Why news orgs need social editors

Posting stories to Facebook and Twitter may soon be a full-time job — even at established media organizations, panelists at a Social Media Week event argued. Staying relevant and engaged in social spaces are musts for all media companies, they said, and it’s often more work than individual reporters can handle. “If we’re going to survive as an industry, we have to figure out new models. The old ways aren’t working or they’re working in very limited ways for a very limited number of power players,” said Rachel Sklar of Mediaite.com.  Huffington Post, The

Is the Web too nice?

While the blogosphere and online discussion boards are typically full of snark and venom, product ratings show off the Web’s sunny side, according to this article. On average, online reviewers award a generous 4.3 stars out of 5, according to data from Bazaarvoice Inc. and other e-commerce watchers. Some online commentators are trying to reverse this trend by emphasizing the negative in their product and service reviews. Read more: The  Wall Street Journal

Users, marketers flock to social nets over past 12 months

Time spent by users on social media, as well as marketers’ spending in the segment, have posted strong growth over the past year, Nielsen Co. has found. Users logged 17% of their online time on social networks and blogs in August, compared to 6% for the same month in 2008, and ad outlays in such venues over the same period jumped 119% to $108 million, according to Nielsen.  ClickZ

Report: Spending on ads down 14.3% from January to June

Ad spending for the first six months of the year was down 14.3% to $60.87 billion, TNS Media Intelligence data shows. Although spending was relatively stable from Q1 to Q2, it’s not clear whether the worst is over and the market is about to begin a rebound, said John Swallen, senior vice president of research at TNS Media Intelligence.  Mediaweek

5 tips for agencies to thrive in social-media era

Phil Johnson, CEO of PJA Advertising & Marketing, Cambridge, Mass., suggests five ways in which agencies must adapt in order to thrive in this time of user-generated, social media. Among his ideas are that shops will have to develop or run “customer communities” for clients and shift from their roles as creators of branding messages to developers of content aimed at a clients’ target audiences.  Advertising Age

How to see PR problems coming

Social-media crises can be tough to spot early on, but there are early-warning indicators, Andy Sernovitz writes. You should step in whenever the “pointless troll comments” are actually coming from an influential figure, he notes. Seeing outrage from normally loyal fans or noticing the discussion spreading to other communities are also causes for alarm, he writes.  SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media

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