This week's hot news, events and videos from the online marketing and social media world.

From the Position² Blog This Week:

Social Media Monitoring ROI: Metrics For Measurement

Monitoring your brand on Social Media is important, but what are the metrics you should measure to discover your ROI from Social Media Monitoring? Read on for more information on the qualitative and quantitative methods you can use to determine the success of your social media monitoring efforts.

• Viral Campaign: How to Combine QR Codes With the Power of Facebook.
• Read more...

Many of you must be wondering what is a ghost blog? A ghost blog is a blog run and managed by an anonymous author(s). A ghost blog can also be a blog written by a company or person on behalf of another company or person. It could also mean that it is a blog dedicated to ghost and so on… Ghost blogging means that someone else writes a blog for you. It’s like you hire someone who helps you out on a project, but that person gets no credit for it, and is only paid for the services provided by him or her. But why hire someone else to write a blog on your area of expertise?  Does this practice conform to ... Read more...

According to some of the statistics compiled by econsultancy writer Jake Hird in August 2009

• Around 64% of marketers are using social media for 5 hours or more each week.
• Social networks and blogs are the 4th most popular online activities online, including beating personal email. 67% of global users visit member communities and 10% of all time spent on the internet is on social media sites.

It has become imperative for companies, big or small, to have social media campaigns. It is predicted that the social media spending by companies will increase dramatically in the coming year. The statistics look impressive, the social networks are growing at a geometric rate, and marketers have taken notice and are incorporating social media ... Read more...

Brands these days use Social Media to increase their credibility; it has revolutionized communication across all levels. It has given people and businesses a platform to share their views with the world. Engaging with consumers adds value and helps strengthen a brand’s identity. This is almost as effective as word of mouth but has an impact on a  larger number of people. Social Media plays a significant role in influencing the buying decision of consumers since people now search, read, review, discuss and then consider before making a purchase. In order to build an effective brand communication through Social Media, you should be aware of your audience. This makes it easier to focus your activities across various Social Media channels. These channels can ... Read more...