Forbes editor Melanie Wells features commentary from Digital Strategist PJ Urquilla in an article on why despite pressures to over-emphasize social media sites, marketers should continue to focus on valuable website content as consumers experience “Facebook Fatigue.” In the article, PJ emphasizes the need for strong, content-driven corporate websites and engaging online experiences for consumers.

The full article is available on the Forbes blog here.

1. Why you must keep track of your online profile
by Dan Griliopoulos on Techradar

By now we’ve all heard plenty about the importance of monitoring your company’s brand online. Understanding your advocates and detractors and the conversations around your business online are of critical importance in the digital age. But what about your personal brand?

Takeaway: You are just as much a brand as the company your work for, the college you graduate from or the toothpaste you use. You’ve undoubtedly seen the frequent articles and blog posts warning job seekers to play it safe with their online footprints, but managing your personal brand online goes much deeper than that. Whether you’re a new graduate looking for that first job or a veteran marketer pitching a client, online reputation management requires long-term diligence. Make sure you know what’s out there and that you are careful with the information you can control.  You never know who is searching for you or watching your social network profiles. To paraphrase and old rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see it, you probably shouldn’t post it online.

1. Facebook Places: What It Is, What It Isn’t, And Why It May Change The World
By Augie Ray with Forrester

On August 18 Facebook announced its long-anticipated geolocation offering called “Places,” and the Internet went crazy. In what was the most popular post we tweeted this week, Forrester’s Augie Ray argues that “the most important contribution Facebook is making to the geolocation social space is not in form but scale.”

Takeaway: First of all, Places is neither evolutionary nor new. Foursquare and Gowalla beat them to the punch eons ago in tech time. While foursquare counts around 2.5 million users in its base, Facebook has 500 million. This means that Facebook is positioned to introduce the benefits of location sharing to a new and much wider audience. But the rub is in the very first paragraph of Ray’s post – while the popular Foursquare counts around 2.5 million users in its base, Facebook has 500 million, meaning Facebook is now positioned to introduce the benefits of location-sharing to a new and much wider audience. Facebook has an opportunity to change the way people approach social networking without even creating something new. How this will play out has yet to be seen, but the potential significance of this new feature is undeniable.

Have you given Places a try yet? Let us know what you think in the comments.

1. The Coupon Network: Everything You Need To Know About The Web’s Hottest Business Model
By Alexia Tsotsis on TechCrunch

With the growth of deal sites like Groupon and Livingsocial the white-hot popularity of online couponing is undeniable. In this post, TechCrunch walks businesses looking to get in on the action through the most important points to consider for this business model.

Takeaway: This article is all about takeaways so we’ll stick to the most significant. One of the most important points here is that customization is key. No blanket approach can be taken here. Consumer targeting, a 360-degree marketing approach and a thoughtful user experience (avoid point-of-purchase hassles) are also critical.

1. 5 Big Brands That Are Using Facebook Games To Reach New Audiences
by Neil Vidyarthi on Social Times

This great post from Social Times shows how big brands are using Facebook Games to promote products for better or for worse.

Takeaways: Some of the examples in the post work well while others don’t but the takeaway for marketers is that marrying interactive marketing with gold old fashioned fun in an effort to connect with your customers is a practice we can all benefit from.