Among online women, 75% use social media sites, whereas only 63% of online men do. To find out more about women's online social media activities and influence, check out the following infographic based on the Digital Women Influencers study. more

Have you seen a recurring online image? Does the image make you laugh or groan? If so, you've likely spotted an internet meme. MDG Advertising studied the most viral memes of 2012 and created the following infographic analyzing what made those memes popular. more

Though living in a new era of participatory media, our notions of what constitutes an audience and what audiences actually do has not changed much since the broadcast era—and that's a problem, argues Sam Ford. more

Recently, the online world celebrated Social Media Week for the fifth year in a row. Find out which countries participated and who the top influencers were on Twitter that week. more

With the Oscars all but here, audiences have been taking to social media in the past month or two to cast their "votes" for their choices of award winners.These two infographics assess that buzz from different angles, with some surprising results. more

This week was replete with value. Learn the "science of the Harlem Shake," see the first-ever Vine résumé, and score the story—and insights—on the Burger King Twitter hack. Also, we've got tools in droves... more

Only one-third (35%) of small business owners cite social media as a beneficial tactic for their business, though views about the benefits of social marketing vary by industry, according to a survey from Hiscox. more

After months of hard work, your event was a smashing success. But you've got only two weeks or so after that event to take action if you want your NEXT event to be just as successful. more

Candy corn is one of most enduring symbols of Halloween—and the subject of more social media buzz than any other type of Halloween candy—according to the NetBase Brand Passion Index, which measures the intensity of consumer passion for brands among users of online communities. more

Marketers usually discuss measuring the ROI of social media as a nebulous art or, worse, as an impossibility. But social media is measurable. The following infographic sheds light on that myth and others surrounding social media ROI. more

When you're driving along a cliff at 100 MPH, it's nice to have guardrails. So for those in the fast lane of social media marketing, here's some advice on how to avoid collisions with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and others. more

Not all social media conversations, particular those related to controversial health topics, are legitimate or authentic, according to a study by KDPaine & Partners that explores the nature of viral conversations around three controversial topics: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and vaccinations. more

"Word-of-mouth is not what it used to be," writes Bob DeStefano in an article at MarketingProfs. "Just 10 years ago, upset customers, or raving fans, could spread their opinion about your business only to their family, friends, neighbors, and work colleagues." Now, however, a simple Google search displays unhappy vitriol ... more

Word-of-mouth is key to the success of daily deals: When making a daily deal purchase from a new or unfamiliar small business, fully one-half (50%) of consumers cite recommendations from friends or family as the factor most likely to influence their decision to purchase, according to a report by Constant ... more

Getting people to talk about your company in a positive way is far simpler than you think. In the end, it's as obvious as being nice or providing thoughtful customer service. The problem is that many companies fail because they forget "to be human," says Andy Sernovitz in this podcast. more

Does your business suffer from too much positive word-of-mouth? Seems like a nice problem to have. If you want your customers singing your praises over and over again, here are four ways to make that happen. more

In this week's Marketing Smarts podcast, Summer Joy Boone, director of assimilation and social media at a Florida church, and Janet K. Altman, principal and marketing director at the second largest accounting firm in Florida, offer unique perspectives on a host of marketing topics. more

To attract customers, you spend hours creating content, blogging, tweeting, and replying to comments. But a few unprofessional missteps could damage your online reputation—and send customers straight to your competitors. more

We took Marketing Smarts on the road and recorded the podcast live in Los Angeles, where I interviewed Eric Granof, CMO at the largest underwriter of surety bail in the US, and Brad Abare, communications director of a Los Angeles-based church. more

Word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations from friends and family and user-generated content (UGC) are sources most trusted for information about the products people want and need, according to a new report by Nielsen. more

Though small organizations still rely heavily on traditional marketing channels to promote their events, social media is also an important outreach tool: 77% of event marketers who work for a small business or nonprofit say they use social media to promote their events, and another 14% say they plan to ... more

In the early '90s, more than a quarter million Glocks (a semiautomatic pistol) had been sold in the US. Marketers can learn a lot from the runaway success of this handgun, as Bloomberg Businessweek's Paul Barrett told us in this week's episode of Marketing Smarts. more

Pinterest is arguably the hottest social media site on the Internet—user traffic to the online social catalog has skyrocketed since mid-2011—but the website also boasts strong audience engagement, retention, and "virality" among its core demographic, according to a report by RJMetrics. more

More than one-half (55%) of social media users in the US say they are uncomfortable sharing credit card information with a known brand via secure payment on a social networking site such as Twitter or Facebook, according to a new survey from Digitas. more

YouTube enjoys an astounding 3 billion views per day. It's no surprise that big brands are fighting to harness some of those eyeballs. Today the site has more than 20,000 revenue-generating partners. At MIPCOM this year, YouTube announced its intentions to focus on content creators, offering guidance and even Creator Camps ... more