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Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
A recent survey has found that Facebook is the social media platform of choice for events marketers looking to promote upcoming events, according to an article published by All Facebook.
Carried out by Constant Contact, a total of 474 small businesses and non-profit organisations were surveyed.
The results displayed that 89 per cent of respondents used Facebook for social media marketing purposes; 66 per cent said they utilised mirco-blogging site Twitter, whilst 54 per cent responded that they used LinkedIn.
Twitter and LinkedIn are widely expected to close the gap during 2012, with the survey also finding that 20 per cent of respondents plan to start using LinkedIn to promote their events; 13 per cent are also planning to begin using Twitter.
Vice president and general manager of event marketing at Constant Contact, Chris Lister, commented on the results.
He said: “Event marketing has evolved. It’s no longer just direct mail invitations, phone calls, and simply hoping that people will come.
“Now it’s social media conversations, real-time communication, and online video – true engagement across platforms to create a holistic event experience from start to finish.”
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Tags: All Facebook, Chris Lister, Constant Contact, events marketing, facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Social networking site MySpace is thought to have gained an extra million users since it was sold by News International last year, according to an article published by New Media Age.
Formerly the most popular social media site, MySpace has been overtaken in recent years by the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – all of which are popular amongst social media marketing professionals.
However, since its acquisition by Specific Media and Justin Timberlake for $35 million, performance is thought to have improved – though the site continues to lose traffic.
Reports have suggested that the rise in users is down to MySpace’s decision to integrate with Facebook and Twitter. A new music player, launched in December, is also thought to have provided a boost.
Under the ownership of Specific Media and Timberlake, MySpace is expected to direct its focus towards music and entertainment – with a recording studio already in place at its London office.
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Tags: facebook, Justin Timberlake, LinkedIn, myspace, New Media Age, News International, Social Media, Specific Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Kraft Foods has launched a new social media marketing campaign for Valentine’s Day, according to an article published by ClickZ.
Conducted via Promoted Tweets on Twitter and a Facebook app, the campaign is aimed at getting users to feature the hash-tag #VoiceOfLove throughout the day; for each tweet that features the hash-tag, Kraft will donate a hundred boxes of its own Macaroni & Cheese to the charity, Feeding America.
Users are also being asked to feature their own Valentine’s Day message when using the hash-tag.
Some of the messages will then be read by Ted Williams, formerly a homeless man who became a YouTube star after someone uploaded a video showcasing his distinctive vocal tone. Ted has been chosen to be the voice of Kraft – and the read-out messages will be posted on YouTube.
Kraft has conducted a number of marketing campaigns via the micro-blogging site Twitter. Last year the company selected five tweets – specifically centred around Macaroni & Cheese – and then featured one of them on a TV advert.
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Tags: charity, ClickZ, Feeding America, Kraft Foods, twitter, Valentine's Day
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Research carried out by an automotive digital marketing firm has suggested that businesses aren’t harnessing the full potential offered by social media sites, according to an article published by Car Dealer Magazine.
Razsor’s survey found that while car dealers were active in their use of Facebook and Twitter for social media marketing campaigns, they were overlooking other sites, such as YouTube and LinkedIn.
Group director of digital marketing at Trader Media Group, Craig Stevens, commented on the findings of the survey.
He said: “There’s widespread agreement that in an increasingly competitive market, customer services is a key differentiator that can offer dealers the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
“The last few years has seen significant growth in online activity, both for dealers and customers, but many dealers are still missing out on the opportunity to further engage with online customers. Social can be much more than just a Facebook page. With the right engagement dealers can receive in-depth reviews, feedback on their website and extend marketing campaigns beyond traditional channels,” he added.
Stevens concluded by adding: “The real value of social media doesn’t necessarily come from employing someone to “do social,” but from wider training, understanding and adoption of social media as a communications channel. With a few simple tools, a dealership can offer its customers a new level of customer service, engaging with them whenever they are online.”
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Tags: Car Dealer Magazine, car dealers, Craig Stevens, digital marketing, facebook, LinkedIn, Razsor, Trader Media Group, twitter, youtube
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry, has become the latest big name to experience what happens when a social media marketing campaign on Twitter goes awry, according to an article published by ZDNet.
Having launched the BeBold campaign at the beginning of year, RIM asked users to tweet their resolutions for the New Year – using the hashtag #BeBold.
The campaign got a good response until RIM unveiled four cartoon characters designed to reflect the main themes featured in the resolutions – Achievers, Adventurers, Advocates and Authentics.
Tweeters lined-up to express their criticism of the characters, with one Tweeter writing: “The BlackBerry new #BeBold campaign is really, really cringeworthy. Dated characters and painfully bad copy. They should just die gracefully.”
RIM has responded with a post published on the BlackBerry blog.
It read: “We’ve noticed The BeBold Team has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, and wanted to clarify – this infographic is just intended to be a bit of fun. On New Year’s Eve, we asked BlackBerry Twitter followers and their friends to submit their resolutions on how they plan to be bold in 2012.
“More than 35,000 resolutions streamed across Twitter, Facebook, and giant billboards in Times Square. As we looked at the resolutions and the data, majority patterns and categories emerged. We decided to organise the data and share it in a fun way, and the result is the infographic. This is not a new ad campaign,” the statement added.
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Tags: BeBold, blackberry, Research in Motion, RIM, Social Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Monday, February 6th, 2012
Unsurprisingly, a recent study has found that Facebook remains the most popular platform amongst advertisers and businesses looking to conduct social media marketing campaigns, according to an article published by ZDNet.
Conducted by Strata during the fourth quarter of 2011, the study displayed that 89 per cent of agencies said that they planned to utilise Facebook for their clients in the near future. Around 39 per cent responded by stating that they planned to use Twitter with 36 per cent opting for YouTube.
The majority (81 per cent) of agencies expect their approach to marketing to remain the same – representing an increase of 14 per cent compared to the same study carried out during the third quarter of 2011.
Commenting on the results of the study, Strata CEO and president, John Shelton, said: “The key word for advertisers in 2012 is growth.
“The STRATA Survey shows that many advertisers are confident that their business and the economy will return to a strong period by midyear. That sentiment, coupled with strong numbers from the political race provides an overall positive barometer for advertising in 2012.”
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Tags: facebook, Social Media, Strata, twitter, youtube
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Monday, February 6th, 2012
Now that we’re into the second month of the new year, new PPC marketing campaigns are beginning to take shape. Writing for Search Engine Watch, Kevin Gibbons has created a number of tips that could ensure that your PPC campaigns stand out amongst the crowd.
Here are just a few of the aforementioned tips provided by Gibbons, in a summarised form:
- Know your product – Although it may sound completely obvious, it is vital to know your product and know it well; having a good level of knowledge on what you’re going to be trying to sell will make it much easier to do so in “just a handful of words.”
Unique selling points still have an important role to play in your campaign; Gibbons recommends that focus is placed on the most compelling points.
- Learn to Tweet – Learning to Tweet may seem a little off-topic, but in PPC campaigns you’re going to be working with a limited amount of characters. Gibbons explains: “Learning to appreciate the restrictions imposed by short-form text will help you to understand what can – and what can’t – be said in a PPC ad.
- Be timely – Many adverts on TV relate to a time-sensitive discount – a new formulation, a buy-one-get-one-free offer or competition.
It is possible to impose an element of time sensitivity to your PPC campaign; as Gibbons states: “By imposing some kind of time limit on the ad, you put in your potential customer’s mind the feeling that they have to buy now.”
However you need to be more subtle than simply saying, for example, “you have won a smartphone – claim it in the next 60 seconds” – as most pop-up ads do.
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Tags: Kevin Gibbons, PPC campaign, PPC marketing, Search Engine Watch, twitter
Posted in Pay Per Click Marketing
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Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Some of the United Kingdom’s biggest brands are taking part in a beta trial group for Twitter’s new brand profile pages, according to an article published by New Media Age.
Unveiled in December, the pages offer businesses a greater amount of freedom to customise their page – allowing the chance to display a banner, customise greetings and a select a top tweet.
Chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury, Asda, Sky HD and EA Sports Fifa are currently the only UK brands to have access to an enhanced page on the micro-blogging site – popular with social media marketing professionals.
UK sales director at Twitter, Bruce Daisley, stated: “Brands want to be able to customise what they are doing on Twitter and personalise their profile. When we first announced the new profile pages in December we had huge interest from UK brands.
“One of the key features is the opportunity to show off a tweet,” Daisley added. “It means that when people come to the page, brands have the opportunity to make sure their brand message is on top.”
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Tags: Asda, Bruce Daisley, Cadbury, EA Sports Fifa, Sky HD, Social Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski has launched a new social media marketing initiative in the run up to the start of the new season, according to an article published by Fox Sports.
Keselowski – who drives for the Penske Racing team – is offering 5,000 of his Twitter followers the opportunity to have their names inscribed on the tray of his Dodge truck in time for the season opener at the Daytona International Speedway.
In order to enter the contest, users must follow the accounts of Cequent’s Reese Towpower (@ReeseTowpower), Cooper Standard (@CooperStandard) and Keselowski’s personal account (@Keselowski).
Each of the lucky winners will also receive an autographed photo of Keselowski with his Dodge truck. Ten more names are also to be drawn from the list of 5,000; these winners will get their names inscribed in a larger size.
Commenting on the contest, Keselowski, said: “During the off-season, I have been putting a lot of thought into how to further engage with the fans. Social media, and Twitter in particular is an important tool for NASCAR, for the drivers, and for the sponsors. This contest is designed to bring all three of these elements together in a way that can uniquely reward the fans.
“It will be cool to, in a way, carry all of the prize winners with me in the race,” he added.
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Tags: Brad Keselowski, Contest, NASCAR, Penske Racing, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
Many businesses, when conducting social media marketing campaigns spread across various social channels, use a Twitter client – which allows them to post once for all channels, rather than individually for each.
Neal Schaffer, writing for Business 2 Community, has, with the help of Cibo, highlighted the top 20 Twitter clients being used in 2012.
Unsurprisingly HootSuite is the most popular; web-based, HootSuite makes it possible for users to publish multiple posts on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – there are also plans to support Google+ in the pipeline.
Importantly HootSuite also offers data that can be used by businesses to improve their brand awareness, demographic data and follower growth.
Twitter ranked second and is still considered to be a simple way to tweet your message if your business is operating just one account; however, if you operate more than one account, Schaffer recommends using something else.
Tweetdeck, which was purchased by Twitter, rounds out the top three and is still considered a good option, particularly with mobile devices – such as those operating Android, as well as iPhones and iPads.
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Tags: Business 2 Community, Cibo, hootsuite, Neal Schaffer, TweetDeck, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
