10 Social Media Deals to Check In to on Black Friday

Black Friday is upon us, and that means that retailers are scrambling to offer the best door-busting (or mouse-busting) specials and promotions to entice eager holiday shoppers.

Thanks to the success of  Cyber Monday, retailers and online shops have long embraced the web as a place to promote and showcase deals and specials. What’s unique this Black Friday, however, is the large number of specials and promotions offered by retailers to customers who use location-based apps and services.

Users of social networks like Foursquare and Facebook Places can get discounts or get entered into special contests just by checking in to their Black Friday shopping destinations. Other services like Yelp, SCVNGR and Gowalla are also offering special promotions.

Some retailers, like Sears, are even running deal-voting specials on their Facebook fan pages. Plus, many retailers are using Facebook and Twitter to promote their early-bird specials in advance of the big shopping day.

We’ve scoured the web and rounded up 10 specials and promotions offered exclusively through social media. Know of a promo or special we missed? Let us know in the comments.

Click here for some Black Friday specials! ~mashable.com~

Facebook Users Are Slow to ‘Like’ Brands and Retailers

Branded Facebook pages are ‘liked’ by only a minority of web users

Brands and individuals have shared space on Facebook for some time, blurring the line between social networking and marketing. Both types of users rely on “likes” as a yardstick for popularity, even if their intentions for being on the social networking site differ.

Branded Facebook pages do not fare as well as other types of content, though, according to a  Crowd Science survey. They had the lowest number of “likes” (9% of users) compared to wall posts, photos and comments (16%) and videos (12%). The most popular reasons for “liking” a page tied between showing support and enjoying what was being said, both at 28%. Neither are attributes most often associated with brands.

The motivations behind “liking” a retailer’s Facebook site in an 8th Bridge study were less about aspirations and sharing than broadcasting a straightforward, positive opinion about a purchase. Buying and liking was the only reason shared by a majority of internet users who “liked” something on a retailer’s site, the study found.

Online buyers in a Power Reviews survey were more inclined to “like” a retailer, brand or product page—showing no preference to any one type—even if the majority did not engage in the activity. The most common frequency was one to five times per month.

Among the online buyers who had “liked” a retailer’s Facebook page, the most important feature was the presence of sales and promo codes—not a surprising response from social media users who shop online. But more than half also considered the customer service aspect of a brand’s Facebook page to be important, showing that those who “like” brands also like sharing experiences, whether positive or negative.

It is not easy for brands to compete with friends and family on Facebook since corporations are essentially faceless. Then again, social media users are not seeking friendship from brands and retailers either. Instead, marketers would do better to focus on being there to answer questions, provide customer service support and broadcast promotions.  ~emarketer.com~

For questions or information on social media, contact:
Chameleon Marketing Solutions
Introducing You To The World!
chameleonmarket@gmail.com

Use Social Media and Lead the Way to More Customers

As a business in the latter stages of 2011, have you jumped on the social media train or have you been left behind at the station?

For many businesses, the integration to using social media to help generate leads has been slow and futile at best, leaving their return on investment (ROI) less than what it should be. That, however, doesn’t have to be the story.

For those companies who have implemented social media in their marketing efforts to assist in generating leads, they stand a step ahead of the competition that does not, simply given the fact that they can use social media to interact in real-time with potential customers.

According to a recent report from MarketingSherpa, 25 percent of chief marketing officers that find themselves at the strategic point of their social media implementation noted obtaining a ROI of 100 percent or better through their programs.

Social Media Opens Up Instant Communication

If you are a marketing or sales head for a business, recognize that a consumer or other business may be a potential lead; using social media allows you to instantly begin communicating with them. Not only that, you can guide them around the Internet to pertinent information and/or sites that could eventually land them as a business client.

Unlike the brick and mortar days where trying to close a lead could take hours, days or even weeks, social media puts you in position to open and close a lead in a very short amount of time. Better yet, all the metrics can be tabulated online such as how many visitors come to the site, who is clicking on the links, which individuals are referring them to your site and much more.

Using social media to help generate leads is also good in that your business is not spending an arm and a leg for such efforts.

Most social media campaigns involve more time than money, so this can be especially attractive for those businesses working on a tighter budget, yet still need to spread their message and attain more leads.

Where Can I Turn for Social Media Opportunities?

So what are some of the better social media outlets to assist your business in generating leads?

Among the options to turn to are:

• Facebook – As the king of social media, Facebook and its some 750 million users offers a great outlet for businesses looking to generate leads. Start with creating a fan page for your business. Make sure the page provides valuable information regarding your company, is set up for back-and-forth conversations with other businesses/consumers that follow it, provides linking/subscription information to a company newsletter, and is monitored on a regular basis. One area where some businesses fail when setting up such a page is that they forget about it and only update it periodically. Doing such will turn off consumers and businesses coming to you for interaction;
• Twitter – Different from Facebook in the sense that you can use this social media tool to provide both businesses and consumers interested in your product and/or services with valuable links to industry information. As an example, if your business falls in the restaurant arena, use a company-based Twitter page to share food-related information with interested parties. By utilizing Twitter hashtags, you can use keywords like eatery, restaurant, food, dining etc. to link up with others who would find your business useful, therefore increasing your opportunity to generate leads;
• LinkedIn – By interlinking both your professional and company profile, you provide someone who locates your profile information about both you and your business. In generating leads through this social media tool, make sure you efficiently optimize your profile, become linked up with groups that are interested in your audience so that you can partake in discussions, and lastly search for individuals at businesses you seek as potential clients.

If you are still wavering on the importance of social media and its ability to assist in generating leads, consider the numbers from a study through Constant Contact and Chadwick Martin Bailey.

According to the report, 51 percent of Facebook fans and 67 percent of Twitter followers stated they were more apt to purchase from the companies they “liked” on Facebook or “followed” on Twitter.

The bottom line is that social media serves as a fantastic medium to produce lead generation, giving you great opportunities to find new faces each and every day to do business with.

And at the end of the day, it all comes down to being social.  ~ http://www.searchenginejournal.com ~

For more information on Social Media Marketing, contact:
Chameleon Marketing Solutions
Introducing You To The World!
Chameleonmarket@gmail.com

 

Sell A Phone – Donate A Book

PaceButler Books Program

At PaceButler Corporation, they have a “unique” way of giving back and teaching at the same time.  For every phone given or sold to PaceButler, they will donate an educational book!
Can you imagine turning your old cell phone into a quality book to give a kid?

Books can change lives.  That’s exactly what PaceButler Corporation is doing.  They have developed a program called PaceButler Books Program to donate books to kids of all ages.

For every cell phone given or sold to the program, a quality book will be donated to someone who could benefit from the gift.   In the past 3 years, PaceButler Corporation has already donated over 322,000 books!

This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses, organizations, and consumers to do something incredible with their used cell phones.  Educating and motivating kids with books is the mission of PaceButler Books Program.

The program is simple.  There is no cost to give your cell phone, just go to www.pacebutler.com for more information.  PaceButler Corporation will send you a prepaid shipping label for you to ship your phone.

Think about how you could change someone’s life by getting involved.  This is a one to one giving program.  For every cell phone given to the program, a quality book will be donated.

PaceButler Corporation buys used cell phones from companies and individuals throughout the United States and will pay up to $125 for used cell phones (some phones have no value).  Phones that are deemed unusable will be recycled.  PaceButler is dedicated to protecting our communities and environment by recycling old phones to keep them out of the landfills.

For organizations that would like to request FREE books, go to:  www.pacebutler.com

For more information, contact:

PaceButler Corporation
Tom Pace, CEO
405-755-3131 X 229
tom@pacebutler.com

Why Social Media Works

With mobile and social media booming in the internet, so are the ways and methods for how advertisers can reach consumers through social media marketing.  

Mobile and social media marketing work very well together, for one, most of the usage on mobile comes from Social Media apps especially with the new iPad Facebook app which was one the fastest downloaded app of all time.

Are search and display media a thing of the past?  Absolutely not, but advertisers are now thinking and shifting dollars to capturing their audience in the Social Landscape.  This is nothing new, but the technology and analytics to drive brand engagement or performance marketing on the social graph is growing by the second.

For old school internet marketers, social is a new way of thinking.  It’s about getting into the consumers mindset and sending a message that drives the user to interact.

People are influenced by their friends opinions and social does a great job of displaying an ad to a user but also showing you which one of your friends is interested in that ad or brand as well.

This increases engagement and click through rates on Social ads dramatically.  However, social media is still more closely tied to branding where as search advertising should more closely tied to performance marketers.

Reason being that people use sites like Facebook to interact with their friends, look at pictures, see what’s going on, and many people are not fans of brands or want to even see ads on Facebook.  Even as Facebook has done a good job of making brand advertising feel like another part of the user experience, social media ads still aren’t exactly users raising their hands to find an ad.

On the flip side, the engagement a brand can get from one like from a user can last a very long time.  Users may receive messages or updates from that Brand for years to come so the lifetime value of grabbing that like in the near term is very valuable to brands.

This created the race for likes and follows on Twitter, however, brands should focus in more on the quality of the user that likes their brand verses sheer quantity.  The higher quality user will be a brand advocate, spread the word to more friends, and be more likely to purchase or convert against an advertisers message.

In addition to simply buying ads on Facebook, a hot trend in social media is running a social contest with tons of new start-ups launching each day to provide solutions to advertisers on effectively implementing a contest within an Advertiser brand page.   Contests within social media do a great job of driving interaction and user engagement.

So where is social media advertising heading?  Well Facebook and Twitter have just touched the surface of the advertising opportunities within their platforms.   The more and more creative they get, the most unique and interesting ad products will arise on the social networks.

One likely direction is for Facebook to syndicate their ads to publishers and compete the with billion dollar Google adsense business.  You can expect that coming for sure.  If you’re not ready for the new wave of Social Media marketing, then you better buckle up for the ride. ~businessinsider.com~

For questions on Social Media Marketing, contact:

Chameleon Marketing Solutions
Introducing You To The World!
Chameleonmarket@gmail.com

Slate Roofing – the Pros and Cons

Slate is once again a sought after roofing material, although the introduction of man-made asphalt shingles in the early 20th century caused the stone to go out of vogue for some time. However, the many virtues of slate roofing are being recognized anew, and it is enjoying a Renaissance. Because of its natural durability and strength, slate was a popular choice. Its upfront cost was high, though, and the tiles themselves could be somewhat prone to breakage. Below is a discussion of slate’s pros and cons, which should help you decide if a slate roof is right for your home or business.

Using slate tiles on your roof will make your home or business stand out from the others in your nrea, as the stone has an attractive appearance and can be found in many colors and styles. Some slate has a naturally occurring sheen, thanks to a high concentration of minerals like quartz and mica. Tiles of any thickness can be had, and you can opt for a customized look by arranging the tiles in a pattern of colors, thicknesses, or textures. Slate roofing lasts much, much longer than asphalt or wooden shingles, making the high initial cost worthwhile. The average lifespan of a slate roof is 100 years, with some varieties lasting upwards of 150 years.

A slate roof is also resistant to fire, a huge consideration in light of the fact that many home fires start from airborne sparks landing on the roof. Slate is also a “green” building material, as the production of the tiles creates far less pollution than its asphalt counterpart. Unlike other shingles, slate chips can be reused, and make an attractive addition to borders and beds in your landscaping scheme. Slate chips act like mulch, helping retain water, deterring weeds, and keeping plants from freezing. If you have a lot of cats in your neighborhood, the hard surface of the slate chips will also deter them from digging in your beds.

Unfortunately, the upfront expense of installing a slate roof is usually enough to drive away many home or business owners. It is a big investment, but when you consider how often you’ll be replacing your shingled roof, it might be worth it to spend a few thousand dollars now, rather than later. Don’t forget, you’ll be paying for the cost of labor every time you replace your shingle roof, as well. Which calls up another point: incorrect installation of a slate roof can end up costing you a bundle and doing structural damage to your building. Seek out a roofing company that specializes in slate roofing and make sure they are using copper nails and plugging the nail holes as they go.

A slate roof also puts much more weight on the structure of your home or business than does a shingle or tin roof. 100 square feet of slate can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs, so be sure your home’s structure is able to bear the load, or you may regret it.  ~ eva-news.com ~

For more information, contact:
Saratoga Roofing & Construction
Serving OKC * Tulsa * DFW Metroplex
800-757-ROOF (7663)
www.saratogaroofing.com

Is Your Business Winterized?

Winters in Oklahoma can be unpredictable so be prepared before winter hits

When temperatures drop below freezing, businesses can encounter multiple problems if they have neglected to prepare for winter.   Unfortunately, most business owners wait until snow hits the ground before they start to winterize their business.

Make sure that external plumbing, heating systems, foundations and roofs are all working and free of leaks.  Taking care of a few things now can save you costly damage repairs later and avoid major inconveniences for employees and customers.  And, will help you have a safe winter season.

• Keep roofs clear of leaves, branches or other debris
• Be sure all heating equipment is serviced every year and is properly ventilated
• Be sure any air vents indoors or outdoors (intake, exhaust and forced air) are not blocked by snow or debris
• Winterize external plumbing
• If your business has gutters, they should be cleaned every season after leaves have fallen to prevent freezing mass and opening the seams to leaks.

Don’t forget to have a snow shovel and ice melt on standby for when you need it!  You never know when Oklahoma weather will turn bad.  You might also want to make sure you have a list of contractors handy if you ever have an emergency.  When your business is your source of income, any downtime can be detrimental.

Saratoga Roofing & Construction
Serving OKC * Tulsa * DFW Metroplex
800-757-ROOF (7663)
www.saratogaroofing.com

Social media explodes as Joe Paterno is fired from Penn State Foootball

Penn State football coach and campus legend Joe Paterno was fired last night after failing to report a series of child abuses. Jerry Sandusky, Penn State’s defensive coordinator, was arrested on charges of molesting eight boys who had been a part of a charity he had established for troubled youths. But despite knowledge of these crimes, Joe Paterno did nothing to bring them to light.

The board of 20 Trustees fired Joe Paterno just 3 games shy of his 46^th season because “it was necessary to make a change in leadership and set a course in a new direction.” Being such an iconic figure in Penn State football, the campus was set ablaze and students and alumni alike moved to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to vent their frustrations and appraisals. Many plead with other Paterno supporters not to riot on campus.

Affectionately referred to as “Joe Pa,” he held an NCAA-record of 409 games and two national titles. Many throughout the world of college athletics had thought him untouchable and were fairly surprised that he was not allowed to say goodbye at the Nittany Lions’ final home game of the season.

As the news spread throughout social media sites and became viral, many key facts were left out. This omission of detail on sources like Twitter which limit “tweets” to 140 characters caused many to be unaware of the whole story. One such fan was Ashton Kutcher who tweeted, “How do you fire Joe Pa?” But once brought up on the situation as to why the coach was being let go, Ashton quickly deleted that tweet and instead tweeted:

For someone who has over 8 million followers and a reputation to uphold, this blunder was titanic.

But this case of overreacting on social media, without knowing all the facts, is not unique to this event. Social Media has changed our society and culture as it allows for instant communication. But this instantaneous medium is a double-edged sword. While allowing us to share ideas in real-time and around the globe, it also prompts instant reactions which are not constructive to the conversation. No longer do we take the time to think on an issue and do a little bit of research to figure out the context and all the facts surrounding it. Instead, when we see something that we disagree with on the surface, we respond immediately and sometimes forcefully; then move on to the next, never having taken the time to study the issue. This makes us look foolish and ignorant and contributes nothing productive to the conversation.

While social media presents a unique opportunity to communicate more effectively with each other, we should take the time to study the facts of an issue before succumbing to the temptation to tweet out a knee-jerk reaction.  ~ tech.pnosker.com ~

Multi-Family Roofing Solutions

At Saratoga Roofing our strength lies in our ability to understand the needs of any apartment community.

Through experience of our world class project managers we can help make your life as property manager, maintenance supervisor, or owner stress free.  Simply stated our experience in multi-family re-roof projects is the difference.  We perform all projects professionally, safely, and with as minimal disruptions to your tenants as possible.

From on site superintendents with years of experience, to resident notices, manufacturer certified installation, and first class clean up.  It is our mission to treat your property as if it was our own. We are very proud of the fact that we only use the best installers, estimators, and project managers in the country.

Our friendly and professional staff is here to answer any questions you may have about our company or our services. Commitment to our projects, our customers, and delivering the best product possible are the ideals that have built us into a leader in the construction industry.   Our quality craftsmanship and attention to detail go into every job, and all jobs are completed in a timely manner.

When it comes to commercial roofing for multi-family units, contact Saratoga Roofing and Construction.  We are your trusted leader in the commercial roofing industry.  Our family has been in the roofing business for over 70 years!

Contact:
Saratoga Roofing and Construction
Serving OKC * Tulsa * DFW Metroplex
800-757-ROOF (7663)
www.saratogaroofing.com

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9 Out of 10 Teenagers Witness Bullying And Meanness On Social Sites Like Facebook, Twitter

Parents are allowing kids to get social networking sites younger and younger.

Most teens aged 12 to 17 are now online, and most of those use social media sites, according to a new survey. The prevalence of this online community has fostered teens’ social lives, both positively and negatively.

While 95 percent of teens aged 12 to 17 are online, and 80 of those who are online use social media sites, nearly 9 in 10 teens report having seen mean or cruel behavior on those sites, according to the report by the Pew Research Center. About a third said they sometimes witnessed the cruel behavior, while 12 percent said they saw it frequently. Fifteen percent of social media-using teens said they had been the target of online bullying.

But the news isn’t all bad. More teens say they have positive experiences than negative ones on social network sites: 78 percent reported at least one good outcome, compared with 41 percent who reported at least one negative outcome.

“Most of the time, these are pleasant places to be,” Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher and lead author of the report, told Bloomberg Businessweek. “But there are some dark moments popping up once a while. For a subset of teens, the world of social media presents a climate of drama and mean behavior.”

The study also showed that others on social sites defending victims: 84 percent have seen people defend the person harassed or telling someone to stop. Almost all of those surveyed said they see victims ignore the behavior or would ignore the meanness if they were targeted.

By contrast, an Associated Press-MTV poll showed in September that young people see online racist and sexist slurs as just joking.

In July, a Burn Book like the one featured in the movie Mean Girls that singled out students and called them names on Facebook led school officials in Texas to launch a district-wide investigation.

“The younger the kid, the meaner the peer group becomes, so this is an alert to parents that not every kid is ready for the independence of having their own social networking page,” Rachel Simmons, an author and speaker on children and social media, told The Washington Post. ~huffingtonpost.com~