Social Marketing

Paying for mentions in social media, or social media sponsorships, has become a more popular marketing tactic. By late 2009, it had attracted the attention of the US Federal Trade Commission, which released regulations requiring bloggers and certain other online publishers to disclose when they receive cash, free products or other compensation for a product or brand mention. But marketers are still interested in this form of outreach.

Bizo unveiled the results of an online survey of leading in-house and agency marketers. The results from more than 520 strategic marketers reveal that they are getting ready for the busiest season of the year and while they are betting big on new initiatives in social, some are also doubling down on old favorites like display. View interactive presentation

The number of Facebook users in the US will increase 13.4% this year, eMarketer estimates, after 38.6% growth in 2010 and a whopping 90.3% rise the year before. The rate of adult Twitter user adoption has similarly begun to plateau, dropping from 293.1% growth in 2009 to 26.3% this year and still slowing. In many developing countries, these and other networks are seeing their audience growth taper off as most new users come from other countries such as the BRIC nations and Indonesia.

Play, work, learning and consumption have converged in the spaces and practices of new social and mobile technologies. Millennials, Gen-Xs and Boomers—seemingly everyone has a Facebook presence. The more adventurous (or geeky) have also taken up Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare or Screener, with over 500 million active users on Facebook1 engaged in gathering an unimaginable number of friends. Smartphones and tablets are nearly ubiquitous. Friends, information, contacts, products and opportunities are but a few keystrokes away. Smart mobile technologies, now pervasive, are quite visible actors in all facets of social life, bringing new practices and experiences to consumers’ shopping, cooking and dining activities. If social media and smart technologies are seemly everywhere, why do companies and marketers so often miss the mark in building successful consumer relationships via these widely adopted tools and practices? DOWNLOAD Report Here.

There is more than one way to monitor and measure social media outreach and online campaigns, and companies must find the right setup for them. Looking at how marketers are using monitoring tools and what benefits come from certain options can give companies insight into what works.

Snack Factory’s 6-year-old Pretzel Crisps brand had only a tiny presence on Facebook with just 800 “likes” when Jason Harty, director of field and interactive marketing, came aboard in June 2010. While that number increased to 1,800 nine months later, Harty wanted to experiment with a variety of strategies, including social sampling on Twitter, to help lure new customers to the brand.

As social media becomes an integral part of companies’ marketing programs, the debate continues about where the staff and resources will come from to handle these initiatives.

Lessons on customer service from the best and worst retailers in Facebook. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Social media and digital marketing have allowed marketers to listen to more of what customers are saying about their brands and those of their competitors. As a result, listening and engaging online with consumers are now parts of many marketers’ online strategies, and there are many ways to measure these initiatives to track success.

Integrated Social CRM and Marketing Software for Facebook and Twitter. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Social media is just one of many avenues to take in your journey to reach customers and improve ROI. Whether you select that route or another, such as advertising or public relations, pack a catered measurement approach specific to your selected path. If they work hand in hand, you’ll have a suitcase full of strong, relevant results. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Few would deny that Social Media is the most talked about maketing opportunity in recent history, yet its value remains debated amongst marketers. Does it influence purchase behavior? How should ROI be measured? What metrics actually matter? What is Social Media INtelligence Questions the digital marketing industry is trying to answer, including the many companies that provide Social Media Monitoring services. DOWNLOAD Report Here.

Performics released a report that detailed findings from “S-Net, The Impact of Social Media,” a social network study from ROI Research Inc. sponsored by Performics. The study found 52 percent of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that voicing opinions on social networking sites can influence business decisions of companies/brands. Additionally, 31 percent of overall respondents purchase more from companies/brands that they like/follow than from brands/companies they do not.

Retailers are using social media sites in a variety of ways, but many are still working to determine how this outreach affects their bottom line

Sears Holdings is announcing the launch of its Latino social media channels. With the launch of Facebook.com/SearsLatino as well as its Twitter handle @SearsLatino, Sears is showcasing its commitment to better engage with customers culturally and strengthen relationships within the Latino community.

We set out to learn more about the state of social advertising and its opportunities by conducting an industry survey of 230 brand managers, executives, and marketing professionals. DOWNLOAD Report Here.