Vail Resorts has abandoned its long-time advertising strategies and practices. In their place, the billion-dollar-a-year corporation, which operates five major resorts and twenty hotels, has built a new in-house marketing operation that uses social media and other digital venues to constantly engage skiing enthusiasts in real time…more here

Popularity: unranked [?]

Socia Media ROI

Popularity: 4% [?]

http://www.thesocializers.com/eHoliday_Oct_2009.pdf

Popularity: 7% [?]

Facebook’s Big Changes: Action Items for Marketers
Social-Media Site Streamlines Apps Before Fanning Across the Web

Facebook’s latest round of updates announced this week will affect everyone: marketers, developers, publishers, consumers and anyone else remotely connected to their site and platform. And some of the changes will especially impact marketers.

In a rare move for any company, Facebook not only announced what changes will take place, but it publicly offered a timeline for when it will happen. Of course, the timeline may shift, and some specifics have yet to be ironed out — I’ve found in consulting both with Facebook executives and analysts covering the announcements that, many of the details aren’t yet known and a number of important questions cannot yet be fully answered. However, marketers should still appreciate the wealth of information Facebook has provided on these changes, including a gallery of screen shots. …Read more

Popularity: 10% [?]

Companies and executives are finally beginning to really jump on the social media bandwagon, and that’s fantastic. However, for social media to fully work (for everyone), businesses and brands need to be able to evaluate the impact their social media use is having, both positive and negative. Measuring social media ROI isn’t impossible, but it can be difficult because many of the pieces that need to be evaluated are difficult to track. …read more

Popularity: 4% [?]

With the top YouTube users becoming paid shills for Coke, and the top Diggers being accused of taking e-cash for Digg, it seems that the users of social sites are looking to be rewarded for their efforts.

In fact, there are already plenty of services that will pay you for your participation. Here are nineteen of the best, plus a few bonuses.
http://tinyurl.com/3bm3z2

Popularity: 5% [?]

Turning the Social Web Into Real ROI

Today the social web is essential to how we live our lives and how we stay connected. We use it to keep up with friends, family, colleagues, and even public figures and businesses. But does it really present an opportunity to marketers? The social web has proven to be effective in helping marketers reach the right audience at the right time. The way we stay connected has moved beyond email to a world of real-time reciprocal communication. With more time spent on Facebook than email these days, marketers are able to reach a large and interested audience and engage in a two-way dialogue with consumers.

This session will explore best practices in how marketers can leverage the social web as a simple way to quickly build and manage effective campaigns. Our panel of experts will share their first-hand experience and help marketers gain a better understanding of what they can do to maximize their success through the use of these tools.

Moderator:
Tim Kendall, Director of Monetization, Facebook

Speakers:
Sean Heywood, Managing Partner, MR Barber Shop & Urban Lounge
Claudia Virgilio, Vice President Western Region, Performics
Rogelio (Ro) Choy, Chief Revenue Officer, RockYou

QUOTES FROM THIS SESSION
(these are all direct quotes from these leaders)

Conversions 11% higher with social media properties involved in campaign

Campaigns typically double ROI when social media is involved

Virality is the driving force in Social Media
But how you measure it?
Click throughs on notification and then whether that person forwards it

More focus on fan pages vs. web pages….dynamic, growing, community….value of fan page vs. web site (fan page FACEBOOK hands down better due to MULTIPLIER EFFECT!)

52%-58% higher ROI through Facebook in a targeted test of online marketing of different web properties – Claudia Virgilio

3 to 1 ROI on FB for my clients on average – Claudia Virgilio

If we reach a 30% forward rate, we know it is viral and we get really excited. -Rogelio (Ro) Choy, Chief Revenue Officer, RockYou

There was much conversation during this talk about the Facebook fan page vs. traditional landing pages and other web properties in terms of ROI. All agreed the ROI due to the MULTIPLIER EFFECT was huge).

FB and social media in general offer businesses super niche , super specfic campaign opportunities. Again, conversion is 11% higher through a FB fan page than a landing page. – Claudia Virgilio

More focus on fan pages vs. web pages….dynamic, growing, community….value of fan page vs. web site (fan page FACEBOOK hands down better due to MULTIPLIER EFFECT!)

52%-58% higher ROI through Facebook in a targeted test of online marketing of different web properties – Claudia Virgilio

3 to 1 ROI on FB for my clients on average – Claudia Virgilio

If we reach a 30% forward rate, we know it is viral and we get really excited. -Rogelio (Ro) Choy, Chief Revenue Officer, RockYou

There was much conversation during this talk about the Facebook fan page vs. traditional landing pages and other web properties in terms of ROI. All agreed the ROI due to the MULTIPLIER EFFECT was huge).

Popularity: 8% [?]