Sure, social media is big. But even if your company doesn't have the resources for a dedicated social media strategy, here are five social media sites and tools you can't afford to ignore. more

How did the Obama for America campaign do it? By its adherence to several game-changing strategies. more

Too many organizations have made bad impressions on bloggers by trying to reach them on their terms, instead of the bloggers'. But the process of engaging bloggers can be surprisingly easy. Follow these steps to launch a simple but effective blogger outreach program... in one day. more

Do you know what your customers are saying about you? If not, you (and your brand!) are at a distinct disadvantage. Take the opportunity to participate in the blogosphere -- even if only on a small scale -- and you'll help shape your brand, rather than having it be shaped exclusively ... more

Anyone who has taken Marketing 101 knows the 4 Ps of Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. But what you may not know is that some companies - including these four - are turning these Ps over completely to customers. (Graphic: David Armano.) more

Sometimes the best laid plans go wrong because, in fact, they weren't the best laid plans. In this season of spring, when new life and fresh hope comes a-budding, author Jon Kranz offers a little... fertilizer. Herewith, a grumpy, glass-half-empty, downright surly look at all the ways marketers shoot themselves ... more

Who is a Citizen Marketer? The fan who creates his own poster and trailer for an upcoming movie is a Citizen Marketer. But a Citizen Marketer can also be the customer who creates an online community around saving a discontinued product, or the loyal customer who uses their bad customer ... more

Consumer-generated reviews. Blogging. MySpace. Viral marketing. There's no doubt about it, Web 2.0 is booming. And it's putting the power of the Web into the hands of individuals. At the same time, this shift in power is wreaking havoc with marketing plans. As marketers, we are not used to relinquishing ... more

Brand ambassadors are similar to brand evangelists in that they also have a vested interest in seeing their favorite brand succeed. It's not so much that they attempt to influence other customers to buy a product, but that they share their passion for a brand with their fellow customers. Whereas ... more

Consumer–to-consumer recommendations carry a higher trust factor than virtually all other forms of advertising, including TV, radio and print. This isn't exactly news to many long-established businesses. In fact, one of them always understood the value of consumer recommendations; its entire sales strategy relies on turning customers into brand ambassadors ... more

We all agree that word-of-mouth marketing—also known as buzz marketing—can be a powerful component of anyone's marketing plan. Of course, wielding it effectively can be tricky. MarketingProfs recently convened a Thought Leaders Summit to understand the role buzz plays. On hand were Dave Balter of BzzAgent and the Word of Mouth ... more

How has word-of-mouth marketing—also known as buzz marketing—evolved into the 21st century? How does it differ from viral marketing or customer evangelism? And how can marketers use buzz marketing strategically? MarketingProfs recently convened a Thought Leaders Summit to get the answers to these questions and more. On hand were Dave ... more

One of the wonderful things about one-to-one email marketing is that very few companies are doing it today. Most multinational organizations, medium-sized and small businesses miss the boat completely. Here, using a detailed B2B example, we delve into the realm of proper, opt-in, permission-based, one-to-one email marketing, covering the four ... more

One-to-one marketing is communications that are anticipated, relevant and personalized. Messages that are expected—because they were in some way requested, and are furthermore pertinent and individual—succeed in handling diverse people distinctively. By making messages anticipated, relevant and personal, the marketer is creating an advantage over old-school, 20th-century "interruption" marketers. more

What if brands could figure out how to proactively harness the power of word-of-mouth marketing? more

Companies need to use the power of Tell A Friend more often - and do a better job of it. more

Want to get people to gossip? You need a word-of-mouth campaign. Here's how to get people talking. more

Despite popular belief, the Internet is not the father of "viral marketing." Here's what we know about word of mouth in marketing. more

Rumors can spread about your company, even if they're not true (remember the worms in McDonald's hamburgers?). This article gives you a good understanding of rumors and what you can do to stop them. more