business. Even if you aren’t into sailing you might try these approaches to see if they don’t make your time in social media more positive and more productive. Here then are 10 Ideas to Help Business Navigate Social Media: 1. Pick your boat carefully: Not every craft is right for every sailor just as in social media not every platform is right for every individual. Pick a platform that suits you. Work with one at a time and see what works. 2. Start slowly: Nobody goes from pond sailing to open-ocean sailing in a day, weeks or even years. Learn your own capabilities, learn from others and be willing to get dunked a few times along the way. 3. Find an old-salt/mentor: Every top sailor was at some point helped along by an experienced hand. So it should be in social media: Find someone who literally knows the ropes and can help you navigate your early days. They’ll also be there to stop you ... read more >>
0 0 votes Rely heavily on Google Analytics? You won’t like this. by Scott McAndrew on 03/19/2010 00:37 6 comments , 4534 views Categories: Marketing Tags: google analytics Google Analytics might be one of the best things that Google "Robin Hooded" to website owners large and small. The analytics package provides incredible functionality and does so for not a dime. That combination of functionality and free have lead to massive market share for Analytics. One estimate last year put Google Analytics at a whopping 80%, while another fell slightly shorter, but still impressive at 74%. It’s been a win-win for Google and for the sites that use the tool to measure their efforts, but a post on the Google Analytics blog today should have some eyebrows raising. The post is short, titled: More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way Maybe Google realizes they need to earn back some “do no evil” sentiment from the population at large. Maybe there’s a clever reason why it’s best that you not know what happens with the traffic on your site... read more >>
0 0 votes How to Generate Leads on SlideShare by Eric Schwartzman on 03/17/2010 21:30 4 comments , 4463 views Categories: Strategy Tags: slideshare It will probably come as no surprise that the pre-dominant activity on SlideShare, according to the company's CEO Rashmi Sinha, who I spoke with recently about the launch of their new branded channels, is B2B lead generation. B2B sales cycles exceed those of B2C, because the former requires someone be walked through a process, learn best practices and see relevant case studies to arrive at a purchasing decision... read more >>

+1 1 vote

10 Ideas to Help Business Navigate Social Media

by Mike Johansson on 03/15/2010 02:09 8 comments , 9443 views
Categories: Social Media, Getting Started, Social Customer, Policy & Guidelines, Strategy, Media 2.0, Marketing, Social Networks
Tags: b2b social media, social media adoption, social media, business, strategy

Almost a year ago I wrote a post called 5 Reasons Social Media is Like Sailing that was well-received. It’s time to update that post.

Since then I’ve come up with more reasons sailors might just have the right approach to social media for business. Even if you aren’t into sailing you might try these approaches to see if they don’t make your time in social media more positive and more productive.

Here then are 10 Ideas to Help Business Navigate Social Media:

1. Pick your boat carefully: Not every craft is right for every sailor just as in social media not every platform is right for every individual. Pick a platform that suits you. Work with one at a time and see what works.

2. Start slowly: Nobody goes from pond sailing to open-ocean sailing in a day, weeks or even years. Learn your own capabilities, learn from others and be willing to get dunked a few times along the way.

3. Find an old-salt/mentor: Every top sailor was at some point helped along by an experienced hand. So it should be in social media: Find someone who literally knows the ropes and can help you navigate your early days. They’ll also be there to stop you ... read more >>

0 0 votes

Rely heavily on Google Analytics? You won’t like this.

by Scott McAndrew on 03/19/2010 00:37 6 comments , 4534 views
Categories: Marketing
Tags: google analytics

Google Analytics might be one of the best things that Google "Robin Hooded" to website owners large and small. The analytics package provides incredible functionality and does so for not a dime. That combination of functionality and free have lead to massive market share for Analytics. One estimate last year put Google Analytics at a whopping 80%, while another fell slightly shorter, but still impressive at 74%.

It’s been a win-win for Google and for the sites that use the tool to measure their efforts, but a post on the Google Analytics blog today should have some eyebrows raising. The post is short, titled:

More choice for users: browser-based opt-out for Google Analytics on the way

Maybe Google realizes they need to earn back some “do no evil” sentiment from the population at large. Maybe there’s a clever reason why it’s best that you not know what happens with the traffic on your site...

0 0 votes

How to Generate Leads on SlideShare

by Eric Schwartzman on 03/17/2010 21:30 4 comments , 4463 views
Categories: Strategy
Tags: slideshare

It will probably come as no surprise that the pre-dominant activity on SlideShare, according to the company's CEO Rashmi Sinha, who I spoke with recently about the launch of their new branded channels, is B2B lead generation.

B2B sales cycles exceed those of B2C, because the former requires someone be walked through a process, learn best practices and see relevant case studies to arrive at a purchasing decision... read more >>

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