With more than 2 million companies on LinkedIn, the site has finally activated a way to connect with them: a Follow Company button, which is now live. The video above demonstrates how to find and follow a company, with more details in a blog post and a free webinar at 1pm EST today.

“Click on the Follow Company button and, as long as you are logged onto LinkedIn, you will automatically ‘follow’ the company,” says LinkedIn’s Mike Grishaver. “If you are not logged on, a box will appear asking for your LinkedIn credentials. Just type those in and you will automatically begin to follow the company. Companies will engage with you from their Company Page on LinkedIn and through status updates. Status updates will appear on your LinkedIn homepage – so check back frequently to see what’s going on.”

Brands’ updates feed directly into the status updates of LinkedIn members’ personal homepages, making it that much easier to target audiences and ‘amplify’ messages as they spread across the network.Continue reading...

An estimated 138 million shoppers will hit stores this Black Friday, up from 134 million last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

With more consumers getting an early jump on deals online — and skipping stores altogether, with one survey finding that 60% of consumers find Black Friday doorbusters "no big deal" — retail brands are rewriting their holiday marketing playbooks this year, relying on social media in particular to drive sales.Continue reading...

It wasn't just the unsuspecting audience members who flipped for Oprah's two-part, final Favorite Things gift-giving year-end special. Featured brands can also expect a boost in holiday sales thanks to the halo effect of the Winfrey wand.Continue reading...