Lee Odden shows that there is a “method to the madness” of Twitter when it comes to marketing and PR. He also includes a great list of other posts about tools and tricks of Twitter, and some quick tips for users.
James Cherkoff at Modern Marketing writes that marketing is no longer in the hands of marketers, and that social media and networking have taken messaging and put it into the hands of citizen marketers. Great marketing and a good story can be quickly squashed by a simple Google search and some bad reviews. Official branding is no more, and there is indeed a loss of control of the message.
Another example of branding and customer loyalty comes from Eli Portnoy at The Brand Man. He posts about Starbucks and their recent decline in revenue (and consequential advertising boost), and whether or not that is indicative of their overall struggle to maintain their brand, or if it’s just the way the market is trending? In order for Starbucks to stay ahead of the competition, they need to go “back to basics” and provide the same caliber service and standards that people are accustomed to. People pay for luxury when they know they are getting the experience they are looking for.
A question of identity is raised by Jon Greer, who provides insight into a policy that should be included with every corporate blog. Ethics always come into play when a company uses social media, so take the time to make sure all parties involved are clear on what is acceptable and what is not when writing or commenting on a blog.
The most influential social network and blog rankings list raise some interesting facts from Ann Handley about the entire system. MySpace and Facebook continue to lead the way for social networking, with Blogger and Wordpress are still fighting for the lead. However, Wordpress has an impressive 444% growth rate.
Great finds! Thank you.