What Is Your Twitter Personality?

If you are a Twitter user, you need to check this out! Twanalyst.com will tell you how many tweets you tweet per day along with your Twitter personality just from entering your user name. Pretty cool...although it said I'm a ROBOT???? Probably because I share a lot of links I find while going to my favorite sites because...I'm all me while on Twitter!

Ask The Bloggess

I have a few blogs that I read on a daily basis. Some are for entertainment, some are pure eye candy, and some are there to teach me about blogging and social media. I was recommended a blog the other day while socializing on Twitter and it was one of those that you read and read and can't stop...like a novel you can't put down because you can't wait to find out what will happen next.

They should really put this blog in print for those computer illiterate types that would love something juicy to read because this blog is GOOD. I must forewarn... if you get offended easily stay away, but if you want a good laugh... check out Ask the Bloggess!

Facebook Etiquette

My friends over at ZooLoo posted this funny little video about how to act on Facebook. If anything, it's a good laugh and very entertaining!

Finding and Using Your Facebook Fan Page

Making a fan page for your business on Facebook is a great way to to market your company or product. I allows you to update your fans on what is going on in the company, alert fans of new products or promotions and get your name noticed by a large audience.

So, what happens after you make your fan page...how do you get to it and update it?

Your fan page is linked to your personal Facebook page. At the bottom of your home page on the left side, next to the word Applications there are little icons. Click on the first icon (Ads and Pages). Then click on (Pages). Then click on (View Page). You should now be at your Fan Page.

Make sure go to Edit Info and fill in all the blanks. The more thorough you are, the more apt someone will be to become your fan. Also, make sure you have a picture up. You could use your logo or a product picture.

Update your Fan page, don't leave it stale. The rule of thumb is daily. It's not necessary to be on there all day long, but once daily will put your business on the minds of your fans. If you have a blog, post the links from your posts with a thumbnail image. Post pictures, videos, link product reviews and press releases. Engage your fans, make them want more.

Some fan pages hold contests to keep their fans excited. Hey, anything to engage your fans and keep them wanting more works in my book!

photo: The Search Principle Blog

I'm Jessica Knows Biggest Fan!

Jessica Smith, from Jessica Knows, is having a contest to see who her biggest fan is and I want to win! So far, I've made my own Jessica Smith fan page, tweeted, written some blog posts and then made this video with my daughter to let Jessica know how special she is!

Picnik Just Added the Cherry

I've been using Picnik for about a year or so and don't think my online boutique The Apple of My Eye would be as pretty as it is without the help from Picnik. I use Picnik to edit the pictures I have taken of my products that I sell in my boutique.

I love Picnik because is is so easy to use compared to Photoshop, which I have attempted and failed and am waiting till have the time to take a class to master the program.

Well, I heard today that you can now post pictures to Twitter from Picnik! To do this you simply link up your Twitter account once, and Picnik saves your credentials for future use. It also lets you take a shot you've edited in Picnik and quickly make it either your Twitter profile picture, or background. In either case it's skipping the step of you having to venture off Picnik to make the changes.

I'm even more in love with Picnik! This is wonderful! To be able to share beautifully edited pictures will be great for people using Twitter to socialize and business owners as well!

photo: Aviary

Everyone is Talking About Twitter

Twitter talk is everywhere...even the Blah Girls are talking about Twitter...


Why wouldn't they be? They do talk about celebrity gossip all day every day and the hot trend for celebrities...Twitter!

The Fail Whale has been making quite an appearance lately on the social media phenomenon and the credit is going to Ashton Kutcher (aplusk) and Oprah. What does that mean for the rest of us...a slow Twitter!

Great Viral Marketing by T-Mobile

T-Mobil Dance

Must Read Social Media Posts

Here is a list of some of the best social media articles I found last week. Enjoy and learn! If you have any to add, leave a comment and I'll update the list.

The Difference Between Enterprise 2.0 and Social Media...http://tinyurl.com/d4w642

Ignore Twitter? Major brands learn they'd better respond -- and quick...http://tinyurl.com/cmlskm

Land Rover Taps Twitter as Campaign Cornerstone... http://tinyurl.com/cjbdx6

New Twitter App Helps with Job Search...http://tinyurl.com/dl4ek5

Twitter and social media: a time robber or a blessing? http://tinyurl.com/d4aapf

US looks to hackers to protect cyber networks ... http://tinyurl.com/dge52r

Did Twitter Just Quietly Start Twitter Connect? If Not, It Should. http://tinyurl.com/dzvrum

The Retweet Is One Of The Best Measurements Of A Brand's Success http://tinyurl.com/cfbamf

Can Domino's Improve Their Image? We Will Soon See!

After the viral video of two Domino's Pizza workers doing foul things to food before serving it to customers, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The incident, that was put on You Tube earlier this month, has been removed, but the damage has been done. If you do a Google search on "domino's", you'll find plenty of info on the subject including links to the video and written articles about the subject.

The company created a Twitter account on Wednesday and has been frantically tweeting trying to undo the damage.

Patrick Doyle, Domino's president responded on You Tube to the unruly video and Domino's corporate page says the workers have been fired and arrested.

Will they be able to get out of this one and restore their image and customer's loyalty?

Gifts For the Twitter Lover

If you know someone who really loves Twitter than I'm sure they would appreciate this t-shirt... and they will probably tweet about it when you give it to them!

I love to tweet, to tweet love I. If you are a true Twitter lover...you'll appreciate this necklace as much as I do!

Check out these calling cards from sarah + abraham. These are perfect for your most important contact info like name, phone number, email address and your twitter id!

Best Blogs

One of my daily rituals is to blog hop. It's like my break from the to do list, my way to unwind. I have my favorites that I'm always checking for new content...Moosh In Indy, Jessica Knows, Dooce, Paperlili, Hostess With the Mostess, Tasty Blog Snack and a few others. I like each blog for different reasons...eye candy, a good laugh, viable info, tips or ideas. Each one is so different from the other, each I love.

I found my new favorite website...yes I know...I always say favorite, but I have a lot of loves in life and I LOVE to share them with friends, family and loyal readers!

So, here it is... Bloggers Choice Awards. This is the best place to go if you are looking for new blogs to read!

Kanye West's 'Heartless' by Chris Mann

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Video

Lindsay Lohan's eHarmony Profile from Lindsay Lohan

ThisNext.com is My New Addiction!

I'm a shopper. I love to find new and interesting things and share my finds with my friends. I have discovered a new website called This Next and I love it! I could seriously spend an entire day perusing this site!

You create a profile and then look around for cool items to add to your wish list, recommend, or share with friends. I'm always sharing my Twitter finds on Twitter because I'm sure I'm not the only one who is obsessed with the social networking site.

What's also really cool is that you get a daily newsletter with finds that This Next thinks you would like. It's like having a personal shopper!

Go check it out and let me know what you think! http://www.thisnext.com/

Top 50 Blogs

According to Advertising Age's Power 150...

1.Seth's Blog

2.Search Engine Land

3.[chrisbrogan.com]

4.Micro Persuasion

5.PSFK

6.ProBlogger

7.Search Engine Journal

8.Marketing Pilgrim

9.SEOmoz Blog

10.I believe in adv

11.adfreak

12.John Chow dot Com

13.Logic+Emotion

14.tompeters!

15.Search Engine Roundtable

16.Ads of the World

17.Dosh Dosh

18.adgoodness

19.Adverblog

20.PR 2.0

21.Duct Tape Marketing

22.Adrants

23.Yoast - Tweaking Websites

24.ShoeMoney

25.Web Ink Now

26.CenterNetworks

27.Copyblogger

28.Web Strategy by Jeremiah

29.Search Engine Guide

30.AdLand

31.Publishing 2.0

32.Marketing Profs Daily Fix

33.Agency Spy

34.Conversation Agent

35.Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media for Social Change

36.Influential Marketing Blog

37.Hitwise

38.Compete Blog

39.PR Squared

40.Twist Image

41.russell davies

42.Online Marketing Blog

43.Social Media Explorer

44.What's Next Blog

45.Advertising Lab

46.Occam's Razor by Avinash Kaushik

47.Groundswell

48.Brand Autopsy

49.David Airey

50.NevilleHobson.com

Zooloo Blog

I'm not really sure what ZooLoo is all about just yet, but I do know I really enjoy reading their blog. They are on the up and up when it comes to the Internet, so go take a look, add them to your RSS feed, join their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter and be in the know too!

I Love the Buzz!

Do you want to be apart of the "buzz"? Do you want to in "the know"? Are you in PR? Are you a blogger? Do you have a product that needs some serious marketing?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to sign up for The Buzz Cooperative (here).

The Buzz Cooperative will get you linked up with the right brands or the most influential bloggers in the industry.

At the end of the month, I am partnering up with 20th Century Fox and Paper Shouts for the DVD release for Bride Wars. It's going to be a huge giveaway, on my other blog Giftfully Simple complete with gift certificates, DVD's, movie memorabilia and even a Cancun vacation giveaway! I got this great opportunity from the Buzz Cooperative!

Go sign up! It's free and SO worth it!

Do Followers=Worth?

Is it really worth it to have x amount of followers on Twitter or x amont of friends on Facebook?



Some stars like Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher are on their way to reaching the million mark and Ellen Degeneres has been asking her fans to help her hit a million. Is this really going to help out monetarily, maybe. Is it looking like a popularity contest...yes!

Ford's Frugal, Yet Creative Marketing Strategy

Ford is getting really creative in their marketing strategy!

Later this month, Ford will hand over the branding and promotion duties for the Fiesta to 100 twenty-somethings who have no advertising experience. This is a risky move since in 2006, Chevy let YouTubers make commercials for the 2007 Tahoe, and instead of getting clips that showed off the SUV’s features, most of the entries focused on how bad the truck was for the environment.

The recipients will be a diverse group from indie filmmakers, to single moms, to aspiring dancers, and even avid gamers, and they’ll document their experiences with the car through YouTube vignettes, blog posts and other social media updates for six months. Ford will have no control over what the testers post about the car which is risky because the car won't be hitting US dealerships for almost a year.

Ford felt they had to take a risk marketing to younger tech-savvy demographic because they felt that traditional marketing just wouldn't do it.

Another creative approach they have taken is with HouseParty.com. Ford is looking for people like you to host a Ford American Idol House Party. If you're selected as a host, you could have a 2010 Ford Fusion at your party for you and your guests to experience first hand the winner of America's most fuel-efficient mid size sedan . Also, one lucky host will be chosen to drive off with a new Ford Fusion and will fly to Los Angeles to experience the new American Idol finale!

photo: houseparty.com

The Social Media Highway

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are taking the world by storm! They are helping companies, like Dell, improve their customer service.

Bob Pearson, who was the former VP of Dell's communities and conversations, ramped up the companies social media efforts to combat the "Dell Hell" label applied by customers referring to its customer service department. The company now has 42 employees that make up its Social Media team that run blogs, a video channel as well as other forums and track what people are saying about the company. I'm sure they are on Twitter, so if you have something to say, say it. Someone is listening!

There is even a 46-member Blog Council put together by the word-of-mouth marketing company GasPedal. The Council is composed of the heads of social media for Fortune 100 companies including Cisco, GE, Dell, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, The Home Depot and Proctor and Gamble. The council focuses on best practices for blogging and social media within large corporations.

Coke became hugely popular on Facebook when two Coca-Cola enthusiasts created a Facebook profile because of their love for the beverage. With 3.3 million fans, it became the most popular brand-related page on Facebook.

The growth is a mystery because there are over 200 Coke-related fan pages on Facebook, but this one stood out from the rest. What's great for Coca-Cola is that it doesn't cost a thing for them to run the Facebook page and it is reaching millions of people. Smaller companies should think about making a fan page for their product or company to utilize the free marketing tool!

Unfortunately, Skittles was criticized when they replaced their corporate home page with Skittles-themed pages from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia. They generated a buzz, but some regarded it as a gimmick designed to exploit Twitter's popularity.

The gist...take the plunge!

"Social media is not a marketing tactic anymore--it is something that fundamentally transforms the entire enterprise" Andy Sernovitz CEO of GasPedal.

Dooce the Blogger

I first came across the blog Dooce, by Heather Armstrong, on Twitter. I was looking for people to follow and I came across this woman who had over 300,000 followers and was only following 101 people.

All I could think of was..."Who is this woman and why are SO many people following her?" I had to find out what all the "hoopla" was about, so I went to check out her blog.

I have like a love/hate relationship with this woman. It's the weirdest thing. Sometimes I read her blog and think "That was it?! Why am I reading this?" and sometimes I read her blog and instantly know why I read it...she is so freakin' funny sometimes that I am ROFLMAO!

I like her because she is honest, says what's on her mind (literally) and doesn't give a flip what people think about her. She is who she is, like her, don't like her, she doesn't care either way. No really...SHE DOESN'T CARE!

She takes some getting use to because she says some off the wall things that might make you blush and hope no one is looking over your shoulder reading what you are reading. It's like Jason Biggs getting caught with the apple pie... YIKES!

Twitter Sighting...

TwitClicks.com

Are you a company trying to monetize on the Twitter social marketing scene? Would you like to track what tweets people are clicking on?

I've tried a few Twitter url tracking websites and found TwitClicks.com to be my favorite! It's basic and simple to use. It has what you need, plain and simple.

You enter your url, TwitClicks.com shortens it and then you can click copy,tweet or track another.

Listed below, are all the tweets you are tracking with the time, date, clicks and url.

This site is in beta, so cross you fingers it says with us! I sure hate to see great sites go away!

Host a House Party

One day my favorite blogger and friend, Jessica from Jessica Knows, introduced me to House Party.

A House Party™ is thousands of parties across the country, hosted by people like you. Each event is sponsored by leading brands like Dominoes, Juicy Juice, Werthers Original, and Ford and focuses on something cool that the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends.

I went ahead and signed up for this highly unique way to market to consumers because it sounded like a lot of fun.

After you sign up, by providing basic information, you will get emails of upcoming parties that you can apply to host. You'll go through a questionnaire answering questions about your party habits and then hopefully be selected out of thousands of entries.

I've applied to three parties and was just picked to host a Juicy Juice party. I think this will be a lot of fun! You are given all of the tools needed to plan your party, invite your guests via email or printable invitations and make it a successful event!

For the Juicy Juice party, they have provided templates for games, coloring pages, name tags, recipes, fact sheets and so much more.

Go check it out! I wish I had thought of this idea!

all® Detergent Video Faceoff: Rivers vs. Rivers

Go to www.all-laundry.com to forward the Rivers videos to friends and family members to help support their charities, Joan’s Guide Dogs for the Blind or Melissa’s The Lili Claire Foundation. Each time you forward the videos to a friend, all® will donate 50cents to the River’s Charities.

You will also have a chance to enter the all® small & mighty® Celebrity Apprentice Sweepstakes:

Grand prize 2 tickets and an expense paid trip to the Celebrity Apprentice Finale!

50 runner ups will receive a 1 year supply of all® small & mighty®.

Tasty Blog Snack

The name of this blog alone is cool...Tasty Blog Snack.

Justine Ezarik aka iJustine is a new media chick that is obsessed with her iPhone, produces and edits her own videos and blogs. She is also an Internet geek (which has totally changed meaning to hot chick that is obsessed with the Internet) and tech addict.

iJustine made global headlines last summer when she received a 100-page phone bill as a result of using her iPhone to send more than 30,000 text messages. iJustine's video of the event was seen by millions online and on television, leading to a change in the way iPhone customers are billed.

iJustine makes quirky videos that keep you wanting more...I check the RSS feed daily. When I watched her video "How to Be a Video Blogger," I had a pen and a notepad ready to take notes and was slightly disappointed that all I learned is that iJustine can rhyme and that I should drink water. hugh?!

It doesn't matter though...I'm still hooked by her whatever attitude, good looks, hilarious videos and am waiting for her to answer on of my #askij Twitter questions. Maybe I need to vlog one to her and hope for some face time on one of her sweetly edited videos...one day.

Celebrities On Twitter

Ok, so here is my list. I'm sure that by the time I finish it more celebrities will be added to Twitter. If I'm missing any, leave me a comment and I'll update the list of celebrities on Twitter.

@TinaFey

@KathyIreland

@KatieCouric

@TheRue/Rumer Willis

@algore/ Al Gore

@britneyspears/ Britney Spears

@John_Luthgow

@Seth_Rogen

@KourtneyKardash/ Kourtney Kardashian

@mileycyrus/ Miley Cyrus

@themandymoore/ Mandy Moore

@KimKardashian/ Kim Kardashian

@heidimontag/ Heidi Montag

@mrskutcher/ Demi Moore

@tonyhawk/ Tony Hawk

@JustineBateman/ Justine Bateman

@RyanSeacrest/ Ryan Seacrest

@andersoncooper/ Anderson Cooper

@kevinpollak/ Kevin Pollak

@rachel_bilson/ Rachel Bilson

@rustyrockets /Russell Brand

@LukeWilson/ Luke Wilson

@drdrew/ Dr. Drew

@Emril

@THE_REAL_SHAQ/ Shaq

@GiulianaRancic/ Giuliana Rancic

@iamdiddy/ Sean Combs

@MCHammer

@50cent

@aplusk /Ashton Kutcher

@johncmayer/ John Mayer

@MarthaStewart/ Martha Stewart

@TheEllenShow/ Ellen

@AnnCurry/ Ann Curry

@lancearmstrong/ Lance Armstrong

@jimmyfallon/ Jimmy Fallon

@brookeburke/ Brooke Burke

@mariashriver/ Maria Shriver

@trvsbrkr /Travis Barker

@petewentz/ Pete Wentz

@JoelMadden/ Joel Madden

@THEREALMISCHA/ Mischa Barton

@NickCannon4Real/ Nick Cannon

@spencerpratt/ Spencer Pratt

@katyperry/ Katy Perry

@williamshatner/ William Shatner

@LukeWilson/ Luke Wilson

@freddurst/ Fred Durst

@VanessaHudgens/ Vanessa Hudgens

@taylorswift13/ Taylor Swift

@snoopdogg/ Snoop Dogg

@itsparis /Paris Hilton

@countingcrows/ Counting Crows

@Borat/ Borat Sagdiyev

@yokoono /Yoko Ono

@Eminem/ Marshall Mathers

@ashsimpsonwentz/ Ashlee Simpson Wentz

@nicolerichie/ Nicole Richie

@samantharonson/ Samantha Ronson

@davidblaine/David Blaine

@WitneyEve/ Witney Port

@paul_hewson/ Bono

@courtneylover79/ Courtney Love Cobain

@danecook/ Dane Cook

@ThisIsRobThomas/ Rob Thomas

@dannymasterson/ Danny Masterson

DJ_AM/ Adam Goldstein

QuentinTar/ Quentin Tarantino

Schwarzenegger/ Gov Schwarzenegger

adamsandler/ Adam Sandler

DavidLetterman/ David Letterman

jamiekennedy/ Jamie Kennedy

BarakObama/ Barak Obama

photo by Alexa_loves_brooke123

Single Ladies

The funny thing about this video is definitely the tiny little girl dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies song and getting a lot of the moves right. But, what's even funnier to me is that Chris Brogan had a video of another set of girls doing a dance to the same song on the same weekend that I found this video and posted it here. OK, now I am hearing Twilight Zone music and wondering how I could be on the same wave link as Chris Brogan...we'll never know...

Jessica Knows is a Marketing Genius!

If you are a company looking for a fresh, yet brilliant person to create a marketing strategy for your company, then Jessica Smith is your woman!

She came up with this ultra creative Social Media Fantasy Campaign for Oprah and I think they need to jump on this gal...if they are smart. :)

She also came up with this uber funny destined to be viral campaign for Cadbury. She can spot a trend a mile away, but before the rest of us.

She's ahead of the game and sets the standards. She's like one of those gals you went to school with that was the first to wear jelly shoes and then the next day all the girls in the school were wearing jelly shoes. She not only starts the trend, she sets the trend...especially when it comes to Social media and marketing within the Social media channels.

Jessica is currently working for companies like Ford, Care.com, EA Sports and Wishpot. Ford just gave her a Ford Flex because of her interest in a car for her family...this is where it all started. She's a smart gal!

She even gave her readers a free course blatantly telling them how to get what they want from companies. I have referred back to her free marketing course numerous times as a reference for my blog and my business.

Just to let you know, I don't work for Jessica, nor do I get anything for promoting her. I'm just a huge fan and feel strongly about her worth. She has taught me a wealth of information through her blog, through following her on Twitter and through other social forums.

I feel so lucky to know this lady!

My Mom is on Facebook!

Is your mom on Facebook?

Mine is and she's my friend! Actually, my mom, 2 sisters and 3 cousins are on Facebook and yes, It's a family affair!

I actually love the fact that my mom is on Facebook because I have very little time in my day to do all of the things I need/like to do during the day. By my mom being on Facebook, it actually is like killing two birds with one stone. Not only am I posting pictures and life updates for my "friends," but now my mom can see them too. This saves me from having to send a separate email of pictures and updates to my parents so that they can see what's going on in my life 2300 miles away.

I'm not sure how I would have felt if my mom had been on Facebook had I been a teenager trying to find an identity in the harsh world of teenagerdom. I think it might have cramped my style, but being a 30 something with small children living half way across the US, I love it!

Thanks Facebook for bringing families and friends together!

photo:stockvault.net
topic idea: Chris Brogan

Twitter Whore

Please tell me I'm not one of these...

I hate to admit it, but I think I have become the girl in the video...Lisa Nova the "Twitter Whore." I {heart} Twitter!

Creative Marketing to Bloggers

This totally cracked me up! What a clever way to market TO bloggers. They are usually using bloggers to market to the rest of the webosphere...me likey!