If you didn't know, AMP operates under inspiration. You can feel the energy of what inspires us throughout our hallways and even in our email signatures. And while some inspirations are personal, a woman named Deborah Cohan certainly moved us all. Deborah Cohan, an Ob/Gyn and mom of two, held a dance partywith her medical team in the operating room of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco minutes before she went in for a double mastectomy. Her serious twerking ability cialis funny video g postmessage cialis subject forum buy cialis in canada nasacort aq cialis and gusto for life inspired us here at AMP to show her a few moves of our own and wish her a speedy recovery. Thanks, Deborah we hope you enjoy!

You can learn a lot about what people want to know through Google's auto-complete function. Being in the business of wanting to create impactful and useful content, I turned to good ole' Google to understand what exactly B2B brand marketeres are searching for so I could help to answer the right question. Call it intuition, common sense, or BS, but I had a feeling that questions around how B2B brands can leverage social media would be among the top searches. So, this blog will aim to answer B2B marketers' questions about social. buy cheap generic levitra buy cheap levitra online buy cheap propecia online buy cheap propecia buy cheap propecia buy cheapest cialis buy cialis canada buy cialis in usa buy cialis next day delivery buy cialis on line buy cialis once daily buy cialis online uk buy cialis online without prescription buy cialis online without prescription buy cialis without prescription buy cialis without prescription buy cialis without rx buy cialis without rx buy generic levitra online buy levitra american pharmacy buy levitra in europe buy levitra low price buy levitra overnight buy levitra vardenafil buy now online propecia buy now propecia buy online prescription propecia buy real cialis online buy vardenafil levitra buy xenical propecia buying cialis in canada buying cialis online canada buying cialis soft tabs 100 mg buying cialis without a prescription buying cialis buying propecia online buying propecia First, all brands need to realize that social is an inherent part of any marketing initiative. It no longer sits in a silo or stands as an afterthought campaign extension. And, if you still need to be sold on social, here are a few data points that should do the trick. Aberdeen Group polled 500 companies and found that B2B brands that aggressively leverage social media generate more leads, close more deals and retain customers longer 59% of B2B buyers engaged with peers online to address their questions 48% of B2B buyers followed online industry conversations on topics to address business challenges With that said, the following key considerations can be applied to all B2B marketing efforts, but tie more specifically to social. Root It In Insights Root what in insights you ask? Everything, your idea, your channel strategy, your content strategy, it all needs to ladder back up to what your target wants to hear from you and how that impacts your business objective. Money and bandwidth are often a concern, but investing in insights can benefit your business well beyond social media. By developing content that resonates, you are connecting with and generating qualified leads. Learning how to connect with your audience should never be short changed, but that's just my two cents. Make It Sexy As marketers, we often hear B2B brands express that they don't know how to use social media because their subject matter is boring. Our response, you're selling yourself short.  You don't need to dress up your software in a French maid outfit to make your content sexy, although that probably would get quite a few likes. We're talking about creating information that is consumable, shareable, and helpful. Often times, buyers are looking to you to solve a business challenge, so become a content resource and a thought leader in your space. Here are a few tips on making it sexy: Find a relatable angle Use humor Be genuinely helpful ' this ties back to insights, teach people what they want to learn Share your story visually Use video Use LinkedIn ' it's only 277% more effective at generating leads than any other social network Take Notes From B2C Brands As the historical divisions between the enterprise and personal spheres disappear, B2B marketers can learn a lot by monitoring the tactics of counterparts in the consumer sector, who take a more individualized approach to how they communicate with their audience. Successful B2B brands are those that understand that relationships are ultimately between people, not companies, and apply that principle to engaging their audience. Optimize your site. B2C sites are built with the customer in mind. They address how their product or service will solve your problem and then lead you to the product that offers the solution. Branding matters. B2C brands build awareness and foster relationships, which leads to brand affinity and sales. Not everything should be about lead generation at the onset. Get emotional. B2C brands understand people buy because of the emotional benefit. Many B2B marketers focus too much on the features of their product or service and not enough about the emotional benefits. B2B brands should look at social media as an opportunity to continually earn customers' trust by delivering useful, highly valuable content continually and creating a solid platform of communication. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google+ are the perfect place to facilitate a two-way conversation with prospects and ensure your brand resonates with the right voice. Learn more about our social media marketing service.

As one would expect, much of Hubspot's Inbound Marketing Summit 2013 was about content marketing, nurturing leads, and optimizing the sales process. However, amidst all the marketing speak there was a profound recurring message about restoring a connection with yourself and your goals, underscored by Arianna Huffington's keynote. Here is a recap of that and more, which naturally does not to capture the extent of knowledge and innovation that permeated from each session. Social Media According to Nielson data, 70% of people trust a complete stranger more than they trust an advertisement. We are in an attention economy and people are tired of brands that just talk to the talk. So the question becomes how can brands walk the walk?  As Ben Grossman, Senior Strategist at Jack Morton Worldwide, shared; social media is where 'the rubber meets the road'? and brands live as a verb ' engaging with consumers in a two-way dialogue and becoming relevant to them rather than shouting at them. To do so requires a strategic approach that leverages audience insights, relevant data, a community before business mindset, knowing the platform, being on the way, not in the way, sharing expertise, and inviting influencers in. Of course Ben articulated each aforementioned practice much more eloquently and in depth so you can view his full presentation here. Content Development Beth Dunn, a HubSpot writer, enlightened the audience on how to write like a god in what HubSpot calls a BOLD talk ' 20 minutes or less of pure riveting, educational, and challenging wisdom. As such, this will be a bold synopsis ' short and sweet, but enlightening nonetheless. People frequently wonder how to become better at anything and the answer is almost always practice. Beth took the ambiguity of practice and turned it into a consumable and actionable thought. You want to become a better writer, write every day, write like crap every day, but write every day. Eventually, just in the same way that if you ran everyday you would get faster and run longer, you will write better. It's not about writing something perfect every time it's about the process that gets you there. Leadership The chair, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, Arianna Huffington, took the stage to address fearless leadership from politics to the boardroom and when she mentioned she would have added bedroom into that mix, she captivated the audience for the duration. Among her candor, she left the audience inspired to recharge with the following: We are all walking as if we are running out of time, slow down. If you don't intend to fail, you don't intend to succeed. Failure is a stepping stone to success. Decide what you are going to put your energy into and do it with clarity. To expect a culture that is always on creates a culture of burnout. Burnout is a disease of our civilization. The only thing we are in control of is our attitude toward the things happening to us. It's not just about leaning in, it's about leaning back. Recharging is critical to growth. Sleep is an essential leadership tool. (Something she believes in so much so that there are two nap rooms in the Huffington Post offices). HubSpot's Inbound certainly had a wealth of knowledge to share, which, as mentioned, cannot be condensed into one short blog post, but I have a feeling that while you're reading this some other content marketers out there are blogging about the insight and lessons learned at #Inbound13 so give it a search. In closing, I'd just like to say sorry to Justin Bieber because Arianna Huffington is definitely my new idol.

Facebook has mastered the art of generating buzz around much anticipated feature rollouts. Facebook hashtags are no exception. There has been chatter online and offline alike around whether hashtags will ever have meaning on Facebook, despite current widespread use. Since the advent of the hashtag in 2007 it had been widely adopted by prominent social networks like Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ as a way to aggregate and participate in topic specific conversation. So, the real question regarding the Facebook hashtag transcendence is what it actually means for marketers. #Discovery When Facebook released the updated algorithm decreasing the visibility of brand posts among their audience, many brands were forced to rethink their social strategy. In order to garner the same type of reach, they needed to become smarter and more in-tune with the type of content that resonated with their community. The introduction of hashtags now provides brands with another layer of visibility. These now clickable hashtags will bring up a list of posts from friends and followed pages that contain the tag allowing for a greater level of content discovery outside of users' immediate friend circle. While Twitter remains their biggest competitor in the social space, perhaps this move, coupled with the introduction of Graph Search, points to Facebook now setting its sights on Google. #Amplification Facebook hashtags now have the potential to make hashtag-based campaigns even more impactful through cross-channel amplification of the message. If brands are already using hashtags in a campaign through other channels, these campaigns can now extend to Facebook. Hashtags only amplify the native role Facebook plays in joining and driving conversations. However, the same best practices on Facebook still apply ' compelling copy and photography that are in the brand voice work best. #Insight Facebook is already a data mine in and of itself, but hashtags provide a deeper layer of conversation-based insight for brands. According to Facebook, this is only the first step in surfacing relevant and important public conversations. Over time we will see additional functionality for marketers, including trending hashtags and new insights to allow brands to better understand conversations that may help drive business objectives. Hashtags certainly mark an important shift toward conversation-based marketing for Facebook, and we are eager to see where they go next.  The great news is that at the very least, we can now all rest assured that when we see our friend's annoying and irrelevant hashtag on Facebook; it will be aggregated into a group of other people's annoying, irrelevant hashtags. #phew.

There's a lot of chatter in the marketing space about the right social tactics and tools for brands, but from where I'm standing, it's not that granular (at least at first). At its core, social is about telling a narrative, which means it's not about an across the board solution for every brand. There's this bandwagon that I've deemed 'the hashtag, like me, please express.'? And, it appears as if brands are readily hopping on' thinking that they are social because they have a Facebook page and post pictures on Instagram. I challenge brands to hop off the bandwagon. Turn off the computer; sit around a table; and identify the story you are trying to tell. Ultimately, brands want online chatter to drive offline chatter, so isn't that where the idea should originate ' offline? I know, I know, mind blown. All Social Media is Not Created Equal Social media provides brands with an unprecedented opportunity to speak to their audience in real time in a genuine and authentic manner. The message that is being communicated essentially defines your brand, so make sure it's a good one (no pressure). Tandem to defining the message is identifying the audience. We know that 67% of Internet users are on social networks according to Pew Research.  We also know that 67% are leveraging and engaging with each channel in many different ways. Case in point, there's no across the board solution. Our latest Socia for Brands POV takes a deeper dive into some of the ways brands can leverage recent social network changes to amplify their online presence and better define their brand persona. The Human Element: Social Media Enables Two-Way Communication As your audience begins having more and more conversations about your brand on more channels around the clock, brands need to be prepared to engage in two-way communication. This is where you get to tell your story. If it's a good one, people will listen and respond. Brands need to capitalize on the conversation social media facilitates. It makes your audience feel connected and valued, which in turn helps foster brand evangelism and brand loyalty. Social is a Necessary Part of Your Brand's Business Strategy As social becomes less of an option and more of an inherent part of a brand's business strategy, it's important to approach it as one would approach any campaign ' identify your message and your audience. The goals are buy tadalafil online the same. Say something that matters and highlight your differentiation factor. So hop off the band wagon. Be unique, creative, and adaptable. While much of this may not be new news to marketers and brand strategists, it's always worth a revisit to the core of it all. So, tell us, what's your story?

As the fastest growing social network and third in the ranks among Facebook and Twitter (according to ExperianMarketing Services), marketers have recognized the value in Pinterest as a channel that allows brands to cultivate their personality based on an engaging and visual interface filled with dynamic content. BUT, until now, it was hard to pin down (yes that was a pun), the business implications of this interaction. Tuesday's Pinterest Analytics announcement should not have come as a shock since the announcement marks Pinterests' already apparent shift toward monetization and fulfills their promise to businesses late last year that they would introduce data analytics tools for companies to track Pinterest traffic. The new tool allows brands to track how many people have pinned from content that originated on their site, how many people have seen these pins, and how many people visited their site from Pinterest. Also, the new metrics allow site owners to track total impressions and reach on the network. At the most basic level, this is exciting news for brands and marketers alike because we now have the capability to measure engagement and derive business value with a free, reliable tool. However, the advent of Pinterest Analytics raises a number of questions for brands, primarily around advertising and API integration. Pinterest relayed to TechCrunch that currently they are simply seeking to help pinners see what content is resonating best on Pinterest and have no plans to charge. While this may be true, this move certainly lays the foundation for the network to generate revenue at some point in the future. The social network does not currently have paid ads, but is exploring a potential advertising system. Additionally, they are working with businesses to learn how Pinterest can result in sales of merchandise, another potential revenue source for the site. The even more pressing question relates to Pinterest's API or the lack there of (publically at least).  It seems to be taking lessons from Twitter and avoiding the mass chaos Twitter's open API caused. While Pinterest notes it is too early to identify how they will roll out this API, but we predict Pinterest will leverage it as a revenue generator in order to maintain the ability to better control how the data is being used. To that end, Pinterest itself hasn't defined how it wants third parties to use its data, said Forrester analyst Zach Hofer-Shall. Many third-party sites like Curalate, Pinfluencer, Pinreach, etc. emerged to fill the analytics gap but may now have to reengineer their offerings to stay viable contenders in the measurement game. Until then, Pinterest engagement still remains a fairly cloudy ROI. The final unanswered question may truly be: when will Twitter get on the analytics bandwagon? What do you think? Where does the future of social analytics tools lie?

With reports that over one millionpeople were actively using social media while watching election coverage, it is clear that social is becoming not only a resource for information and a means of disseminating a message in real time, it is becoming an inherent part of every cause. This year's election set social media records, securing Obama with a second term and maybe more importantly ' a social media victory. In just a few short hours, the President's tweet became the most popular message of all-time on Twitter, knocking Justin Beieber out of the number one spot. As of Wednesday morning, that single tweet garnered 654,836 retweets and 222,405 favorites. While Obama and Romney may have had a team of qualified social media managers supporting their presence, this presidential election validates that social media is an effective means of bringing people together in support of a cause, for free. Sandy may be one of the most recent examples of social transforming a tragedy into a social media storm. The word "Sandy" was mentioned 4.8 million times on various social-media sites after the storm according to Hootsuite. Those 4.8 million social media mentions encouraged thousands to extend support in the form of donations monetary and otherwise. Perhaps this validation is most exciting for those in the non-profits sector because you don't need capital to be successful. And while social media is no secret for such organizations, there are of course always ways to be more innovative and more engaging. Storytelling The most important part of a non-profit is the story. Facebook is an ideal channel to share your story and encourage your community to do the same. People are moved by what they read and express their love by commenting, liking, and sharing various posts. It is critical to establish this bond with your organization in order to drive engagement, build an active community and ultimately increase charitable donations. #Thanks Twitter provides a real time forum for sharing updates from an event that allow people to feel an actual connection to what's happening. Non-profits can connect on a deeper level by sharing how the contributions of a specific donor made a difference. It generates a personal connection and encourages others to want to make a difference as well. Pin It It's human nature for users to connect with visual imagery, so what better channel than Pinterest? Create boards unique to your cause and encourage users to share their own images of volunteer work on your boards. AMP is seeing the power of social and non-profit right here in our office as images of co-workers with creepy mustaches surface on Facebook in support of Movember. Be sure to check them out and find out how you can donate to the cause.

In the wake of the much anticipated iPhone 5, a post on the importance of social optimization for mobile couldn't seem more fitting. The latest data reports that consumers spend more time on mobile devices than any other medium, surpassing TV, web, and radio. The fact that people spend an average of two hours per day on their mobile device shouldn't be shocking news, so why aren't more brands taking advantage of the opportunity this shift creates to interact with consumers? Oh, brands need justification beyond people treating their mobile device like an extension of their body, taking it to the bathroom, sleeping with it under their pillow, and twitching at the thought of putting it down while driving, to support an investment in mobile optimization of social media initiatives. No problem. More than 72 million Americans accessed social networking sites or blogs via their mobile devices in August, a figure that represents a 37% jump from the same time last year, according to data compiled by comScore. Not to mention, Facebook is the number one most downloaded app of all time, with other social media players like Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest climbing the ranks every day. If users access a link from one of these social apps using a mobile device and they are redirected to a non-mobile optimized site, the chances of these users returning drop off dramatically. It's undeniable the future of social-mobile is bright, so brands need to develop a strategy. Just optimizing your site or your app for mobile doesn't guarantee social growth or soaring conversion rates. It all starts with understanding how your target audience uses mobile and how they use mobile to interact with your brand is critical. As more people access social networks from smart phones and tablets, sharing becomes easier and instantaneous. This means that brands should be thinking about how they can make their content easily shareable and relevant in real-time on mobile devices, in turn creating positive user experiences and increased virality. Mobile optimizations should be developed to enhance conversation and interaction already taking place between consumers and brands, essentially improving the relationship and quality of interactions. For example, making interface actions easy, meaning tweeting something from your mobile site, shouldn't require six steps. Remember to keep mobile short, sweet and to the point by creating memorable phrases audiences can easily tweet out and repost. Since I'm not sure I can say it better myself, I'll leave you with wise words from, Bart Stein, Co-founder, Stamped. Stein said, 'The best apps won't need to hold you hostage to the screen, rather, they should add dimension to relationships and enable you to engage with others in unprecedented ways, making it easier than ever to make and maintain real life relationships.'?

We've all seen it, a news feed or Twitter stream full of promotional verbiage like: Check out these great deals Click here for this season's best offer Our biggest holiday sale By now, most consumers are numb to this type of marketing speak, which makes cutting through the holiday noise even harder. Yes, we said holiday. Thankfully, the first frost has not made its way to our front yards just yet, but in order to ensure success this holiday season, now is the time to be developing a thoughtful social media strategy and cultivating brand affinity. According to the basic principles of Public Relations, people consume media to fulfill four primary objectives: to be informed, to be entertained, to feel a sense of belonging, and to develop opinions. Social media is no different. Since 1998, research providers, Edison Research and Arbitron have been conducting surveys about how people use the Internet. With the unveiling of their 2012 Social Habit study, 'How Americans Really Use Social Media,'? it seems not much about human nature has changed. The number-one reason Americans polled follow brands online is for sales/discounts/coupons. Other reasons for following include: To stay informed about new products For 'content/ideas" For 'news/information" For  'humorous/entertaining content" While it is no surprise that a consumer's desire to receive discounts and special offers was the top reason for 'liking'? a brand, brands should take notice that users also want to be entertained, and many look to follow brands and share posts that have engaging content. Thus, the secret to standing out on social media this holiday season and beyond is to be entertaining. Get in the holiday spirit by keeping it real. The most successful social brands are those that approach social media like a human interacting with a human; they are transparent, authentic, relevant, and consistent. So how do we roll that into one big ball of entertainment that gets fans, followers, and likers talking? Think outside the box. Here are a few ideas to help you start building your holiday momentum early. Offer advice to common holiday challenges and ask users about their challenges Encourage user-generated content ' what was your best childhood Halloween costume or photo of best Black Friday buy Make use of reality ' encourage users to upload real-time shopping updates, photos of favorite purchases, etc. Encourage new and old customers to review your brand and products ' users rely on other users Social giving ' do it and encourage it ' Share how your brand is giving back to the community and how your brand followers are doing the same Fun contests and giveaways ' everyone loves free stuff, especially when it's a surprise or reward for positive engagement Themed countdowns ' Give users something to look forward to, other than quality time with the family and presents Social media is a channel to help brands pull back the curtain and let customers connect with brands on a more personal level. Holiday social media engagement shouldn't be limited to a few months of flash sales; it should be a year round relationship. Using the holiday season to encourage engagement could also help build bigger engagement overall. It's important to keep in mind that  if you are going to launch something new for holiday that you are able to sustain it throughout the year to yield the greatest benefits. Happy sharing!

Do you have your credit number memorized because you are a frequent online buyer? No? Well, maybe your bank account is better off than mine. Nonetheless, online retail is at an all time high, with e-commerce sales Inc. 500 companies, the top three social media platforms with the most users are Facebook (74%), LinkedIn (73%), and Twitter (64%). These sites are great points of entry for retailers, but we don't suggest these be the only sites retailers should be utilizing, as it all depends on retailers' overall objectives and goals. One of the most common social media pitfalls is feeling the need to be present on all social channels available. It is important to remember all social media platforms are not created equal ' they differ in purpose, tone, and require different approaches. Not to mention the bandwidth issues associated with trying to manage multiple platforms is huge. Quality over quantity is a pretty good rule of thumb here. With sites like Pinterest gaining steam and Facebook attracting 500 million unique users monthly, here are a few tips for how to leverage your social media channels to drive retail: Reputation management. You can't ignore the fact that Facebook alone now has over 900 million users who may be talking about you, and there are a dozen other platforms that have over 100 million users, such as Twitter, LinkedIn and, Google+. You need to protect and grow your brand, so the first step is to know what's going on. The best defense is a good offense. Build your brand visibility to position yourself as an expert. Engaging in social media and blogging on a regular basis is a low-cost way to achieve visibility and become a thought leader for that topic and a voice that people trust in your industry. That's how you brand yourself as an expert in your niche and make your company the one that others seek out. Customers today trust those they know and those they see others trusting. This doesn't mean spamming users with articles and opinions. Generate thoughtful conversation and make use of imagery, which catches user attention. Increase customer leads and conversion. With most of the population now using social media, at least 30% of users look at business profiles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn before buying any product or service. Of those, approximate 70% said they wouldn't deal with a new company if it didn't have a social media presence. Having a presence doesn't mean having a dormant page. You need to make users feel special. Creating exclusive deals for fans and followers is a great way to drive traffic and increase conversion. Maximize customer retention. It's a well-known adage of business that efforts to retain existing customers have tremendous payback, compared to the costs of attracting new customers. Courting them with ongoing updates and special offers through their social networks is a natural way to keep their loyalty. Be Proactive.  Why not ask customers for feedback before there is a problem, and watch what they are telling their friends, both good and bad? The ability to monitor consumer tastes also grants access to a wealth of information that may help with product line planning and inventory. While social media does have the ability to drive sales and increases conversion rates from various platforms, it is first and foremost a forum for two-way communication between customers and retailers. It also presents a fast and cost-effective way to gather information about new markets. The bottom line is retailers need to determine the most appropriate platform to fulfill objectives and communicate business messages.