My mom is a total pack rat. This is the woman who finally threw out maternity clothes upon the arrival of her first grandchild, my daughter. I was 30 at the time. And until very recently, I was embarrassed by this little quirk of hers. I made fun of her until my three year old daughter found out that her Mommy’s cherished Strawberry Shortcake dolls had been carefully preserved in their little strawberry shaped carrying case for the last 20 odd years. The trick was to locate them among all the other assorted toys, books, dolls and clothing stored in the attic. And frankly, we’ve had a heat wave and I just didn’t feel like stirring around in a hot attic. Continue Reading »

A question Social Media Management Company, Vitrue, raised by creating a Social Page Evaluator, a tool designed to “provide an assessment of a brand’s Facebook Page value and the effectiveness of its social media efforts.” According to Vitrue, Starbuck’s has an annual page value of $20.7 million. The basic calculation starts by assigning a value (a conservative default of $5) to each “like”, but also takes into account the number of posts and the number of interactions. A smaller fan base can earn more than a larger one if the brand uses Facebook to its full potential. Skittles pot of gold, for example, has 1 million fewer connections than beverage giant Coke but is valued higher because of a greater frequency of posts. Can a Brand go too far? Absolutely. With 147 posts in the last month, ESPN has maxed out their page value at $4.8 million. To maximize page value, Vitrue suggests brands post up to twice per day, post photos and videos, and use Facebook tools like the “share” button.

So who do you “like”? What brands have you “shared” recently? Are you doing your part to contribute to the how much your favorite brand is worth?

Contributed by: Allison Jobes