Social Marketing

Are you brainstorming ways to add new fans? Tweeting “exclusive offers”? Shifting your staff around in order to support these new efforts? And do your social media efforts feel like an “add-on” — yet another time-intensive activity on your already overwhelming marketing task list? Our advice is to STOP. Stop and rethink your approach to social media with a new perspective. Rather than focusing on being on more sites, adding fans or getting comments, instead zero in on ideas for engagement, influence and activation — and that all-important lever, trust.

By Eric Weaver, Director of Digital Strategy DDB Canada

Many marketers still struggle with the loss of control over their brand that comes with the ability of consumers to discuss them—and have those messages widely disseminated—across social media. But most brand-related chatter, both online and offline, is positive. And positive buzz carries more weight with consumers, according to research from Keller Fay Group.

The BACARDI Together Index uses an unprecedented 146 questions from a national survey of 5,000 American adults, aged 21 to 80+ years, to understand and summarize the dimensions of social connectedness. The large sample and volume of questions allows for a comprehensive evaluation of social connections in a way never before done.

Next year, marketers will need to rethink their approach to advertising and marketing and intensify their focus on creating magnetic content that will naturally attract consumers, rather than relying solely on the interruption model of advertising, which consumers are responding to less and less. Think pull vs. push. By Geoff Ramsey—CEO, Co-Founder / eMarketer

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A recent study by eMarketer found that one-third of U.S. companies now have a blog for marketing purposes, and that number is likely to rise to 43% by 2012. Break those numbers down by industry, however, and pharmaceutical and medical device makers barely make the chart. The biopharma industry is virtually invisible on the Internet, allotting less than 4% of its more than $4 billion direct-to-consumer advertising spend to online outlets in 2008. Unfortunately, this reluctance to move into the Internet realm ill-serves all consumers, particularly those in search of reliable, credible health information.

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Many social media marketers are working with the ultimate goal of integrating social into their company’s overall marketing efforts and gaining the experience to conduct the best social campaigns. But according to research from SmartBrief conducted by Summus, they could have a long wait.

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Social media users in the U.S. find advertising is a fair price to pay for using social media sites and features. Fifteen percent are more inclined to buy brands that advertise in social media, representing slightly more than 30 million people 13-80 years old. Social media site ads also drive brand exploration, with 25% more inclined to find out more about brands that advertise on social media sites. When coupled with the fact that social media use has reached almost universality, marketers may consider the medium as more than a listening tool.

Social media marketing is rapidly becoming a critical mechanism to influence and drive key business objectives. Interactive marketers who know the secrets to engaging prospects and customers on social sites and to analyzing return on investment can improve their business-impacting metrics, such as website visits, conversions, and sales. DOWNLOAD REPORT HERE.

Modern moms are older, more confident and more connected than ever before, according to the WhatToExpect.com report “Delivering a Mom: How Today’s New Moms Learn, Decide & Buy.”

For the past few years, General Motors has managed its efforts on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, online video and other social media activities from within its communications group. In 2011, GM will be moving social media marketing into its brand groups. Christopher Barger, global director of social media, spoke with eMarketer principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson about the challenges of this transition, how GM allots budget for social media within digital marketing, and what measurements the company needs to have in place to increase spending on social media marketing.
Christopher Barger – Global Director of Social Media / General Motors.

Blogs are not the hottest social media trend of the moment, but they remain a powerful platform for self-expression—and for brand and product recommendations. eMarketer estimates that 51% of US internet users will read blogs at least monthly this year, and according to October 2010 research from blog portal Technorati many will find them influential.

Several studies have shown that a majority of email marketers are making use of social media tactics, both to boost their social media efforts as well as to improve email campaigns.