So imagine a staple of Online Media at the center of a swirl of rumors. Facebook was rumored to start geo-location support. It’s been the nerd talk for 2010: geo-location. Sites like Foursquare and Gowalla are leading the way. But just like Twitter, Facebook seemed poised to announce a new geo-location feature for accounts. With a huge user base, Facebook could easily put Foursquare and Gowalla on the path to shut down.

Facebook’s big developer conference ended without squat about geo-location. Then yesterday, the advertising world was buzzing about McDonald’s and Facebook. Turns out McDonald’s will be the launch advertiser to use Facebook’s upcoming geo-location feature. Check in at a McDonald’s and get a free fries or something. Can you imagine being enticed to show your phone the next time you order a Big Mac?

Geo-Location and New Social Media Tools from Facebook will make your business more profitable.

I’ve been hesitant to mention geo-location until this very moment. Mainly because if you’re not in New York City, maybe 5,000 people are using either Foursquare or Gowalla. On top of that, there was no clear leader between the two. No reason to invest in the idea until now. The moment Facebook launches it’s time for every company or business to analyze implementation to their media strategies.

Rewarding people for sharing their patronage with friends is network marketing making things happen. “Free” advertising for minimal cost. Chipotle still engages in a similar form of “free” network advertising. At locations near college campuses, Chipotle would offer free burritos on Saturday. What college kid gives up a free lunch? Chipotle would spread the word a bit and before you knew it, college kids loved Chipotle. They loved it so much Chipotle has an entire college campus marketing division.

With the impending launch of geo-location on Facebook, I don’t recommend panicking. It’s ok to get an extra cup of coffee and visit sites like Foursquare. Just don’t feel overwhelmed quite yet. It is the weekend in a few hours after all.

The potential from this news is extraordinary. It will also quell any detractors out there as well. It is very clear that McDonald’s is getting this unique privilege from a very large media buy. The full details are not clear but in what will sure be a big splash, McDonald’s will help transform Online Media trends.

For the average small business there might be a learning curve. That’s expected. Considering that you want people to visit your business you will probably catch on quickly. Sending “Check-In” promotions to friends who hopefully then visit and “Check-In” themselves. From there their friends see where they “Checked-In” and love the promotion so they show up and “Check-In.” After that it gets quite cyclical and the potential becomes beyond incredible.

Have you already been having fun with Foursquare or Gowalla? Let me know! I’ve been trying it out myself a bit under a pseudonym and it can get addicting fast!

Have a fantastic weekend and I look forward to seeing you here again on Monday!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

I was totally deceived for a while! is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Media Strategies, Media Relations, Social Media and Google Search. How to realize the true potential of online communities for business growth.

I’m not joking at all. I’m completely serious that ‘Googling’ will come to an end. I may just be a few decades ahead of myself is all.

Ya know how they refer to Facebook and Twitter as ‘Web 2.0′? It’s not because they’re social media, it’s because of the technology behind the websites. Back when Web 2.0 started a good friend explained to me the underlying principle guiding the technology. After building a Web 2.0 company himself he was best to describe it. Web 2.0 is designed to respond to you before you act. In other words, it should know what you want to see and show it to you before you even click a button.

Creepy?

You’re already getting used to it right now. I wrote this week about Facebook’s privacy and new features. Facebook announced today that over 50,000 websites have adopted their new plug-ins that essentially help Facebook dominate content across the web. Now you have over 50,000 different websites that you can ‘Like’ and suggest to friends. Facebook then passes that along to your friends and your friends pass their likes along to you.

Have you seen those Microsoft Bing commercials? They always take a jab at Google, the dominate search engine, for not being very visually appealing. Do you agree? Google is very simple. It’s text and list based. You search and their engine gives you results with very few images (unless you search for images) and it’s just very pure data. Bing is a very visual search engine. But even the typical search engine is slowly seeing a fate worse than death.

For marketers, Google is an amazing way to track and analyze where advertising dollars are spent and their results. Facebook, Twitter and others do not have that “graphing power.” You can’t walk into a room of high-dollar executives and show them results on a dry erase board because there’s only very select information. Facebook’s new methods of ‘Like’ and commentary centralize social media interaction in a way easier to potentially analyze.

That’s been the biggest problem for social media to date. So many others, including myself, know that social media is a valuable tool. Putting an exact number on that value has been the hardest thing to do yet. But what is very clear is that Facebook and Twitter are recognized by about 85% of the US population. That’s more than the percentage of people with regular internet access. Social Media strikes a chord with most people. Here’s what I think the major reason is:

Everyone wants to be involved in a community and share experiences and opinions with others.

To date, there has been no way that a single person can in theory interact with billions of others in the blink of an eye. Connecting with someone on the opposite side of the planet is easier than ever imagined. Google is very single-user focused. Facebook has been too mass-mob focused. Blending and bridging the gap makes for a very clear message:

Media Strategies is an active method to be seen and be heard in a community environment of instant action and instant response.

Searching will be dead. Finding will be king. Bookmarking will be a habit and sharing is only natural. If you’re not getting on board now you’re only delaying the inevitable. Until Monday friends, have a great weekend!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

It’s the end of Google Search… is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Facebook and Social Media Privacy Concerns, the Ultimate Marketing Tool for Information and Outreach at a Reduced Cost.

If there’s one thing people get frightened about it’s their privacy online. Stolen identity, false impersonations and harassments are just a few of the consequences that come to mind. It’s completely understandable and I’ve been very wary of any of my personal information leaking online. Have you felt the same way?

Well the largest social network out there, Facebook, holds a lot of information about a lot of people. Facebook has also recently changed it’s privacy settings which has angered some. Facebook’s ultimate goal is to be in control of the information you post on the site. They make money selling controlled access to that information to potential advertisers. Imagine the intimate information, opinions and history you share on Facebook. Wouldn’t that be valuable to someone looking to market to you?

That’s exactly what Facebook thinks and that’s exactly what marketers salivate over. Today, credit bureaus sell basic and intimate information about millions of Americans to advertisers and marketers. They call it demographic data. Ever applied for a loan, mortgage or credit card? They have your information.

Ever signed up for a chance to win a brand new car? Some random third-party now has your basic information about you. Further, when you drop that entry form in their box, you agree to allow them to sell your information. It’s a multi-million dollar industry all about names, addresses and phone numbers. It gives advertising and marketing a personal touch.

If you have a Facebook account you need to visit this site. You can search for what information is accessible by anyone with a profile – which is anyone. All you ever need for a new profile is a unique email address.

Ultimately it’s easier to advertise to a certain group of people. Choosing the qualities of a specific group of people to target to is valuable. Instead of spending thousands of dollars advertising to a large amount of people that may not fit your ideal customer you can target and budget for a higher Return On Investment. It’s all about the dollar signs. What sort of investment and least amount of cost generates the highest return? Facebook, credit bureaus and sweepstake corporations bank on offering detailed information to marketers.

Should the average consumer be concerned?

Honestly, no if you do not share information that is either traceable or really sensitive. You wouldn’t put your social security number on Facebook so do not include your address on your profile.

Should marketers feel guilty for using information from Facebook?

If they do not push the boundaries then no. It’s hard to tell where those boundaries are but in reality if a person publishes that information then they must not mind other people using it.

What did you find Facebook shares about you? Drop me a line! Until Friday, take care!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

Want to See What Facebook Shares About You? is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Get your media strategy in shape by playing a bit of catch-up!

I’ve talked a lot about feeling behind, poor time-management or simply getting with the times. Today I want to encourage others to make that bold effort to step out, put the running shoes on and hit the pavement. Catch up to the world around you by learning something new everyday. Here’s how I did it myself.

I was slow to join Myspace and I joined Facebook at the same time. To this day I do not think I have a full grasp on all of the features of either. So when I started my business I quickly realized that if I wanted to ride the new ‘Social Media Wave’ I had to play a lot of catch-up.

It’s a lot to handle at once. I meet a lot of clients that are in the same boat I was. When realizing that you’re in a technology sink-hole you cannot ignore it. That’s the first mistake. The second mistake is that people avoid asking for help because they get embarrassed. Trust me, I know EXACTLY how that feels…

So after I realized I couldn’t ignore my sink-hole and because I don’t like asking for help I found a great friend: Google News. There I found my way to the Sci/Tech section where I became even more baffled by what I read. I do not speak tech jargon. I do not know more about computers other than email, internet and turning the darn thing on. Call me simple, but finding news that wasn’t on TMZ, PerezHilton, MSNBC or WFAA was a revelation. A very daunting revelation at that.

I’ve known many people who have quit at this step. What sites do you trust? What does any of this mean? Am I doomed? I was flabbergasted. I have spent over 15 years in the ‘traditional’ media. New online media is gaining strength and at the time I didn’t have any experts on staff to help my clients with websites, social media or networking. I was alone getting my clients on television, radio and in the newspaper. But I knew that soon clients would come to me to answer their online media questions and I needed to prepare.

After a day or two of browsing these new sites I found a friend gave me an analogy that helped a ton. It was suggested that I approach learning about online media like I approach working out in a gym. You can’t lift all of the weights on the first day. You can’t run that seven-minute mile right away. You can, however, get your feet wet and pick up a light weight. You can run a half-mile the first time. You won’t be a gym pro by any means, but you’ll catch-up. You just have to get ‘fit’ before you become an expert.

Slowly, over a week or two, I read a few articles here and there that interested me. Most importantly, I focused on those that I understood. I learned new things, heard the latest rumors and found myself reading more and more. I found new ideas to execute and when I went to add to my team – I knew exactly what I wanted. My business has grown significantly and it was all because I took the reigns and grew my media strategy to encompass something new.

It’s essential to my clients now too. Everytime I visit Wired News, ZDNet and CNet there’s something new or revealing that makes my business better. It allows me to offer more to my clients. I’m not a full six-pack of online media muscle, but I’m definitely well-versed and able to keep up with the best of them.

Hope everyone’s week is going well! Shoot back with some of your favorite sites and I’ll see you back on Friday!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

I’m Getting Fit by Playing Catch-Up?! is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Build your media exposure by interacting with news stations on social media.

Ever notice that trend last year for dozens of news anchors and reporters who joined Twitter? Visit most news station’s websites and you’ll find somewhere to learn more about your favorite news personality AND what their Twitter account is. Now check: are you following them? Are they following you?

There’s a secret to why news stations push hard to build Twitter or Facebook followings. For an industry that heavily relies on ratings and numbers of viewers, finding new ways to track viewership enhances their ability to sell airtime. But while that might seem as the most obvious reason, the biggest secret is that they can use social media to produce content.

I have a huge complaint with news stories that are receive too much coverage. In a lot of instances, such over-coverage has stopped. That’s mostly due to news stations vetting topics through social media. They ask their viewers what they think and when they hear a lot of complaints – they act.

How can this affect you?

Since you know a lot about your chosen profession, you have a lot to contribute to any news story that deals with your industry. It happens all of the time with me. I see a story about something I know a great deal and I yell at the television. I comment with friends or family who saw the same story or report. I have an opinion and something to contribute.

Until recently, there was no real effective way for typical viewers to contribute. Sure you can go to the story online and leave a comment. You can contact the station with a phone call or by email. When do you see that directly effect a story that is going to air and not one that has already aired?

Especially when reporters or producers vet stories via Twitter – how can you not see the potential to put in your 2 cents? Now keep in mind that there are a lot of average hourly workers that offer their opinion as well. Those opinions are important but they contribute to the overall newscast and not to a particular story. If you’re an expert – you can directly contribute to a story.

To help build your status as an expert in this situation you will need to have a professional website, professional credentials and preferably your own generated content. That way your contribution is taken seriously and it will increase the odds of your contribution being used. I’ve talked many times before about how to make yourself more accessible and how important that truly is when people go online to look for you.

Taking yourself seriously means that others will as well. When you start following your favorite reporters or anchors keep in mind that they have a deadline. They have a level of standard. You need to work to their needs first and remember the ultimate rule: you have to actually be on Twitter to take advantage of this opportunity!

I hope you all are having a good Monday – mine has been off to a crazy start! Have a great week and I’ll see you here again on Wednesday!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

This is all kinds of stalker-ish is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Simon Cowell - Media Marketing Mogul or Emmy Winner? What makes branding and revenue limitless?

Another person with an Emmy and it’s not me. Well someday maybe. American Idol has been rocking and now, with Simon’s imminent departure, his second best show ever is coming to the US: X Factor. Do both of these show really earn Simon an Emmy?

Here’s the thing: American Idol, Pop Idol, Britain/America’s Got Talent and X Factor are global. They span more than a decade and millions upon millions upon millions of dollars in revenue – a second. I’m just kidding – it’s every 60 minutes. I don’t think I’d give him an Emmy – I think I’m going to create my own “Media Marketing Genius” award (I may need help to come up with a better name!)

There’s not an element of any of his shows that do not churn revenue regularly. Want to vote by text? AT&T pays for the exclusive advertising during voting by text rights. Want to hear the judges give their critique? You have to see that they’re drinking from Coca-Cola cups if you do! Think the show ends in May? Hardly! Those contestants and the winner tour for months while the show starts the audition process for the next season!

The big concept Simon has down is that everything you do has the potential to earn money. It has the potential to be valuable to someone – just find them. This television phenomenon has taken branding to a whole new level. Auditions cause a stir, you can buy the contestant’s songs each week and you can finally buy the debut album from the season’s winner. Where do you not see potential?

Officially today I announce Tony Zazza’s [Insert creative name for a media marketing genius] Award – Candidates will be announced after we come up with our clever and creative name. So please, send in your nominations, your suggestions and spread the word! Tony Zazza is looking for a genius!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

Simon Cowell wins Emmy?! For what?? is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

First, that’s NOT true. I’m really glad though that people are erring on the side of caution when it comes to links they find. It is true that there are malicious people looking to spread viruses and Trojans through Facebook and many other online networks. It’s not very fun. Have you ever encountered a Facebook virus?

Now everyone wants something of theirs to “go viral” on YouTube or anywhere. But the effort you put to online media needs to focus on being personable and informative. Things do not go viral by plan.

Now I’m also a very big advocate of listening. If you try to engage an audience you have to be both intimate and responsive. So finally after most of my babbling I get to my question for you. How would you like to get updated on my new blog posts?

Be creative! I’d love to hear it!
Until next time when I actually get to sit at my desk, have a great weekend!

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

This is not a virus – though it is viral! is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Apolo Ohno Knows the Secret Strategy Every Business Owner should Know...

What a great two weeks of sport! I love the Olympics. I’ve known that most of the athletes focus on their sport as a full-time job. I know that they get sponsorships but I didn’t know that they get a cash payout based on how many medals (and what medals) they win. Honestly – I think I could live on the payouts but when they don’t have full-time jobs they must be doing something else.

I’ve included a caption of Apolo Ohno’s secret to not only earn income – but to gain exposure. Apolo is probably getting complimentary miles or flights for his permission granted to Alaska Airlines – and exposure.

What does that matter to an athlete? Name recognition will help him launch an athletic equipment line. Start a television show. Anchor the next Winter Olympics. The possibilities are really endless. It’s a great business decision to build on opportunities. Sometimes opportunities come directly to you. Sometimes you have to make the opportunities a reality.

One of my clients, Corinthian Wellness Spa in Southlake, has a wonderful relationship with The Melting Pot. They share a similar environment in their businesses. They are also very complimentary in what they do. They don’t overlap but they also share a similar client base. Why not advertise in each other’s businesses with events and promotions to help each other out? Sometimes exposure is simply reaching out. Have brochures, menus, offers and events to entice people into the door. Find venues that could benefit from exposure in your establishment.

Apolo’s secret, and my client’s experiences, is a lesson that is often over looked. Media Strategies is about exposure. Exposing your business to as many eyes as possible does not need to be expensive. It’s completely reasonable to partner with another business that compliments what you do.

I hope you all had a GREAT weekend – the sun was out here in Dallas and I only hope it comes back soon! I’ll see you all on Wednesday and take a moment to share any cross promotions you may have!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

I know Apolo Ohno’s Secret! is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Pepsi has a long tradition of Advertising and Marketing around a Super Bowl Ad - Not in 2010

… If you did see the commercial – you were NOT watching the Super Bowl. Nothing hilarious and nothing noteworthy about any ads from the cola manufacturer. If you, like millions of us yesterday were (I had queso, dip and great sliders! Yum!), were watching the Super Bowl you saw millions of advertising dollars for Coca-Cola and Doritos. However Pepsi was noticeably absent yesterday.

Instead of spending $30 million + on marketing and buying airtime for the big game, Pepsi turned to an online campaign called ‘Refresh Everything’. The company built this online campaign with a blog, Twitter and Facebook account to reach out to local communities with grants ranging from $5k to $250k. Grants have been distributed based on input from the nearly 400,000+ followers and fans. Even NFL stars were given the chance to choose local community centers to receive a piece of the $20 million Pepsi was dolling out.

Has it worked? – Yes!

This campaign is being referred to as a ‘Crowd-Sourcing’ project and so far Pepsi has already received 21% of Super Bowl-related media coverage and buzz. This coverage and buzz is great for their public image AND keeps them involved locally. To make matters even BETTER: rival Coca-Cola has only received 2% of coverage and buzz for their marketing dollar. Sometimes it’s the strategy and options you use when marketing and NOT the amount of dollars you have to spend!

Who do you think is the winner here?

I’m exhausted from being so festive yesterday – plus the weather is gloomy and it just makes me want to stay inside! Let me know what you think of today’s post and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can sneak in a quick nap! LOL. I’ll see you again on Wednesday for another post!!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

Did you see that HILARIOUS Pepsi Commercial?! WOW… is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Top Military Secrets on Twitter - Did you see?

Directly from Mikko Hypponen, of F-Secure, British Military secrets were leaked via Twitter within the past year. Isn’t that ridiculous? The U.S.’s key ally in a number of military activities has a security gap via a seemingly harmless website like Twitter. Doesn’t that frighten you a bit?

British Military documents reveal a very pro-active approach to online security – even restricting all but a few computers from even allowing access to Twitter, Facebook, etc. Yet even the very few computers allowed access, someone seriously dropped the ball and tweeted sensitive information.

The Ministry of Defence, similar to our Defense Department, is an elaborate, highly-trained, and well-funded mechanism. If they can’t stop harmful tweets – what can you do to protect yourself or your company online?

What is very important to realize is that controlling information you consider sensitive or personal is paramount. You can employ the latest and most expensive techniques to keep employees, family, legal information or trade secrets safe from exploitation and still have a HUGE failure – like military secrets on Twitter.

I cannot stress enough that it’s best to strictly define what is expected from your employees – especially via Twitter, Facebook or any other networking site. Can you imagine what a disgruntled employee might say about you online? Can you imagine how quickly that might spread to your clients and harm your business?

Just as you may use Social Media/Networking to your advantage – and I work with a lot of clients on this – you need to monitor and police what might be a disadvantage. If you expect people to respect and trust what you publish online, what’s to say they won’t respect and trust something circulating the internet that isn’t true?

Let me know if you need some easy (and even FREE) monitoring tools to keep you safe and well positioned! I’ll see you back on Friday!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

Military Secrets Leaked on Twitter is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Domino's Recent Marketing Ploy May Have Already Backfired.

Imagine my surprise when I saw these self-depricating ads from Dominos airing during prime time. They announced that they were making a new crust and sauce to satisfy customers. “Wow,” I thought, “they are really listening to their customers and making a change for the better!” Did you feel the same way? The ads made a lot of buzz and Dominos made sure that they were disseminating that message through their stores, on their website and on their Twitter & Facebook accounts. Great media strategy, right?

WRONG.

There have been a slew of negative posts and retweets. Over half of all the comments about the new crust and sauce are horrible. Fans of Dominos on Facebook were announcing their switch to another competitor if they didn’t bring back their old recipe. What a nightmare! I have seen very few of the prime time ads since the first two weeks and I doubt anyone will see much more of them. Where did they go wrong?

When I choose pizza for a meal I always start at one place: the coupons. Why not see if my favorite pizza place has some coupons I can easily get my hands on? I usually forget to search their website because when I’m ordering pizza I’m usually too busy to think clearly. In the past two or three years I have stumbled upon very few if not any coupons from Domino’s.

For each client I approach their needs – not just their ideas. I incorporate this lesson: Keep it Simple and Find the Easiest Solution. I do not consider a multi-million dollar campaign to be an easy and simple solution. Printing more coupons however, seems very simple. Don’t let this same thing happen to you! (I’m hinting at my favorite pizza place here in Plano … )

Leave a comment with your favorite pizza place and I’ll tell you mine! I’ve got a busy weekend ahead and I look forward to hopefully stopping by before Monday – but until then, take care!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

Who Wants Pizza?? is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Are these companies the future or just weeds popping up everywhere?

I noticed a trend today popping up on Google searches. Sponsored Tweets of Orlando is a company that brokers ad deals between Twitter users and those looking for promotion. The concept is rather simple:

1. Register with a Company like Sponsored Tweets or Ad.ly
2. Tweet messages from sponsors like 1-800-Flowers.com
3. Notate your tweet with “(ad)” or “#ad” to comply with FTC Rules
4. Get paid for each Tweet and more for each click-through

Ad.ly is already cash-flow positive. Considering the relative low overhead costs with such operations its easy to see that everyone will want to be in this business. Celebrities are cashing in like Kim Kardashian and lesser known LeVar Burton. The only question that has yet to be seen is just what sort of value this blatant Twitter advertising will hold years into the future?

Facebook has already been bogged for a couple of years with “Be the 1st to WIN a NEW …” and Facebook has not lost it’s appeal to people looking to network. Money is flowing but if you aren’t actively using Twitter you have nothing to gain.

Just as with news online today – the content you may be used to receiving will now be wrapped around with ads and promotions. Pay-Per-Tweeting is probably here to stay. There’s one HUGE fact to remember before considering such services to advertise: Twitter is FREE to use. So long as you can engage people on your own, there’s no need to pay for someone else to be socially mentioning you. It doesn’t hurt but such things never pay for bills on their own.

Pay-Per-Tweeting is big money for large brokers and decent change for the rest of us.

I’ll see you on Friday yet again!

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising expert, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in growing small to medium sized businesses to their fullest potential.

ALERT: Are you being conned by Pay-Per-Tweet? is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.

Easy and Simple yet Deadly

It’s dubbed “Social Media” and you’ll learn quickly that I’m a fan of the service and a sceptic on the “social media experts”.

Here’s the deal: there’s a lot of confusing information out there. I was on Facebook only a few months after it launched. I stumbled upon Twitter years before the local news anchor had an account. I’ve been from building websites pre-New Media to working in a world where no one can get enough of it. There’s a fundamental concept that people often lose:

Stay focused on your content and where your content is launched

If you don’t think you understand “Social Media” do not try to use it. Tackle a service one at a time. Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, etc. – each of these services do not need to be daunting. You’re running your own business after all, don’t get anxious over a simple web service.

Remember that most “Social Media” services were created to have fun. So make sure you do just that: have fun with it.

Come back Wednesday for another Tip & Strategy.

Tell a Friend,

TZ

Tony Zazza, a 15-year media, marketing and advertising veteran, is the Principal of Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Texas Marketing Firm, that specializes in small to medium sized businesses.

Save Time – Avoid Social Media Chaos is by Zazza Media Strategies, a Dallas Area Media Strategies, Relations, Advertising and Marketing firm.