spoke with a good friend of mine, personal branding expert Dan Schawbel , who explained why he thinks Google+ may prove a sizable competitor to the big players in the social media space, such as Linkedin, Facebook, and namely, Twitter. Facebook doesn't allow Google access to its content which will make anything posted on Google+ a much more SEO friendly piece of content. Facebook will continue to have its place with consumer fan pages, and it's still undetermined what Google+'s impact will be when they open up corporate accounts later this year. Big deal, what else is new? It MORE >>

Everyone is talking about it—people and brands alike (my favorite boutique just posted a “thoughts are with you" message on Facebook). In fact, I received no fewer than five Facebook posts from family across the country asking if we were affected here in the Boston area (answer: yes, but minimally). . Extreme storms like Hurricane Sandy have always been news-worthy, but until recently, they were localized, the focus of regional news outlets and weather junkies. That is no longer the case, thanks in large part to social media. So why the widespread interest? Take Duracell. MORE >>

Or at least that was the plan before I read this on Facebook,  "Can''t believe it''s over. 'Warning: Walking Dead Spoiler Alert. Like so many of my friends and colleagues, I have little time to watch the few television shows that truly pique my interest and engage me. have an unnatural affinity for the SyFy channel and have been sucked into all seasons of Downton Abbey, Justified, and American Horror Story. So it might come as no surprise that I also watch - and have since the beginning—the Walking Dead (WD). It''s Goodbye, Andrea!". Great. I.was.just.checking.my.FB.feed. Unlikely. MORE >>

The following champs not only made the list of viewer favorites , they got viewers talking, tweeting, Facebooking, and otherwise immersed with the brands: 1. At the end of the commercial, Weego has undoubtedly won over most of America, the commercial reads, "Help Rescue Dogs", along with a link to Bud Light's Facebook page. Creating a seamless experience, Bud Light's default Facebook image now showcases a classic Bud Light bottle, with Weego's personalized dog collar looped around its neck. Original, consistent, and engaging-- we like it.  . MORE >>

Facebook is going public this week with an initial valuation approaching $100 Billion.  And web sites such as Facebook & LinkedIn are doing a very good job tapping into their user data through techniques such as social network analysis. . Facebook and LinkedIn have shown that SNAs provide incremental relevance to their users, which translates into bottom line value.  That’s a lot of money - is it a fair valuation?  SNA, specifically SNA applied to people networks, is a type of analysis which determines interrelations between individuals and groups.  MORE >>