Retailer Urban Outfitters has made the Facebook Like button central to the way the company is marketing its products online. Visitors to the Urban Outfitters web site are now greeting by a large thumbs up asking them to “See our most Liked items.”

The company had installed the Like button by its products on the company web site and this new feature is essentially a grouping of the most Liked items into one place.

What's not to like with the Facebook Like button. It's great to see creative new uses of the Like button. Soon, I'd guess, smartphones will be able to sense other smartphones around them and you'll be able to click "Like" regarding that person who's in the same physical space as you. For now, however, we're stuck liking web pages and and sweaters.

IKEA Canada has launched an advertising campaign and contest that encourage consumers to share their favourite images from the home furnishing retailer's latest catalogue.

The campaign includes television, print, online and out-of-home creative touting the arrival of IKEA's 2011 catalogue. Each execution also alerts readers to IKEA's "Capture the Page" contest, an online initiative that invites consumers to upload pictures of their favourite images from the catalogue to a microsite,

So when you're reading through the Ikea catalogue and it asks you to take a picture of a page and then email it to win 10k will you take the time to do it? Maybe they should encourage the same thing in their Ikea stores -- take a picture of yourself with the thing you see that you like in the store and email it to enter to win that item. Instead of "Capture the Page" maybe Ikea can get permission to use "Swede Yourself" from Be Kind Rewind fame. Do you think a whole Sweded version of the Ikea website would draw any viral or grassroots attention? I'd visit it and watch submitted videos of people swede'ing non-ikea-purchased furniture or things in their life (whatever that might mean).

Google has quietly launched a new feature: search for blogs on any topic. The company announced the new type of search in a weekly round-up of search updates last week, and respected SEO blogger Bill Slawski argues that the launch may be related to a new Google patent.

This has the potential to be a wildly useful service. How many of you have had professional or personal reasons to seek a list of the top blogs on a new topic? I know I, and many people I talk to, find themselves in such need frequently. How do you access the new search? How well does it work? Read on.

Does your blog show up in Google's new blog search? If not drop us a note, we can help!

Yahoo announced their Yahoo Search Marketing advertisers can now begin the transition process from Yahoo Search Marketing to Microsoft adCenter. This is the first step of the paid search transition from Yahoo Search ads to Microsoft Bing search ads.

Last week, Yahoo’s organic transition to Microsoft Bing was complete. This week, Yahoo and Microsoft are starting the paid search transition. That means it is very likely that paid search at Yahoo in the US and Canada will be fully powered by Microsoft adCenter by the end of October.

Colorado-based Vail Resorts is launching a new location-based social media service at its many mountain destinations--some of which are the largest in the U.S. Called EpicMix, the service acts as a cross between Nike+ and Gowalla, and enables users to check-in on the slopes through Facebook Places to earn pins and rewards for various skiing accomplishments, view the location of friends and family on the mountain, and track ski routes and vertical feet traveled. Vail's EpicMix is an innovative use of social media, showing that it's not just a tool confined to big cities or national companies, but has a more intimate application too on a hyper-local level.

Using an RFID chip embedded into lift passes, a skier's journey is captured through every scan it receives on the mountain. No smartphones are required--check-ins are automatic and can be accessed at anytime online or through EpicMix's mobile app for the iPhone, Android, and other devices.

Looking to plug social media into your resort's online or offline marketing strategy? Contact us today for a free 30 minute resort social media marketing consultation today here: http://stirsolutions.com/consultation Read about our social media marketing services here: http://stirsolutions.com/social-media

Politicians have already latched onto Twitter and Facebook, but this election cycle, YouTube could be the campaign tool of choice. Google has launched a service on the popular video site that is helping candidates target voters online like never before -- one that could eventually rival cash cow political ads on TV.

Using Google's in-stream ads, those brief commercials you see before before YouTube clips, campaigns can now go after potential voters with geo-location technology and content interest-targeting.

Most of the attention paid to Facebook Places, the new location feature that the social network launched on Thursday, has focused either on the privacy implications of the service or on the impact it could have on location-based startups such as Foursquare (which some have said they expect to be "crushed" by the new feature). Facebook's real focus with this launch, however, isn't individual users or even Foursquare: Instead, it sees Places as a way into the local business and local advertising markets, and the company with the target painted on its back is Yelp.

Google Places, Facebook Places, Foursquare Location Layers & Mayors. Having trouble keeping up? Will Yelp have to partner with Gowalla or another smaller check-in startup to stay ahead of the million-business-pages-strong Facebook checkin tsunami? What is your business doing to get listed in all of the social network places? Why should you even consider spending your valuable time or marketing dollars on something like this Facebook Places or Yelp or Foursquare advertising or promotion? Drop me a note at brent[at]stirgroup.com and I'd be happy to answer your questions or setp a time for a free phone consultation to discuss your business and whether getting on the Facebook / Yelp / Foursquare / Gowalla check-in marketing train is right for your business, products or services.

Social-networking giant Facebook has entered the check-in world.

Facebook executives on Wednesday announced the launch of Facebook Places, which -- similar to services such as Foursquare and Gowalla -- will allow people to use the GPS on their mobile phones to let friends know exactly where they are.

Facebook Places is available immediately in the United States through the latest version of Facebook's iPhone app and, for other advanced mobile phones, through the company's site for advanced mobile devices, executives announced at Facebook's headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

Back in 1912, when the Venice Beach Suites & Hotel was built on Ocean Front Walk, the only tweeting going on was among the local bird population.

Today, owner Andy Layman is listening to the online chorus at Twitter and other social networking websites, hoping to join in. Learning to hit the right notes to attract new guests and boost revenue at his boardwalk property is a daunting prospect. "I haven't really gotten a handle on it," said Layman, 62.

Yet, done right, he believes social media would be an inexpensive way to find more of the type of traveler who already raves online about his eclectic, 25-room location.

Looking for help advertising your hotel, resort or vacation rental / accomodation using social media marketing tools like Twitter, Facebook, Groupon, Foursquare? Not sure where to start with hotel internet marketing? Drop me at note at brent[at]stirgroup.com or call me in Vancouver at 604-847-3447 ext 105 to schedule a free hotel social media marketing consultation.

Hello superuser!

We've seen that you've either been checking-in a lot (woo!) or adding lots of new venues (thx!) which is why you've been upgraded to "Superuser" status!

There are 3 different levels of Superuser status, each giving you a little more control over things on the site. As you contribute more to the site, you'll unlock more Superuser power.

You're currently at level 1: You can edit venue info (address, cross streets, Twitter names), mark places as "closed", and let us know about duplicate venues.

You'll see these tools when you visit a venue page. For example, to edit venues look for the little pencil icon: .

So that's it for now - thanks in advance for any fixin'-up you may do!

If you're wondering why you can't edit locations or do other stuff some of your other friends on Foursquare can, it's likely you need to spend more time using Foursquare adding new locations and checking in to earn the right to be called a super user!