And yet in our information-dense world of the Internet, we’re starved for clues to help us determine leadership and authority and we readily turn to “badges of influence” like number of Twitter followers or even a Klout score as convenient indicators of power. Perhaps the most prestigious symbol of social proof today is the Facebook “Like.”  Among many companies, there is a Facebook arms race in progress as competing brands do anything necessary to gain the upper hand on this important metric. There is a practical business case for being a Facebook fake, right? MORE >>

When marketers think about social media, they tend to focus on Facebook and Twitter. In most cases, even if I recommend a Facebook page, Twitter account, or creating a LinkedIn group, I recommend engaging in other communities , as well. Research is suggesting that Facebook and Twitter are often NOT the best places to do that. When you create a Facebook page or a Twitter account, you’re asking people to come to you. People congregate in them because they are interested in sharing news, information, and participating in discussions about the topic. MORE >>

Facebook is like a box of chocolates.  While most social media advisers are bullish on Facebook as a marketing channel — and certainly there are some amazing success stories — in my classes I teach a more holistic view of the opportunities and the PERILS of what you might get into. In any event, a casual observer would be thinking, why are these two little kids posting on Budweiser’s Facebook page? Joe goes on to suggest a Facebook site encouraging Bud to feature the wayward flight attendant in an advertisement. And sometimes, it’s not even sweet. MORE >>

Facebook is creeping into every nook and cranny of our personal online experiences so it’s not a surprise that they’re taking a crack at the professional market. My friend Brad Lovett has been looking at this issue and offers this insightful guest post: Looks like Facebook is taking a whack at LinkedIn. Facebook for business? With the launch of BranchOut , Facebook is giving LinkedIn a punch in the chops.  BranchOut is an app that piggybacks on Facebook’s existing structure, much like Farmville and other independent add-ons. just got a raise.&# MORE >>

You’ve seen the eye-popping statistics: Facebook now has more than 350 million active users. TechCrunch predicts that “by this summer (2010) well over half of all Internet users will likely visit Facebook each month.&# Given that level of popularity and traffic, it’s no wonder that marketers have embraced Facebook in a big way. What’s curious, however, is that of the top 50 brands on Facebook according to Slate magazine, not one is a b2b vendor. The challenge rather lies in the way Facebook fan pages are used. Not even close. Digg this! MORE >>