The Power of Social Media: How Facebook Helped Solve a Crime

I watched a local news segment on Saturday night about a local businesswoman in Sacramento, Calif. who sells hand crafted artisanal ice cream (Popcycle Creamery) and how her custom bike was stolen, despite it being locked up in a secure location. It was disheartening as the bicycle is used as part of her cart/business, and I felt so bad for her (since this is how she generates her income). One of my friends posted on Facebook to keep an eye out for her bike, and even though I don't live in Sacramento anymore I wanted to follow the story and show my support.

There's a happy ending to her story as her bike was recovered yesterday (luckily, with minimal damage and it's still in good shape to ride) - THANKS to the power of social media and local Sacramento law enforcement!

When you start to become frustrated with social media and think it's a waste of time, think again. Because of social media, a crime was solved and this woman can now return to selling her yummy ice cream.

This is from Popcycle Creamery's Facebook page:

"Good morning POP peeps! I just want to send a special thanks to CBS Sacramento and Sacramento Police Department for their vital roles in recovering my POPcycle!

On Sunday afternoon, 2 officers were in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood taking care of business and one of the officers spotted the POPcycle sitting abandoned in an alley. He recognized the bike from the news segment done on Saturday evening. The other officer recognized it from a Facebook post Cross Fit West Sac on Saturday. The power of social media - wowza!

The thief gave her a few bumps and bruises -- they took the pedals, the seat, the lights, cup holder -- but otherwise the POPcycle is in good shape and will be happy to get a little cosmetic make over on these few items. I am just so thankful that the bike itself was not damaged. She will be getting a good bath and should be rolling soon -- for now she is taking a little rest in a secure undisclosed location,

Although the experience of having it stolen was a bummer -- the amount of love, support and sharing of my story has far outweighed the sadness I felt upon discovering my girl was gone. THANK YOU! Keep on pedalin' - never give up!

p.s. for some reason the post won't let me tag CBS, Sac PD or Cross Fit West Sac - you all have ice cream on the house coming at you!" 

The Angry Birds Craze - Viral Apps Take Off Thanks to Word-of-Mouth

There is an app for everything you could possibly think of and then some -- from the business-savvy to the ridiculous. You only have to look at the "Angry Birds" app craze and see the power behind word-of-mouth marketing. 

Media Daily News reports that "from a study of more the 1,300 mobile app users, MTV Networks says 73% of consumers find apps from personal recommendations, reviews, and use. It breaks down this way: 53% from personal recommendations; 52% from user reviews; and 42% from seeing a friend use a particular app."

I've been known to check out the popular, fun apps, and I like to keep up-to-date on the latest apps. What does the average consumer look for in an app? 

"Some 75% of consumers said it's important that an app is "entertaining or fun to use," while 62% said it's important that an app "feels good" in terms of its touchscreen feel." (Source: Media Daily News) 

The U.S. isn't the only country to go crazy over smartphone apps. According to Flurry's analytics, the U.K. is taking the market by storm: 

"The UK leads in penetration with a whopping 33% of its population using apps on smartphones per month.  France places second with a sizable 20%, next followed by Germany, Spain and Italy coming in with 14%, 9% and 10%, respectively." 

Whether you're a fan of the Angry Birds app or not, viral apps won't be going away anytime soon. 

Why Companies Need to Jump on Board with Social Media in 2011

People will find any excuse in the book NOT to use social media. As we move into the New Year with an economy that can be best described as “struggling” on a good day, you put your company in jeopardy by not jumping on board with social media. 

People have a way of talking themselves out of beneficial tools that help their business grow. Social media is one of those tools.  Have you yet to join the rest of the world in social networking? What’s stopping you?

These are the 10 most common excuses why businesses don't use social media:

#1 Laziness! Instead of making a change for the better, you’re content to continue with mediocre marketing

#2 You are too busy to put extra time into creating and maintaining social media networks.

#3 You proclaim that Facebook is only a dating pick-up site for college kids.

#4 Social media is too complicated and overwhelming so why bother fussing with it?

#5 Who cares? Social media is a waste of your time and energy.

#6 You think people are rude and aren’t willing to help in a strictly virtual setting.

#7 You think social media is over your head – leave it to the tech wiz!

#8 Social media is all hype - just a passing fad.

#9 Since you’re a solopreneur, you think your company isn’t big enough to benefit from social media.

#10 If you put details about yourself online, you fear someone might take advantage of you.

While keeping up with the rapid development of social media can be intimidating, the simple fact is that NO company can afford to remain blind to its benefits any longer. Social media connections will open up new doors for your business by providing more channels for people to find you. The more your name is out there, the more you brand yourself as an expert in your industry – that’s the name of the game in social media.

Traditional marketing  is not nearly as effective as it used to be. Social media connects you with people you need to know,and brings your company front and center to the public. Social media is free but if it’s implemented and updated regularly, then it will require a committed investment of your time BUT it’s an investment that will see HUGE returns.

Stop making excuses for not using social media. The way the professional world works is changing, and it’s up to you to change with it.  Social media is the quickest, easiest way to market your company. Companies are jumping on board by the truck load. You NEED to be at the front of the line if you want your business to remain relevant and profitable.