Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Meet the brands that 'get' Twitter - iMediaConnection.com

Whether your brand has an official Twitter account or not, users on the microblogging platform are talking about you. And if you're not tweeting back, you're losing.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

When? When? When will I see results?

I just received a link to a great post from Sean Moffit. His diagram on the time it takes for an online word of mouth initiative to take off and find footing is spot on. The essence of online word of mouth is online customer relationship management; which takes time and commitment. Viral messages, you guessed it, spread fast. But one needs patience and dedication for sustainable word of mouth. And I'd like to underscore dedication, as in continuous monitoring, dialogue with influencers, providing networks with valuable information and resources. That's what generates word of mouth and builds brands.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Word of Mouth Marketing University 2009 - Practical, Tactical, Inspirational

Chances are you know you need to dip into social media. You have your strategy down. You need to elevate your brand's profile using smart online tools, establish rapport with moms online, or simply: turn news into sales. There are a myriad of conferences out there, but let me recommend you one where you are guaranteed to hear about social media who have branded this space: YouTube, Yahoo, MySpace, Facebook, among others.

You are wondering when, how or if to use Twitter? Attend one of the workshop sessions and learn from 'practitioner professors' who carry brands online on a daily basis.

You would like to reach out to your online influencers. Where to begin? Get one-on-one advice from the Keller Fay Group. They track all of the conversations Americans have offline and online. They know who the catalysts are.

You wonder how Wal-Mart, Dell, Lenovo, Disney and Heinz fuel word of mouth? Hear it from the professionals behind the brands - not just their agencies.

Why am I so passionate about WOMM-U?

Because I think there is a void for practical, sound advice in this space.

Because I think we all know the importance of word of mouth and social media. It's a matter of how we do it and where we start.

Because we all need to create noteworthy campaigns and tell remarkable stories that will move the masses in this economy.

I always walked out of a WOMMA event, having learned from the best. I had read Emanuel Rosen's Anatomy of Buzz. But I had the pleasure of meeting him at a WOMMA conference. (And you should absolutely read his updated version, Anatomy of Buzz Revisited.) I met Affinitive at a WOMMA conference, a great partner firm that specializes in building social networks. I learned more about what MomCentral does, not because they were presenting but because their VP of research was sitting next to me at a session. I listened to Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and Comcast's Frank Eliason at the last conference. I follow them on Twitter--and as true WOM advocates, they follow me back.

I work with colleagues, and even competitors, on WOMMA's board - we all believe this is the most trusted, authentic and reliable medium in today's information landscape.

I hope you join us in Miami on May 13-14.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

FDA Warning Letter: April Fool's?

The word on the street is that the letter Dose of Digital claims it got from the FDA is a....joke! Happy April 1st everyone.

Here is the full blog post from Dose of Digital, claiming that he got warned by the FDA for criticizing the organization so much in his posts.

And as a reality check, here's the latest article from MediaPost about FDA's advancements in guiding companies to step into Web 2.0. It's not the medium, it's the message they say.