MattSnodBlog

Too many brands are still trying to bring the audience to them instead of going out to them. How many promotions have you seen where you have to go to www.whatever.com to participate? The best social media tactics from brands are the ones where they're in the thick of it. They're going to where people are talking about [whatever] and getting in on the conversation. They're Tweeting, commenting, forwarding.

Also, far too many promotions and brand contests try to integrate social media merely by having a "Tweet this" logo on the page. That's not using social media to its potential. Who's really going to use those canned Tweets like, "I'm getting the most out of my day by signing up for [BRAND]'s newsletter. Get the most out of your day here:" Who talks like that? And when you get to the site, it's that same Web 1.5 Flash-heavy static content site.

I hate to boil complex issues down to one-liners, but hey ... short atttention spans and all.

1. You don't want people to come to your Web site. You want them to come back to your Web site.
2. To get involved in social media, follow the conversation.