Many companies I work with today are enthusiastic about diving into social media. It's shiny object syndrome at its finest. The problem I find most prevalent is that companies have no realistic idea about what it takes to launch and support a social media program. It takes a lot more than creating an account and setting up a profile with the best of intentions to participate. Here are 5 things to consider before you choose to add social media to your marketing mix: Prospect Preferences. Do you know where your prospects hang out online? Do they engage in social media? Is it helpful? MORE >>

A while ago, I wrote a piece on the next transition in communication that sparked a number of conversations. The idea explored in that article (and the explanation for the diagram on the right) was that the major search engines will next apply their computing and analysis horsepower to understanding who is talking to whom about what. As they do that, it may become possible to have passive discovery of interesting conversations guided by the algorithms of Google and Bing and their analysis of vast amounts of social media data. MORE >>

I’ll be speaking at Social Media Michigan’s September meeting with the topic: Measuring Social Media Marketing Success. The ability to measure the effectiveness of marketing starategies and calculating ROI is a key to a successful marketing campaigns. Weather it’s traditional marketing or social media. marketing; as a marketer your responsiblity is to not only create comprehensive social media. marketing startegy but also, create key matrix for measuring success in social media. Register Now! Thursday, Sept 20th. 6-9pm (EDT). Eastern Michigan Unviersity. Register Now! MORE >>

How to Make Facebook Work for B-2-B. Some B-2-B companies wonder if Facebook is really a good vehicle for marketing to other businesses. Given the prevalence of B-2-C marketing in the platform, that’s understandable. However, there are several good examples of Facebook strategies employed by B-2-B companies to engage customers that are worth noting. These include integrated social campaigns for product launches, using Facebook ads to lower advertising costs, and expanding … [ visit site to read more ]. MORE >>

When I was in college, one of my roomates used to watch The Baseball Bunch. It was designed for kids, but I loved it. You had Johnny Bench, All-Star Hall of Fame catcher for the Cincinnati Reds, teaching a group of young kids how to be better players, and each week they also got professional tips from guest ballplayers like Jim Rice, Pete Rose, Cal Ripen, Jr, and even Ted Williams! What I loved most about the show, though, was the advice that each guest shared with the team. felt like I was getting a one-on-one coaching session with an All-Star right in my dorm room. This stunts growth! MORE >>