Video proFile® page: http://videoprofile.net/professionals/digital-growth-strategies John Lee, CEO of Digital Growth Strategies, takes a strategic approach to social media. With over 18 years experience, on big brands such as the Home Depot, Subaru and Continental Airlines and Cadillac, John Lee understands how to build brand equity and translate it into a social media environment. With so many people today identifying themselves as "Social Media Gurus," Digital Growth Strategies understands companies have to start with the strategy and overall business objectives before diving into the tactics. Digital Growth Strategies approaches social media from a communication standpoint not a technology standpoint and can help brands understand how to reach their social media goals. Digital Growth Strategies helps companies drive profitable growth through an understanding of how to integrate traditional marketing with Web 2.0/social media. If you are interested in how emerging technologies like blogs; microblogs like Twitter; online communities and social networks like MySpace and Facebook; user generated content like ratings and reviews; and collaborative tools like Wikis should be used to increase engagement with customers, we can help. As experienced marketers, we do not believe that if Web 2.0/social media wins, traditional marketing loses. In many cases there is a role for both. Our task is to provide a strategic approach to using both traditional marketing and Web 2.0/social media in order to build stronger and more valuable customer relationships. What is Web 2.0 and Social Media? Web 2.0 describes the changing trends in the use of Web technology and design that aim to enhance creativity, communications, information sharing and collaboration. Although the term suggests a new version of the Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to changes in the ways developers and end-users utilize the Web. --Wikipedia Social Media are the technology tools that comprise Web 2.0 including (but not limited to): • Blogs: Online diaries or Web-logs • Microblogs like Twitter • Online Communities like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn • Photo Sharing sites like Flickr • Podcasts: Both audio and video programming that can be streamed over the web or downloaded to a portable media device to subscribers • RSS (Real Simple Syndication): A publish and subscribe technology that automatically delivers content to a subscriber • Tagging applications like Del.icio.us and Digg that allow for users to categorize, annotate and share web pages • Video Sharing sites like YouTube • Widgets: Mini software applications downloadable to browsers, desktops, social-networking sites and mobile phones that contain content from a marketer. Examples include the Southwest Airlines “Ding” fare alert, ESPN news or localized AccuWeather • Wikis: Collaborative, project specific websites like Wikipedia that allow open access for contributions and editing