Jill and Kevin Heinz invited 69,882,707 people to view their wedding via YouTube. While you may not have invited quite that many people to your wedding, social media use is on the rise for everything from “I DOs” to RSVP’s.

According to surveys by magazine sites Brides and The Knot, 65% of couples are now setting up special sites to manage shower and wedding RSVPs, stream videos, and keep guests in the loop. 17% of couples use social media to plan, share details, shop or register for gifts.

Sheryl Davies of The Wedding Guide commented, “Brides today are 100% internet babies and receive all their information via the web. Socially integrated websites utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and others are allowing brides the interaction they want… It’s the biggest turn of events in bridal history.”

So here are 10 innovative ways that people are using social media to get hitched.

1. PROPOSE or say “I DO!”

One woman discovered her proposal on StumbleUpon as she viewed a picture of her boyfriend holding this sign, “To my best friend … Whom I love, you are so amazing, and so smart, even more beautiful. So on this day, I want to ask you: Will you marry me?”

Another woman with a long-distance relationship got this proposal on Twitter. “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” Her reply: “OMG – Ummmmm… I guess in front of the whole twitter-verse I’ll say — I’d be happy to spend the rest of my geek life with you.”

2. WEDDING PLANNER

Create a “Wedding Party Profile Page” on Facebook so everyone invited can interact, plan, RSVP and post pictures.

Use an app to keep track of your budget. One couple went to the cloud, for online data storage and sharing…they maintained a master spread­sheet everyone could access at any time, avoiding the need for numerous email updates.

3. BRIDAL REGISTRY
According to Brides, 17% of couples register for gifts exclusively online. Sites like MyRegistry.com makes it easy to combine multiple registries into one universal gift registry for showers or weddings.

4. INVITATIONS

Nearly 1 in 5 couples of today’s couples go paperless. Many of those who do use traditional paper invites have dispensed with the inserts usually tucked inside envelopes, opting for email or Web tools for RSVPs, maps, and details on destinations or related events.

• Send out video “Save the Date” emails or posts for the shower and the wedding.
• Put specially created QR codes, with your special logo embedded in them on the invitations to add even more information.
• Invite guests via a live tweet with Twitter #hastags.
• A recent couple sent out invitations via Facebook, when they considered the fact that their friends didn’t know how to RSVP via traditional channels.

5. SAY YES TO THE DRESS

In the hunt for the perfect dress, 14-18% of brides say YES! to the dress online. Do your research; some online deals are knock-off dresses, which are not made with the same quality of designer manufacturer dresses. Check out site blogs and Twitter feeds, as well as liking their Facebook pages and read online reviews.

6. TUNES
Share your playlists with friends and have a contest to “Choose the Tunes” on your Facebook Wedding page.

7. FLOWERS, VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHY, THE BAND AND THE CAKE
Florists, Bands and Photographers have embraced blogging and YouTube to showcase their work. Check out their social media pages and reviews before you put a deposit down.

• Other unique ideas? Order a cake with an iPad and a specially made topper to stream photos of the reception.
• Create an interactive seating chart so table partners introduce themselves and chat online.

8. SKYPE IN A VIRTUAL BRIDESMAID!
One enterprising bride Skyped in a “virtual bridesmaid” who couldn’t be there for the ceremony. She was walked down the aisle by a groomsman holding an iPad!

9. THE CEREMONY

Live Stream the ceremony to those who cannot be there. Take a look at some fun You Tube wedding videos , grand entrances and first dances for some great ideas to make your event memorable.

10. THE HONEYMOON

Websites such as Frommer’s and the Travel Magazine have chat rooms with Honeymoon discussions, advice, destinations and reviews. For fun you can also post honeymoon travel updates on Facebook via Foursquare check-ins.

Weddings seem ready-made for social media sharing on social networks in real time and the internet allows for that quick response and gratification.

Don’t forget to change your Facebook status to “♥ Married”. After all, nothings official it’s public on Facebook!

“You try to get yourself a bargain.  Don’t be sold on the very first one.

(A whoa-yeah) You better shop around!”*

Today’s moms do shop around.  From managing a household to raising kids and working full time, they are professional multitasking organizers. And the internet and smart phones are becoming the new “administrative assistants” to busy moms.  Social savvy moms continue to embrace new technology in smart phone apps and adopt new technologies to make their lives easier.

Consider these facts from recent research**:

• 59% of moms own smartphones and they depend on them daily to stay organized.
• Two out of three moms now use smartphones while shopping and 62% use it specifically for price comparison. 45% said they use their smartphone for locating the nearest store.
• Moms spend more time online daily than the general population, more than 2.5 hours in 2011. By 2012 there will be 32.6 million online moms in the US (New Media Trend Watch)
• 62% of mothers have a Facebook page and use it for buying decisions.
• 70% of social networking moms are posting status updates online. In fact, for many brands, social-savvy Moms are important not only because they create and share content, but also because they are listening and sending out targeted outreach messages of the brands they use.
• 44% use social media for word-of-mouth recommendations on brands and products and 73% feel they find trustworthy information about products and services through online communities.
• 55% of moms surveyed have even replaced the traditional family photo album with an online version!

While smart moms may shop around, it appears that they are monogamous when it comes to their phones. According to a recent survey, the majority of moms sleep with their cell phone next to their bed and more than half check their phone first thing in the morning and last thing before they go to sleep!

So listen to your mother…and eat your vegetables, and turn your phone on.

To read more interesting mommy facts, visit:

http://www.babycenter.com/100_press-release-mobile-mom_10349212.bc

*Shop Around by Berry Jr. Gordy, William (Smokey) Jr. Robinson

**Edison Research, New Media Trend Watch and Babycenter.com

Years ago, kids used this statement as an insult.  Today, it’s a proud statement to those brave women who defend our country.

However, point being…what are you going to do when someone hurls an insult at your brand on the internet?

Recently while monitoring the social media sites of a client, we came across a comment from an unhappy customer.  With the advent of smart phones, anyone can post a comment–positive or negative in an instant!  In this case, the customer was in the waiting room of the auto dealership and vented her anger on her Facebook page.  Fortunately, our social media SWAT team, picked up on the comment immediately.

We called the client, who was fortunate to be able to talk with their waiting customer, let her know that they saw her Facebook post, and work through the issue with her. As a result, the customer posted a positive comment about the encounter.

Crises happen, but if you respond within a quickly (in this case, 20 minutes!) you can turn a negative comment into a positive interaction.  Here’s 5 steps to managing negative content.

1. Have a Social Media SWAT Team ready.

Our social media monitoring department is constantly ready to respond to a crisis. Companies should have a dedicated social media team ready to handle issues and answer questions that might arise.

2. Respond and Act Fast!

Our client responded as fast as could be reasonably expected, and fortunately they were able to reach the customer while she was still in the waiting room. To remain silent would have been the worst thing that could have happened.  Be transparent when you address the issue.  Customers want to know that you’re aware of the issue and that you’re taking steps to correct it. If needed, post a comment on the appropriate social network making note of the problem.

3. Listen and then Get Involved!

Post personalized responses to tweets or Facebook posts and let people know that you care about their concerns. Respond to specific messages with custom, specific answers that will show people you are listening and engaging. You can also turn your employees into a social media listening team, ready to help out.

4.  Feel their Pain.

Don’t just address the issue itself. Respond sympathetically to specific issues to demonstrate you know the issue is affecting them, and that it’s also being addressed by real people.

5. Have a Competitive Advantage.

Your competitors may try to take advantage of the crisis. Be ready to quickly respond to their efforts and reiterate your competitive advantages.

When a crisis occurs, the first places your customers will turn are their social networks. Use it to your advantage to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Because our client understood the power of social media and put their trust in our team at Info Age Media they were able to take advantage of a problem that existed, and benefit from it.   At the end of the day, they were able to interact with a customer in a way that most companies never have the opportunity to do—mostly because they are either too scared to do so, or they just don’t understand how.

So if your momma wears army boots, use it to your advantage!

“It was a dark and stormy night…”

I just read Schulz and Peanuts, the biography of Charles Schulz, who created the timeless comic strip Peanuts.

His creation was very much like a blog, it informed, educated and entertained. It chronicled current events, commented on society in general and even dispensed free psychiatric advice.

Schultz shared information through the imagination of a comic strip that added value to our lives.

Good grief…blogging sounds easy to do, right? As Linus says, “Good luck with the second sentence!”

So what’s the secret sauce in writing a successful, interesting, valuable blog that keeps people coming back? Take a lesson from Charles on how to successfully do it day in and day out.

“If you’re going to survive on a daily schedule, you survive only by being able to draw on every experience and thought that you’ve ever had.” –Charles Schulz

Schulz had two things: strategy and creativity. That’s all you need, too.  And that’s advice…for Peanuts!

Here’s a quick read article that gives you some ideas on how to blog for business.

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