fb&BusinessVV4 by Dimo Stoyanov

Politics & Business

SOCIAL MEDIA, REVOLUTION, AND YOUR BUSINESS p62

Opinion

How-to Advice

TIPS FOR RESPONDING TO FACEBOOK COMMENTS

MARI SMITH ON FACEBOOK MARKETING p6

p94

Inside

MOST COMMON FACEBOOK MISTAKES p96 NEW VIDEO FROM SEKOU ANDREWS p10 DAN MILLMAN’S “REALITY CHECK” p100 FACEBOOK BANS A GOOGLE+ AD p55

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Unofficially Revolutionizing the Way Business Gets Done

OBAMA WINS! PRESIDENT’S SOCIAL MEDIA DOMINANCE PROPELS RE-ELECTION VICTORY p12

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Table of Contents

INSIDE:

Columns 6 MARI’S NOTEBOOK By Mari Smith, Executive Editor

8 STOP THE PRESSES! By John Persinos

10 THE SEKOU EFFECT

INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS!

By Sekou Andrews

SOCIAL MEDIA, REVOLUTION— AND YOUR BUSINESS

78 WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING By Steve Olenski

100 REALITY CHECK By Dan Millman

108 PUBLISHER`S MANIFESTO By Larry Genkin

Departments 28 THE WALL

By Emerson Kim Lineses

54 THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN

12 OBAMA WINS! BARACK OBAMA HAS ALREADY WON THE 2012 ELECTION THANKS TO HIS MASTERY OF SOCIAL MEDIA. LEARN WHAT HE DID AND HOW TO USE IT IN YOUR BUSINESS.

By John Persinos

94 THE KEY QUESTION By David Kerpen

96 SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT By David Kerpen

111 THE POWER OF ONE Changing the World with $1

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FB & BUSINESS MAGAZINE LARRY GENKIN CEO, Publisher and Founder MARI SMITH Executive Editor JOHN PERSINOS Editorial Director JAY ABRAHAM Co-Founder STAN GENKIN Co-Founder JAN STEJSKAL Co-Founder ERIC YAVERBAUM Associate Publisher & Co-Founder MITCH AXELROD Associate Publisher Business Strategy DONNA EASTMAN Production Manager WEBSTAZE DESIGN STUDIO Graphic Design and Production MIKE ANGLETON Associate Publisher KIM NORKETT Associate Publisher KENNON FORT Business Development Manager TIERRA JONES Business Development Manager AED ROBERTS Business Development Manager Address: GSG WorldMedia 1301 Skippack Pike Ste. 7A, #218 Blue Bell PA 19422 Disclaimer: fb & Business magazine is owned by GSG WorldMedia LLC and has no affiliation with Facebook whatsoever. Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Corp. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Mari’s Notebook

Once a business owner is clear on which STEPS TO objectives are most important to achieve with Facebook marketing efforts, I then MAXIMIZING his/her identified the following seven key strategies to YOUR follow for optimal results: FACEBOOK 1 Design strategy - your design needs to your primary objectives. Let’s say one of MARKETING reflect your top goals is to build your opt-in email list. EFFORTS In that case, be sure to include an easy way for By Mari Smith, Executive Editor

MANY BUSINESS OWNERS FAIL TO FULLY BENEFIT FROM ALL THAT FACEBOOK OFFERS DUE TO TWO PRIMARY REASONS: 1) A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF FACEBOOK’S BUSINESS FEATURES, AND 2) A LACK OF CLEAR GOALS AND A STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS. IN ESSENCE, IT’S THE SAME AS ANY MARKETING INITIATIVE.

n order to build a compelling Facebook page that yields measurable results, business owners first need to identify their main objectives for creating the page. Some examples might include: • BUILD YOUR OPT-IN EMAIL LIST • DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR BLOG • SELL MORE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES • INCREASE EVENT REGISTRATIONS • GET MEDIA ATTENTION AND CONTACTS • CONNECT WITH POTENTIAL JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS • ESTABLISH YOURSELF AS A LEADING AUTHORITY • IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE 6

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visitors and fans to opt-in. To entice visitors/ fans to provide their name and email address, this is typically done via a free giveaway. You can include an opt-in form on your fan page by placing the code from your email management system on to a custom tab. (For a list of my top picks of Facebook apps, see this post Click Here 2 Content strategy - once you’re happy with the design, next comes a solid content strategy. You have to provide good fodder over which your Facebook community can engage. This should be a mix of your own content and what I call “OPC - other people’s content.” It’s a good thing to share other industry blogs, links, resources, etc. This way, you’ll be seen as a business that cares enough to share a good depth and breadth of your topic and not just your own content and opinions. I recommend having an editorial calendar and choosing ahead of time what you’ll post and when. 3 Promotion strategy - now you’re ready to bring in the fans (aka “Likes”). There are many ways to build buzz around your page and increase your fanbase. Keep in mind it’s better to have a smaller, highly targeted, qualified and engaged audience than a large audience who doesn’t pay much attention to you! Add

6 Track and measure strategy - Facebook provides a decent range of metrics with their Insights tool. In our book, Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day, Chris Treadaway and I strongly recommend setting up your own dashboard using an Excel spreadsheet. Be sure to track what you’re sharing and at what time, then compare that to the response of fans so you can keep fine-tuning your approach. Third party tools also add more depth and dimension 4 Engagement strategy - depending on the to tracking; try PageLever, Crowdbooster, Twentyfeet, and Buzzref. size of your business and the resources you have available, you may need to appoint a Community Manager to handle most of the 7 Scalability strategy - given Facebook engaging on your Facebook page. That person pages can have an unlimited amount of fans, you may want to be thinking a few steps ahead. should be someone very passionate about What happens when your page gets up to your business and your customers, and 100,000 fans? A million or more fans? How will passionate about great customer service. you scale your engagement and conversion? A Ideally, you’ll have your own social media strategy I implemented recently is to spotlight policy in place too, with guidelines on what my “superfans” as “MVPs: Mari’s Valuable Peeps” can and cannot be shared. For best – where these knowledgeable professionals chip engagement, studies show posting before noon and only one or two posts a day is ideal. in and help answer questions on my fan page. I’ll be diving deeper into each of these seven Photos, then videos, links, questions (app), and strategies in future issues of fb & Business. Stay status updates in that order seem to create tuned! Meantime, I look forward to hearing the most activity. how you implement these steps. 5 Conversion strategy - this is where you turn your fans into paying customers. It’s About the Author important to intersperse your educational Mari Smith is a passionate social media leader, specializing in content with special offers, calls to action and relationship marketing and straightforward invitations letting your Facebook mastery. She is coauthor Facebook community know exactly what it is of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day and author of The New you do and how they can buy from you. You Relationship Marketing. She can even set up a store tab on your page and regularly appears in media such as The New York Times and The Wall have your fans buy without leaving the page. Add me Street Journal, as well as Inc. and Popular store apps include TabJuice, Payvment, Success magazines. Ecwid, and ShopTab. the Facebook Like Box to your website and blog. Tweet about your Facebook Page. Invite your email subscribers to join you on Facebook - get creative with the wording, such as “Join the conversation on Facebook,” or “Come write on our Facebook wall.” Use the Facebook logo with a call to action in all your print media. See this post for many more ideas to build your fanbase Click Here

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Stop The Presses!

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE… By John Persinos, Editorial Director

Sure, he eschews suits and ties in favor of t-shirts and sandals, but we here at GSG WorldMedia admire visionaries with guts. Luce. Paley. Hearst. Pulitzer. There was a aunched in February 2004, time when a media empire was driven by Facebook now has more than 750 the passion of a solitary individual. These million active users. Long before individuals were visionaries who exerted Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, iron-fisted control over their companies. there lived a media mogul of Sure, they were capitalists, but their even greater influence. His name: Johannes primary goal wasn’t making money for its Gutenberg. More than five centuries later, own sake. Money came as a byproduct of his transformative technology—moveable their creative endeavors. In Zuckerberg’s type—still pervades society. Today, despite case, the title of the book on which The the mind-boggling advances of technology Social Network is based—The Accidental and the decline of the newspaper business, Billionaires—says it all. magazines continue to enthrall, influence— Instead of getting rich, the strongest and generate large, devoted followings. motivation of these media moguls was to Zuckerberg gets communicate and FROM GUTENBERG TO ZUCKERBERG… hit with plenty affect society. Their AND BACK AGAIN of brickbats from competitors—the pundits. What’s more, the acclaimed movie guys they wanted to beat and impress— The Social Network was hardly a flattering were fellow dreamers who shared the portrayal of the young billionaire. And yet, same ethos. William Randolph Hearst, who we at this magazine admire him, not least will always be remembered through the of which because he harks back to an era unflattering prism of Orson Welles’ Charles when giants bestrode the media landscape. Foster Kane, was indeed a yellow journalist WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL ISSUE OF FB & BUSINESS MAGAZINE. BUCKLE UP!

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This magazine will spell out detailed “how to” steps for waging successful guerilla marketing campaigns through Facebook. By leveraging the speed, ease and ubiquity of Facebook, you can generate maximum publicity with minimum investment. Viva la Revolucion! About the Author

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and a reactionary. But at least he was a mensch. He was driven by the need for power, recognition and status. His goals transcended mere money. Say what you want about the early corporate giants, at least they built things. They made profits, but in the process they propelled innovation and raised everyone’s standard of living. The media pioneers who put their names of companies were self-made men. Their egos were large, but so were their legacies to society. They built libraries, created awards and founded schools. As a result of ruthless globalization, consolidation and commercialization, finance men in yellow ties and gray flannel suits increasingly run the oldfashioned media companies. And now those companies—such as The Tribune Company—are literally bankrupt. McGrawHill sold BusinessWeek, once the gold standard for business magazines, to Bloomberg for…one dollar. For years, big media publishers acted like feudal lords who had won civil wars in medieval times. They presided over their domains with a disdain for competition or anyone who could be perceived as an interloper. They behaved as of they ruled by divine right. Enter Facebook, accessible to all. Social media, epitomized by Facebook, now generate an invigorating “pragmatic anarchy” that has torn down the media ramparts.

John Persinos is Editorial Director of GSG WorldMedia. You can reach him at jpersinos@gsgworldmedia.com. John has enjoyed a long career in media and public relations. Notably, he served as a staff writer at Inc. magazine; a reporter at The Orlando Sentinel; managing editor at Campaigns & Elections magazine; publisher of the web site, Aviation Today.com; editorial director at Aerospace & Security Media; and a press secretary to a U.S. congressman.

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The Motivational Poet

THE SEKOU EFFECT

MOTIVATIONAL POET, SEKOU ANDREWS, EXPLAINS FACEBOOK’S NEW RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. IGNORE ‘THE NEW RING FINGER’ AT YOUR PERIL.

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About the Author

Sekou Andrews is redefining business communications with The Sekou Effect. An internationally acclaimed Motivational Poet & Strategic Storyteller, Sekou creates customized presentations to help companies electrify their message and enroll their audience. For more info: www.TheSekouEffect.com Video Editing: www. eagleeyecollectables.com Sound Design: pheggs@gmail.com

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Politics & Business

HEY, FOLKS, IT’S ALREADY OVER! By David Bullock

BARACK OBAMA HAS ALREADY WON THE ELECTION OF 2012, THROUGH THE PRESIDENT’S CONTINUED COMMAND OF SOCIAL MEDIA TACTICS. HERE’S WHAT EVERY BUSINESSPERSON— REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION — CAN LEARN FROM THIS INTERNET-SAVVY WHITE HOUSE.

inning the marketplace before the race has even begun or the competition even has This is a market domination story to be a chance to organize studied and understood by every business is the dream of every business owner and owner. Within this executive. Fewer “MY ARGUMENTS HERE ARE story is a stepmeetings, less NOT INTENDED AS A PARTISAN by-step blueprint selling—just straight BROADSIDE; THEY’RE MERELY AN on how to create, to signing the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COLD build and establish contract. HARD REALITY.” a brand in the This is what marketplace even if there is no tangible happens when a brand is well established product that is being sold. like the “President Barack Obama” brand. 12

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President Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social media reach is staggering and far ahead of the field, which is just now assembling. This means one thing: His message can and will be broadcast one-to-one to millions of people worldwide in a very short period of time. And some of those people will like it, comment on it, blog about it, re-tweet it, rant about it, and forward it. In the end, there will be a great amount

Twitter: 9,851,633 Followers www.twitter.com/#!BARACKOBAMA Facebook: 22,745,603 Fans/Likes www.facebook.com/barackobama Youtube: 2,000 videos | 209,301 subscribers Channel Views: 24,573,633 www.youtube.com/user/BarackObamadotcom

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of follow-up conversation generated with every communication from the president. It is those conversations that win elections and marketplaces. For a business to study and apply this example would be a significant competitive advantage. Looking just at the numbers today (not popularity, not the polls, not approval ratings or party affiliation), the winner of the 2012 presidential race would be President Barack Obama for a second term. Why? Just look at the numbers as the campaign has just started:

Politics & Business

What if you took the lessons from the 2008 campaign, all political agendas aside, and focused on the precision brand awareness and messaging technologies that were utilized in a masterful display of media management and marketing, then applied all of the successful actions of that campaign to your own business? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, liberal or conservative. My arguments here are not intended as a partisan broadside; they’re merely an acknowledgement of cold hard reality. Obama is light years ahead of the GOP, in terms of innovative use of social media. As you put together your own marketing and PR strategies, you can learn from the White House. Online communication technologies 14

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and platforms are in constant flux, but the baseline principles work well across all segments, from the steps of our nation’s capital to the boardrooms of America’s largest companies. FROM STARTUP TO HOUSEHOLD NAME AND ESTABLISHED BRAND IN FOUR YEARS In 2008, an upstart young African American senator appeared in the political marketplace to make a run for the highest office in the land. No one thought he would win. Many thought that he couldn’t win. Now, four years later, not only did he win the 2008 election, but President Obama also is a household name and an internationally known brand.

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Politics & Business

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? AND WHAT IS DIFFERENT NOW THAT THE BRAND IS WELL ESTABLISHED? The catalyst that shifted the landscape in 2008 was a plethora of social media platforms—specifically, in this case, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. But more importantly, it was the effective and proper use of social media that galvanized the nation’s voting population to take action and participate in the political process. The voting population was always there. But getting the actionable message to that group was the ostensible problem.

His nearest GOP competitors have a mere fraction of this reach on Facebook and Twitter. If the election were held today, based purely on those two platforms, President Obama would be elected for another term. The winning 2012 candidate is already far ahead of the field and gaining ground everyday, one click at a time. Today all of these channels are commonplace, and yet many companies still struggle with the idea of using social media to engage the marketplace. Let’s dissect this campaign and extract the lessons, strategies and tactics that a business owner can use today to leverage these new communication technologies to WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE MESSAGE garner media attention, create marketplace DOES NOT GET TO THE VERY CUSTOMER credibility and produce a positive BASE THAT YOUR MARKETING IS marketing ROI. TARGETING? NOTHING. In early 2008, Facebook allowed the UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS OF presidential hopeful to have a Facebook POLITICS Fan Page (now called a “like page”). His In 1969, an investigative journalist named campaign started conducting surveys on Joe McGinniss came out with a book: LinkedIn. And, he started a Twitter account The Selling of the President 1968, about and started following people. His campaign how Richard Nixon’s handlers successfully managers started to communicate and re-packaged “Tricky Dick” as a new and recruited managers from within the improved “brand”, as if he were a package of community to communicate and organize cigarettes or a bar of soap. (Tellingly, one of with their constituents. Nixon’s key media advisors during the 1968 Today, the president’s numbers campaign was Roger Ailes, who now serves for Facebook and Twitter alone are as president of Fox News.) overwhelming: Obama has 23 million At the time, the thought that a “likes” on his Facebook “like/fan” page. The presidential candidate was a product to be fan page is active with comments, likes sold was considered shocking. Today, no and activity. one doubts this. Only now, there are many On Twitter he has over 9 million followers more media outlets to consider as vehicles and there, too, the account is active with for the message. comments, re-tweets and activity. Businesses make promises and must deliver 16

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Politics & Business

on those promises in the form of goods and services. Not delivering means no repeat business, no revenue and poor marketplace chatter. What you sell must be followed up with service and delivery. Politicians sell leadership, representation and best interest. There is no tangible product that can be purchased from any candidate. You as a business owner are in far more control of the opinions and comments around your product or service than any political figure. Therefore, social media can be one of your greatest leverage points in your marketing campaign. Word of mouth marketing is still the best and cheapest form of advertising. If you do a good job, people will talk. If you do a bad job, people will talk. The key is to get them talking about you because even a bad review can be A politician is known by his face, name and turned into an opportunity for improvement previous accomplishments. None of these if you are paying attention and practice can be altered for a fresh start. thoughtful service. NICHE CHANNEL SELECTION FOR PRODUCT LAUNCH SEQUENCE MESSAGING Business owners do not close their doors Online channels are well defined as after a sale. In politics, all of the activity and text, audio, video and image. Then budget is expended fully for a single day those channels split into interest groups of action: election day. There is no room and then down to individual bloggers, to come back and regroup after election tweeters and Facebook members. As a day. It is an all-or-nothing scenario. With a piece of information is placed onto any business, a campaign can fail to recoup an one of these platforms, it can be copied, investment but the business can continue. commented on, transferred, modified Politicians rely on reputation management and passed on to over 1,000 social media and reach to move audiences. Businesses platforms. leverage reputation in the form of brand One of the unique tactics that was management. Businesses can modify observed during the Obama Campaign product names and packaging to easily was that instead of having the potential reinvent themselves in the marketplace. voter to come to meet the candidate, the 18

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role as the soon-to-be-president took his message to the very underserved markets that would not otherwise have received attention. As a business owner, social media allows your message to meet the market. When the element of personality and reputation are placed into the marketing equation, a message can self-animate and start to move on its own. Placing content on the major platforms is easier than ever, with the help of tools that leverage time, particularly www.ping.fm Also, here is a listing of the most popular social media sites: www.SocialList.net

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ONLINE VIDEO IS THE NEW TELEVISION Video marketing has become one of the most effective ways to communicate a message to the marketplace. Video young senator went to meet the voting conveys emotion, disseminates population where they were already information and connects with audiences hanging out, exchanging ideas and in a way that the written word cannot. building community around content. During the 2008 campaign, YouTube. com was an essential and instrumental WHERE WAS HE NOT? BEING platform. Not only was the Obama UBIQUITOUS Campaign able to place videos on Having a presence everywhere was the hallmark of the 2008 campaign and Obama YouTube, supporters on YouTube were able to comment and distribute those is gearing up for a repeat performance videos on other major platforms. Further, in 2012, but this time with the power of supporters were able to create their incumbency. own videos in support of the campaign. With over 50 profiles on MySpace and The power of YouTube will increase profiles on Facebook, Flickr, Digg, Eventful, LinkedIn, BlackPlanet, Faith-Base and Eons, exponentially in the 2012 race, now that it’s hooked-up with Google’s powerful the Obama campaign messaging met the targeted 18-35 age group voting population search engine. As a video catches the attention of other everywhere they ventured online. viewers, it can go “viral” as it is shared and Niche platforms like Glee, MiGente, commented upon and then re-shared. The and Asian Avenue played an important

Politics & Business

exposure of video content that goes viral can be staggering. One of the most popular examples of video marketing is “Obama Girl”:

This is a simple video that depicts a very attractive young lady who has a crush on the then-senator. The Video is called Crush on Obama:

This “Obama Girl Video” has been viewed over 23 million times. The YouTube channel that was launched which holds the series of videos that were created during and 20

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then after the campaign has received 1,041,531,822 views and is still active today with subscribers and user comments. Video works to both capture attention and convey information. Moreover, video is viewable on smart phones, allowing the viewer to consume the content without being tethered to the computer. The videos for a business need only be interesting and convey good content with personality. If your videos display these qualities, your customer base will consume the content in this form. But understand that the same rules that govern sales apply here. A sales funnel will need to be well planned for any video series that you create. You must ask the critical questions: “What do you want the viewer to do after they watch your video?” Getting the interested viewer into your sales funnel is the goal of creating videos for your business. You must have a follow-up sequence and a call to action in place. For example: • Subscribe to get more videos • Visit a webpage • Order a product • Contact the office • Call this number If you create a video that doesn’t give the viewer a next step that results in a self-directed action toward engaging in business, then you’ve simply created… entertainment. If you intend to create videos for your business, be sure to include the next step you want your viewer to take. When your videos are interesting and informative, your viewers will want more.

MOBILE AND SMARTPHONE USERS Since the 2008 election, the use of smart phones and cell phones has exploded:

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worked so well that it overwhelmed the Sprint Network and some of the text messages did not get delivered for hours after the intended announcement time. Now in 2012, mobile marketing has become an increasingly effective way to connect with your clients and prospects. Incorporating text messaging into your marketing mix is yet another channel for business owners to utilize. And in this area, too, the Obama team is light years ahead of the competition. Look for Obama phone texts to be all-pervasive as the campaign heats up. Not only does a mastery of smart and cell phone marketing give your business an additional way to communicate with prospects and customers, but it also allows you to have a phone number to connect personally with your customer base. Aside from an in-person conversation, connecting via telephone has been and will always be the best way to build a relationship with your prospects and clients. GET IN THE GAME: INTERACTIVE GAMING Another innovation utilized during the 2008 campaign (and now being perfected for 2012) was advertising inside of interactive games like Xbox. Football, auto racing and skateboarding games were targeted. In the actual games, on the billboards, and on the walls you can see “get out to vote” messages. This is yet another example of placing www.fbandBusiness.com 21

Americans are using their cell phones more and more each day. Text messaging is one of the primary ways that your prospects are consuming information. Having a web page that is HTML5 (and mobile) ready is now required, as mobile phone and iPads become the way that consumers access the web without their computers. The Obama campaign captured well over 1 million mobile phone numbers by announcing Vice President Biden via a text campaign. The premise was simple: If the supporter was willing to submit their mobile phone number, then they would be the “first to know” who the running mate was. This “I know something you don’t know” and “Be the first to know” positioning

Why do customers ‘Like’ your Facebook page? Pg. 44

Politics & Business

your message where the prospect is looking. In addition, creating a game, quiz or assessment for your prospect to play that is related to your line of business can work well to engage with the interest of your prospect audience.

GOT AN APP? To make smart phones and iPads more functional, “Apps” (short for “application”) have become increasing profitable. An “app” is a small program that has a specific function, whether it’s to entertain or connect. A popular app can allow the business to connect with its user base and provide functionality and convenience on a one-to-one basis. The app effectively brands the sponsoring organization every time it is used. The Obama campaign used apps to keep the organizers and supporters informed during the campaign; it will do so again in 2012. Meanwhile, his political competitors are slow to the party. USING PAY PER CLICK (PPC) TO SEIZE THE MOMENT Using pay per click and contextual advertising to get a message in the marketplace ensures that the targeted message is seen exactly where your target market is looking as they move around the web. During the campaign, when “Joe the Plumber” was part of the media frenzy, PPC was used to advertise a “Tax Calculator” to those who were looking to crunch the numbers. There are two lessons with this example. First, use PPC to seize the moment and 24

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ride media support of an unlikely keyword search term. Second, provide the searcher with an interactive device that allows the business to provide information and obliquely drive home the primary message. BUILDING A LIST IS YOUR FIRST AND FOREMOST PRIORITY List building and prospect segmentation is one of the most important parts of any profitable campaign. Knowing who is buying from you and from which source they arrived at your site is the basis of online marketing. Database marketing is one of the oldest ways of supporting and growing a business. As of this writing, the Obama campaign has captured millions of full record contact files including name, address and phone number of donors, supporters, and organizers. Even more connections are being made every day, via social media platforms like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube, all pointing to the main website where contact information can be captured. An important concept to understand is that all of these multimedia and social media platforms lead back to the primary website where the “next action” is requested. Every touch point leads the visitor to the next action in the sales funnel. Advertising and marketing for the sake of getting the name out there without a clear path to the next step in the sequence is a waste of resources. During the last election, the Obama campaign executed this concept flawlessly. Every step led to the next step until the

name was captured and communication across multiple channels was then possible to urge voters to action on November 3rd 2008. And keep in mind, this time around, Obama won’t be slowed down by any primary challengers in his own party. The fortune is in the follow-up. Keeping in touch with your customer base is a major step in developing and maintaining a profitable relationship. The Internet is a tool for easy communication with your client and prospect base. It doesn’t take very much time and effort anymore to be in constant communication with your marketplace. The Internet in general, and social media specifically, are not a strategy. The Internet is simply a tool for communication and messaging that allows for two way communication and feedback from the marketplace that business is looking to connect with, add value to and then serve.

The only question is, will you capitalize on the opportunity? About the Author

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David Bullock is the co-author of Barack Obama’s Social Media Lessons For Business, which is a blueprint for building a powerful brand online. Go to: www.Barack20.com. He’s also CEO of CEOMastery, Inc., an executive training and business development firm. Get your Social Media Business Blueprint here: www.CEOMastery.org/business.

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USING A WEBSITE AS A COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION HUB Both MyBarackObama.com and Whitehouse.gov are examples of setting up a “homebase” that works to capture names and email addresses and keep your customers and clients engaged with your services. On these sites you will find hundreds of thousands of active profiles. And this means a steady flow of traffic and activity for the website owner. At a moments notice, a message can be broadcast to mobilize and engage a legion of volunteer field operatives. For a business, this means creating a private

social network for clients for constant contact and communication. Having a website that really works for your business to capture new customers and engage and inform current customers is one of the fundamentals that should not be overlooked. The 2008 campaign shines as an excellent example of what is possible in terms of messaging, organization and mobilization of a population toward a common goal and action. The 2012 campaign is shaping up to be the same strategy—except on steroids, with vastly more names and a greater emphasis on smart and cell phones. Finding your own mix of platforms, content and promotional methodologies is the puzzle that is unique to every business, non-profit organization and marketplace. The tools are available. The platforms are growing larger. New communities are being created everyday—heard of Google+? You can create the content easily right on your phone and computer.

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Social Networking is for Adults, Too

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So you think your old folks are clueless about “likes,” “tweet,” or “tagging”? Think again. USA Today reports that a recent study says that half of all American adults are now on social networks and that the use among Baby Boomers is growing. Baby Boomers are those born after World War II (from 1946 to 1964) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And this demographic is making social media a part of daily life. Pew Internet & American Life Project in a report says that of the adults who use the Internet, nearly two-thirds use social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. That number is slightly up from a year ago. Among Baby Boomers age 50 to 64, 32 percent say they engage in online social networking on a typical day. And that number is up as well from 20 percent a year ago. The research was conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project from April 26 to May 22 among 2,277 adults.

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Bruce Freeman Own a small business? How to promote it with Facebook as it appeared on following link

Go for Both Personal and Business Pages

Let’s say you’re already on Facebook but you also have a small business. Now you want your business to have its own online identity, especially on Facebook, and you’re wondering if you should mix your personal and business identities into one. This problem, as you’ve guessed, confronts those that are really new to social media or just Facebook. And the answer is that you should create a business page for your small business. Professior Bruce Freeman answers this simple question with a simple step-by-step instruction on what to do. He cites DragonSearch Marketing CEO Ric Dragon’s outline on how to do this. First the basics, asserts Professor Freeman. From the personal profile, go to Facebook.com/pages and clink on Create Page. Choose the approprieae category, then customize the page by uploading a profile photo or logo so people can identify the business. Business pages have tabs, too. The Wall is where fans leave their posts and comments and thus should be made accessible to fans. Info is where the details of the business page go, such as website, description, mission, vision and the like. Photos of your products or video advertisements go to the Photos and Videos tabs, respectively. And Reviews contains the reviews written by your fans.

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Our manifesto. Pg. 108 Gerardo A. Dada Facebook Marketing – What Makes Sense? as it appeared on following link

What’s “Sensible” in Facebook Marketing?

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Facebook maintains business pages, so it just makes sense to lead people and customers to Facebook. And it just make sense to get all hyped on Facebook business pages and the “commerce” they generate. Right? Not necessarily. What makes “sense” in Facebook marketing is really a matter of opinion. And Gerardo A. Dada shares his two cents. According to Dada, Facebook and social media as a whole is just another set of tools to promote your business. And looking at business objectives, the goal is to bring people to your site and make them buy your product or avail themselves of your service. He says that what happens sometimes is the opposite: brands sending people to Facebook where the brand is made more open to bad reviews and criticisms. Dada offers four ways to think about Facebook as opportunities. 1. Encouraging fans to advocate your brand on Facebook. It’s a common fact that people trust their friends’ recommendations. And it’s likely that a person’s circles of friends are on Facebook. With half a billion Facebook users, you should get people to talk about your brand. 2. You Facebook business page and its “Likes.” Though Facebook exposes your brand to customer service issues, you should be creative with your business page, just as you would with your own personal page. Provide Q&As, reviews, and resources to engage your fans. 3. Facebook commerce. Customers and visitors of your Facebook page can complete orders without leaving Facebook, but Dada thinks it makes more sense to complete transactions in the brand’s main site because it’s more transparent and does not entail privacy issues. 4. Advertising on Facebook. “Advertising on Facebook should be evaluated like you would consider advertising on any other media outlet: based on audience profiles, advertising formats, targetability and ultimately, click-through rate,” says Dada. But for the right reasons and with the right strategy, advertising on Facebook may be the correct thing to do.

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Leyl Master Black Top 5 Facebook Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make as it appeared on following link

Counting on Mistakes to Learn is a No-No

We all learn from our mistakes, right? But on Facebook and when you’re promoting your business on Facebook, marketing mistakes are costly. So it’s a completely different success story if you know what to watch out for on Facebook marketing. Leyl Master Black names five marketing mistakes that small busineses should avoid on Facebook. You’ll say, “I know that,” but it’s worth a second look (or read) if you really wanna be a do-it-right-the-first-time Facebook marketer. 1. “Broadcasting” your messages. Facebook, in essence, is bout authenticity, so not being authentic or genuine in engaging with customers is a turnoff. 2. Not investing enough time. Making your business page on Facebook is not a build-and-everything-follows kind of thing. Responding to posts and queries is all part of it. 3. Being boring or predictable. There are many ways to be hip on Facebook, not just slopping lines of text on your wall. You’ve got to mix it all up—videos, links, photos, questions, polls, contests, tags and all that jazz. Keep your Facebook followers interested! 4. Not learning Facebook mechanics and tools. Going through the site and exploring all the functionality is worth it before a full-fledged engagement. 5. Violating Facebook’s Terms. Of course, being noticed by Facebook by spamming or tagging people without their consent is not good. Learning first the ropes will go a long way in building your business page on Facebook. Don’t rely on mistakes to learn how to make it big on Facebook.

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Sherri Garrett How to Create an Effective Company Facebook Page as it appeared on following link

Facebook Does Help Business

You’ve seen the numbers. Facebook is here to stay. With hundred millions of users, you will never run out of customers. Sherri Garrett sums up in a short paragraph how Facebook can help your business. She cites the company JCPenney, which is on Facebook. She says that once JCPenney posts, it will post on all those fan pages, which can potentially increase sales both in the local stores and online. Sherri conveys this step-by-step way to make your business a Facebook hit: 1. Build your Facebook fan page by creating a personal or business profile; the latter is recommended. Facebook keeps separate personal and business pages, and you can invite friends to like your business page too. 2. Add apps to your fan page. Once you’ve created your page, offer a reward to fans who liked your page - a coupon, for example. Open a contest too. 3. Keep your page updated with interesting posts. Valuable, informative, and entertaining posts get shared by your fans. Next thing you know, customers will be coming to your door, calling you on your phone, and increasing your Facebook likes!

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Chris Ruys Can Facebook Ads Jump-start Your Business? as it appeared on following link

Getting it Right: Facebook Ads

You may have heard it from someone: Facebook ads really work. But you need more than just affirmation. Chris Ruys writes how Dr. Sara Schwarzbaum had an increase in customers for her company Couples Counseling Associates with Facebook ads. Dr. Schwarzbaum opened her company and decided to try out Facebook advertising, and she didn’t regret it. The result: Facebook ads account for more than one-third of her part-time practice, supporting herself and her two other counselors. So what exactly did she do? She made the ads underscore her credentials as a seasoned and effective counselor in downtown Chicago. The ads, she said, let her target prospective clients based on geographic area, age, marital status, gender, education and even language. She even created an ad in Spanish, which she is fluent in. Budgeting options also proved a plus, when she used Facebook ads. Dr. Schwarzbaum boosted her ad budget to as much as $700 during the times business was slow, and when it’s booming, she had the option to pause her ad program. Wait a minute, you might say. It was her first time to try Facebook ads, so where did she get all the tips? The Facebook Ads Help Center is a big help. Everything there guides advertisers. The Suggested Best Practices section is also a treasure trove of information. Another tip: keep ads simple and include visuals, a strong call-to-action and a link to a well-prepared landing page.

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Jason del Rey How to Advertise on Facebook as it appeared on following link

What Makes for Cool Facebook Ads

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No doubt social media today is being used as advertising platforms. It only stands to reason, because everybody’s there! Plus, it offers a more economical alternative to pricey pay-per-click rates elsewhere. Jason del Ray offers four tips to make your business page stand out. •• Choose your target. Social media denizens, especially Facebook users, open a lot of information about themselves, and advertisers can use this information to their advantage. “Companies can target ads based on a user’s profile information, such as age, gender, location, college, relationship status, and interests,” says Jason. •• Test, test, and test some more. Google AdWords, ad prices on Facebook are determined by auction, and you can pay based on either the number of times people see the ad or the number of times people actually click on it. To know which works better, advertisers can test both at minimal costs. •• Do your own tracking. Facebook remembers how many times ads are shown and the number of clicks they receive, but it doesn’t remember what users did afterward. Therefore, it is best to track it yourself. •• Make your ads pop. Facebook users are there to socialize, so ads that are too simple tend to be unnoticed. Using images that are eye candies to your target audience and catchy phrases are just two points you should consider. Jason says that Facebook rejects advertisements that use lewd language and offensive pictures, but sometimes it pays to push the envelope.

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user facebookfanpage5 of Zimbio.com Use Facebook Business Page To Improve Your Business And Effective Online Marketing as it appeared on following link

Two Tools to Tinker With

Facebook is great tool. You know the facts. Facebook is free and with millions checking in every day, it’s a powerful venue for your marketing plans. Facebook is easy, too, and businesses small or large will be in your network in just a click. User facebookfanpage5 of Zimbio.com says that there are two asepects of Facebook that can be used as good marketing tools: Facebook app and Facebook fan page. “When you create any Facebook application, you can create in such a way that it displays your business in any form. Hence when any Facebook users open or use the application, they can know about your company. If they liked your application, then more people will use the application and hence your company gets more popularity. Hence you need to create an interesting application to attract more users. Facebook fan page is a page where you can post your business information to expose your business. For instance, if you run an automobile store, your fan page can contain information like latest offers, newly launched products, etc. This helps niche audiences find your business on the Internet. As these fan pages are visible to all Internet users, it is easily indexed by the search engines and gets immediate exposure. If you are curious to know how to make a Facebook page just search the Internet, there are many websites that explain how to make a page on Facebook. With the best Facebook business page you are able to attract more customers to your business and make your business very popular.”

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Tasha Williams Powerful Facebook Marketing Tactics For The Small Business as it appeared on following link

Facebook: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

If your business is on Facebook, chances are you’ve painted a picture in your mind that your business is thriving. Now, Tasha Williams offers another picture: one that paints a picture of failed marketing. Doing business on Facebook requires readiness and a strong effort. It doesn’t work by showing up once a week, posting on the wall once or twice, and then expecting sales to go up. This is one of the many pitfalls on Facebook. Facebook fame is not gained through this sort of weak strategy. You have to work hard. The point is to be reliable. Stay in continual touch with your target audience. Here’s one scenario, when it’s all bad: “What can easily happen is you begin with a bang and then matters fall by the wayside in time. To make up for that, you suddenly appear out of thin air and post some status updates. To make matters worse, you post a link or two in those updates and anticipate people to come running to them. That is certainly not how you use social marketing or have results at Facebook. The folks in your market, and they could be your fans, know full well that you have been gone, and the links are an undesirable idea. So merely spread out your marketing and be sure you talk to people on a recurrent basis.” Tasha says that you need to be consistent in your messages, and simultaneously be both professional and social. When talking to your fans on Facebook, be sure to stay on topic. You can inject humor here and there, but don’t let things get out of hand. Keep business moving ahead and talk about your current and applicable promotions on Facebook.

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JD Rucker Why Do Customers Like Your Facebook Page? as it appeared on following link

The Key is in the “Why”

So how do you get people to like your Facebook page? According to JD Rucker, that’s not the right question to ask. Instead, you should be asking: “Wait, why do people like a Facebook page in the first place?” This strategy, maybe a why-didn’tI-think-about-that moment for some, is a good strategy and fresh perspective to how to reach the correct audience on Facebook. ExactTarget put some answers to the question of why do people like a Facebook page. So let’s look at the top 5 answers on the board, shall we? A good majority likes a Facebook page for discounts and promotions. This familiar to everyone because like everyone else, we too like a Facebook page because we like a product or service and we like to know more about how to get discounts and promos. A close second is support, the likes that are counted from your close circle of friends and colleagues and people who know you. Yeah, support is good, but we all know that we like to generate likes for the right reason— getting customers and people like our page because they will benefit something from it (and the page owner from them). Now, JD Rucker makes it clear that knowing why people like a Facebook page isn’t the answer to your Facebook marketing questions. This merely “helps” you more to strategize on what to post on your wall to attract that thumbs up.

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Courtney Rubin

Zuckerberg gets ‘Worst Dressed’ award. Pg. 58

Should You Advertise on Facebook? as it appeared on following link

Reasons to Pick Facebook to Advertise

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Recent findings from the research firm Hitwise found the following intriguing results: “As many as 78 percent of users returned to Facebook to access more news stories, compared with 67 percent of Google News users, according to Hitwise. Plus, 77 percent of Facebook users clicked back to the site to broadcast online news portals there, compared with 64 percent of Google News users returning for the same. The results are based on the click stream data for the week ending March 6 for the five top news media sites. (Something else to consider: Facebook is trending way up, traffic-wise. It’s up a whopping 185 percent over this time last year. Google is up 9 percent, suggesting it may take second place more often in the future.)” Such statistics make Facebook a good place to advertise. There’s a gold mine of marketing data on Facebook. Moreover, Facebook ads are refined, targeting users based on criteria like age, location, interests, education, network, etc. And here’s one more tip, says Courtney: humor helps.

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Tiffany Odutoye Leverage Facebook Notes as it appeared on following link

A Secret Tool on Facebook

You’ve got a blog? You’re on Facebook? Then you know the difference between these and Facebook Notes. And surprise! You can leverage Facebook Notes to your business’s advantage. Tiffany Odutoye presents an easy, step-by-step guide on how to write a businessrelevant note on Facebook. 1. Click “Notes” in the applications menu on the left side of the Home Page. You may have to click “More” to expand the applications menu if you do not immediately see “Notes” listed. Alternatively, type “Notes” into the search box at the top of the page and follow the link that appears. 2. Then add a “keyword-rich” (and interesting) title 3. Add a photo – people love the visual (be sure to add a caption to your photo) 4. Type your note, and bold and italicize it. 5. Tag relevant people 6. Preview and post!

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Matt Rhodes

The new ‘wordof-mouth’ marketing. Pg. 78

3 ways Facebook Questions can help your brand as it appeared on following link

Find the Answer from Facebook Questions

“Has everyone adjusted with the clocks yet?” This was the first Facebook question asked by Tesco GB on their Facebook page’s wall. And within the first hour of publishing, Matt Rhodes writes, 200 votes and 9 followers were gathered. And this proves that Facebook Questions is a great tool for customer and fan engagement. Facebook Questions also is becoming an effective online-market research tool. Matt cites the reasons: 1. The interface is nicer than the Facebook Polls application. 2. You can pay for Facebook advertising for your Questions (via the URL), which could provide a significant, targeted response for market research efforts. 3. It’s easy to share the question with your friends and follow the question to keep a track of written responses.

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Rick Billings Successful Facebook Promotional Tactics for The Online Business as it appeared on following link

Watch Out for Facebook Pitfalls!

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of traffic on Facebook and many business people see that as an opportunity to make profit. And that is understandable says Rick Billings. But these people need to remember, too, that making profit out the biggest social networking site is not effortless. Good business choices must be made. Failing to be constant is one of the biggest wrong turns marketers do on Facebook, added Rick. Many start out well by creating their profile page and posting some interesting stuff, keeping in touch with the target audience. Then somehow they disappear for a period of time, only to come back with seemingly renewed interest, posting a cascade of posts and links to their fans. This inconsistency is bad for business and online reputation. A good balance between being sociable and professional is a good way to project business on Facebook. Stay on the proper topics when talking to fans, added Rick. Injecting some light topics but keeping track of the interaction is a step toward the right direction. Rick cites another pitfall: too many friend requests. Facebook settings work to ban a profile that sends out too many friend requests. But you can turn this to your advantage by looking out for and adding only those that are a good connection. It builds your niche and helps develop a strong brand.

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John Paul Titlow Facebook is Great, But Does It Make Businesses Any Money? as it appeared on following link

Suitable ROI: In the Eye of the Beholder

Did you ride the social media bandwagon to make money? Are you counting cash right now? According to a recent report from Forrester, says John Paul Titlow, Facebook use doesn’t necessarily translate into cold, hard cash. Twentyfour companies were interviewed and only 7% cited social networking as one of their most effective sources of customers. But wait a second. Social media ROI has a different meaning from business to business, and each business has different marketing strategies, too. Some small businesses use Facebook as their e-commerce platform, and their reliance on word-of-mouth advertising is proving effective. That’s what Facebook is all about for these businesses: a venue for their brand to be talked about by people. Morepver, Facebook is easy and cheap, reducing or altogether eliminating administrative headaches. In a Merchant Circle report , nearly 37 percent of small businesses have identified social networking profiles as their most effective marketing method, search engine marketing ranking second. The report also added: “Local businesses or offers are particularly suited to Facebook as well because individuals often have other local friends in their online social networks.”

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THUMBS UP / THUMBS DOWN

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WE TAKE THE NEWS PULSE OF THE CYBERSPHERE, TO RATE THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY OF UNFOLDING EVENTS IN THE WORLD OF FACEBOOK. OF COURSE, OUR RATINGS ARE INTENDED TO BE STRICTLY SUBJECTIVE—AS WELL AS WICKEDLY ENTERTAINING. By John Persinos

FACEBOOK RIOTERS FACE THE MUSIC

Britain’s court system isn’t fooling around. Two young thugs who created Facebook pages enticing people to riot during the riots that wreaked havoc through the United Kingdom have been sentenced to four years in jail. Jordan Blackshaw, 20 (left) had created a Facebook group called “Smash dwn in Northwich Town” and asked his friends to meet up behind a McDonald’s in the center of town for “lootin.” The second man, 22-year-old Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan (right), had set up a similar page called “The Warrington Riots.” When passing his sentence, Judge Elgan Edwards said Blackshaw had committed an “evil” act. “Your conduct was quite disgraceful and the title of the message you posted on Facebook chills the blood.” He also told Sutcliffe-Keenan that he had instigated “a very real panic, and you put a very considerable strain on police resources in Warrington.” Both men pled guilty to inciting violent disorder. A big thumbs up for Judge Edwards. We don’t believe in censorship, but we certainly do believe in the rule of law. As the U.S. Supreme Court once ruled, free speech does not entitle people to falsely yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater.

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FACEBOOK BANS GOOGLE+ AD

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Creativity is supposedly coveted and prized in the social media sphere. It seems, though, that sometimes technology companies only admire their own innovation. That would appear to be the situation with Facebook, which removed a bit of commercial creativity from its site. App developer Michael Lee Johnson (pictured left), aware of the need to be highly visible on Google+, pondered the best way to levitate his Google+ circles. He came up with an ingenious idea: he placed an ad on Facebook. It was a simple thing that was headlined: “Add Michael to Google+.” The copy read: “If you’re lucky enough to have a Google+ account, add Michael Lee Johnson, Internet Geek, App Developer, Technological Virtuoso.” He also added a headshot of himself wearing a cap. Apparently feeling the heat from Google+, Facebook took down the ad. Poor sportsmanship, if you ask us.

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PRIVACY CHAMPIONS, OR MINDLESS HOOLIGANS?

Members of the underground political guerilla group known as “Anonymous” are targeting Facebook for what they characterize as the social media giant’s abuse of personal information. They claim that Facebook is letting marketers gain too much access to unwitting Facebook members. “Your medium of communication you all so dearly adore will be destroyed,” the speaker ominously said in a YouTube video. The group claims that it will have succeeded in (somehow) destroying Facebook by November 5, 2011. We respect efforts to maintain online privacy, but we know cyberhooligans when we see them. You can watch the video here:

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ZUCKERBERG GETS “WORST DRESSED” AWARD

GQ magazine has awarded Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg its “worst dressed” honor, as part of its “15 Worst-Dressed Men of Silicon Valley” feature story. Steve Jobs of Apple came in second. We give this development a big thumbs down, but not because of Zuckerberg’s alleged sartorial crimes. No, we’re giving the raspberry to GQ itself, for its petty, mean-spirited, and completely unnecessary dissing of Zuckerberg. We find the magazine’s entire exercise catty and inane, in the extreme. For example, here’s what GQ had to say about Zuckerberg: “Style Sins: Oblivious to the fact that jeans and ties come in skinny sizes — or that suits exist — the father of Facebook (and we do mean father) loves to recycle the freshfrom-Stats-class look. Zuck’s style is so poor, it even inspired a mock fashion line, Mark By Mark Zuckerberg, which thankfully doesn’t sell any actual clothing.” Not only did the magazine succeed in insulting the visionary billionaire’s dressing sensibilities, but also his physical shape. Accordingly, we nominate GQ magazine for “Worst Excuse to Kill a Lot of Innocent Trees”.

FACEBOOK FILLS THE PARENTAL VOID A recent survey by Consumer Reports magazine unearthed these shocking stats about Facebook and children: • Of the 20 million minors who actively used Facebook in the past year, 7.5 million—or more than one-third—were younger than 13 and not supposed to be able to use the site. • Among young users, more than 5 million were 10 and under, and their accounts were largely unsupervised by their parents. 58

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• One million children were harassed, threatened, or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on the site in the past year. It begs the question: Where are the parents? Facebook gets a thumbs up, though, for providing tools for parents in dealing with underage children on the site. Among them are Facebook’s “Report An Underage Child” page, “How do I report a child under the age of 13?” page, and the site’s Help Center area, where privacy issues and helpful tips for concerned parents are conveyed. Among the issues addressed in one of the “privacy” sections of the Help Center is “How do I request the removal of an image of my child?” a growing problem in light of sexting and cyberbullying. Facebook asserts: »» You can report an abusive photo or video by using the “Report” links located near most pieces of content on the Facebook to report offensive material. »» If you have a copyright complaint in any jurisdiction, you can find more information here. »» If your child is between the ages of 13 and 18, we will not be able to assist you directly, unless required by law. Please advise your child to log in to their own Facebook account and visit the Help Center. They can take the appropriate steps from here to receive additional support. »» If your child is under the age of 13, and you would like to request the removal of a photo containing an image of them, please do so here. »» If your child is under the age of 13, and you would like to request the removal of non-photo content (i.e., a video) containing an image of them, please do so here. »» We will remove a photo of your child that you report to us provided that your child is pictured in the photo, is under 13 years old, and you have filled out the appropriate contact form in its entirety. »» Please be aware that we are only able to take action on reports that come from a parent or legal guardian of the child pictured in the reported content. If you are not a parent or legal guardian of the child pictured in the content you wish to report, please advise the appropriate parties to view this page and make the request.

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The recent social unrest in Tottenham, England stunned the world with its suddenness and ferocity. Roving mobs of rioters were able to create mayhem—and stay one step ahead of the police to evade capture—by instantaneously communicating with each other via social media on their mobile phones.

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SOCIAL MEDIA, REVOLUTION â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AND YOUR BUSINESS By Gary North

enabled protesters to take to the streets, organize the opposition, recruit new protesters, and overcome the police force and the military. There is no question that if these Middle Eastern governments had chosen to use machine guns to cut down the protesters, they probably would have succeeded in suppressing the revolt. If they had www.fbandBusiness.com 63

he dictator of Tunisia was overthrown in less than one month after being in power for 23 years. The same happened to the dictator of Egypt, who had been in power for 30 years. There is no question about how opponents of these regimes were able to topple it. Two words describe it: Facebook, Twitter. These two social networking sites

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combined machine guns with switching off the Internet, they would have been able to cut the protest down, both literally and digitally. But to do that, these regimes would have had to act extremely fast, and they would have risked coming under international condemnation. They would also have created a permanent opposition, ready to revolt again. The forces unleashed by social media also were in display during the riots in Britain, although in this case, the energy of the protestors was devoted to sheer mayhem rather than a yearning for democracy. Still, the anger and violence in England probably reflect underlying social tensions, such as high unemployment and draconian government cutbacks. The government was forced to sit up and take notice. In both the “Arab spring” and the British riots, opposition forces are now connected, yet not organized. This has never 64

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happened before in recorded history. The masses can communicate with like-minded people for the price of a computer and an Internet connection. In the good old days of the Soviet Union in the 1960s, the leaders would have applied that degree of force without a moment’s hesitation. But this is not the era of the Soviet Union. We are living in a digital age, and almost nothing can be concealed from the public for very long. If a tyrant is weak, this will become common knowledge. There are few Goliaths and a lot of Davids online. It is the power of the communications networks, when coupled with a willingness on the part of protesters to gather in the streets, that spells a period of crisis for every autocratic regime on earth. The autocrats have seen in January 2011 that it is difficult to put a lid on any unorganized protests. The organizing did not come from some little group that can be infiltrated or arrested. This

was as close to a spontaneous protest as anything we have seen in modern times. The ability of the social networks to organize a protest almost overnight, because people of similar beliefs and commitments are in close communication with others, has completely changed the nature of political resistance and revolution. This system of revolution toppled two Middle Eastern dictatorships, Tunisia and Egypt, in less than a month. It threatens

How to influence the influencers. Pg.84

to topple several more, from Yemen to Libya to Syria. We have entered into a new period political resistance.

DISCOUNT REVOLUTION From an economic standpoint, this is easy to explain. When the cost of political mobilization falls, more is demanded. When people can mobilize thousands of

Flash Mobs! Using the same principles as the protestors and rioters in the Middle East and England, marketers are organizing “flash mobs”, a form of guerilla marketing via social media, to promote new products and services or to reinforce a brand. These “mobs” are summoned by marketers to congregate in a designated public place, perform their proscribed function, and then disperse.

For detailed, step-by-step instructions as to how you can successfully organize a flash mob for marketing purposes, Click here And here are videos of two especially clever and effective examples of flash mob marketing:

More than 200 dancers performing the song, “Do Re Mi” in Antwerp’s Central Station, as part of a promotional stunt for a Belgian television program, in which the TV producers are looking to cast the leading role in a TV remake of “The Sound of Music”.

T-Mobile organized this dance event, in the Liverpool Street Underground Station, to promote its brand.

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Politics & Business

the era of print media. They can control paper, ink, and distribution. They cannot control telecommunications through the Internet without shutting down the Internet entirely. This is what Egypt did, but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, because other means to hook up to the Internet were unearthed by resourceful protestors. Because Egypt had fewer than a dozen major Internet service providers, the government was able to shut down the Internet at one time. The government also shut down landline telephone communications in some regions of the protesters without any centrally directed country. This was not simply an attack on the agency and without any organization that Internet. The government had to shut down can be infiltrated and subverted, they are other forms of telecommunications. in a position to impose enormous political The difficulty that the government faces damage on any existing regime, as long is obvious: it cannot continue to keep the as the regime really is corrupt, tyrannical, Internet and landline telephone service from and hated. When a dictator can control the general public. The modern economy the society for 23 years, and get 89% of is becoming increasingly dependent upon the vote when he runs for office, you can the Internet. It has already become highly be confident that he is hated. It is corrupt. dependent upon the telephone system. It is Nothing survives that long in a democratic not possible for any government to intervene society with 89% support. into the delivery of telecommunications The revolt that took place in Egypt services without creating enormous problems is a direct result of the success of the for the economy. revolt in Tunisia. The social networking Any government that attempts to do so on a organizations are again at the center of long-term basis is going to find its tax revenues the revolt. There is a similar revolt going falling, more people becoming alienated on in Yemen. Across the Arab world, it is from the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies, and more becoming obvious that protesters have a opportunities for troublemakers to increase tool available that will enable them to cause the amount of trouble. At some point, the enormous discomfort for the tyrannical government will have to reestablish Internet regimes of the region. services and landline telephone service. At Regimes have established systems that point, it will probably face an even more of control, including thought control, alienated population than when the protests based on the price of communications in began. 66

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The governments of the world are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. If they allow the Internet to stay up, and if the social networking systems continue to recruit people to go into the streets, a corrupt government will face a rapidly escalating crisis. Its legitimacy is being called into question, and the only way to restore order under these conditions is to begin to shoot people. Tear gas is no longer working. Here is a video of the riots in Cairo. The government had an armored vehicle rolling through the streets, and it was firing canisters of tear gas. People were not only paying no attention, they were kicking the canisters across the street into areas in which there were no protesters. I have been subjected to a very mild administration of tear gas, when I was a high school student, and a local police chief was showing a few of us what it was like. He had an aerosol container of it, and he held his finger on the button for only a few seconds. We were perhaps 10 feet away, and it was unpleasant. I cannot imagine anybody staying in the streets when the police are firing canisters. But that is what I saw in this video:

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fail with social media.Pg. 96

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Governments have become fearful of bringing out the machine guns, for fear of international condemnation. Dozens of people will be videotaping the event and will immediately upload the videos to a satellite, which will spread around the world in a matter of seconds. The low cost of telecommunications is making it possible for protesters to expose the policies of their governments so that all the world can see. Universally, governments do not want exposure of what they are doing. They want to control the flow of information, and they want to be able to spin it rapidly. They can do neither when the Internet is operating, because the images are out there so rapidly, and picked up by the news media so rapidly. The governments cannot spin away the visual information. They are caught in a situation as characterized by Groucho Marx, when he declared to someone who interrupted his meeting with an attractive young woman: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What are you going to believe? Me or your own eyes?â&#x20AC;? The fact that this is taking place in the Arab countries indicates that the whole region is vulnerable to more revolutionary resistance. The telecommunications network is well developed in all of these nations, and the people who use them are educated. They have enough money to plug into the Internet. A lot of them are college graduates. Worse, they are unemployed college grads. They understand the media, and they are in social network arrangements, connection by connection, with thousands of similarly unemployed, equally educated people.

Politics & Business

Unemployed intellectuals who are young have always been a threat to established tyrants. These are the people who have relatively little to lose, and they think they have a great deal to gain, by taking to the streets. When they are not shut down fast, they are emboldened. They assume that nothing can stop them, because tear gas and rubber bullets are not so great a threat. When people around the world can see street protesters, this encourages thousands of other protesters, who had attempted to sit the fence, to get off the fence and go into the streets. There is safety in numbers. When they can see on television or on the web that there are thousands of people in the streets protesting, they assume that they will gain a degree of invisibility and anonymity if they join the protests. So, they leave the safety of their homes and join the protest movement. Because of social networking, this can take place so rapidly that government officials are unable to respond fast enough to put a stop to it before it is obvious that there are thousands of people in the streets. The social networks can become a 68

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liability if the revolt fails to dislodge the existing regime. The government can use the Internet to track down those people who were activists in the early stage of the revolt. There is no way to hide your communications retroactively on Twitter and Facebook. The government is going to find out who sent out messages, and it will be able to trace the spread of these messages by means of the very technology that enabled the original protesters to recruit thousands of volunteers. But how many can the police arrest? There were too many protesters to put all of them in jail. The people the government will have to investigate are highly educated, and have enough money to own a computer and be plugged into the Internet. These are exactly the kinds of people the government does not want to alienate. These people have connections, they have money, and they have time on their hands. When you are talking about thousands of protesters going into the streets, you are talking about a protest without any organization. You cannot stop the organization when you cannot control a handful of the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders. The social network system enables rapid response protesting without any clear-cut chain of command. There really is no chain of command. That is the whole point of social networking. It is horizontal; it is not vertical. To stop something from spreading, the government has got to shut the entire system down. A SPONTANEOUS REVOLT Social networks are changing the nature

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Politics & Business

of social protest. This has finally produced a situation in which the old rhetoric of the revolutionaries is true: the revolution is a spontaneous work of the People. There is no clandestine group of conspirators who are organizing a conspiracy in such a way that it looks like a spontaneous insurrection. Governments can deal with that kind of revolutionary organization by infiltrating the organizations at the very top. They have done this for centuries. But when revolt really is the result of the spread of rhetorically effective communications in a decentralized system of telecommunications, the government cannot cut this off in advance. It cannot arrest the organizers in the days before the great plan was about to be executed. There is no great plan, and the government has no time to react. By speeding up the mobilization process, 70

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and by flattening it out, the protesters have been able to topple entrenched, well-armed regimes in a matter of a month. They were able to challenge the existing political structure of approval for autocrats who have held power for decades. The ruler in Yemen has been in power for 32 years. The ruler of Egypt has been in office for almost 30 years. Yet the social networks brought these two regimes to disintegration in a matter of days. How can governments mobilize resources to head this off at the pass, when there is no pass? We are therefore seeing a shift in the balance of power away from centralized government, which has control over most of the print media in the country, to broad masses of people with money and computersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;people who are in no way dependent upon paper, ink, and paste to put up posters. The government can react

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Politics & Business

rapidly to the older media, but it cannot react as rapidly as the social networks call out the anti-government troops. The government had the edge in speed back in the days of printed manifestos and posters. That world is gone. So, as we watch the digits undermine the foundations of Middle Eastern autocracies, we get a picture of what is likely to come in the next generation. Every government in the world is now threatened by the visual power of street demonstrators. The protests will be posted on YouTube within minutes. None of this existed six years ago. Governments have used money, recruiting techniques, propaganda techniques, and all the rest of it for the last hundred years in terms of a particular technology. That technology is the printing press. Martin Luther created a social and religious revolution in northern Europe by means of pamphlets, broadsides, and posters with cartoons almost 500 years ago. For almost five centuries, the technology of communication did not change radically. And then, without warning, the rise of the Internet began to shift the balance of power in the direction of citizens. With the advent of the social networks, there has been a quantum leap in the ability of protesters to register their protests publicly, with no comparable increase in response time by the authorities. Telecommunications are instantaneous, and they are delivered at no marginal cost to the participants. When the price of protesting falls, more of it will be demanded. This is what is taking place today. The development of the social networks is

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beneficial to the extension of liberty. Digital technology, because it is price competitive, penetrates the broad masses of individuals in the West. It is price competitive, and therefore is inherently decentralized. Everyone can have his own printing press in the new system. The ability of governments to control the spread of ideas is not keeping pace with the ability of the Internet to enable people to communicate ideas. The competitive system is asymmetric. This time, it is not asymmetric in favor of the government; it is asymmetric in favor of the citizens. They hold the hammer. Yes, it is true that governments can temporarily take away the hammer. They can shut down the Internet. Anyway, small governments in the Middle East can do this. It is highly unlikely that the government could do so in the United States. The tendency of the system of telecommunications is to decentralize. The government that would dare to stop the spread of telecommunications is asking to lose the next election. You may have seen this story in one of our other magazines. This is not a mistake. Some information is so relevant that it bears repeating... and maybe even re-reading. About the Author

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Gary North is the author of many books that delve into the nexus of politics, philosophy and social media. You can reach him at garynorth@garynorth.com. Or visit: www.garynorth.com

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Politics & Business

It Does Happen Here!

By John Persinos

experienced a wave of flash mobs that led TWITTER AND FACEBOOK SERVED to the destruction of private property, rioting, AS CATALYSTS FOR THE “ARAB and severe personal injury. Similar flash mob SPRING” AND THE BRITISH RIOTS. incidents have recently occurred in other THIS PHENOMENON ALREADY IS cities around the country. HAPPENING IN AMERICA—AND Also consider the deep-seated anger HERE ARE THE BUSINESS LESSONS of the Tea Party and its ability to quickly YOU CAN DERIVE FROM IT. mobilize scores of furious supporters. What immediately comes to mind is the Twitter and Facebook played crucial “Death Panels” imbroglio of 2009, when roles during the uprisings that toppled congressional town hall meetings were authoritarian Arab governments. Social disrupted by angry conservatives opposing media also figured prominently in recent President Obama’s health care legislation. riots in Britain, whereby disaffected youths Many of these seemingly spontaneous in major cities organized “flash mobs” that protests were in fact organized through resulted in looting and mayhem. Twitter and Facebook. Violence hasn’t What are Americans to make of all this? A reached critical mass in America—not famous 1935 novel by Sinclair Lewis, called yet—but today’s highly partisan rhetoric and It Can’t Happen Here, chronicles the rise of polarization suggests that it wouldn’t take a right-wing populist politician in the U.S. much to ignite the tinderbox of the American The ironic title refers to the rise of fascism body politic. in Europe during the 1930s, and the rather Whether the Tea Party is an authentic smug belief among Americans at the time that grass roots organization, or merely “astroturf” their democratic Republic was immune to the funded by rich right-wing industrialists evil charms of any homegrown Adolf Hitler. opposed to government, is beside the point. As we observe the social media-fueled Social media is an enormously powerful unrest in regional hotspots around tool to channel human energy, whether it’s the world, should we pose the same political anger or consumer desires. The Tea question? Could it happen here? Party uses it; the political left uses it; and you It’s already happening! In late August, should use it. in Kansas City, Missouri, the shooting of Facebook and Twitter have fueled an three teenagers at a large late-night “flash explosion in grassroots media. Citizen mob” prompted local authorities to pass journalism, in the form of bloggers, an ordinance that set curfews as early as protestors, agitators, dissidents, and 9:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has anyone else with a grievance and an 74

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Should you respond to every comment? Pg. 94 daddy lives in a national capital or in the sky. Recent riots in the Middle East and Britain underscore how angry, alienated individuals can use social media as a digital Molotov cocktail. As a businessperson, you can take advantage of these trends. Train your mind to detect media opportunities, and get into the habit of reflexively jumping on them. Unexpected chances to manipulate the media will spring up every day. Those chances are serendipitous gifts; don’t pass them up. As today’s cyber-fueled social unrest makes clear, the only constant is change; your greatest weapon in an uncertain world is perseverance. Your personal and business life has been reduced to a swirling, existential miasma of 1s and 0s. Take a constructive tip from the rioters in the west and east, who organized instant mobs through their hand-held devices, always staying a step ahead of the police. Learn to navigate the miasma, with speed and agility. As Marshall McLuhan would say, social media is now an extension of the human being. Back in the 1960s, McLuhan had the foresight to coin the term: Global Village. Today, Facebook and other social media serve as physical extensions of our mouths, in a chattering, gossipy, interconnected village that spans the globe. The ramifications for governments and for businesses are deeply profound, and in some cases quite unsettling. For business managers, marketers and PR professionals, the accompanying sidebars and videos drive home my point in a very practical way. www.fbandBusiness.com 75

Internet connection, will continue chipping away at hierarchical corporate and political structures. Force-fed programming will go the way of the radio soap operas and movie newsreels. The early 21st century is the Era of the Amateur. Just as the printing press of the early Renaissance empowered individuals, the Internet is empowering the average person. As you craft a media strategy for your business, never lose sight of this fragmentation. The great futurist Alvin Toffler wrote a seminal book, Future Shock, published in 1970, that widely influenced society. Indeed, the title entered the language as a sociological term. Today, his book is more applicable than ever. The basic premise of the book is that many social ills are symptoms of the failure of individuals and organizations to cope with rapidly accelerating social and technological change. People are threatened and disoriented by this change and pine for a return to simpler times—halcyon days that never really existed. A yearning for a bygone and romanticized “golden era” is a familiar phenomenon in human history, but it’s particularly acute today as the Information Age throws many comforting assumptions into the dustbin. The fact is, many people prefer to run from freedom, because taking responsibility for your own life and facing the inherent messiness of the human condition is too frightening. It’s far easier to place your fate in the hands of a Big Daddy, whether that

Guerrilla Marketing

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND WORD-OFMOUTH MARKETING: THEY’RE NOW THE SAME Previous Story

By Steve Olenski

READING SEVERAL ARTICLES ALL BASED ON THE SAME SURVEY MADE ME REALIZE THAT MANY PEOPLE STILL DON’T GET IT... THEY DON’T GET THE FACT THAT SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING ARE NOW THE SAME THING!

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he first place I saw it was on the blogs section of the Wall Street Journal website... To Heck With Twitter, Business Owners Say. Then I saw it on MediaPost.com Small Biz Ambivalent About Social Media. Then just yesterday I read this headline on MarketingProfs.com Social Media Gets Mixed Reviews From Small Business. The survey was commissioned by the

are low, with Twitter bringing up the rear as only 4% of respondents said they use Twitter. And good luck trying to decipher what kinds of businesses these were that were surveyed, were they B2B, B2C, what industries were they in, etc., because I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find that information. You can click on any of the above links for the gory, not-very-detailed details if you so choose but ... what caught my www.fbandBusiness.com 79

Hiscox Insurance Company who worked with market-research firm Opinium Research LLP to query 304 U.S. small business owners this past May. Overall, 47% of small business owners and managers surveyed said they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use social media for business purposes at all. The survey also broke down each of the big players in the social media world, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and the numbers for each of these individually

Guerrilla Marketing

eye and raised my proverbial ire was the fact that 50% of the respondents cited Word of Mouth Marketing as the one channel they couldn’t do without compared to the 12% vote social media received. Of the three articles I referenced earlier, only one, the MediaPost. com piece even made a reference to the connection between Social Media Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing: “... Notwithstanding the obvious potential for overlap between social media and WOM...” POTENTIAL OVERLAP? No, there is no potential overlap—there is a very real and distinct overlap! I’m reading these articles and wondering aloud: “Doesn’t anyone get this?” There was one commenter on the WSJ piece who got it for sure: “...What these business owners... are missing is the fact that Social Media is set to become THE way to spread word of mouth. Facebook is becoming the sewing circle of the future, and if you can get a group of people buzzing to each other online about your business, you can bring in more customers.” I will disagree with this POV only in the fact that Social Media is not set to become the way to spread word of mouth ... it already is! C’mon people, business owners, marketers, advertisers, etc... where do you think people are “talking” these days? I will surely not trot out the latest 80

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Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn stats nor remind you of the accelerated growth of Google Plus. By now, you know and have seen all the statistics. Sure, are neighbors talking to neighbors as they mow their lawns about the new laundry detergent one just used or the great restaurant the other one went to the night before? Of course, that part will never change. But what HAS changed is now those same neighbors, after mowing their lawns, are going back into their homes and going on their computers or back into their garages and whipping out their smartphones and telling all their friends—their ONLINE friends—all about the new laundry detergent and great restaurant. Their PCs, smartphones and tablets are now extensions of their mouths, in a matter of speaking. They are now using their keyboards in addition to their mouths to spread the word. Why does that seem so obvious to me yet seems lost on so many others? About the Author

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Steve Olenski is Creative Director of Digital Services for The Star Group. He describes himself as “just a guy who likes to write, create, conceptualize, generate ideas, use social media and drink way too much coffee.” This column was republished with permission from the Star Group and originally appeared on the Star Group blog, www.stargroup1.com/blog. Follow @steveolenski on Twitter.

Online Influence

The Godfather (1972), Paramount Pictures

INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS! By John Persinos, Editorial Director

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PEER INFLUENCE ANALYSIS IS A POWERFUL NEW SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL THAT CAN TAKE YOUR FACEBOOK PRESENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS!

Influencing the right people, and not just a high volume of them, exerts a “force multiplier” effect on your Facebook marketing.

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Facebook’s “Holy Grail” of 1 billion. Meanwhile, over a million websites are now integrated with Facebook’s platform, and more than 150 million people engage with Facebook on external websites every month. So, the question is: How can you harness all of this tremendous social energy, for explosive marketing gains? Tapping into the latent power of Facebook’s peer-to-peer networking is easier than you might think. We’re a global economy, but to put our topic in perspective, let’s start with the planet’s biggest economy (for now), the ow many Facebook friends do United States. you have? To place your friend According to statistics compiled by various count into context, the average consultancies that analyze social media, Facebook user has 130. Americans rack up more than 500 billion Here’s another stunning online impressions, peer-to-peer, regarding statistic: people spend over 500 billion products and services- only about oneminutes per month on Facebook, and the fourth the number of impressions generated active official user count now inches toward by advertisers. A small minority (about 16%)

Online Influence

of these online consumers generated about 80% of these impressions. Your job as a business and marketing leader is to create programs that reach and connect with this tiny group whose influence exceeds their numbers. The goal of this article is to show you how, using Google. But the lessons are applicable to all forms of social media. More than 145 million Americans engage in social media, but these are human beings not content, so you can’t approach them they way you’d approach content. Moreover, you can’t connect with everyone on a oneon-one basis, because of the sheer numbers of people with whom you’d need to connect. The challenge: leverage this huge audience of latent influence, in a low-cost, efficient

THE SIX KEYS TO FACEBOOK PEER-TO PEER MARKETING

2. IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS…AND MEET THEM. State upfront what your Facebook presence will tangibly generate for friends fans—e.g., special discounts, technical support, latest product news, etc. 86

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manner and on a mass scale. Keep in mind, the scale of online peerto-peer influence is comparable with paid digital media. Consumers operating within social networks in 2010 generated 256 billion influence impressions on one another about products and services. Here’s the key: a disproportionately tiny minority of online consumers created the bulk of these impressions. Mass influencers are responsible for 80% of the brand impressions in online social settings, but they make up just 16% of the U.S. online population. By far, people share influence online to the greatest degree on Facebook at 62%, with the other forms of social media running far behind. 1. CREATE A DISTINCT IDENTITY. When setting up a home page for a company or product(s), design a familiar, reliable experience for Facebook friends. Use logos and recurring images that underscore a brand’s distinct identity.

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Online Influence

3. KEEP IT TIMELY. Don’t fall into the common trap of regurgitating press releases and putting your posting on automatic pilot. Keep peer interest and interaction at a high and motivated level, by only posting fresh, upto-date content. Seize on news events, as they happen. Remember, news isn’t daily anymore; it’s moment-by-moment. Don’t simply post information about products and services; employ a lively, personal and conversational tone. Use a mix of education and entertainment. Connect with peers on a human level and use the first person.

4. ENCOURAGE FRIEND INTERACTION; GIVE THEM RECOGNITION. Goose along the process by directly asking friends to respond to each other. Publicly recognize your especially active contributors on Facebook’s wall; showcase the top questions and answers and items of discussion. Be sure to participate in these discussions. 5. GENERATE A TWO-WAY DIALOGUE; BE RESPONSIVE. Make sure the names, headshots and brief bios of your company’s administrators are always prominently displayed. Build trust and loyalty by interacting with fans on a friendly and intimate level. Don’t lapse into stilted PR speak; write like a real human being! Convey authenticity by using a sincere tone. When fans comment, immediately respond and publicly thank them for their feedback. 88

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6. POST “CALLS TO ACTION”. Stimulate advocacy, by asking friends to comment or vote on a topic or product. Ask friends to sign up for email alerts or newsletters; foster discussions on “controversial” topics and get friends to vote on the merits of certain products. This will stimulate peer-to-peer dialogue that’s centered on your company and products, helping spread the passionate word-ofmouth that marketers crave. This sort of engagement leads to sales. Keep in mind this statistic: every time a Facebook friend leaves a comment on a company’s or brand’s Facebook page, that interaction is shared with an average of 130 other Facebook friends. This peer-topeer “viral” communication can spread exponentially at an amazingly rapid clip, carrying your marketing message around the globe in a persuasive way, at the speed of fiber-optic light. About the Author

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John Persinos is Editorial Director of GSG WorldMedia. You can reach him at jpersinos@gsgworldmedia.com. John has enjoyed a long career in media and public relations. Notably, he served as a staff writer at Inc. magazine; a reporter at The Orlando Sentinel; managing editor at Campaigns & Elections magazine; publisher of the web site, AviationToday.com; editorial director at Aerospace & Security Media; and a press secretary to a U.S. congressman.

Online Influence

Case Study:

SONY PICTURES IS THE TELEVISION AND FILM PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION ARM OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA CONGLOMERATE SONY. IN 2010, SONY PICTURES RACKED UP ABOUT $7.2 BILLION IN REVENUE. Ahead of the imminent release of users (in humorous tongue-in-cheek its romantic drama Dear John, Sony language) to vote on “the best part Pictures in February 2010 launched a about chick flicks” from among several peer-to-peer campaign on Facebook. options, such as “getting tips from the The marketing goals were two-fold: to pros” or “sitting in the last row”. The aim generate awareness of the new film, was to foster animated word-of-mouth but also to encourage more people to among Sony’s target demographic for “friend” the movie’s Facebook page, this exercise, which was 13- to 24-yearset up as a free old females. public profile by Here’s a snapshot of EVERY TIME A FACEBOOK which Sony shared the results of Sony’s FRIEND LEAVES A COMMENT news about new ON A COMPANY’S peer-to-peer marketing OR BRAND’S cinematic releases. on Facebook: FACEBOOK Through word-ofmouth, the company PAGE, THAT Roughly 298,853 INTERACTION IS SHARED wanted to boost people connected WITH AN AVERAGE OF ticket sales for its to Dear John’s news movie but also 130 OTHER FACEBOOK Facebook Page on FRIENDS. lay the groundwork reach block day, a for future marketing 1,200 percent increase efforts down the road for other releases. on the previous day’s total. On January 11, 2010, nearly a month before the film’s official February 5 More than 1 million people premiere, Sony ran a form of media eventually connected to the Dear buy on Facebook’s home page called John Facebook Page by the opening a “reach block”, by which Facebook day of the movie. guaranteed that Sony would reach every Facebook user that logged on A Nielsen study of Sony’s that day. Facebook “reach block” ad Sony ran “Premium Engagement campaign reported that the ads fueled a Ads” that enabled Facebook friends 16 percent increase in overall audience to interact with the Dear John brand, awareness of the film. Nielsen also directly from the advertisement. The found that the campaign generated ads were comprised of Premium Event a 2 percent increase in “purchase Ads and Premium Poll Ads, which urged consideration” for the film. 92

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The Key Question

SHOULD YOU RESPOND TO EVERY COMMENT ON YOUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE?

By David Kerpen

HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GET PUT ON HOLD BY A CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR A COMPANY YOU’RE CALLING? HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GET DISCONNECTED FROM THAT COMPANY BECAUSE YOUR PHONE SIGNAL DIES OR SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY HITS THE WRONG BUTTON?

oday, the vast majority of comments on Facebook Pages go unresponded to. If companies are choosing to respond at all, they’re probably only responding to complaints or questions. I’ve heard, “We don’t have the resources to respond to every comment” a lot, along with “Why respond when they’re not asking you anything?” I maintain that it’s not only possible to respond to each and every comment about you and to you on Facebook and Twitter, but it’s advisable. And scalable. We manage Facebook Pages with hundreds of thousands of fans, and are able to still respond to each and every question and comment within hours. It’s scalable. What might you say? “Thank you” and “I’m sorry” are the 4 most important words in social media. They go a long way, and can be said in an infinite number of different ways. What would you say on the phone to someone that called to comment, or (if you’re old enough to even remember this) what would you write back to someone who filled out a comment card about your store? Good, bad or indifferent comments, great companies of the

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past responded to every comment card, and great companies of the present and future will respond to every Facebook and Twitter comment. Whether your business has 5 fans, 500 fans, 5,000 fans, or 500,000 fans, aren’t they all valuable enough to you to respond to?

If you’re still not convinced, consider again: how do you feel on a phone call to your utility company when you’re put on hold — or hung up on — or responded to quickly and efficiently?

About the Author

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Dave Kerpen is the co-founder and CEO of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and wordof-mouth marketing firm. Dave’s book, a New York Times Best Seller, is “Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook and other social networks.” Dave is proud of his Likeable business accomplishments but prouder of his wife and business partner Carrie and two daughters at home in New York, Charlotte and Kate.

Dave Kerpen, CEO Likeable Media Twitter: @DaveKerpen Facebook: facebook.com/dkerpen LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davekerpen dave@likeable.com Likeable Twitter: @LikeableMedia Likeable Facebook: facebook.com/ likeablemedia 212-660-2458

Small Business Management

WHY MOST SMALL BUSINESSES ARE FALLING DOWN WITH SOCIAL MEDIA & 5 TIPS FOR BETTER SUCCESS By David Kerpen

OVER 600 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE ON FACEBOOK, INCLUDING OVER 150 MILLION AMERICANS, OR 1 IN 2 ADULTS. TWITTER JUST TOPPED 300 MILLION ACCOUNTS. SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN DROVES ARE TRYING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE TRENDS, BUT FEW ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS. FOR MOST LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, THE TEMPTATION IS TO USE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESSES AND TO BROADCAST THEIR MESSAGES.

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1 Listen before you talk. Before your first tweet, search Twitter for people talking about your business, and for people talking about your competitors. Search using words that your prospective customers would say, too. For example, if you’re an accountant, use Twitter to search for people tweeting the words “need an accountant” in your town. You’ll be surprised how many people are already looking for you. www.fbandBusiness.com 97

owever, if you take off your marketing cap, and put on your customer cap, you’ll realize that consumers are already pummeled by marketing and advertising messages all day long. The secret, then, to social media for small business owners – is being human – being the sort of person at a cocktail party who listens attentively, tells great stories, shows interest in others, and is authentic and honest. The secret is to simply be likeable. Here are 5 specific tips for small business owners to enjoy more success at social media:

Small Business Management

2 Don’t tell your customers to like you and follow you, tell them why and how. Everywhere you turn, you see “Like us on Facebook” and “Follow us on Twitter.” Huh? Why? How? Give your customers a reason to connect with you on social networks (what’s in it for them?) and then make it easy. Note the difference between these two calls to action: “Like my book’s page on Facebook” & “Get answers to all your social media Click here questions” 3 Ask questions. Wondering why nobody’s responding to your posts on Facebook? It’s probably because you’re not asking questions. Social media is about engagement and having a conversation, not about promoting. If a pizza place posts on Facebook, “Come on by, 2 pizzas for just $12,” nobody will comment, and nobody will show up. If that pizza place posts, “What’s your favorite topping?” people will comment online– and then be more likely to show up. 4 Share pictures and videos. People love photos. The biggest reason Facebook has gone from 0 to 600 million users in 6 years is photos. Photos and videos tell stories about you in ways that text alone cannot. You don’t need a production budget, either. Use your smartphone to take pictures and short videos of customers, staff, and cool things at your business, and then upload them

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directly to Facebook and Twitter. A picture really is worth a thousand words. A video is worth even more. 5 Spend at least 30 minutes a day on social media. If you bought a newspaper ad or radio ad, you wouldn’t spend 5 minutes on it or relegate it to interns. Plus, there’s a lot to learn, and every week, new tools and opportunities across social networks emerge. Spend real time each day reading and learning, listening and responding, and truly joining the conversation. The more time you put in to social media, the more benefits your business will receive. Above all else, keep that customer cap on, and follow the golden rule: Would you yourself click the “Like” button, the Follow button, or Retweet button if you saw your business on Facebook & Twitter? Would YOU want to be friends with your business at a cocktail party? How likeable is your business?

About the Author

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Dave Kerpen is the CEO of Likeable Media and the author of Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and be Generally Amazing on Facebook (and Other Social Networks.) You can ask him any social media questions you’ve got, anytime, on Twitter or Facebook.

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Professional Development

FIRST, SOME PERSPECTIVE…

REALITY CHECK By Dan Millman

THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR SHOWS YOU HOW TO “KEEP IT REAL” IN THE VIRTUAL AGE. HIS BOOKS HAVE CHANGED MILLIONS OF LIVES; HIS ADVICE HERE WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA.

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n the context of human history, social media — a natural evolution of the Internet age — appeared like an explosion in the human psyche. We’re still reeling from its effects, even as we do our best to stay ahead of the curve, or at least ride that cutting-edge of the waves of change. New programs, apps, smart devices — who knows what will follow — ear-insets or embedded chips that propel us toward a virtual life in The Cloud? The purpose of my column, and the text, video, and audio reminders provide a grounded perspective about Real Life Here on Earth. Let’s use technology, but not let it use us. Our biology has been around far longer than our technology. So even as the pace of life, and access to information, grows exponentially, let’s take a deep breath, relax back into (the rest of) our body, and remember where we live — here and now. Other contributors to this magazine will

bigger-picture, so that we don’t become preoccupied with “how am I going to use Twitter to get my start-up off the ground / promote my book / build my platform?” When I was a coach at Stanford University, and later working with professional athletes and Olympians, I would remind the athletes: Don’t simply dedicate your life to your sport; rather, dedicate your sport to your life. I would offer that same advice to you regarding Facebook. This phenomenal social network avenue is a tool. Use it wisely and in moderation. Focus on quality rather than quantity. Remember your deeper, larger mission that gives meaning to your posts and outreach. It’s not just about making a living, or gathering friends — it’s about making a life online and offline (we call it the Real World). In that real world, we each face challenges that are part of the “spiritual weight-training” in everyday life. By doing regular, moderate exercise, eating a balanced, nutritious diet, and getting enough rest, we are able to www.fbandBusiness.com 101

provide you with insights and perspectives about Twitter and how to make the best use of it in service of your goals. My aim is to bring you back to your center, to support your health, reduce stress, and address some of life’s core issues that all of us face. Mark Twain once said, “I’ve had many troubles in my life — most of which never happened.” Profound words that may bring a smile, because most of us get lost in (cyber) space, forgetting the essential beautify of the here and now, even as we rocket ahead at digital-light speed, interconnecting, networking (in every sense of the word), and reaching out to others in mutual support. If we view our Earth as a living creature, floating in space — and ourselves as a part of that body — we can grasp the vision of the Internet as the nervous system of our planet. Our ever-increasing connection represents an evolutionary leap of this Organism we call “Earth.” What a wonder we are part of! And it may do us good, now and then, to contemplate that wonder, that

Professional Development

better face and move through the issues that rise and fall like waves. (We can’t predict or control them, but we can learn to surf.) In this first issue of fb & Business magazine, I’ll offer multi-media guidance and reminders about some of life’s core issues, in support of your growth and wisdom, so that you can make better use not only of Facebook, but of all the changing opportunities and innovations that come our way. We begin this column with a two-part, 5-minute video on a universal topic relevant to us all, to help anyone face each day with a peaceful heart and a warrior’s spirit:

anxiety or self-doubt, insecurity or even a sort of paralysis. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it. We learn this lesson many times in the course of our lives — not just in dramatic moments of mortal fear, but in those moments of vague doubt or unease when we face a choice. Take that risk in a new business venture even though we may fail — or even succeed? Even in the Facebook realm, as we reach out and interact with others — a dumb remark isn’t just something said at a party that a few relatives or friends joke with you about; it can be something that goes viral. As in daily life, we’re tested each time we log in and reach out. What does a bold, courageous approach look like on Facebook? That probably differs for each of us. This two-part video provides some fundamental reminders how to deal with the fears that are part of every life — and what to do about them. Here’s Part One; we’ll run Part Two in the next issue of the magazine.

About the Author

I welcome your comments or questions: pw@danmillman.com CONQUERING FEAR Fear can be a wonderful servant, or a terrible master. It can save one life and enslave another. And when you look back on your life, you will not regret what you have done as much as regret what you haven’t done — because of fear. Fear is a master of disguise. Sometimes it looks like, “I don’t really want to do that” or “I can’t.” It may look like vague 104

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Add me

Dan Millman — a former world champion athlete, Stanford coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor — is author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior (adapted to film with Nick Nolte in 2006), and 14 other books read by millions of people in 29 languages. Dan teaches worldwide and has influenced people from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment and the arts. Dan and his wife, Joy, live in Northern California. His most recent book is THE FOUR PURPOSES OF LIFE. www.peacefulwarrior.com

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Publisher’s Note

THE FB & BUSINESS MANIFESTO

By Larry Genkin, Founder & Publisher

INTERNETIZATION” (TO COIN A PHRASE) IS ONE OF THE MAJOR INFLECTION POINTS IN THE HISTORY OF BUSINESS. Previous Story

s with manufacturers who, at the turn of the century, failed to embrace automation, companies today that don’t migrate fully to embrace the Internet, and all it offers, will find themselves at a critical, and likely fatal, competitive disadvantage to those that do. And, to many in business today, using the Internet is nearly synonymous to using social media and, in specific, its four largest services: Google, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. 108

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LinkedIn and Twitter extensively everyday. Typical coverage will be stories like: • LinkedIn’s stock price and subsequent market capitalization • Facebook’s privacy issues • Google’s algorithmic modifications • Twitter’s acquisitions or new policies The kind of content published is primarily news about the specific service/company. While potentially valuable to an investor or tech geek, this “news” is inherently not useful to a business person looking to use these services for their restaurant, consulting firm, dental practice or other kind of business. These business people need substantive, actionable, how-to information that teaches them precisely how to utilize these powerful services to enhance their businesses. The problem is that this kind of information is not easily available in one place ... until now. Each of our social media magazines will solve this problem by finding the best content available, wherever it currently resides (and in whatever format, whether it’s written, audio or video) and make it easily accessible. Most importantly, we’ll make it USABLE for business people everywhere. There are three factors that distinguish our editorial from the plethora of social media content that is spawned daily in the media. www.fbandBusiness.com 109

To illustrate how ubiquitous and important these social media services have become, you just need to compare it to the technology adoption cycle of other major media/business tools. For example, it took 37 years for radio to reach 50 million listeners, 34 years for the telephone to have 50 million customers and 13 years for television to reach 50 million viewers. By comparison today, LinkedIn (the smallest of the four services) in just 8 years, has over 100 million users. Twitter, in less than 5 years, has over 200 million. Facebook, in less than 7 years, has over 750 million (roughly 1 out of every 12 people on the planet have a Facebook account). And Google, founded in 1998, has more users than Facebook. These are hugely important services for business, because today social media is impacting every single aspect of the enterprise. From sales, marketing and PR to HR and investor relations, no corporate function remains untouched. However, because these services are so new and are evolving so rapidly, most businesses don’t fully know how to utilize them. And those that do are constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve, which is not easy given all of the rapid changes as these services roll out new functionality at a remarkably staggering pace. These services are far from “under the radar.” Mainstream media covers Google, Facebook,

Publisher’s Note

#1: IT’S EXCLUSIVELY FOR BUSINESS PEOPLE In the early days, social media was dominated by tech geeks, music hipsters and teenage girls gossiping about their latest crush. They would all hate our magazines. We don’t talk about the IP protocols that make social media work. We don’t share any tips on cool new bands. And we wouldn’t recognize Justin Bieber if we stumbled across him at a Jonas Brothers concert. We are all about business. Specifically, how business people can use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & Google to help their businesses succeed. #2: IT’S NOT NECESSARILY THE NEWS Today, the vast majority of information written on social media is utterly useless to a business person. Dozens upon dozens of stories are published daily on topics related to social media that are interesting for an analyst or investor, but a waste of time for a business person. Our editorial is not about news. It’s about “HOW-TO.” Specifically how business people can use Google, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to make their businesses better, stronger and faster. (Maybe even thinner and more attractive). HERE’S OUR APPROACH: 1 We start by heading our magazines with editors who are world-class experts: • Jay Abraham (The Big G & Business): The highest paid marketing consultant in the world—$5,000 per hour—and recognized by Success magazine as “possibly the greatest marketing expert alive today.” 110

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• Jeffrey Hayzlett (Tweeting & Business): Former CMO of Kodak, largely credited for their turnaround. One of the top 10 C-Level tweeters in the world. • Mari Smith (fb & Business): Recognized as the world’s leading expert on Facebook for business. • Nathan Kievman (LI & business): Recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on LinkedIn. The “unifying intelligence,” if you will, is provided by one of the most seasoned professional journalists that I know: John Persinos. As our Editorial Director, John ensures the highest possible journalistic standards for all of our magazines. 2 We get our experts to tap their vast network of thought leaders to get the best and brightest minds on social media creating content for us. 3 Our editorial staff scours the Internet daily to find great content. We don’t suffer from “not created here” syndrome. Our only litmus test is: Is it great content? If it is, we’ll make it available to our millions of readers. Today this approach may be cutting-edge. In the future, we believe it will be obvious that this is how all magazines should be created.

Larry Genkin, Founder & Publisher