The Caffeinated Blog

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, February 12

It may be Friday the 13th, but luckily I've managed to find plenty to share with you today.  Let's dive right in:

• Probably the biggest news this week in the world of social media is that Twitter is going to start charging businesses for commercial use.  I suppose this was inevitable - but tell me what you think by leaving a comment below.
• Speaking of brands on Twitter (or, rather, not on Twitter): Janet Meiners wonders why the world's most popular brand, Coke, isn't on Twitter.  Plus, she offers her own tips for engaging people on Twitter.
• How do you engage people in 140 characters or less?  Jon Wuebben offers some really great tips for "copywriting" on Twitter over at the Content Rich blog.
• Jacob Morgan explores why many CMOs are not tracking social media and word-of-mouth.  Is there a lack of understanding? Too much focus on tools and methodology?
• Smashing Magazine showcases a gallery full of clever and cool-looking 404 error pages.  My favorite is from ApartmentHomeLiving.com.  Which one is your favorite?
• Here's my Valentine's Day gift to you: a free download of the Love ebook, which is a lovingly assembled a collection of poems "to spread happiness & positivity and to make a difference for people struggling with the recession." You can also make a donation to Career Gear, which provides skills training, interview clothing and relationship building to help men find (and keep) jobs.

Whole Lotta Link Love, Weekend Edition

Well, I have to apologize first off for not posting as often the last few weeks (and missing Whole Lotta Link Love the last couple of weeks).  Can I make it up to you with a weekend edition? 

Lots of links to share, so let's get to it!

• Stephen Fry is one of my favorite comedians - and one of my favorite Twitterers.  He's one of the few celebri-tweeters that really get social media, and he talks about it on his blog, on TV, and even has an impromtu Twitter talk show while stuck in an elevator!
• Speaking of Twitter, here is a list of 7 URL shortening services that are great for business usage.
• Everyone is talking about the down economy, and more and more people are affected by it as they lose their jobs.  Many of the recently unemployed are using social media, including blogs, as a job-hunting tool - but are they effective?  Here's an article that talks about the pros and cons of using a blog to find a new job.
• Many companies that are feeling the pinch of the recession are cutting back on marketing or trying to monetize their content assets.  What they don't realize is that offering something for free could actually boost sales - just look at how Monty Python did it.
• Desperate times call for more...well, creative measures.  Take a look at these 10 examples of creative Twitter usage by companies, colleges, and regular people.
• When it comes to personal branding and online reputation management, there's a right way to do it (by following these 11 rules of personal branding), and a wrong way to do it (as demonstrated in this Dilbert cartoon).

Have a great rest of your weekend, everyone!

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, January 23

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me, and I'm happy to finally get a new edition of Whole Lotta Link Love posted for you.  Lots to share, and I hope you find it valuable and useful!

1. First of all, I posted last week about a new campaign from Share Our Strength to end childhood hunger.  I think this is an important and worthwhile initiative, and it's really easy to support.  Just text SHARE to 20222 to donate $5.  Tweet it, Facebook it, tell all your friends - just please spread the word.
2. Speaking of texting, mobile technology and marketing is in a position to really explode - beyond just calling and texting.  David Finch talks about the potential of mobile technology at his blog.
3. With a brand new, tech-savvy president in office, Washington DC has the potential to become the new "IT" city of tech.  Washingtonian and social media consultant Debbie Weil talks about why.
4. You may have witnessed people at conferences and seminars furiously tapping on their laptops or mobile devices during a presentation, or you may have watched the blow-by-blows of various online and offline events on Twitter.  This is live tweeting, and Mayra Ruiz offers her tips for live tweeting over at the Marketing Misfit blog.
5. I previously talked about tools you can use to measure engagement on Twitter, and Hendry Lee offers even more ways to track Twitter clicks and conversions over the the TwiTip blog.
6. This is a really interesting post from Bamboo Forest at Write to Done about why posting less frequently could increase your blog's popularity.

I leave you with a pretty cool "morphing presidents" video, from George W. (the original) to Barack.  Have a great weekend!

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, January 9th

Happy (belated) New Year, Caffeinated readers!  I'm hoping that 2009 has started off well for you, and you've been as busy as I have - socially, personally, professionally, or any other -ally!

Lots of great links to share with you today, so let's dig right in, shall we?

• First of all, my friend Danny Brown is hosting a blog carnival, called Social Media Goes Gonzo.  It's going to be published on Tuesday, January 13th, and if you want to submit a post, you have until 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time TODAY to do so.
• If you want to start using press releases as part of your marketing strategy, but are having a difficult time coming up with ideas, then look no further than the Vertical Measures blog.  They've done the work for you with this list of 20 press release ideas for your business.
• Speaking of ideas - you may be looking for some as you embark on a new social media marketing strategy this year.  Take a page from the airlines and check out how they're using social media.
• If you're a non-profit wondering how Facebook can benefit your organization's outreach efforts, take a look at this great Facebook discussion over at Beth Kanter's blog.
• Considering hiring a social media agency or consultant.  Beth Harte and Geoff Livingston came up with 25 signs of a strong SM agency or consultant.
• I was having a difficult time last week finding resources about using Slideshare for marketing - until a friend from LinkedIn (Gary Esposito) sent me this post from SocialSEO.  It's about 9 months old, but it still gives some excellent advice (which is why I wanted to share it with you).  Thanks Gary!

Have a great weekend, and stay warm (if you aren't already)!

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, December 19

Happy Friday before Christmas, Caffeinated readers!  It's only 6 shopping days 'til Christmas - have you finished your shopping yet?  If you're still looking for ideas, here are a few to consider:

One more idea: a FREE subscription to Website Magazine.  I highly recommend this magazine because there's so much valuable information for online marketers, especially for a free magazine.

Now, on with some weekend-before-Christmas online reading:

• Junta42 recently published the findings of their recent survey, which shows that "56% of marketing- and publishing-decision makers plan to increase their content marketing spending for 2009".  BTW, I was recently chosen to receive a copy of Joe Pulizzi's and Newt Barrett's book, Get Content. Get Customers.  Thanks!
• Over at Search Engine Journal, Ann Smarty outlines some ways to build links with how-to content.
• Speaking of link building, here is a huge (and growing) list of link building techniques from Jeff Quipp at Search Engine People.
• If you have a freelance business, Twitter can prove to be an excellent way to grow your business - if used properly.  Here are some tips to follow from freelancer Jenny Cromie.
• Speaking of Twitter, there was a bit of an argument this week about whether brands belong on Twitter.  Here's the against side, and here's the for side.

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, December 12

Let's dive right in to this week's links, shall we?

• Planning on getting your company on Twitter?  Read these 5 steps to a successful corporate Twitter presence first from Niall Cook.
• You may be completely overwhelmed by all the social media and networking sites and tools that are out there (I don't blame you).  But it's OK - you don't always have to use the hot new thing in social media.
• When it comes to building an online community, too many companies focus on the technology rather than the people.  Check out Richard Millington's Online Community Building Manifesto - it's an absolute must-read.
• What is your lead generation plan - push out offers and hope that prospects bite, or pull in customers by listening to and conversing with them?  Chris Brogan talks about how lead generation methods need to change to "empower the users".
• If you're a freelancer, check out Kim Woodbridge's tips for finding freelance work using Twitter.  As a freelancer myself, I can attest to her methods - they do work!
• DoGooderTV is a video site for non-profits to promote themselves via video.  They even offer video production services at "a price point that's within a nonprofit's budget."
• Lastly, I haven't been able to get Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know" out of my head since I first saw this video from Hubspot:

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, December 5

So it's official: we're in a recession.  Yeah, like you didn't know.  For months we've been watching it on the news and reading about it online and in the papers.  We definitely saw it coming, and now businesses are cutting corners in the worst way possible by slashing marketing budgets and laying off their sales and marketing staff (who's gonna generate revenue for you - accounting?).

This week's edition of Whole Lotta Link Love lists some helpful articles to get your marketing back on track - even in tough economic times.

• Newt Barrett talks about 6 ways that content marketing can get your company through the recession.  This post was published back in October, which goes to show that yes, we've known about this for a little while.
• During a recession, marketing efficiently is key to getting the most return on the budget you do have available.  Jason Baer talks about how social media is the most efficient way you can market to your customers.
• In September, I talked about how widgets can be an inexpensive way to get your customers interacting with your brand.  Over at AdAge, Bob Garfield asks why more advertisers aren't using them.
• Speaking of brand interaction, check out Lucky Brands interactive, customer-generated coupon for the holidays - LuckyBuckOff.
• Are you finding customers, or are customers finding you?  Check out this article at Hubspot to find out how inbound marketing can attract customers to your business like a magnet.
• What about the customers you already have - or your community members?  Read these valuable tips at CommunitySpark about how to get more members of your online community active.
• Is all the talk of recessions and credit crunches just too depressing?  Here's something that may cheer you up:

Whole Lotta Link Love, Black Friday Edition

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and didn't get too full on turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc ad nauseam.  I also hope you're staying safe and looking out for your fellow shopper amidst all the craziness that is Black Friday - remember, no one has to die over a DVD player.

If you haven't been up since the literal crack of dawn and braving the cold weather and long lines at your favorite department store, then you may be more interested in what retailers are doing online to earn your holiday shopping dollars.  Here are just a few social media and campaigns and community initiatives some major retailers have launched:

• Amazon has unveiled a "Holiday Customer Review Team", consisting of its most active reviewers (read: real customers) and designed to help Amazon customers find gifts.  The team reviews and recommends products, as well as provides money-saving tips for holiday shopping.
• Facebook users give and receive "virtual gifts" to each other every day - some to support causes, others just for the fun of it.  Dell, eBay, and Sephora have each launched their own virtual gift campaigns on Facebook for the holidays, which they hope will drive traffic to their respective Facebook fan pages (which promote real products) and websites.
• JCPenney has chosen the holiday shopping season to jump onto the social media bandwagon, launching a viral marketing campaign on Youtube and Facebook called "Beware of the Doghouse".  Apparently, the Facebook page allows women to "put their significant other in the 'Doghouse' for bad gift choices" (hmmm, smacks a bit of the recent Motrin ad debacle to me).  They may be redeeming themselves, however, with their newly-launched presence on Twitter (@askjcp).
• Before you do your holiday cyber shopping, don't discount the value of blogs and online tools to help you find the best deals.  Check out this great post over at Gather listing some deal tracking tools and widgets you can use, as well as this post at BuzzLogic about how blogs can help you save money on electronics this holiday season.

One more thing today - don't forget to vote in the Open Web Awards!  Round 1 voting ends at 11:59 EST this Sunday, November 30th.  Vote below for your favorite social media and web 2.0 sites while you still have time!

Whole Lotta Link Love Friday, November 21

It's Friday, and we're one week away from the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.  As retailers scramble to prepare for the holiday shopping onslaught, they're also looking at new ways to engage customers during this economic downturn (wow, that sounds like an understatement!).

Here are a few articles worth reading that may help as you prepare for holiday shoppers:

1. Twitter is fat becoming a powerful tool for many companies to communicate with customers...but is it right for your business?  Sarah Worsham at Sazbean lists some of the questions you should consider before creating your Twitter presence.
2. In my latest post about using social media to generate holiday sales, I listed using Twitter for customer service.  Jetblue uses it successfully, so can you?  David Carter talks about the value of using social media for customer service.
3. Dev Basu talks about how you can super charge your online marketing efforts for the holiday season over at Search Engine Journal.
4. For many online customers, sharing of personal information is the biggest concern consumers have when shopping online.  Here are some tips for addressing that concern and holding on to your customers this holiday season.
5. If you just can't get enough of social media OR the 12 Days of Christmas, then you're gonna love what Danny Brown came up with.

Whole Lotta Link Love, November 15

I'm posting this week's edition of Whole Lotta Link Love a day late - I'm sorry.  I got just a little bit busy yesterday and got home late (I know, not an excuse).  Better late than never (at least, that's what I keep telling myself); but I will deliver on time (Fridays) from now on - promise!

1. I was pleasantly surprised to find that content marketing strategist extrordinaire, Newt Barrett, wrote a post on Content Marketing Today about my recent Facebook business case study.  Thanks Newt!  I was also surprised to find out that the subject of the case study, Dustin of Dustin Meyer photography, was contacted by Facebook this week for an interview.  All I have to say is...wow.
2. Speaking of Content Marketing Today, Joe Pulizzi (co-author with Newt on the book Get Content. Get Customers) wrote this valuable article on seven content marketing mistakes and how to avoid them.  Definitely worth a read.
3. Interested in using Facebook to promote your business?  Here's a comprehensive list of tools and tips to help you get started.
4. If you haven't seen the new blog from Problogger Darren Rowse called Twitip, then you must check it out.  It's packed with best-practice tips on using Twitter for both your business and yourself.
5. Blog carnivals are a great way to generate content for your blog and build incoming links.  Ann Smarty gives you some tips for starting your own blog carnival.
6. When participating in social media and online communities, you'll no doubt run into a few trolls along the way - but you can stop them.  Here's 5 ways.
7. What if Facebook was real life?  Check out this kind of scary (but hilarious) video:

Don't forget to vote in the Mashable Open Web Awards! This is your chance to nominate your favorite web 2.0 tool, app, website, plugin, or platform - so don't miss out. The nomination round ends tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 16th) at 11:59pm. Vote now!