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Archive for December, 2011

Weekly Link Round Up – 12-30-11

Friday, December 30th, 2011

2011 Social Media Hits and Misses (Soshable.com)

The year 2011 was a big one for social media, as mediums such as Twitter and Facebook found worldwide attention through events such as the Day of Rage in Cairo. At the same time, it was also a year of memorable blunders. Soshable takes a review of these.

Five Social Media Trends for 2012 (SocialMediaExplorer.com)

As 2011 comes to a close, predictions for Social Media’s future in 2012 come to light. Some trends to look out for in the upcoming year include the rise of Content Marketing, and the convergence of marketing, technology, and data.

Top Social Media Acquisitions of 2011 (SocialFresh.com)

Speaking of 2011 in review, the year was also one for acquisitions, as smaller services were acquired by social media superpowers such as Facebook, Twitter, HubSpot and Google. Popular blogs were also acquired by bigger companies AOL and Say Media.

3 Ways Taste Graphs will Fuel Social Commerce in 2012 (Mashable.com)

While social commerce in the past had been more about broadcasting than actual interaction, today’s social commerce experience isn’t complete without some form of interactivity. Taste graphs bring interactivity to commerce, reaching out to people by showing them what they want.

Is the Golden Age of tech blogging over? (BrianSolis.com)

It is true that blogging has been eclipsed by the fast-paced interactive media from giants such as Facebook and Twitter. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that blogging is dead. As Brian Solis shows, you have a choice as a content creator, curator or consumer.

Weekly Link Round Up – 12-24-11

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Nostradamus Predicts: Gamification will have a Bright 2012 (42Terabytes.com)

In light of David Armano’s (of Edelman Digital) successful social media predictions in the past, Maximillian Lemos revisits the former’s positive outlook on the emergence of game-like qualities on today’s Internet and mobile social apps.

OPINION: What is Gamification and should you bother finding out? (UsefulSocialMedia.com)

Harry Rollason explores the meaning of ‘gamification’, and arrives to the conclusion that it’s more than just a fad, as what many large corporations rushing to apply gamification tools to their brand are realizing today as well.

Social Loyalty: The missing ingredient to @BestBuy’s success (Gamifixation.com)

As the largest electronics store in the U.S. desperately attempts to transform one-time shoppers into loyal customers with its “Gaming Trade-in” idea, Carlos Gonzales explains what Best Buy did wrong and how geo-location apps like Foursquare and Gowalla can be used to create social loyalty.

Online Marketing & Gamification by Design (McBuzz.com)

Mark McLaren interviews Gabe Zichermann, author of the book Gamification by Design and investigates the importance of gamification in developing a robust online marketing plan.

How Has Gamification Gone Mainstream? (Infographic) (Dr4ward.com)

Large corporations like Pepsi, Nike, and Nissan have taken notice. Gamification, also known as the application of concepts and techniques from games to other areas of activity, in this case, social media, has gone viral and is quickly becoming a staple in today’s online marketing efforts.

Integrating gamification into your social media marketing campaigns

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Image by JD Hancock

Among today’s social media strategies, gamification leverages on heavily engaging with your targeted audience through fun gaming elements to keep them engrossed to stay in your side of the social Web. With all the benefits it can offer brands, gamification can be a powerful tactic to roll out, leveraging on the rich and fun user experience for everyone involved. And the shared experiences between you and all the people engaging with you via your campaign can create great opportunities that can propel your brand to success.

 

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Weekly Link Round Up – 12-16-11

Friday, December 16th, 2011

5 Tips For Growing Your Business With Twitter (QuickOnlineTips.com)

It’s not enough to use Twitter for your business; how you use it is what will define the success of your efforts. The writer shares five tips for using Twitter to gain followers, customers, and sales.

Are B2B Marketers Not Using Twitter Correctly? (SocialMediaToday.com)

A study shows that only a minimal percentage of B2B marketers who use Twitter generates leads compared to those who use LinkedIn. B2Bs need to remember that while they cater to businesses, they still need to engage the actual person on the other end.

What do Twitter brand pages mean for marketers? (Connect.Icrossing.co.uk)

The writer offers a peek at what Twitter’s new profiles offer businesses. While these are only available to a limited number of companies for now, Twitter said it will be rolling this out over the weeks. With the new profile, brands can customize their pages, embed multimedia, and add tweets to their websites.

The New, New Twitter and What It Means to You and Your Business (BrianSolis.com)

The new version of Twitter offers a great new advantage to businesses: simplicity. Brian Solis gives a rundown of Twitter’s new features, offering insight into how these can benefit businesses.

How to Use Twitter Hashtags for Business (HarpSocial.com)

The ubiquitous ‘#’ symbol, known as a hashtag, does more than just mark the topic or keywords in a tweet. Businesses can use this to grow their accounts by increasing their exposure. The writer offers ideas for using the hashtag to a business’s advantage.

Facebook rolls out Timeline, intros it to mobile

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Back in September, Facebook introduced Timeline, a reinvigorated interface for user profiles that features a better layout, and showcases the users’ histories of activities. It’s not a mere account for all the activities you’ve done on the social networking giant. Instead, the timeline begins with your birth as it uses the information you provided during sign-up—in addition to all the status updates and Facebook activities you’ve taken part of.

 

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Snapshot: Gamification goes mainstream

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Gamification Goes Mainstream

While gamification is not a new concept, having been well utilized in years of educational activities, it’s only recently that it’s seen so much traction in the Internet marketing landscape. So much so that it’s become the main focus of a lot of brands looking to raise their engagements and develop good relationships with their demographic. Seattle-based, gamification startup BigDoor has released an infographic that explores gamification as fully leveraged by modern brands, significant figures and the possible directions it can take in the future, as one of the most effective and fun marketing strategies today.

 

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Weekly Link Round Up – 12-09-11

Friday, December 9th, 2011

FANS & FOLLOWERS: WHAT ARE THEY REALLY WORTH? (CaptureTheConversation.com)

It’s not just about having a large number of fans and followers; you also have to be able to do something with them. Fans and followers will be of much value to your business if you follow through.

How to Deal With Haters on Your Facebook Fan Page (MPDailyFix.com)

You’re bound to get a negative comment on your business’s Facebook fan page sooner or later. How you respond is critical to safeguarding your reputation and delivering excellent customer service. You can use a negative comment as a PR opportunity.

Crowdsourcing the next big thing – how to innovate in 2012 (BazaarVoice.com)

Innovation is crucial in the social world, where today’s hottest trend can easily be overshadowed by the next big thing with surprising speed. You can drive innovation for current and future products by using customer feedback on social platforms and social data.

8 Small Business Social Media Tips From the Pros (SocialMediaExaminer.com)

Eight small business pros offer excellent tips for SMBs. From showing your audience the “real you,” to investing in a great Twitter design, to giving away the secret sauce, there are a number of ways to make social media work for the small business.

THE 20 MINUTE SOCIAL MEDIA PROFESSIONAL (Blog.LeaderNetworks.com)

Vanessa DiMauro shares a 20-minute social media activity plan for the busy professional who hasn’t developed the knack for social media just yet. This plan covers the very basics of social media, perfect for those who are just starting out.

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