The media is filled with buzz about the marketing possibilities of using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or social media sites such as YouTube to build excitement about online commerce and drive new customers to specific e-commerce sites. Yet, with so many demands on the time and attention of e-commerce merchants, it can be difficult to carve out time to learn how to effectively use these new and exciting tools. The IMA has recognized that gap and is actively helping to educate e-commerce merchants.

The Internet Merchants Association (IMA) will co-sponsor this year's Sellers' Conference for Online Entrepreneurs (SCOE), to be held in Seattle, Washington from July 10th through the 13th. Cyn Lizana, IMA Vice President and Pat Pepe, IMA Secretary will present an educational session to conference attendees about using social media to drive more customer traffic to your e-commerce business. "The biggest goal of the IMA is education," said Cyn Lizana. In keeping with that mission, the non-profit organization is well prepared to get conference attendees up and running in new directions.

Cyn explained that the SCOE, www.scoe.biz organizers offered the IMA the opportunity to present about any issue they selected. "We decided to do an educational session about using social media to bring traffic to your e-commerce business, including your presence on Amazon or your Amazon store." Aside from this session, the IMA will also be raffling off $25 Visa gift cards.

The video is just a preview of what IMA will be presenting to the Amazon Sellers Conference for Online Entrepreneurs this week. If you would like to see the full presentation, click JOIN US.

The Internet Merchants Association (IMA) has established the new website, www.leavingfeedback.com. This website is designed to provide all ebay buyers with an accurate description and explanation of the continued changes to the feedback and DSR system, so that they are appropriately educated prior to leaving a seller feedback.

The site was specifically designed to be non-judgmental, and non-political, stating only the facts about how the feedback system works, and the impact that it has on sellers. The IMA is recommending that sellers include the website URL on all communications with buyers, including emails, packing slips and invoices. Steve Grossberg, former President of IMA stated "eBay has not done a good job of informing buyers of the impact of leaving DSRs. The negative impact of buyers leaving 4's for a seller can be significant, even though the ebay site makes it look like a 4 is a pretty good rating. We felt that this was an important message to deliver to ebay buyers. We're simply doing the job that ebay should have done, but didn't."