K Street Cafe

Cross-posted on e.politics

Now that the details are slooowly creeping out and we have a clearer idea of the Obama election team’s online numbers, what conclusions can we draw for the future? Right off the bat, Jose Antonio Vargas’s recent piece in the Post suggests something critical: online communications campaigns should consider offering supporters tiers of potential engagement.

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How to Discuss Social Media With Peers Unfamiliar With the Topic (The Blog Council)
Many organizations face the problem of executives who don’t understand social media – here are a few tips for helping them understand its value.

Creating Online Community Guidelines (Word of Mouth Marketing)
Interaction is key in the online world, but every organization should still think carefully when creating their online community rules.

Now that he’s elected, Barack Obama’s online social networking vanishes (LA Times)
Mark Milian takes a look at how the “first social media president” has suddenly become quiet on the Internet.

Blogs – As Big as You Want Them To Be (Mashable)
The Huffington Post – whose worth was recently valued at $100 million – shows the possibilities are endless when it comes to blogs. Stan Schroeder briefly examines the key differences between running a blog and running traditional media publications.

Using Comments To Take On Detractors During a Crisis (The Blog Council)
The Blog Council commends General Motors for allowing all comments – positive and negative – to be posted even during their bailout crisis.

Survey: Almost Half of Journalists Use Facebook and LinkedIn To Assist in Reporting (PR Newser)
Media attention is just another great reason why using social media could benefit your organization.

10 Things To Think About In Social Media (People Like to Share)
As marketing and advertising budgets begin to dry up amidst the struggling economy, organizations will turn to free social media tools as a way to continue to stay in the game

Why Big Companies Are So Scared of Social Media (Advertising Age)
B.L. Ochman offers her insight on how big organizations can get into social media and avoid the types of big blunders Motrin made recently.

Want to Figure Out Your Social Media ROI? Consider a Plan. (MarketingProfs Daily Fix)
Beth Harte suggests that marketing and PR professionals come up with a plan for measuring ROI in advance to show the value of social media tools and tactics.

President 2.0 (Newsweek)
Daniel Lyons and Daniel Stone weigh in on the future of President-Elect Obama’s grassroots network, predicting that any of the options will come with complicated legal difficulties and political ramifications.

GE Uses Blog To Talk About Re-Org (Blog Council)
GE provides another great example of using new media to reach customers and provide a clear explanation of company changes.

Poll: Internet Now Considered More Reliable Than TV, Radio News (Read Write Web)
Even at a time when almost anyone can publish online, a new poll finds that the majority of people look to the Internet for reliable news.

Could a “Craigslist for Service” Actually Work? (Tech President)
Nancy Scola takes a look at one type of online forum that might be used to harvest volunteerism under the new Obama administration.

The Real Shaq Twitters With Friends (Word of Mouth Marketing)
NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, better known as Shaq, is an excellent example of taking control of your name in the social media world.

Fight Fire With Fire: Using Corporate Blogs to Upend Crises Online (PR News)
Patrick Seybold takes a look at how companies and organizations can learn from the examples of Dell and Whole Foods, who brought negative talk back onto their own “turf” by engaging effectively through corporate blogs.

Obama Campaign Testing the Waters for an Ongoing Grassroots Movement (Tech President)
Obama’s transition team recently released a survey to its grassroots supporters to gauge their opinions on whether the campaign’s vast network should be maintained as a separate entity or folded into the Democratic National Committee’s established online community.

In the continuing debate over new media vs. old media—what’s online vs. what’s offline—the sub-debate about advertising is instructive.

On one hand, online ads are vulnerable to the tyranny of choice. The metrics can be overwhelming, the jargon can be off-putting and success can be mistaken for failure. Moreover, unlike traditional ad buys, online campaigns demand continuous monitoring and fine-tuning.

On the other hand, if you’re tired of one-off shots in the dark—where your one-page spread for life insurance runs opposite to an article on video games, or your spot for an SUV runs in the middle of a segment on high gas prices—then online ads may be right for your organization. Here’s why:

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