Staree allows users to post photos and videos from their mobile device or desktop and share them with friends through Facebook and Twitter. Users make money from display advertising targeted to their content and product placement. In addition, starting today, users can monetize while giving back to various charitable organizations chosen by Izea. The charity supported in June is Give Kids the World Village.

As we reported Wednesday, people recommend a brand based on service and not compensation. But what if your “advocate” is being compensated for their own ideas, photos or videos? As a philanthropist, I am all for promoting charity through advocacy. Nonetheless, Staree users are not paid for recommending the Staree brand. They are paid for using the application. Jumping back to the question of the week – do you feel OK paying your advocates, directly or indirectly for their engagement?

HubSpot recently published an infographic of the exhaustive history of marketing. The timeline iterates how advancements in technology have shifted the power from the marketer to the consumer. As a result, marketers have the obligation to always think on their toes and stay ahead of the technology and media curves.

What are your thoughts? How has the history of marketing transformed your industry? What have you done to remain one step ahead of the competition? Where do you see the marketing industry heading?

BBDO developed a QR code designed for Guinness and other dark beers. There’s something Talkable. Even better, when a consumer scans the code, the glass checks them in to Foursquare, tweets about their pint and/or updates their Facebook status. We have beer, social, QR and mobile all wrapped into one. What better a combination?

The glaring problem with QR codes is placement. Not all marketing directors are as clever as BBDO. Marketers need to find accessible and simple locations to place their codes. A beer glass is one of them. When people are drinking, you can bet a phone is nearby. However, QR codes on billboards, stadiums and other inconvenient locations are not going to work. Who is going to stop and scan that code? It doesn’t make sense.

Key Takeaway: It is a marketer’s job to make their brand’s message transparent, simple to reach and easy to share. QR codes can be a great tool, but if the placement isn’t right, no one will care or even notice what you are doing.

Quick Note: BBDO reported that the QR code in the Guinness promotion took place last year and has since expired.

Last week, WOMMA Governing Member BzzAgent released their latest eBook titled, “To Sell in Social, Stop Getting ‘Like,’ Start Building Advocacy.” The eBook shows that marketers who focus on Facebook “likes” are missing a valuable opportunity to build brand advocacy. By implementing a direct marketing program, companies can build high quality advocacy around their brand and track its impact on product sales and ROI.

BzzAgent outlined six steps for building advocacy through social.

1. Define Your Target Audience - Every plan needs a direct list.
2. Select Your Communications Method – Will people talk about your message?
3. Personalize Your Message – Develop personal connections to your audience.
4. Develop Your Call to Action – Let your consumer control the “action.”
5. Optimize Your Performance – Figure out your true advocates.
6. Measure Sales and ROI – Bosses care about results so give it to them.

Download the full eBook here to start converting your social media “likes” into brand advocates.

Many prominent brands and agencies like to compensate their everyday bloggers, most avid Twitter followers or most engaging Facebook fans with rewards or incentives of some kind. Others, such as Zuberance, WOMMA Governing Member, would NOT pay or compensate an advocate if their company’s life depended on it.

As Zuberance founder and CEO Rob Fuggetta told the WOMMA staff, paid advocates are not the long-term answer. Friends can only annoy their friends so much. People recommend because they want to spread the good word. People recommend a brand because they feel the brand provides a valuable service. As eMarketer recently published, people recommend a brand for other reasons as well.

Kimberely Maul, eMarketer writer/analyst, says it’s the everyday Joe who will continue to recommend a brand.

“By leveraging connections with these everyday influencers, brands can amplify word of mouth online and increase engagement.” And if these advocates are promoting online, chances are, they are promoting offline as well.

Key Takeaway: Compensating your most avid fans may work; it may not. Instead, concentrate on the valuable and “Talkable” services your company provides. Differentiate yourself and the advocates will become your personal PR firm.

Read the full eMarketer article here.

As Jeff Bullas says, the rise of blogging has led to the biggest revolution in publishing since the Gutenberg press was invented over 570 years ago. As corporate, recreational, and freelance bloggers continue to write, post and share their stories, the power of web publishing gains more and more steam putting more and more journalists out of the business.

As a result, the world of blogging is transforming publishing. As Bullas states, there are four main drivers that have enabled bloggers’ rise from a hobby to a global business platform.

1. Ease of Use – Programmers are not needed when you have WordPress.
2. The Rise of Social Networks – Sharing via web has never been easier.
3. Low Cost and High Speed Broadband – High speed internet is readily available to almost everyone.
4. Low Cost Hardware – Anyone can blog with a laptop.

Key Takeaway: The publishing world is under constant transformation. As more and more companies realize the significance of an online voice, blogger influence and power will continue to rise. Enable the power of the web and create your online presence before the power of the blog passes you by.

Read the entire post here.

RAINN

Column Five Media

IQ Innovation

Welcome to the team!

Today will be my last day writing the WOMMA Word. As many readers know, I’ve been studying copywriting at The Chicago Portfolio School since October. Starting Tuesday, I’ll be fully devoted to the program and work as a freelance writer on the side.

It’s been a true pleasure writing for WOMMA. The last three years showed explosive growth in word of mouth marketing. It has developed beyond the initial excitement about social media into a fully-integrated, media agnostic part of any smart marketing campaign. Being part of that helped me grow, learn, and be excited about amazing marketing. It’s what drove me back to school and will stay with me through my whole career.

You can always reach me on LinkedIn.

Time to Meet WOMMA’s New Writer

Jacob Hurwith will now write and edit the WOMMA Word. He has been with WOMMA since early April. Read his full bio here.

And it’s Time to Tell Jacob What you Want

The WOMMA Word is written to build a community of educated word of mouth marketers. We want the best, most relevant content. So reach out to Jacob. Tell him what your interests and marketing problems are.

Just email him.

Online Marketing Blog at Top Rank recently published its four tips on creating effective, sharable and Talkable infographics.

• Walk Before You Run – Don’t jump into the game because everyone else is doing it. Think about your target audience, how you can share valuable information and what INFOrmation you want to release.
• Know the Goal – Marketers succeed when there is a goal to be met. Is your goal to drive traffic towards your website, social buzz, build conversation around the community or all the above? Know the goal.
• Share and Share Alike – Make it easy for your advocates to share this information. Add share buttons to the graphic and use calls to action.
• Promote, Promote, and Repeat – Spread that WOM. Share on all social channels and let people know you created this great, need to see, need to read infographic. Share it and then share some more.

Read the full article at the Online Marketing Blog.

Key Takeaway – Content marketing is playing a key role for all businesses. You may not be able to utilize all its avenues, but you can become an expert at a few of these tactics and grow your business to new heights.

See the whole infographic at Blue Grass Interactive or Mashable.com.