Facebook | Internet Marketing Blog

MySpace can partner with brands. Without users, it doesn't matter.

MySpace may not have as many users as Facebook, but the company is trying to reposition itself (again) as a place where brands can find traction online.

The trouble is, brands usually follow users. Can MySpace flip that equation on its head and use great brand partnerships to attract users?

MySpace executives hope so.

by Meghan Keane 30 August 2010 21:17pm 0 comments

Is Digg digging itself into a hole with its new design?

Digg may have been a Web 2.0 pioneer, but out of all the mature startups loosely grouped into the 'social media' category, it's one of the companies some might argue is well past its prime. While other upstarts born around mid-decade, such as Facebook and Twitter, continue to rise, Digg seems to be treading water.

That, of course, is not to say that Digg isn't very popular. It is. And that's not to say that it can't do wonderful things for publishers who hit the front page. It can.

But for both consumers and publishers alike, the Facebook and Twitters of the world have largely become more important when it comes to sharing and discovering interesting content on the web.

by Patricio Robles 26 August 2010 10:24am 5 comments

Acceptance is the missing ingredient for social media success

In a world where social networking is key, I was glad to be involved in the Engaging Times summit in Chicago last week.

According to Engage chairman Stan Rapp, 'today’s consumers are the most narcissistic in history. We’re all looking after brand I.', while Don Peppers, head of Peppers & Rogers thinks that companies should not 'waste money on social media until your organisation can competently handle a customer phone call or email.'

The event was thought-provoking for a number of different reasons but the stand-out message is summed up nicely in these two quotes.

by Chris Bishop 25 August 2010 09:02am 7 comments

Do walled gardens really make analytics more challenging?

Analytics isn't easy, but just about every marketer knows how important it is. That's why so many companies have invested significant sums in their analytics strategies.

Unfortunately, the rise of popular consumer hangouts that are walled gardens, namely Facebook, has created multiple 'internets', and according to AdAge, that poses a number of challenges for companies and their analytics strategies.

by Patricio Robles 23 August 2010 09:48am 3 comments

Will Foursquare check out now that Facebook has Places?

Five years ago, one of the last things an entrepreneur with a hot consumer internet startup wanted to hear was "Google is launching a new service just like yours." It's 2010, and that has changed to "Facebook is launching a new service just like yours."

But that's precisely what Dennis Crowley, the founder of the increasingly popular location-based service Foursquare, recently heard.

by Patricio Robles 23 August 2010 09:07am 4 comments

There's no such thing as "cruise control" with social media

Social media is a lot like a car: it's easy to buy, but harder to maintain. Just as many of us buy a new car, only to neglect the day-to-day maintenance that will keep it running smoothly for years to come, many individuals and businesses buy into social media but fail to do what's necessary to make the most of the investment.

Case in point: Britney Spears. The pop singer has more than 4m fans on her Facebook Page, making her one of the 50 most popular musicians on Facebook. But as detailed by Wired, the people running her Facebook Page are apparently "asleep at the switch."

by Patricio Robles 20 August 2010 09:15am 12 comments

Should Facebook let others check you into "Places"?

Facebook's foray into location-based services launched last night. And while Places borrows heavily from existing services available on Yelp, Foursquare and Gowalla, one difference is the way that Facebook plans to grow its new product.

Facebook Places check-ins will be shared with users' entire network of friends. And if users wish, they can check other people into locations. Perhaps predictably, there are some privacy issues with this approach. But it ensures that people who may not otherwise interact with Places are sure to know it exists. And unless objections arise, Facebook's appraoach should be great for user adoption.

by Meghan Keane 19 August 2010 18:43pm 2 comments

25 brilliant examples of Facebook brand pages

I love to see brands generating innovative, engaging and creative advertising online. Yet, I’m always surprised at how little effort companies put into Facebook from a creative perspective, especially given the noise they make about using the platform and the levels of engagement often put in.

Arguably, Facebook does have a static format that needs changing, but it’s not that difficult – or expensive – to come up with some great landing page manipulation through Facebook Markup Language (FBML)... And some brands are taking advantage of this, to great effect.

Here are a few examples from our How to Create Amazing Facebook Pages guide...

by Jake Hird 18 August 2010 11:55am 114 comments

eMarketer: Social media ad spend to hit $1.7 billion in 2010

Facebook advertising appears to be a rising tide that lifts all social media boats. According to eMarketer, the ad spend on social networks is set to hit $1.7 billion this year. That's a 20% increase, and at least half of those ad dollars will be spent on Facebook.

by Meghan Keane 17 August 2010 22:04pm 2 comments

Study: In the battle for trust online, Facebook trumps Twitter

The social graph is something that the digital world is struggling to understand right now. How important are the connections within your digital social circle? Who are the most important connectors in your graph? How far does influence travel online?

Well, according to a study from Invoke Solutions, it's still real world friends that hold the most sway with consumers online. And while Facebook has made a niche for itself by fostering online relationships between people who are friends or know each other offline, on Twitter there could be trust issues.

by Meghan Keane 13 August 2010 18:18pm 5 comments