Don't Use Social to Generate Sales; Make Selling Social

'Fan-Led' Successes Are Built on Old-School Push Promotions 

Some say we can't value social-marketing efforts directly. Others claim that if we can't attribute a return on investment, we shouldn't be doing it.

But maybe we're all missing the point. Maybe the problem is not whether social value can be measured in dollars. Perhaps the issue is that we can't measure in dollars objectives that weren't intended to be profitable in the first place.

Most CEOs and CMOs have a clearly defined objective to make money for their organization. Yet most social-marketing programs are still designed to create engagement, gain followers or generate Facebook likes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that there's a disconnect there. Getting to an ROI figure from most social efforts doesn't take better analysis tools -- it simply takes the inclusion of objectives that are centered on generating profit.

Customer loyalty, advocacy, engagement, interest and awareness are all important in the marketing funnel, but the assumption that they supersede the "baser" activity of selling is pure hubris. If customers don't also desire "buying" relationships with us, then we have no business being in business.

We need to get to a better balance with our social-marketing efforts and speak to the entirety of the customer permission set, including how they want to buy from us. Only then can we form measurable profit objectives that intersect with these permissions. Because the object of social marketing is not simply to collect audience appreciation, but to make every customer experience shareable -- including the purchase.

For example, Zappos has been heralded as a "social brand." But that's not entirely true. Zappos is a "customer service" brand. The majority of its "social marketing" investment actually goes into hiring the right people and creating amazing customer experiences. I still talk about the time I sent an anonymous gift with Zappos. During the transaction, the operator fawned over me repeatedly for making such a wonderful gesture. It was a little embarrassing, but I was gratified. Then came the surprise, because over the next two weeks this operator shipped to me gift package after gift package of cookies, socks, books and even a messenger bag in appreciation of my act of kindness. It was amazing!

Sure, Zappos still collects "likes" for posts about new articles of clothing or holiday well-wishes. But it has a broader mission of making the sales experience personal, meaningful and ultimately shareable.

In a nutshell, Zappos doesn't do social to generate sales. Zappos makes selling social.

Further, the assumption that the spectrum of social media is being ruined by the "old" tactics of push selling is disingenuous. Push and pull always need to work together. We can say that Louis C.K. or Radiohead have proved that fan-led pull efforts are the new way to market. But have you noticed that nearly all of these "fan-led" successes are built on the backs of years and sometimes millions of dollars in old-school push promotions?

Going back to the Zappos example, it may use social to generate pleasant relationships, but it also buys a boatload of social ads that push product. What's more, it is one of those vendors that uses "stalking" ads that display the products you last looked at on its site. And frankly, despite the creepy factor, customers don't mind for the most part, because the relationship the company has built is centered on us buying stuff from it.

The real value of social to an organization is that it shreds the veil between marketing and operations. It puts on public display every customer touchpoint within the company. So we need to stop creating passive programs that simply use social media and start thinking of social marketing as a discipline of doing business in a manner customers want to share. Selling must be social. Because only then are we able to measure the profitability of social marketing.

(Source: Advertising Age, 04/17/13)

Marking TV’s “Cuban” Influence

Talk is cheap. Television networks are not. Mark Cuban, billionaire, is one of the rare few that can afford both. And he’s proven his affinity for each by recently speaking at NATPE, about many topics, among them his AXS TV network and his belief in the power of television in our society.

At first blush, television isn’t thought of as “Social Media.” Social Media is typically thought of as reserved for status updates, hashtags and an oversaturation of baby pictures. Therefore, “Social” is a viral space that needs word of mouth and a busy personal network to have its impact.

The example that Mr. Cuban used was the billion or so online views for “Gangnam Style”. No one will dispute that YouTube is squarely a “social medium,” but all of those combined views of “Gangnam” didn’t match the social experience of watching the Super Bowl, voting for your favorite Idol or Voice or Dancing Star, or seeing the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.

And that’s the social aspect that Mr. Cuban was focusing upon. That TV is a place to share in an experience, not one to share your experiences. He called it “zero latency,” in that we all experience it at the same time. Despite this being the Era of Time Shifting, television is truly the Mass Medium. “Gangnam” was a meme, and as he said, “who talked about it when they watched it?” Those billion hits on YouTube don’t translate on the same cultural consciousness level as television because we don’t have the same connective experience with it.

Moreover, the latest Nielsen Cross-Platform report confirms the ongoing dominance of television in the face of the Online Spring – 97% of all video is watched on television. Online accounts for 2% of all video viewing. Mobile, 1%.

Let’s face it, no one’s going to pass on a chance to do TV because they want to stay on YouTube.

Social Media without television would be a very different place. It’s no coincidence that Mr. Cuban is talking about this - he’s invested in a broadcast television network. And it’s for exactly that reason – “to tap into the immediacy of TV and its dominance as a social media conversation starter.” Mr. Cuban believes that he will be providing a network that is of particular interest to the “Cable Nevers” and cord cutters. He hopes to give them a “unique experience” of immediate, live content that delivers the scale of broadcast television.

TV is really the only medium that begets content on another medium. We talk about TV on social media. Especially those live events that people share on TV. All it takes is a look at something like the Grammys. It’s a broadcast event, but will have the most social media mentions for the week. The fact is, television drives a large percentage of social media conversations in some way. Typically it’s about what we’re watching — or telling others they should be watching — but often it’s passing along information that they’ve learned by watching television.

Mr. Cuban concurs. “Television has become the medium to start a social conversation. We have become so Internet centric over the past 20 years that everyone assumes the solution for social media will be on the Internet. It’s TV.” He added that “We’re using television as an instigator (for posting to social media). The reality is that when you are watching TV, it’s a unique experience that you cannot get online.”

So why should we pay so much attention to what the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks has to say about TV? Well, he made his fortune in the dot-com boom, selling his Internet radio business to Yahoo!. So perhaps this Internet radio guy might have learned some valuable lessons about long-term success and taking his business to the next level—by investing in broadcast television.

The 3 Worst Ways Companies Waste Money in Social Media

They say you learn something new every day... 

And one of the things I recently learned was a new oxymoron: a social media budget. Because in most companies, it simply doesn't exist. They expect Fans, Followers, Likes and Pins to fall from the sky. 

But that's not the worst part... 

No, the worst part is when you see how companies actually spend a social media budget if they have it. 

Because most of the time it's wasted on vanity metrics and hot trends. 

And the problem typically resides with the HIPPOs (highest paid person's opinion), because the highest paid person is also (usually) the least knowledgeable and furthest away from the front lines. 

Here are three of the worst ways that companies waste money in social media. 

Money Waster #1: Squandering Your Offline Resources

One of the best ways to grow a social network is to funnel people from existing sources. That could mean your existing website traffic or email database. Or it could simply mean your foot-traffic and other offline sources. 

This is the best source of visibility and awareness most companies have. But by overlooking a few key principles, they're wasting time, energy, effort and money. 

For example, the typical offline, social media call-to-action (CTA) usually looks like stickers in a store window saying "People Love Us On Yelp." 

In this case, all you're doing is promoting Yelp (and cluttering up your window). There's no CTA, and no customer benefit. 

And this problem isn't isolated to small mom-and-pop shops either. 

Large corporations and big ad agencies do this all the time on commercials. Next time you're interrupted during your favorite television show, count how many commercials show a Facebook icon, and...nothing else. 

No Facebook page URL, no direct call-to-action, and no reason or incentive to actually get-off-the-couch and take action. 

Again, all they're doing is promoting Facebook. And promoting Facebook is a terrible long-term strategy (which we'll discuss in Money Waster #3 below -- and why you should use email marketing instead). 

Now compare this to a good example from a paper receipt that reads "Want 20% off? Go to Yelp and write a review. Bring it in with this coupon and receive a 20% discount." It has an extremely clear call-to-action, and a compelling reason to take action. 

Now think about how powerful this is... 

Customers are MUCH more likely to leave a negative review on Yelp than a positive one. But if you can incentivize people after a good experience, than you start to really harness the potential of customer-generated marketing. 

Money Waster #2: Community Management Free-For-All

"The average, large company in the U.S. has 178 corporate-owned social media accounts," according to Marketing Pilgrim. 

Contrary to popular belief, social media isn't free. So exactly who in your organization is responsible for managing 178 different social media accounts? Who's going to create new content for each, and respond to customers in a timely fashion? 

The tiny, underfunded, understaffed Social Media department? 

The cost associated with proper community management is significant. And for 178 different accounts, it's astronomical. 

But that's not even the worst part... 

You're also completely confusing your customers. Which accounts are they supposed to follow or interact with? Who do they respond to with general questions, product support, or service follow-up? 

Countless psychological studies have shown that when people are presented with too many options, they freeze up and don't make a decision. 

So they give-up completely, and are left with a bad taste in their mouth. Or instead of working through their customer support issues, they go trash your business on Yelp. 

Money Waster #3: Facebook Double Taxation

It's been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results. 

Keep that in mind as you read the next few lines... 

In the early 1990s, America Online (AOL) spent over $300 million in mailing CDs to everyone's mailbox. According to then-CMO Jan Brandt: 

"At one point, 50% of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo on it. We were logging in new subscribers at the rate of one every six seconds." 

In a decade, AOL rose to over 25 million users -- an unbelievable number at the time. They were the hottest company in the world. And they began opening up new opportunities for brands to reach consumers. 

Companies raced to build up their AOL brand pages, and you would see "AOL" all over the commercials. 

But eventually it fell out of favor (like every social network to date), and lost users in droves. Those huge marketing investments companies made into AOL were wasted -- because it was a "closed system." All the data and user information belonged to AOL, not the companies who worked so hard to build it in the first place. 

Today, we have the same exact thing going on with Facebook. 

Companies love talking about "Likes" and promoting their pages wherever they can. But here's the problem... 

Facebook is starting to double-tax you to reach your own fans. According to The New York Observer, "Facebook acknowledged it as recently as last week: messages now reach, on average, just 15 percent of an account's fans. In a wonderful coincidence, Facebook has rolled out a solution for this problem: Pay them for better access." As their advertising head, Gokul Rajaram, explained, if you want to speak to the other 80 to 85 percent of people who signed up to hear from you, "sponsoring posts is important." 

So if you want to reach more of your own fans -- the ones you already spent time, money and energy acquiring in the first place -- you have to PAY AGAIN with advertising. That doesn't seem very logical, does it? 

Getting referral traffic from Facebook is great. And using it to reach new people, while also increasing engagement and retaining customers is good, too. 

But don't throw a lot of money down the drain by investing in a closed system that you don't own or control. 

If you're looking for awareness, then track visits, not "Likes." If you're looking for sales from repeat visitors, then use email marketing, not Facebook. 

Because social media has changed the medium -- not the principles. And timeless marketing strategies still apply.

(Source: Brad Smith, Digital Marketing Consultant and Founder FixCourse, published in Social Media Today, 11/19/12) 

Socialogue: My Friend 'Likes' a Brand. Hmmm...

Nearly One in Four People Say they Would Buy a Brand Because a Friend "Likes" or Follows the Brand on a Social Network

Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange (Ipsos OTX)  recently released the latest global infographic and commentary on the trends and behaviors that define people's lives in today's social media age.

Twenty-two percent of people say they bought a brand because a friend follows or "likes" the brand on a social network. In the BRIC countries, that number rises to 39%, about four in ten people. It follows, then, that the better able a brand is to influence people to "like" it, the more sales it has the potential to drive. Now that's a piece of information brands that are socially active online should really like!

(Source: Ipsos, 06/26/12)

MARKETERS USE DIGITAL BUT WARILY

John Wanamaker famously said “Half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”  That is apparently even more true when you are talking about digital/social media marketing.  A new survey by the Association of National Advertisers finds that 70% of national advertisers are using digital media for marketing but 62% of them are concerned about the inability to prove return on investment.


The ANA also found that 53% of the survey respondents said there was a lack of understanding about digital media among key people in their organization. That is likely because of the breadth and complexity of the medium.


The members of the ANA are generally sticking with the big names in the social media industry.  Ninety-six percent of those who market with digital media use Facebook; 89% use Twitter; 49% LinkedIn; and 33% Pinterest.


Seventy-five percent are using branded mobile apps, 67% QR codes; 53% text ads; 41% video ads; and 25% video advertising.


The ANA report mirrors another recent study from Advertising Age, conducted in conjunction with Citigroup, which found that almost 86% of the marketers/agency execs and media execs surveyed had a presence on Facebook, but only 55% advertise on the site.


The biggest problems, says AdAge, is determining whether Facebook is actually working for the advertiser.  A majority of those using the site said clicks and “likes” were the most important metric.  But, says the magazine, “when it came to driving purchase intent just over 19% said they ‘don't know’ if Facebook is useful and more than 13% said it's ‘not useful.’ Just 55% said Facebook is ‘somewhat useful,’ indicating a high level of ambivalence on a key branding metric.”  One ad exec told AdAge that "I do not believe that Facebook is an advertising platform. We need to explore other possibilities."

Too Many Brands Stuck on Media Part of Social Media

"How do I think about reach and frequency in social media?"

"How do I use social media to get my brand's message out?" 

Clients have asked me questions like these on a number of occasions over the past couple of years. If they are more sophisticated than most, their questions may be along the lines of "How do I use social media as part of an integrated communications plan?" or "How do I assess the ROI of social media compared with other media?" 

I always get an uncomfortable feeling when I'm asked these questions. 

Too many marketers still don't get what is different about social media. There are two words in "social media," but too many people are hearing just the "media" half. 

In the media world (including both traditional and digital non-social media), there is an audience that is essentially passive, receiving an advertising message that has been delivered to them. While people may grumble about the incredible number of ads directed toward them over the course of a day, they generally recognize that this is part of the price they pay for viewing content of interest. 

Despite tremendous effort and expense on the part of media and media-research agencies over many years, it is difficult to predict which ads will "work" in this cluttered environment and whether the audience will "hear" what we want them to about our brands. 

In the social world, there is no audience; it is people talking to each other. That is what makes it "social" rather than media as we are used to thinking of it. It is inherently active, and when the topic of conversation among people is brands, it gives consumers control of what the brands are about. 

Because of the lack of control in the social world, "getting your message out" in social media is an inherently flawed notion. 

That is also why "counting eyeballs" that have seen something in social media about a given brand and trying to equate that with views in traditional media is an inherently flawed exercise. 

Putting the emphasis on the word "social" means focusing instead on the nature of the brand conversations taking place and how to influence (not control) them. 

If we can liberate ourselves from the "media mindset" and adopt a more "social mindset," we will then be able to make significant progress in understanding how to engage, how to take part in the brand conversations going on around us, and how to build relationships in this new world. It is clear, though, that we are still in the early stages of sorting this all through, and there is much to learn. 

When jumping into social media, brands need to keep in mind that people will not be receptive to the old paradigm of "push the message." 

TNS conducts an annual survey of consumers around the world to try to understand how people live online. The latest Digital Life survey shows some sobering yet encouraging insights as to how people view brand interactions in the social-media world:

• Sixty percent of U.S. consumers who use social networks say that they are a place where they don't want to be bothered by companies or organizations.
• At the same time, 45% say that social networks are a good place to find out about brands -- but 50% say that even a single negative review on a social-media site can affect their brand decisions.
• Most people who join brand communities will do so for mercenary reasons (65% say they do so to get coupons), but many also do so to express their passion for a brand (45%).
• Most of those who write about brands on social media say they do so to praise brands (61%), but nearly as many say they write about brands to express negative feelings (45%).

These data would suggest that brands have opportunities to find creative ways in social media to build stronger relationships, but there is risk too, as they need to overcome many people's wariness. 

As everyone rushes to develop a Facebook strategy, social media represents a double-edged sword for marketers as they seek to build their brands. 

Approaching it with a media mind-set may well turn off many people; letting "social be social" will be a better path to growth. The choice is ours. 

(Source: Larry Friedman, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer at TNS, appearing in Advertising Age, 05/06/12) 

Social Media Chatter Ups Live TV Stats

Rather than cannibalize “old media,” some online activities can actually boost viewership. In particular, new research shows that social media can significantly increase consumers’ TV time.
    
A majority (58%) of heavy engagers -- i.e., consumers who share related thoughts via social networks at least 10 times a week -- report watching more live TV, according to a iModerate Research Technologies study.

Adam Rossow, vice president of marketing at iModerate, says there are several reasons for the synergy. “The respondents in this study consistently remarked that it makes TV more fun,” he said.

There is also “the desire to keep up with the conversation” -- especially if and when someone becomes recognized as an online authority on a particular show or genre. 

An increasingly number of viewers also "love the social interaction and frequently add shows to their viewing lineup due to social chatter,” Rossow notes. “That adds up to more time spent on social networks and more hours watching television.”

Among some 150 males and females who engage in what Rossow calls “social TV” at least once a week -- the emerging behavior has also made these viewers into more active consumers and influencers.

To that end, one-third of respondents said their primary reason for engaging in social TV was either to give feedback to the television network or show support for their television program.

What sort of consumers are participating in social TV? iModerate found three specific types, which it groups as “The Spots Nut,” “The Extrovert” and “The Girlfriend.”

Sports nuts are 25-54 males that partake in social TV primarily for “big games.” They post more than five times a week on social media and enjoy debating sports, talking trash, celebrating and venting about their teams and showing off their sports knowledge.

Extroverts are 18-34 year-old males who have a vast network of virtual and personal friends. They make new friends online in chat rooms. By posting about social TV, they consider social friends to be “real” friends.

Finally, “the girlfriend” is a 25-44 female who mainly engages in social TV while watching dramas and reality shows. According to iModerate, she relates deeply to her favorite shows and looks forward to the “girls’ night out” aspect of interacting with them through social TV.

The study also found that, beyond giving feedback and supporting their shows, individuals engage in social TV to be relevant and recognized, be part of a community, maintain relationships, and have virtual “hang out time” with friends.

~Gavin O'Malley - OMD (3/21/12)

What You're Going to Need to Know About Pinterest

Talking about an online social network where users share interests undoubtedly sounds kind of redundant nowadays. But it is true that the great success of Pinterest shows that surfers apparently have a need that still hasn't been adequately satisfied by the web's most popular social networks.

This social network, based on its capacity to share images and content available on the web in a practical and simple way, has just been singled out by the specialist media site TechCrunch as the best new startup of 2011, and it's threatening to become the new shining star of the social networks. Even so, its co-founder, Ben Silberman, doesn't want to talk about the figures that show the growth of the platform, and prefers to underline its design and capacity to unite people according to their interests as the reason for its success.

An image is still worth a thousand words

The new web that has its finger on the pulse of the evolution of social media is a platform that consists mainly of links and images, an eminently visual tool with an emphasis on photography. What does the name mean? Share your interests. Ben Silberman says, "Pinterest is a site that connects people who are passionate about the same things. In the same way that people use Facebook are excited to connect with people they care about, people on Pinterest are excited to be inspired by people with similar tastes."

Returning to the images, the idea of Pinterest is very simple. The site is a kind of virtual pinboard, where users pin an image, a product or content that interests them. Then it's published on a kind of online-advert noticeboard and can be seen by other users. The user can pin web content or repin what other Pinterest users have already shared so that it forms part of their own interests. "It's like storing favorites on your computer, but in a public way," explains one fan of the new platform. There are no walls, no friends, or anything remotely similar. Images and interests are shared revealing a common link between two people, without the need to leave a message, although you can if you want.

With a simple glance at the home screens of different users one can find out about their passions and interests and recognize people who have the same tastes as us. The new platform's public is mainly female. This is what TechCrunch says, citing that 59 percent of Pinterest users are women between the ages of 25 and 44, mainly arts and design professionals. According to the online-traffic measuring site Alexa, Pinterest occupies the number 26 spot on the list of most-visited sites in the United States, and number 126 in the world.

The value is in the generation of traffic

It is true that Pinterest has become more than just a relevant site for the recommendation of services, businesses and small companies. Its simplicity and user-friendliness are undoubtedly factors that favor its rapid rise and adoption. But the real value of Pinterest lies in its demonstrated capacity to send traffic to other websites. According to a recent study by the company Shareaholic, in July 2011, 0.17 percent of Internet traffic came from links shared by Pinterest. By January 2012, the figure had risen to a surprising 3.6 percent, a volume that exceeds the total traffic redirected by sites such as Google+, Linkedin, MySpace and Tumbir combined.

To all this has to be added the fact that Pinterest is so far an invitation-only site to which you can only have access if you receive an invitation from another user, which means its expansion potential still hasn't reached its peak. Of course, the platform has already attracted the attention of the big brands that see the tool as a powerful way of marketing their goods and services. The idea of selecting content, filtering, organizing and sharing it online with a click takes online viralization to its maximum simplicity. Pinterest has already won the Crunchie Award for Best New Startup of 2011, and clearly its recent expansion appears to be beginning. If it manages to consolidate its growth and continues to be an effective tool for sending visitors to other websites, it's possible that it could convert itself into an essential platform for any online marketing and communication strategy.

(Source: Adotas, 02/20/12)

Does 'Liking' a Brand Drive User Loyalty?

When it comes to Facebook "likes," social network users are sending brand marketers mixed signals. An eVoc Insights study indicates 59% of Facebook users have "liked" a Facebook brand or company page in the past six months.

Although this statistic may seem promising for brands, how "liking" a brand connects with consumer loyalty is still vague.

When surveyed by eVoc, 54% of users who "liked" a brand or company page on Facebook that sells a product or service said they were somewhat or much more likely to purchase from that brand. The study confirms that the most "liked" pages are for food brands, TV shows, music, movies and clothing.

Although the eVoc Insight statistic suggests more than half of consumers are agreeable toward purchasing from the brands on Facebook, consumer behavior suggests otherwise. According to a study from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, an Australia-based marketing think tank, just 1% of fans of the biggest brands on Facebook engage with the brands on the site.

The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute study looked at Facebook metrics for the top 200 brands, and through an examination of activities such as "likes," comments, posts and shares, the research group found nothing substantial to link a brand's Facebook presence with loyalty.

Limited consumer engagement with brands on Facebook suggests there may be a disconnect between the reasons why consumers actually "like" a brand and the reasons brands think consumers are "liking" their page. When the CMO Council asked Facebook users in Q4 2011 about their expectations after "liking" a brand on Facebook, the top expectation (67%) was to be "eligible for exclusive offers."

However, when the CMO Council asked marketers what they thought it meant when a consumer "liked" their brand page, a quarter of marketer respondents answered, "because they are loyal customers."

The link between "likes" and loyalty remains unclear. Although consumers respond favorably about their likelihood to purchase from a brand they follow on Facebook, that's not overly evident on their Facebook timelines.

Marketers should keep in mind that for consumers, Facebook remains primarily a place to interact with peers and share experiences. Although many consumers have opened up to brands that are present on Facebook, brand marketers should not expect loyalty each time a consumer clicks the "like" button.

(Source: eMarketer, 02/08/12)

Take Advantage Of Gen Y's Willingness To Talk

Most brands aren't taking advantage of the opportunities presented them to engage Gen Y consumers. 

Gen Y is on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and the majority of social networks, and they expect to have a conversation with your brand on these channels.

Most of the time, brands see this interaction in a negative sense because consumers bring complaints to a Facebook wall or Twitter feed. Gen Y consumers are incited to engage with brands based on a negative experience, not a positive one so brands become reactive and can't engage in a positive fashion.

According to a recent MTV Networks study, 70% of Gen Y consumers said they'd figure out how to make things fair if they feel a company is being unfair with them. The network found that the group as a whole demands fairness, transparency and clear, consistent rules from brands. This often means brands get bombarded with negative Facebook posts or tweets when it increases shipping charges or makes a decision a majority of its consumers doesn't like.

The solution is simple: Brands need to be more proactive in engaging Gen Y consumers. It doesn't have to be formal research done with an agency or even scientifically formulated -- just engage like a regular person. It's the first step in trying to bring Gen Y consumers into your circle.

If you're thinking of changing shipping charges on your website or altering your return policy, talk to consumers first. Giving Gen Y costumers a chance to provide feedback on a possible change and then seeing their suggestions come to life -- or at least the chance for their feedback to be seriously considered -- is the best way to start creating grassroots ambassadors in this consumer group.

This type of consumer research doesn't have to just be for research; it can be used for marketing. Engaging Gen Y consumers in a positive fashion should be central to any brand's social media strategy. It could be as simple as a Facebook question on an airline's brand page, asking consumers what type of entertainment they'd like to see on the plane.

Rather than waiting for a disgruntled passenger who was angry about missing expected reruns of “30 Rock,” the airline can give consumers a chance to help shape that programming. If a problem does come up, you have a group of consumers who can back you up because they participated in the conversation your brand started on in-flight entertainment.

Use the tools in front of you to start a positive conversation with consumers and take advantage of Gen Y's willingness to talk. 

Patrick Evans - STA Travel

A Quick Guide to Writing Great Blog Posts for Businesses

There are certain elements of a blog post that need to be given special care in order for a post to be successful. Let's take a look at these elements and what you need to do to make sure they are optimized.
1. The Title/Headline
A great title for your post is essential for driving traffic to it, from social media to search engines. Take Twitter, for example. The first impression of your post will be the 140 character status update including just the title of your post. For search engines, it's the same: the title will be the first thing potential visitors read in the results.

When it comes to great titles, you should consider:

• Including the post's main keyword for search engines and social searches.
• Including a number. People like posts where they know what they are getting. So instead of "Tips to Keep Your Car in Tip Top Shape" you should do "10 Tips to Keep You Car in Tip Top Shape."
• Including a solution to a problem. If you know a common question in your industry, then you should do a post entitled "10 Ways to..."
• Keep titles under 65 characters in length for search engine purposes. Anything after this point will be cut off with a "...".

2. Word Count
There is a lot of debate about the proper length of a blog post. Some say that you should keep it short and sweet with an average of 300-500 words per post. Others think that posts should be in-depth and complex, with a minimum of 1,000 words.

What you should be concerned about, more than the actual word count, is whether or not you are giving valuable information in each post. If you can deliver the content that you promise in the title of the post in a short post, then that is fine. If you can write a long post that isn’t redundant and keeps your reader's interest, that is fine as well.

My rule of thumb is to never make the reader have to go elsewhere for information. You shouldn't do a post with 10 tips if the reader is going to have to leave your site to find out how to implement those 10 tips. You should either have enough content for each tip that the reader can implement them, or have a post that you can link to on your site that further explains how to do each item.

3. Breaking Up the Content
One of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to reading blog posts or articles is seeing big blocks of text, text, and nothing but text. You want your post to be easy to scan, so that if you get someone who wants to take a quick glance to see if they want to bookmark the post for later, they will see the gist of the article quickly and easily. This can be accomplished by:

• Using headers for major sections. Your post should contain headers using the h2 or h3 header tags in HTML, not only to easily divvy up the sections but also to be search engine friendly.
• Using images. Think about when you read books as a kid. You probably enjoyed the ones with lots of pictures over the ones that were solid text, right? Blog readers enjoy images similarly, especially if they are screenshots or photos that illustrate a point in the text.
• Using series posts. If you have an article that going to be excessively lengthy, consider taking the one post and breaking it into a series of posts. This will keep your readers coming back to your site for more.
• Using bullet points and numbered lists. Again, this helps break out individual items and make it easily scan-able.
• Using formatted text. Be sure to emphasize important phrases or statements in your post by using bolded and italicized text within the content.

Mashable does a great job of breaking up their content using images and headers as an example.

It makes a post that has a lot of content easily scan-able for those looking for a particular topic and digestible for those who just want an idea of the overall goal of the post.

4. Call to Action
No matter what your post is about, or what industry you are in, you can have a call to action in each and every blog post. Calls to action can be anything from suggesting that the blog reader contact your business for help with any of the items recommended in the blog post to simply asking your readers for their opinion about the content of the post.

Asking readers for comments is an important way to build your blog’s social proof. This means that whenever a new visitor comes to your blog, they will see that your posts have a lot of active discussion, telling the new visitor that your content is valuable and worth discussion.

(Source: Kristi Hines, Published in Vertical Measures, 10/10/11)

Social Site Elders Click Through More

SocialCode, reporting on a new Facebook advertising research study examining over four million data points from a wide variety of industries, says that for ads with a 'Like' button, older Facebook users have a higher CTR while younger Facebook users will tend to click 'Like' directly within the Facebook ad.

While propensity to click-through on Facebook is positively correlated with age, writes Marketing Charts, propensity to like is not. Age has a strong positive effect on whether a user will click, but has a less pronounced opposite effect on the likelihood of them becoming a fan of a page.

Fifty-plus-year-old users, the oldest segment in the study, are 28.2% more likely to click through and 9% less likely to like than 18-29-year-old users, the youngest group observed. Compared to the rest of the younger population, 50-plus users see a 22.6% higher CTR and 8.4% lower like rate.

Laura O'Shaughnessy, CEO, SocialCode, observes that "... younger Facebook users are more comfortable using the 'Like' button than older users at this point... (though) older users have a high level of interaction and curiosity about the ads... (but) are also the newest subset to join the social network... "

When broken down by gender, age has a much more pronounced effect on CTR for women than it does for men, whereas for men there is a stronger effect on 'Like' rate than women:

• Overall, women are 11% more likely to click on an ad
• 'Like' rates are almost even for men and women; men are actually 2.2% more likely to 'Like' an ad than women
• For women, CTR is 31.2% higher for the 50+ age group versus 18-29 year olds; men only see a 16.2% difference between the age groups
• Versus all age groups, 50+ women's CTR is 22% higher versus a 16.4% difference for males
• The oldest male segment has an 11.7% lower 'Like' rate than the youngest segment, and 9.5% lower 'Like' rate versus all age groups; Women only see a 7.2% and 7.9% difference respectively

(Source: The Center for Media Research, 09/09/11)

Social Media Report: Spending Time, Money and Going Mobile

Social media not only connects consumers with each other, but also with just about every place they go and everything they watch and buy. Nielsen's new Social Media Report looks at trends and consumption patterns across social media platforms in the U.S. and other major markets, exploring the rising influence of social media on consumer behavior.

Highlights of Nielsen's "State of the Media: The Social Media Report" include:

• Social networks and blogs continue to dominate Americans' time online, now accounting for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the Internet.
• At over 53 billion total minutes during May 2011, Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other website.
• Tumblr is an emerging player in social media, nearly tripling its audience from a year ago.
• Nearly 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone.
• Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the Mobile Internet.
• 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user.
• Across a sample of 10 global markets, social networks and blogs are the top online destination in each country, accounting for the majority of time spent online and reaching at least 60 percent of active Internet users.

(Source: NielsenWire, 09/11/11)

Adult Use of Social Media Soars

Sixty-five percent of all U.S. adults now use social-networking sites, up from 61% a year ago and just 5% in 2005, reports Pew Research Center. The findings are based on telephone interviews conducted in April and May by Princeton Survey Research Associates International.

Most of the growth over the past year came from Americans over the age of 30, with seniors accounting for the bulk of it. One-third of adults ages 65 and older say they now use social-networking sites, compared with 26% who said a year ago. Still, young folks between 18 and 29 years old remain the overall biggest group tapping social networks today, accounting for 83% of the total.

On a typical day, 43% of U.S. adults said they visit sites like Facebook and Twitter, up from 38% a year ago, the survey finds. Among just Internet users ages 50 to 64, social-networking usage on a typical day increased to 32% from 20%. Compared with other online activities, respondents overall said they only use email and search engines more frequently than social networks.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal, 08/31/11)

Interactive Marketing Spending to Hit $76.6 Billion in 2016

A new report by Forrester Research forecasts that U.S. interactive marketing spending will reach $76.6 billion by 2016, equal to TV spending this year and comprising 35% of all advertising. That's a big jump considering that this year interactive will comprise 19% of all spending, according to Forrester.

Search and display will continue to be the biggest pieces of the interactive spending pie, comprising 44% and 36%, respectively, in 2016, though search will have lost share from 55% in 2011. Mobile paid advertising and search will experience astronomic growth and are surpassing email and social this year, according to the report.

"This is the first year we saw growth due to interactive tools really gaining legitimacy in the mix," said Forrester analyst Shar VanBoskirk, noting that search, display and email have become well-established lines in marketers' budgets.

The report, "U.S. Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2011 to 2016," projects the overall compound annual growth rate of interactive marketing spending at 17%, but the fastest-growing category is mobile at 38%, set to reach $8.2 billion in 2016. It attributes the surge to a push toward creating more targeted, dynamic mobile ads instead of so much repurposing of online ads; the rise of mobile commerce; and experimentation with new ad formats for tablets.

Search marketing will continue to be the biggest piece of the interactive spending pie -- rising from $18.8 billion to $33.3 billion between 2011 and 2016 -- but will actually lose share of all interactive spending in the same period, falling from 55% to 44%. Ms. VanBoskirk said the rise of biddable display media, the growth of mobile and investment in social networks and alternative search networks such as Facebook, YouTube and ratings and reviews sites such as Yelp will be factors in the drop-off of search's interactive market share.

Investment in display advertising will rise from $10.9 billion in 2011 to $27.6 billion in 2016, driven by greater than 20% compound annual growth rates in rich media, text listings and online video. The rise of biddable display media and improved online ad management tools are cited as key factors.

Email marketing is projected to have a growth rate of 10%, bringing it to $2.5 billion in 2016, but the total spending is kept down because of its low cost of reaching 1,000 consumers, or CPM. And widespread adoption of social media will continue, reflected in a projected 26% growth rate, but total spending will reach only $5 billion in 2016 as it's also an inexpensive tool. (The report notes that listening platforms cost $5,000 to $10,000 per month, but a paid search budget can run up to $500,000 to $3 million per month.)

The report also predicts the rise of subsidized hardware from media giants such as Google and Yahoo, which would look to embed ads into the displays of smartphones, tablets and e-readers in return, creating the possibility of enhanced user targeting for advertisers. It also foresees the onset of daily deals fatigue.

"That will create consolidation and thin out the number of daily deal offers that are available," Ms. VanBoskirk said.

(Source: Advertising Age, 08/25/11)

Social Media TV Tracking Puts 'Family' On Top

Social media tracking of TV shows continues to reveal new trends -- and not all revolve around original broadcast prime-time shows. A recent report by SocialGuide says this summer -- in July specifically -- the most social TV show overall is Fox's longtime animated hit "Family Guy," scoring in terms of unique visitors and comments. The social media company says the social activity for "Guy" consists of all its TV windows: network rerun, syndication repeats, and elsewhere.

The Fox network comedy pulled in a 5.9% share in unique visitors for all social activity of TV shows: 159,000 unique visitors. Overall, it had 276,000 comments --- or about 1.7 comments per unique visitor.
Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants" was next, with a 5.7% share of social media uniques, 154,000 uniques and 233,000 overall comments.
 
The highest-rated prime-time show was VH1's "Basketball Wives," which came in at third place overall in uniques -- at 137,000, with a 5.1% share. It also had 274,000 overall comments (second place to "Family Guy" in terms of comments). Syndicated TV show "Maury" was next, pulling 4% of all uniques with 108,000 people and 224,000 comments. "MTV's "Jersey Shore" came in just behind "Maury" in unique visitors with 96,000.
 
Looking at the first-run shows on the broadcast networks, the best placing is CBS' "Big Brother" -- in fifth place for overall comments with 220,000, and in 18th place for unique visitors at 55,000 -- all of which gave it a strong rate of four comments per unique visitor.
 
NBC's big summer-rated show "America's Got Talent" did a bit better than "Brother" with uniques, at 57,000 -- but had roughly half the number of comments, witb 118,000.
 
Social Guide tracked 4,150 TV shows, sifting through over 10.5 million social TV comments by more than 2.6 million unique visitors. Its survey only lists the top 100 shows.
 
SocialGuide says it uses a proprietary system that captures the real-time social activity around every program aired across 170 of the most popular broadcast and cable channels.

Wayne Friedman, 8/2/11, 12:49 PM

Social Networking Sites and Our Lives

Questions have been raised about the social impact of widespread use of social networking sites (SNS) like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter. Do these technologies isolate people and truncate their relationships? Or are there benefits associated with being connected to others in this way? The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project decided to examine SNS in a survey that explored people’s overall social networks and how use of these technologies is related to trust, tolerance, social support, and community and political engagement.

The findings presented here paint a rich and complex picture of the role that digital technology plays in people’s social worlds. Wherever possible, we seek to disentangle whether people’s varying social behaviors and attitudes are related to the different ways they use social networking sites, or to other relevant demographic characteristics, such as age, gender and social class.

The number of those using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008 and the population of SNS users has gotten older.

In this Pew Internet sample, 79% of American adults said they used the internet and nearly half of adults (47%), or 59% of internet users, say they use at least one of SNS. This is close to double the 26% of adults (34% of internet users) who used a SNS in 2008. Among other things, this means the average age of adult-SNS users has shifted from 33 in 2008 to 38 in 2010.  Over half of all adult SNS users are now over the age of 35. Some 56% of SNS users now are female.

Facebook dominates the SNS space in this survey: 92% of SNS users are on Facebook; 29% use MySpace, 18% used LinkedIn and 13% use Twitter.

There is considerable variance in the way people use various social networking sites: 52% of Facebook users and 33% of Twitter users engage with the platform daily, while only 7% of MySpace and 6% of LinkedIn users do the same.

On Facebook on an average day:

• 15% of Facebook users update their own status.
• 22% comment on another’s post or status.
• 20% comment on another user’s photos.
• 26% “Like” another user’s content.
• 10% send another user a private message

Facebook users are more trusting than others.
We asked people if they felt “that most people can be trusted.” When we used regression analysis to control for demographic factors, we found that the typical internet user is more than twice as likely as others to feel that people can be trusted. Further, we found that Facebook users are even more likely to be trusting. We used regression analysis to control for other factors and found that a Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day is 43% more likely than other internet users and more than three times as likely as non-internet users to feel that most people can be trusted.

Facebook users have more close relationships.

The average American has just over two discussion confidants (2.16) – that is, people with whom they discuss important matters. This is a modest, but significantly larger number than the average of 1.93 core ties reported when we asked this same question in 2008. Controlling for other factors we found that someone who uses Facebook several times per day averages 9% more close, core ties in their overall social network compared with other internet users.

Facebook users get more social support than other people.

We looked at how much total support, emotional support, companionship, and instrumental aid adults receive. On a scale of 100, the average American scored 75/100 on a scale of total support, 75/100 on emotional support (such as receiving advice), 76/100 in companionship (such as having people to spend time with), and 75/100 in instrumental aid (such as having someone to help if they are sick in bed).

Internet users in general score 3 points higher in total support, 6 points higher in companionship, and 4 points higher in instrumental support. A Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day tends to score an additional 5 points higher in total support, 5 points higher in emotional support, and 5 points higher in companionship, than internet users of similar demographic characteristics. For Facebook users, the additional boost is equivalent to about half the total support that the average American receives as a result of being married or cohabitating with a partner.

Facebook users are much more politically engaged than most people.

Our survey was conducted over the November 2010 elections. At that time, 10% of Americans reported that they had attended a political rally, 23% reported that they had tried to convince someone to vote for a specific candidate, and 66% reported that they had or intended to vote. Internet users in general were over twice as likely to attend a political meeting, 78% more likely to try and influence someone’s vote, and 53% more likely to have voted or intended to vote.  Compared with other internet users, and users of other SNS platforms, a Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day was an additional two and half times more likely to attend a political rally or meeting, 57% more likely to persuade someone on their vote, and an additional 43% more likely to have said they would vote. 

Facebook revives “dormant” relationships.

In our sample, the average Facebook user has 229 Facebook friends. They reported that their friends list contains:

• 22% people from high school
• 12% extended family
• 10% coworkers
• 9% college friends
• 8% immediate family
• 7% people from voluntary groups
• 2% neighbors

Over 31% of Facebook friends cannot be classified into these categories. However, only 7% of Facebook friends are people users have never met in person, and only 3% are people who have met only one time. The remainder is friends-of-friends and social ties that are not currently active relationships, but “dormant” ties that may, at some point in time, become an important source of information.

Social networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties. 

Looking only at those people that SNS users report as their core discussion confidants, 40% of users have friended all of their closest confidants. This is a substantial increase from the 29% of users who reported in our 2008 survey that they had friended all of their core confidants.

MySpace users are more likely to be open to opposing points of view.

We measured “perspective taking,” or the ability of people to consider multiple points of view. There is no evidence that SNS users, including those who use Facebook, are any more likely than others to cocoon themselves in social networks of like-minded and similar people, as some have feared.

Moreover, regression analysis found that those who use MySpace have significantly higher levels of perspective taking. The average adult scored 64/100 on a scale of perspective taking, using regression analysis to control for demographic factors, a MySpace user who uses the site a half dozen times per month tends to score about 8 points higher on the scale. 

Facebook Poised To Drive Social Marketing, e-Commerce

The mighty Google has dispelled any doubt about the importance of the exploding Facebook nation and the need for companies to exploit evolving social mobile dynamics for ecommerce.

 

In its biggest and most adroit reactionary move yet, the search advertising giant's new Google + aggregates its existing services and competencies (including its mobile Android operating system) in a social-networking mesh that taps its vast collection of user information.

 

Friend grouping (Circles), sharing (including individual or crowd video chats called Hangouts), news and photo aggregation (Sparks), recommendations and other social features of Google+ look and feel like Facebook's familiar framework -- but their orientation and approach to leveraging social networks are completely different.

 

Google is a social outlier that filters user information through complex algorithms and manages the relationship as a critical adjunct to its advertising and search business. Facebook was created as a user interface with members' interactions, interests and functionality at its core. Interactivity on Facebook is all about relating to others inside of existing and morphing social graphs; interactivity on Google is all about individual functionality inside of massive constructs like search, gmail and Picasa photo app.

 

Given the similarities of Google+ to Facebook, it seems ironic that Google Senior Vice President Vic Gundotra told TechCrunch that the company considers online sharing "broken...even awkward." Google has consistently missed the mark on real-time sharing among friends that is the glue that makes Facebook so "sticky." But being late to the social -networking party is not the issue. Google's Android is giving Apple a run for its money, even as a relative newcomer to the mobile operating system space.

 

It fundamentally comes down to which player is more successful at bending companies away from the status quo and into the new social commercial paradigm. With all the fuss over Google+, it's easy to lose sight of the enormous advantages Facebook has as an agile, private company seeking to out-design and out-execute Google and others.

 

A recent Web panel discussion hosted by Wedbush Securities Internet analyst Lou Kerner underscored the less obvious ways that Facebook is quickly moving to leverage its more than 600 million global active users (70% are outside the U.S.), 50 million active mobile users and $85 billion private-market value. Here are some of the panelists' insights into why the premiere social network is poised to drive social marketing and commerce:

 

Monetizing connections

People, not brands drive social commerce. Social graph is as important as individual preference, since Facebook users generally each connect with some 140 other Facebook members. These are the micro markets some marketers and retailers have begun to creatively exploit. American Express is allowing members to convert their points to Facebook credits. This July 4 weekend, Paramount became the first studio to sell movie tickets on Facebook to Transformers III. Defining economics

 

Facebook's new video ads are being compared to conventional TV. Essentially, Facebook members (in particular the gaming zealots who have morphed on the social platform) receive credits to play even more for "free" if they periodically stop to watch relevant Facebook video ads in pop up windows.

 

Buying critical mass

Just a fraction of Facebook's global user base simultaneously "liking" something could exceed the several hundred million homes tuned into any one of television's big live events, such as the Super Bowl. Some portion of television's $71 billion ad dollars, which are not yet reflected in Facebook's $2 billion in annual revenues, will shift to social media beccause it creates its own scale, said Matt Monahan, director of digital ad network EpicSocial. eMarketer already is crediting Facebook with driving online display ad revenues beyond expectations to an estimated $31.3 billion in 2011.

 

Qualifying the ad spend

Unlike television, social media allows marketers to know precisely who sees and responds to any form of advertising. Facebook tracks engagement on a one-to-one basis, and marketers only pay when a person clicks on their ads. The result is more qualitative and quantitative impressions (generally 1,000% higher than average ad unit), which renders a more efficient and cost-effective ROI, according to Justin Merickel, vp marketing at digital marketing agency Efficient Frontier.

 

Learning the viral play

Facebook represents an amazing word-of-mouth marketing engine and personalized brand opportunity, according to 8th Bridge CEO Wade Gerten. The social shopping service's survey of Facebook users indicates that more than one-third prefer never to leave the platform for any functionality, including shopping, suggesting that Facebook is morphing beyond a social network. Eighty-five percent of consumer interaction with the more than 50 brands and 3,000 shopping campaigns 8th Bridge manages occur through friend-to-friend sharing and recommendations.

 

While social media clearly will be a driver of e-commerce and an overall economic power shift, it is easy to oversimplify this phenomenon. A Booz & Co. strategy + business article earlier this year dubbed "social apponomics" as the holy grail for companies to profitably commercialize on social media with community-based marketing and tailored applications. The key will be to focus on partners (not competitors), think local mobile, target customers in multiple segments and transform pricing into a trusted dynamic conversation that will pay continuous dividends.

 

Getting marketers and retailers to that promised land is where Facebook and Google will carve out their competitive edge. Successful social mobile marketing and commerce requires a completely new mindset and wiliness to innovate. Perhaps the best evidence is that online e-commerce still comprises less than 10% of all retail sales, largely because retailers essentially have slapped their print catalogs onto Web sites and into emails and texts without fully exploring social mobile commerce dynamics.

 

Still, the rush to mine social commerce by Facebook, Google and others could have negative repercussions. Users already overwhelmed with instant mobile communications and data might be easily quelled by powerful new waves of interactive marketing and commerce even in the company of friends. The reluctance of consumers to spend in an uncertain economy will remain a potent counterbalance. No matter how much "fun" it is to share, recommend and buy with friends, consumers will come to their senses faster than any of these well-heeled companies.

The New Media Mix

Things are changing in the high-tech world of "New Media," and there's a good reason why. Pepsi lost its #2 ranking in the cola wars last year. Many are blaming its reliance on "New Media" for "likes," warm fuzzy feelings and "the buzz" created around the Refresh Project.

John Sicher, the editor/publisher of Beverage Digest, was quoted as saying that in addition to Refresh, the company needs "more product-oriented advertising and marketing. I think that the 2010 results are probably a wake-up call for Pepsi."

During the initial rush to Social Media, we all had clients telling us they were cutting their budgets and focusing on the new "free media." Some went so far as to tell us they would never need to buy Radio ads again because Facebook could do it all for their stores.

What's happening now? Listen to what former GM Social Media Chief Christopher Barger said about the need for Traditional Media, along with Social Media, in his interview with Ad Age: "Social is a tool in the arsenal, an arrow in the quiver. It's not a panacea and not a replacement for anything. I don't believe that traditional media is less important because of the emergence of social. I think social can enhance what happens on the traditional side, but the thing to remember is, increasingly, it's all blending."

Amazing as it sounds, even major companies continue to throw money at the Social Media altar! All but one of 24 marketers surveyed in a new report from the World Federation of Advertisers and WPP research firm Millward Brown are committed to increasing the time and money they spend on social media in the next 12 months, even if they don't think they can accurately measure the results.

Years ago, people were busily preaching a "media mix" that allocated dollars to Newspaper, TV and Radio for "an integrated ad campaign." Newspaper is near death and local TV is getting fragmented to smithereens. Radio continues to be the growing, thriving local advertising medium that reaches mass audiences day in and day out.

That's why it's time for local advertisers to embrace what I like to call "The New Media Mix" -- Local Radio PLUS Social Media. Radio's great strength is building Awareness in the target audience and that leads to Interest. The next step is Desire and at the point of purchase there's a real and profitable Action -- A.I.D.A.

Our clients need us to help them get back to a healthy mix of successful advertising -- Radio advertising and all the help we can give them in their Social Media efforts. That's "The New Media Mix!"

(Source: Charlie Ferguson, General Manager, WKLT)