My philosophy (like many marketers) is that time and money should be invested to make sure communications are extraordinarily relevant and engaging, and integrated across all delivery channels. In the last several years “Social Media” has been a new shiny thing that allows us to think about communications in a different way — but the ideas that drive social media have always been in use, and experienced marketers know this — it’s just now we have a plethora of tools to act more creatively and easily against these ideas.

Online marketing is so much fun because we can test different messaging ideas, campaigns and delivery methods. We can measure results quickly and early to see what’s working best and through what channels.

Marketers can also deliver a brand in such interesting and powerful ways these days – allowing a company as well as its customers, employees and followers to contribute content about reasons to believe a brand promise is true (or not).  I think most would agree the world of marketing has changed dramatically and we are more accountable to the marketplace — partly because there is now so much transparency (which I love, that’s how it should be). It also forces us to be especially thoughtful about creating/delivering engaging communications and content to build brand awareness and drive business results.

Moral of the story — pay attention to the fact that more and more companies are producing innovative platforms, tools and technologies that allow marketers to elevate their brand and extend their reach. Make the discovery and implementation of these tools part of your strategic planning process — below are some great resources to help you.

Helpful Resources:

• Digital Strategy Toolbox –  How to Use the 17 Best Insight Tools on the Internet
• 87 More Vital Social Media Marketing Facts and Stats for 2012
• 28 of the Best Twitter Tips, Tools and Tactics of 2012 (So Far)
• 17 Little Known Social Media Tools You Should Be Using (and Why)
• How to Use Google Analytics to Improve Your Social Media Marketing
• Website Competitive Analysis Tools: 9 Ways to Check the Competition
• 14 Sources for Content Curation Inspiration
• 7 Proven Ways to Create Viral Pinterest Posts
• SEOclearly Split Testing Tool for Rankings
• Insiders Guide to Selecting the Right Local SEO Tools
• 47 Essential Social Media Tools for Content Marketers
• Favorite Social Media Tools for Small Business
• 12 Steps to Audit Your Competitor’s SEO
• Buffer Partners With News Curation Service Scoop.it
• A Brand;s Guide to Instagram 
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Linkedin’s New Company Pages