Learn the secrets that all successful Facebook fan pages have used to rise to prominence.

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8 Secrets of a Successful Facebook Fan Page

I think what makes any burgeoning concept interesting is where it goes once some of the basics have been covered. Whether platforms like YouTube or Twitter or concepts like product integration, no idea can stick around long without evolving. So, where are the places that crowdsourcing will go in the future?

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Crowdsourcing: The Next Step in the Evolution of Crowdsourcing

Over the past few months, Google and Bing have started to allude that they are beginning to increase the impact of social media content and links on their search results, citing that social networking activity is a strong indicator of what might be most relevant to consumer searches. The impact of these developments is likely to spread far and wide, as the positives and negatives of this new factor begin to reveal themselves and take shape.

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How Will Social Search Affect Social Media and SEO?

Many academics, authors and bloggers are taking a hard look at the practice of capitalism with a view to a more sustainable future that ensures prosperity for more people both here in the United States and around the developing world. This necessarily involves an examination of the private sector and the relationship between brands and consumers in terms of whose best interests are being served.

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A new social contract between brands and consumers

It’s one thing to influence someone to check out your product, but do not be mistaken to think that it will directly result in an actual transaction taking place. Of course, if you choose the right person of influence, they might, in turn, decide to tell their friends and family about their experience (pleasant or not) and that will probably result in some sort of transaction.

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Adjusting Our Decisions: The Influencer Movement, Scores & People Who Decide It All

In recent weeks I’ve continued my examination on crowdsourcing by exploring topics such as whether crowdsourcing is still a hot topic, how people’s opinions have, or have not changed regarding crowdsourcing and taken a look at The IdeaLists and their approach to making matches rather than sourcing crowds. In this post I pose the following question: Have you seen an increase or decrease in participation by people looking to engage in crowdsourcing opportunities?

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Crowdsourcing: Yes, Crowdsourcing Is Still A Growing Trend

If the traditional outcome of conversation is somebody getting killed, why do we think our social experiments will turn out differently? Sure, the format of media changes the messages that are shared, up to a point, but the messages -- from their intended purposes to realized outcomes -- have had a far greater influence, if not overriding control, over the uses of media. New media aren't a phenomenon in culture; rather, every generation adopts new media and puts it to use in service of the phenomena of its culture. The tools are forever as novel as the purposes are traditional.

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All-Time Top 5 Ways to Measure Conversation

While certain positions are up for debate, there is no escaping the fact that we're going to need more folks who can manage the social media aspects of a content marketing engagement.

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What Makes an Exceptional Social Media Manager?

Will the term SMO or Social Media Optimization stick and become part of the Social lexicon, or will it go the way of the Dodo?...Whatever we inevitably call optimizing the social space, we are already doing it. I’m just one of those guys that like to have names for things.

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Will the Term "Social Media Optimization" Stick?

June Cohen, Executive Producer of TED Media (the company that has been bringing us the TED Conferences since 1984), wants you to have the conversations you want to have.

Facebook is a great marketing platform if it is being used in a way that highlights its best features. Namely, building community through social sharing features. There are three specific measurements you can take to get the pulse on the vibrancy of your community

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Looking Beyond the Like - 3 Measures of Effectiveness

A new study from GroupM and comScore states that 40% of consumers who search for products to purchase are taking a social activity as a next step to finalize their buying decision. And the activity can be seen from the other direction as well: 46% of consumers who use social media are searching for products to expand the basis on a product range to take a decision.

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Study: Search and Social Amplify Purchase Decisions

We are all familiar with the marketing mix: Product, Place (i.e. Distribution), Price and Promotion. It is drilled into our heads in college and it is reinforced with corporate structure. The problem with the marketing mix is that it does not consider the customer, it only considers the product. Perhaps with the advancement of technology, we should have better predicted that a 58-year old concept might require rethinking.

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Rethinking the Marketing Mix from the Customer’s Perspective

Interesting panel at MediaPost’s OMMA Global yesterday, which sought to answer the question many marketers have been grappling with — what is the actual meaning and value of online fans? Very timely topic given many global brands now command fan bases as high as 20 million and are expected to double their investment in advertising on Facebook this year to over four billion. And as Justin Kistner from Webtrends highlighted in his preceding presentation, 35% of consumers buy more after becoming a fan of a brand on Facebook, and ads aimed at fans enjoy an average click through rate (CTR) is 35% compared to 7% in regular online ads. With stats this high, it’s no wonder brands need to start taking Facebook fans more seriously

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OMMA Global – What Is the Worth of a Facebook Fan?

In reality, when done well, strategic planning is a continuous and ongoing process. Because guess what – while you are taking your good old time planning, the ground underneath you is already moving, and continues to move. Markets change, situations change, the landscape changes, so your plan must adjust accordingly.

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Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth