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Why social media needs to learn the marketing basics

Given that it pays my wages, I’m not supposed to let you know that social media isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for marketers everywhere, but try as I might I still can’t quite come up with enough reasons to ditch your other streams and hand your marketing keys over to Zuckerberg just yet.

While it can’t be all things to all people, there’s no denying that social media is still experiencing impressive growth and has great potential for innovation and engagement. Yet traditional media is still huge and it’s concerning that some of the hype surrounding social media could eventually be doing more harm than good for businesses.

One of the major problems is a lack of understanding.

by Matt Owen 06 September 2010 13:20pm 12 comments

Facebook goes to Target with Facebook Credits gift cards

Facebook may not be a retailer, but that doesn't mean the company can't sell gift cards. Starting September 5, Target will start selling Facebook Credits gift cards in stores nationwide.

Consumers don't necessarily need easier ways to spend money on Facebook, but it is a great trick to introduce more consumers to Facebook games. Free marketing for Target, too.

by Meghan Keane 01 September 2010 20:02pm 0 comments

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