Social Media Marketing Resources

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The growth of MySpace has been front and center in the media over the past 12 months, in part because of the continued incredible growth of the venture but also because of social outrage generated by those who view it as an inappropriate and unsafe environment for teenagers. Here, Cliff looks at what has happened with MySpace, what has changed, and what he's learned about the online social networking business model over the past 12 months.

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"User-generated content" is much more than today's most tossed-around-the-tongue buzzword. It's the difference between having a flood of site traffic or just a trickle. Empower your users to create information that their peers want to see, and your site becomes a living, breathing place to be. Profiles, photos, and blogs still have currency in this post-and-share world—but video blogging is the hot now thing that's taking off fast.

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Blog advertising expenditures have exploded in the past year. Companies can make a really big brand splash for relatively little money, meaning that blogs provide advertisers an excellent opportunity to reach a devoted audience niche. But blog numbers, until recently, have been little more than curiosities to big brands.

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Marketers have a choice: You can continue using the same marketing methods you have always used to reach your customers, or you can try something revolutionary. You can join them. You can stop trying to guess what your customers are talking about, and instead join their communities and talk to them directly. Here are some of the tools -- like blogs, MySpace, and other consumer-generated media -- that your customers are already using to communicate online, and how you can incorporate them into your marketing plan.

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A new Internet gold rush has been taking hold with the emergence of social networking, blogging, podcasting, and other Web 2.0 experiments. Media companies and Internet giants have reacted promptly by acquiring many of the new players to take advantage of these new advertising vehicles and evolve their endangered models. Yet advertisers themselves have stayed on the sidelines to a great extent. Small businesses, especially, have reacted cautiously to Web 2.0 marketing, fearing its hype and its inherent risks. Here are clear examples of why they shouldn't.

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Blogging is one of the hottest trends on the Web. Whether yours is an individual blog, a group blog, a character blog, or a CEO blog, there's no doubt that, done right, a blog can position you as a thought leader, bring your Web presence to life, and help you engage with your customers. But with over 75,000 new blogs created every single day, and tens of millions of blogs already in the blogosphere, it's not a given that you'll get found by your target audience and develop a loyal following of readers. What can you do to pull in the crowds and to rise in the rankings? Here Stephan shares his secrets.

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This second article in a series focuses on implementing a successful business blog. It dissects the steps of selecting development tools, working out a content plan for launch, making a debut, developing a style and personality, handling responses, monitoring consumer discussion on your subject, and enjoying the process. Here are nine valuable tips for implementing and launching a blog.

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Blogging is ubiquitous. Marketing experts, the media and the influx of books on business blogging give the impression that we should all do it, or be thinking about doing it. But should all businesses blog? Is it always a wise use of resources and an asset to an organization?

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So you've created a Web log to communicate more intimately and more frequently with your audience. It's supposed to be easy. After all, the technology is simple, the style casual and the content brief. But after the initial wave of enthusiasm, you may find it increasingly difficult to generate ideas for the blog that began with so many thoughts—and so many posts—just a few months ago. Worse, you might be guiding a boss or colleague who may not be a fluent writer, but is the appropriate representative whose voice must be present in the blogosphere. How do you help that person refresh the well of inspiration when she's run out of ideas to draw upon? Tape the following list of ideas, prompts and suggestions over her monitor.

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There has been a flurry of RSS activity in the last two years, including countless startups that are hitting the new technology from every angle. These companies are doing everything they can to get RSS ready for prime time. Unfortunately, it's not quite there yet, but we're getting closer. What will it take to get RSS ready for wholesale embrace?

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Excite co-founder Joe Kraus has a new venture, and he likens the technology driving his new business to the Internet in the mid-1990s, when it was still "trapped in the land of the nerds." His new venture is the collaborative publishing tool known as Wikis. Just what is a Wiki, anyway? And why should you care?

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What's wrong with most blogs? They're too chatty. Too rambling. They lack passion. If you're going to blog, become an expert on something. This is especially important for blogging in the business world. Think content, not rambling comment. Get the full story.

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There are many approaches a company can take to blogging, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses. A blog written by top management, for example, has the potential of providing news straight from the decision makers. But the downside is that CEOs and senior executives are also wary of stockholders' perceptions and don't provide the bare honesty expected of a decent blog. A blog written by those at the lower rungs of the organization also has its strengths and perils. Here are blogging tips for bloggers at every level within a company, from the top down.

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From press releases to event announcements and customer memos, syndicating content with RSS offers a way around spam filters and ensures that interested parties receive your company info. Still, PR and marketing professionals are slow to adopt RSS. Many of you may believe it's too difficult or too technical. Perhaps the information you've read about RSS has scared you away. RSS can be an easy, viable way to publish corporate information. Here are five key reasons for adopting RSS as part of your communications strategy.

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If you haven't heard of podcasting yet, I am not surprised. It's a brand new term—just invented earlier this year, in fact. Podcasting refers to the technology used to pull digital audio files from Web sites down to computers and devices such as MP3 players. It's a significant departure from traditional broadcasting because it removes the time requirement; you can listen to a podcast radio program or interview any time. How will podcasting relate to marketing?

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This week, add your two cents to the discussion: What should companies consider when deciding whether to launch a blog? What benefits do blogs offer? Also this week, read your answers to last week's query: What's the best way to reach decision-makers?

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Old-school thinking demotes blogs to the domain of college students and frustrated authors battling writers block. New-school thinking elevates blogging to a much different sphere of influence. Journalists have embraced blogging -- both authoring blogs as well as consulting them for sources. And now blogging also has a place in the corporation -- in fact, it's actually good for business.

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These days, businesses are increasingly using a full range of communication methods including email, Web and fax to enhance relationships with existing customers, as well as a low-cost means of acquiring new ones. Now an emerging communication mode, text messaging—or Short Message Service (SMS)—provides an additional and interesting opportunity for companies and organizations to differentiate themselves.

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Advertisers, including Paramount Pictures, The Wall Street Journal, and the Gap, are successfully reaching niche audiences for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. As a result, a handful of bloggers are earning six-figure incomes from their blogs. Why aren't more advertisers and bloggers getting together? Three reasons: fear, ignorance and the knowledge that a lot of pioneers get shot.

CONTENT TYPE: Article | TOPIC: Social Media Marketing