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Social media use is not just about selling products; it can and should be about moving people to action.

In “6 Ways Brands are Using Social Media for Real-World Action” on Mashable, digital marketing expert Daniel Stein looks at new ways companies can  “mobilize [their] social media audiences to take action in the real world.”

For instance, he cites Nike’s Livestrong campaign for the Tour de France as “a nice example of a brand blending the digital and physical worlds and enabling its audiences to take part in a real-time event.” Nike made it possible for people around the world to have their inspirational sayings chalked along the Tour route by way of WearYellow.com, Tweet or SMS. The users then received links to see where their message was chalked. Nike “was able to cleverly connect user to a real world event using social media as the conduit,” says Stein.

Businesses should aim to empower, excite, inspire and enable consumers “to engage with [their] brand in a relevant, new and useful way that adds to their real-world experience,” he concludes.

The SSN Take: Good examples of how some companies/organizations are utilizing social media to its fuller capabilities and expanding the possible rewards as a result.

John Sniffen, April 23, 2010

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Sure, social media marketing doesn’t cost as much as a minute of Super Bowl advertising, but marketers appear to be vastly underestimating its expense.

Econstituency vice president Rebecca Lieb says 32 percent of marketers who responded to the e-commerce advisory firm’s recent survey said they spend nothing on social media, according to “Live from SES NY: Marketers Claim Social Media Doesn’t Cost a Dime” by Tim Parry on Multichannel Merchant. Lieb theorizes that respondents consider dollar figures to equal the amount of money spent, and are not accounting for resources such as the manpower that go into having a social media presence.

And they are using social media. More than four-fifths – or 86 percent – report marketing on Facebook, while 77 percent are tweeting and 58 percent are using LinkedIn, says Leib.

The SSN take: Either the accounting departments have not caught up with the marketers, or someone is really trying to make social media use look cost efficient. Neither is good business.

John Sniffen, April 22, 2010

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Fake gift card scams are blossoming like spring flowers on Facebook.

In the latest internet con game, tens of thousands of users have been tricked into joining Facebook fan pages that claim to be giving away gift cards of up to a $1,000 for big-name companies, Robert McMillan of IDG News Service reports on SFGate in “Facebook Takes Steps to Deal with Gift Card Scams.”

The bogus pages feature fake posts from other users suggesting that the giveaway offers are real, but the sites typically lead to affiliate marketing websites that try to collect data and generate Web traffic for advertisers, according to Simon Axten, a Facebook spokesman. He advises users to be suspicious of any online activity that “feels strange” — unfamiliar links in messages from long-silent friends or a promise of financial reward if you invite friends to join a group.

Such gift-card scams have been around via email for years, says, McMillan, but are fairly new to Facebook, which says it removes the pages as they are found. But “because anyone can set up a fan page for virtually anything — and many pages do contain legitimate gift-card offers — it’s a thorny problem for Facebook to solve,” he adds.

The SSN take: As long as new ways to scam people come on the scene, there will people taking advantage of others greed or gullibility.

John Sniffen, April 21, 2010

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Like living organisms adapting to their environment, news, marketing and other websites are evolving from their original forms.

For instance, David Kaplan in “HuffPo Launches Separate ‘Twitter Edition’; More Focus on Real-Time News” on paidContent.org, says that the new edition’s main purpose is “to harness the social networking aspects of the site to create a real-time news service” for each of website’s sections. It will be “an entirely separate edition” but “with the same kind of content we always have provided—but super-charged, if you will, for Twitter users,” he quotes HuffPo chairman Ken Lerer.

The tweets won’t just come from HuffPo regulars, says CEO Eric Hippeau. “This is our way of doing breaking news, using real-time Twitter feeds of people that we have followed, people who have a certain authority on the news we cover. … We’re one part social network, one part news content site. So for us, the question has always been how to use Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools and our content and integrate it with our advertisers.” Yes, they will seek to raise money from the Twitter edition, but they were not ready to say how or when.

The SSN take: Most websites are becoming amalgams of social media and other communication tools on the Internet.

John Sniffen, April 21, 2010

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Communiscpace CEO Diane Hessan has some advice about using social media and the common element is this: use your head.

In “Lessons From Leno and Twitter Bombers: 3 Rules for Next-Gen Marketing,” Austin Carr writes in FastCompany about Hessan’s recent presentation at the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) 2010 Re: Think Conference in New York. Hessan presented eight rules for next-gen marketing research based on feedback from over 200 consumer-insight professionals. Carr focused on three of them: 1) manage social media jitters; 2) game-changing insights don’t usually come from testing; and 3) don’t underestimate the power of one.

Regarding responding to social media, Hessan prescribes a balance between reaction and overreaction. “We need to listen hard to consumers, for sure, but if your target consumers are not on Twitter, for instance, then you don’t necessarily need to change strategy because of an angry tweet or two.” Hessan said that research doesn’t always translate into success. Game-changing insight may instead come from ongoing discovery, which she views as a necessary part of marketing. And Hessan said “the big breakthroughs often happen away from the spotlight. … The one lone voice in the background” may have the best insight.

The SSN take: Rules can be good guidelines, but in the end you still need to think.

John Sniffen, April 17, 2010

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Use of social media is becoming a vital part of successful book promotions.

Chris Bass, who recently became director of author marketing services for AuthorHive, says, “Authors who want to optimize their marketing efforts should incorporate a wide array of social media tools into their plan,” according to “AuthorHive Author Marketing Expert Observes: ‘Social Media Tools Vital in Building a Successful Book Promotion Platform’” on Yahoo Finance.

“Social media is highly effective in leveling the playing field, for example for emerging authors, who may not have the largest marketing budgets,” Bass says. “It permits authors to actively engage potential readers from the convenience of a computer and breaks down the barriers of cost and access.”

Bass said AuthorHive, which serves both traditionally published and self-published authors, offers several options for “getting in the social media game.” A basic package incorporates social media with a personal Web site and a mass email campaign. A more advanced version adds the services of a literary publicist, whose goal is to gain the attention of both traditional and online media.

The SSN take: One wonders how much time dedicated book readers spend online (or maybe on their Kindles or iPads). But the thought of Ernest Hemingway tweeting with fans while watching a bullfight in Spain is somewhat amusing.

John Sniffen, April 16, 2010

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When it comes to using social media for recruiting, Deloitte—which provides auditing, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, and tax services through independent firms worldwide—deploys a full-court press.

“Deloitte is taking a multifaceted digital approach to recruiting by using a blend of social networking resources and multimedia elements. A versatile introduction to their company is available at the click of a button,” reports the T+D Blog in “Deloitte: The Future of Recruiting is Social Media.” Deloitte’s program integrates several interactive media outlets, including a micro-site, a Twitter feed, a Facebook page, a LinkedIn group and a YouTube channel.

The micro-site provides an in-depth look into the lives of the firm’s Gen Y workers through a series of profiles and short films. The Twitter feed, “Life at Deloitte,”features daily tweets designed to provide insight into the company’s different practice areas and the latest hot topics from a variety of business leaders. The “Your Future at Deloitte (U.S.)” Facebook page also has interactive message boards where potential job candidates can join the discussion. A campus-focused LinkedIn group helps connect college students with employees and recruiters.

Deloitte’s YouTube channel, “Your Future at Deloitte,” features video testimonies from employees about why they chose the company and what the work means to them.

Deloitte, which has about 169,000 employees worldwide, estimates it will hire about 4,800 full- and part-time employees during 2010.

Sodexo USA, the global food and facilities management services provider which was recently awarded ERE’s 2010 excellence in recruiting award, also makes use of a full social media arsenal. “Sodexo’s social media initiative is on the leading edge of best practices,” writes John Sullivan in “Best Practices in Recruiting” on ERE.net. “Its web presence effectively communicates Sodexo’s company culture, and opportunities across a Careers blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn group, YouTube channel, Twitter and Flickr.” The Society for New Communications Research has recognized Sodexo for its pioneering work in microblogging.

Employing a more one-dimensional social media recruiting campaign, Sears Holding Corp., recently posted 7,000 positions with TweetMyJOBS, a Twitter-based job board service. Writing for ReadWriteWeb , Sarah Perez says TweetMyJOBS president and founder Gary Zukowski claims the partnership makes Sears, which also includes the Kmart chain, one of the largest brands to embrace mobile recruiting. The service lets job seekers receive instant notification on their cell phones via Twitter when new jobs are posted online.

The partnership has a large potential to grow as Sears posted more than 500,000 job openings last year via traditional recruiting channels.

Another social media recruiting partnership features CareerBuilder.com and Facebook.

In “It’s time to update your Facebook status—recruitment strategies move toward social media in 2010” on examiner.com, Megan Munch notes that job postings from CareerBuilder now also post directly to Facebook. “The best matched candidates will be able to see the company’s job advertisement on the side of their Facebook page.”

Careerbuilder and Facebook also cooperate in helping the more than 700,000 local companies that have Facebook pages improve their image. CareerBuilder consultants work with clients, checking their Facebook pages weekly—blogging, posting updates, new hires and accomplishments—as well as monitoring site activity.

Munch offers one bit of advice to potential job seekers using social media, especially those fresh out of college. “I would advise taking down [photo] albums titled ‘The Hangover Album.’ Inappropriate behavior can and will affect job and internship opportunities.”

John Sniffen, April 14, 2010

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With the line between search and social media blurring, what happens next?

“One’s first inclination might be to get the heck out of the way and see how it all shakes out. But can you really afford to? You’ll miss all the fun, not to mention some of the opportunity,” writes Norm Elrod, a digital media consultant. On SearchEngineWatch.com, he reports in “Where Search and Social Media Collide: Real-Time Search and Twitter” about a panel discussion on the topic. Among the points Elrod highlights are the following.

Rand Fishkin, CEO of SEOmoz.org, said search engines will be able to select the more trustworthy sources of social media information. He advised making content that appeals to social users, and then nudging them to push it out to others.

Companies can follow Google Trends, base content on seasonal events, and catch the wave of popularity as it swells, said Harry J. Gold, CEO, Overdrive Interactive. Google loves new content, especially with the incorporation of social media. Marketers should create it and push it out to social media outlets.

Mike Mothner, founder and CEO of Wpromote Inc., said companies that worked hard to gain rankings for commercial search terms may find themselves pushed down the page by real-time search results. Real-time search also expands the reach of social media. Interactions in the Twitter-sphere now have much larger reach. Reputation management is harder.

The SSN take: It’s a brave—and sometimes scary—new world, but as Elrod says, the opportunity belongs to those who participate.

John Sniffen, April 14, 2010

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A successful social media campaign depends on carefully determining what is to be achieved before starting, says Michael Jansma, CEO of GEMaffair.com.

“As an e-commerce seller, is your goal to drive more visitors to your site? Improve your presence in the search engines? Or, is your goal more focused, like increasing brand recognition or reputation management for your brand?” Jansma is quoted in “Social media success hinges on clear goals, e-retailer says” on internetretailer. “If your goal is to turn your followers into buyers, you’ll want to make sure you are engaging your followers and creating dialogues with your potential customers. Whatever your goal, there are specific tactics to use.”

Jansma, an early adopter of e-commerce, is also an enthusiastic proponent of social media. With more than $20 million in e-commerce revenue, GEMaffair.com is one of the leading gemstone and jewelry retailers on the web.

The SSN take: Common sense advice for pretty much any marketing campaign.

John Sniffen, April 5, 2010

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How public should elected officials’ social media posts — during business meetings — be?

While also applicable to the most-powerful governing bodies in the land, it’s a Minnesota school board that’s putting the subject on its agenda. Veronica Walter raised the issue during a discussion by the Farmington School Board, reports Nathan Hansen in “School board ponders social media blackout” in the Farmington Independent.

“I just want to be careful as board members that we aren’t overstepping our bounds,” said Walter. “We dance very dangerously on the edge of being inappropriate with comments. That things can be misread.”

Most of the board members apparently agreed with Walter, but member Tim Burke called using social media “the price of doing business” in the modern world. “You can’t put the genie back in the bottle,” he said. Burke is probably the board’s most active social networker. His Twitter account, on which he mixes personal and professional messages with comments about school district issues, has 2,829 followers.

The SSN take: It will be interesting is to see what information makes its way out of governing body and/or business meetings via social media.

John Sniffen, March 26, 2010

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