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Social networks existed long before Facebook and Twitter. Originally it was just as the organic ties between organisations or individuals; today it’s the same structure, the same dynamics but super-charged by virtue of the digital technology now available!

What Messrs. Zuckerberg & Co. brought to the party are the tools, metrics and case studies necessary to understand how social leaders influence each other within these social and professional networks, and how these relationships can be used to disrupt conventional attitudes and behaviour.

So, all of our wonderful Hub spaces have been announced, all represented on the above map (which you can view on Google Maps here). But what event topics will be based where? And what events go into a Hub?

The SMWLDN Hub Schedules will be carefully curated to include some of the week's best events. We'll be working with sponsors and partners for some events, and other Hub spaces are open for your own inclusion! If you'd like your event to be featured in a Hub, please check out this blog post to find out how to apply.

The SMWLDN Hub Schedules will be announced soon, in the mean time, check out what you can expect to find in each SMWLDN Hub below.

We said there were more to come, and as promised, here they are!

In this second announcement, we have another three SMWLDN Sept '12 Hub to introduce you to, on top of our previous announcement of ExHoSo House, Google Campus, The Hub Westminster, O2 Workshop and Unruly Media - giving us a total of 8 SMWLDN Sept '12 Hubs for the week.

As explained in the last announcement, each SMWLDN Sept '12 Hubs will have a topic area, and events taking place in the Hub will focus and/or relate to that particular Hub's topic area. Each Hub's schedule is being carefully curated, Hub events will highlight and showcase some of the best SMWLDN events taking place this September. Also, with London being a bit of a beast with events taking place all over the city, we hope that this will make SMWLDN easier to navigate, both physically and on the online schedule.

For fifteen years I’ve provided research, evidence and carefully chosen words to anyone who would listen to describe the benefits of allowing interpersonal communication within a brand-space. We used to call that "social network theory" or "social engine theory". Over time, the 'social media' industry grew up around our voices (not loud enough to dominate it but still we prattled away).

Today, my agency and team operate as a very tiny part of a £Billion business based on the very same ideas; that conversations are a form of marketing, that the customer can be an ambassador and that brand choices are part of expressible identity.

The questions I’m asked each day remain essentially the same, although the vocabulary has changed a little. Ten years ago a major sports brand asked me "What will I do if the public are critical of our product in a forum we put our brand on", today they ask "What are the costs and risks of page moderation".

With 180+ events taking place across London, it can sometimes be a little difficult to navigate and get between events. To aid this problem, this September we're introducing SMWLDN Hubs to London, where events topics and some of the best events will be grouped into venues during the week.

We're very excited to introduce five Hubs for this year's SMWLDN Sept '12 at some very cool venues, with more Hubs and their topics to be announced.

Social Media is more than just "LIKES" - for companies in particular it should be an online encounter where they can have valuable conversations with their customers.  Social media can be such a valuable tool for business both big and small, for customer interaction and acquiring new customers as well.

I believe that companies can enjoy real benefits of social media without splashing their increasingly limited cash on relatively expensive ads such as those sold by Facebook as part of its much-touted advertising service.  And whilst you might not get 3000 new "followers" in a month, you can still strengthen your brand’s profile among the people who actually matter: new and existing customers.

Last week I attended the Chinwag and Our Social Times conference on Facebook Marketing which was excellent. The topic I found most interesting was Facebook’s EdgeRank, but when asked how many of us know about the algorithm, I was surprised by the lack of hands that showed.

It’s actually quite a simple concept and one all Facebook Marketeers should be aware of. The following Q&A explains all you really need to know about Facebook’s EdgeRank and how to manipulate it to boost your Facebook marketing activity.

Last Wednesday Chinwag and Our Social Times held the long awaited Facebook Marketing Conference. The day was packed full with speakers, case studies, stats and quotes, our favourite still being from Tom from We Are Social, asking "are you a dipper or a smotherer" (in reference to Heinz ketchup that is).

The day was a huge success with over 120 people through the door, 22 speakers and a twitter hashtag that not only trended during the day but reached over 76,818 people (baring in mind we ended up with two hashtags being used #fbmk12 and #fbkm12)!

For those of you that could not attend the conference, we've done a recap of the event highlights with links to some of the presentations. It'll almost be as if you were there... just without the free chocolate (thanks again Cadburys Dairy Milk).

As mentioned at Wednesday's Facebook Marketing Conference, comScore have released their latest whitepaper - The Power of Like Europe: How Social Marketing Works for Retail Brands.

Focusing on European brands such as H&M, ASOS, La Redoute, Topshop and Zara, the independent research illustrates how popular consumer brands are using Facebook to deliver media impressions at scale, acheive brand amplification and resonance, and ultimately drive desired behaviours among key customer segments.