This week in social, local and mobile marketing (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – 8/14/2009)

Happy Friday, Big Thinkers! You made it to another weekend. This week, we’re going to take a quick look at what’s making news in social, local, and mobile marketing.

• We looked at one viral marketing campaign earlier this week and found it wanting. Now Ad Age interviews Bill Wasik on viral marketing and flash mobs and how they can work. Good interview. Well worth the read.
• Are you using Twitter to grow your business? Still not getting what you want out of it? Check out TwiTip’s 20 twitter tips for small businesses. You’ll be glad you did.
• While we’re on the subject, Mashable has a funny piece asking what Google thinks of Twitter. It might not be the must useful link in today’s digest. But it’s good for a laugh on a Friday afternoon.
• Lots of noise being made about ATT & Apple blocking Google Voice on the iPhone. So much, in fact, that Business Insider is asking whether you should consider another mobile marketing platform instead of the iPhone. Let’s not get hasty here. The iPhone still dominates mobile web usage. And, as USA Today reports, the FCC is pushing to keep the mobile web open. Stay tuned for more on this one.
• And, finally, many businesses use Google Analytics to measure the effectiveness of their online marketing. But getting data out of it can be a pain. Fortunately, the Google Analytics blog offers a great summary on how to access Google Analytics data using Excel. Check it out.

Have a great weekend, folks. Stay cool, stay safe, stay sane. And we’ll see you right back here next week for more of what’s happening with the local, mobile, social web.

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