By Neicole Crepeau, Contributing {grow}  Columnist. On the Internet, the big battle continues to be over “place.” Twitter’s spat with Instagram and Facebook’s continuing restrictions on data use are all about making sure that you use their website and applications — i.e., come to their house  –so they can serve you the ads that make them money. It’s critical to these social networks that you come to their owned sites/apps. You, however, probably don’t feel the same sense of urgency. m betting that you go to these social networks largely because that’s where the action is. Agree? MORE >>

Boss driving you crazy? Having a hard time selling the idea that you need to be on the social web? know first-hand that there are still many naysayers out there who don’t understand why they need to have a social media presence. Here are five reasons that should convince even the last hold-out to get on board … 1. Social impact on search. What percent of your business starts with a search on Google? For many businesses it may be as high as 90 percent. And if any of your business comes through search or your website, then social media is inextricably linked to your future success. MORE >>

By Kerry Gorgone, {grow} Contributing Columnist. Things are about to get personal. Social media has made it easier than ever to connect: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and other services have greatly amplified everyone’s personal brand message. This is fun, and beneficial inasmuch as we can get a sense of someone’s professionalism, character, and personality before we ever meet them in person. Here are some tips from me and some of my social media friends on how to connect with people (as opposed to using them): Don’t be creepy. Texting me at 10 p.m. Get over it. We aren’t. good post. MORE >>

I’ve been thinking and writing a lot about the evolving role of content in the marketing world — from the challenges of the “physics” of social media marketing , to Coke’s bold vision for a content-based marketing strategy. My friend Mitch Joel has also been pondering this topic. In a post entitled  The Content Crash , Mitch states that the field has simply “become a pumping ground for a marketing message. Very few (companies) are thinking about utilitarianism marketing and even fewer are thinking about the overall experience.” ” Wait a minute. MORE >>

By Kerry Gorgone, Contributing {grow} Columnist. Six seconds (or six and a half, for the purists among us) hardly seems long enough to convey anything of substance, and yet  Vine — Twitter’s new video sharing service — is catching on fast. Maybe it’s not surprising. Six seconds of Super Bowl advertising time would cost $800,000, so clearly time is valuable! For those who haven’t tried it yet, Vine enables users to capture six seconds of live video (uploading from the camera roll is not allowed): no editing, no adding titles or a soundtrack, just sharing. Create your own content. MORE >>