10 Ways to Jump Start Your Social Media Thinking

It seems as if there are thousands of articles out there advising you how to effectively incorporate social media into your marketing plan. In reality, what is the next step after you've created a Twitter, Facebook, and a blog? Here are 10 way to jump start your social media thinking and take your company's presence to the next level.

Please visit http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2009/07/22/10-ways-to-jump-start-your-social-media-thinking/

20 Reasons to use Social Media Marketing

Today the importance of a TV commercial or newspaper ad is dwarfed in comparison to that of social media marketing. If I had a dime for every time I heard, "Follow us on Twitter!" in the past 12 months I would be rich. While interactive media powerhouses like Facebook and Twitter may seem like a fad or downright annoying, in reality they are excellent resources to communicate your brand to the consumer. They are efficient, low-cost, and easy to manage. At Asterisk Creative we stress the importance of using media resources like these. The more your company is mentioned, the more potential clients you reach.

Still not convinced? Here are 20 reasons that will change your mind.
Visit http://www.examiner.com/x-8160-San-Diego-Social-Media-Marketing-Examiner~y2009m6d25-The-Top-20-Business-Reasons-To-Use-Social-Media-Marketing

What's All The Tweeting About?

What's All The Tweeting About?
Twitter Offers A Unique Platform For Communication

Twitter is a "microblog". Think of it like a blog, only smaller... in fact you only have 140 characters (not words, characters) to communicate a message, so what you say has to be short, concise and of interest.

Twitter is simply a means to communicate with an audience of people who want to hear what you have to say. It's two way communication with your customers and prospects. And it's free!

Using Twitter is very easy - you sign up for a Twitter account and then start posting the 140 character messages, known as 'tweets', immediately. Once you've posted a tweet, it goes into your Twitter feed. Anybody who is following your tweets will then see your update within their own Twitter account - similar to how a blog's RSS feed communicates with RSS readers.

Of course, if your 'followers' are subscribed to hundreds of people, you may only have exposure on the main page of their account for just a few seconds, which is one of the reasons that people Twitter so much - so they can stay top of mind.

By default, Twitter feeds are set to public. This means that you can search for anybody who uses Twitter and see all of their past tweets.

So, what's all the fuss about this tool. And, how can you as marketer think about using it? Try these ideas:

· Extending the reach for those individuals or companies that already have a blogging strategy in place, and want to deepen or further ties. Good examples: Carnival Cruise Lines. The ScienceNewsBlog's weather tracking updates. Andy Carvin's PBS blog on education and technology.

· Retailers announcing sales and deals. Good example: Deals on Dells. Blue-light specials at Amazon.

· Increasing the ability for frequent updates to blogs or web sites or news. Examples: The NY Times, CNN, BBC, Adrants, and those of us here at MarketingProfs.

· Building consensus or a community of supporters. President Obama's successful campaign can be tied directly to his use of Twitter and Obama News Updates.

· Building buzz. Example: Sneak previews for followers.

· Updating breaking news at conferences or events. Share your experience with your followers presents you as a thought leader.

· Updating your network to shape your own personal branding: What's going in your life and your business.

So, is this hype or the next thing? Probably somewhere in between. Social media continues it's evolution and Twitter represents the latest platform breaking down the walls of communication as we've know it.

Sources: Marketing Profs, Web Profits