I recently saw a question on LinkedIn inquiring about the difference between CRM (customer relationship management) and BCM (business contact management). Often these are considered software packages for managing information about your contacts however the purpose and usage between them within an organization can be quite different.

Recently I decided to answer a question on LinkedIn, “What are 5 ways to improve a web site design for free?”  Typically, these are the types of questions I avoid for a variety of reasons however I this to be an interesting opportunity to get past the ordinary technical responses. 

There is constantly a lot of chatter regarding the business model of twitter and how, as a service, it is going to make money.  Along with this, there are continual debates regarding the growth, decline and overall engagement of users who are participating in the micro-blogging service.  Regardless, there is no doubt that there are few other vehicles that can accomplish the viral buzz and reach potential than twitter.

As marketers we’re always looking for a new way to engage users.  Secretly, we desire all users to become excited about a promotion, return frequently and ideally tell their friends about it.  We have all tried a variety of tactics to accomplish these results.  Recently, I heard of Pepsi’s new corporate responsibility promotion and they nailed it!