The Internet is quickly becoming a commonly used tool for business-customer interaction. Social media platforms that were once typically reserved for personal use are now becoming a vital part of a business's strategy. Maximizing Commerce and Marketing Strategies through Micro-Blogging examines the various methods and benefits of using micro-blogs within a business context, bringing together the best tools and tactics necessary to properly incorporate this approach. Highlighting current empirical research and insights from various disciplines, this book is an essential reference source for academics, graduate students, social media strategists, and business professionals interested in the positive use of social media in business environments.

The creation and expression of identity (or of multiple identities) in immersive computer-mediated environments (CMEs) is rapidly transforming consumer behavior. The various social networking and gaming sites have millions of registered users worldwide, and major corporations are beginning to attempt to reach and entice the growing flood of consumers occupying these virtual worlds. Despite this huge potential, however, experts know very little about the best way to talk to consumers in these online environments. How will well-established research findings from the offline world transfer to CMEs? That's where "Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior" comes in. Written by two of the leading experts in the field, it presents cutting-edge academic research on virtual social identity, explores consumer behavior in virtual worlds, and offers important implications for marketers interested in working in these environments. The book provides special insight into the largest and fastest growing group of users - kids and teens. There is no better source for understanding the impact of virtual social identities on consumers, consumer behavior, and electronic commerce.

The creation and expression of identity (or of multiple identities) in immersive computer-mediated environments (CMEs) is rapidly transforming consumer behavior. The various social networking and gaming sites have millions of registered users worldwide, and major corporations are beginning to attempt to reach and entice the growing flood of consumers occupying these virtual worlds. Despite this huge potential, however, experts know very little about the best way to talk to consumers in these online environments. How will well-established research findings from the offline world transfer to CMEs? That's where "Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior" comes in. Written by two of the leading experts in the field, it presents cutting-edge academic research on virtual social identity, explores consumer behavior in virtual worlds, and offers important implications for marketers interested in working in these environments. The book provides special insight into the largest and fastest growing group of users - kids and teens. There is no better source for understanding the impact of virtual social identities on consumers, consumer behavior, and electronic commerce.

The purpose of this book is to examine the influence of sWOM and provide guidance on how to operationalize its growing power.Each day, millions of consumers venture online to search and exchange product information, seek out, and share opinions. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication has been shown to influence consumer actions across a variety of industries. A significant portion of eWOM occurs on social media platforms. Social word of mouth (sWOM)-a subset of eWOM-has incredible reach with the potential to influence over 4.6 billion active social media consumers. The purpose of this book is to examine the influence of sWOM and provide guidance on how to operationalize its growing power. Our goal in writing this book is to bring together industry best practices and academic research to help you construct social media content that speaks with your brand voice, stimulates engagement, inspires consumers to #share, and complies with industry and federal guidelines.

Each day, millions of consumers venture online to search and exchange product information and to seek out and share opinions. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication has been shown to influence consumer actions across a variety of industries (King, Racherla, and Bush 2014). A significant portion of eWOM occurs on social media platforms. Whether it is a status update to Facebook of an upcoming vacation, a picture of a laundry room makeover on Pinterest, or a YouTube video discussing the features on the new iPhone, consumers are turning to a variety of social platforms to make everyday purchasing decisions easier for themselves and others. Indeed, social word of mouth (sWOM)-a subset of eWOM-has incredible reach with the potential to influence over two billion active social media consumers. The purpose of this book is to examine the influence of sWOM and provide guidance on how to operationalize its growing power. The goal of this book is to bring together industry best practices and academic research to help construct social media content that speaks with your brand voice, stimulates engagement, inspires consumers to share (#share), and complies with industry and federal guidelines. Each chapter highlights a key area of sWOM that will further your understanding and provide actionable information to assist you in mobilizing positive sWOM for your company.