Stuck in a slump with your blog creation? Need some ideas before you embark on a blog marketing bonanza? Well, this blogtacular edition of our 5 Things You Might Have Missed is sure to inspire and entertain!

1.) Front & Main by West Elm: This blog is a great read. It’s filled with decorating and furniture ideas, proving your branded blog can sell your wares without being boring. Note the magazine-style look of Front & Main and the snappy copy, and then go infuse your own blog with the same effortless combo of style and information.

2.) Richard Branson’s Blog: Virgin’s rowdy and opinionated CEO blogs about company goings-on as well as his thoughts on hot global news stories. Branson is in love with social media and we love how his blog serves as a hub for keeping up with the busy billionaire online. Borrow some of Branson’s brashness to make your business blog stand out for having a personality.

3.) Standard Culture: Splashy and in your face, this blog looks more like an ad campaign for Italian jeans than a blog for a hotel chain. But since the hotel chain in question is The Standard, this blog fits its hipster-friendly brand like a glove. Standard Culture is a great reminder to make sure our blogs truly reflect our brand’s image.

4.) Lidia’s Italy Blog: Everybody’s surrogate Italian mama and one of NYC’s most prolific restaurateurs, Lidia Bastianich doesn’t overly update her blog. Some might argue that this is a problem (we tend to agree; of course, we update blogs for a living). But what is noteworthy about Bastianich’s blog and website in general is that the tone is informational and warm, just like the cooking goddess herself. Take away from this blog an aspiration to present the informational parts of your company in a more engaging way.

5.) Marc by Marc Jacobs: Minimal and sparse, you could call fashion guru Marc Jacobs’ blog pretentious… and you wouldn’t be wrong. But what’s great about it is the sleek and striking format that lets Jacobs and his brand messaging really shine. A teaspoon of Marc Jacobs’ minimalist style infused into our blogs would go a long way to inspire us to keep our blogs clean and easy to use.

Social media experts like ourselves have been predicting the arrival of the branded social network for years. But the truth is many have tried but few brands have been able to inspire the kind of ongoing conversation and interaction needed to keep a social network alive. Yet Lego’s new attempt at branded social media might be just the thing to catapult the platform into mainstream popularity.

ReBrick is a little bit social, a little bit Pinterest, and 100 percent Lego. Lego is already one of the most photographed and shared brands on the Internet, so why not create a hub that serves as an exchange of all things awesomely Lego? And that is exactly what ReBrick intends to do. As a toy and iconic brand, Lego has always been about creating, so ReBrick highlights the best in Lego creations instead of the latest in Lego products. Mainly the project hopes to unite the millions of existing Lego-based communities that are spread all over the web. “Lego has a very strong and vibrant community, with hundreds of thousands of videos and many millions of pictures on online,” said Peter Espersen, Lego’s online community leader in an interview with Click Z News. “But they’re all distributed across hundreds of blogs and thousands of websites. It’s about giving fans the credit that they deserve and putting an amplifier to the interesting stuff they’re doing so everyone around the web can find it.” For Lego fans, ReBrick could prove to be the all-in-one stop for great ideas and creations from all over the web. For social media marketing gurus, the expansion of branded social networks could prove to be a challenge.

Granted, it takes a mega-brand like Lego to conquer its own social media platform but as niche networks expand, the need for the general social media management might diminish a tad. Custom-made social networks that speak directly to a vivid and enthusiastic audience are undoubtedly the wave of the future. And only time will tell how this will change the face of social media marketing.

It’s that special time of year when social media marketers, advertisers and online marketing gurus come together to celebrate one special thing: viral Super Bowl ads! Continuing the tradition of year’s past, 2012 has already seen a slew of Super Bowl ads… and the game is still a couple of weeks away. Here’s a few of the trends and news stories you can expect to see more of as the Super Bowl gets closer.

Tons of Teasers: Advertisers are hoping to use movie-like previews online to get viewers and consumers excited about their Super Bowl ads. And as silly as an ad for an ad sounds, they seem to be working. Many, like a recent spot for VW, have already roped in millions of views and gone very viral.

Embracing the Bark Side: That VW preview ad with the millions of views is none other than “The Bark Side,” a commercial which features dogs in Star Wars costumes barking the movie’s iconic “Imperial March.” The clip is a follow-up to last year’s smash, The Force. And if the preview is any indication, Volkswagen has another hit on its hands.

More Controversy: Only time will tell if Madonna will stir up controversy during her 12 minute halftime set, but there are several ads already set to grab headlines and tick people off. At the top of the list has to be the dead fetus-filled commercials from presidential wannabe and general nutjob, Randall Terry. Look for Terry’s ads to be the talk of Monday morning newscasts.

Brands Take to the Tiny Screen: This year ads won’t just be living on the plasma flatscreen or online but also in apps for smartphones. Chevy Game Time is one such app that offers prizes and real-time gaming while the Super Bowl is on. Food Network, EA Sports and ESPN Sports Center are some of the other brands launching apps to enhance game day.

Super Social Media: We’ve seen brands like Doritos and Chevy use social media to cross-promote ads in years past but this year social media has gone legit. For the first time ever, the Super Bowl has its own social media hub that will cover all the action on Twitter and Facebook surrounding the game as well as keep tabs on the latest social media news stories developing in the days before the big day.

Here’s a social media marketing experiment we invite you to try: Walk around your neighborhood, get the names of five or six small businesses and then Google them. We’re betting that most of the businesses have both a Facebook page, a website and a couple other social media accounts. And then there are surely a few that just have a website. But the most surprising finding will be companies that have solely a Facebook page, and we’re nearly positive that you’ll find a few of those. Relying solely on Facebook to get your company’s information out until you can afford a website is a big risk… plus it sounds crazy. But can it actually work?

Prompted by a late night craving, I recently discovered that the owners of my favorite neighborhood cupcake and frozen yogurt joint has clearly chosen to dive headfirst into Facebook until the website of their dreams can be built. The current website is just a “coming soon” page even though the business has been open for a number of months. The Facebook page, however, is a different story. The local business has chosen to use the page to list its hours, location and menu items. But beyond that, the page prominently features photos of crowds inside enjoying tasty treats, pictures of mouth-watering cupcake creations and status updates with new yogurt flavors. Not only do you get the basic “where are they and what time do they open” kind of information, but you also receive an updated, closer look at the company than a regular static website can really provide.

This neighborhood sweet spot isn’t alone in choosing to focus on Facebook first. Since 2009, big brands have been slowly moving away from marketing their websites to concentrate on Facebook marketing. This being said, traditional websites aren’t going anywhere. The point of social media marketing in the first place is to drive your followers back to your website. Proper Facebook management should always push readers to the website for more content. Websites are the digital hub of a brand and need to be capable of serving the masses. But until that awesome website can be built, Facebook is an effective — even tasty — alternative.

We know how you roll: You tinker away 5 days a week at your blog creation. You come up with witty, wise and wonderful posts. You tweet and Facebook your blog on a regular basis. You feel like you’ve got this whole blogging-for-business thing wired shut. Yet there’s still something you don’t know: Who is your blog’s audience? And does it even matter?

Who your readers are does matter… mainly because you want to make sure the right people are reading your blog. By “the right people,” we mean audiences who share your same passions and rely on your expertise and hopefully want to buy whatever it is you are selling. Using your analytics tools that most blogging platforms offer is a good way to see who’s dropped by your blog and how many people a week lay their eyes on the darn thing. But to really get to know your readers, you have to talk to them. This is especially fantastic if your readers are other bloggers. Other bloggers know that commenting on your blog will get you to visit their blog and before you know it we’re all in the middle of a big blogger-to-blogger love-fest.

But beyond bloggers, who are your readers? Who do you write this for? If you write a blog about cooking to promote your line of baking accessories, for example, you would hope other foodie types are reading your blog. If those wannabe chefs aren’t dropping by your blog, however, you’d best go out and get them. Visit similar blogs, interact and invite audiences to come chat with you. Good blog marketing via social media and your own website will hopefully bring the audience of your dreams to you.

Taking some time to find out who your readers are will also help you develop topics they want to read and talk about. So on that note, readers, what’s on your mind? Tell us what tips you have for building and getting to know your blog’s audience. Sound off below!

What a week! Between awards show cattiness, brand breakdowns and Internet shutdowns, there is no shortage of things to dish about. So let’s get right into all the latest online marketing news in a list we all know and love as our “Five Things You Might Have Missed.”

1.) Timeline App-valanche: In its short life, Facebook’s Timeline has been known for garnering a lot of resistance and headlines. We can now add apps to that list. Tons of blogs reported on the addition of Timeline apps this week because, love it or loathe it, Timeline is Facebook’s latest product and apps could be the next big thing in Facebook marketing.

2.) Lionel Richie, Free Speech Protector? This video from slick ad director Matthijs Volt may not have set out to say a lot about piracy and SOPA but by using dialogue from hit films (without permission) to recreate Lionel Richie’s hit “Hello” the video is the kind of thumbing of the nose the movement needs right now. Funny, brilliantly edited and released at a time of year when we celebrate film, this viral hit laughs at piracy laws and makes us smile, too.

3.) MINI is Red Hot and Social: The itty bitty car MINI has launched a giant Facebook campaign in which one of its cars is suspended on a hill by a rope with a Bunsen burner underneath, burning away at the rope. This crazy science experiment relies on Facebook page likes to release the car into the wild. Users who like the brand also get to check in on the car’s status.

4.) From Tart to Sour: This week, Pinkberry was the latest brand to hop onto to Twitter to put out a bad PR fire. Co-founder of the yogurt empire Young Lee was arrested after chasing down a transient and beating him with a tire iron. Company heads swiftly took to Twitter to state that Young has not been an active part of Pinkberry since 2010 and now serves solely as a stockholder. The company is desperately (and understandably) trying to distance itself from Lee, but given the amount of negative posts online, it might take more than a few tweets and a press release to make its image sweet again.

5.) Going Wiki-less: During the SOPA protests blackouts of Wednesday, many big websites shutdown services, and the most missed site had to be Wikipedia. Wiki withdraw proved how much we would miss uncensored unregulated information and the message was received loud and clear.

An online video creation is a carefully-crafted stew that has to have all of the ingredients to make it a delicious success. On this here blog, we frequently talk about why we love a certain viral hit and what we can take away from it. But what about your video? You know, the one which was supposed to go viral, grab viewers/customers and put your brand on the map? Why didn’t it ever take off?

We’re glad you asked. Here are four reasons no one likes your video:

1.) Your Video Doesn’t Load — Sounds obvious, but it’s true. Videos that take too long to load or that just don’t work are the No. 1 reason folks tune out. There is a teensy weensy window in which we have to connect to viewers, so if our tech is junk, nobody will watch.

2.) Your Video is Too Damn Long — One minute and thirty seconds is said to be the magic length for viral videos, and we agree. In fact, go shorter if you can. Why? Because coming up with quick ways to get your brand’s message across shows both style and smarts.

3.) Your Video Makes No Sense — Abstract, absurd and bizarre are good things in the world of viral video. But rambling, non-sensical, poorly-edited hot video messes are another altogether. No one wants to sit through a shakey-filmed version of your company’s last get together, so don’t even bother uploading it.

4.) Your Video Hasn’t Even Been Seen — We say this all the time but it bears repeating: What good is having great content if you do not promote it? It isn’t enough to have an expensive, well-made, clever video. The real work begins after the video is finished. Social media pages, your company blog (which we assume you have but if you don’t, we can help) and your website should all work overtime pushing your video genius.

Every so often, a tale of social media marketing gone wrong comes along that is just so ridiculous, we simply have to talk about it. And the twisted tale of Boners BBQ and its Yelp-fueled social media meltdown certainly falls into that category.

At the beginning of the month, Yelp reviewer Stephanie S. and her husband visited Atlanta’s Boners BBQ and ate what she described as a mediocre meal in her review. But the response she received from the owner of Boners was anything but mediocre. On the restaurant’s Facebook page as well as in a tweet, owner Andrew Capron fired off the following response: “NOT WANTED! (Stephanie S.) left a waitress 0.00 dollars on a $40.00 tab after she received a Scoutmob discount. If you see this women (sic) in your restaurant tell her to go outside and play hide and go f— yourself! Yelp that b—-.”

Whoa. Naturally, the web exploded with responses to Capron’s super negative reaction to what is described as only a “so-so” review. Stephanie S. told the Huffington Post that she did leave a tip “and my review was not scathing by any means. The response from Boners BBQ has just been astonishing to me, especially since it came from the owner of the business.”

Meanwhile, outraged Atlanta diners and Yelpers have come to Stephanie’s aid and verbally trashed the restaurant on its Yelp page. By Wednesday, Boners’ bad behavior was the subject of many a national news story and the company was forced to put out the raging fire. Capron once again took to social media to apologize. Capron posted “Dear, Stephanie S.- We are truly sorry, it was a boneheaded move on our part. But more importantly- it was rude to you and an inappropriate use of social media.” Capron goes on to say it was wrong to “abuse” her opinion and even offers to refund her money or give her a free meal.

The little Atlanta barbecue joint found out the hard way that playing with social media fire will get you burned. We’re guessing this “boneheaded” mistake is one that Boners won’t repeat anytime soon.

Now, about that name. Boners? Complete with the tagline “Put a Little South in Your Mouth”? Really?

In blog writing, there’s a teeny tiny line between engaging and inflammatory. On one hand, blogs written with the intention of starting a fight are a surefire way to get a reaction. Readers flock to strong opinions and love to leave their own in the comments section. A fiery exchange between bloggers and readers can put a blogger and his or her blog on the map. And while this is all well and good for sports fans, television junkies and armchair politicos, knock-down drag-out battles of words simply don’t work when blogging for business. But does that mean company bloggers have to be boring drones with no opinions? Heck no!

“Engage not enrage” is a good motto to blog by. Your business and brand has opinions, so don’t be afraid to express them. Just stay out of shark-infested waters: Be wary of topics that are known for boiling the blood of blog readers. These topics include politics, harsh opinions of a beloved celebrity and religious beliefs (which, P.S., have no place on a business blog unless you’re in the religion business).

Other times, we blog writers can be surprised by the response a seemingly benign post elicits. For example, I recently read an interesting blog about environmentally-friendly products that don’t hurt the ozone layer. Tame and informational, it looked like the last thing that would tick people off. Nevertheless, readers battled back and forth over the legitimacy of the underlying presupposition of the existence of a human-caused climate crisis. Those kinds of things you have no control over, and at least that writer had hundreds of comments on their blog, so it was still at least a partial success.

That said, as long as you’re respectful and it actually has something to do with your blog, debate your little heart out. The ability to interact calmly and politely with readers is a good one to hone. Plus by standing your ground on a cause that is close to your company’s heart, you show readers that your brand has conviction and an identity.

So to recap: Smack talking for the sake of talking smack = bad. Informed and respectful, lively debates = good! Now go out there give your readers a piece of your mind!

It’s no secret that MySpace, once high on every social media management guru’s list, has experienced a well-documented fall out of popularity. But the site might just have a comeback left in it, if Justin Timberlake has anything to say about it.

Last week, Timberlake, MySpace’s new co-owner, pulled an Ashton when he showed up at a press conference to tout the awesomeness that will be MySpace TV. In one of those churned-out celebrity endorsement speeches, JT told an audience last Wednesday, “We’re ready to take television and entertainment to the next step by upgrading it to the social networking experience. Why text or email your friends to talk about your favorite programs after they’ve aired when you could be sharing the experience with real-time interactivity from anywhere across the globe?”

The folks at GetGlue could argue that they already offer that kind of thing and Facebook devotees are most likely questioning the upgrade in the first place. But the ace up MySpace’s sleeve are the technological goodies to offer an immediate and communal experience that none of its competitors can top. MySpace TV will first draw on the site’s some 42 million songs and 100,000 music videos for programming and then branch out to produce reality and sports television with its partner Panasonic. Sounds like a new version of MTV — without the Snooki.

Timberlake promises MySpace will be the bridge between social networking and television.

“As the plot of your favorite drama unfolds, the joke of your favorite SNL character plays or even the last-second shot of your favorite team swishes the net, we’re giving you the opportunity to connect your friends to your moments as they’re actually occurring,” he adds. “This is the evolution of one of our greatest inventions, the television.”

Yet it remains to be seen if Timberlake (whose last hit record was popular right around the first time people cared about MySpace) and Panasonic can put the brand back on the map. What do you think, readers? Can MySpace pull a Cher and make a big comeback? Does the concept of social real-time television have real marketing possibilities? Tell us all about it in the comments section!