Today’s guest post is written by Molli Megasko.

I’m sure you’re as overwhelmed as I am with all Google+ search and looming FTC investigation stuff, but as marketers, it’s our jobs to stay on top of what is happening and how it can affect our clients or our companies.

If we break it down, I see two different debates going on:

1) Fairness (for corporations and businesses); and

2) Privacy (on the individual side).

Let’s dig into each one. Continue Reading »

As most of you know, N-Control recently was the brunt of a social media consultant gone rogue.

The issue was a N-Control customer sent an email asking why his delivery was delayed and, taking the role of customer service, the company’s social media firm, Ocean Marketing, responded, IN WRITING, in ways most of us would never even think to do.

The issue was told over and over again on Reddit, giving N-Control a PR crisis they never could have expected…all from hiring the wrong firm. And it made the rounds on a lot of the blogs the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It has not been a pleasant few weeks for the video game controller company.

But they recently took control of their own destiny, fired Ocean Marketing, and hired Moises Chiullan to help them discuss delivery issues with customers.

And the first thing Chiullan did is take them to Reddit, to address the irate customers who, to this point, have pretty much been ignored. Continue Reading »

GUESS WHAT?!? It is snowing again! This makes me so happy!

Jack Bauer and I will be out cross-country skiing at lunchtime. Well, I’ll be skiing. He’ll be marking every tree along the lakefront as his.

This week’s Gin and Topics turned into all videos. You know what happens? People send me links and videos or post them on my Facebook wall. Which I love (makes my job a lot easier). And this week they all happen to be videos.

So, happy viewing! Some of these are downright hilarious. Continue Reading »

Many of you may not know Kristine Simpson.

She stalks Spin Sucks, but she doesn’t comment often so you wouldn’t recognize her name from there. But she’s someone you need to know!

Other than being an account coordinator at Thornley Fallis, she is the producer of Inside PR, the weekly podcast Joe Thornley, Martin Waxman, and I record. And she freaking rocks!

She got engaged a few months ago and blogged the experience, from her point-of-view…and then had her fiance do the same. Completely innovative and extremely touching, you get a special glimpse into her personal life. Continue Reading »

Today’s guest post is written by Tyler Orchard. 

The popularization of social media has created two very different environments.

On one hand, social media has produced a world of vast connectivity. Consumers and professionals are linked without boundary. Barriers that once limited engagement are overcome with new ways to network.

Social media has offered people unconfined opportunities to tap into conversations that were once hidden.

On the other hand, the technology simultaneously provides others with a shrouded veil behind which they can hide. Social media has offered more power in the form of selection, engagement, and response.

It is possible to seamlessly transition between both of these worlds at our convenience. We can operate in two elements that contrast one another so vigorously it almost seems impossible they were borne from the same revolutionary technology. Continue Reading »

And we’re back! I’m not sure our being dark yesterday had any effect, but we made a statement darn it!

Plus, I got a day off of writing. Which, I have to admit, made me a little off kilter. No Spin Sucks to check multiple times a day. No crazies commenting. No getting my own personal writing accomplished the day. I expected to enjoy having the day off. I was wrong.

With that, I have a special treat for you today!

During the Facebook question of the week, Jennifer MacDonald asked: Continue Reading »

Today’s guest post is written by Jay Dolan. 

I was trying to think of the most influential social media campaigns of 2011 the other day, and I couldn’t think of one.

I honestly can’t think of one social media promotion that was so innovative, I had to tell people about it.

Much of what I read these days is all about failures. Blogger outreach failures. Twitter failures. Facebook failures. Even Pinterest failures (Ok, not yet, but give it a month).

Haven’t we heard enough about failure? We’re not even four weeks into the new year, and I can already think of four examples of a social media disaster.

Ouch. Continue Reading »

I’m an English major. Not as in the language, but as in literature and creative writing.

I preface with that because what I’m about to say may come across as biased.

Read. More. Fiction.

As it turns out, though, I’m not biased (well, maybe a little bit). In the November issue of Scientific American, author and researcher Keith Oatley describes what reading fiction does for our minds and souls. Continue Reading »

Today’s guest post is written by Shelley Pringle. 

Once upon a time in a land far, far away—actually it was in Canada so maybe not that far away for some of you—I worked for an integrated marketing communication company called Promanad.

Promanad had one of the most interesting corporate cultures I’ve ever experienced. For example, new business presentations were always concluded with the declaration, “We’re not normal.”

And indeed we weren’t.

Now, corporate culture can be a pretty nebulous thing. Many factors affect it, including how people are compensated and rewarded, formal and informal policies, rituals, routines, and, perhaps most importantly, the behavior of the organization’s leaders. Continue Reading »

Let’s talk Facebook today, shall we?

Sorry, Howie. I know you’re not a fan so you can go read another blog today.

I’m going to make a pretty big assumption most of you have at least checked out the new timeline. Even if you hate it, if you’re using social media for work, it’s important to understand how these most recent changes affect your business pages.

You’re going to become pretty creative in how you use Facebook now. I’m going to give you some tips. Continue Reading »