Happy Friday! Kick start your weekend with this week’s roundup of our top five reads.
Stat of the Week
Videos engage your audience and are easy to create. They’re also becoming a bigger part of today’s marketing mix, as 76% of marketers said they’d increase their investment in YouTube marketing this year. 7 Insights from a Social Media Marketing Study – via Sword and the Script
List of the Week
Wondering if you’re still relevant to your audience? Here are a few warning signs that’ll tell you if you’re alienating your customers and prospects. 5 Signs You’re Out of Touch With Your Audience – via Inc.com
Tip of the Week
Curating interesting, useful content is a great way to build an audience. (Hint: We’re doing it right now!). There’s an added benefit, though: it can boost your search rankings – if you’re doing it right, that is. Content Curation Guide for SEO – What, How, Why – via SEOMoz
Stroke of Genius of the Week
Ford has taken its customer service to social networks. They’re now responding to an average of 2,000 people weekly on social channels, proving that even largest brands value direct engagement with customers on Twitter and Facebook. Ford Taps Social Media for Customer Service – via Forbes
And Finally…
For Pinterest, imitation just might be the sincerest form of flattery… Here Come the Pinterest Clones – via CNN Money