Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Social media growth continued to accelerate this year, with more brands integrating social channels into their marketing campaigns. There are some amazing examples of truly innovative, forward-thinking brands that have effectively used social media to connect with their customers, build engagement and create buzz.
However, with just as many companies jumping on the proverbial bandwagon (in an arguably over-hyped space), it’s clear that some brands still “just do not get it".
Here we look back at some of the best (and worst) examples of social media in 2009.
Customer care in online retail: are email and the phone overrated?
If you're an online retailer, offering email customer care is a best practice that few ignore. And many, myself included, believe that providing customer care by phone is very desirable. Anecdotally, I have a good friend who runs an e-commerce website and he claims that his orders dropped significantly when he (temporarily) stopped taking orders and providing assistance by phone.
But be that as it may, a new study conducted by Loudhouse Research for CRM provider RightNow Technologies suggests that when it comes to customer care in online retail leading up to a purchase, both email and phone are overrated.
What happens in Vegas: Nielsen Usability Week (day one)
Nerves kick in as I weave my way past rows of fat people munching on fried chicken and simultaneously shoving coins into slot machines. I’m looking for Caesar’s Palace Conference Center but all I can see is a giant bust of Nero and rows of busy blackjack tables. It’s 8am.
At 9am, having eaten my own way through a Vegas breakfast buffet the length of a tube carriage, I’m ready to present six hours of brand new material onhow to write cost-effective customer care copy at Jakob Nielsen’s Usability Week.
Email is alive and well. And helping your social media campaign.
The Wall Street Journal may have declared "The End of the Email Era" this week, but that obituary went live far too soon.
Email is still alive and kicking. Beyond the fact that email usage still continues to grow, it is also a key factor in all of the more recent social tools that are seeing explosive growth. And according to a new study by Pontiflex, marketers are finding consumers much more willing to share information via email than social media, meaning that email is still an integral tool in marketing campaigns.
Why Facebook could be the next big news publisher
Facebook's growth, it seems, is limited only by the scope of Mark Zuckerberg's ambition. It began as a social networking site trying to keep up with MySpace, but Facebook is now circling its own orbit.
All that's stopping Facebook from becoming the pre-eminent news publisher for its 300m users is Zuckerberg's desire to do it.
Little things mean a lot: Usability & the wonky tray table effect
Even relatively small usability problems can have a big effect on user experience and user confidence on your site, especially at crucial stages of the user journey.
UK marketers at the head of the multichannel marketing pack: study
It seems that everybody talks about multichannel marketing these days. But how many walk the talk? According to a study conducted by marketing solutions provider ExactTarget, UK marketers are walking the talk more than marketers in other countries.
The result: they're better connecting with their customers and that boosts the bottom line.
How do you handle feedback?
When someone provides you with feedback, how do you handle it? Do you take it seriously and make an effort to incorporate it into what you're doing? Or do you more often than not blow it off?
Feedback is a touchy subject for brands, business owners and entrepreneurs. Everyone has an opinion and on the internet there is no shortage of individuals who want to share theirs with you. Depending on how feedback is provided and how much of it you receive, dealing with feedback can be overwhelming, depressing and even angering.
Five ways to drive interest in your tweeting
Advice for using Twitter to build an army of engaged followers is prevalent. Less is suggested for the ways to drive awareness of your Twitter presence using other communication channels.
If you apply the basic logic of acquisition and retention, you can use Twitter innovatively to engage your current followers but if you do nothing to tell others, how do you grow this channel?
This blog looks at six practical steps to pushing your Twitter presence. It's not rocket science but good ideas shouldn’t be complicated...
#fail is underrated
For most of us, failure is something to be avoided. After all, who really likes attempting to accomplish something and not succeeding?
But there's an inconvenient truth: failure is underrated. In many cases, it's a prerequisite for success and those who embrace it and learn from it have a strategic advantage over those who won't and can't.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
