SeattleGirl

Windows gives away 1,000+ songs free!

Today is a really exciting day for the Windows Social Media Team. We are pleased to be partnering with Reverb Nation to launch a program called Sponsored Songs. Starting today on MySpace.com/Windows anyone can download for free over 1,000 songs from up and coming artists. ReverbNation, the leading marketing platform for musicians, announces the launch of 'Sponsored Songs,' a new online music distribution program that will give music fans access to unlimited free song downloads. Through this innovative pilot program, a passive advertisement is embedded alongside the album cover art that is seen by music fans when they play the song on their computer, portable device or phone. The advertising in Sponsored Songs travels with the fans wherever they enjoy their music – giving the advertiser frequent and regular brand exposure, and the fan free music.

With Sponsored Songs, ReverbNation is providing a new and unique way for music fans to get access to online music at no cost. Windows is pleased to be the first advertiser to participate in this pilot program. The program is unique in that it compensates these independent artists for their work while at the same time increasing their exposure to a much broader audience. Participation by the artists is 100% voluntary.

This Sponsored Songs partnership is also Windows launch into MySpace. MySpace is the hands-down leader in emerging artists and Windows wants to celebrate that by offering free music our Windows friends on MySpace.

The Windows Social Media team has always been focused on participating in conversations about Windows wherever our customers are. We are excited to add MySpace to our partnership of social networks already established on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. While there is a digital media buy on MySpace the majority of promotion for this program will be through our social channels. It's our goal to carry conversations with our customers across platforms. With our 100,000+ Facebook fans we promote our YouTube videos. With our 23,000+ Twitter followers we link to our Facebook wall. You get the idea. We are always moving content through all of our communities as an ongoing conversation with our customers.

What I really love about this Sponsored Songs program is it lends itself to the idea of the internet connecting people across borders as well as celebrity. I love the idea of spotlighting new, upcoming artists and together combining our social networks to promote each other. Two networks is by multiply more powerful than one. Windows network combined with the 1000's of the bands networks will benefit everyone especially with the added relevance of people's own network spreading the message.

This partnership could not have been possible without our fantastic agency Ignite bringing us all together! So go get your music! Every week we will feature 10 new songs. I just grabbed Sarah Bettens Shine. More info in video below.

Technorati Tags: windows marketing,social media marketing,windows,microsoft,reverbnation,free music,music,mysp

Come hear Windows Social Media this week

I'm doing a few presentations this week about the Windows community/social media program. If anyone is interested here is the info:

Wed 11am PST – Community webcast

Description:

Online Community Health: Give Your Online Community a Check-up

Is your online community healthy? How do you know?

Specifically, you will learn:

• How to define "health" in an online community
• How to measure online community health
• How to concepts of community health can be applied to distributed communities (on Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
• Three steps you can take today to improve the health of your community.

Thur night – Social Media Panel at Zaaz. It's free and they'll have beer!

The panel discussion will focus on agency / client relationships in social media

• How do agencies help clients develop richer, more valuable online relationships with customers?
• Should agencies moderate communities on behalf of their clients?
• How will budgets adjust to accommodate ongoing, as opposed to project-based, work?
• What skillsets are best suited for in-house groups?
• Which agency type owns social media strategy?
• Should corporations create social media teams, or distribute the work across groups?

Technorati Tags: microsoft,windows marketing,social media marketing,zaaz,community marketing

Social Networks integrate with XBox

Super cool stuff coming out of E3 announcements yesterday by XBox (full wrap up here). They showed some really amazing new game technology, including Project Natal, a new full-body motion-sensitive controller. Not being a hard core gamer what I found really interesting is the announcement of Facebook and Twitter integration with XBox Live. This is how social media becomes relevant and integrated into all online activities.

Starting this fall Facebook Connect will be enabled in XBox Live. This means, if a person chooses to publish it, their game playing activities will show up on their Facebook status. They also announced integration with Twitter. Facebook Connect is single sign on functionality that allows anyone with a Facebook account to sign in on a 3rd party site and have their activities on that site show up in their Facebook status update. I've been a big fan of Facebook Connect since the announcement last year and my only surprise has been the slow speed at which it's been adopted by websites. But XBox Live isn't just another website integrating Facebook Connect, it's a product. XBox Live is a social gaming product that is now enabling customers to tell the world (or at least their social networks) they are using the product, giving XBox first hand product endorsements, something brands salivate for.

Here are a few other smart Facebook Connect integrations where the product is enabling consumer endorsements;

• movie sites like Fandango – If I'm considering taking my kids to 'Up' or 'Night at the Museum' I could ask for feedback from my network through Facebook Connect if it was enabled on Fandango
• Book retailers – I love getting suggestions, feedback on book recommendations before I buy. If I'm on Amazon and deciding between 2 books imagine if I could publish that to my Facebook network for recommendations.

Marketers should always think about how they can enable consumers to be product endorsers. Social Media technology makes this easier than ever. Hats off to XBox, they are definitely leading the way.

You can see more about the XBox news below:

Technorati Tags: social media,Xbox,E3,gaming,social media marketing,microsoft