Many small businesses are putting their brand reputation at risk by treating social networks as “places to hang out with friends”, according to reputation specialist Judith Germain managing director of management training firm Dynamic Transitions.

Firms are forgetting that social networking sites are places where reputation and credibility is established, maintained and developed, says Germain.

“Many business owners take a relaxed and whimsical approach to how they network on places like Facebook, which can be quite detrimental to them,” she says. “Others join business networks and then remain invisible.”

While there are some outstanding creative examples of brands using social networking, many small firms don’t know what to do on sites such as Twitter and Facebook, says Laura Jordan Bambach, executive creative director at agency LBi in London and expert contributor to Marketing Donut, the new website for small firms.

“Many brands are failing in social spaces,” says Jordan Bambach. “Businesses are promoting themselves via so many touchpoints — social media, advertising, direct marketing and so on, but the consumer just sees the brand. It’s important to have a unified voice.”

At the same time, not all social networks are the same, so businesses must focus on who they are targeting, she says. “Twitter has a much more mature audience than Facebook for example. Bebo has another audience again. So you do need to talk to people in different ways.”

Social networks are about relationships and conversation, continues Jordan Bambach. “The human element is paramount, so firms have to find ways to engage with people and have something interesting to say,” she says. “Sometimes that means widening what you talk about away from what you offer and into areas that you are passionate about that fit with your brand.”

The other key issue is to protect your brand by getting on networks before someone else does — using your name. “If businesses are not on Facebook or Twitter they run the risk of having other people setting up in their name,” adds Jordan Bambach.

According to Germain, in this difficult economic climate, brand reputation is more important than ever. “A good, strong and credible reputation is the one thing which can provide you with the superior and sustainable leverage you need to survive the credit crunch, whilst others around you fall by the wayside,” she says.

Further information:
Become a Marketing Donut expert by visiting the BHP Information Solutions website www.bhpinfosolutions.co.uk/Who-we-are/Experts.aspx
Register for Marketing Donut here www.marketingdonut.co.uk/user/register?destination=node%2F27
Find out more about LBi here www.lbi.com/en/London/

As the popularity of collaboration and social networking technologies has grown, it has attracted a great deal of attention in the enterprise realm. Many business organizations are aggressively embracing Enterprise 2.0 by using social networks for business development. However, many executives in the B2B world still view open collaboration and social networking as all flash and little value—not real business. Futurists have been describing such collaboration in B2B technology markets for years with little real progress. That is, until now.

While the consumer world is still wrestling with how to turn Twitter and Facebook into a profitable enterprise, we’re beginning to see businesses turn to social networks in order to interact with their customers on an unprecedented level. Companies like P&G and Peugeot are drawing customers directly into their product and service definition and development processes. Even heavy equipment manufacturers such as ABB are finding these new tools more than just useful methods for communication between and among employees and customers. New forms of mass collaboration suggest that companies are making real headway with a more self-organized approach to teaming and collaboration.

Meanwhile, intelligent device networking, sometimes referred to as “Pervasive Computing” or the “The Internet of Things” is upon us. But beyond machine-to-machine communication, however, lies the real revolution. The next phase of connectivity and integration of content will be one of placing communities of humans in context with objects and devices and visa versa. Devices need to be better able to understand where they are and the role they play, and adjust themselves accordingly based on human needs and desires.

Enter Collaborative Device Communities (CDC’S).

What are CDC’s? Collaborative device communities connects devices to a social networking system. In a collaborative device community, devices themselves can blog, send & receive messages, report status, share files and interact on a peer-to-peer basis along with humans.

An example device integration package for such a community includes the ability to “chat” with the device to request status and execute commands, the ability to share files, the ability for the device to “blog” to its community home page or send updates to a feed, and the ability to establish a direct peer-to-peer (P2P) connection to a device for remote desktop or more specialized diagnostics.

This collaboration can come in many forms, from an end user and call center operator working together to solve a problem with a piece of equipment, to a service engineer devising shortcuts to streamline repetitive tasks, or a customer working with a service or product design engineer to design a new and improved piece of equipment. These collaborative efforts often lead to new innovative solutions that create long-term value for the OEM, the user and all the value adders involved in its use. Relational capital, that which grows from customer intimacy and collaboration will define new rules of competition.

Even Google, with its recent announcement of Google Wave, shows a keen understanding of how the network services “cloud” changes how we work together and how this next generation of platforms will “seep and creep” into the lives of workers.

Harbor Research’s latest white paper, “Shared Destinies” elaborates on the enormous value that will be created by Collaborative Device Communities. It was inspired by by a recently introduced platform from Palantiri Systems which points to the fact that next generation systems are not light years away. Companies must understand the implication of social networks on their products or services or else will risk being surpassed by the competition.

Sony Music Entertainment has launched their biggest digital marketing campaign of the year for rock legends AC/DC.

Though they may be not be digital natives having proudly resisted the call of the itunes download chart – they are certainly on their game about engaging their fans in an online environment.

The campaign developed by Bluecube Interactive, is a comprehensive digital initiative that fits with the fun-loving play hard ethos of the group. Developed to promote their live tour and generate ongoing buzz around Black Ice, their first album released in eight years the campaign targets radio DJ’s and fans recruited via forums, blogs and music sites using a mix of online PR, PPC activity and display media and radio.

In this campaign AC/DC have thrown down the gauntlet for their fans to see who can create the longest rock and roll train of Angus look-a-likes ever. The big five radio stations in the country and their superstar DJ’s are mobilizing their listeners to battle for the grand prize of a signed Gibson Guitar and their entire ACDC back catalogue.

‘’It’s the old good versus evil paradigm with the battle taking place online and on air – real fans versus radio stations. Who has the most influence? Whoever wins old and new generations of AC/DC fans will find this an exciting and innovative way to engage with the world’s most electrifying rock and roll band!’’ Heather Kennedy deputy Managing Director of Bluecube Interactive.

“AC/DC’s back catalog is magnificent and fans nationwide have been filling chatrooms and bulletin boards for years speculating about the digital release of their albums. Sadly this still hasn’t happened but we are proud that the fans can get to take part in the AC/DC experience online’’ Eithne Mooney, Head of Press & Promotions Sony Music.

Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1973 by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, AC/DC released its first album, “High Voltage,” in 1975. The group has gone on to sell more than 150 million albums worldwide, making AC/DC one of the five best-selling bands in music history.
Visit ADCDrocknrolltrain.com

AOL Canada today announced the launch of its new homepage, http://www.aol.ca, which lets consumers access multiple e-mail accounts and social networking services from a single online destination. The new AOL.ca homepage will also be opened to third-party services and content, providing consumers with new customization options while offering advertisers new opportunities to tap into an increasingly engaged audience.

The improved homepage is part of the ongoing strategy from AOL’s publishing division to expand globally, including the launches in Canada of women’s lifestyle site That’s Fit (http://www.thatsfit.ca), which focuses on improving body, mind and relationships, and AOL Music blog Spinner Canada (http://www.spinner.ca), which showcases exclusive content on the Canadian music scene.

The new homepage’s design and features have already proven a success in the U.S., with the relaunch of the AOL.com homepage in September 2008 growing 23% in unique visitors, 34% in total page views and 61% in total minutes consumed year over year,* and the AOL.ca page builds on the success of the recent UK beta launch of the AOL.co.uk homepage. Today’s launch in Canada will feature the same new tools as in the U.S. and UK, allowing users to further personalize and control their online experience, from display and design to navigation, news feed options and social media.

“With today’s Internet ever-expanding and consumers engaging in multiple social networking platforms, it is essential that their experience on the Web is both personalized and integrated,” said Edward Kwan, Senior Director of AOL Canada. “The launch of the new AOL Canada portal follows the tremendous successes we’ve experienced in both the U.S. and the UK, enabling exciting new opportunities for the Canadian market. In terms of advertising, Platform-A Canada will now have the capability to expand its reach across more relevant and media-rich content and channels.”

Some of the innovative features added include AOL Canada users being able to check their Google Mail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, in addition to their AOL Mail e-mail accounts, as well as staying in touch with their online buddies via AOL’s AIM service. From the AOL.ca homepage, users will also be able to post status updates to multiple social networks, and access profile activity information, including new friend requests and mail notifications, from services such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, AIM, Bebo and other third-party sites in the future.

AOL Canada’s new homepage offers advertisers ad formats and capabilities including rich media options and content integration opportunities.

In support of the new launch, Pepsi is the primary sponsor of a homepage takeover on June 29 and 30, promoting their Project Breathtaking campaign. This includes 100% ownership of the new 300×600 and 408×80 ad placements.

Other new AOL.ca homepage features include:

* Customized backgrounds with multiple new designs from which to choose;
* Ability to add any customized links to the homepage so users can more easily access their most frequently visited sites;
* Users can drag and drop to reorder channel navigation to suit personal preferences;
* Users can add RSS feeds and personalized categories to get content from their preferred external sites.

The new AOL.ca homepage advances AOL Canada’s strategy of connecting people with their passion points by opening up to third-party content and services, providing consumers with new customization options and creating new opportunities for advertisers to tap into an increasingly engaged audience. For more advertising information, go to http://www.platform-a.ca.

* comScore Media Metrix, May, 2009.

Peopleclick, Inc., the leading global provider of talent acquisition and workforce compliance and diversity solutions, announced today at the Society of Human Resource Management Annual Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, LA, the unveiling of Peopleclick Reach. A comprehensive social networking integration package that helps HR professionals leverage Web 2.0 technologies, Peopleclick Reach gives organizations the necessary tools to expand their referral network and extend their company brand.

With new channels of communication continuously being introduced into the market, Peopleclick Reach helps HR professional embrace Web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook®, LinkedIn® and Twitter to find qualified candidates through social and professional networking sites. Peopleclick Reach includes integrations with these sites, and provides comprehensive training that will help organizations increase employee referrals and brand awareness.

The key capabilities of Peopleclick Reach include the following:

Extends an Organization’s Referral Network – With Peopleclick Reach, a job posting listed on an organization’s career site can be forwarded to a network of friends with just a few clicks, making it easy for employees and others to refer their friends to an organization. A majority of organizations are finding new hires by employee referrals, and these are almost always from connections made through online networks.
Extends an Organization’s Employer Brand – By having a corporate presence on networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, an organization will be reaching potential candidates where they are spending much of their time. Peopleclick Reach offers clients training and a best-practice approach to creating their own company profile on their chosen social networking sites. When a company’s networking site is interesting and valuable, visitors are more likely to share the page with their friends, which easily extends the reach of an organization’s employer brand.
Training and Consultation – Since there are many ways to integrate social networking into an organization’s sourcing strategy, it helps tremendously to have training and consultation included. Peopleclick Reach includes training and consulting to help educate and assist an organization with employee adoption, while teaching team members how to measure their success using social networking technologies.
“Today, it is no surprise that social networking sites are significantly changing an organization’s recruitment strategy,” said Ginny Gomez, SVP of Product Management and Marketing at Peopleclick. “By embracing these technologies, an organization will be able to not only increase their sourcing strategy, but also deliver an engaging, positive brand experience and maximize their web presence. With guidance from the Peopleclick Research Institute (“PRI”), Peopleclick Reach provides comprehensive consultation services so that organizations can add social networking to their talent acquisition plan in a compliant manner.”

To learn more about Peopleclick and its products and services, or to follow Peopleclick on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, visit www.peopleclick.com.

About Peopleclick

Peopleclick provides software and services that empower companies around the world to find, attract and hire quality people–in less time, with less risk. Peopleclick’s technology, consulting expertise and support give companies the vision and flexibility to strategically manage all of their talent resources–whether they are salaried, hourly or contingent. Founded in 1997, the privately-held company currently serves over 2,000 clients in 214 countries and territories, including 54 of the Fortune 100. Peopleclick products support users in organizations ranging in size from large, multi-national corporations to small and medium-sized businesses. For more information about Peopleclick, visit www.peopleclick.com.

Quickoffice, Inc., the leading global provider of mobile office productivity software, today announced the implementation of live Webinars and new communities on Facebook and Twitter for better interaction with end-users. The Webinars will provide exclusive demonstrations of new feature enhancements and discuss key benefits to mobile professionals using Quickoffice’s line of productivity software. Quickoffice is offered across iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Symbian platforms. Each video Podcast will be archived and available on the company’s Web site and Apple’s iTunes store.
Quickoffice’s products enable customers to access, view, edit and share Microsoft Office documents. The newest product, Quickoffice for iPhone, is the first integrated Office suite to bring Word and Excel editing to the platform. The company also offers each component of the suite as separate applications, for those consumers wishing to purchase just Word or Excel editing, Quickword and Quicksheet, respectively. Quickoffice Files is the file-sharing separate application. To help support the launch of its social media initiatives, Quickoffice is offering its iPhone products at a discounted price. Quickoffice Suite is $12.99 for the first 10,000 buyers, Quicksheet and Quickword are $4.99 and Quickoffice Files is $.99, each for the first 1,000 buyers.

Quickoffice Premier 6.0 is the world’s leading mobile Office suite, shipping on tens of millions of Symbian devices worldwide. Quickoffice for Android, available in the Android Market and embedded on upcoming phones, allows users to manage Word and Excel files. In addition, eOffice for BlackBerry enables native Office viewing and editing, and is compatible with all BlackBerry devices.

Quickoffice also launched a Facebook Fan page, located at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quickoffice/80930822730. Engaging with consumers on this popular social networking site, the page will include corporate news, product images, video demos, archived video Podcasts, user contests, reviews, a discussion board and other notes frequently updated by Quickoffice executives.

“We are committed to being transparent and open in our communications to customers regarding our upcoming products, partners and overall company direction,” said Alan Masarek, CEO of Quickoffice. “As we bring our product to leading mobile platforms, we are seeing our customers wanting to communicate with us across a multitude of new channels. Quickoffice’s new social media initiatives will ensure we consistently delight our customers with top-notch product updates, provide an open forum for bi-directional communications and provide highly-responsive customer care.”

Customers can also follow the company on Twitter.com/quickoffice. Currently, Quickoffice is hosting a weekly contest, awarding one user a $250 iTunes gift card for tweeting how Quickoffice’s applications have proven useful.

To sign up for the Webinar series, please visit http://www.quickoffice.com/webinars/

Absolute a web marketing company has successfully qualified as a Google Advertising Professional demonstrating its elite status in understanding and running effective PPC campaigns. Absolute can now offer more than its competitors and bring added benefits to its clients.

How do web marketing agencies stand out from the crowd? The market is awash with online marketing companies so agencies have to make sure that they offer more than their competitors and are best in class.

Absolute’s passion for web marketing and the desire to deliver exceptionally high standards for its clients drove it to take the Google Advertising Professional exam. It is an accreditation that has to be earned each year and for which Google sets high standards.

Absolute firmly believes that this professional status provides clients with extra confidence and peace of mind. As a Google Advertising Professional, Absolute can successfully deliver on all aspects of PPC Marketing.

The accreditation covers everything from understanding how to create relevant and granular keyword campaigns to being expert in analysing conversion performance enabling further optimisation to improve campaigns. In addition, professionals are always up to speed on developments as they are required to take the exam every year.

The key benefits for Absolute’s clients is knowing that they have a qualified agency working to yield the maximum return on their spend. Absolute is an agency which gained much of its experience client side so understands the importance of managing budgets appropriately and is driven by the desire to see improvement in its clients marketing efficiencies.

Absolute is a Web Marketing company based outside of London providing fully managed online marketing services such as SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and PPC Marketing, otherwise known as Pay Per Click to a range of clients in the UK.

Absolute’s PPC Management service provides businesses with instant visibility on search engines, targeting customers to an incredibly granular level. Through extensive experience in researching, creating and managing many PPC campaigns across different websites, Absolute understands the technology, can effectively select the keywords to bid on and can implement effective tracking to ensure an impressive return on investment.

For more information concerning web marketing contact Absolute on +44 (0) 1858 419226 or visit the website: www.absoluteinternetmarketing.co.uk