Facebook | Internet Marketing Blog

Six ways for online retailers to use social media

A quick survey of Hitwise’s list of top UK online retailers shows that adoption of social media is patchy to say the least. The recent hype around Twitter and Facebook has clearly caught their attention with 69% and 50% respectively having a profile.

However, a measly 31% use blogging and social bookmarking and, surprisingly, only 25% use product reviews. Even when social media is being used, it is not always obvious. Debenhams, for example, has a blog, Twitterand Facebook page, not that you would know that from their homepage.

by Trevor Ginn 25 November 2009 09:41am 12 comments

Social media meets Xbox Live

The convergence of the television and the web has been promised for more than a decade now. Anyone remember Microsoft's acquisition of WebTV in 1997?

There were good reasons at the time to see the potential of a marriage between the internet and the TV, and there still are. Like a lot of predictions, however, this one was a bit premature. But is now the time?

by Patricio Robles 25 November 2009 08:54am 2 comments

Starbucks 'Loves' social media for the holidays

Starbucks has invested a lot in social media. From Twitter to Facebook to its own MyStarbucksIdea.com, Starbucks has a highly-visible social media footprint. And highly-visible results: over half a million followers on Twitter and more than 5m fans on Facebook.

Given its social media prowess, if any brand is capable of turning away from traditional marketing channels and reaching out to consumers online, it's Starbucks. And that's exactly what it's doing this holiday season.

by Patricio Robles 23 November 2009 12:46pm 6 comments

Salesforce.com tries to bring social networking to the workplace

Salesforce.com built a billion-dollar company by allowing companies to ditch their CRM software and bringing CRM to the cloud. Now it has its sights set on perhaps an even bigger feat: bringing social media to the enterprise.

Yesterday, the company announced that it will be launching a new service called Salesforce Chatter in 2010. Think of it as Facebook for the enterprise: a social networking service for companies with an application platform to boot.

by Patricio Robles 19 November 2009 12:20pm 5 comments

Razorfish: Social media is helping established brands. But what about everyone else?

Razorfish has released its annual study into consumer behavior online and this year's results have a lot to do with social media. According to Feed: The Razorfish Digital Brand Experience Report, many consumers are engaging with brands online to receive exclusive promotions or discounts.

The study also found that people who actively engage with a brand digitally — from participating in a contest to downloading a mobile application — are substantially more inclined to purchase and recommend that brand to others.

The question for brands is how to create digital events that impress consumers. Because negative experiences online have a bad influence on the bottom line for brands.

by Meghan Keane 11 November 2009 01:46am 3 comments

Q&A: Sienne Veit on Marks & Spencer's social media strategy

Marks & Spencer's online strategy has gone through a variety of changes in recent months. As well as revamping their main website, the British retail giant has embraced social media by incorporating ratings and reviews into their website, and using Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation and better engage with customers.

It is encouraging to see a major brand like M&S experimenting with new online channels. By incorporating social media into their strategy, Marks & Spencer has enhanced its ability to respond to customers. Additionally, the brand is better placed to manage their online reputation more effectively.

At a recent iCrossing social media briefing, I asked Business Development Manager, Sienne Veit about the changes that Marks & Spencer has implemented and the impact of social media on the brand.

by Aliya Zaidi 09 November 2009 10:18am 5 comments

Gamers coming clean on scam ads: Is contrition enough?

The social gaming lead-gen controversy sparked by TechCrunch's Michael Arrington came to an end this week when OfferPal, the company he singled out for scamming users and advertisers, replaced its CEO and posted a mea culpa for its past and current practices.

Beyond that, Facebook, MySpace and mega gamer Zynga have made moves this week to better regulate gaming offers. Will the move decimate the social gaming industry?

by Meghan Keane 06 November 2009 23:54pm 0 comments

Facebook wins $711 million anti-spam lawsuit. But social spam is here to stay.

By now everyone online is accustomed to receiving and filtering spam in their inboxes, but recent spamming attacks on social sites like Facebook have caught many by surprise. Facebook is hoping to change all that, with a court win this week against uber spammer Sanford Wallace.

Facebook hopes that a $711 million fine and the threat of jail time will not only sideline Wallace, but function as a deterrent to future social spammers. But let's be honest. That's not going to happen.

by Meghan Keane 30 October 2009 22:14pm 1 comment

Social media stats round up

Here's a selection of recent social media stats, taken from a range of sources, including Econsultancy's Social Media Statistics document, which forms part of the Internet Statistics Compendium, and other reports...

by Graham Charlton 30 October 2009 09:27am 5 comments

Facebook changes put end users above app developers

The app economy generates big bucks for Facebook's most prolific developers. Thanks in large part to virtual goods, the companies which develop some of Facebook's most popular apps are reportedly pulling in over $100m/year individually.

But what's good for Facebook's app developers isn't necessarily good for Facebook's users. App developers are understandably willing to go as far as Facebook will allow them to in their quest to acquire more users and generate more revenue.

by Patricio Robles 29 October 2009 14:37pm 4 comments