brands | Internet Marketing Blog

Personalized search: a boon to multichannel marketers?

Late last year, Google flipped the switch on personalized search.

Google's personalized search functionality is simple: unless you opt out or delete your 'Web History', Google monitors what you're searching for and what you're clicking for. It then uses the data collected to personalize your search results.

by Patricio Robles 10 February 2010 10:57am 2 comments

Staying cool and making money can be hard to do

Mobile location-based social network and gaming service Foursquare has been generated a bit of buzz lately, especially amongst the early adopter crowd. In just under a year, it has amassed a user base of 300,000, and with deals like the one it recently signed with television network Bravo, some believe Foursquare may be ready to hit the mainstream.

That's good news for the company and its investors, but as Foursquare starts exploring the commercial opportunities that come with popularity, it may find that maintaining the 'cool' factor and maximizing commercial opportunities at the same time is a difficult thing to do.

by Patricio Robles 04 February 2010 10:44am 2 comments

Five success factors for branded online communities

Most major brands are hip to Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. And many have built up an impressive presence on the web's most popular social hangouts.

But some of the more adventurous brands have also experimented with self-hosted communities of their own. Unfortunately, a large portion of them fail. Amongst the causalities are communities started by some of the world's biggest brands, such as Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart.

by Patricio Robles 13 January 2010 10:37am 2 comments

A fat-free guide to Facebook for brands

For consumer brands that want to harness - and feel the group hugs from - their community, there’s nothing quite like Facebook.

With hundreds of millions of unique users, Facebook offers a ready-made platform for companies to communicate with customers and fans, to support and extend marketing campaigns and to move some of those key brand metrics.

I have collated a few of the best presentations and videos to help you understand exactly why Facebook matters, and what it can do for your business (and how to do it).

by Chris Lake 11 January 2010 14:09pm 10 comments

Best of 2009: 24 social media experts interviewed

We've interviewed nearly 100 industry experts this year on various topics, from affiliate marketing to web analytics.

I've gathered together our interviews on the subject of social media...

by Graham Charlton 18 December 2009 10:08am 5 comments

TV brands and social media: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

I’ve set myself a social media challenge: to look at three brands every month within a specific industry to find out how well they’re doing in the social media space, or not.

I’ll rate them in terms of their performance alongside others in the same sector. I’ll share what I find here and really welcome your comments on my findings.

by Steve Richards 11 December 2009 09:39am 2 comments

Facebook Lite simplifies, complicates Facebook

If you've used Facebook, you've probably lamented a few things. Despite the fact that Facebook generally has a clean interface, navigating all of its features is not the easiest thing in the world. And Facebook isn't the most responsive website either.

In an effort to simplify the experience and make it faster for those who don't have a high-speed connection (or a lot of time to waste), Facebook has launched a version of its website called Facebook Lite. Currently it's available to users in the United States and India via lite.facebook.com but most expect it to be rolled out globally sooner than later.

by Patricio Robles 11 September 2009 09:04am 7 comments

Does social media lead to better financial results for companies?

How valuable is social media to business? The answer probably depends more on your opinion of social media than it does hard facts.

But a new study makes a bold claim: "deep engagement with consumers through social media channels correlates to better financial performance".

by Patricio Robles 21 July 2009 09:01am 7 comments

Are brands ignoring moms?

According to M2Moms, a report from the Market to Moms Coalition, 60% of moms feel marketers are ignoring their needs, and 73% feel advertisers don't really understand what it's like to be a mom. The challenge, says the report, is sensing her distinct, timely needs and responding in a way that truly resonates.

by Sally Falkow 01 July 2009 12:52pm 1 comment

Brands on Twitter: When silence is the best policy

Individuals and brands are flocking to Twitter, but all the employees figuring out how to share their company's message on the new medium might be surprised to learn that often the best thing to do on the service is stay silent.

At the 140 Character Conference in New York on Wednesday, that was the most ardent advice for brands using Twitter. According to Peter Fasano, Principal at Mass+Logic: "The most important thing on Twitter, is knowing when not to Tweet."

by Meghan Keane 17 June 2009 15:58pm 3 comments