Twitter

In the 1980s she was Punky Brewster, the star of a comedy about an orphan. Today, Soleil Moon Frye is a 34-year-old mother of two and a power marketer for Ad.ly, an advertising agency that pays actors, athletes, and musicians to promote products through micromessaging service Twitter. Twitter is testing its own advertising service, which could compete with Ad.ly for the attention of sponsors. Full article.  

Listening to people talking on Twitter and Facebook about your products or company can help you grow relationships with them. There are several things to keep in mind, however, when using social media, including training your staff to remember that their actions could go public. It will cost you time and effort to embed a solid social media strategy in your business, but the effect it can have on customer relationships makes it all worthwhile. Full article.

Rick Wion, director of social media for McDonald’s Corp., says social media avenues, such as Twitter, allow big corporations the opportunity to make the restaurant experience warmer and more intimate. “It’s really not about how many people are following you," Wion said. "It’s about the level of engagement, really the strong connections you are making with customers.”   Full article.  

Conversations about food that once only happened between friends are now public thanks to the Internet, and sites like Twitter sped up the conversations. Whether it's reviews before the meal or the service afterward, opinions are voiced freely -- and restaurants are taking notice. Recently, however, restaurants -- locals and chains -- have started Twitter conversations with customers. Chains like Chipotle and Pei Wei even have full-time social media employees. Full Article.