In this episode of PRobecast, Renatta Siewert and Justin Martell join me in talking about Facebook pages for SMBs, Google’s Virtual Wallet Platform, Sony and Drunk Driving apps.

Facebook for small businesses – An article on USA Today talks about the reasons why small businesses should leverage Facebook when promoting their businesses. The article offered some great Q&As to help aide any business wondering what this “like” business is all about and how they can participate.

Google announces their virtual wallet platform – Google is announced near-field communication (NFC) to be added to their Android-based phones, allowing consumers to make payments, redeem coupons and earn loyalty points via their mobile device. Some though are saying not to hold your breath for this technology as Google tends to start small and slowly when it comes to rolling out products.

Sony has been hacked again – First Playstation, now Sony Ericsson’s Canadian version of their online eShop has been hacked – this time by a “Lebanese grey hat hacker” who accessed 2,000 records of customers, and posted almost 1,000 of the records online. While after the hackings, it was originally said to have cost the company $50 million, it is now being said to be costing them $170 million. Can they recoup?

Smartphone apps helping drunk drivers avoid checkpoints – Applications made for the iPhone, RIM and Andoid platforms are designed to alert drivers if there are sobriety checkpoints, then alerting them with alternate routes. Are these apps helping drivers stay off the road by alerting them of these checkpoints or are the making it OK to drive drunk on an alternative route?

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Is it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

This week, the article talking about how small businesses can use Facebook to promote their businesses wins. First of all, if you are a small business owner, time is normally not something that you have a lot of. Articles like this that lay out the details clearly can be a huge asset to any small business owner looking to market their business through a new channel. With so many people on Facebook, if they aren’t participating they could be missing out on a big demographic of potential customers. So – jump in! It’s all about trial and error, however articles like this can at least jumpstart marketing efforts.

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Technorati Tags: Drunk Driving, Facebook, Google, Hacking, Small Business Marketing, smartphone applications, Sony, Virtual Wallet

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I’m back from vacation and taking over PRobecast once again! In this episode Renatta Siewert, Justin Martell and Caitlyn Smith join me in talking about the accusations that Apple tracks all users, AT&T being the first carrier to supply cell sites for remote areas and why you should bring your pet to the vet instead of WebMDing little Fido.

Steve Jobs finally breaks silence on iOS tracking – Last week, Apple was enduring some allegations of tracking users via your coordinates on a map, and saving it on your device as well as on any computer you may have synced the device. Naturally, several other rumors sprung from this, including comparing Android and iOS. Steve Jobs says Android tracks, iOS doesn’t, while the Wall Street Journal says iOS does track. What do you think? Who’s telling the truth? Will this hurt iPhone or iPod sales in any way?

AT&T prepares for disasters through 30-minute cell sites – AT&T is claiming it is the first carrier to supply a customer-deployable model for mobility recovery to help with disaster recovery and business continuity efforts. Businesses, public safety agencies and governments located in remote areas can now easily set up cell sites with the help of AT&T’s Remote Mobility Zone. The model can also be packed up in a small suitcase for easy travel. What do you think – will this help AT&T’s image? Do you think it’ll work in light of the many natural disasters scientists are predicting?

Are you a Google diagnoser? It could be dangerous for your pet – There’s no doubt that forums – whether it’s a review or Q&A, are helpful for people. But the same may not be true for your pet. WebMD and other such sites are helpful when a person can describe symptoms, but since your pet can’t speak, the reliability of such sites goes way down. Many veterinarians get nervous when people diagnose their own pets, and the argument is called “vet vs. Net”. Are there any other instances where you’d avoid the all-knowledgeable Google?

Don't Google Me

Now it’s time for the PRobecast PR Power Ranking – which is when we go around the room and pick the story that we think ranks the highest PR-wise – meaning any aspects of PR could be the reasoning behind the pick. Is it the story itself, good data that was used, what’s getting the most pickup, was it a good PR move the company made, etc.

This week – AT&T won! Since they have been in the media spotlight for negative issues such as the iPhone 4 mishap, shoddy service, etc., they have been working to improve their public image and these cell sites help to add a notch on their belts. Good work!

Who do you think should have won this week?

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Technorati Tags: Android, AT&T, Google, iPhone, iPhone Tracking, Steve Jobs, WebMD

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