Tweet Like it or not, “digital” is becoming a part of more and more marketers’ jobs. The implications of this are broader than just tacking-on another channel to an existing marketing plan – developing digital approaches require a shift in mind-set from traditional channels, whether they’re owned, earned or paid. Here are five ways to begin to shift your thinking from traditional communications to social communications. Think “inbound” alongside “outbound”. It’s a marketer’s dream – in the past we’ve had to use a shotgun to do a rifle’s job. Nowadays, the rifle can work. It’s a waste. MORE >>

It’s hard to believe we’re about to tick over to another calendar year. So, as usual, I got to thinking about the shifts I think companies need to make in their social media activities in the next year. These aren’t necessarily trends that are already happening (although I’d like to say they are), but they’re certainly where my head is at and hopefully where others are, too. Here are six shifts I hope to see in social media use by business in 2012. Better objective-setting. My hope is that this will continue in 2012. More effective measurement. MORE >>

We’ve reached a critical point in the evolution of social media as a business tool. Gone are the days when the GMOOT (Get Me One Of Those) approach will get you anywhere – simply having a Twitter account, or a Facebook Page, isn’t enough. We’re at the point of social media saturation, and something’s got to give. So began the session description for my recent presentation at BlogWorld New York. Six Essential Shifts in Social Media Strategy. View more presentations from Dave Fleet. My presentation focused on six essential shifts that I see in how many businesses approach social media strategy. Of MORE >>

In recent months we’ve seen several interesting moves within the social media monitoring/social CRM space. Company. Acquired by. Techrigy. Alterian. July 2009. Filtrbox. Jive Software. January 2010. Buzzgain. Meltwater. February 2010. Biz360. Attensity. April 2010. DNA13. CNW Group. April 2010. Scout Labs. Lithium Technologies. May 2010. Note: CNW Group is a 76design client. Thanks Thanks to William Johnson for the DNA13 pointer and Steve Dodd for the Buzzgain tip.). Update: Sysomos has confirmed the acquisition. Sysomos. Implications. Strong analytics. User-friendly interface. MORE >>

Tweet If we’re connected on Twitter or Facebook, you may have noticed me posting a lot about the renovations we’re currently conducting on our new house. In a brief moment of downtime, I started thinking about the social media lessons you can learn from the process of renovating a house. came up with ten – let me know what you think of them in the comments: 1. It’s all about the foundation. If the foundation of your home isn’t solid, things will fall apart when placed under stress. You need to get the structure right. Hub and spoke? Decentralized? Stay the course. MORE >>