Debbie Weil is a corporate blogging and social media expert, online marketing consultant, speaker and author of The Corporate Blogging Book (Portfolio). She consults with large companies, CEOs and senior executives on how to create blogs that connect with customers and attract media attention.

This is completely silly but I did it just for you, dear reader. Have you elfed yourself? Here's how I made a total elf of myself, courtesy of Office Max. This is a perfect example of effective viral marketing. It's pointless; it's fun; you can't wait to share it. And it creates a good feeling about Office Max. Run your cursor over the discrete Office Max logo in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Clever, huh?!

P.S. Yes the dancing elf is retro

My son just looked at this and was totally unimpressed. Not that funny and very retro, he said. (We saw this kind of thing on the Web two or three years ago.) Then again, I'm his mother. You decide…