Currently Browsing: Social Media Posted by Mark Thompson in Social MediaMar 3rd, 2010 | View Comments
When it comes to social branding, there is none better than Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary has build one of the largest followings on the web and he continues to gain new fans everyday. For people that are not firmilar with Gary, he is a wine enthusiast…to say the least, social media evangelist, writer of the book Crush It, and chairman of the popular wine social network site, Cork’d.
I felt that Gary would be a great case study to see excellent social media marketing in action. Let’s take a look at all of the social sites and profiles that Gary engages with.
Gary Vaynerchuk, Personal...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Social MediaFeb 16th, 2010 | View Comments
Social media has really changed the way brands are connecting with their customers. More and more companies are starting to realize the value of social media and are quickly adapting this new form of communication. However in order to have a successful social media strategy, it is important to have an internal culture that is ready to accept and learn.
Best Buy has been a brand at the forefront of social media, using blogs, social networking tools, forums, and video to build brand awareness and keep consumers up-to-date with Best Buy news.
Let’s take a look at all of the different social...

Posted by Mark Thompson in News, Social MediaFeb 10th, 2010 | View Comments
Google just announced Google Buzz, allowing you to share photos, videos, and updates in gmail with existing friends you already have made. You have the option of sharing things with the world or specific friends. Easily connect with social sites you use like Picasa, Twitter, Google Reader and Flickr. People can comment on your post and have them automatically sent to your inbox.
Here are some of the great features that come with Google BuzzNo Setup Required
Share Publicly or Privately
Inbox Integration
Photo and Video Friendly
Connect With Sites You Already Use
Real-Time UpdatesThis...

Posted by guest in Social MediaFeb 2nd, 2010 | View Comments
I have been addicted to Digg for over three years…active for two… and in SEM for a little over one. Each phase of my relationship with the site has yielded a different return. I am just like every serious Digg user. I am a click-happy, instant-gratitude seeking tech-nerd who shares an affinity toward bacon.
I have had the pleasure of submitting and helping several articles rise to the front page of Digg. It is strangely satisfying to occupy that coveted real-estate. In fact, it is so satisfying for some that at one time the top 100 Digg users were submitting over 50% of the articles...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Social MediaJan 20th, 2010 | View Comments
Lauren Varges, Community Manager at Radian6, was nice enough to take time and lend her expertise and insights into questions regarding social media and online reputation management. For many businesses owners out there, I’m sure you have wondered how you can get started with social media and how it can help your business.
Well Lauren gives some useful information you can apply into creating your social media strategy.
Are there certain types of companies that could benefit from social media more than others?
Any organization has the potential to benefit from social media if their culture...

Posted by Mark Thompson in SEM, SEO, Social MediaJan 18th, 2010 | View Comments
Recently I wrote a post on how much knowledge a client should have, but along with knowledge also comes responsibility. For any internet marketing agency to work well with their clients, there must be a mutual understanding of the overall strategy, and most importantly the execution. Regardless of how effective the strategy may seem, if everyone is not working together to execute the strategy, it will fail. Some clients may be under the impression that once they hire an agency, that all of their problems are solved and that the responsibilities solely lie on them. This is far from the...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Blogging, SEM, Social Media, ToolsJan 12th, 2010 | View Comments
With all of the new communication tools and technology being introduced, the way that companies handle customer service has been transformed into a more effective and efficient manner. Users want to be able to receive real-time support and have multiple options to contact a company. So in order to meet the demands of customers, you need to be able to adapt and embrace these new forms of communication.
Here are some examples of how companies are using Web 2.0 and Social Media to increase their level of customer support.
Customer Service using TwitterMost people would think this is a bad...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Social MediaJan 4th, 2010 | View Comments
Blogs and websites in all industries have been trying new ways of making their sites more social. Adding Tweetmeme icons, social bookmarking buttons, and RSS feeds are just a few ways sites are making their content more sharable.
Social Media Toolbar Examples
Mashable
A simplistic approach, is the toolbar that Mashable uses on their site. You can share content by clicking the “share page” button, which will allow you to share with Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, E-Mail or IM. There is also a Meebo integration which will allow you to chat with friends that are on Meebo, AIM, or Facebook...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Social MediaDec 21st, 2009 | View Comments
With social media having a huge impact on brand marketing and online reputation, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask Michael Fraiette, the Community Manager and Chieft Listener at Filterbox, a few questions that I’m sure are on the minds of anyone looking to start a social media strategy.
1. What are some of the biggest challenges when dealing with negative reviews?
Well, I’d say the biggest challenge is to win the customer back, but I do not believe that is extremely difficult. If you are honest and genuinely try to help them out, they will respect you for listening...

Posted by Mark Thompson in Social Media, ToolsDec 3rd, 2009 | View Comments
Brand and online reputation management has become a growing concern for a lot of companies because of the multiple ways people can interact with each other online. People now are communicating via blogs, forums, discussion boards, wikis, Q&A, and video sites. With the unless number of social content sharing sites out there, it can be hard to manage what people are saying about you and your brand. That is why there are a number of social media monitoring tools out there that will allow you to hear what people are saying, help you interact with these people, and analyze trends.
Here is...
