Empire Avenue is The Social Media Stock Market. Launched by a Canadian team of designers and developers in February of 2010 as an invite-only service, the last few weeks have brought a surge of virtual shareholders from all over the world. On some level, Empire Avenue is more than a game; it’s also a social media tracker and tool that can be used to improve one’s social media skills and etiquette, or make attempts at social media experiments.

When first signing up for Empire Avenue, it strikes anyone familiar with social media as nothing new. You’ve got your avatar, your ticker symbol (which works as a delightfully interesting take on the username), your bio, and links to your other social media accounts. What’s truly different is how you interact with users on the site. Unlike Facebook, it’s not about who you know. Unlike Twitter, it’s not about what you say. With Empire Avenue, it’s about what you do.

Your share price is directly related to how you interact with others over the web, and how they respond to you. Not only are internal actions on Empire Avenue rewarded, but actions of those in your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flikr, and LinkedIn networks are beneficial to you as well. Obtaining new followers, uploading and rating videos, getting likes, comments and @replies all help your stock price.

The goal of Empire Avenue is to amass wealth in the virtual currency of Eaves while increasing your own stock value on the site. Like the real Stock Market Exchange, prices and value of stock are subject to change, and often. During the learning curve, don’t be surprised if your stock value seemingly plummets despite your social media activities. What’s the trick to keeping that stock on the rise? After a month of experimenting with the game, I think it’s safe to say that consistent, valuable interaction with Facebook friends, Tweeting and Re-Tweeting, and investing in other Empire Avenue users is key. In the beginning, I found that I was prone to going “off the grid” every weekend and then returning to my regular updating and posting routine at the beginning of the week, and that seems to have hurt my share price. Just keep in mind that it’s an experiment, and it’s something that can add an extra element of fun to your social media experience.

As for the conversation aspect on the site itself, I find that there are two extremes:  the polite silence of investing and/or recommending another user, or mass amounts of notifications through the Empire Avenue communities and their highly populated chat rooms. There are the occasional wall-like shout outs; however, it’s not so much of an ongoing conversation between users as it is a social media timeline of your activity across other sites. After a day or two on Empire Avenue, it seemed as though the context of interaction between investors is not wall-driven, and mainly consisted of buying and selling virtual stock.

I mentioned that Empire Avenue may also turn out to be a great tool for training users in social media etiquette. Spammy users with tweets of “buy me! buy me!” do not get bought. The group as a whole virtually punishes other users for acting inappropriately. Sure, it is courteous to purchase shares in someone who just invested in you, but expecting that they automatically do so or passive-aggressively reminding them with a shout out on their profile to “invest in me, too,” comes across as rude. In fact, posting such updates seems counter-intuitive to the game itself. Begging people to buy your stock does not add value to any of your social media interactions, nor does it prompt a discussion. But tweeting about a blog entry for Empire Avenue…now there’s a thought.

In my opinion, Empire Avenue serves mostly as a gauge for your social media interactions and a reward system for valuable content rather than an actual arena for discussion. It’s more like a network that facilitates finding people to interact with over other social media sites . That being said, our entire office finds  it to be highly entertaining; we are hooked! Check it out for yourself to get in on the fun! If you create an account, give us a shout–we’re always looking for new ventures to invest in. A few of their recognizable brands include Ford (e)FORD – Ford was one of the first and soon to release a virtual product for sale -  Rackspace Hosting (e)RACKSPACE, AT&T (e)ATT, as well as Dell, Inc. (e)DELL. And if you’re curious about the more in-depth rules of Empire Avenue, check out their rules and FAQ pages.

The experiences the user has while interacting with your website, email marketing, social media page, mobile site, or web application often directly determines the success of your advertising and marketing. If the user finds your information layout inconvenient,  slow, or unhelpful while interacting with it, chances are they will quickly move on to a company that has a site that is simple and easy to use even if you are the best option. The effort to stay on par with your competitors and convince users that you truly are “the best in the business” hinges on how you implement the term “The User is King” within your internet marketing strategy.

Some businesses might say that they have no need for this type of strategy because they don’t advertise on the Internet, but they neglect the fact that their website is a marketing and advertising tool in and of itself. A business’ website is the main portal for their customers and clients, and if users can’t get what they need from the site quickly and easily, it’s not doing its job. So if your company has (at the very least) a website, here are 3 things you must do to stay competitive:

Thou Shalt Understand Thine User Experience

When browsing through your website, it’s important to think like one of your customers. If you don’t enjoy spending time on your own website, chances are users do not either. If you’re not sure whether or not your site is user friendly, try asking yourself some critical questions. Is all of the information easily accessible? Is the layout confusing or does it encourage a natural flow? Is contact information easy to locate? Do all of the links work? These points may seem like common sense, but it’s easy for them to be forgotten in the foray of getting your message across. If these questions and answers aren’t getting attention, neither is your message that you want your visitors to receive. Take a moment to look at your site with a critical eye to find where improvements can be made.

Another large part of user experience is providing opportunities for the user to interact with on your site. A mass of static pages can be overwhelming and does little to keep visitors on your website. Installing plugins and widgets on your site can encourage users to find what they need easily and prove to your customers that your website is relevant to their needs. When your business give users reasons to find your website useful, they in turn will ultimately share their discoveries with others which turns them into marketers for your company.

Think user experience isn’t all that important?  Tell that to Digg.  They were kings of social news until they completely overhauled their website, but forgot to think about what the end users wanted and enjoyed about their original design.  As a result, a vast majority of Digg visitors went elsewhere to find what they wanted because Digg’s redesigned site no longer served their needs or added to their enjoyment of being on their website.

Thou Shalt Remain Accessible

In addition to user experience, it’s important to think about how accessible your site is to visitors. With the advent and popularity of smartphones, it’s critical to know how compatible your site is with mobile devices and multiple web browsers. With extensive reports coming out that in five years web access will be almost completely dominated by mobile platforms, it’s important that you don’t get left in the dust. More and more people want their information on the go, and if you’re not giving them the ability to access your site from anywhere, they won’t be giving you their business.

If your site can’t be viewed or takes too long to load on a mobile device or a popular browser, chances are that user is going to move on to a different site out of convenience. If you haven’t looked at your own site on your personal mobile device lately, now is a good time to check it out. Put yourself in your client’s shoes and ask:  Can I easily find the information the visitors are looking for? Is anything broken or not working on the mobile platform? Is it easy to navigate from one area of the site to the next? If any of these questions are difficult to answer, it’s time to develop legitimate mobile version of your website.

Not only should your mobile website have what people are looking for, but if you’re advertising your business you need to use unique landing pages for every ad creative. Whether you’re advertising on the radio, tv, in print, or around the web, you can incorporate the use of unique landing pages in your ad campaigns. Creating these pages for your site allows visitors to access exactly what they’re looking for from the ad that brought them to your site.  Landing pages offer specific information without the hassle of sifting through multiple pages of unrelated subjects.  No sales pitch would make customers dig for information; and neither should your website when used in advertising.

To Thine Own Customers Be True

This year, it’s customer service that is going to set you apart from your competitors. Service is one element of cyber business that can easily be lost behind a computer screen, but don’t let that happen to your company. Elements of customer service in the real world easily translate to the digital aspect of business.  It’s important to remember old school customer service etiquette when dealing with web-based clients.

Using sites such as Facebook to connect with your customers is a great way to provide top-notch service.  Whatever comments are made, good or bad, use the opportunity to respond to your clients in a positive and helpful manner.  Doing so will show your transparency as a company and build brand loyalty.  Dealing with negative feedback in a positive way is a mark of strength for your brand or company. Customers appreciate prompt and courteous service, and now more than ever, it’s easier to oblige them.  Doing so without criticism will definitely help your company grow.

You can also reach out to your customers via e-mail newsletter. This medium is now the most convenient way for many people to access information about your company, deals, and events.  Embracing e-mail marketing may be the best thing you can do for the promotion of your business. Not only do you stay in the forefront of your customer’s minds via their inbox, you give them the opportunity to forward that e-mail to potential customers as well.

Does your business lack brownie points in any of these areas? 2011 should be the year to consider making these things a priority.

Site Features

Steele Agency created several new features for RJ Fricks Voila! to create a social and marketing image for the company.  We provided a space for print articles featuring the design talents of Ramona Fricks and her team in the Company News section.  These articles showcase the final product that RJ Fricks Voila! offers, as well as providing a space for reviews of the team’s work.

Future clients can also check out  a gallery of work by Ramona and her team on the Our Work page.  Here, clients can get ideas from Ramona’s past designs, and potential clients can get a feel for the range of design styles that RJ Fricks incorporates into their spaces.

To integrate a complete web presence for Fricks,  Steele Agency also created a Facebook page and a Twitter Feed for the company.  These pages allow the company to communicate with their clients on a regular basis.  Announcements of new collections and upcoming events are the highlight of these pages, improving the functionality of the Fricks web presence.

Virtual Room Building

One of the more exciting features of the site is the integrated E-preview software.  With this console, users can go into the Fricks online catalog and choose furniture by dimensions, room type, or style.  The furniture the user chooses can then be placed into a virtual room planner.  Inside the room planner, the user is free to move furniture and accessories around, while keeping everything to scale.  This is a great tool for designers and their clients to visualize the final product.

Upcoming Features

We still have a few things in the works for this multi-use website.  A fun feature that we’re planning to release soon is a “Where’s Ramona?” page.  Ramona Fricks travels all over the world, moves her team into a client’s house, and after a few days:  Voila! The Fricks team completely changes the look and feel of the space.  For this feature, we plan to integrate Google Maps to the site, where users can click on the map and see before and after photos and videos via Flickr and YouTube.  This exciting avenue for customer interaction and connection will be a great way for users to get the full Fricks experience!

Be sure to take a look around the RJ Fricks Voila! Website, and tell us what you think!  We’re proud of our work, and we hope that you enjoy browsing the gorgeous designs and spaces that Ramona and her team have created.

Slick Web Presence

Kuglar needed a site that would display his credentials and contact information for opposing counsel and interested parties in a slick, impressive manner. Our graphic designer worked directly with the attorney to create a new logo for the firm, which we then integrated throughout the site. The website is a mix of modern design with old-school functionality, something that Kuglar was insistent on. From the main page of the site, viewers are able to navigate to a variety of other areas without a lot of hassle.

Site Functionality

Not only does the Kuglar Law website promote the firm to potential and  future clients, it is also a  functional platform for current clients and opposing counsel.  It is imperative that Kuglar’s credentials and experience are accessible to opposing counsel, courtroom officials, and members of the press during the discovery and trial phases of various claims.  We presented all of the necessary information in a clear, concise manner, while still keeping in tune with the modern feel of the site.

Other Features and Future Development

While it’s often said that “necessity is the mother of invention,” in the case of Kuglar Law, LLC, it might be fair to say that “necessity is the mother of development.”  Kuglar needed the site to be live within 24 hours after his initial request for a web presence, and we were able to deliver.  All elements of design and functionality were taken into account, as were the client’s request for a modern look and impressive feel to the site.  We also developed a LinkedIn page for Craig Kuglar, Esq., to further solidify his web presence.  The website itself is database-driven, and we are working with Kuglar Law, LLC, to develop future updates and portals for Firm and Client use.

LinkedIn

With over 60 million users, LinkedIn has become a popular social networking site for many in the business world. Despite its rather large membership, LinkedIn is still a social networking site that has flown under the radar for many professionals. The site centers around networking and building relationships with people in similar industries and professions.

LinkedIn provides a way for professionals to create a digital resume through their account. This is easy to update and maintain and gives you an easy way to share your expertise without attaching a resume. Users can also incorporate unique features and add-ons to their profile pages like reading lists, employer or client recommendations, even integration with your company blog for greater exposure.

As the necessity to brand yourself continues to grow to be just as important as branding your company, LinkedIn helps. Your professional profile on LinkedIn is search engine friendly, often appearing in search results higher than your company domain for the same keywords.  And every professional announcement you make through an application or status message keeps you (and your company/service/product) top of mind for your network.

Digg

Digg is a social bookmarking site that also works as a social news gathering of stories from around the web, as a peer-to-peer recommendation engine. Articles and blogs that a user “diggs” are bookmarked and shared immediately with others. Digg populates its frontpage with the most popular articles that people are choosing to bookmark and share for the chosen category and overall. If you or someone at your company always wants to be “in the know”, Digg is one way to do it.

Through the use of Digg, an expansive new stream of web traffic can be brought back to your site and introduce new users to your business. This works two ways. The first is promoting your own content through Digg. This helps online users who are already interested in your market find you and your information through another digital channel other than your website. Second, my participating in the Digg community, you (or whoever writes your company web content) gets smarter about what content is relevant to others within an industry or market.

Since more and more users are discovering how Digg can network with other individuals and use those connections to share content they find valuable, Digg continues to be extremely successful. So its important to not neglect this medium of web traffic because as more and more people continue to network and share information on Digg, this site’s influence will continue to increase in the social media world.

Foursquare

Though we have recently profiled this web app, it’s a dead horse worth beating. This social geotagging platform is already seeing huge popularity for retail and food industries, but the app’s true potential is only just recently started to be tapped. Foursquare has developed a “Foursquare for Businesses” section that lets businesses list themselves and offers advice of how to effectively market your business within the foursquare community.

Foursquare has continued to gain in popularity since its creation. And as SocialMediaExaminer.com adds when discussing foursquare participation, “A pretty accurate rule of thumb for any business is this: Whatever people find fun and engaging is where your business should be.”

If you are looking to make you business the forerunner of this technology and establish your business as tech savvy and an industry leader, you might want to jump on board quickly. According to TechCrunch.com, Facebook is looking into integrating this software channel with its already billion-or-so user database.

Del.icio.us

Much like Digg, Del.icio.us markets itself as a social bookmarking site. This site allows users to bookmark and tag articles and other forms of online media they can use as references in their own content or share with others that belong to their network. It is a great source for news storage of all the relevant resources that contribute to your own content. You can then use these lists for web content or for – our favorite – presentations.  No need to worry about keeping that typed list of links during a presentation – just set up a tag for that presentation and log in to your account before you start your presentation. Voila! you have everything you need wherever you go, without notes or flash drives.

By having this collective relevant data in one place, users can search your database to find content they value, and see your business as the experts in the process. Using del.icio.us effectively can benefit a company greatly because it allows for various forms of media to be easily shared with those that they are networked to, and build industry authority and loyalty from online users.

Flickr

Flickr is a social networking site that seeks to share visual content particularly in the form of photographs. Flickr can be use to increase buzz for your company and products that need promotion. Because its more informal than what your content should be on your website, it lends itself to a more “behind-the-scenes” look at your business.

Companies can use Flickr in countless ways: events and special occasions, around the office glimpses, sneak peaks of products in the works, and so much more. Participation on Flickr keeps communication clear and transparent with those interested in your company and also gives the company show growth, personality, and approachable.

In summary, these sites are often untapped by many companies but can have great benefits to a company if they are used effectively. Utilizing these various platforms of social media could benefit your company in unique and collaborative ways.

Have you played Foursquare yet? No, not the playground game for kids, it’s a new type of social networking that is more like a game you play with your other friends also using the site.

According to foursquare.com, succeeding at the game comes through checking into places in a town such as a restaurant or bar, local clothing shop, mall, etc. You can leave tips for the place commenting on something you liked or disliked about it or if you have a recommendation for someone else. For example, at Harvest Moon Café you may really like their twice-baked potatoes so you may leave a tip stating something like this:

Be sure to try the twice-baked potatoes at Harvest Moon Café  in Rome. Just had them and have to say that they are out of this world.

By checking in places and leaving tips, the users earn points that lead to badges acting as some sort of a merit system. The point system looks like this. The use gets +5 points for finding a new place in the neighborhood, +2 points for going to multiple places in a night, and +1 point for bringing a friend along with them. The person that has checked-in the most at a particular place becomes the mayor of that place. It then becomes the game to dethrone the mayor. Once you become the mayor, you are often offered freebies by the place that you are the mayor of. This is a nice incentive for users.

Foursquare is different from other social networking sites not only because of its playful interface, but also because it uses GPS technology to track its users. The GPS technology can track you automatically with its mobile application, or manually when users log in online. Foursquare’s mobile application is free of charge and is available on every smart phone carrier, and only can track users when they arrive at specific checkpoints.

When you check in at a place, Foursquare makes sure that you are actually at the place you are checking in at. This comes in handy if other people you know are in the area because they can see you are at a certain place and can then meet you in person.

As unique as Foursquare is, it has some nice features that will be very attractive to anyone interested in social networking and numerous benefits for businesses that want to reach out to more customers.

Its gaming appeal is what makes this a very viable marketing utility for businesses, local and small businesses specifically. Since the application is based on people exploring locations that others have found value in, successful local businesses have an incredible opportunity to be found through interactive and virtually free channels. Turning your business into a fun mobile adventure for those who use this popular social media tool gives customers a new and exciting way to discover and explore your business without expensive advertising efforts.

Businesses have also started to find success to creating discounts specifically for avid foursquare users. Those companies that offered incentives and savings to the foursquare mayors of their business found more customer loyalty and more participation with their foursquare location, according to a MG Seigler of TechCrunch.

So go ahead, start your foursquare adventure today!

A comScore survey looked exclusively at the impact of ad impressions on visitation to the advertiser’s site and found that though there was a 65.0% lift after one week of ad circulation, lifts in site visitation varies between categories. Results show that the more narrowly tailored an advertisement is, the better the lift in site visitation.

This was specifically seen in automotive advertising that referred users to highly specific automotive Web sites. On the other hand, apparel and retail advertisers’ site visitation dropped the least over the four week period while CPG & restaurants continued to drop sharply after the first week.

The best thing to remember when approaching Facebook for advertising is that it is somewhat different than utilizing other advertising tools. In an interview with Tim Kendall, Facebook’s Director of Monetization and performance advertising head, on insidefacebook .com, he reminded advertisers that Facebook is a people targeting system and not a keyword targeting system. This makes it even more important for a company to really know their audience and how to target them.

Luckily, using Facebook for advertising to target audiences has become easier with the ability to filter ad placement based on specific qualifications like location, age, sex, marital status, connections, friends of connections and more. There is even a keyword section to allow ad placers the opportunity to target based on keywords in a user’s profile. It is because of a user’s willingness to share niche interests on their profile that allow categories like entertainment to work well with Facebook advertising. The ability to set-up a page and have fans enables an advertiser the opportunity to branch to friends of friends and beyond. This works well for Facebook’s ability to  targeting users based on what pages they are already affiliated with.

As far as whether or not Facebook advertising is effective, the answer to that lies in how well an ad is tailored to fit an audience. Another study by comScore (found on InspireMedia.com) showed that 28% of respondents were likely to notice advertising on social media sites, this placed user-generated content sites fifth behind television, print, news and corporate Web sites. However, Kendall believes that there is a 100% improvement on a click through rate basis when an impression is a Social ad (or event ads). “People come to Facebook to learn about their friends, so if you can make the advertising about their friends, it’s more effective.”

A great place to go for more information on what rules to follow when setting up a Facebook ad is the 10 rules for advertising on Facebook article by Nick O’Neill. This article gives great advice for how to keep the target audience in mind as well as establishing and keeping advertising goals.

How to businesses get started/avoid being overwhelmed by new technology?
Can every business use social media?
What about personal privacy and negative press?

The five minute interview is available uncut below:

WRGA Interview with Tricia Steele

We start by examining one tool that has the ability for dynamic growth and impact of one site in particular and that is- twitter. You may have or have not heard about this site, but with close to 19% of all Internet users using this medium according to a Pew Internet & American Life report, it’s difficult for some to see business potential. Of course, to understand its potential, we first must establish what it is exactly and how to best use it for your business.

First off, Twitter is a social media site. Social media as searchenginewatch.com defines is, “a category of sites that is based on user participation and user-generated content.” However, while they share these same qualities, they’re different in their approaches on how to share information.

Twitter describes itself as a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to “one simple question: What are you doing?” That may sound vague and unclear so think of Twitter as mashable.com describes it: just conversation in a new shape and being able to listen to the conversation of others in new ways.

While the Age of Information is in full swing, there is often an overload of information as opposed to timely, relevant information for the person attempting to stay current with what’s going on in the world. Twitter filters this information by allowing for only the pertinent information to be seen. It does this by limiting the number of written characters to 140 for every post. With such little amount of writing space, it forces users and businesses to expose the meat of an idea and often with links and sources to offer more defined details.

Generating such specific content, Twitter gives users the chance to see only the information they value and can easily stay current with what is happening in that chosen field or market.  This presents a great opportunity to use Twitter to connect your business to its clientele.

“When you combine messages that are quick to write, easy to read, public, controlled by the recipient and exchangeable anywhere, you’ve got a powerful, real-time way to communicate. And real-time communication is turning out to be ground-breaking for users and businesses alike,” www.business.twitter.com.

Look out for our next installments >> “The Twonderful Tworld of Twitter”

To be followed by>> specific examples of successful business strategies on Twitter.

In an economic downturn, everybody shrinks. The budget dries up. Staffs are cut. Customers are lost. That’s why using social media sounds counterintuitive. How can a business master new technology and a new way of thinking while struggling to stay afloat?

Currently, companies respond to social media in two ways, depending on their size. Larger businesses do what they do best: create yet another department. Small businesses are already swamped: they simply ignore the new technology.

Neither approach works. Social media works best when integrated into many or all departments, particularly marketing and customer service. Within the company, unity flourishes, and from outside, new customers are found and the faithful are rewarded and empowered. All well and good in an ideal world, but what should companies do now, while social media is still developing?

Larger companies should resist the subdividing urge. By creating a new division, they must hire new staff, fill out more paperwork, and create new schisms in the company. In other words, they waste time and money.

Not only is it inefficient to create a social media division, but it hinders social media’s primary function. Applications such as Facebook and Twitter (and countless others) allow companies to know their customers, and vice-versa. Who better to have this knowledge than marketing and customer service personnel? By creating yet another go-between, companies risk distancing customers even more.

While larger companies can use social media, it’s even more useful for small business. Large corporations can’t turn on a dime: change takes time while the market passes them by. Moreover, small businesses can multitask, and learning new tasks is just part of the job.

For example, consider the famous demise of GM. Gas went up, the market responded, and GM made more SUVs. They failed to keep their finger on America’s pulse – consumers. Meanwhile, smaller companies (read: Honda and Toyota) sped ahead. What if GM had stayed in touch with consumers?

Consider your own company. What preexisting departments could use some help? Could customer service be more efficient? Do you want to reach a different audience? Need feedback on your product or service? Even if your company is doing better than most, there is always room for improvement, and social media could help fill the gaps. Ask the people already in those departments how greater contact with customers could be used, then make a social media strategy to boost your company’s position in the market – and your customers’ reach.

What is “the stream”?

Depending on who you talk to, it’s the bane of business or a godsend. It’s the shift from article-writing to instant commentary, from teaching to “sharing” information via Twitter or Facebook. It’s a way of seeing information: as an ever-changing web as opposed to a simple paper trail.

It works like this. Your aunt Susan emails you a link to Liz Pulliam Weston’s financial advice on MSN Money. There, you watch a video on emergency funds. You add it to a live feed, where your co-worker hits the link and reads about credit counselors on scam alerts. He adds a link to his Facebook page, where 150 “friends” see and chase the link.

Let’s be honest: people with real jobs simply don’t have the time or patience to “jump into the stream” of social media, follow every hyperlink, or keep up with all the “real time” commentary on blogs and company websites.

But can they use it? Can you?

Take AT&T. Their Twitter updates are mostly answers to customer questions. This simple format does two jobs at once: it satisfies customer questions in real time, and it’s great PR.

Don’t fall into the trap of all or nothing. Share your successes, network, and find creative ways to do business using the stream – just don’t get swept away.