Easy enough?

Some companies miss this point. Take H&M’s Facebook page for example. Although this page facilitates discussion, it lacks original content to draw people to the page.  A few videos and pictures pertaining to the brand and industry are an attempt at this; however, they can be found on the main website and YouTube as well.

Many organizations, on the other hand, do understand this concept. For example, the Microsoft Windows Facebook page has several tabs that display sharp, interactive content. Take a look at the “Win7 is Here” tab; the app on this tab allows viewers to see relevant discussion about Windows 7 from several different mediums including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blog and Flickr in real time. Microsoft is harnessing the power of Word of Mouse communication, and putting real time consumer feedback before the eyes of its customers.

The Foo Fighters nail this point on the head. What better content to provide on Facebook than the end product that their fans or customers want – their music. Tonight on Facebook, this band will cast a live feed of a performance from their studio for free, similar to U2′s live performance on YouTube.

Interesting concept. Free show for fans in return for free publicity and buzz for the band. I think their fans will like this idea.

If you do realize the tremendous benefits of the social side of the web and decide to join the party, here’s a hint as to where to start: Strategy.

Identify the objectives of your social media campaign and create a cohesive plan to pursue those objectives in a manner that is fitting for your brand. Who is your target audience and how do you want to interact with them online? This consideration will help you choose the most appropriate vehicle to use – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, My Space, Last.fm, Blogs, etc. 

Obviously, you need to consider who your target market is first, before you choose this vehicle. Where do your customers spend their time on the web? A quick focus group or a few intercept interviews could help give you some insights into this. Or just send them a message on Facebook. Chances are they are on Facebook being it is the 4th largest web page in the world.

Once you have determined the appropriate vehicle, think about how you want to use it to enhance the experience your customers have with your brand. If you are smart, you will want to use it to build relationships with your customers, as opposed to using it as a news release tool.

Why does this make sense? Because the web is an effective and inexpensive mechanism for facilitating relationships. And when you build a positive relationship with customers, they can become advocates for your brand. Ever heard of Word-of-Mouse marketing? You will have your customers doing your marketing for you as they spread the word online. 

With an understanding the importance of relationship marketing, think about how you will specifically interact with your target audience. Do you want to participate in a conversation with them or do you want to create forums for their own discussions? Or maybe you want to develop an app that will allow them to explore your brand more intimately. 

Many other factors will need to be considered as you plan your strategy because every organization is different. But be sure to write your objectives down and keep them in sight as you decide where to go with social media. Who is your target market and how do you want to interact with them online? Answer these questions, and you are off to a great start!

If you have any thoughts on this subject, I would enjoy hearing them!

iPhone apps can solve this. Idea #4: The Starbucks Expresso App.

Here’s how it works:
Customize your drink, cleverly name it, and save it to “My Drinks,” a page were you can access all of your previously contrived drinks. From the “My Drinks” page, click one of your drinks that fancies your thirst, tweak this order, and proceed to check out. The ensuing page show’s you a map of locations nearest you based on your geolocation. Choose your desired store; then click the “Order” icon and your done!

When you are within 200 feet of the store base on your GPS, your iPhone will notify Starbucks by pulling up your order on the barista’s computer screen. Don’t worry about standing in line to pay; this app takes care of the transaction with your online Starbucks Card Mobile account. Yes, you just walked to the front of the 20-minute line. Feel good?

The iPhone has an app called Loopt Mix that tracks geolocations of friends and introduces people to others nearby with the app. What if Loopt added a density map that would display the busiest businesses around town? A heat map could easily depict traffic densities of local businesses and Loopt could aggregate anonymous geolocations to attain the data.

This app could be integrated with Facebook and people could post their evening destination plans for friends to see. Using the app, you would be able to scroll forward in time to see predicted traffic densities for the evening.

This would be an easy way to find out where tonight’s party is at… or avoid it.

Retailers can make this process so much easier for both the mom and the kids. 

How so? Online shopping.

Let’s meet teenagers where they are at-online and on Facebook. But how is this possible if they don’t have a credit card and have to use mom or dad’s?. Cue Idea #2:

Imagine that you are Target, Office Max, Wal-Mart, etc. Create an interactive Facebook app that resembles an isle in your store with back to school products organized into sections. Your target audience-teenagers- can browse the isle, loading their carts with matching school supplies. And when they are ready to check out, they send their cart to mom or dad’s Facebook profile for approval and payment. There could even be an option for parents to give their kids a specific budget that automatically pays for their supplies after they are done shopping (assuming parents trust their kids’ judgement). 

Then harness the power of the social side of Facebook and let teenagers see what their friends are buying. Now you have them doing your marketing for you.

Think of how easy back to school shopping could be for your customers. No more dread of having to maneuver through the masses of shopping carts and screaming kids! Then take this app and apply it to every other purchase decision that teenagers have to make.

What made Blendtec’s videos such a viral hit? First, the content is abnormally unique and intriguing with a touch of humor. Add authenticity and a social media network to that mix and a YouTube blockbuster is born.

Take the recent Dude Perfect-World’s Longest Basketball Shot video for example. A student of Texas A&M heaves a ball from the third deck of Kyle Field for a bank shot at the fifty-yard line far below. This video has been a culmination point of a few other videos in which several Aggies successfully make odd and improbable basketball shots-and their success allows them to donate money to help children in poverty stricken countries.

How had can it really be to reach web stardom with home video?

Actually, creating authentic material that has a “home-grown” feel is a difficult feat. Exhibit A: Sony’s “All I Want for Xmas is A PSP” video. This failed attempt at a comical home video rap/dance video received harsh backlash as consumers realized the movie was produced by Sony; trying to deceive their target audience was the quickest way Sony could have shot itself in the foot.

On a positive note, all these videos incorporated their respective brand into the content, which is essential for harnessing the power of viral videos for marketing purposes. Although the latter example may rethink this tactic.

Why else do we participate in the blogging community? We read these blogs because we are interested in absorbing information, and we blog because we want to share information-our ideas.

I have not yet graduated from my masters program; therefore I cannot derive credibility from my limited years of experience. However, I do have ideas. And I can offer expert insight into my own creative capital.

This blog will serve as a means to record and express my thoughts, and I encourage you to utilize or challenge the content that follows. I also would like to use this blog as a vehicle to discuss my perspective on different concepts that I encounter as I continue to learn about the business environment.

The discussions, as you will see, will often pertain to social media, as this is a primary interest of mine, and how Web 2.0 can be harnessed to more effectively pursue your goals.

My hopes are that this blog is in someway beneficial to yourself or others, and I look forward to your feedback!