CaliberPulse

There seems to be two social media camps emerging in the marketing/public relations world. Camp Go For It! and Camp I Don't Have Time For This! can be found in every office nook and cranny defending their positions. So what's a good business executive/entrepreneur to do? (Check out this ReadWriteWeb post on degrees of social media usage.) The same thing your predecessor did when the Internet was born. Or how about when that newfangled box, the television, came to be? The radio? The truth - as is usually the case - I believe lies somewhere in the middle. Marketing and PR professionals didn't stop reaching out to print media when the first radio the size of a Volkswagen took up floor space in Grandma's living room. And companies today still advertise on TV and radio, despite the numerous banner and pay-per-click online advertising opportunities. So what's the deal with social media? Will those tried-and-true traditional media tools we've gotten so comfortable with really go away if you dare to Tweet? Hang on to your blanket, Linus.

Are you in the business of selling handbags, electronics, books, furniture, clothes, or maybe even art? If your organization offers any of these types of products or nearly any other consumer good or service, an evolving trend known as “transumerism” may be making an impact on your industry and could affect the way you approach your market. Originally transumerism was a term applied to the purchase habits of consumers in transition – in other words, travelers and their purchasing behaviors in airports, hotels, etc. However, over time, non-travelers have also begun adopting transumer tendencies as society continually becomes increasingly experience and pleasure driven. Individuals are more inclined to prefer to rent, lease, or perhaps even share ownership of products and services, finding that these temporary possessions impose fewer constraints and offer greater opportunities for extravagance.

As Twitter becomes more of a business tool every day, there is an emerging trend of smaller businesses using the social media platform as a way to engage customers. Korean BBQ trucks in L.A., snowball shops in New Orleans and sushi restaurants in San Francisco have all found ways to market with a limited advertising budget, achieving outstanding results. Avenue Coffee, Tucson's newest place to get your java fix, was extremely successful in using Twitter to drive first-day sales to their store on a day that had many clamoring for their free pastries from a much larger competitor.

Some REALTORS® have found an excellent opportunity to reach homebuyers through social media, and Kelley Koehler is on the cutting edge. An associate broker with Long Realty and known to many as “the housechick,” she uses Internet applications like Twitter and her personal blog to reach potential customers, setting herself up as one of the top REALTORS® in Southern Arizona. More than 2,875 people follow her Twitter posts on real-estate trends. Her blog averages 3,429 unique visitors each month, hosting pictures of her scuba diving and relaxing with her dogs as well as her current listings. She also provides area statistics and trend articles about topics important to her readers, like how placing solar panels on your house can conflict with homeowner agreements.

When potential clients ask about using social media as a marketing tool, one of their major concerns is if their efforts will help the phone ring or boost their bottom line. Many companies have jumped in and done so effectively, while others are waiting on the sidelines. The latter may be hindering customer relationships, according to a recent study titled ENGAGEMENTdb. Online community company Wetpaint and digital strategy consulting firm The Altimeter Group released findings showing companies that engage customers through social media have stronger revenues than those that are still skeptical about the medium. In all fairness, the companies that performed best are well-built brands such as Starbucks, eBay and Nike. But the connection to online community management and profits is growing stronger.

When the developers of Twitter launched the platform in 2006, I bet they never thought the number of someone's followers would help or hurt their chances of landing a job. Thanks to a recent Best Buy job posting, now your network's reach matters even more. Best Buy recently posted a job opening for a senior manager of emerging media marketing. This person would be the lead for all mobile, social and video marketing and media efforts. The applicant needed a bachelor's degree and some social media marketing experience. Oh, and he or she must be an active blogger and have more than 250 followers on Twitter.

Mothers are actively using social media, according to a 2008 research report by eMarketer. Company advertising campaigns have gained popularity or have been grounded down through this vocal and influential community. Some have even adopted the term "Mommy Blogger" to brand themselves (though some have done so reluctantly or avoided the term completely) , using blogging or other social media outlets as an income source. Reaching this demographic is not a new objective for savvy marketers, many of whom has relied on TV viewing patterns and women-preferred publications as the advertising vehicles of choice in the past. Today social media is providing an outlet to mothers tied down to baby strollers, feeding schedules and nap times. Savvy moms are building online dedicated group of readers and followers who can become evangelists for a recommended product or service. However, just like planning when to air a 30-second TV spot, it's helpful to know when this demographic is actively blogging or Twittering so your message isn't missed.

I've heard of a Club Crawl, a Pub Crawl and even a Santa Claus Crawl, but the businesses on Sunset Strip have done something really innovative by combining real-time updates through Twitter with the traditional bar-hop. This Saturday, businesses like The Viper Room (@theVIPERroom), The Comedy Store (@TheComedyStore) and The Roxy (@TheRoxy) are hosting the first Tweet Crawl. Those participating get a collector-edition button and access to drink, cover and prize specials only available through following the participating businesses' Twitter accounts.

Scroll down this recessionista story on MSNBC.com and check out what happens when your cursor crosses one of several hyperlinks in the story. The result is a search preview window that hovers over the article you're trying to read and, of course, the Web search engine is none other than Microsoft's new bing! Formerly Windows Live Search and MSN search, it's no surprise that news giant MSNBC is promoting the new search engine.

Cool post at SlipperyBrick.com! According to the blog, Cyclist Lance Armstrong has returned to the 2009 Tour de France to raise awareness of his Livestrong Campaign. And to cheer him on, Livestrong and Nike teamed up with DeepLocal and StandardRobot to create this robot that paints messages on the Tour de France path. The best part? You can send your own message of encouragement!

The “Made in America” slogan is starting to make its way back into marketing campaigns and hopefully into consumer hearts. Manufacturing for U.S. companies continues to be driven overseas, taking with it our jobs. With unemployment on the rise and consumer confidence shaken, a shift in consumer awareness of and preference for American-made goods is on the rise. And with that shift there are predictions among marketing professionals and advertising watchers alike that we will see more campaigns featuring “Made in America."

Google has recently added the ability to search news by a journalist's byline, which could help the savvy PR practitioner improve on his/her message strategy and media relations. It can be embarrassing to call a reporter about your client's great new service and find out they covered a similar story in the past week. Not to mention the eye roll you can feel coming over the phone connection as the reporter tells you, "been there, done that." Rather than getting caught for not having done your research, you now can search a month's worth of any journalist's articles. Doing so enables a savvy PR executive to craft a story pitch to his/her target reporter - the way it's supposed to be done.