PR 2.0 — One of the greatest challenges I encounter today is not the willingness of a brand to engage, but its ability to create. When blueprinting social architecture and the engineering that connects people to other people strategically, enthusiasm and support typically derail when examining the resources and the commitment required to rhythmically produce, distribute, and support content. Indeed, we are programming the social web around our brand hub and as such, we’re required to capture attention and also hold it through the introduction of engaging dialogue, interaction, and the introduction of relevant information packaged and published as social objects...

SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL — Driving traffic to your website or Fan page through Facebook advertising is becoming a popular trend these days. And for good reason too! Facebook is easily capable of sending you thousands of highly targeted visitors! But with all of the advertising Facebook users are subjected to, what can you do to make your ad stick out? Traditionally, Facebook ad click-through rates (CTRs) are pretty horrible. From my research I’ve seen that an average performing ad will have about a 0.02% CTR. A few weeks ago when I had decided that I wanted to use Facebook ads to drive awareness to a contest I was running called RavenHunt, I found my ads falling into that average category (or worse!). I had setup these two ads...

MEDIAPOST — Paid and earned media are big buzzwords these days, and increasingly this terminology is used to categorize various digital media strategy components. The language has even captured the attention of industry analyst firm Forrester, which recently published definitions of paid, owned and earned media, and made the case for why an integrated strategy reflecting each of these elements is a winning approach for brand marketers. In a nutshell, Paid Media typically refers to bought advertising (or, in Forrester's words, "paying to leverage a channel") versus Earned Media, where "customers become the channel." Definitions are great, yet programs designed to support paid and earned media are often developed in silos, making a truly integrated approach difficult if not impossible. This issue gets especially tricky when it comes to social media advertising...

READWRITEWEB — Everyone has been talking about how this year's SXSW will be the "year of location" as Foursquare and Austin-based Gowalla go head-to-head in a location-based battle royale. Location, however, is not the only emerging technology that will be on display in Austin; American auto maker Chevrolet announced it will be debuting new augmented reality promotions at SXSW this year. Festival attendees can download the Chevy iReveal application on the iPhone which will allow them to participate in a scavenger hunt-like game that blends augmented reality with location-based functions...

MASHABLE — Today’s musicians, both mainstream and indie, are using social media to connect with fans, build anticipation, and generate revenue in new and unique ways. The products range from singles to mix tapes to digital six-packs, even oddly shaped USB sticks, vinyl, and the occasional traditional album. But how are these artists reaching their new fan bases online through social channels? Much like the business world, social media promotion for musicians is still a very new game, with no exact recipe for platinum success. There are however, some innovations being put forth, and a new connection is being formed between artists and fans -- a connection that empowers both to give each other what they are looking for...