NYT Posts Articles on Twitter; Asks Others Not to Notice by Erik Sass

Huh? The New York Times is clearly struggling with the whole social media angle of its new online pay-wall -- or rather, trying to have its online cake and eat it too. On one hand, the NYT wants heavy users to pay for access to online content, shelling out $15 per month for continued access after reading the maximum allowed 20 articles for free; the pay wall is supposed to take effect on March 28 (it's already up in Canada). ...Read the whole story

  • research Social Media Means More Than Social Channels by Karl Greenberg

    "Facebook and Twitter audiences report themselves to be frequent recommenders in every category we look at," says Keller Fay's Brad Fay. "We find that people 13 to 69 who are Twitter audiences offer 100 weekly brand mentions -- they are very engaged in brands -- versus 65 for the general public. " But he added that traditional media also offers strong social value. ...Read the whole story

  • research Report Explores Social Media, Consumer Relationship by Tanya Irwin

    The basics are regular posts, trustworthy brand news, new product information, contests and special offers. However, brands that can also deliver either a sense of fun, variety, innovation, interactivity or community will stand out from other pages and see a stronger brand response, according to Millward Brown and Dynamic Logic. ...Read the whole story

Beyond The Swag: Bloggers Use Social Media To Do Good by Stephanie Azzarone

I see an important trend here. Mom bloggers who have focused to date on reviewing products or talking about their personal experiences are now looking to make a greater contribution -- to have real impact. This offers exciting opportunities for bloggers and brands alike. ...More

  • Should Twitter Close Down @freeNYTimes? by Catharine P. Taylor

    As I write this, an interesting signpost in the advancement of social media and paywalls is upon us. To continue my theme of absolute obsession with The New York Times' new paywall, today I want to talk about whether Twitter has, or should, shut down the Twitter feed @freeNYTimes. It's an automated account that promises to tweet a link to every article in the Times, using the paper's own API to make the trick happen. ...More

  • Shattering The SXSW Petri Dish by David Berkowitz

    Some time between an earthquake rattling Japan and Operation Odyssey Dawn launching to protect Libya from itself, my world was consumed by a mere four letters: SXSW. In the metaphysical sense, it seems so remote now that I wonder if South by Southwest actually occurred. In the more practical sense, this marks the start of a yearlong process to determine how much it mattered. ...More