The year is almost done so let’s take a look back at what you wanted to know from us and a few tips to get you ready for 2013.

How is your technology? Mark Evans takes a look at when to upgrade your hardware. 

He also offers some tips on how to stay savvy with your social media plans.

Speaking of social media savvy, one of the best campaigns run in 2012 was  f the RedBull Stratos space jump with Felix Baumgartner.

How good was it? We used Sysomos’ MAP tool to track the worldwide response.

MAP was also used by Mark Blevis to track the social media buzz around the US Elections.

Also on our greatest hits’ list is our webinar on How to Get Journalists to Call You. Lisa Elia, founder and CEO of Lisa Elia Public Relations took us through tips on how to lay the proper groundwork so journalists and bloggers are motivated to call publicists.

Our top searches included how to write a boilerplate and how to use a boilerplate to tell your company’s story. Many people looked up how to write a press release, how to write a press release for journalists, and how to write a social  media press release.

Enjoy the last four days of 2012!

Google launched its Google+ Communities last week creating another way to connect with people who share the same interests.

It’s pretty easy to use. You search for an interest whether it’s skiing or knitting or Star Trek and join the community. Then you interact with like-minded people. If there isn’t a community, you can create one in less than ten minutes.

So you know what to do if you like Star Trek but Google+ Communities is also a great place to grow your brand. You can set up a community based on your products and invite your brand ambassadors to interact with you, your brand and your product. (more…)

This appeared on our Small Business blog but because it’s always relevant (and good) we’re putting it here as well:

By Mark Evans

The year is almost over and it’s time again for end-of-year lists. This one is most interesting for anyone in business, small or large. It’s a round up of social media blunders by big US corporations.

In the 7 Worst Tweets of 2012, Inc. outlines the big mistakes of the year and how they can be fixed.

While the stories are hilarious or worrisome, the solutions are a bit too high-end for a small business. But there are lessons to be learned that you can adapt for your own company. Here’s five ways you can avert social media faux pas: (more…)

By Deborah Baum, Supervisor, Editorial US West

So you work for a great company and you make an awesome product that can do some really cool stuff, what’s your next step? Getting your name and brand out to the public and letting everyone know what it is your company can do, how you do it, and how remarkably well your products and services will fulfill an industry niche. But wait! Before you jump into all the technical specs of how many bits, bytes, downhole drill meters or parts per million, remember the golden rule of all writing: keep it simple. (more…)

By Salena Barcenas, Associate Editor, Los Angeles

Writing a press release that is concise, clear and informative can sometimes be a challenge. Toss in numbers and it can be difficult to navigate through percentages, ratios, dollar amounts, profit and loss stats and numerals. Here are some tips to help when including numerous numbers in your release. (more…)

We received amazing feedback on our last Sysomos Industry Insider which took a look at the fast food industry. Our second Sysomos Industry Insider takes a look at the more than one billion smartphones in use around the world. (more…)

By Michael Nowlan, CEO, Marketwire

Hundreds of thousands of news releases are distributed by wire services every year and the incidences of security violation or fraudulent releases are very rare. Unfortunately, breaches do occur and that is why we all have extensive processes in place to ensure a level of comfort and security for our clients. (more…)

By Despina Maris, Associate Editor, Chicago

It’s really important to think about how your press release will appear months and years after its distribution. You want to continue to appear professional to your clients when your news is no longer fresh, but also to other companies who read the old releases that live forever on the web. Here are some topics to think about when writing your press release: (more…)

By Anita Saidi, Senior Editor, Los Angeles

As hard financial times put a strain on many small- to medium-sized businesses, the publicity budgets seem to get smaller and smaller. So how does a small company get the most ‘bang for their buck?’ The answer to this question is not necessarily simple, but there are tools that can be utilized to stamp a company’s Social Media footprint on consumers, without the need for a huge advertising budget. (more…)

The Cross Cultural Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management was released recently and it was found that the two biggest issues in the field are digital networks and generational divides.

It was conducted by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at The University of Alabama, who surveyed more than 4,500 global PR professionals. Here’s what they found:

PR professionals under the age of 36 ranked issues like “improving professional image and measurement of communication effectiveness much higher than older professionals. Younger and lower-level survey participants also ranked issues of social responsibility, transparency and diverse cultures higher than top leaders.” (more…)

This week on the Small Business blog, we’re talking the holidays. Tannette Johnson-Elie takes a look at how to gear up for the holidays.

If you’re not ready for the holidays just yet, entrepreneur Brett Markinson discusses fear can lead to “entrepreneuritis” while Mark Evans takes us through the Cloud and the tools that can help your business.

On the Sysomos blog, Mark Evans shows how Reddit can help you market your product.

Of course, don’t forget to read our MOvember article to see what people are saying about facial fuzz.

Update: Sheldon Levine updates us on the latest MOvember  news.

Bond is back for his 50th anniversary on the big screen. Judging by the line-ups this weekend, people were eager to see how the suave, spy was going to deal with the latest threat, played by Javier Bardem.

I decided to take a quick look at the general sentiment of the movie (no spoilers yet) using the search terms, “Skyfall” AND “James Bond” AND “Bond” in MAP. I focused on Canada.  (more…)

Mark Blevis kept an eye on the US elections and pulled a lot of data using Sysomos’ MAP and Heartbeat. In last night’s election coverage, one tweet was the most retweeted tweet ever. Want to know which one?

By Ryo Tanaka, Associate Editor, LA office

Good blog posts and press releases can generate considerable web traffic from your target audience but have you wondered what the best medium might be when it comes to making that big announcement for your company? Here are some key differences between blog posts and press releases that can help you determine the most effective way to disperse your news. (more…)

By Ryan LeClaire

Your press release is not an ad. Don’t write it like one.

You’re probably guilty of doing this. If so, don’t feel bad. Most people try to write a news release, but end up writing an ad with a dateline. Thousands of them hit the wire every day. Most of them are promptly ignored by newsrooms, writers and social influencers who can see right through them. (more…)

MOvember is here:  30 totally inspiring, fantastically fun days to sport a moustache and raise money and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer.  Our own Sheldon Levine (@40deuce) takes a look at who’s saying what about MOvember across the social web and lays down the challenge to take part in this great cause by sporting your own ‘stache or donating to the Marketwire MOvember network.

(more…)

By Jenalee Savage

What good is a press release if no one reads it? In order to make your release a reader’s dream come true (and perhaps an editor’s as well), there are a few approaches and design/layout elements that you should be taking advantage of. What if you just…

• Write a brief, but catchy, headline
• Use a few bullet points
• Utilize bolding, italics and underlines
• Cough up some quotes

Let me elaborate on the above recommendations.

(more…)

By Renee Sylvestre-Williams

It’s been a busy week on the Small Business and Sysomos blogs.

Tannette Johnson-Elie took a look at how mentors can help small business entrepreneurs while Kelli Korducki wondered how companies can establish a corporate dress code.

Bad names happen all the time but a kids’ store named after an overblown, overwrought book about imprisonment and death? If you’re of a certain demographic, you may have read Flowers in the Attic. Angelica Moreno shows us why you really need to do some market research.

Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den Arlene Dickinson launched Arlene Dickinson Enterprises this week for entrepreneurs.

On the Sysomos blog, Sheldon Levine looks at baseball’s 2012 World Series. If you’re not into sports but love politics, take a look at who won the three presidential debates and what Canadians think of the US elections (a lot).

Plus there’s all the great content on this blog. Like we said, it’s been a busy week!

By Gail McInnes

Before social media took over traditional media, many brands participated in product seeding, where groups of individuals in targeted demographics were paid to test out products and casually mention it in conversations. These were the original professional influencers – hired guerrilla marketers who were apt in the art of subtlety. (more…)

By Adam Lovinus

Editors and journalists are bombarded by hundreds of press releases each day, each one drafted with the same goal in mind — placement in a news story somewhere. So what makes a press release successful? Is there a formula for writing a press release that grabs newsmakers’ attention so that your company’s news winds up in a publication or on a broadcast? Well, no, of course there isn’t. But there are several things you can do to entice the media to make your news their news. (more…)