>> Gadgets by generations – good graphs on who uses what

>> Great case study on how Dell uses Social Media to the fullest

>> Marketing tips for small companies

>> Zucky has a stalker… on Facebook

>> Superbowl ads – which one was your favourite?

>> Oven Lovin’ – need I say more?
>> An inside look at North Korea a la VICE magazine style
>> Hello Toronto – help save CKLN!
>> The social media backlash – small but steady movement
>> Bus drivers who text – another PR disaster for Toronto’s public transit

Here are the latest, some greatest, some not so greatest but interesting links from the past week – read more!

I met a very smart and experienced marketing professional yesterday. He has worked with a lot of big brands and has seen a lot o action. He was very open and generous with his advice. He is definitely someone I can learn from.

The biggest piece of advice that he gave me was that marketing is all about common sense. That really hit home with me. He is right. It is about listening to your audience, including your colleagues imput, and using this valuable information into a solid marketing plan.

I wanted to share this advice as I think it is valuable to anyone in business out there. Trust your instincts – be a good listener and use common sense to find solutions.

I recently converted my website into a custom WordPress template. Thanks to Tim Whitacre and Argyll Studios – they basically took my existing design (and functionality I wanted to keep) and converted it into WordPress. I have the blogging end here and I also have two pages that are static that I can change easily and at any time on my own. I can add more pages if i feel the need, and it is easy and seamless to do this.

Read more about my top plugins (aka Kryptonite) for WordPress….

Here is a list of five tips to get started on building your social media empire from the ground up:.

1. Write guidelines that cover both social media use on behalf of the company…. and also for staff who want to talk on social media sites about what they are up to workwise on their personal account

2. Have a staff member that is interested in social media? Send them to a course in web marketing. If in the Toronto area, there is an excellent course at the University of Toronto. (It is also offered online)

3. Subscribe to some social media experts to stay in the loop: Mashable, Webiquity (B2B-specific), Marketing Sherpa, eMarketer to name a few…

4. Put together a strategy with conservative objectives (ex. start 3-4 conversations per month) Remember, it takes time for your social media engagement to grow – opening a twitter account and tweeting once a week is not going to cut it.

5. Getting negative attention on social media? DO NOT delete the comment or be rude to the negative commenter (remember Nestle’s Facebook page in April 2010?) – Instead respond to the comment in a timely and professional manner. Offer solutions and empathy.

Here is a weekly roundup of some interesting links floating out there

It is a common misconception that you can copy and share other intellectual property freely (pictures, whitepapers, articles, etc). When posting content, link back to the source if you are mentioning from somewhere else. I put a credit to the site/company that I am citing from. If unsure, contact the source and ask for permission.

One big question: is social media changing the way we view copyright?

In 2010, something interesting happened with Facebook, it surpassed Google as the most visited website in the U.S. People are on Facebook longer and more frequently than Google. This shows a few things:

People are using Facebook as an information source
Users are connecting more for advice and feedback from their “friends” rather than a search engine
Facebook is becoming the new catch-all for people – a one-stop place to connect socially, through business networking, marketplace, and as an information/opinion source
If you have a tight advertising budget, Facebook may be a better bet to engage a larger audience than Google

Canadians are watching video, on social networking sites, wikipedia, eBooks far more than the rest of the world. Why? Its hard to say – maybe its the weather, possibly the geography.

One strong thought I think is – what a great group to use for beta-testing new products! Amazon, Facebook, Google , etc could use this group of eager online users to test new products and services. Right now this huge group of users could help drive new insights and innovation for the internet.