21-year-old Australian Ashley Towns – the guy that created the first ever iPhone worm, ikee– revealed via Twitterthat he got a job at mogeneration, a company that develops iPhone apps, mostly for other clients such as TrueLocal, FoodWatch and Xumii. It’s only logical. After all, an iPhone worm is still an application of some sort, right? However, senior security consultant at Sophos Graham Cluley is disappointed that Towns is “rewarded” for writing an iPhone worm. From the Sophos’ blog:“Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think virus writers shouldn’t be allowed to rehabilitate and do something worthwhile with their lives. But it jars with me that Towns has shown no regret for what he did, and that now his utterly irresponsible behaviour appears to have been rewarded. Will Towns be offering a token $5 compensation to all those he infected for the inconvenience he caused? I doubt it.”When it comes to ethical hacking, the (unofficial) rules are quite clear. Towns shouldn’t have released the worm into the wild; he should have contacted Apple and the developers of SSH application, followed by a public display of a proof of concept. Simply releasing the worm and letting it do its thing is not OK. Still, it’s good to see that young Towns will focus his energy on something more productive than viruses in the future. Reviews: blogTags: iphone, worm

  Windows 7 is doing well, which gives the number crunching crowd an opportunity to compare it with Mac OS X– if only for a moment. According to Internet metrics company Net Applications, Windows 7 last weekend powered (on average) 5.07% of PCs, while in that week Mac OS X (in all its iterations) powered around 5% of computers worldwide. Since Windows’ overall market share is 92.64%, it’s obvious that this was bound to happen, and that Windows 7 will eventually go far beyond the 5% marker (even if the folks at Net Applications admit that the 5% figure is only a peak, and that they’re missing a couple of numbers). The real news here is that Windows 7 is outselling Vista in its first month of sales, growing at a 3.9% monthly average. Its growth comes mostly at the expense of Windows XP, but, to a much lesser extent, also Mac OS X, as Apple’s overall market share was 5.27% in October.All signs are showing that Microsoft has a clear winner in its hands: market share is growing, Steve Ballmer is frolicking, and users are happy. It also shows how resilient the desktop OS market is: even if it takes you 6 years to create a crappy OS (Vista), the competition won’t run over you or even capture a significant market share (which happened in the web browser race, where Firefox capitalized on Microsoft’s IE-induced slumber). Reviews: FirefoxTags: mac os x, operating system, Windows 7

  The relationship between sports and social mediais unique. On any given day Sunday an NFL football player’s tweet will get him released from the team, and yet the next day a basketball superstar will handsomely reward his one millionth Twitter follower. Such is the nature of a platform that supports real-time updates from athletes.Thankfully today’s news is on the cheery side, especially for NFL enthusiasts, as New York Giant’s Wide Receiver, Steve Smith, is hoping to enlist his 50,000 plus Facebook fansto help him secure a spot on this year’s NFL Pro Bowl team, with fan votes playing a 33% role in the decision.Fans hesitant to put Smith on the all-star team organically have a new found reason to give the guy a nudge, as Smith has just launched his very own Facebook contestto solicit your vote.Should Smith make the Pro Bowl, he will randomly give away a grand prize package that includes 2 tickets to the 2010 Pro Bowl in Miami complete with airfare, hotel, and a private dinner. The contest officially starts now and runs through December 21, 2009; it’s a social media ploy with a hint of Ochocinco flair, but minus the forbidden tweeting.Facebookers can also compete to win the second prize, an autographed Steve Smith jersey, by becoming a fan or following Smith on Twitter, voting for Smith, and recruiting additional fans or followers. The fan that recruits the most Facebook Fans or Twitter followers will be awarded the prize. Official rules and details are available on Smith’s Facebook Page, but this prize will be awarded regardless of whether or not Smith is in the Pro Bowl.The football maneuver is a clever one that is sure to generate buzz on Facebook and inspire fans to vote for Smith. Given Facebook’s vast reach and Smith’s fan following (as well as his actual football ability), the odds are certainly in favor of him realizing his Pro Bowl goal. It will also be interesting to see how fellow league players respond to the contest. If Facebook gives players a competitive advantage, then we’re likely to see more and more Pro Bowl hopefuls attempt to enlist the power of social media.Reviews: Facebook, TwitterTags: nfl, pro bowl, sports, steve smith

  Google got into the Holiday spirit several weeks early. The search giant didn’t want to just give boring old toys or gadgets, though. No, when Google does something, it does it on a wide scale. Perhaps that’s why they gave holiday travelers the gift of free Wi-Fi in 47 U.S. airportsand free Wi-Fi on Virgin America flights.The technology behemoth made clear today that it’s not done giving, though. Google has just added an additional seven airports in its free Wi-Fi program. They are: Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan National, Phoenix, Columbus (Ohio), Albany, Boise, and Asheville (North Carolina).Don’t forget: in addition to free Wi-Fi, Google is also matching donations made in these airports to Engineers Without Borders, One Economy Corporation, and the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, so you can do your part to give as well.Reviews: GoogleTags: Airplane, airport, Google, wi-fi

  There are a number of different services blooming as location-based mobile technology finally hits its stride, from Foursquarecheck-ins to augmented reality-enhanced surroundings courtesy of Layarand others. Flook(warning: iTunes link), a new entrant to the iPhone app store, takes a different, more whimsical approach to social location information.Users are prompted to create “cards” at interesting locations by snappinga photo and adding a title and caption. You can find cards nearby you or around the world, “collect” them, comment on them, and follow the cards of people posting interesting locations. Plus, email a card or get directions to the location depicted from your current location, and track your total “Flook score” based on your activity within the app.The interface is playful and fun to match the type of content Flook is hoping to capture: interesting, beautiful or otherwise curious tidbits in the world around you. Upon launching the app, “a colorful landscape of robots guides the user to browse or create,” which is just as unusual as it sounds (see thumbnail above right). Finding and creating cards are both easy processes, with the former handled by a simple finger swipe mechanism. Cards are automatically ordered by both “nearest and “best” so you’re more likely to stumble upon something good.When creating cards, a simple photo snap and a bit of text is all that’s required. If other users comment on your cards, you’ll see a notification (from a robot, of course) in the “Find new” home screen. If you start a card and want to finish it later, you can leave it in draft mode and come back to entries under construction. You can hook your Flook account into your Twitter account to automatically tweet new cards you create.Flook is a free app that’s an interesting and creative twist on location-based services. It’s social, fun, interesting, and can help you learn new facts and places to go in your local world or while traveling. It has that simple yet useful and potentially addictive game-like mechanic to it that’s bolstered by its playful design.Let us know if you have a chance to check out the app and what you think. Have you spotted any interesting new locations?Reviews: Flook, TwitterTags: discovery, flook, iphone, iphone apps, lbs, location, Mobile 2.0

  ‘Tis the season to use social media for holiday shopping. In fact, data from eMarketer shows that 17% of all consumers are using social media for their holiday shopping needs, and brands are proving to be savvier than ever with their online holiday shopping bag of tricks.Yesterday we highlighted Toys”R”Us’ quickly growing fan followingon Facebook, which is due in no small part to their clever use of their Facebook Page to promote in-store Black Friday deals. Of course, they’re not the only retailer being smart about their social media strategies this holiday season. Here we look at 5 different brands with creative approaches for using their Facebook Pages to reap in the rewards of the marriage between social media and holiday shopping.1. The Fan PlanWho: IntelWhat: Intel’s using their Facebook Page for a creative group-buying initiative that runs through Cyber Monday. By becoming a fan, you’re helping contribute to lowering the prices on three distinct laptops, which will be made available for purchase on Cyber Monday.Once you become a fan, you can view each laptop’s starting pricing, see how far the price has dropped, and take a glimpse at the bottom floor price (shouldIntel meet their goal).Why it’s Cool: It’s a fan-friendly, brand-conscious initiative that not only actively and passively works to generate buzz around the Facebook Page, but also rewards customers for recruiting their friends.2. Angel GivingWho: JCPenneyWhat: For holiday bargain hunters and the sweepstakes crazed, JCPenney’s Facebook Fan Pagewon’t disappoint this holiday season. But for those of you with a generous spirit and a little extra to contribute to a child with less, the brand has extended their Angel Giving Tree campaign, in partnership with the Salvation Army, to Facebook.From their Facebook Page, you can select your Angel by entering a zip code, desired age group, and gender of the Angel you want to shop for. You’ll then be presented with matching children and their holiday gift wishes. Once you’ve selected your Angel, JCPenney will follow up via email with additional details.Why it’s Cool: The Angel Giving Tree notion is one that tugs at the heartstrings, and by incorporating it within their Facebook presence, JCPenney has the potential to tap a huge audience online with their annual charity drive.3. Crowdsourcing Gift PicksWho: Best BuyWhat: Best Buy’s Facebook Page holiday tie-insare plentiful, but the one that stands out is the Best Buy Idea Giftr, which is actually an application that aggregates gift picks from real people to help you with your holiday shopping dilemmas.Since it’s an application, it pulls in data from your Facebook profile to provide a totally customized experience for each user. It also enables you to designate the Best Buy goodies you’d most like to see under your tree this year and share those items with your Facebook friends.Why it’s Cool: As a company that sells a number of electronic devices that will be at the top of everyone’s list, the application is a wise maneuver that not only serves a real need for consumers in need of assistance, but it also helps empower customers and wishful gift receivers to spread the Best Buy love throughout the 350 million member social powerhouse.4. Facebook Fan-Only OffersWho: SearsWhat: Sears is letting their Facebook fans shop some Black Friday deals early, giving out coupon codes, and offering fan-only deals that you can’t find anywhere else. Earlier in the month the retailer was also promoting a Black Friday VIP Sweepstakes, where Facebook fans could enter to win a $500 gift card and/or get selected to shop Black Friday deals today.Why it’s Cool: The exclusive Facebook deals for fans create a situation where customers not only feel privileged and important, but anxious to share the secrets with their friends on Facebook. Plus, Sears is seeing overwhelming engagement from their fans with hundreds of likes and comments on each wall post that promotes a special offer.5. Holiday HistoryWho: Macy’sWhat: Macy’s is another one in the bunch that’s giving Facebook fans a sneak peek at their Black Friday deals. That alone is a huge deal, but they also have a few additional holiday themed goodies that make their Facebook presence stand out.The Macy’s Thanskgiving Day Parade is legendary stateside, and the clothing retailer is turning this year’s parade into a community event. You can use their app to not only view the new parade route, share your favorite parade moments, and play parade theme games, but you can even get a full history, complete with interesting facts, photos and videos, of the parade which dates back to 1924.Why it’s Cool: While the Black Friday discounts will appeal to a larger majority of fans, we’re quite impressed with Macy’s efforts to educate a new generation of parade viewers in a hip and relevant fashion. The video footage from the early years is remarkable and it’s neat to see the lost content find a home in an online space.By providing a detailed look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade throughout the years, Macy’s is also able to create anticipation for this year’s big event, as well as pass on the tradition, and appeal to the nostalgic side of fans who experienced any part of the parade in previous years.Image courtesy of iStockphoto, 3dbrained.Reviews: Facebook, cool, iStockphotoTags: best buy, black friday, brands, facebook, holiday shopping, intel, jcpenney, macys, sears

  YouTube’s huge lead in online video just got a little bit smaller due to surging growth from two up-and-comers in the video space: Huluand Facebook.Web analytics firm ComScore released their data for online video usage in October, and the numbers are astounding. While Google/YouTube continues to dominate with over 125 million monthly viewers (and over 1 billion views per day), both Hulu and Facebook had double-digit percentage gains, shattering their previous video records.Stats: Facebook and Hulu Are On the RiseOnline video continues to sustain its surge in growth. According to ComScore, there were 27.94 billion videos viewed in October, up a big 7% from September. Out of that, Google/YouTube is still on top with 10.52 billion videos viewed.The big mover in October though was Hulu. In September, the News Corp/Disney/NBC joint venture delivered 583 million views. In October, that number shot up by 31.8% to a total of 855 million video views. This is by far a record for the TV video website. Most of this however can be attributed to the fall primetime season being in full swing:In terms of unique viewers though, there wasn’t that much of a change. YouTube had 125.3 million unique viewers in October, nearly identical to its 125.5 million in September. Hulu didn’t have a lot of growth, either: 42.4 million people tuned in to the service in October, compared to 38.7 million in September.In fact, the biggest winner seems to be Facebook. In September, it had 31.18 million unique viewers. In October, that number skyrocketed by nearly 25% to 41.15 million uniques. Once again, this is a record for the world’s largest social network, and one that speaks to how powerful Facebook is becoming in the video space.There were some other eye-popping numbers (84.4% of U.S. Internet users watched at least one online video in October and the average person watched 10.8 hours of video), but the central theme is the same: online video continues to grow and the end is nowhere in sight.Reviews: Facebook, Google, Hulu, YouTubeTags: ComScore, facebook, hulu, ONLINE VIDEO, video, youtube

  ‘Tis the season to spread the love through rampant consumerism, and if you won’t be one of the individuals hiding out in safe underground bunkers this Black Friday you might be interested in some of the phone deals carriers have put together this season. To date, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are all participating with several discounts, and all of them are offering deals on BlackBerry devices.Information Week has a great roundupof the offerings from these three carriers, many of which extend through the weekend so you might not have to leave the house on Friday armed with your spiked collar and can of mace. Just remember, if you elbow grandma out of the way to snag that Motorola CLIQ, the universe will be watching.Here’s an example of the BlackBerry deals from each carrier:Verizon: Buy one, get one free. Includes the new BlackBerry Storm 2.AT&T: Saturday is a 24-hour sale on RIM’s smartphone lineup. Pearl 8110s and Curve 8310s are going for free, the Curve 8320 can be had for $49, and the Curve 8900 picked up for $99.T-Mobile: $50 off a BlackBerry Bold 9700 with Wi-Fi calling, which drops it to $149.99 with a 2-year contract.Other deals are available too, like a Gateway LT Netbook from Verizon for just $29.99 with a new contract after $100 mail-in rebate.Let us know if you plan to do any phone shopping this holiday season. Do you know of any other carrier or cell deals?Tags: att, black friday, blackberry, deals, Mobile 2.0, phones, shopping, T-Mobile, verizon

  The holiday season is upon us and along with the food, festivities and fun comes the joys of traveling. Whether near or far, traveling with kids brings its own set of challenges. Regardless of whether you are embarking by plane, train, or automobile, anything longer than an hour or so will inevitably result in antsy kids and “are we there yet?â€� whines.In an attempt to ease some of the hassles of traveling – especially when battling the legions of fellow travelers during the holiday season – the following is a list of iPhone apps for making that long journey a little easier.Note: Due to the sheer number of travel-related iPhone apps available, this particular list was compiled with only US travel in mind.1. Pack and Go DeluxeBefore the journey even begins, packing yourself and other family members requires a great deal of organization. If you’re traveling with young children, things get more complicated when there are essentials like diapers, wipes, formula, bottles and baby food that you need with you. This app enables you to pick from a master catalogue of hundreds of items and create your own lists to ensure nothing gets left behind. Cost: $2.992. Rest Area FinderWhen you’re driving with the family on the Interstate and nature calls, knowing where the closest rest stop is can be a lifesaver. With this handy app, your location is constantly updated and rest stop information, i.e. rest rooms, gas, food, pet walking, vending machines, etc., is available so you can determine where to stop based on whether the kid needs to go or the dog does. Cost: Free3. ZuiTubeZuiTube is like a kid-friendly version of YouTube with more than 60,000 videos that have been pre-approved by parents and teachers. There are many different channels available that appeal to kids of all ages and contain videos in categories including Hannah Montana, National Geographic, animals, sports, and many more. It’s great for keeping the kids entertained in a G-rated way.Cost: Free4. MotionX GPS DriveMotionX GPS Drive is a “super app” that combines the functions of multiple applications into one. First and foremost is the navigation, providing essentially the same service as any standalone GPS system on the market (live voice guidance is free for the first 30 days and is available for a cost thereafter of $24.99 per year). In addition to navigation, this app also identifies the closest gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals and more, and gives you the directions for getting there.Cost: $2.995. iFlyProDon’t be put off by the higher cost of this app – it is well worth the investment for any traveler. iFlyPro enables you to track flights in real-time, and also provides detailed information about every airline and airport, including terminal maps, amenities and restaurants at each terminal. It could be extremely helpful when you’re in an unfamiliar airport and have hungry kids who are demanding some McDonald’s.Cost: $6.996. Family Car GamesThis app blows the license plate game out of the water. Family Car Games is a fun, interactive application for the entire family to enjoy on those long car rides. There are 100 options available including guessing games, word games, car radio games, and memory games. It also includes a fun spinner function that picks games for you at random.Cost: $1.997. CampwhereFor the more adventurous families who like to rough it, Campwhere is the perfect app for you. It provides geo-location information for approximately 7,500 federal, state and local campgrounds in the country and also links to Google Maps for directions. The app provides basic facility information about each location, but also links to the campground’s web site (where available) for full details. Cost: $3.998. Family MattersInstead of trying to constantly distract the kids during a long trip, Family Matters is an app that is designed to encourage interaction with them. With a multitude of questions and activities, the goal of this app is to spawn meaningful conversation and engagement. There are different questions and activities for four categories: General, Restaurant, Road Trip, Dr.’s Office, but all are interchangeable.Cost: $1.999. TripCaseWith multiple pieces of luggage, carry-ons, car seats, etc., the last thing you need is having to fish out all the different pieces of paper that house your family’s airline confirmation numbers, and rental car and hotel reservation numbers. With TripCase, all the information can be stored in one place for quick and easy access. Flight status is also updated in real-time, so if any last minute changes are made and the kids are in for a longer layover, you can be prepared. Cost: Free10. iStoryTimeInstead of packing a bunch of bedtime books that weigh down your suitcase, why not load some stories onto your iPhone? iStoryTime offers an array of whimsical and delightfully illustrated books for kids aged 2-7. With a constantly growing library of stories to choose from, kids will enjoy “flippingâ€� through the pages of each e-book and listening to the stories unfold.Cost: $0.99 – $1.99 per book11. PostinoWhen the kids are traveling, the grandparents want to see every moment from their trip. You can use Postino to create a postcard with a photo from your iPhone and send it via email (free) or postal mail (for a fee). Although it is a little pricey ($1.99 per card), it certainly eases the burden of having to go to a souvenir shop and pick out a postcard to mail from the road, and offers a personal touch that will be sure to please family members back home. Cost: FreeBONUS: TSAwaitWhen you’re holding an infant, pushing a stroller and trying to lug all your luggage along with you, standing in a long security line at the airport isn’t exactly a fun thing to do. TSAwait is a useful app that provides wait time statistics for airport security checkpoints across the country. This app is currently available on iTunes, but is in a holding pattern until the TSA web site’s redesign has been completed.Cost: $0.99More iPhone resources from Mashable:- iPhone TV: Top iPhone Apps for Live Streaming Television- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers- 7 iPhone Apps That Can Save Lives- 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhoneImage courtesy of iStockphoto, tomhoryhReviews: Family Car Games, Google Maps, Postino, YouTube, iStockphotoTags: iphone, iphone apps, List, Lists, travel

  Before our American readers settle in tomorrow for turkey (or tofu-turkey), trimmings, cranberry sauce and football, many families will be planning out their Black Fridayshopping plans.Electronics retailer Best Buywill have some impressive deals available online and in-stores this weekend. The company has posted its Doorbuster Specialsonline for the world to see. You won’t be able to get them from your local store until 5 a.m. on Friday, November 27 but you can shop online beginning tomorrow.Doorbuster specials are always limited in quantity, so if you plan on trying to get in on some of these specials, prepare to get online or get in-line early. Some of the deals include a Palm Prefor $79.99 (with two-year contract) and a $200 HP laptop. You can see all of the deals available on Friday and Saturday here.Here’s a tip for would-be doorbuster shoppers: do some price searching for the item that’s on sale before deciding if you want to try to brave the lines to get one of the limited number of discount items. Sometimes the deals are worth waking up early and trying to get — sometimes you can do almost as well buying online and not having to deal with the crowds.What’s your Black Friday shopping game plan? Let us know!Tags: best buy, black friday, deals, holiday savings

  Does Rupert Murdoch genuinely plan to block Google from indexing his sites, and could the reported discussions with Microsoft result in Bing paying to keep news content out of Google’s hands?If so, the future is bleak for both News Corp and consumers: Murdoch loses his voice in the online conversation, while news readers are robbed of a singular index for web content. News Corp’s competitors, meanwhile, will prosper.That’s the topic of my CNN column this week.Check out the column at CNN.com >>

  We talk a lot about how big brands are embracing social media as a mechanism to connect directly with customers. Still, it’s much easier to talk about integrating social media into your brand than it is to actually do it.That’s why IKEA’s recent Facebook campaign is so awesome. The Swedish furniture company opened a new store in Malmo, Sweden and rather than spread the word the old-fashioned way, they decided to go directly to the people using Facebook.This video describes the campaign in detail:An account was created for the store manager at the Malmo store. Over a two-week period, showroom images were uploaded to his Facebook photo album. Using the all-popular “tagging” feature, customers were able to locate items in the pictures and put their name on it. The first person to tag an object got to take it home.The word spread through Facebookand users started embedding links and images in their own profiles and across news feeds. In turn, thousands and thousands of users willingly promoted IKEA and its new store to others, creating a big win for IKEA.[via CNET]Reviews: FacebookTags: facebook, IKEA, social marketing, trending

  BBC Radio 5 Live featured Mashable’s Open Web Awardsyesterday, highlighting the event as one of the web’s biggest annual awards. With host Jamillah Knowles, I discussedthe aim of the OWAs, the power of the public vote and significance of online award shows as a way to reflect on the year’s events.The clip is embedded below, with the OWAs consisting the first five minutes. The BBC’s Pods and Blogs is both a podcast and a radio show about bloggers, podcasters and citizen journalists – you can subscribe in iTunes on the BBC website.Open Web Awards Voting Ends December 15th!If you haven’t yet voted for your favorite personalities, applications and websites in the Open Web Awards: Social Media Edition, you have until December 15th to do so! You can vote once per category per day: get voting!Vote for your favorites in the Open Web Awards 2009 >>Tags: openwebawards

  Mark Wallace is the Vice President of Social Media at EDR& commonground, a community for environmental and commercial real estate pros. You can follow him on Twitter at @mwallcomm.It’s hard to argue against social media’s impact as an effective method of connecting brands and consumers. The efforts of Zappos, Papa John’s and Southwest Airlines are great examples of how a brand can benefit when it opens the door and welcomes consumer interaction. But what about the rest of us – the companies that are non-consumer facing, that are not as well known and glamorous, and who serve very specific market niches? Non-consumer companies realize there are clear benefits to implementing a social media strategy, but what do they need to do to achieve success? The truth is, the social media strategy, processes, and principles, don’t really change much depending on your company type and size. Here are a few rules to live by when implementing your social media strategy. 1. Figure Out What You Want to AccomplishDo you want to improve customer service, increase customer loyalty, drive sales, improve knowledge, lower costs, etc.? As with any business initiative, it’s vital to have something to strive for. Too often, brands get into social media just for the sake of having a brand presence online without a concrete strategy and execution plan. One of the beautiful things about social media is that there are tools out there to attain just about any business goal, but without direction, there’s little chance of success. During your next meeting, when someone throws out the idea of just creating a corporate Twitter account, for example, take a step back and come up with some business issues that tweeting might resolve, who internally will manage the account, and how to achieve the brand’s priorities. It will save plenty of headaches down the road. 2. Figure Out How to Get ThereDo you have internal resources? What technology gives you the best chance to achieve the defined objectives? What is your budget and staff? How long do you have to accomplish the mission?Once the strategy and goals have been determined, figuring out how to execute that plan is the next step. Success in social media does not happen overnight, nor is it achieved without hard work. It’s very possible that you will need some sort of outside help, either with building the technology, implementing the strategy, or having enough hands on deck to staff the initiative. Go the extra step to make your initiative a success and show both your customers and organization your commitment; social media denizens will see right through a poorly conceptualized and executed grab for some online attention. 3. Define Success MetricsDo you want to hit a membership target number? Do you want to generate revenue? How much? Are you hoping to improve your SEO? How engaged should your members be?During this step, especially with B2B communities, you need to set reasonable expectations and make sure you have the proper senior management support, resources, and commitment to realize them. It is highly unlikely that you will build the next Facebook, but what you build could be the future of your business — someday. Developed and managed properly, there are a number of metrics where you can see improvement, including: Customer service – Being able to directly engage with clients is always a benefit to a company. Pitney Bowes, a huge B2B brand with millions of customers, ran into trouble every time the United States Postal Service decided to increase the price of postage. The work involved with alerting every customer of the change was monumental. To help ease some of the burden, the company launched the Pitney Bowes User Forum, a site where clients and employees could discuss the change in postal rates and other mail-related topics. Not only was it a smart business decision – the company was able to cut back on the cost of hiring temporary call centers for the influx of queries regarding rate changes – it also gave Pitney Bowes clients a new venue for customer support. Thought leadership – Creating a market destination – the go-to place for your industry – increases brand perception, elevates your company as a thought leader, and solidifies your commitment to better servicing your customers. When the consumer real estate marketplace plummeted by over 70% last year, Environmental Data Resources built the commonground community, where environmental and commercial real estate professionals could get together to share knowledge, education, and business opportunities. Providing this valuable community resource within its niche has helped increase EDR’s position as a thought leader.Web presence (SEO) – As more people connect and converse with the brand through social media the company’s overall web presence grows. Blurb Inc.’s Killed Ideasprovided a place where pros in the advertising industry could share and discuss their best work and most effective campaigns. The large number of page views and social media mentions generated by the 250 submissions to Killed Ideas spread Blurb’s message and capabilities as a DIY book publisher across the web. That’s the kind of activity that Google can’t ignore. Sales generation – The communal nature of social media helps some companies with sales leads and prospects. Archer Technologieslaunched the E-GRC Ecosystem, which includes blogs and discussion forums, to encourage collaboration between experts in the governance, risk and compliance industry. Out of this cooperation, best practices and solutions to a number of challenges facing professionals in that market were born and shared. The next step is taking that knowledge and providing better service to clients, both current and prospective.Although the metrics might differ based on your company size and whether you are B2B or B2C, the process is similar no matter what size your company is. If you want to remain relevant using social media for years to come, strive to continuously deliver value to your members and your company. If you do a good job with the fundamentals, the rewards can be plentiful for companies of all sizes. More business resources from Mashable:- Why Social Media Is Vital to Corporate Social Responsibility- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI- 3 Social Media Lessons From the Restaurant World- Top 5 Must-Read Social Media Books- Before You Go Online: Talk to Your Customers OfflineImage courtesy of iStockphoto, cmcderm1Reviews: Facebook, Google, Twitter, iStockphotoTags: b2b, branding, business, List, Lists, social media