Social Tuesday: loyalty, Whole Foods, marketing strategy

Showing someone you appreciate them is easy: look them in the eyes and say ‘thank you,’ treat them to something special, etc. But how do you express the same feelings of gratitude and respect when you’re dealing with an online relationship? Chris Brogan offers his “Touchpoints of Loyalty.” 

Whole Foods has long been known for its fantastic natural food and organic produce offerings. Today, with 1.2 million followers on Twitter and 123,000 friends on Facebook, they are also a social media success story. So how did a 30-year old company obtain such revered status? Soren Gordhamer sat down with members of their media team and found out how they seamlessly integrated social media tools into their overall communications strategy.

Are you managing your information streams, or are they managing you? With so many ways to stay connected, update and share information, you may not be sure who’s in charge. Steve Rubel shares his tips for taking control.

Many small businesses struggle with creating and sticking to a marketing strategy. Why? Committing to one way of doing/being/creating and excluding all other options can be a scary undertaking. Arnold H. Glasow once said, “Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” While we think this may be taking things a bit far, his thoughts align with John Jantsch’s more rational advice.

Dishonest companies and individuals have been writing fake reviews, phony blogs and other fraudulent materials for years. Some have been exposed and others have managed to escape unscathed. Today, social media is exposing truths (and untruths for that matter) and it is crucial for companies to be authentic in every possible way. So how do you protect yourself and your company’s reputation? Brian Solis helps you to “keep it real.”