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blogabout|sign-up|forward|advertise November 13, 2009
 
  Today's Buzz 
 
  • Google is "rock star" at Day 1 of FDA hearings
    The FDA heard a host of presentations Thursday on how to address pharmaceutical ads on social media and the Web. Rohit Bhargava highlights the seven most influential speakers. Michelle Sharp from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly said that the industry was operating in a vacuum and needed guidance. Medical professionals from VuMedi said social-media content was a necessity for surgeons, adding that they wanted pharmaceutical firms involved. 360° Digital Influence (11/13) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
Develop a Solid Social Media Strategy and Policy. Accelerate your social media efforts with A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Successful Social Media Program. Get the information and tools you need to create a winning social media strategy, policy, and team. Learn more.
  Ideas in Action 
 
  • American Express creates winning b-to-b network
    American Express stands out among b-to-b marketers for its award-winning promotion of OPEN -- a card targeted at small business -- across several media. "Many business owners have what we call a 'high relationship IQ' but a 'low social media IQ,'" notes OPEN's Jason Rudman. The division has a forum that serves as a resource to boost their social-media skills, help small businesses network and boost brand recognition for OPEN. "We keep a pulse on how we are doing by measuring engagement and soliciting feedback," Rudman adds. ZDNet (11/9) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • World's largest cruise ship sails social seas
    Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrives at its home port in Florida for the first time today, but it's already made a big splash online. Royal Caribbean has been producing webisodes about the ship that have attracted 4.8 million viewers. The ship, has a "cult of personality" on Twitter and Facebook, says Bob Cook, Go Travel's vice president of cruise sales. The Miami Herald (11/12) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Post-turkey shopping season begins online
    Retailers are gearing up for Black Friday by posting deals on Twitter and Facebook. Deloitte Research predicts that 20% of shoppers plan to use social-media sites in their holiday shopping, and companies such as Staples and Old Navy are taking notice. There's also an iPhone application from dealnews.com that tracks holiday sales. Google/The Associated Press (11/12) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
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  The Takeaway 
  • Facebook tips for small business
    Facebook pages present a way for small businesses to get a Web site, if they don't already have one, and allow them to start interacting with customers. "The pages that are most successful are the ones that really replicate the personality of the business," notes Facebook's monetization director. Just remember not to overemphasize sales and take time to build meaningful interactions with fans, writes Kermit Pattison. The New York Times (11/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • Social marketing amounts to customer service
    Social media has turned customer service into a marketing tool, since negative experiences can now easily be shared with millions of others, Alex Hawkinson writes. "Listen to your customers. Try to deliver value to them and give them the tools to share their positive experiences," writes Hawkinson. "When they have negative experiences, be the first to hear them." Social Media Today (11/12) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • SEO for product searches and online retailers
    When a customer searches for a product, it's hard for online retailers to set themselves apart from the pack -- especially since many retailers have the same product descriptions -- Michelle Bowles writes. By using fresh content and avoiding repetitive copy, retailers can improve their search engine results. Think about using PDF pages and images, too, as part of your search engine strategy, she advises. "Draw traffic to more static pages, rather than revolving pages," she writes. Online Marketing Blog (11/13) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  • "Chinese Facebook" tops 100 million users
    Social networks are taking China by storm, where Renren.com -- a Facebook-style site -- is expanding from college students to the larger population. The site had 100 million users at the end of October, a large fraction of the 360 million Chinese online. Part of RenRen's success is due to Twitter's and Facebook's being banned by the government, Normandy Madden notes. Advertising Age (11/11) LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story
  Featured Content 
 

  Trackback 
  • The big re-tweet

    Like sharing great articles, ideas and resources on Twitter? Share them with us, and we'll publish the most useful submissions for the world to see. Simply add the #sbosm hashtag to the end of your tweet and we'll consider your finds for this newsletter.

    merylkevans: Great case study from @smexaminer by @casey_hibbard It Pays to Listen: Avaya's $250K Twitter Sale http://bit.ly/45g8rd LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmail this Story

  Editor's Note 
  • Of these metrics, which is the most important one to track in social media?
    View the results of this poll on Nov. 19, in our special report, "Social Media Blueprints: Measuring your success."
Virality (the reach of your brand and how much your message is spread)
Sentiment (positive, negative or indifferent consumer reaction)
Financials (the effect social media has on your bottom line, such as revenue)
Volume (number of comments, blog posts, tweets, links, etc. about your brand)


  SmartQuote 
In many ways it's more comfortable to talk about something in a blog than it is in a press release."
--Adam M. Goldstein, chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean, as quoted by The Miami Herald


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Andy Sernovitz, Editor at Large
Andy is author of "Word of Mouth Marketing" and the word of mouth marketing blog/newsletter "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That." He teaches Word of Mouth Marketing at Northwestern and the Word of Mouth Marketing Crash Course.
 
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