SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social-media practices and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Where do you see companies wasting time, money and other resources in their quest to turn social media into sales?
- Jumping onto the social-media bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. 42.31%
- Lack of an overarching strategy; putting the “how” before the “why.” 32.05%
- Lacking an understanding of what it is, how it works or where to find the audience. 21.79%
- Determining whether social media should be a sales channel or not. 3.85%
I have two areas of concern regarding companies considering social-media engagement. First, there is a decided unhealthy focus, in my opinion, on the “how” at the expense of the “why.”
In order for a social-media game plan to be most effective, it has to tie back to strategic marketing goals and objectives. Social-media marketing is still marketing and is, therefore, subject to the same strictures as other forms of marketing. (read more…)
The top story in today’s SmartBrief on Social Media is the news that Facebook is making a subtle shift to the way users and brands interact on the network: Instead of becoming “a fan” of something, you will now just say that you “like” it.
As Erik Sass notes, the change is significant because it erodes the distinction between brands and individuals on the network. The change makes a lot of sense for Facebook — the network wants users to engage with brands more, so that it can become more profitable. But it is also a really great example of a key social-media principle at work: Allowing brands and customers to interact on a more informal level.
Say I like a particular kind of soda. Am I really a fan of the company that makes it? I don’t know if I’m ready for that level of endorsement. I’m kind of a commitment-phobe where companies are concerned. (read more…)
As the showdown between Google and the Chinese government plays out, it’s key to understand what’s at stake: a vibrant online market and a deeply entrenched social media culture on a scale that can be hard to imagine.
Yes, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are blocked, but that doesn’t mean that social networking is not happening in China. At a recent South by Southwest panel, entitled “Social Media and China: Different than You Think,” three experts — Jacqui Zhou, Dell’s Social Media Globalization Manager; Benjamin Joffe, CEO of Bejing-based social media research agency Plus Eight Star; and Sam Flemming of See i See, the first Chinese social media blog — revealed that quite the opposite is true and gave us a sense for the magnitude.
“Everything that happens in the West is happening on steroids in China,” Flemming declared. (read more…)
Every new technology has a learning curve — and sometimes it feels like this goes double for social technologies. First, you need to learn how to use the tools, then you have learn how to use them to engage others.
It can seem like an awfully long road to walk, as Dave Curry explains in today’s lead story in SmartBrief on Social Media. It might even be tempting to wait until there are more case studies and best practices for these new services. But waiting for a blueprint to magically appear has its own dangers. Three reasons to jump in now:
- No one can teach you but you. Social-media marketing case studies can be valuable teaching tools, but that abstract learning can only take you so far. The most memorable lessons don’t come from the triumphs of one brand or the blunders of another. They come from personal experience. You’ll never learn as much by watching as you will by doing.
Foursquare’s valuation went “stratospheric” last week — to $80 million. While we wait for the venture capital firms to duke it out investment-wise, I figured I’d tap Foursquare Business Development Director Tristan Walker to get the user side of the story.
And, if you can’t get enough of me and Foursquare together, check out the session with Foursquare and Groupon that I’m moderating on May 13 as part of the upcoming Social Media Success Summit. In that conversation, we’ll focus on how to use location-based tools to bring repeat customers to your local business, and we welcome your voice in the mix. The event is fully online, so there are no travel expenses.
Foursquare is just over one year old now. How has your growth accelerated over the past few months?
Over the past 10 days, we’ve added 120,000 users. That’s 20% growth in 10 days. Month to month, we’re experiencing anywhere from 60% to 70% growth. (read more…)
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