According to Nielsen, more than 9 billion video streams were viewed in the U.S. in March, and demand is growing. Here are some tools to get those eyes on your video.

Aggregators: Sites like YouTube, Vimeo and funnyordie stream your video and make it searchable. Tip: Follow all upload instructions for maximum quality and add tags for searchability.  

Mobile Programming: Smartphones give your video on-the-go viewership. Tip: For the most mobile-friendly content, swap flash formats for .3GP and use compatible aggregators.

Viral Seeding: Promote your video using aggregators, social bookmarks, blog/video comments and social networks. Tip: Keep it relevant. Viewers can smell an empty sales pitch a mile away.

Branded Entertainment: Create original programs that focus on a softer-sell approach via sponsorship and product placement. Tip: Don't micro-manage - too strict of a message can make it feel contrived.

1. Don't overshare - People post too much information. Twitter and Facebook make it easy to dash off a tweet or status update and you may not think about possible ramifications. Tweeting about confidential or personal information can backfire.

2. It's business - Social media allows you to have a more personal connection with colleagues and business associates, so your posts can be friendly, but not as casual or edgy as you'd send to a friend. Tweets don't allow much room for nuance, normally expressed with a look or voice inflection.
 
3. Double check - Once upon a time, no business communication ever went out without being scrutinized for errors. This is still crucial today, as sloppiness can have severe consequences. Check for typos, misspellings or grammatical mistakes. Make sure you're sending to the intended target. The auto-fill isn't always your friend, and be sure you're not replying to all unintentionally.

4. Write correctly - Don't use texting language for business emails. It makes sense on Twitter, given its truncated format, but try to avoid this. In an email, use proper capitalization and spelling, and no emoticons or cute abbreviations. c what i mean? omg :)  

Keep it professional, people. Write on.

From "Four Fatal Online Writing Mistakes" Lifestyle, American Express

Who says no one cares about punctuation anymore? When indie rock band Vampire Weekend made a recent appearance on "The Colbert Report," the host took the group to task for its song "Oxford Comma," which opens with, "Who gives a <bleep> about the Oxford comma?"  Who does? Stephen Colbert, for one.

The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the final comma in a series (e.g., "I'll have a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich"). It's been subject to great debate ever since the highly influential "The Elements of Style" (pro-OC) and the Associated Press Stylebook (anti-OC) first divided on the issue.

Journalist Lynne Truss, author of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation" went as far as to state, "A passage peppered with commas - which in the past would have indicated painstaking and authoritative editorial attention - smacks simply of... out-of-date reference books."

Ouch. Take that, Colbert.

Even in an era of truncated texts and tweets, punctuation remains important to communications. But that doesn't mean the rules can't (and don't) change.

A moment of silence for the Oxford comma... 

Social media is all the rage in the marketing world, but what do consumers really want out of "liking" or "following" your brand?  

While it's true that most consumers expect to receive some sort of special offer, many - including the most active users - also want a high level of interaction.

Two recent studies indicate that sales and specials continue to be the prime motivator for those who "follow" or "like" a brand online. But what's recently come to light is that the importance of savings is followed closely by a desire to learn about new products, features or services.

On average, social media power users (those with at least 500 social connections) were less interested in getting deals. Instead, they cared about new products and company culture.

Whether on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, providing the deeper engagement expected by these types of users will help you truly connect with your brand advocates - leading the way for success.

For more information, read eMarketer's What Social Followers Want.

How do customers find your website? There is a trend in people entering longer search queries, defined as averaging five to eight words. These were up 7% between December 2009 and April 2010. Searches of eight or more words increased 4%*.

As consumers become more search-intelligent and explicit in how they search, it's become imperative to develop a solid strategy around long-tail search queries. Driving more click volume is one thing, but engaging users who are at the end of the buying cycle translates into better conversion rates and increased profitability.

Ask your marketing team how to find which search queries are applicable to your Website.
 
* Experian Hitwise

Everyone recognizes that trust is paramount for establishing credibility in social media messaging. But how do you build trust in a medium where online identities may be little more than a logo and a few lines of copy? If you text, you already know: responsiveness. When someone sends you a text, if you want continued interaction you need to respond — and the quicker the better.
 
Blogger Greg Ferenstein points out that when only text is available, participants judge trustworthiness based on how quickly others respond.  
 
So, he reasons, it is better to respond to a long Facebook message acknowledging that you received the message, rather than to wait until there's time to send a more thorough first message. Wait too long and you are likely to be labeled unhelpful or, worse, a host of expletive-filled attributions.
 
To increase your social media responsiveness, Ferenstein suggests making sure Facebook, LinkedIn, et al, send you e-mail alerts. Then, only archive the e-mail once the message has been responded to.

Well, if you use location-based social networking services such as Foursquare, Gowalla or Yelp, among others, you might just have the newest sharing syndrome: Waldo Envy. Forbes blogger David Pell points out "…there is an increasing number of people who suffer from a major case of Waldo Envy — you're convinced people care where you are."  

These location-based social networking services work by "checking you in," or marking your current location on a map, which is then placed in a social context. Many people who "check-in" on location-based social networks also simultaneously update their "statuses" with their location on other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter. What many people may not realize is that, unless they have adjusted their privacy settings to broadcast their information to their friends only, it's actually broadcasted for ALL to see across the Internet.

The ramifications of publicly broadcasting one's current location across social networks such as Twitter and Facebook have been brought to light by a new website called PleaseRobMe.com, which aggregates people who publicly post their current location and points out one fact: they are not home. PleaseRobMe.com presents these people as "opportunities" and boasts a tagline of "Listing All Those Empty Homes Out There."

Hmmm…time to adjust those privacy settings?

Much has been said about utilizing social media for market research, such as mining tweets for customer input but companies can use the concept of a social network to conduct market research more actively, with market research online communities (MROCs). Sometimes referred to as "focus groups on steroids," MROCs consist of a large group of people recruited to a private online platform to participate in research activities over time. Because MROCs are on-going, there's no need to start recruiting research participants when you need feedback on a particular question. Answers can be found in days rather than weeks.  

MROCs are typically comprised of a few hundred people and require an on-going commitment, as participants need to be kept engaged. This is typically done with a variety of online activities, such as online discussions, photo diaries, blogs, contests and surveys.

Some examples of effective applications for MROCs include co-innovation (involving customers in the product development process), longitudinal input (obtaining information over the whole course of the decision-making process or input about product use over time), and even identifying trends.

A recent study reports that private label brands account for 31% of household grocery expenses among Hispanics, averaging $172 monthly.

Household income doesn't affect the amount spent, as Hispanics earning $50,000+ spend the most, at $195. Offering multiple tiers of private brand products, from basic to premium, can effectively appeal to Hispanics at all income levels.

The upside is notably the youngest shoppers (18 to 24) who spend more than any other age group, at $199. In addition, 42% of Hispanics 25 to 39 have increased spending on private brands.

The most purchased private brands among Hispanics:

• Dairy products: 54%
• Paper products: 41%
• Carbonated beverages or bottled water: 35%
• Cleaning supplies: 34%
• Cereals and breakfast products: 34%

Ways to encourage Hispanics to buy private brands:

• Quality and healthy ingredients: 64%
• Price lower than the alternative national brand: 63%
• Discount coupons and sales: 59%
• Same ingredients and characteristics of alternative national brand: 49%
• The store would donate a percentage of sales to the community: 48%

Sources:
progressivegrocer.com
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Private Brands Group

Now that social networking has become the No. 1 activity online, and 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations, the strength and consistent meaning of your brand is more important than ever. Your customers seek to engage and they want to share their understanding. Here are some ways to increase your effectiveness in today's landscape:

• Extend your marketing plan beyond traditional channels and use avenues that engage your target.
• Collaborate with your marketing experts to review and update your brand strategy quarterly.
• Examine each consumer touch point to identify the areas where your brand may not be delivered cohesively.
• Address the widest gaps initially, with an action plan for continuous improvement.
• Focus on brand strategy early and throughout the business process to ensure your marketing communications align with the business goals.
• Be sure your outward messages, products and customer interactions reinforce a consistent brand experience.

Taking action to incorporate these practices will yield new insights and opportunities to engage and connect.

Today's multi-ethnic America, with all its sociological complexities, resembles a salad bowl in which every single ingredient retains its flavor regardless of the dressing — rather than a melting pot of consumers that can be reached by the lowest common denominator. In this culturally diverse environment where it's perfectly acceptable to eat teriyaki chicken wrapped in a tortilla, the term "American" is no longer easily defined.

So how can we re-think the way we approach culture and brands? First by realizing that people define themselves through their culture, and culture is strongly influenced by the brands they choose. Therefore, a truly integrated marketing approach must deliver compelling information in a highly imaginative and human manner, speaking with one voice. And it needs to mirror the salad bowl, utilizing media that speaks to the different lifestyles and culture of today's consumers.

Thanks to the Web and a surge of social media, communications between the consumer and producer has shifted. We now have the opportunity to glance at what the average consumer says about a brand. Take for example "The Turnaround" campaign launched by Domino's Pizza in response to negative feedback about its food. The company faced its critics and created a new pizza from the crust up, and it's looking like it will be a huge success.

The takeaway? Listen to what your target consumer is saying. Knowing how they feel about you before you speak to them puts you two steps ahead of the game. Shaping our traditional methods of advertising around positive and negative social feedback has become the foundation for keeping a brand alive. All we have to do is listen.

The Bad
In this time of tightened wallets, sales are down and companies are looking for answers. Rebranding may help, but it should never be done without inspired purpose, an executable vision and total commitment. Uninspired changes are a fruitless expenditure and may even hurt your brand.

The Ugly
Rebranding is a serious endeavor; it requires strong fundamentals and execution. Yet every now and then, a company will reject the fundamentals and opt for the dreaded logo competition - soliciting work from the unskilled and untrained, which pretty much guarantees that the final product will not be strategically sound, as was the case recently with a popular tourist destination. Designers, branding specialists and marketing teams are trained to provide on-strategy direction and art – while logo competitions open to the masses sometimes replace that expertise with "pretty."

The Good
So who's doing it right? PBS rebranded in September, inviting viewers to "Be More." It took the time (almost a full year) to do the research and to commit to an inspiring new vision. In doing so, PBS stayed true to its tireless message of discovering our world and promoting new ideas, while positioning itself in a bright new light. It is foolish to rebrand without solid reasoning. Make sure you have a story to tell.

Embracing leading-edge technology is important but watch out for the bleeding edge of over-investment in the latest craze. Rather than spend on the unknown, strengthen the areas that have good ROI and integrate a pinch of innovation. Investing in things that lose value once driven off the lot is going nowhere fast. Utilize free resources and maximize your mileage.

Examples:

• Use YouTube rather than build a video player or video network from the ground up
• Use free software if there are no funds available to buy software - or use older versions of proven programs
• Use inexpensive but efficient iPhone apps that connect your customers and employees through multiple instant messengers to increase communication
• Use time-tested social networks instead of trying to create a new system (Facebook group, Ning, etc.)
  

 If the car runs well, why buy a new one?

What will consumers be searching for as 2010 unfolds? How can you make sure your business is at the forefront of their interest? Here's what's trending this year.

1. Business as Unusual. Think of Amazon, Zappos and Virgin as pioneers in the digital frontier of customer touchpoints, then think of how you can outdo them.
2. Urban Pride. Incorporating a city's character into your products for a huge edge in those markets.
3. Real-time Reviews. Online, everyone is a critic, an advocate and a soapbox personality. You cannot control what is said, but you can certainly leverage the data to your benefit.
4. (F)luxury. Luxury is about availability and perception, within your realm of control. As the trends fluctuate, concentrate on defining what luxury means for your target.
5. Mass-mingling. As online technology makes it easier for people to coordinate and meet up in the offline world, determine how your product fits into this equation and do the math.
6. Tracking and alerting. Everything is becoming trackable, and alerting puts your messages directly into the hands of voluntary recipients, the most qualified of targets. Have you noticed the food-truck-following craze lately?

For these and more trends, visit TrendWatching.com's January 2010 briefing.