Resort Combines Facebook Places, Gowalla, Nike+ for Social Media Skiing - Resort Social Media Marketing Company

Colorado-based Vail Resorts is launching a new location-based social media service at its many mountain destinations--some of which are the largest in the U.S. Called EpicMix, the service acts as a cross between Nike+ and Gowalla, and enables users to check-in on the slopes through Facebook Places to earn pins and rewards for various skiing accomplishments, view the location of friends and family on the mountain, and track ski routes and vertical feet traveled. Vail's EpicMix is an innovative use of social media, showing that it's not just a tool confined to big cities or national companies, but has a more intimate application too on a hyper-local level.

Using an RFID chip embedded into lift passes, a skier's journey is captured through every scan it receives on the mountain. No smartphones are required--check-ins are automatic and can be accessed at anytime online or through EpicMix's mobile app for the iPhone, Android, and other devices.

via fastcompany.com

Looking to plug social media into your resort's online or offline marketing strategy? Contact us today for a free 30 minute resort social media marketing consultation today here: http://stirsolutions.com/consultation Read about our social media marketing services here: http://stirsolutions.com/social-media

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Facebook Buys Social Check-In Network Hot Potato

Hot Potato combines the news feed aspect of Facebook with the location features in services like Foursquare. You choose a verb (like "attending") and a location (like "the Super Bowl") and Hot Potato will post this from your account. The idea is to connect with other friends who might be doing the same thing, or to keep friends updated about your activities. Friends can then comment on what you've posted. For those friends not using Hot Potato, you can push your updates to services like Twitter and Facebook. Hot Potato also offers rewards, much like Foursqare's mayorships and badges.

It's not immediately clear how or if Facebook will integrate Hot Potato with its site. Earlier this week, Facebook unveiled Places, which allows users to "check in" to certain places from their Facebook accounts.

via pcmag.com

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

Unlocking Social Media Ad Spending - Integrating Social Media: Traditional Media for Reach, Interactive Media for Targeting, Social for Engagement

Forecaster eMarketer has raised its outlook for U.S. social networks advertising spending this year by nearly 30 percent. As I discuss in a post at GigaOM Pro, chances are, the next big advancement in social media marketing will be less about the actual technology and more about coordinating and integrating across media formats: traditional media for reach, interactive media for targeting, and social media for engagement. For this to happen, three social media advertising areas need help: scale, distribution and targeting, and format.

via gigaom.com

Are you seeing ROI with your Social media ad spending? Have you invested in Social media as part of your annual marketing budget? Not sure where to start? Contact us today at 11Marketing for a free 30 minute social media advertising consultation.

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

Candidates Turn to YouTube for Geo-Specific Ad Campaigns for Mid-term Elections - Policital Internet Advertising

Politicians have already latched onto Twitter and Facebook, but this election cycle, YouTube could be the campaign tool of choice. Google has launched a service on the popular video site that is helping candidates target voters online like never before -- one that could eventually rival cash cow political ads on TV.

Using Google's in-stream ads, those brief commercials you see before before YouTube clips, campaigns can now go after potential voters with geo-location technology and content interest-targeting.

via fastcompany.com

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Facebook Places: The Real Target Is Yelp. (What's The Best Social Network Target for Your Business?)

Most of the attention paid to Facebook Places, the new location feature that the social network launched on Thursday, has focused either on the privacy implications of the service or on the impact it could have on location-based startups such as Foursquare (which some have said they expect to be "crushed" by the new feature). Facebook's real focus with this launch, however, isn't individual users or even Foursquare: Instead, it sees Places as a way into the local business and local advertising markets, and the company with the target painted on its back is Yelp.

via businessweek.com

Google Places, Facebook Places, Foursquare Location Layers & Mayors. Having trouble keeping up? Will Yelp have to partner with Gowalla or another smaller check-in startup to stay ahead of the million-business-pages-strong Facebook checkin tsunami? What is your business doing to get listed in all of the social network places? Why should you even consider spending your valuable time or marketing dollars on something like this Facebook Places or Yelp or Foursquare advertising or promotion? Drop me a note at brent[at]stirgroup.com and I'd be happy to answer your questions or setp a time for a free phone consultation to discuss your business and whether getting on the Facebook / Yelp / Foursquare / Gowalla check-in marketing train is right for your business, products or services.

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Facebook Places Launches - Check In Service Similar to Foursquare and Gowalla

Starting today, you can immediately tell people about that favorite spot with Facebook Places. You can share where you are and the friends you're with in real time from your mobile device.

 

 

Checking In with Friends

 

Ever gone to a show, only to find out afterward that your friends were there too? With Places, you can discover moments when you and your friends are at the same place at the same time.

 

You have the option to share your location by "checking in" to that place and letting friends know where you are. You can easily see if any of your friends have also chosen to check in nearby.

 

To get started, you'll need the most recent version of the Facebook application for iPhone. You also can access Places from touch.facebook.com if your mobile browser supports HTML 5 and geolocation.

 

Go to Places on the iPhone application or touch.facebook.com site and then tap the "Check In" button. You'll see a list of places near you. Choose the place that matches where you are. If it's not on the list, search for it or add it. After checking in, your check-in will create a story in your friends' News Feeds and show up in the Recent Activity section on the page for that place.

 

Example of a Place page on the iPhone application.

 

Places is only available in the United States right now. But we expect to make it available to more countries and on additional mobile platforms soon.

via blog.facebook.com

Is Facebook places going to force some of the Foursquares, Gowallas and the Yelps of the world to check out because they can't compete with the budget, might and userbase of Facebook? Have you tried any of these location-based social networking games yet? How much harder will it be to become the Facebook Places version of "mayor" of your hometown Starbucks now?

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

New: Facebook Places - Facebook introduces check-in feature similar to Foursquare, Gowalla

Social-networking giant Facebook has entered the check-in world.

Facebook executives on Wednesday announced the launch of Facebook Places, which -- similar to services such as Foursquare and Gowalla -- will allow people to use the GPS on their mobile phones to let friends know exactly where they are.

Facebook Places is available immediately in the United States through the latest version of Facebook's iPhone app and, for other advanced mobile phones, through the company's site for advanced mobile devices, executives announced at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

via cnn.com

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Social media strategies for a hotel: Business Makeover - Hotel Social Media Marketing

Back in 1912, when the Venice Beach Suites & Hotel was built on Ocean Front Walk, the only tweeting going on was among the local bird population.

Today, owner Andy Layman is listening to the online chorus at Twitter and other social networking websites, hoping to join in. Learning to hit the right notes to attract new guests and boost revenue at his boardwalk property is a daunting prospect. "I haven't really gotten a handle on it," said Layman, 62.

Yet, done right, he believes social media would be an inexpensive way to find more of the type of traveler who already raves online about his eclectic, 25-room location.

via latimes.com

Looking for help advertising your hotel, resort or vacation rental / accomodation using social media marketing tools like Twitter, Facebook, Groupon, Foursquare? Not sure where to start with hotel internet marketing? Drop me at note at brent[at]stirgroup.com or call me in Vancouver at 604-847-3447 ext 105 to schedule a free hotel social media marketing consultation.

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

B-Schools All A-Twitter Over Social Media - BusinessWeek

Harvard Business School (Harvard Full-Time MBA Profile) and Columbia Business School (Columbia Full-Time MBA Profile) have joined a growing list of business schools that are adding courses on social media to their MBA curricula, addressing the corporate demand for social-network-savvy employees. The two schools are among at least six that have added courses in the past year that allow students to learn about Internet marketing and social media strategy, according to course syllabi and faculty associated with the classes.

via businessweek.com

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

Twitter Blog: Introducing Fast Follow, and other SMS tips

Fast Follow. Anyone in the US can receive Tweets on their phone even if they haven’t signed up for Twitter. This is a simple way for people to get information they care about in real-time. For example, let’s say you want to get Tweets from New York City’s office of emergency management (@NotifyNYC). Just text ‘follow NotifyNYC’ to 40404 in the US.

Try it out the next time you see a Twitter @username at a restaurant or store, on a billboard or on TV, or if you hear one mentioned on the radio.

via blog.twitter.com

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

ShopKick - Score Loyalty Points for Walking in a Store - No more bogus Foursquare / Gowalla check ins?

Shopkick is an app, which will be available in the next few weeks on the iPhone and later for other kinds of phones, that retailers can use to track when shoppers have entered a store and reward them with points or discounts.

Other location-based apps, like Foursquare, Gowalla and Loopt, also function as virtual loyalty cards. Shopkick says it is different in a few critical ways.

The other apps use cellphones’ GPS signals. That means that someone could stand on a street corner and check in to a place to earn points without ever setting foot inside. Foursquare’s new automatic check-in service, for instance, checks people in when they are within 300 meters of a location.

“Check-ins are a really nice start, but unfortunately, most of them are fake,” said Cyriac Roeding,  a founder of Shopkick.

But users of the other services say they are encouraged to check-in to where they actually are, since the point is to alert friends to their location.

Still, Shopkick wants to reassure retailers that they are only rewarding actual customers.

Instead of relying on GPS or Wi-Fi signals, Shopkick installs small devices in stores that send out an inaudible noise. Cellphones with the Shopkick app pick it up with their microphones.

via bits.blogs.nytimes.com

No more bogus Foursquare / Gowalla / Yelp check ins?: Sounds good.
I actually get points I can use across several online and offline brands, including making charity donations: good. It’s only on the iPhone: not so great, but it'll likely work on Android soon I'd guess. There aren’t enough retailers to make it a must have: also not good - especially here in Canada - but maybe one day Shopkick will arrive in Vancouver...

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

Foursquare Tips: Become SuperUser and get Editing Rights

Hello superuser!

We've seen that you've either been checking-in a lot (woo!) or adding lots of new venues (thx!) which is why you've been upgraded to "Superuser" status!

There are 3 different levels of Superuser status, each giving you a little more control over things on the site. As you contribute more to the site, you'll unlock more Superuser power.

You're currently at level 1: You can edit venue info (address, cross streets, Twitter names), mark places as "closed", and let us know about duplicate venues.

You'll see these tools when you visit a venue page. For example, to edit venues look for the little pencil icon: .

So that's it for now - thanks in advance for any fixin'-up you may do!

via foursquare.com

If you're wondering why you can't edit locations or do other stuff some of your other friends on Foursquare can, it's likely you need to spend more time using Foursquare adding new locations and checking in to earn the right to be called a super user!

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

How To Use Linkedin To Generate Business

While Social Media is definitely the hot topic of conversation this year, most of the tools focus on consumer centric business, and improving communication. If you provide B2B consulting, services or products, your options for social media are fairly limited, let’s be honest you probably won’t find many fans for your Facebook Legal Incorporation Services page. For these types of businesses, LinkedIn is a much better alternative. Here is a collection of tips I recommend using.

via searchengineland.com

Most important: be social. Don't just create a LinkedIn account and think it'll turn into leads and business without putting in the effort of joining groups, starting conversations, posting valuable information, being involved.

Posted via email from Social Persuasion - The Social Media Marketing Agency Blog

Why a Multi Channel Social Media Marketing Strategy Creates More Buzz

So you want to launch a book, an album, promote a play, market a new movie or advertise your business.

In traditional mass media marketing you will find that  many different marketing channels are used as part of the marketing strategy to get the word out there, to ensure that the “Word Of Mouth” is happening and that vital buzz is generated as people  share the latest news with their groups and networks about a great movie or music whether that be off line or online.

via jeffbullas.com

Need help getting the word out in as many channels as you can in a way that is most cost effective and appropriate for your brand or business? Drop me a note at brent[at]stirsolutions.com or call me for a free social media marketing consutation here in Vancouver at 604-847-3447 ext 104.

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Foursquare Apps: Screenscape - Bring Foursquare to Life in your Venue

ScreenScape

Description

Use ScreenScape to bring foursquare to life in your venue. ScreenScape offers easy-to-operate, inexpensive digital signage for venue operators of all sizes. Foursquare venues can now use ScreenScape to promote their specials on screens inside their venue. The ScreenScape foursquare widget can be used to highlight up-to-the-minute: Mayor Status, Foursquare Specials, Here Now stats, Total Check In stats and more. Take your window cling up a notch! Use a ScreenScape powered display and say to your customers: “Hi, we’re on foursquare and have we got a great deal for you!”

Screenshots

via foursquare.com

Interested in doing more than having a sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of your business in Vancouver that says "Free drink for Foursquare Mayor" ? Check out http://www.ScreenScape.net . If you're a hotel or restaurant or even a college or university consider how you might be able to take advantage of using screenscape at one or more of your locations. Here's a University of PEI case
http://screenscape.net/upei

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Zagat Wins Foursquare’s Battle Of The Brands - Foursquare Leaderboard & Foursquare Marketing

At least according to the folks at custom badge site Osnapz, who have created a Foursquare brand leaderboard stack ranking the location based service’s many promiscuous partnerships in terms of follower count, with Zagat in the top slot at 48,136.

For the uninitiated, the leaderboard is a glimpse into some of the more obscure Foursquare brand tie-ins and badges,

via techcrunch.com

What badge do you hold that you're most proud of? Do you even notice or care about your badges? Did foursquare make up the word crunked?

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Apple Patents the iBike - Want to know your expected future path?

The patent application, entitled "Systems and Methods for Integrating a Portable Electronic Device with a Bicycle", describes a system that not only interfaces with the bicycle itself, but allows members of a cycling team or group to communicate with each other.

via readwriteweb.com

Cool: the patent suggests it will be able to tell you your "expected future path". Now that's some bike.

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Yahoo / Bing Search Alliance Transition Updates and Tips

New Search Alliance Transition Updates and Tips

Important information about the organic and paid search transition, new Yahoo! and Microsoft editorial guidelines, mobile updates and more

As Yahoo! continues to work closely with Microsoft to implement the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance, we want to call out some important updates and tips to help ensure the best transition experience for you.

Organic search update and tips
A key aspect of the Yahoo! and Microsoft Search Alliance is the transition of Yahoo! organic search listings (those found on the main body of the page). Assuming our testing continues to yield high quality results, we anticipate that our organic search results will be powered by Bing beginning in the August/September timeframe.

via ysmblog.com

Organic search transition
Yahoo! organic search results will be powered by Bing as early as late August. If organic search results are an important source of referrals to your website, you'll want to make sure that you're prepared for this change. For more details, check out this blog post linked above or drop me a note at brent[at]stirsolutions.com and I'd be happy to consult with you regarding the changes and how they might affect your website traffic.

Posted via email from Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada