How do businesses generate sales? Answering that question helps to establish social media’s ROI. Rather than connecting social media directly to sales, try connecting social media to the factors that contribute to sales.

1.    Hire better sales people. If you want to generate revenue hire talented people who understand how to prospect, develop relationships with and service key accounts. Social media can help you identify these people. Use your own network of connections to promote sales jobs via LinkedIn. Use sites like Jobvite to create referral programs using social networks. Evaluate the social media presence of a prospect as a way to determine their relevant connections and experiences. Look for sales people who understand how to maintain relationships using social tools. Hiring better sales people = generating more revenue.

2.    Create compelling offers. Do you know how people are using your product? Or what they are looking for in a product? A listening program on social media can help. Notice what words are used to describe your product and your competitors. Use what you find to position the product, create compelling offers and identify keywords that spark attention. Better offers = higher conversion.

3.    Increase the trust in a company. Twitter has associated a human voice, and often a human face, with companies who use it well. I know if I have a problem with Comcast, I can @ComcastCares, or @ScottMonty if I have a question about Ford. I would argue that trust and connection with a brand facilitate purchasing behavior. Social media used poorly produces the opposite effect. As @RustyW states, “ Fake reviews web site http://consumerreviews.org/... was created by DirectBuy to showcase positive reviews. Just wrong.”  Trust –> Relationships –> Sales

4.    Increase the trust for a sales person. The best sales people I’ve worked with are resources to their clients. They provide effective solutions and immerse themselves in their client’s businesses. Social media provides an effective way to learn about your client’s businesses and to provide new solutions to constantly stay relevant. How? Use blogs and RSS to keep informed about trends in your clients’ business.  More relevance –> better ability to solve clients problems –> more sales

5.    Reach people at the moment of decision. Customers are asking their networks for advice directly impacting their purchasing decision. Try this test. Go to search.twitter.com and enter “Can you recommend?”. Companies who monitor social media and respond to opportunities pertaining to products and services they are selling have an opportunity to provide information to help consumers make decisions. Of course this should be done responsibly. Moment of decision = influence points

6.    Additional ways social media contributes to revenue: empowers evangelists to share their experiences; provides direct access to customers to collect feedback; enables direct sales like WOOT.

What’s a list without good evidence?

• Check out Peter Kim – the Dean of Social Design
• Chris Brogan on Social Media and the Sales Cycle
• Of course, we’ll add the Dell case study for good measure
• And some Fortune 500 stats cited on Cisco’s blog

Added bonus:

• The Godfather of Sales

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2. Slideshare: Social Media Perfection, Social Media ROI I have bee
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“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it,”

- Edith Wharton, from Vesalius in Zante

Hunting for the perfect gift takes time. That’s why, with your help, I’ve created the social media gift guide.Hundreds of people on Twitter provided their recommendations, and I‘ve highlighted many of them below.And If you find it valuable, please leave a comment.


Happy giving,

Zachary Braiker, @quiverandquill

A big thank you to everyone who contributed and especially @caro_lina who helped with this entire process.


Gifts to wear

T-shirts That Suck

“Offensive apparel for the whole family!”

Recommended by: @JasonFalls, Blog

VC Wear

“Clothing for the top 2/20% of the population.

“Recommended by: @andrewhyde, Blog

The Slanket

“A gigantic fleece blanket with sleeves.”

Recommended by: @sandraproulx “It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten”

 

Blurb.com Books

“Real books. Made by you.”

Recommended by: @crystallyn, Blog

Daily Lit Book Sampler: Gift Ideas

“Taste and test lots of DailyLit books that are perfect for giving.”

Recommended by: @DailyLit “Like browsing a digital bookstore.”

Me Cheeta: The Autobiography

and

One Life, 6 Words

Recommended by: @johnrivers, Blog

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

“So funny”and

The Flavor Bible

“The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs”

Recommended by: @littlebrown, Website

Gifts to hear (or for music folk)

Frightened Rabbit

Recommended by: @Whatleydude, Blog “I haven’t stopped listening to [it] all year.”

Gifts that give back

 Heifer.org

“Choose a meaningful gift to give a loved one and help children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant”

Recommended by: @mojovator and @Pistachio

Metal for Monsters

“An effort by Blend Creations to raise money for UNICEF by collaborating with artists for a special line of limited-edition stainless steel pendants.”

Recommended by: @anodyne2art, Blog

Justgive.org

“The online destination for charitable giving™”

Reccomended by: @wilreynolds, Blog

Fair Trade Flowers, Chocolates or other proucts or support the development of Fairtrade Cooperatives

Recommended by: @felipearango, Blog

Kiva Gift Certificates

“Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.”

Recommended by: @felipearango, Blog  and @kanter, Blog

Network for Good

“We make it as easy to donate and volunteer online as it is to shop online, and we make it simple and affordable for all nonprofits, of any size, to recruit donors and volunteers via the Internet.”

and

Global Giving

“Connects donors with community-based projects that need support.”

Recommended by: @kanter, Blog

Flickr Premium Package

Recommended by: @astrout, Blog

Chumby

“An interactive media player that constantly streams your favorite parts of the internet in a fun, always-on, always-fresh format.”

Recommended by: @adamcohen, Blog and @BestBuyCMO, Blog

The Flip Mino HD

“The world’s smallest HD camcorder.”Recommended by: @JamesonBull, Blog and @KrisColvin, Blog

For iPhone Users: RichardSolo 1800 Battery Extender

Recommended by: @ktoddstorch, Blog

Pleo

“A robotic baby dinosaur.”

Recommended by: @TDefren, Blog

Dell Arthouse Laptops

Recommended by:@RichardatDELL Blog

Thoughtful and/or free (mostly)

A Netvibes page

Recommended by: @andrewcherwenka, Blog “For the low low cost of free I set a buddy up with his own netvibes page, complete with my guesses on his preferred feeds and brand tools. Sounds simple but for most it’s a daunting task. he viewed his netvibes page daily. monitored his name and company.”

“Set up a blog for your parents / grandparents.”

Recommended by: @felipearango, Blog and @skinner, Blog

Collages (A how-to here )

Recommended by: @Aquentminister, Blog  “One Xmas I was broke and I made everyone in my family collages – pre-photoshop so with scissors and glue”

Someecards

“When you care enough to hit send.”

Recommended by: @Armano Blog “Can’t get more personality than that.”

Mix Tape USB Stick

Recommended by: @AmandaMooney, Blog

Pre-loaded iPod Nano

Recommended by: @FranMagbual, Blog “Load it with music you think the recipient will like.”

A Message in a Bottle

“We print your personalized message, scroll it, place it in one of our beautiful bottles and send it to the recipient of your choice.”

Recommended by: @GHollingsworth, Blog “A great idea that lets you add your own personality, a little pricey, but definitely worth it.”

Recommended by: @menatpausecoach, Blog “Gather person’s friends & plan elaborate living wake. Celebration of life while living vs. only in death. I discussed the living wake with some friends recently & we loved the idea.”

A Couples Blog

A “personal” coupon booklet for your significant other

Recommended by: @sethgray, Blog

Membership at a local museum

Recommended by: @tinkugallery, Blog

Baked Goods

Recommended by: @ladyfox14 “Baking goods also works well. Tells them you took time to make them something.”

(Image – and recipe!- from the Food Network)

Experience and learning gifts

A 3-5 golf lesson package for a beginner

Recommended by: @Bloggeries, BlogSacramento Holiday Inn) “Introducing someone to the game of golf can be a life-changing gift.”(image from

Online Music Classes

and

Subscription to either www.vtc.com to learn Creative Suite/Logic Pro etc or the less expensive www.lynda.com

Recommended by: @anodyne2art, Blog

A sky diving pass

Recommended by: @lorenzsell, Blog

(image from skydiveorange.com)

Sites, guides and other lists

KidRobot

“Planet Earth’s premier creator & retailer of limited edition toys, clothing, mini-figures, artwork & books.”

Recommended by: @sethgray, Blog

and

Recommended by: @sazbean, Blog

Recommended by: @bizcoachdeb, Blog “My fav place to shop for gifts with personality. The Tao of Cat glasses rock!”, and @rosyblue

The Michael Olaf Montesori Company

Recommended by: @merichson “I always get kid gifts here.”

gtmcknight’s Online Shopping Guide

Recommended by: @gtmcknight Blog

Reccomended by: @markush, Blog and @pprlisa, Blog and @miketrap, Blog

About.com: Family Crafts

and

Reccomended by: @markush, Blog

Nicky Digital’s Hipster Holiday Gift Guide (2007)

Recommended by: @NickyDigital, Blog “This year’s will be published early next week”

Recommended by: @rosyblue, Blog and @wisekaren, Blog

Recommended by: @rosyblue, Blog

Recommended by: @wisekaren, Blog and @ladyfox14

Recommended by: @wisekaren, Blog

Zeus Jones’ Holiday Gift Guide

Recommended by: @israeliwine, Blog

Yummy Gifts

Dancing Deer Gingerbread House Kit

Recommended by: @JennMorales “35% goes to end family homelessness”

The Oliver Ranch Company: Artisan Steak Tasting Pack

Recommended by: @OliverRanch, Blog

The Grateful Palate: Bacon of the Month Club

Recommended by: @jstorerj, Blog

Charles Chocolates

“Charles Chocolates is the story of one man’s dedication to the art of chocolate, his pursuit of perfection and a complete and total passion for producing only the finest confections.”

Recommended by: @websrvnt, Blog

Edible Arrangements

Recommended by: @meredithk1981, Blog  “This year will be all about cost savings, so what better way to curb costs than with a multifunctional gift that is also decorative and a fun addition to any gathering.”

A Mighty Leaf

“Their passion is for creating the most incredible handcrafted tea blends found anywhere, globally sourcing the finest ingredients available. Paralleling the highest standards of quality at Mighty Leaf Tea is ongoing creative innovation.”

Recommended by: @tinkugallery, Blog “They look divine and have gift boxes at a range of prices.”

Dancing Deer gingerbread cake and ginger molasses cookies

Recommended by: @tinkugallery, Blog “One of things I miss most since I left Boston!”

ETC

Original Wine Racks

 Recommended by: @PaulLevine, Blog “Coolest wine racks.”

 

Recommended by: @stevenzenith, Blog “I call mine ‘Nancy Shortrun.’ I couldn’t live without her.”

Recommended by: @iankennedy, Blog

 

Recommended by: @luckthelady, Blog “Not ready to pop a ring? Appeal to the charmed sociopath inside her”

 

Recommended by: @stevebags “We have one here at work, but I would love one at home…”

Nipple Warmers

Recommended by: @jayjojee

Lego USB flash drives

Recommended by: @philcampbell, Page

 Recommended by: @kirbstr, Delicious “for that friend who always gets lost”

A funky set of tote bags

Recommended by: @mrinklin, Blog “To promote earth friendly trips to the grocery store”

Saks 5th Ave Polished Face Kit

“Tucked inside this Marc Jacobs leather clutch is everything you’ll need to achieve a fresh, polished face.”

Recommended by: @frankidurbin, Blog “One of the best gifts for a woman this season”

Computer Floppy Disk Earrings

Recommended by: @purplecar, Blog

Virtual Assistant gift certificates

Recommended by: @EsteDiaVA, Blog “Give the gift of time. More time= More happiness!” and @ModernMarketing, Blog

Related posts:

1. Slideshare: Social Media Perfection, Social Media ROI I have bee
2. What Social Media can Learn from Pink Triangles When I ser
3. Why Social Media Matters – the Class Join the

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1. Decorate your blog with widgets. See: Lemonade, Widgetbox, Mashable’s top 50
2. Invite a guest blogger to bring a new perspective.
3. Officially become a geek with a Blog badge: Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr
4. Protect your work with a Creative Commons license.
5. Get a job board for your blog.
6. Make a custom radio station for your blog.
7. Know thy reader. Set up analytics.
8. Transform your blog into a book.
9. Make money by turning your blog into products.
10. Write a blog mantra.
11. Speak with your readers live by adding a chat room to your blog.
12. Use powerful images.
13. Captivate your readers with embedded presentations.
14. Turn random photos into sexy slideshows. See: slide, rockyou, ilovephotos
15. Put your point on the map. See: Google, Yahoo, Placeblogger
16. Share data persuasively with charts. Free from Emarketer, or build your own.
17. Embed video in your posts. Youtube, Blip.TV, Videojug
18. Invite reads to take quizzes, polls and surveys.
19. Write lists. Top 10. Top 50. Top 100. People love lists.
20. Add a timeline.
21. Help your readers see their future, or give them a laugh with a horoscope.
22. Develop How To content. Want to know how to do that?
23. Write reviews on your blog. Product reviews. Movie reviews. Web Site reviews.
24. Conduct interviews with experts. Bloggers. Peers. People on the streets or on Facebook.
25. Create a weekly theme for your blog. For example, “this week’s theme is things that make me laugh.”
26. Write a trend watching post.
27. Share an epiphany.
28. Write an advertising critique. See: Media values and Stanford.
29. Develop a fake newstory.
30. Profile a company or compare and contrast two companies.
31. Share case studies. Use Marketing Sherpa as an example.
32. Conduct a before and after.
33. Turn your blog entry into a letter. Dear Apple, or Dear Jet Blue, Dear John, or Dear Bloggers, etc.
34. Share a powerful quote from a famous person or everyday quotes.
35. Post your notes.
36. Run a contest–and give away a T-shirt.
37. Use creative problem solving exercises to generate ideas.
38. Harness your creativity. Limit your time to write a post, or your word count.
39. Evoke archetypes and memes to help analyze trends and craft stories.
40. Write your blog posts on every day things.
41. Share your idea in a creative form. Turn your blog post into a poem, obituary, love letter, cartoon, menu, flyer, vintage advertisement.
42. Find your voice and write in it. Kurt Vonnegut will show you how.

Add a tip for getting your blog in shape in 2008. I will feature several few suggestions to make this list even more useful.

Photos from Flickr used under Creative Common’s License. Citation: MC, Veganstraightedge, Pintong, Purpleslog, Termie, Fish2000, Gwen

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., 1 April, 2007 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today it will launch Google bum in December 2007, a local ad network aggregating cardboard signs at prominent street corners in five major cities: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston. The inventory will be made available to sponsor through Google’s Adword’s program.

“Using Google Maps and Adwords technology, local advertisers can place their message on the information super highway and on prominent roadways,” said Monit Eyz, Director of Convergent Advertising at Google. “This represents our commitment to extend our presence beyond the screen and to cross over into new media platforms.”

Google has selected several Google Bum ambassadors in each launch city. “We needed to ensure each Google bum’s values coincided with our own and that they possess not only a drug and alcohol free background, but their cardboard signage utilizes the same ‘less is more’ approach that has become the hallmark of the Google user experience,” said Ful Ofshite, Director of New Venture Staffing at Google.

Google is leveraging its technological assets and “Do No Evil,” mantra to create a new revenue model: PPP or ‘pay per pity.’ For every dollar an advertiser spends with Google bum, they receive $.25 credit on both Google Maps and Adwords.

Company officials declined to comment on rumors that it plans to acquire homeless shelters to recruit and train bums.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) today to discuss the acquisition. To access the conference call, please dial 800-299-0572 domestic and 910-981-5543 internationally. A replay of the call will be available until midnight April 16 at 885-203-1112 domestically and 710-457-0820 internationally. Confirmation code for the replay is 2260624.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html/Googlebum

About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

Disclaimer: No actual bums were harmed in the photoshopping of this picture. Picture taken from: http://mstabile.blogspot.com/homeless.jpg. We hope that Google has a sense of humor for this April Fools Day Joke.

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1. Smashing Magazine is so good I can’t believe it’s free! It’s filled with relevant links and commentary on web 2.0. Check out this extensive entry on Buzz-Monitoring. It links to every relevant resource on the topic I’ve seen. I love the way they list resources.
2. 30 Social Bookmarks – there’s more for your browser than just del.icio.us…
3. Student Life on Facebook – an in depth analysis of the Facebook.com’s impact on the social life of students at UNC. “
   

   One of the thing that surprised me is that on the first day of school, 3193 freshmen reportedly had an account. This was over 85% of the entire freshman class, and many had been using the Facebook for many months.

   Bonus reading*** Rhythms of Social Interaction: Messaging within a Massive Online Network

Send me your favorite blog entry this week to feature.

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These two speakers made their point about new technologies by citing case studies and personal experience:

David Berlind, Executive Editor, ZDNet — Blog

Ross Mayfield, CEO, Socialtext, Inc. — Blog

David Berlind described how his family used a Wiki to discover members separated by the holocaust and how it united through creating a family tree. It was very refreshing to hear real language, not “conference speak.” He also shared a great anecdote about monitoring his son’s Myspace page.

Ross Mayfield shared exceptional case studies of his company, Socialtext, Inc. replacing a European banks intranet with a Wiki. See: http://www.socialtext.com/customers/customerdrkw/ He’s someone whose opinion I respect.

I’m curious if the estimates about the rise of Wiki use, due to its increased simplicity, will infact grow at the rate mentioned.

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