Danna and I had known each other online long before we got the chance to meet in person 1 1/2 years ago.  I have always admired her knowledge of everything eBay, and also her personality and willingness to help people in so many ways.  Danna has been selling on eBay since 1997, and in 2007 she formed PowerSellingMom.com She is a recipient of the eBay Hall of Fame Award, and is a strong participant in the eBay Community.   She is also an eBay Education Specialist, as well as a Trading Assistant.  Those are just a few of the hats Danna wears – as I mentioned. she has vast knowledge of all things eBay

Danna is as vibrant in person as she is online.  I found our discussions to be very engaging, and thought provoking…and full of smiles and laughter.  She is a very caring person, which is evident in her personal life as well as with her customers.

1. How long have you been using Social Networking for your business?

I’ve been using it since the launch of MySpace. Giving you an example, MySpace was #2 in my traffic report from my eBay store. eBay was #1. I learned early on how to network socially using MySpace!

2. Is your business using Facebook &/or Twitter?

Yes I use both daily!

3. Facebook vs Twitter – do you like one better? If yes, why?

I like twitter best because I love meeting new people and twitter opens up new opportunities over Facebook.

4. Do you post daily?

Yes I do!

5. What is your favorite thing about Social Networking?

Meeting new people and growing relationships!

6. What do you think is the biggest benefit of Social Networking?

Cross-promotions I feel are one of the biggest advantages. The ability to cross promote opens up many different doors of opportunity which allows me to mix marketing with socializing.

7. How do you measure Social Networking, and explain:

ROL – Return on Loyalty -  Loyal followers know what they see and read what I post. Showing what I do is evidence that I do practice what I preach. So yes this would be a ROL

8. What is the best moment you’ve had on a Social Networking site?

When I received a direct tweet from Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay! I still smile to remember it!

9. What is your best piece of advice to other businesses about Social Networking?

To always say “Thank You” either by direct messages, emails or “snail” mail. Be thankful of what you’ve built and show appreciation. I use and recommend email marketing and sending greeting cards. Since I became a Marketing director with Send out Cards I’ve had the pleasure to send un-expected “Thank you” follow-up greeting cards with meaning. In addition to the training I’ve received using the power of email marketing with Constant Contact. I know first hand the importance of follow-through and appreciation! There is more to Social networking than simple engaging online. It’s about building long term business relationships. Simple styles of customer appreciation can go a long way!

PowerSellingMom.com

Facebook: Fan Page of the PowerSellingMom Inc. Network

Twitter: @DannaCrawford

LinkedIn: Danna Crawford

The Nanny Nine brought to you by the Social Networking Nanny

From the first Tweet I saw from Brad Tabke, I could tell he was a go-getter.  I had recently begun my involvement with the local Chamber of Commerce and he was one of the first to make me feel welcome.  Shortly after, we met at an event and his in-person character was the same as online.  He listens to what people are saying, and gives honest, courteous feedback.  We soon found we shared common ground on the use of Social Media, even as it pertains to non-business application, particularly city and government areas.

As soon as Brad started running for Mayor of our city of Shakopee, he had a Facebook and Twitter ID for it, and soon his blog followed.  The momentum was building, and it continued after he took the oath of office.  Our city may be small in comparison to many, but we have a lot going on here, and Mayor Tabke is on top of it.  He shares via Social Media not just to inform people, but to also get support, and often to listen to the other side of a current topic & discuss the issues.

1. How long have you been using Social Networking for your business?

I began using social networking for my previous business 2008 or 09 but had been using email marketing before that for creating digital communities.

2. Is your business using Facebook &/or Twitter?

As mayor, I use both Facebook and Twitter. Tried Google+ but couldn’t stick with it because Hootsuite doesn’t support it yet.

3. Facebook vs Twitter – do you like one better? If yes, why?

I love twitter. I use both of them often but with very different purposes. Facebook posts must be impactful and get likes or comments in order to show up in fans’ streams. Therefore I try to use FB more strategically with information I think people will engage with and share.

Twitter is much more immediate and short-lived. I use Twitter more like a public journal because people want to know what I’m doing as Mayor of Shakopee. I post a lot of information to Twitter and post important items multiple times to try and reach people at different times.

The other thing I do that seems to work is post foursquare checkins to Twitter. I only check in if it is pertinent to Shakopee and people notice. It is great.

4. Do you post daily?

Yes – and more!

5. What is your favorite thing about Social Networking?

The ease and ability to get people information where they want it.

6. What do you think is the biggest benefit of Social Networking?

Building on the last questions – everyone is busy and people aren’t going to take the time to dig into the local newspaper or blogs to figure out if something will impact their lives. Governments and elected officials need to do a better job of meeting people where they are and not expecting them to come to us. That is why I use social (digital) media.

7. How do you measure Social Networking, and explain:

I don’t have any specific ways I measure my return. It makes me feel good when I get a lot of comments or replies, but I’ve found those don’t really capture how much people are listening. I get just as much feedback at physical networking events or appearances about what people saw on facebook or read on twitter as I do online. It is more of a gut feeling to interpret what is and is not engaging.

8. What is the best moment you’ve had on a Social Networking site?

Easily Twitter and the Vikings Stadium announcement was the most fun I’ve ever had in social media. It was so useful and impactful to be able to answer questions, build buzz and continue debate in a quick, easy format.

9. What is your best piece of advice to other businesses about Social Networking?

Don’t be scared. So many elected officials are scared of saying something wrong and it showing up on TV or in the media. As long as you post things that are true to who you are and you feel are important to your listeners, you’ll be fine. Even if you do post a ‘gaffe’ you’ll be able to back it up and the people you really care about will know you well enough to understand what you meant.

Brad Tabke

Facebook: Brad Tabke for Mayor

Twitter: @MayorTabke

The Nanny Nine brought to you by the: Social Networking Nanny

If you are a member of Pinterest you should have received the email below this morning.  They have definitely made progress with some of the updates, especially clarifying their intent with the content, not allowing certain types of pins, and looking forward as they expand.  However, many uses may get lost in the lists under Acceptable Use Policy.  Not unlike many companies in the online world, they have to cover their….backside.  And rightly so.  While they have tried to make the wording easy for users to understand, we know there are going to be many different interpretations of some of these line-items.

Regarding the Copyright issues, watch for our next blog post which will be co-written with Kelcey Patrick-Ferree, a business attorney focused on internet and social media law.

I’m still a huge fan of Pinterest, and I encourage them to stay on top of these issues, while continuing to push forward with enhancements to the site.  I encourage Pinterest users to be mindful and use common sense.  Yes, I know that has many interpretations as well   *Pin On*

Updated Terms of Service

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been working on an update to our Terms. When we first launched Pinterest, we used a standard set of Terms. We think that the updated Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy, and Privacy Policy are easier to understand and better reflect the direction our company is headed in the future. We’d encourage you to read these changes in their entirety, but we thought there were a few changes worth noting.

• Our original Terms stated that by posting content to Pinterest you grant Pinterest the right for to sell your content. Selling content was never our intention and we removed this from our updated Terms.
• We updated our Acceptable Use Policy and we will not allow pins that explicitly encourage self-harm or self-abuse.
• We released simpler tools for anyone to report alleged copyright or trademark infringements.
• Finally, we added language that will pave the way for new features such as a Pinterest API and Private Pinboards.

We think these changes are important and we encourage you to review the new documents here. These terms will go into effect for all users on April 6, 2012.

Like everything at Pinterest, these updates are a work in progress that we will continue to improve upon. We’re working hard to make Pinterest the best place for you to find inspiration from people who share your interest. We’ve gotten a lot of help from our community as we’ve crafted these Terms.

Thanks!

Ben & the Pinterest Team

“The last few months have been a whirlwind here at Pinterest. It’s hard to explain how it feels to go from a small group of people working on a virtually unknown website, to a slightly bigger team of people working on a service that millions of people use every day.” (Pinterest spokesperson to CBS’s WCCO)

Isn’t that statement the truth!  In a busy, busy world who doesn’t love a fast and easy way to share ideas, recipes, fashion and more…hello Pinterest!  It sparked our interest, 12 million of us have flocked to it, and for many of us it became an immediate addiction.  And then the “fine print” was made bold to us:

 “You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services. Accordingly, you represent and warrant that: (i) you either are the sole and exclusive owner of all Member Content that you make available through the Site, Application and Services or you have all rights, licenses, consents and releases that are necessary to grant to Cold Brew Labs the rights in such Member Content, as contemplated under these Terms; and (ii) neither the Member Content nor your posting, uploading, publication, submission or transmittal of the Member Content or Cold Brew Labs’ use of the Member Content (or any portion thereof) on, through or by means of the Site, Application and the Services will infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral rights or other proprietary or intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or result in the violation of any applicable law or regulation.”  (From Pinterest’s Terms of Service).

Nobody likes reading the fine print, but interpreting this was scary.  Could we possibly be violating people’s Copyrights?   The super paranoid users took down their boards that had other people’s photos on them.  Others simply stopped re-pinning certain pictures or items.  As a retail business owner I am thrilled at the idea of others sharing linked pictures of my website items!  Advertising for a website can be expensive and anytime we online retailers can get a positive Review or Recommendation of a product, we are thrilled.  I consider Pinterest Pins to be a Positive thing.  For those sites not wanting to share I highly recommend they add the opt-out code to their site – it prevents content from being shared on Pinterest.

Recently, Pinterest addressed the copyright concerns: “Pinterest is a platform for people to share their interests through collections of images, videos, commentary and links they can share with friends. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) provides safe harbors for exactly this type of platform. We are committed to efficiently responding to alleged copyright infringements. We are regularly improving our process internally with the help of lawyers who are experts in the field of copyright.”

I gathered some questions from Pinterest users, and addressed them with local business attorney, Kelcey Patrick-Ferree*

1) What kinds of materials are protected by copyright? Is it necessary to have a copyright notice on something to receive copyright protection?

Copyright law protects any “creative work fixed in a tangible medium of expression.” So for something to be protected it has to be creative (not merely instructions, not merely factual, but something new from a spark of inspiration) and fixed (copyright does not protect a thought in your head or an unrecorded improvisation session) in a tangible medium (and 1′s and 0′s on a hard drive count). Courts have ruled that most photographs are protected because there are certain creative elements involved in taking most photographs: composition, lighting, and so on. (Note that sometimes the subject of a photograph has separate copyright protection, for example if the photograph is of a painting or sculpture.) If the photographer did anything during the development process with a film photograph, or with a photo editing program with a digital photograph, those elements are also protected. But the creative elements are the only protected portion of a photograph. If you want to take a photograph of the same subject using your own creative choices of lighting, composition, and so on, you are perfectly free to do so.

Copyright protection exists at the moment the creative work becomes fixed in a tangible medium of expression. In the case of a photograph, it exists at the moment the photograph becomes fixed on a disk or film. It is not necessary to put a copyright notice on a work to receive copyright protection, though it does make it significantly easier for anyone who would like permission to use the work to find the owner. Likewise, you should assume a photograph or other creative work is copyrighted unless you have been specifically told otherwise.

Copyright registration can add an extra layer of protection for a creative work; if a work is part of the Copyright Office’s database of registered works, people who want permission to use the work can search for it in the database. In addition, a registered work is eligible for statutory damages if there is infringement–that is, the owner does not need to prove that any financial harm arose from the infringement in order to recover money from the infringer.

2) What does a website owner do to show that the site’s photographs can be pinned on Pinterest?

The best indicator is if the website has a “Pin It!” button or other invitation to add content to Pinterest. It is not safe to assume that a Facebook or Twitter Share button indicates Pinterest-friendliness; Twitter did not include photos until recently, and it includes only a link to the original site when a user shares things on Twitter. Sharing something on Facebook will add, at most, a thumbnail. Thumbnail images are generally considered to be “fair use.” Pinterest adds a full-size copy of an image, and that is very different from either Facebook or Twitter.

There are other ways to determine whether you have permission to share a photograph or other creative work. Some sites specifically ask that you share something if you like it (reblog, share, pass it on, etc.). Some sites use a Creative Commons copyright license (you can search for Creative Commons-licensed works here: http://search.creativecommons.org/). Some sites have language in their Terms of Use (the link is usually at the bottom of the page) that make it permissible to share content. You will want to look for the terms about intellectual property and linking. You can try contacting the site owner directly to ask permission. You can also try following brands that you like on Pinterest. If someone pins something that they own (or had permission to pin), you are free to re-pin it.

If you are wondering whether you can re-pin something that was not pinned by the owner of the copyright, things get murkier. The site’s updated Terms of Service, which take effect on April 6, 2012, clarify that users are responsible for making sure that their pins and re-pins are legitimate. You have no way to know whether someone who pinned something asked for permission directly from the copyright owner, but you can go back to the original site and see if the site invites sharing.

3) How can one tell whether a website owner owns the copyright in a photograph?

This one is tricky. It is not always possible to tell whether someone owns a photograph posted to a website, or has the necessary permissions to do so. Look for clues like consistency of style, the type of site, and so on. If you want to be very safe, only pin content from large companies, which are more likely to make sure that they own or have a proper license to what they post, and other trusted sources, such as websites of people you know personally.

It is also noteworthy that the U.S. federal government cannot own a U.S. copyright. Material that appears on federal government websites generally will say whether it is permissible to use it or not–for example, the Smithsonian online archive will tell you whom to contact to get permission to use photos if necessary. You can also find databases of works that have fallen into the public domain because they are too old to be subject to copyright, which lasts for a limited (though long) period of time.

4) What are the defenses to copyright infringement in cases where there was no permission?

There are several defenses to copyright infringement, but very few apply to cases of actual copying, which is what Pinterest users do. The main defense is fair use, which is defined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Fair use allows a book critic to quote a portion of a book without being sued for infringement. It means use for certain purposes, including “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research.” To decide whether a particular use is fair use, a court must consider: 1) the purpose and character of the use; 2) the nature of the copyrighted work; 3) how much of the work was used; and 4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

In some cases, it is difficult to imagine how pinning a photograph on Pinterest could adversely affect its market. For example, a photograph of a product on a retailer’s website is copyrighted, but the act of pinning does not hurt the market for the photo; the retailer purchased it before placing it on the website. In addition, a retailer is unlikely to be upset about someone pinning a photo of its products and driving more traffic to the retail website. Likewise, pinning a photo in order to comment on or criticize either the photo itself or the product would likely fall under fair use. (Pinning a photo with a negative and untrue comment, on the other hand, could get a user into trouble for unrelated reasons like defamation.)

Conversely, pinning a photographer’s work has definite potential for adversely affecting the market for the photo. If you pin family photographs taken in a studio (and you do not own the copyright in those photographs, only the physical photos you have purchased), does Grandma still have an incentive to buy her own copies if she can just look at them on Pinterest? If you pin a beautiful landscape photograph, could that reduce the incentive to purchase a copy to place in a person’s home or office?

I’m sure we will continue to learn more as the site matures, and the interest in Pinterest continues to expand.

*Kelcey Patrick-Ferree is a business attorney focused on internet and social media law. She is active on several social media sites, including Pinterest. You can learn more about her and her practice at www.businesslawmn.com.

Disclaimer: “This post is offered for informational purposes only. It is not and should not be relied upon as legal advice. If you need legal advice on this topic, please consult with an attorney regarding your own situation.”

Like many of you, when I first heard about Pinterest I thought “Really?  Why would I want to post pictures of things I like…and who in the world would want to see them?”

Then, because of the wonderful cross-over of Social Media platforms I started seeing Pinterest posts about recipes that appealed to me.  Fine, I thought, I’ll follow the link and get the recipe.  Oops, roadblock…I needed an invite.  Now I wanted to be on Pinterest and suddenly couldn’t.  Thankfully a friend provided the invite shortly after I posted about needing one.   Many re-pinned recipes later I am an avid Pinterest user!

Recently I interviewed four ladies about their use of Pinterest.  While each of them had different interests on the site, a variety of use, and tenure – ranging from a couple of weeks to a year, the one thing each one of them agreed on….they are Pinterest addicts!  Introducing Monika, Amber, Katy and Vanessa; four very different women with different tastes, yet a common love of Pinterest.

Monika is the Pinterest veteran of the group, having used the site now for an entire year, with 29 boards and over 1600 pins!  Among her favorites are two of her boards that channel her desire to stay grounded, & the other is a dare to dream for her passion of interior design.  She loves to use Pinterest as a bookmarking site for recipes, shopping and DIY ideas.  Monika has been able to try some of the recipes and made some clothing and shoe purchases through pins she has seen. She also has a lot if DIY projects on her want-to-try list.  And while she encourages people to use Pinterest, she does caution users to be “conscientious pinners” – make sure the images you pin can be linked back to either an image owner or a blog citing photo credits.  Regarding businesses that use Pinterest, she “honors their brand but encourages curiosity about the people & culture behind the pins & she encourages feedback on what is important to me as a customer.”

Amber has also been using Pinterest for quite a while, in comparison to most of us, at just over six months.  She has a large collection with 24 boards and over 1500 pins!  Two of her favorite topics to repin to her own boards are Weddings & Events and Health & Beauty. But she has also used Pinterest boards to put up her Christmas Wish Lists.   Another creative way that Amber uses Pinterest is for the nail polishes she uses: “It helps prevent me from buying duplicates as well as an easy place to look at what I have.”  She has a similar board for Beauty Products.  She has enjoyed trying some recipes she has found, as well as some nail art ideas.  She is OK with businesses on the site, but cautions that they “are going to need to do more than just post about their products.  They should post tutorials and unique ideas on how to use their products not just ‘this is what we have to sell you’.”
Her advice to users is to remember that “Pinterest is about the people, it’s about you. Finding stuff you like, saving stuff for you. It is a tool for ME. I don’t really pay much, if any, attention to who posts what.”

Katy has made a big impact on Pinterest in just four months, with 23 boards and over 600 pins already…she admittedly loses track of time spent on the site, but is thoroughly enjoying it!  She says it’s like a picture book for adults: “Pinterest makes me want to be more creative, it’s definitely opened up a part of me that I seem to have left back in high school.”  She uses Pinterest for both personal and business use, but for the business purpose she tries to make sure it’s a pin that will interest people and not bombard them with pin after pin after pin, and appreciates businesses that use Pinterest creatively.  Two of her favorite categories, Food and Hair, have given her many fabulous recipes to try, and creative hair styles she never thought she could do on her own.  Two of her favorite personal boards are her For the Home and Fun Ideas boards.  These boards ” incorporate all the fun, crazy, creative, unique, and interesting ideas that I hope to someday incorporate into my home.”  She wishes there was a way to hide certain people from her feed, due to times of overload after a re-pin; but she does suggest to people that are hesitant to just play around with it!  “Put up some of your very own pins! Instead of just repinning the great pins you’re seeing from other people, put up your own pin – show YOUR creativity. Show off your completely organized closet. Show off how cute your dog is. It’s fun to see the comments you get on your own pins as well as seeing the number of people repinning it.”

Vanessa is the newbie in the group, with only a few weeks in, but a very quick learner!  She currently has nine boards, and almost 100 pins.  The idea was at first a bit confusing, but now she loves having a place to create virtual collages.  Vanessa is an artisan jewelry designer, so she uses Pinterest to showcase her own pieces, but also enjoys re-pinning and liking other designer’s pieces.   She loves to use Pinterest as a digital scrapbook, to help inspire her for future ideas.   She also loves the “thrill of people immediately responding to something I’ve pinned.  I think beauty makes the world a better place and if I can spread beauty, I’m doing good work.” Her favorite category is Art, and she no doubts gets many of her pins from there to add to her personal favorite Inspiration board.  Even though there are times Pinterest doesn’t recognize an image from a web page for her to pin, she still encourages users to “Have fun and use it as a place to collect things that bring a smile to your face.”

Follow me on Pinterest at:  Social Networking Nanny

I think most of us can agree…Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a classic, and timeless.  We enjoyed it as teens and young adults, and even now in our *cough cough* mature years.  Even after seeing it countless times we still laugh at the punch lines, even though we know what they are.  We mimic some of the moves, use the one-liners that have become so famous, and often dream we could be so daring to do some of the things Ferris did that day.

Honda brought all of the joy of Ferris Bueller back in it’s Super Bowl commercial this year – Mathew Broderick as Ferris once again!  In the opening teaser many of us were instantly excited, thinking it was a teaser for a sequel!  Sadly, it was not.  But…..that didn’t stop us from starting a Facebook Fan page trying to get a sequel in the works.  Join the movement – Bring Bueller Back!

If you’re a regular attendee of Minnesota non-profit events you’ve probably noticed the name Walser Foundation as a sponsor.  To be honest, this is what first sparked my interest in them, and I soon followed up with finding them on Facebook & Twitter.  The Walser Foundation is supported by 5% of pre-tax profits from the Walser Automotive Group.  Walser Automotive Group is made up of nine New Car dealerships (12 different car brands), two Used Car dealerships, Rental Car service, Commercial Services division, and a Collision and Glass location as well.

The driving force behind the Walser Automotive Group’s Social Media is Andrea Kopfmann, Walser Foundation Director.  Andrea has a great understanding of Social Media, and quickly adapts to new changes that are made.  Her fun and poised personality is perfect for her position!  She and her team do a great job at managing information to post from the multiple locations, and also for the Foundation.  It’s a good mix of posts for car enthusiasts, local happenings and events that the Walser Foundation is involved in or supports, plus general conversation that appeals to their Fans and Followers.

1. How long have you been using Social Networking for your business?

Four years

2. Is your business using Facebook &/or Twitter?

Both

3. Facebook vs Twitter – do you like one better? If yes, why?

That’s a tough one. I don’t necessarily prefer one over the other. I personally like Twitter because it’s easier to post. But we get more reaction to our postings on Facebook.

4. Do you post daily?

No.

5. What is your favorite thing about Social Networking?

It’s tough to keep up on. I always am learning new things and it’s a challenge.

6. What do you think is the biggest benefit of Social Networking?

If you’re smart, you have a huge opportunity to set yourself apart from the crowd and create awareness.

7. How do you measure Social Networking, and explain:

ROR – Return on Relationship I like to be able to reach out to people who are in our service aisle or on our sales floor and just say hello and ask if there’s anything further we can do for them. It surprises them and they usually thank us for it. It creates a stronger bond and they know we are listening and there for them.

ROE – Return on Engagement I enjoy engaging with people on a different level. We talk about all kinds of things on social media. Everything from service discounts to our nonprofit partners.

ROK – Return on Knowledge I think this is best for us to learn from. We encourage people to write reviews on our Facebook page. It’s great to read them, both good and bad. We can learn from these and share with sales staff and managers.

8. What is the best moment you’ve had on a Social Networking site?

Three years ago, we donated $1 to Open Arms of MN for every new Fan (yes, you became a fan back then) of our Walser Foundation page. We ran the campaign the last week of the year. It was HUGE! Over Christmas when everyone was sharing photos of the gifts they received, they also shared our message about our commitment to Open Arms. It was easy for people to talk about and they knew it was a small step they could take to help an organization that they loved. It also allowed people who had never heard of Open Arms to learn more. We received lots of activity and donated $1,000 to Open Arms on January 1^st.

9. What is your best piece of advice to other businesses about Social Networking?

Just have fun but be smart. Give a business a personality and think about how you can stand out from the crowd. If you receive a complaint online, just think about how you would normally respond. Put thought into it, but in my opinion, response time is more important than anything.

Walser Automotive Group

Facebook: Walser Automotive Group and Walser Foundation

Twitter: @WalserAutoGroup

The Nanny Nine brought to you by the Social Networking Nanny

Recently our daughter had a quality issue with an item we purchased at Macy’s.  We have purchased this brand many times before, and never had an issue.  In fact this was one of the top brands we looked for when she said she needed new winter boots.

Fast-forward a few months and she starts using them at college.  Not long after daily use she discovered the quality flaw and contacts me.  She had already taken some interim steps to do a short-term fix of the issues, but knew it wouldn’t last for long, and was actually still quite bothersome.

I immediately Googled the brand / manufacturing company for the boots, and found a Contact Us page.  I filled it out.  No reply.  Two weeks later I filled it out again.  No reply.  I could find no phone number or mailing address on the Internet for them.  This rarely every happens, so now I had to direct my thinking elsewhere.

On Twitter I politely asked @Macys if they stand behind brands they sell, and said I had a surprising quality issue with a well liked brand item.  I also knew these were no longer available in the store for a replacement, & would have to shop for a different replacement. Within an hour I received a reply with an email address to explain further.  That email was responded to very quickly, and I was put in touch with a Correspondence Specialist from their Social Media Assist department.  He was quick in all of his email replies, and the conversation was pleasant on both ends.

He understood my frustration, and understood the entire situation of logistics, timing, replacement needed, etc.  He offered to refund my purchase price, and even rounded it up a bit.  I received a Gift Card in the mail today…just as promised.

This is a perfect example of great reaction, and perfect follow-thru by a company!  Kudos to Macy’s Social Media department!

All of us regular users of the Social Networks like Facebook and Twitter have seen organizations network for a cause.  This last week it got close to home with the newly elected Shakopee Mayor proposing that the new Minnesota Vikings stadium be built right here in our town!

Mayor Brad Tabke was only in office for one week when the plan was formulated, with the help of a few others in the area, equally as passionate, they set the plan in motion.  Fast forward to the day of the announcement, and the social networking sites were buzzing with the news!

There have literally been thousands of Tweets which began with the press release, and the numbers continue to grow.  The dedicated hashtag is now #ShakoStadium

Besides the local press coverage, in print and in broadcast there was coverage online, outside the state:

CNBC

The Washington Post

Yahoo Sports Canada

Yahoo Finance

MSNBC / NBC Sports

NFL

Supporters are encouraged to please contact Governor Dayton & the Vikings:

Facebook Fan Page: People’s Stadium in Shakopee

Governor email: Contact form

Governor phone: 651.201.3400

Governor Twitter: @GovMarkDayton

Vikings email: minnesotamomentum@vikings.nfl.net

To all of the critics asking “Why was this plan submitted so close to the deadline?” – keep in mind our Mayor has only been in office one week.  Have you ever been in a new job for one week, and done something positive of this magnitude?

Mall of America, located in Bloomington Minnesota,  is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary this year!  The mall has over 520 retail stores, hosts 400 events each year, and has 40 million visitors annually*…yes, 40 million!  With that amount of traffic one can only begin to imagine the amount of online chatter the MOA staff has to monitor and be a part of.  The focus isn’t just the brand of Mall of America, their attention is spread across the entire portfolio.  This includes their retail partners, entertainment attractions, restaurants, and property features…including the parking lot!  Specific to the parking situation, they implemented a system to help aid MOA visitors in finding parking spots on the property, via Social Networking.

Lisa Grimm, Digital Brand Manager, took hold of the MOA social media efforts in 2009.  I remember it being shortly after a Social Media breakfast I had attended where she was the moderator.  She made a very good impression…an ideas person and a go-getter, so it doesn’t surprise me that they have flourished.  Their Facebook Fan base is over 308, 000 and on Twitter they have over 12,000 Followers.  It is fun to stay connected with them on Facebook & Twitter, and to watch the interaction they have with fans around the world!

1. How long have you been using Social Networking for your business?

Since 2009.

2. Is your business using Facebook &/or Twitter?

Absolutely! In addition to Facebook and Twitter, we use WordPress for the MOA Blog (www.mallofamerica.com/blog), SMS (text) and location-based services.

3. Facebook vs Twitter – do you like one better? If yes, why?

We love both. Each tool is a unique vehicle to learn about the sentiment around the Mall of America brand and have conversations with guests about the things that matter to them.

4. Do you post daily?

We produce an average of two blog posts, four Facebook posts, six tweets each day.

5. What is your favorite thing about Social Networking?

As an individual and as someone who manages social media for a brand, I enjoy the ability to connect right now with anyone in the world. There is an incredible amount of power in this; for individuals and for brands.

6. What do you think is the biggest benefit of Social Networking?

There is tremendous power in the ability to have conversations in real-time with anyone in the world.

7. How do you measure Social Networking, and explain.

All of our marketing-communications efforts have KPIs (key performance indicators) and metrics behind them. We like to know what investments, whether monetary or time, work and how to improve upon those that don’t perform well. Our social media engagement is no exception, so we plan and develop strategy and tactics for outcomes we can examine, whether a campaign or an overarching long-term project.

8. What is the best moment you’ve had on a Social Networking site?

This is hard, and I’m pretty sure if you asked our team each would struggle to highlight just one. We love when people share their memories, photos and videos of their experiences at Mall of America. We have the great fortune to manage social media at a destination where people’s eyes light up when they walk in. It’s wonderful to see it captured, shared and discussed online.

9. What is your best piece of advice to other businesses about Social Networking?

Don’t participate in social media unless you’re a customer-centric/people-centric individual or business. The point of social media and/or real-time communication mediums is to have a conversation and develop relationships with people. It cannot be automated, or I should say shouldn’t be automated, because humanity isn’t automated. If you don’t understand this, it won’t fare well.

*Mall facts: http://www.mallofamerica.com/about/moa/facts

Mall of America

Facebook: Mall of America

Twitter: @MallofAmerica

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