Here’s a selection of articles on social media which we find interesting. 

2 brands in the social media dark age 15/12/2009
* Social media is merely a tool and an extension of how we get information
* It should be incorporated into the life of the brand and marketing strategy, just as the website is today
* Social media does not mean informal, it means open…
Read More …

Social Media Marketers Flock To Buy Twitter Followers 16/05/09
In the world of Twitter, a user’s influence is always judged by the amount of followers he or she has. For many individuals a large follower base is used for no other reason other than to boost their ego, however for many businesses a big number means big dollars…Read More …

Twitter’s Long-Term Viability 11/05/09
I hate to say, “I told you so,” but I kinda did in December when I compared the hype over Twitter with the previous hype over SecondLife. And, yes, I received my share of angry comments…Read More …

Social Media: The Five-Year Forecast 27/04/09
The distinction between traditional and innovative marketing will become significantly more pronounced as the socially driven online communities continue to gain momentum, according to a Forrester Research report…Read More …

Using Social Media Advertising to Drive Results 23/03/09
Roughly 80 million people, or 41 percent of the U.S. Internet user population, visited social network sites at least once a month in 2008 according to eMarketer….Given the size of the social media audience, why are marketers spending so little? Read More …

Omgili Stream Offers Another Discussion Tracker For the Web 20/03/09
There are plenty of ways to monitor the buzz of any given topic in the blogosphere, on Twitter, or across social networks. There is Artiklz, Trendpedia, Trackur, Brandseye, Radian6, Attentio, Buzzcapture and Chatterguard, to name a few.Read More …

How Social Media is Changing CRM 11/03/09
With social media, consumers can spread their praise and condemnation. From blogs to video-rich sites, this new conversation is changing CRM, and enterprises and BI professionals must pay attention.
Read More …

How Social Media War Was Waged in Gaza-Israel Conflict 13/02/09
Both sides deployed dangerous new media weapons during this latest round of fighting in Gaza. Armed with Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts, and Lavazza espresso, warriors fearlessly and tirelessly scoured the cyber battlefield searching for enemy (blog) outposts. Read More …

Social Media: Your Customer Is More Important Than Ever 22/12/08
Raise your hand if you are a social media user. (OK, you can put it down. Your coworkers are starting to stare.) Not sure what a social media user is? Let’s take a little test. Read More …

Your guide to steering the social dialogue 20/10/08
Social media offers the opportunity to directly connect with consumers, but savvy brands know you’ve got to test the waters before you dive into the discussion. Read More …

GM Set To Relaunch Social Media Site 29/09/08
General Motors on Tuesday plans to unveil a redesigned social media and networking site that will feature executive blogs, user-generated content, and social networking tools. The relaunch of GMnext.com, as the site is called, is part of the automaker’s effort to connect with younger car buyers who use such Web 2.0 tools in their everyday lives. Read More …

How brands can win in the blogosphere 26/09/08
Blogs offer very safe environments for advertisers, but it’s still important to plan your full strategy before jumping in. Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra explains why. Read More …

Customers turning to strangers for advice on what to buy 11/09/08
Internet users are increasingly turning to their fellow man and woman rather than experts, advertising and traditional media to help decide which products and services they buy…A new report from Universal McCann looks at the growing power of the influence economy and the power of consumer advocates Read More …

Measuring The Impact Of Buzz On Brands 17/03/08
We have all heard the stories of brands being impacted (positively and negatively) by consumer-generated content that is delivered through blogs, message boards, and photo and video sites. Read More …

Nine Essential Tactics For Reputation Management In Social Media 13/03/08
Here are key takeaways which emerged from the session—valuable lessons for any search marketer thinking about using social media as a lever for reputation management. Read More …

In-game advertising performs better than traditional advertising 06/03/08
In-game advertising is a strong alternative to traditional forms of advertising….Market research firm, BuzzCapture, evaluated over 5000 entries on relevant online forums. Within the sample, 68% of the comments were positive, in particular concerning the graphics, game options and overall high quality of the “Challenge”. Read More …

Social Media: ‘Agencies Don’t Get It,’ Survey Says 28/02/08
Clients are placing more emphasis on mastering social media but find their agencies ill equipped to help them succeed in that space, according to a new survey. Read More …

Creatives Have a Crush on Obama 25/02/08
Perhaps the most viewed bit of political advertising this campaign season is a four-minute-plus video for Barack Obama. “Yes We Can” -a slick, celebrity-filled spot that has garnered more than 10 million online views- was created by professionals. But none of them work for the Obama campaign Read More …

Majority of online shoppers checks at least four reviews before buying 23/02/08
About 68% of online shoppers read at least four reviews before making a purchase, according to data from joint research by PowerReviews and the e-tailing group. Read More …

Toyota CGM Exec Monitors The Good, The Blog, The Ugly 5/01/2008
When bloggers write smack about Toyota, Bruce Ertmann is there to read every word and, in some cases, respond. As corporate manager of consumer generated media at the Torrance, Calif.-based automaker, Ertmann constantly trolls the Web to see what people are saying. Read More …

Al Gore Pauses Green to Talk Up Consumer-Generated Media 15/10/2007
“Nothing can help your brand more, in my opinion, than helping your customers help you brand your products..” Read more …

Marketers Put More Money into Social Media: Survey 15/10/2007
A RECENT SURVEY INDICATES THAT nearly a third of Web marketers plan to increase spending significantly on social media–such as blogs and discussion boards. Read more …

Blogs most trusted form of web advertising 14/10/2007
Consumer-generated content is by far a more trusted form of advertising worldwide than search engine ads, banner ads, or text ads, according to Nielsen, and is trusted almost as much as physical word-of-mouth. Read more …

Toyota CGM Exec Monitors The Good, The Blog, and The Ugly 03/09/2007
When bloggers write smack about Toyota, Bruce Ertmann is there to read every word and, in some cases, respond. Read more …

Take the social media plunge: 6 pointers 09/08/2007
If you use traditional media assessment formulas to plan an ad strategy in the new world of social media, you’re making a big mistake. Here’s why. Read more …

Fake bloggers soon to be ‘named and shamed’ 26/05/2007
Hotels, restaurants and online shops that post glowing reviews about themselves under false identities could face criminal prosecution under new rules that come into force next year. Read more …

2 Simple Rules for Social Media 24/05/2007
iCrossing’s VP of corporate strategy advises marketers on how to listen to consumer-supported social networks, and how to be useful to them. Read more …

Content-Generating Consumers: A Rare Breed? 23/04/2007
Internet measurement firm HitWise just released data on the percentage of visits to sites such as YouTube, Flickr, and Wikipedia that are for posting new content (as opposed to viewing already-posted content). The overwhelming finding is consumer-generated media sites are jam-packed with viewers, not creators.  Read More …

Blogs Affect Your Brand; Finding Social Media is Easier Than Ever Before 28/03/2007
Have you ever went to Google and typed in the name of a company or product? Sure you have. However, you may have not noticed the amount of Consumer Generated Media (CGM) that appears. Read More …

Mini-blog is the talk of Silicon Valley 26/03/2007
Silicon Valley is abuzz over a new mini-blogging service for mobile phones that some predict will be a mass-market hit with the reach of a YouTube or MySpace. Read More …

Social Media in the 2008 Presidential Election 24/03/2007
Social media will play a huge part in the 2008 Presidential election. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama include components of Consumer Generated Media (CGM) on their websites. They allow voters to view video content, create blogs and get involved. Read more …

Lufthansa navigates the Blogospere 21/02/2007
The Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive (WPNI) has released the new Sponsored Blogroll program… Since the blogs cover a range of topics from Health to Auto, Business to Travel, Lufthansa believes it is the perfect place to reach a highly targeted audience. Read more …

Chrysler, Coke: New Brand Buzz leaders 09/02/2007
Great word-of-mouth marketing campaigns are elegant. They are fun. And they are far easier to execute that you think.
The Five Ts of Word-of-Mouth Marketing Read more …

Edelman, Microsoft Roil Blogosphere With Laptop Giveaway 02/01/2007
Public relations firm Edelman has once again roiled the blogosphere, this time by giving laptops to prominent bloggers on behalf of its client Microsoft. Read more …

Listening to the Pulse of the Internet 5/10/2006
You know there’s a conversation about your brand happening out there online, but you don’t know where to go to listen. Underscore’s president shows you the way. Read more …

Social Media and User-Generated Content 13/09/2006
In this iMedia Brand Summit Forum, experts discussed how brands can participate in the new age of participatory media without disrupting the user experience. Read more …
 
How the Social Web Should Impact Strategy
Cymfony’s chief strategy and marketing officer makes the case for incorporating social media into the marketing plan. Examples of the power of social media — from the Kryptonite lock crisis to the Converse Gallery success — have convinced many marketers to incorporate social marketing into their plans. Read more…

The blog in the corporate machine 9/02/2006
They have always had their critics, but corporations are having an especially hard time making friends of late. Scandals at Enron and WorldCom destroyed thousands of employees’ livelihoods, raised hackles about bosses’ pay and cast doubt on the reliability of companies’ accounts; labour groups and environmental activists are finding new ways to co-ordinate their attacks on business; and big companies such as McDonald’s and Wal-Mart have found themselves the targets of scathing films. Read more…