VATORNEWS — How can a social network stand out in this increasingly crowded social ecosystem? Not only have Twitter and Facebook run away with the social ball, now Yahoo has integrated Twitter to become more of a social hub without actually stepping on Twitter's and Facebook's toes, and Google has taken the first real step to socialize itself completely with the launch of Google Buzz. It's a wonder there's any room for other players. But there is. Ning has 2.1 million social networks since launching in October 2005, with 5,000 new ones created each day, said Gina Bianchini, CEO and co-founder of Ning, in a recent interview with me...

SOCIAL MEDIA EXAMINER — Are you trying to build a community for your company or brand? Are you looking to go beyond just big numbers of Facebook fans or Twitter followers? This article reveals three important tips you need to know to help build and manage communities. Previously I wrote examined the different roles for those who work with social media in business. Among the many roles, the community manager is by far the most important because he or she is on the front lines of communication. Here’s how I define community manager...

FAST COMPANY — When Houlihan's launched its "small plates" menu in September 2009, what was supposed to be a hip selling point -- tapas-style American classics at recession-friendly prices -- turned out relatively tasteless. Customers complained that the white-bean hummus and pita was "thick and spongy," the flatbread pizza unpalatably "chewy." Some were even left hungry because seemingly "inattentive" and "distracted" servers thought all of the appetizers were supposed to be delivered together in one batch like a traditional three-course meal, instead of trickling out of the kitchen as they were ordered. But these reviews weren't your typical Internet-fueled vitriol. Houlihan's had courted it...

E-CONSULTANCY.COM — Occasionally, firms, especially larger brands, choose to build forums into their websites as part of their marketing strategy. The idea is that the social network or forum will attract new and repeat visitors, build brand loyalty and recognition, boost your organic SEO and increase trust in your website. Without a doubt, a successful forum can do that, but it can also be a huge amount of work and a gamble, since most forum attempts fail. Recently, a few of my clients asked about forums and so I’ve been considering best practice. Here are my ten golden rules...

ADVERTISING AGE — Let's get this straight right away: Return on investment in social media is not measured in how many friends you have on Facebook or how many followers you have on Twitter. It's not calculated in trending topics or YouTube comments. It should, in fact, be held to the same criteria other marketing channels are: Did it move your business? It's done just that at Starbucks, which is a digital marketer worth watching...