I attended the Business Record/Hanser & Associates panel discussion this morning on the results of the 2010 Social Media Survey. First, I would like to extend a thank you to the Des Moines Business Record and Hanser & Associates for conducting the 2010 Social Media Survey. Panelists at this morning’s meeting included . . .
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Social media’s implications for B2C companies are readily apparent: all humans are consumers and more than 350 million people have a Facebook account. It is generally a smart idea for B2C companies, such as major retailers, to get involved with Facebook. The same argument can be made for other social tools, depending on the nature of the business and where their customers live online.
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We as humans use online search engines such as Google over 300 million times a day to gather information and to help answer some of life’s most mysterious questions. From questions about serious diseases and illnesses, to restaurant discussions, and even mental controversies you’ve always wanted resolved, thanks to Google, our answers are, many times, just a few clicks away. Google has good news for us information hounds: it is adding new search functions by integrating relevant links from people you already know and connect with online. In other words, Google is incorporating content found on social media sites to help improve your search.
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Let’s assume that you have completed a comprehensive audit of the Twittersphere only to find out that your customers (or potential customers) don’t frequent the space. Should you still jump in armed with a strategy for gaining active followers? No. You read that correctly—an active Twitter user just told you to stay away from 2009’s social media superstar. Find out why here.
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With the proliferation of GPS-enabled smartphones and web browsers with geolocation, the adage “location, location, location” is finally taking shape online. From finding nearby restaurants and leaving reviews to receiving customized messaging based on location, consumers are engaged in this space. As an organization with a specific marketable location, how are you leveraging that data in your business?
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It’s easy for our clients to become captivated by Facebook and Twitter, as it is clear these platforms hold incredible potential for many organizations in reaching, growing, and engaging their target audiences. Our clients’ initial captivation though, is often misled. Building a suitable digital marketing and social media strategy doesn’t begin with a Facebook Page or a Twitter account—it begins with finding and understanding your audience online, reaching them where they are, and inviting them back to your place.
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The theme of this post came to me as I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal. The article focuses on an entrepreneur’s experience with “new” versus “old” media, and the perceptions associated with both. The article conveys a common assumption across companies big and small–the notion that social media and internet marketing will serve as that magic silver bullet, allowing a business to avoid the costs of a traditional marketing program while delivering the same or better performance. While I agree that having a strong social media strategy is tremendously important, it’s also clear that social media alone can’t do it all.
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The Red Cross is stunned by the amount of money digital fundraising has garnered in response to Haiti’s earthquake Wednesday. In just 48 hours, the text message campaign calling for donations went viral via Facebook and Twitter to raise over $9 million so far—a figure more than double the $4 million donated to all charities by mobile texts in 2009.
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Following up on his review of the last decade in social media, Jarad Bernstein now looks forward into the coming year, making an assessment of what social media trends to watch for in 2010. Also, Catchfire Media is interested in what trends you think we’ll see in social media this year. You can share your thoughts in this post’s comments.
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Catchfire Partner Jon Troen continues to address mistakes being made by well-run organizations in relation to their brands’ social media presence. The focus today: marketing departments taking their current communication material and copying it into social media outlets.
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