Just a quick note that I'll be moderating a Technology Council Event : Social Networking as a Business Strategy May 19, 2009 - Culver City Social networking media are used on a daily basis to grow businesses and expand career opportunities. Individuals use social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo as career-advancing tools, even more useful in a down economy. Corporations increasingly see social media as a key PR, communications and marketing medium. Social networking sites and microblogs are used not only

One of the strongest marketing tools brands are utilizing on social media platforms is the giving away of merchandise, desired items or access to exclusive items in exchange for something the company sees as valuable: information and/or access to user’s platforms or increasing brand visibility. One of the key elements of a strong social media program is the engagement of a company’s core user base to provide honest feedback as well as to assist in the furthering of the brand’s visibility to the user’s audiences. One of the fastest ways to get someone’s attention, to help secure

Done right, the social founder can leverage their massive number of followers and reach every key influencer they could ever dream of. Being a social founder isn’t for everyone, but there are a few who have done it well. Social Media Super Powers: It’s interesting (to me at least) the vast audiences that tech founders are able to assemble. Through their own products and others, they manage to build massive communities that in many cases, hang on their every word tweet.

Tags: Social Media social networking technology Twitte There is much confusion on how to use the Twitter @ sign – even amongst daily Twitter users.  So So as part of my ongoing series Twitter Insights , I wanted to cover how the @ actually works (even experienced users may be surprised by some of the points) The basics:

On Facebook (and nearly all social networks that preceded it) the relationship was always reciprocal – if I accept your invitation to follow me then I have to follow you.  Apple must be overwhelmed by people who hate the iPhone service because the AT&T Network is so bad. But when Michael Arrington announces that he’s giving up his iPhone because he’s pissed off with the network and This post is part of my ongoing series Twitter 101 for all those that still “don’t get” Twitter.  I’m now moving from the 101 basics into the business applications.  I

Based on a question I posted in LinkedIn, Serena Ehrlich posted How to Use Social Media to Find Prospects... and provides the following list of suggestions for ways to use social media to build a reputation and to reach prospects. Thanks for the thoughts Serena. Tom Humbarger had some great suggestions in his post Visible Networking with Tony Karrer – Los Angeles Social Media Starters . Or Sell a House... Her list included quite a few things that would likely be much farther down my list: Create short videos of your presentations.

My last few posts I have been talking about how using social media and communitiy development tools can help companies establish and/or grow their brands. Alternatively, you can take the new media approach and open direct and continuous communication channels with your customers and find out what they are SAYING about your company. (bigger So, I was reading Groundswell , a relatively new book, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. Josh is a Vice President and Principal Analyst with Forrester Research and Charlene was with Forrester when this book was written and released.

The forum addresses both, business and social sides of Los Angeles to exchange views and experiences around topics from living to working in every day of our life in L.A. It is targeted for people from ANY industry and branch to exchange business and social ideas about living, visiting or doing business within Los Angeles." Frequency: Multiple times a month, in Los Feliz, Carlsbad, Burbank, Irvine Cost: This is will be a continually updating post. I'll be creating additional lists for educational, chamber of commerce, etc. Organizational representatives: please contact me directly for updates, etc.

If you want to grow your company’s audience by adding a social media app (on MySpace, Facebook and similar sites), listen to this interview first. Got any tips for building social media apps? I interviewed Jason Kiesel because MySpace believed in him enough to hire his company to build IMe , an instant messenger app that lets users message their friends.

Tags: Social Media social networking technology Twitte When Twitter first became popular with niche crowds in 2007 it seemed to take hold initially with bloggers.  People People had been steadily blogging for 2-3 years and this crowd seemed to bifurcate. On the one hand were the blogs that “blew up” and became real businesses like TechCrunch, GigaOm or TalkingPointsMemo.