5 Green Initiatives Using Social Media for Good This Summer #FindingTheGood

Mashable points out the top green initiatives using social media this summer, check it out here:

http://mashable.com/2009/06/23/green-initiatives/

New York Times Appoints Social Media Editor

Originally Posted: May 28, 2009

Another mashup or real time social news? In a characteristically innovative move the New York Times has appointed the first Social Media Editor, Jennifer Preston presumably to manage all things new media. Read Write Web blogger Marshall Kirkpatrick says,

“The New York Times has done an incredible job leveraging Twitter informally, it’s a virtual case study of how journalists can effectively use the medium. The company’s other social media moves include a long list of powerful APIs, great infographics (some leveraging user generated content), lots of video and a real-time stream of updates from the organization. The business side of the Times is in as much trouble as the rest of the newspaper industry, but many in the organization seem prepared to stake its future on innovation. It’s a lot of fun to watch.”

Lots of fun, indeed Marshall. While we applaud the New York Times for recognizing the need to take bold moves in a time where the industry is suffering and in need of solid leadership, hiring a new social media editor brings a lot of interesting questions to the fore. How does the NYT plan to engage the social media community? With roots deep in traditional journalism yet not a lot of participation in the new medium, how will Preston ignite a new strategy? Social media is inherently a two-way channel, how will Preston handle the blurring lines?

This is a definitely a bold move and we’re curious to see how the New York Times plans to mix the old with the new. Send us your thoughts.

Click here to read the full post from Read Write Web…

Amanda Burke, Communications via Next StoryBoard

It's a Living

Thought leader Charlene Li just posted a new presentation, “The Future of Social Networks,” in which she gives more concrete examples that social networking will be as ever-present as “air.” Cool stuff, especially when you consider the there are more than 1 billion people online worldwide, and Facebook is growing by leaps and bounds internationally as well as here in the U.S.

Also chiming in with advice to harness these billions of users, Kevin Rose, founder of Digg and cofounder of Revision3, posted “10 Ways to Increase Your Twitter followers” yesterday on TechCrunch. This web celebrity has more than 88,000 followers on Twitter making him the second-most followed after President Obama. In 2008 Twitter grew by 664% creating an opportunity that any company worth its salt can’t ignore.

But the million-dollar question is: how do we as marketing professionals use these social media tools to drive revenue, or are we forming these relationships simply to give consumers a closer look into what we’re really about? You can’t argue that if nothing else social networks are the ultimate PR tool, giving us yet another way to get the word out and make connections for ourselves and the brands we represent. After what I’m sure were hours of refreshing her Twitter page, this Mashable contributor gets us a bit closer to answering that question. “Top 40 Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them” lists companies -- including Dell, JetBlue, Chevrolet, and Starbucks – and great insights into how these mega brands are using Twitter to relate to their audiences. If you needed further evidence that social media is becoming like the “air” we breathe, this list of brands we interact with on a daily basis serve as the proof points.

Oh and while I was drafting this post…Demi Moore started a Twitter account http://twitter.com/mrskutcher. Happy tweeting!