Media Bullseye

I'm delighted to welcome John Cass back to the program this week, as he joined Jen Zingsheim and myself for our weekly Radio Roundtable discussion. This week, I wanted to talk to John about his series of posts discussing the "unniversary" of the Cluetrain Manifesto, as well as some other interesting issues that have copped up in the social media world this week.

Finding success in social media often involves a confusing or intangible array of attributes, as well as (sometimes) plenty of luck--but Larissa Fair reminds us of one of the most important ways to get what you need from this space: be yourself. Also: Twitter for Disney enthusiasts and the work-life balance.

Popular social networking site Facebook has reached an agreement with attorneys general in 49 states to work together to make the site safer for younger users, including efforts to stymie online predators.

We all love Twitter, but how often do we consider its usefulness for business purposes? Colin Carmichael of Social Media Group has a great post with four ways that Twitter can help your business. Also: Make your conference rock more, and some thoughts on the echo chamber.

While Second Life itself may have hit the "trough of disillusionment" on its hype cycle, it's on the way to the enlightenment phase; and virtual worlds beyond Second Life are still something to which you ought to be paying attention, because they're on the cusp of a major expansion.

Often times, miscommunication begins immediately between firm and client, setting the relationship up for failure. Joseph Thornley stresses the importance of setting clear expectations for both sides. Also: Louis Vuitton and branding, reporter-flack symbiosis, and Myspace snobbery.

Online shoe retailer Zappos and CEO Tony Hsieh have developed a dedicated following online, particularly on popular microblogging platform Twitter. Soren Jacobsen delves into the company's culture, ideas on transparency, and customer service to discover how they became an online force to be reckoned with.

There are two camps on Twitter: those who follow back everyone that follows them, and those who are a bit more choosy. Mitch Joel (and myself, for what it's worth) falls into the second camp. Which one are you? Also: personal branding issues on social networks, and getting blog placements (or not).

Online social networking has become an important element in business, and can be of great assistance to job seekers using professional sites like LinkedIn or Facebook. But what about in person networking? Also: Frustration over shiny new toy fixations and why Mommy blogs rule.

On the first day of the 2008 NewComm Forum, which took place last week in Santa Rosa, Calif., two back-to-back sessions provided some new insight into the goals communicators have for their news releases, what metrics and results they value, and some Web-minded ways in which they are trying to breathe new life into this 100-year-old tool. Mike Keliher has the details.