Twitter was going crazy during the Super Bowl this year, and it wasn’t about the game. The trending hashtags were all about the advertisements. Adweek promoted the hashtag #adweekbowl, which attracted a great crowd of marketers and tweeters. The other big hashtag of the night was definitely #brandbowl.
So what were the ad winners and losers of the first half of the Super Bowl? Continue reading
2012 was a very eventful year for the social media world. (understatement, I know!) Between acquisitions, introductions of new platforms, and grand site design changes, social media was an ever changing environment. Each time things seemed to calmed down, and marketers could catch their breath for a moment, things got flipped upside-down again. But, even though social media last year was a constantly changing arena, it is important for businesses to understand where each of the social media leaders stood at the end of the year; in addition to the opportunities and threats that face each platform during 2013. Continue reading
LinkedIn profiles are one of the best tools available for professionals to start developing their personal brand. Think of it as your online resume for both future employers and industry leaders to learn more about you. However, to grow your professional network, you need to optimize your profile so that industry professionals can find you. The following are five steps to increasing the visibility of your LinkedIn profile and highlighting your personal brand. Continue reading
From the rise of Pinterest to the ups and downs of Facebook post-IPO, 2012 was a big year for social media. The infographic below, courtesy of The SEO Company and Nowsourcing, showcases some of the top social media moments from 2012, including: Continue reading
With any inbound marketing strategy, customer outreach must focus on multiple channels; and, as we move further into 2013, well-developed cross-channel targeting will become even more important. However, how do we know where to focus our marketing efforts in 2013? Luckily, the great minds at StrongMail, an email marketing and cross-channel solutions company, did a little digging for us!
In conjunction with SurveyMonkey, StrongMail, administered an online poll to learn how more than 1,000 business leaders saw their marketing strategies changing in 2013.
Indicate the Marketing Programs You Plan to Increase Spending for in 2013
Based on the survey results, business leaders across various industries plan to have even more digitally heavy marketing strategies during 2013. Responders reported that they expected to increase spending on Email Marketing (55.5%), Social Media (51.8%), Mobile (42.8%), and SEO/PPC (39.8%) this year. In comparison, only 27.4% of responders thought they would decrease spending on Direct Mail efforts. Continue reading
Unique and frequently updated content written with the user in mind is a critical component of any search engine optimization strategy. The following infographic from Brafton, an online news and content agency based in Boston, explains how content impacts the visibility of a website in search results. It delves into several factors that impact how search engines determine the relevancy of content, including:
I have had the great opportunity to work with Matt Wesson, a very talented marketing content specialist and graphic designer, on the development of the infographic below about the rise of “Social Media Command Centers”.
In the recent months, many major brands have developed what they are calling “Social Media Command Centers.” These centers are state-of-the-art listening hubs that allow brands to monitor their presence on major social platforms and be ultra-responsive to conversations happening about their company. However, with all their glamor, are these command centers really capable of delivering results, or are they just for show?
The following infographic, looks at three of the most noteworthy examples of social media command centers: Continue reading
At this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, Adam Ostrow, the Executive Editor at Mashable, interviewed Jonathan Carson, the CEO of Digital at Nielsen, on the recent trends, challenges, and anticipated changes that Nielsen has seen in social media.
Carson explains that the biggest trend that Nielsen has seen is the massive adoption of mobile media and smart phone usage while watching TV, possibly driven by advancements in app development.
During the interview, Carson discussed the challenges that marketers and advertisers are encountering with the rise of corresponding mobile and TV usage. The amount of people who actively use a tablet, computer, or smart phone while watching TV continues to increase. This trend has created a challenge for companies to develop a 360 experience for viewers. One of the biggest obstacles companies face when creating a 360 experience is determining how to connect with the consumer when their attention is divided between the TV and their computer or mobile device. Continue reading
Twitter can be a powerful tool for sharing information, following topics of interest, and connecting with industry leaders. However, for many businesses (both large and small), Twitter is still that “strange” social media platform that they would like to use but they are unsure how.
There are many different approaches that businesses can take when using Twitter, such as:
The following are three case studies that showcase different ways that businesses have successfully used Twitter, as well as lessons learned while implementing these different tactics. Continue reading
Twice a year, a global platform brings together people interested in better understanding and leveraging social media for their companies or clients. Social Media Week is a bi-annual world-wide event centered around the social, cultural, and economic impact of social media. This year’s second global platform was held in 13 cities from September 24th to the 28th: