LivingSocial expands into merchandise deals | Internet & Media. LivingSocial said today it has branched into merchandise, a move that comes as the online daily-deal company tries to keep pace with sector leader Groupon. Up to now, most of LivingSocial's bargains have been connected to restaurant meals, weekend trips and spa services. From now on, customers can visit the site to buy discounted merchandise. This is the company's first attempt at selling physical products.
The company, based in Washington D.C., is kicking off the offering with a day at the beach theme, offering such goods as tent gazebos, beach toys and towels. Groupon already sells merchandise, having launched Groupon Goods last year. Amazon and AOL founder Steve Case are investors in LivingSocial. Staying Afloat in a Sea of Options: Social Media Platforms. It seems like there is a new social media platform every day that marketers deem “the next big thing.”
Start-ups in Silicon Valley are banking on the fact that social media marketing will not always belong to Facebook and Twitter. Though these two platforms have the largest volume of daily active users, with 526 million and 140 million respectively (Q1 2012 figures), there are ample branding opportunities on other social networking platforms. In this post, we’re going to break down the big fish, the smaller fish and how to decide which platforms your business should be on. The first myth we need to dispel is that your business does not necessarily have to be on every single available platform. In fact, Levelwing often recommends choosing only a few because it is important to have the time to manage and create fresh content instead of just being on them for the sake of mere presence. Facebook Most notably, and first in the social media game, is Facebook. Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Google+ Zaarly Expands Web Presence, Launches API To Help Publishers Monetize Content.
For many, the appeal of realtime, local commerce platforms like Zaarly is evident almost immediately. For those unfamiliar, the mobile-centric reverse Craigslist allows users to post requests to Zaarly’s app — for anything from data entry to a fancy Starbucks mocha Frappuccino and how much you would be willing to pay for it. Then users can kick back and wait for their coffee to arrive — or so the idea goes. It’s a great idea, and it works. For a good example, look no further than Greg’s experience. The initial concept immediately caught the attention of Ashton Kutcher, Felicis Ventures, Paul Buchheit, Bill Lee and Naval Ravikant — to name a few — who put $1 million into Zaarly less than a month after it appeared at LA Startup Weekend. As appealing as the idea is, however, I must admit that, personally, I was skeptical at first.
As Paul Graham has noted, APIs have become increasingly popular among startups as a tool that enables “self-serve” — or instant — “business development.” The Holy Commandments Of Social Community Management. Shortly after the Social God freed the business people out of the slavery grip of traditional marketing, they traveled through the World Wide Web and various social networks until they found and camped out in front of Mount Facebook. There God met and spoke with the people, telling them why he had rescued them from marketing faxes and direct mail.
For the Social God had chosen these people to be made into a holy nation of Community Managers, his treasured possession. One day the Social God presented one of these managers the first part of his new system of laws for his people — the 12 Most Holy Commandments of Community Management. These summarized the absolutes of spiritual and moral living that he intended for his people. And the Social Media God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Internet thy God, which have brought thee out of the land Web 1.0, out of the house of one-way broadcast advertising. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. So it is written, So it shall be done. 16 Creative Ways to Use Twitter for Business. Is your Twitter activity feeling stale? The good news is that you can easily revitalize your Twitter experience! Here are 16 ways to bring new life and renewed business purpose to your Twitter efforts. #1: Organize whom you follow with lists There are many people you need to follow on Twitter for business reasons such as customers, suppliers, neighboring businesses, peers and competitors.
As the number of people you follow grows, so does the noise. It gets harder to hear the important messages among all of the others. So how can you make sure you don’t miss anything important? Twitter lists are its most powerful and least-used feature. You can create separate lists for: CustomersPeople in your industrySocial media teachersPeople in professional organizations You can create Twitter lists to organize the people you follow so you can focus on the most important people and conversations. You can create up to 20 different Twitter lists with up to 500 accounts in each list. Include in this list: Social Media Strategies And Business; Social Media Marketing. Social Media Strategies and Your Business A great deal has been written on the topic of social media in business. There are numerous opinions and experiences. Some say that social media is intended for personal use; there are organizations that do not allow employees access to social media platforms.
Others say social media is the future; that train has already left the station. Typically, the discussion revolves around the efficacy and utility of social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. This isn’t the best starting point for the discussion. First, let’s distinguish between a social business strategy and social media. Social media is the external-facing component that gives and receives customer input. Related Resources from B2C» Free Webcast: Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products Social business is where core internal operations, such as customer service, data analytics and product development could use social data I believe social business is more encompassing. For leaders: 5 Tips For Marketing Yourself & Your Team At A Networking Event. Grow your professional network both online and offline. During the summer months it seems that there is always so much to do.
By the time the work day is done, meeting strangers and discussing what you do may be the farthest thing from your mind. However, local networking events present a plethora of opportunities for individuals and organizations as a whole. As of May 2012 Facebook had approximately 901 million active users on a monthly basis. Think of your own Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn connections. Of those connections how many of them are local? My hope is that this post will provide you the framework you need to get the most out of networking events as an individual and as a team. #1 – Scope Out the Event Hashtag Event hashtags on Twitter have become standard. When you’ve already had an online interaction with someone who is attending the same event as you, it can often be easier to walk up and introduce yourself because you will already have some level of rapport.