Students, teachers and education lovers unite on Learnist -- the 'Pinterest for learning'

I'm a student in the mass communication and social media master's program at the University of Florida. I've always loved school (nerd alert!) and learning new things. I hope to always maintain my curiosity and to never be satisfied with just what I know. After I finish my adventures at UF, I've tossed around the idea of pursuing my doctorate, and I'm interested in teaching journalism or communications at the college level in the future.

So if a person like me -- a student and aspiring professor -- were looking for a social network that allows for geeking out over education, I would look no further than Learnist. The site, created by online social learning company Grockit in 2012, has been called the "Pinterest for learning."

Look at all the things to learn!

According to TechCrunch, Learnist was originally developed for K-12 teachers and students -- and it's still certainly useful for that audience. Teachers or their students can create "learn boards" that collect information about a certain assignment or project -- a sort of online lesson planner (for teachers)/online binder with extra cool organization features (for students). But Learnist has widened its target audience to also include people who are just plain interested in learning, even if they haven't been near a classroom in years. As Learnist's about page says, "Everyone is an expert in something." The network gives people across the globe the opportunity to share their expertise as well as learn new things from others. You can use it as a tool for curating information on topics you already know well, or as a way to collect resources on topics with which you want to familiarize yourself.

I'm not knocking social networks that unite cat lovers or macaroni artists; I love a cute kitty GIF as much as the next internet geek. But Learnist represents what is good about the internet. Sometimes we forget -- among all the memes and funny videos -- that the internet gives us the opportunity every day to learn valuable things that will help us in real life, not just give us a few cheap laughs. So I am glad to see a social network that is placing education at the forefront.

I think it would be helpful for Learnist to allow or even suggest users to connect with experts within range of a particular zip code. For instance, I would gladly enable location services to be able to discover and connect with experts who live near me. That could help many people connect in person with other experts on their topic or on a topic they'd like to know more about.

Although Learnist is its own niche social network, it doesn't ignore the bigger, more broad ones in its integrated marketing strategy. Learnist is on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Learnist has an app available for those learning on the go from iPhone, iPad or Android. (I love what one reviewer of Learnist's app for Apple products called it: "my favorite not-guilty pleasure.")

Learnist's email options.

Learnist also has the option to receive emails from the network. I think the most valuable ones are the digests containing top recommendations and new content -- those would certainly get the recipient to click through from email to Learnist to learn more. And that's what it's all about!

Front page of the internet: Reddit informs, shocks, entertains and brings people together

Today has been a big day for me. I just created my first reddit account and posted my first comment. I've read lots of things on reddit before. It truly is the "front page of the internet" that it claims to be, and I enjoy sifting through the links, images, GIFs and videos on the homepage. But until today, I never took the extra step to join the community. As I prepare to begin my reddit journey, I've collected information in this post about the online community for the equally uninitiated.

Meet Snoo. He's reddit's adorable alien mascot. He comes in peace.

What is reddit?

Reddit is a content community that brings people with similar interests together. But it's much more complex than that. Within reddit, there are subreddits, which can be created by any user around any topic, such as gaming or things that make you go "aww." So reddit is actually more like a giant content community made up of hundreds of smaller content communities that pull people together based on a shared interest in often very specific topics.

Any user can upvote or downvote submitted content from within those subreddits, as well as comment on each submission and upvote/downvote comments. Content is given a score by subtracting downvotes from upvotes, and the most popular, high-scoring pieces make it to the homepage of reddit. Redditors (as reddit users are called) also receive what basically equates to scores, called karma. Karma measures the good that a redditor has done in their online communities. Reddit recommends not chasing karma points, but rather being a good person (at least online) by submitting links that others like and upvote.

As this video by C.P.G. Grey puts it, "If Google is where you go to search for things, reddit is where you go to see the things that people have found."

How did reddit get started?

Reddit was founded in 2005 by Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman, who at the time were undergraduate students at the University of Virginia. Ohanian told NPR that he and Huffman had no idea when they started reddit that it would grow into one of the top 50 sites in the U.S.

The duo went to Boston for spring break their senior year to see Paul Graham of startup incubator Y Combinator presenting "How to Start Your Start-up." Ohanian and Huffman had originally wanted to create a way to order food from your phone, and Graham loved the idea (over drinks after his presentation). However, after Ohanian and Huffman applied for funds from Y Combinator to get their business running, Graham turned them down.

They didn't have long to be disappointed. Graham told them he liked them, and if they could come up with another idea, he'd back their business. After some brainstorming, they decided they wanted to build "the front page of the web." When reddit launched, it was bare bones -- no categories, no comments and not much content. At first the founders had to constantly post content on reddit to keep things flowing, but soon the community started to take shape.

"The day I woke up and reddit was working on its own, it was just the most incredible feeling," Huffman said.

The story is longer and cooler than that, though. Watch Ohanian and Huffman tell the full story in this video:

Ohanian wrote a book that came out Oct. 1 of this year chronicling his adventures with reddit as a guide for up-and-coming entrepreneurs who may want to follow in his footsteps.

Updates and the reddit community

Although reddit didn't originally allow comments, they were introduced within the same year the site was launched. Reddit decided in 2008 to allow users to make their own subreddits, rather than funneling requests through reddit staff. Reddit announced in a blog post that they were taking themselves "out of the equation" to empower its community to identify what they thought were meaningful topics for successful subreddits.

In 2012, President Barack Obama hosted an AMA (acronym for Ask Me Anything), putting reddit and its wide open Q&A format in the spotlight. Forbes calls the Q&A sessions the "Barbara Walters’ tell-all for a new generation, where the questions are actually probing and the celebrity actually matters to the fans." Lots of celebrities and public figures have hosted AMAs, but any user can say "I am a ____. Ask me anything." -- as long as you are an interesting person and you can prove you are who you say you are. Forbes also recommends making sure you set aside enough time (an hour at minimum) to interact with redditors. And be real; people will care about you, not whatever you're trying to promote. Lastly, expect criticism and a fair share of things out of left field. You did say redditors could ask you anything.

However, the president's AMA still stands out. As reported on the company's blog, the POTUS IAMA is the only time in recorded reddit history that a link surpassed the home page in traffic, with a whopping 30 percent of redditors on specifically the IAMA versus an average of 15 to 20 percent of users on reddit's front page.

Let's put those percentages in perspective: as of Oct. 9, 2013, reddit had 81,341,088 unique visitors in the past month, with 4,691,122,722 page views. Pew research found in July 2013 that 6 percent of adults online use reddit. The highest demographic of users is 18- to 29-year-old males, and men are twice as likely as women to use reddit.

Whoa.

But reddit is about more than just numbers. It's about the community. Of course, reddit gives the people the power to submit content, then decide what's valuable and what's junk using the voting system. But reddit also gives people a place to learn new things -- about news, about people's lives, about the answers to completely random questions.

Reddit supports anonymity, which often has a bad reputation on the internet. And things are definitely said on reddit that one could argue the user would never say to another in real life, especially some of the misogyny that is unfortunately rampant on parts of reddit. But there are also some really good people on reddit. Reddit's Secret Santa is home to the largest gift exchange in the world. Also, take a look at the Random Acts of Pizza subreddit that allows users to order pizzas online to send to strangers in need.

"Reddit is one of those communities that really is shocking to me," co-founder Huffman said in the how-reddit-started video. " It's so big, but it still has its heart in the right place and generally wants to make the world a better place."

The reddit culture is further dissected in this video:

The business side 

You might think impressive traffic and high profile users mean that reddit is a huge company with a fat wallet. That's not so. Reddit has about 28 employees. Its parent company is Advance Publications, which also owns Conde Nast and Advance Digital. Even though reddit is owned by a large company, Advance Publications must allocate money for each of its divisions based on revenue, and reddit admits it is not yet profitable.

Reddit CEO Yishan Wong says he hopes the site will break even at the end of 2013. Although reddit could easily increase revenue by allowing almost (and sometimes entirely) obtrusive ads in the same way many publishers do, Wong knows that "mainstream" way of advertising would chase many redditors away.

So to try to raise revenue, while not detracting from the user experience, reddit introduced premium membership program reddit gold in 2010. Premium members receive benefits like notifications for when you're mentioned in a comment and the ability to turn off ads. Membership is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year. You can send reddit a postcard, which will be featured in their postcard gallery, for a free month of membership.

I don't think I'm ready yet to commit to a gold membership plan, but I'm certainly looking forward to getting more involved in the reddit community, and I hope this post has helped any new redditors out there better understand the internet's front page.

TLDR? See a much shorter break-down of reddit on my Prezi.

NBC, ULTA and Pottery Barn demonstrate IMC: Consistency is key for social-media-hopping customers

I've picked three brands that use an integrated marketing approach to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and at least one other social media network. Here's what I'll answer about each.

• Do they take an IMC approach?
• Are they consistent in messaging and imagery?
• Is content up to date?
• How do they drive users to the other social channels?
• Are hashtags used regularly?
• Any other items of note?

NBC

NBC is host to some of my favorite TV shows, and although my DVR is responsible for making sure I see those shows no matter my schedule, sometimes I miss things. Thank goodness NBC keeps their YouTube channel up-to-date. I missed this gem when it originally aired, but the internet was buzzing about it the next day. Courtesy of NBC's YouTube channel, I got to see it -- and then share it with my friends on social media.


NBC also maintains accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and Tumblr. Across all these networks, NBC's colorful peacock feather logo is present with muted gray and white fades or additional logos. The logo/cover/background setup is not exactly the same on each network, but the elements are definitely consistent, which offers the user a seamless experience. The voice behind the posts on all platforms is also consistent -- fun, entertaining and engaging -- and hashtags are regularly employed. On the networks that allow for longer descriptions (YouTube, Tumblr, Facebook and Google+), NBC offers links to all their social accounts, and nbc.com also has social buttons linking to all the accounts they maintain.

ULTA Beauty

ULTA uses these colors of eye makeup to bring consistency to their social accounts.

Beauty retailer ULTA has accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube. However, they haven't done as well as NBC in keeping all of them updated. Although they have created their Google+ page with a profile and cover photo, and more than 500 people have put ULTA in their circles, ULTA has zero posts on the network. They're definitely missing out on properly introducing Google+ users to their products. Similarly, they've only posted one video on their YouTube channel. For a beauty product retailer like ULTA, YouTube seems like the perfect place to show potential customers how to use makeup or hair products and, even better, how the results look. Across all networks -- even the ones they are not updating regularly -- ULTA does use the same logo as their profile photo and a cover or background type photo with the same colors of eye makeup, which is fittingly pleasing to the eye. However, it was a struggle to navigate from network to network, as most of their accounts do not link to each other, but they do have social media buttons at the bottom left of their website. ULTA is utilizing hashtags regularly on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and occasionally on Facebook.

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn uses some version of this photo across their social media accounts, which, if you're like me, makes you want to go buy everything in the picture before Thanksgiving.

We all know that Pottery Barn is amazing, so it's no surprise that their social media managers work their magic across many platforms. You can follow Pottery Barn on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. They link to these accounts from their Google+, Facebook, Tumblr and YouTube, as well as the footer on their website. Every cover photo or banner across networks is a beautiful table set for Thanksgiving -- some are zoomed in or cropped differently depending on the space it has to fill, but they provide consistency sweet consistency on every account. The photos are also deliciously seasonal and will be updated as seasons change. Pottery Barn is using hashtags regularly on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, but I'm not seeing any recently on Facebook or Google+. However, all of these profiles are up-to-date and the voice has a helpful and expert tone across platforms.

Using the same photo or same colors on all your social media accounts sounds like such a simple thing that might not even make that much of a difference, but it's actually a pretty big deal. Such consistency helps businesses battle fragmentation. You want a customer who has liked your Facebook page to feel a ping of familiarity when they stumble across your Google+ page; you can achieve that with consistent images, voice and, of course, updates.

Clorox, I have faith in your products, but your content needs a little help

I'm what you might call a clean freak.

I have a cleaning schedule to keep the house how I like it. I vacuum (because sweeping doesn't get all the dust) weekly, and  mop every other time. I disinfect the kitchen countertops before and after preparing a meal, and then I finish them off with Windex to eliminate streaks -- and the appliances get Windexed, too. I scrub the bathrooms every week until they smell like undiluted Clorox, because they're not really clean until they do. I disinfect doorknobs and light switches throughout the house, and scrub away scuffs on the stairs and baseboards with a Magic Eraser. I could go on and on (but I won't).

In a perfect world, I'd stay on my little schedule, and everything in my house would be always be clean. But it's not a perfect world, and there are messes around every corner.


Luckily, my husband has enough sense to not do that. But, Clorox certainly makes it easy to clean up such messes quickly, which is why it's one of my favorite brands as well as one I'd be proud to represent.

Women (and to a degree, men) are embracing homemaking like it's 1950, and Clorox -- a housecleaning staple for the past 100 years -- should be a part of that movement. Clorox already has a lot of great cleaning and laundry tips on their website. However, these features are not being promoted well elsewhere -- like on Clorox's Facebook or Twitter accounts. What Clorox is doing on Facebook and Twitter is providing sources of interaction for its followers. And that's a good thing. But it should also be mixing in quality content, such as blog posts on how to get red wine out of your carpet or how to make a dingy undershirt white again. Clorox is in the business of making cleaning everyday messes simple; the brand already represents the best of cleaning, so why not share that expertise through blogging and social media?

In this age of "new domesticity," Clorox's Pinterest boards should be chock full of cleaning tips that subtly incorporate their products, but it's sparse so far. I have a cleaning board on Pinterest (I named it Cleaning Queen), and there are many more clean freaks on the network collecting tips for tidying and disinfecting. Clorox could easily be the source for many of these pins. Because Pinterest has an a particularly engaged homemaker-type audience (users spend more time there than Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn combined), Clorox could take the cleaning tips beyond just getting this or that stain out. How can Clorox help clean the crevices in your bathroom that are surely full of germs? How often should you bleach your sheets or towels? How long should whites soak in Clorox, and how do you properly dilute it? Clorox could also address questions like these on their YouTube channel, which is currently mostly ads. Granted, their ads are pretty funny.


But in addition to introducing these creative messes, how about some videos on how to clean things up? Creative advertising is great, but content is king.

I'm borderline obsessive compulsive about keeping my house clean, I'm an experienced social media professional (check out my resume) and I'm a believer in Clorox products. If you guys at Clorox decide to kick up your content and your social media presence, I'm just the clean freak to do it.

Instagram: Content community for photography nuts and filter-loving fools (in a good way)

It would be easy to label Instagram simply as a social medium. After all, it's owned by social giant Facebook. And many users, myself included, mostly follow and interact with people they know either in real life or from another social network. That makes Instagram fit nicely into the definition of social media, which are held together by pre-established relationships between individuals. But that would be ignoring part of what makes Instagram work.

Instagram more squarely fits (get it? the photos are square!) into another category: Content community. Content communities are created around a common interest, such as photography, short videos and a love for vintage filters. In a content community, the user can choose to share content with a select group or with the entire public. On Instagram, users have the option to make their account private, which allows only approved followers to see posts. Or users can elect to leave their account open, which means followers will see the user's content in their feed but nonfollowers can also see photos and videos via hashtags, username or location searches. Followers will often be the people with whom the user has pre-established relationships. But followers might also include random people who appreciate the subject of a particular user's photography or videography.

Which brings me to my next point. Content communities can be nested -- and Instagram certainly is. I think it's safe to say that everyone who joins Instagram at least marginally likes photography, even if they're not professionals (I'm certainly not). But there are subcommunities within Instagram based on particular photo or video subjects. Hashtags are a great way to get photos on a specific topic in front of the interested subcommunity. And you may even gain some followers you don't know in real life who simply want to see your work on that topic. I've noticed likes from people I didn't know and even new followers on my account after sharing photos using hashtags like #beer or #wine (breaking news: people like to drink). I've also made connections with people I didn't know in my city through the locally popular hashtag #InstagramBham.

With its photo plus 15-second video capabilities, Instagram is a great place for businesses to share content about products, events and even the workers behind the scenes. Your content must be interesting, even only to one subcommunity. Finding your niche audience and targeting your content to a particular interest group is actually a good thing. It ensures that you are entering the network with an understanding of why you're there other than it's the newest, shiniest thing. Just do Instagram users a favor and take the time to come up with a creative approach that doesn't scream "I'M SELLING YOU SOMETHING!" That won't do you any good -- on social media or content communities.

An analysis of 5 blogs: What they are and why they work

This week, I'm digging into a few different types of blogs and exploring how they work. I'll answer these questions on each blog:

• What type of blog is it?
• What is its purpose?
• What makes it unique?
• How does it reflect the brand?
• What drives the traffic to the blog? High on search engine? IMC? Website links? What gets people to read?
• Is it a successful blog?
• What’s missing on the blog?
•  Are there advertisers? If not, who are some potential advertisers?

Tech Crunch

• Tech Crunch is a news blog.
• The purpose is to report updates and trends specifically in technology news.
• Tech Crunch reports on a lot of topics in technology that don't make it to the mainstream larger media companies. They cater to a niche audience who look to them for tech news.
• The Tech Crunch blog is the basis of the brand, but the name of the blog describes what they do very well. They analyze technology, so in a way similar to the phrase "crunching numbers," they "crunch" technology news and issues. Blogging allows them to share their tech expertise and keep their blogging focus sharp.
• Since they are in the tech industry after all, Tech Crunch maintains a number of social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon and YouTube, all with sizable follower bases. This would certainly get a lot of eyeballs from the various social media networks to techcrunch.com. They also provide RSS feeds broken down into categories as well as follow-by-author. Their news blog also does well in search for several broad tech terms. A search for Apple iPhone yielded a Tech Crunch article on the first page of results, as did searches for "Facebook" and "Pinterest." Terms like these would likely be what Tech Crunch's target audience would search for.
• I think Tech Crunch's social media following alone shows that the news blog is successful, because that's probably fairly indicative of their number of readers. Most of Tech Crunch's readers would be social media savvy, because social media is a large part of what they write about. So I would think their follower numbers that number in the hundreds of thousands and even millions on some networks would translate to similar if not higher numbers of people clicking through to read articles on their site.
• Tech Crunch does have the option to subscribe via email, but it's not mentioned until the footer at the bottom of the site. I think they could have moved this option up beside the social media and RSS buttons at the top right of the homepage.
• Tech Crunch does have advertisers. The first few top banner ads I was served when visiting today were for different smartphones, which seems appropriate for a tech news blog.

Brown-eyed Baker

• Brown-eyed Baker is a recreational blog.
• Blogger Michelle shares her recipes -- mostly delicious sweets, but also snacks/appetizers and comfort food. Michelle says on her About page that she started the blog as a creative outlet for both her writing and baking skills. I'm glad she did, because her recipes are delicious and usually not overly complicated.
• Michelle shares beautiful photos that she takes herself (and she's even provided information on how she does that for those interested in food photography), and often links to other related recipes from within each post. Since she's been blogging for about six years, she also links to whatever recipe she had posted a year ago, two years ago, etc., which exposes readers to recipes that they might not have otherwise seen. And her blog has a fabulous recipe index that breaks her posts down by category.
• Michelle created the brand Brown-eyed Baker for the blog itself. And why not? It's a free way to build your brand, and it provides someone like Michelle a platform to recommend things within her area of expertise -- baking.
• Brown-eyed Baker's social media accounts, which are updated on a regular basis, have accrued a very respectable following. Her Twitter account has more than 25,000 followers, her Facebook page has more than 70,000 likes and her Pinterest account has more than 56,000 followers. I'm sure Brown-eyed Baker gets referrals from each of these networks. Brown-eyed Baker also allows readers to follow the blog via RSS or email; the buttons are right beside the social media buttons at the top right of the homepage and in the footer. Michelle periodically hosts giveaways of items that interest her readers to drive engagement on her site, social channels and even drive email signups. The site also does fairly well in search. While it doesn't land on Page 1 of a Google search for "baking blog," it does appear on the first page for specific searches, such as "brownies" and "cupcakes," which people are more likely to search for that "baking blog" anyway when searching for a particular recipe for one of those desserts. The interior links I mentioned before also would certainly help drive traffic to other recipes and keep readers on the site for all their baking and snack-making needs.

Brown-eyed Baker's posts show up on the first page of Google results for "brownies" (left) and "cupcakes" (right). The links are circled in yellow.

• I would consider Brown-eyed Baker a successful blog. It was started as a creative outlet for the writer/baker and now touches at least tens of thousands of people and attracts advertisers.
• I can't find anything missing on this blog other than perhaps more of Michelle's back story.
• Brown-eyed Baker does have advertisers. Some of the ads are AdChoices ads, which serves you ads based on your browser history (and hopefully, your interests), but there are a few that seem to be more static, such as BizChicks and a Private Selections Kitchen Giveaway. I think she could probably attract more kitchen and baking specific advertisers -- either brands like KitchenAid or stores/sites that carry kitchen things such as Bed Bath & Beyond.

Etsy

• Etsy's blog falls into the categories of both professional and group.
• The purpose of the blog is to bring attention to particular shops and products on Etsy. Etsy is a big place, so it's helpful to have this blog to highlight some of the coolest things listed.
• Is there any other site quite like Etsy? The online marketplace provides a platform for artists and crafty folks to sell their products whether they have a small business or are just making something as a hobby. The blog describes different products -- sometimes in lists based on category -- and occasionally profiles a particular artist who has an Etsy shop.
• The Etsy blog definitely promotes the Etsy brand well. It basically takes a huge and sometimes overwhelming marketplace of homemade and handmade and artsy-craftsy things and makes it more digestible. It says, hey Etsy customer, we know you could get sucked into our site for days, but here are a few of the best or coolest or most unique things we have available from our shop owners right now.
• Etsy's blog is linked in the menus at the top, and "Recent Blog Posts" are also promoted in the main well of the homepage with headlines, excerpts and photos under the "Handpicked Items" section. Etsy maintains social media accounts including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, all of which help promote blog posts. Etsy also offers the option to follow the blog via RSS.
• I think Etsy's blog is successful. It is regularly updated with original, high quality content. Almost every blog post has gotten a high level of engagement, with anywhere from 50 comments to 500. So you know that more people than that are reading and, hopefully, finding the content useful. Those comments, in conjunction with their blog analytics, also allow Etsy to better figure out what their audience wants. Tracking engagement and clicks shows the folks behind Etsy's blog to decide what to do more of and what to change going forward.
• Etsy does not have advertisers on their blog, probably because the main purpose of their blog is to promote the sellers on their site. So they would not want to invite other advertisers in to pull potential customers off the site. In a way, each blog post is a paid advertisement, because each seller pays Etsy a percentage of their sales, and Etsy features their best shop owners. I'm not sure exactly how Etsy decides whom to feature in their blog, but high sales from a particular shop would be a good indicator that the shop is selling high quality products that deserve featuring.

12 Most

• 12 Most is a group blog.
• The purpose of this blog is to provide easily consumable lists to inspire professionals and stimulate conversation. They accept guest posts that adhere to their specifications, and they pull bylines for all the different writers using Gravatar.  
• This blog might remind you of Buzzfeed's listicles, but their posts are actually nothing like the GIF-filled ones that, while entertaining, mostly just aid your procrastination process. Instead, 12 Most collects and publishes lists (always of 12, hence the blog name) for professionals. For instance, this post by Katherine Kotaw lists 12 don'ts of personal branding, including failing to adequately apologize when you mess up and bragging about your drinking habits in your Twitter bio. Some lists are also meant to inspire, such as this confidence-boosting one by Becky Gaylord that includes tips like "Tell yourself you can do it" and "Get up and move." While the idea of creating a list for easy consumption is not new, the idea of a group blog for professionals to submit lists limited to 12 items to help or inspire other professionals is quite unique. The group blog allows professionals to share their expertise on topics, which is what blogging is all about!
• This is another blog that doesn't promote a particular product or company, but instead exists for the sake of the blog. 12 Most is an apt name since its lists are limited to 12 items, and "most" is a word with a positive connotation, which is important when you want your brand to elicit words like inspiring and helpful.
• 12 Most has buttons near the top of its page that allow readers to follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Google+, as well as via RSS or email. 12 Most also asks its visitors to display a branded badge on their blogs to drive traffic to the list-based group blog. 12 Most is the first item that displays after a Google search for "12 Most," followed by other lists that include those terms from sites like Huffington Post and the aforementioned Buzzfeed.
• I think this is a successful blog. They have writers regularly submitting high quality content to them. What more could a group blog ask for? 
• 12 Most updates its social media accounts regularly and should add social media widgets to their site to further promote these account, which would then bring visitors back to their site again and again.
• On 12 Most's homepage, there are AdChoice ads in the sidebar and bottom banner positions, and on post pages, there are top and bottom banners and a sidebar ad. 12 Most also directly gives information about how to advertise with them on their site. It seems like some business consulting companies or individuals may be interested in advertising on this particular kind of blog to target the folks who are seeking this kind of advice.

Birchbox

• Birchbox's blog falls under professional, since they are providing content that indirectly promotes their what they're selling, high-end beauty products as well as a monthly subscription service that sends you sample size products so you can try them out without splurging on the full size version first.
• The purpose of the blog is to provide beauty tips and insider information that will ideally lead you to try out Birchbox's beauty products and/or subscription service. 
• Birchbox's blog posts work their products into blog posts that aren't really even about the products on the surface. For example, this post is about how to create the perfect sock bun without using a sock. The headline says this is going to help you with your hair -- not sell you hair products. But, the writer also conveniently throws in the name (and link to the products on birchbox.com!) of the hairspray and brush that the stylist uses.
• The blog reflects the Birchbox brand because it's about what the company is about -- high-end beauty and grooming products. The blog posts tell readers how to use their products in every day life to achieve magazine-worthy looks and results.
• The blog is linked in the "Magazine" flyout menu at the top of birchbox.com and in the footer. Links to specific blog posts are also in the mix of links being shared on their social media accounts with huge followings (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+).  
• I would definitely call this one a successful blog. Mashable reports that Birchbox is experiencing healthy growth, especially in ecommerce, at least partially because of their blog. The Mashable article says:

"(Birchbox cofounder Katia) Beauchamp says Birchbox is now attracting buyers who don't even subscribe to its monthly program, but instead discover products through its on-site editorial, which includes a blog and more than 20 how-to videos every month. Those buyers now represent 15% of ecommerce orders, she says." 

Birchbox told Mashable that their priority is to capture first-time buyers of products. This is certainly helped by their blog that informs about products that the ideal reader will have not yet tried.

• They have Twitter and Facebook widgets in the right rail of their blog, but they should also have their social buttons all collected together, even if it's in the footer. On the blog homepage, there is just a link to their Pinterest account (which I missed the first several times because I was looking for the logo), and there is no mention of their Google+ account. Collecting those buttons in one place with the familiar logos, in addition to the widgets they are currently utilizing, might help drive more followers for those accounts. 
• There is no display advertising on this blog, probably because Birchbox doesn't want any competitors placing ads there to take customers away. But, Birchbox does place links to the products on their own site within the body of their blog posts, which in a way, is a subtle form of house advertising.

Yes, email marketing is still a thing

Email marketing is not dead; it's just been deceptively quiet. Everyone makes such a fuss over social media that marketers may forget about what should be obvious -- that many people check their email as often or more often than they check their social accounts. That's not to say that email marketing can replace social media marketing. But it can move the conversation about your brand to the more personal setting of your customer's inbox.

In fact, email marketing is growing. According to this infographic, the number of permission-based emails per email address has risen from two to three a day since 2009. Even though people (myself included) complain about the volume of email, not to mention spam, that crowds their inboxes every day, people are actually opting in to receive more emails from businesses.

However, you still have to make the content of your emails stand out. As the folks at Mad Mimi say, you have to know your audience. Even better, think like your audience. What content would you want to see if these emails were coming to you? If you think of something that fills your business requirement, but you have a hunch that you'd skip over that content as a user, leave it out! You're not writing for you; you're writing for your customers.

Email is the "first and most frequent thing people check," with 72 percent of people checking their inboxes 6 or more times a day. If you put valuable content with engaging subject lines -- whether it's a sale, new product or blog post -- in front of those email checkers on a regular basis, you should start seeing more views, which leads to more clicks (and more sales!).

One way to get more email subscribers is to use that thing many marketers are buzzing about instead of email -- social media. But the two don't have to compete. They can work together as two complementary pieces of an integrated marketing strategy. In the mix of your interesting, informative and engaging social content, also ask your followers on Facebook or Twitter to join your email list. Constant Contact reports that businesses that combine email with social see faster list growth, larger lists and more click-throughs.

Copyblogger reports that the return on investment of email marketing is 4,300 percent. As I say when convincing myself to buy something that's on sale, you're losing money if you don't do it!