Vancouver Internet Marketing Social Media Marketing Consultant Canada

Now online coupon purveyor Groupon brings you Josh Stevens, who has forgone money and a stable home to live for a year exclusively on electronic coupons, putting his every move on Twitter, Facebook and a personal blog.

Underpinning these three stunts is a marketing strategy that a growing number of companies want to leverage: using social media to attract attention and give brands a personal touch.

In just five years, a Russian venture capital firm has amassed quite a portfolio of the Internet's hottest companies.

Digital Sky Technologies said this week it is taking the ICQ instant messaging service off of AOL's hands for $187.5 million, but it isn't the first time the small, four-partner firm has made social media headlines. Last May, DST bought a $300 million stake in Facebook. The company was also the key investor when social game maker Zynga raised $180 million in December and social coupon site Groupon raised $135 million this month.