Below are two fascinating studies on communication theory and practice. The commonality between both is the nexus between effective use of social media and word-of-mouth marketing. The first study Social Media Marketing vs. Prevalent Marketing Practices: A Study of Marketing Approaches for Micro firms in Sweden (.pdf download) focuses on micro firms leveraging social media to promote [...]
This research paper from Nokia Research Center, Stanford, and Queens University implies that humans can ascertain with an uncanny degree of certainty when a social message is sent from a computer versus a human. Social responses to communication technologies theory (SRCT) predicts that humans cannot reliably ascertain such nuances. This research contradicts this premise. The [...]
This study focuses on how to find similarities amongst individuals using social media based on their behavioral characteristics. Finding such similarities across myriad social networks has beneficial uses: making users aware of other users with similar interests, finding users who comment on the same blogs, and enhancing already existing recommender systems (e.g., Pandora’s partnership with Facebook). Would [...]
Facebook is at the epicenter of issues surrounding “publicity vs privacy” as marketers seek to leverage the social web to engage existing and new consumers. This CNET article is a really good summary of issues swirling around the latest changes Facebook has made to its data sharing policies. Here are the salient take-aways: Facebook marketing [...]
Very well drafted and inciteful list of predictions for 2010. The author, Ravit Lichtenberg, delves into what will impact innovation, while opining that mobile become even more central, integrated/social search relevancy will begin to trump search aggregators like Google, and marketers will demand ROI. Excellent discussion on measurment tactics for Google AdWords campaigns. Discusses basics [...]
The label “social media” has lost its resonance in so far as the concept of “social media” has been reduced to a series of marketing tactics. As David Armano says in a Harvard Business Review blog article: Let’s start with the challenges — the term “social media” itself is indicative of the state of affairs. [...]
Social media monitoring Here’s a great list of conversation monitoring tools. The article points out some very interesting and straight-forward tips; I especially like the tip on this social media monitoring wiki. Search use up, email use down The Online Publishers Association released a study showing that consumers are spending more and more time on [...]
Social media is social what? A call for dropping the term “media” from the phrase “social media”. Compelling argument to drop the fascination with the platforms and concentrate on the quality of the content and product. Public relations social web tactics Long list of new products and services pitched to a Kentucky-based director of social [...]
Semantic coolness I stumbled across the Semantic Interoperability of Metadata and Information in unLike Environments (SIMILE) program at MIT. Rather than try to summarize what they’re doing, here are some examples: Music Composer Research Database, click a composer’s name to see what happens; UK Traffic, click a blue dot on the map to see what [...]
I’m starting something new this week. My goal is to compile a weekly short list of quality resources about blogging, social networks, and social media coolness. Blogging: The FutureBuzz is one of the finest blogs I’ve found discussing how to market your blog and blog posts. Adam Singer, really takes the time to dig deep [...]
If one stops and ponders the amount of data and content users add to Facebook on a daily basis, it’s truly staggering. I’ve often wondered what the Facebook data team does with this data and content. Recently, I stumbled across two insightful articles and a video series that sheds some light on this. The first [...]
Although many real estate brand managers have embraced social media and are pushing their executives and agents to start a blog, join Facebook and LinkedIn, etc, many are still reticent to step into the space. Questions like these are fairly common: “What if someone says something bad, or posts a rude comment, or is just [...]
Here’s an excellent article on the PR 2.0 blog about the new homepage design features Facebook will soon release. The article gives a reasoned analysis of the new Facebook feature-set as well as possible implications for brands, individuals, and services like Twitter and Friendfeed. What could be considered the Wall 2.0 or quite simply, a [...]
The comments in this post offer an “in the trenches” snapshot of many issues framing the current real estate crisis. The dialogue between Scott and the listing agent is particularly fascinating and elucidates the inherent challenges agents face in a market where traditional and foundational norms have been so acutely destabilized.
As a real estate brand, wouldn’t you like your customers to be this excited about their experience with you? Powder Mountain Utah Best Day of Skiing Powder Mountain Utah Skiing Fabulous Day I shot these videos after an absolutely transcendent day of skiing at Powder Mountain, Utah. Yes, conditions have lots to do with having [...]
Digital Trends is a big topic and this post really goes through a substantive analysis of Edleman’s recent predictions. The digital train is tearing down the tracks and has no signs of slowing. Every industry is being reshaped by the expectation that everything should be digitized. Add digital hungry consumers with web devices, NetPCs, Kindles [...]
Real estate firms that are thinking about implementing social media marketing strategies should pay attention to Charlene Li‘s predictions. Li’s series of five interviews paint a road map of the social media future firms ought to be considering today: melded identities social algorithms (see also my earlier post on trust indicators in social networks) open platforms [...]
What’s the value of a real estate firm’s or agent’s service? What actions justify a firm’s or agent’s fees? I’m contemplating these questions as I re-read “The Theatre and Its Double” written by Antonin Artaud, and some of what he says in his writing has a certain philosophical resonance with respect to the current state [...]
Here’s a story from DavidHenderson.com about a “Twevent” that happened to a senior level public relations employee. The case involved FedEx (the client) and the following Tweet: True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say “I would die if I had to live here! citation DavidHenderson.com summarized the [...]
Here is an excellent thesis on how public relations professionals can use viral marketing tactics powered by social media to mitigate bad press. The author states that viral public relations campaigns “are less overt and therefore better received” because consumers perceive they are in control. (p56) Viral marketing tactics allow professionals to listen, build relationships [...]
This paper argues that allowing consumers to “co-create” or “co-author” products–i.e., directly engaging and encouraging consumers to participate in new product development processes–taps vast wells of creativity while exploiting certain cost efficiencies in terms of labor. Similarly, this paper explores how Web 2.0 will fundamentally (has fundamentally) changed the manner by which companies must brand [...]
