Social media

And why your company can’t ignore it.

The best stay attuned to their customers’ signals in the social graph.

Many CMOs see their digital future, but still struggle to make the case across the executive ranks.

While social media often commands favorable media attention, the less often told story is that successful initiatives are rare to come by and that there are still a number of organizational roadblocks that managers need to overcome in order to make progress. Still, we are seeing signs of progress in the form of new efficiencies, […]

TV without social will be as hard to remember as movies without sound.

The problems with the company are ingrained in its business model.

Consumers today connect with brands in fundamentally new ways, often through media channels that are beyond manufacturers' and retailers' control. That...

Microsoft monetized desktops, Google monetized eyeballs, LinkedIn monetizes the social network. One way to create a great fortune is to ride the next wave, and my money’s on LinkedIn. Bain Capital, Greylock, Sequoia, and Bessemer Ventures — four very savvy venture firms — recently invested $53 million dollars in the company at a billion dollar […]

A couple of weeks ago, my manager asked me to sign up for Twitter. The basis: Twitter is a big source of traffic for HBR.org, and as editors we should all understand how readers reach us. No arguments there, but I still had my reservations. The only aspect of social media I’ve truly embraced is […]

In the latest issue of Business Week, Stephen Baker’s article “Beware Social Media Snake Oil” makes a provocative argument. He claims that all the hype around social networks, wikis, and blogs for business neglects the potential risks and time wasted. While I think he is overstating the argument, he is bringing up a vital question […]

Facebook Groups have been called “Google Wave for Humans” by some and “spam” by others. They have the potential to benefit your business, brand, and organization in ways that are probably slightly ahead of our time. In the mean time, what does it mean? I’ve taken a deep dive, and here are a few ideas […]

Duct tape is universally useful because it is incredibly simple, almost infinitely flexible, easily available, and cheap. Twitter shares all these attributes....

What did I learn at South by Southwest Interactive last week? The annual gathering in Austin, Texas, has gained a reputation as the mecca for innovation and disruptive technologies. Startups and, increasingly, innovative mainstream companies converge on SXSW to test and launch new concepts. Twitter had its coming-out party in Austin in 2007. Foursquare was […]

Seven things to know.

2011. This is the year that will shape the future of our lives online. After all, 2010 was the year we woke up and started asking the tough questions about our always-on, connected lifestyle. Questions like “What kind of brain is the Web giving us?” And does “juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information..change […]

#GivingTuesday is an example of successful grassroots marketing.

Having analyzed more than 1,100 companies across a range of industries and geographies, the authors outline four strategies firms are using to make smart...

Are you considering whether your company should use social media to connect not only with your customers, but also with your employees, partners, and...

Incremental innovation and process improvements have always come from those closest to the problem. It’s the basis of kaizen, a system where employees continually improve manufacturing processes. It’s also a founding principle of Six Sigma — tap employees’ relentless, incremental quality improvements. The same is true in the way employees are harnessing consumer technologies — […]

I was recently sent a PR message encouraging me to blog about a new "social media for celebrity sightings" website called "OMGICU." (Get it?) Given the...