Would you use social media to pick your doctor?

 
Just when you think social media couldn't get more invasive, we invite it even further into our lives.

A new study has been released in which 4 of 10 respondents say they research health-related consumer reviews online. Some of the statistics are pretty surprising, considering how much people value their privacy on healthcare related issues. It's unexpected that people would rely on social media for recommendations & share their own health care stories. See more stats after the jump.

Man Gives Up Internet for One Year

How many hours a day do you spend on the internet? If you're like me, it become impossible to count. From email, to news research, to social media (my career is dependent on it!), my days (and nights) become a blur of websites & tools.

Well one man is doing the impossible, technology writer Paul Miller from The Verge is giving up the internet for one full year (or at least challenging himself to). He made a video this week explaining his decision & illustrating his last few days of prepping for life without the world wide web. Take a look after the jump.

The 4 Best Ways to Use Pinterest for Your Business

Unless you live under a rock, you've definitely heard the latest social network, Pinterest. Pinterest has become all the rage lately, and has grown at an exponential pace (145% since the start of 2012). The site has over 10 million unique monthly visitors and has generated more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn combined. Despite its popularity, many companies are still trying to figure out the best method to use Pinterest to drive traffic to their main website and promote their brand. Pinterest is not ideal for broadcasting advertising messages, but there are effective ways to use the site to reach new customers and nurture relationships with existing customers.

Viral Video: Do your work, get free beer

Do you have boring or menial tasks to get done at work? Of course you do, we all do. Don't you wish your employer would find a way or give an incentive to make those tasks less of a chore & more enjoyable? Duh.

Well one company has done just that, using the all-powerful elixir: alcohol. We all know that alcohol is the cause of and solution to all of life's problems, and marketing firm JWT has harnessed it as a solution to motivate their employees everyday (as well as creative way to raise awareness of their own brand). In just over a week the video already has over 33,000 views. See what all the fuss is about after the jump.

Top 3 features missing from Pinterest

Pinterest is one of the hottest social networks right now, but there's always room for improvement and this young site is no exception. The more I use Pinterest for both professional and personal reasons, I keep asking myself: "Why haven't they built this feature yet?" Maybe these are yet to come in the future, but I bet if you've used the network you're waiting for them too.

See the top 3 features that are missing from Pinterest after the jump.

A bra you can keep your iPhone in: Good or Bad idea?

What will the world think of next.... how about a bra to keep your valuables in? This Kickstarter project outlines the "JoeyBra" (for girls on the go I guess?), which has a pocket you can keep your iPhone in, or your credit card, or cash, or basically whatever small item you want to put in there.

Part of me thinks this could be great for those nights I really don't want to carry a purse around, another side of me asks how in the world you would get your iphone out of your bra when you need to use it?

What do you think, good or bad idea? Would you buy one?

Check out the video & images after the jump.

Interest in Pinterest continues to skyrocket

Haven't caught the Pinterest craze yet? Don't worry, you will (especially if you're between the ages of 24-55 and are female). Just why are we all so obsessed with this new site (or maybe the better question is how did we ever live without it)?

This new infographic from Tamba helps to break down some Pinterest stats to understand just who is on the website & why it is so powerful.

Have a look after the jump.

A New Era for MissCommunication

Hey everyone, I'm going to start opening up the scope of this blog so I can start integrating more of what I do for a living: Social Media. I know I write about social media plenty now, (and I've started widening the scope recently with with 4 Ways Ben & Jerry's are getting it right on Facebook & 3 Secret Weapons to Facebook fan engagement) but since I am constantly writing  about (and using) new tips, technology & products, I decided I want to include it along on this blog as well. It's a new era for MissCommunication, so please check back even more frequently, because in-between my rants & raves (a.k.a. "life lessons" about media campaigns, unrealistic expectations, and cougars, will be social media trends, technology news, and more! So if you haven't already subscribed to my newsletter, please do in order to get all the information I don't have time to post on the blog in your inbox :) Also, leave a comment with any tech/social media information you'd like me to write about!

3 Secret Weapons to Facebook Fan Engagement

If one of your goals on the new Facebook Timeline is to increase engagement with your fans (and let's be honest, who doesn't want to increase engagement?) then you could learn a thing or two from Swatch Watches' Facebook page. In fact, if you examine their page carefully enough, you could discover their 3 secret weapons for keeping fans invested and involved. Luckily you've got us here to do the work for you.

Lesson 16: Sink those superficial sentiments

With Romney sweeping 5 states in the Northeastern primaries, and the 2012 Presidential Election fast approaching, there was only so long that I could avoid writing the inevitable political post... but don't fear, I won't be ranting about policies, political promises or even campaign ads. Instead I want to focus on a much more personal question: How superficial are you when it comes to voting?

I know your initial reaction will be, "Not at all! I stay informed on the issues and make my decision solely based on if I agree with the candidate's stances," and for some of you that might actually be true, but for the rest of us, it's sadly not.

4 Ways Ben & Jerry's are getting it right on Facebook

Hi folks, for those of you social media enthusiasts out there, I wanted to share a quick post I wrote on for my company's blog (I'm a social media manager by day). I'm currently writing a series of posts outlining social media case studies of brands to help illuminate "best practices." Hope you enjoy this one: 4 Ways Ben & Jerry's are getting it right on Facebook (couldn't help it, I love ice cream) and let me know what you think and I'm also happy to take any suggestions for future brands or case studies you'd like to read, & I am open to guest blogging as well. Hope this article doesn't leave you hungry.

Happy 1st birthday to me!

Happy 1st birthday to MissCommunication! This blog has made it through one year (although postings have gone from weekly to bi-weekly, at least we're still alive.)

Thanks for following, commenting, and bugging me when I haven't posted recently. It's good to know somebody out there reads this, and I PROMISE I'm making an effort to post more regularly, I have a whole list of things to write about & discuss with you, and I look forward to the next year of communication changes, influences & topics. In the meanwhile, have a happy St. Patrick's Day, and remember, the internet is NOT your friend, so don't go posting under the influence.