Facebook’s Cult Status, Cause Marketing and More


facebook cult

Yes, it’s that time again. Another week has come and gone and it’s time for another community news and information roundup. If you’re new to this feature, it’s time for the Small Business Trends team to take a survey of news, tips and new things to announce from our small business community. Please drop by these sites and, if you can, tell them you heard about them here!

Let’s get started.

Is Facebook a Modern Day Cult? (Sensei Marketing)

Marketers and small business owners alike use the platform regularly to build brand and connect with customers. But Sam Fiorella, a partner at Sensei Marketing, has these thoughts about the social platform’s other characteristics. Of course, there is a marketing lesson to be learned.

Check Out the Power of Cause Marketing. (Vertical Measures)

If you could combine your marketing efforts with efforts to raise awareness for a worthwhile cause, just imagine how your customers would feel. Just imagine the good you could do. Laura Holloway explains the basics of cause marketing.

10 Things Not to Do in Your Content Marketing. (SteamFeed)

Please don’t let your content fall into one of the 10 worst offender categories. Jennifer Kane shares things she says no one wants to see on your website. From poor photos to too many hashtags to too much “bloated and meandering” prose. This is the stuff that will turn your visitors off.

We’re Glad to be in Great Company! (Davpack)

A big congratulations to Sian Phillips, editor of our sister site, TweakYourBiz.com, on being named to the list of “Top 20 Blogs that will Help your Business.” Small Business Trends was also named to the list, and we couldn’t be more pleased. There are some great sites listed on here so be sure to check it out.

Don’t Forget the Power of the Press Release. (Entrepreneurs Club Radio)

In this day and age of social media sites and blogging, it’s easy to forget about the simple yet powerful press release. It’s an important way to get the media to tell your story, says small business marketing consultant Dianne Myers.

Learning From the Big Brands. (Stacy Shanks)

You may have a small business, but there’s still plenty you can learn from the big brands.  (Are they doing it right?) Stacy Shanks has these examples you don’t want to miss. She also takes a look at integrated marketing and what it takes to pull it off effectively.

More Case Studies on Social Media Marketing. (Amanda Scheffer Cavanagh)

There’s a lot to learn from brands of all sizes when it comes to using social media. Here’s another great couple of case studies we found recently from blogger Amanda Scheffer Cavanagh. Amanda also took time to select brands with which she’s familiar hopefully providing even greater insight.

An Interesting Take on Twitter. (Leverage)

There’s frequently debate in the social media marketing world about how to determine the most effective channel for your company’s message. But this post makes an argument for Twitter as the uber channel from which all other marketing can spring.

What Can Tina Fey Teach You About Product Development? (Luxr)

If this sounds like the setup for a Saturday Night Live routine, don’t worry. It’s not. Instead, here’s a simple look at the importance of collaboration in your process. How are you coming up with that next great idea?

Head Off Customer Complaints at the Pass. (Robin)

OK. It’s probably unrealistic to hope you won’t get any of these. But there are some steps your ecommerce business in particular could take to try to catch these problems before they start. Michiel Gaasterland, marketing director at Robin, has more.

Thanks again for reading!

Reading Photo via Shutterstock

8 Comments ▼
8 Reactions
  1. An interesting roundup for this week!

    I particularly enjoy reading “An Interesting Take on Twitter” – although it’s often considered as a place where there’s too many spam marketing messages, it’s still effective in delivering leads and catch followers’ attention.

    • Hi Ivan,
      I think it probably depends upon your network. I think, in general, it’s easier to meet new people on Twitter and to accidentally run across their content. That, to me, is a big plus.

  2. I’d say that Facebook is more an addiction. Yes, it can be seen as a cult but a cult has too much culture in it. Heck, it even makes me think about religion. Facebook is a clear addiction. People cannot survive without checking it within a day.

    • Hi Aira,
      I think a lot of social media sites have that basic characteristic. To me, the important thing is to treat these sites as tools. Nothing more.

  3. Amanda Scheffer Cavanagh

    Thank you so much for including me in your weekly roundup!

  4. Thank you for including a mention of my post over on the Davpack blog – myself and the rest of our team really appreciate it!