Recent news that Facebook has now officially broken the 400 million mark in users.
If it were a county it would be the third biggest behind only China and India.
Surely it will not be long before it breaks throught he one billion mark and becomes the single biggest group on the planet.
The worlds first global, totally open, all inclusive community.
I think it's now time to start giving some serious thought about how we can leverage this amazing machine to do more than just chat and do business. Perhaps it has a greater purpose. Food for thought.
Stay well.
Daniele.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
And Now Purely for Laughs
It would be fair to say that Marketig has always been and remains a serious concern for marketers, businesses and customers alike.
Occassionally however we need to put our 4P's, 4C's and barand plans away, smell the roses and just have a good laugh. With this in mind, if you want a good (non marketing related laugh), click on the link below and get ready to smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa7why6CCyo
See you next time for more, serious marketing pursuits.
Best Wishes
Daniele Lima
Occassionally however we need to put our 4P's, 4C's and barand plans away, smell the roses and just have a good laugh. With this in mind, if you want a good (non marketing related laugh), click on the link below and get ready to smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa7why6CCyo
See you next time for more, serious marketing pursuits.
Best Wishes
Daniele Lima
Saturday, February 6, 2010
3 New Studies Show Value of Social Media & Businesses Slow Response
February 5, 2010
By Amy Porterfield
There are some interesting studies surfacing lately in the world of social media. Here’s a summary of three recent research findings covering the benefits of social media marketing, how forums help brands and how businesses are employing social media marketing.
#1: 50% of Small Businesses Say Lead Generation is Biggest Benefit of Social Networking
According to the “Small Business Marketing Forecast 2010” from Ad-ology, lead generation is the biggest benefit of social networking for U.S. small businesses.
Here’s the breakdown of respondents’ top benefits of social networking:
■50%: Generating leads
■45%: Keeping up with the industry
■44%: Monitoring online conversation
■38%: Finding vendors/suppliers
This chart shows the level at which the respondents found each social networking benefit useful.
Here’s a surprising statistic: While 67% agreed that social media is a good way to increase business, 39% of those surveyed said they did not plan to use social networking in their marketing plan in 2010. This number is likely tied to the finding that 31% reported that their customers do not use social media, 29% stated they do not have enough time to devote to it and 21% said they do not know enough about social media.
Although more businesses are beginning to adopt social media strategies into their overall marketing plans, this report suggests businesses still have a long way to go before social media is fully integrated into marketing efforts.
#2: Online Forum Users Are Enthusiastic Brand Advocates
According to a recent survey published by PostRelease, people who actively contribute to online forums are overwhelmingly more engaged in “influential” activities – both online and offline – than people who don’t use forums.
What’s most interesting about these findings is that a forum contributor’s influence far extends past the walls of the forum. Here are some statistics:
■79.2% of forum contributors help a friend or family member make a decision about a product purchase – compared with 47.6% of non-contributors and 53.8% overall.
■65% of forum contributors share advice (offline and in person) based on information that they’ve read online – compared with 35% of non-contributors and 40.8% overall.
■57.7% of forum contributors proactively recommend someone make a particular purchase – compared with 16.9% of non-contributors and 24.9% overall.
There’s also an interesting correlation between forum users and blogging. The study found that those who contribute to online forums are 10 times more likely than non-contributors to also publish a blog, and are 9 times more likely to take an active role in organizing an offline event or meeting for a group that originally met online.
For marketers who are looking to connect with the key influencers in their niche, the findings suggest that online forums are a smart place to start; however, marketers should proceed with caution. Justin Choi, founder and president of PostRelease, writes, “Online forums are great places to find enthusiastic consumers and influential brand advocates. The people in forums are often discussing specific products, sharing advice and asking each other for recommendations. For marketers, participating in that discussion is not quite as simple as jumping into a forum conversation – forums have rules about that. But there are tools for connecting in a way that’s transparent and relevant.”
Here's a snapshot of the behaviors and habits of people who contribute to forums versus the non-contributors.
#3: Only 47% of Companies Experimenting With Social Media
A study by Gartner predicts that by the end of 2010, more than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies will manage an online community. However, another study by ComBlu brings Gartner’s findings into question.
ComBlu’s study, The State of Online Branded Communities, shows how most companies do not understand how to engage within online communities and have no real idea of what their customers want on these sites. Furthermore, most companies are unaware that people interact on these sites in different ways, so many companies are merely pushing data with little or no interaction.
The report reveals that when companies do get people to join their communities, their lack of engagement is extremely obvious to the sophisticated user.
“Instead of engaging the visitor, the brand drives them away because they offer little of value. Consumers today are sophisticated users of social tools and seek out communities to learn, share and interact. If these elements are missing, or there is no obvious organizing structure that fulfills specific needs, the ‘faux’ community will be quickly abandoned,” stated the report.
Here are some interesting findings related to brands and their online community activity (or lack thereof):
■47% of brands are still in the experimental phase, meaning they “exhibit lots of social activity with little connection or integration with each other.”
■24% are community ghost towns, meaning there is no engagement and very few members with no return visitors.
■20% show a cohesive strategy and typically had robust engagement tools and multiple activities with an active participation from their community.
■9% show community overload with multiple messages to the same audience, most likely causing confusion and diluting the message.
Perhaps even more important, the study points out that some of the most effective online community best practices were used the least. Of the 135 communities they examined, only:
■44 have a community manager. A community manager acts as the face of the community. Without one, there is no cohesive bond between the community sponsors and its members.
■44 allow social networking. This practice allows community members to connect with each other and find shared interests, thus promoting further connection.
■35 offer social bookmarking. This best practice gives community members a tool to personalize and aggregate their online experience at the brand’s destination site.
What do you think about these study findings? As always, we want to hear from you. Have you had similar results that support the data above or does your social media experience contradict the findings? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
About the Author, Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is a social media strategy consultant. Her passion is helping companies, authors and speakers create raving fans using social media and online marketing.
By Amy Porterfield
There are some interesting studies surfacing lately in the world of social media. Here’s a summary of three recent research findings covering the benefits of social media marketing, how forums help brands and how businesses are employing social media marketing.
#1: 50% of Small Businesses Say Lead Generation is Biggest Benefit of Social Networking
According to the “Small Business Marketing Forecast 2010” from Ad-ology, lead generation is the biggest benefit of social networking for U.S. small businesses.
Here’s the breakdown of respondents’ top benefits of social networking:
■50%: Generating leads
■45%: Keeping up with the industry
■44%: Monitoring online conversation
■38%: Finding vendors/suppliers
This chart shows the level at which the respondents found each social networking benefit useful.
Here’s a surprising statistic: While 67% agreed that social media is a good way to increase business, 39% of those surveyed said they did not plan to use social networking in their marketing plan in 2010. This number is likely tied to the finding that 31% reported that their customers do not use social media, 29% stated they do not have enough time to devote to it and 21% said they do not know enough about social media.
Although more businesses are beginning to adopt social media strategies into their overall marketing plans, this report suggests businesses still have a long way to go before social media is fully integrated into marketing efforts.
#2: Online Forum Users Are Enthusiastic Brand Advocates
According to a recent survey published by PostRelease, people who actively contribute to online forums are overwhelmingly more engaged in “influential” activities – both online and offline – than people who don’t use forums.
What’s most interesting about these findings is that a forum contributor’s influence far extends past the walls of the forum. Here are some statistics:
■79.2% of forum contributors help a friend or family member make a decision about a product purchase – compared with 47.6% of non-contributors and 53.8% overall.
■65% of forum contributors share advice (offline and in person) based on information that they’ve read online – compared with 35% of non-contributors and 40.8% overall.
■57.7% of forum contributors proactively recommend someone make a particular purchase – compared with 16.9% of non-contributors and 24.9% overall.
There’s also an interesting correlation between forum users and blogging. The study found that those who contribute to online forums are 10 times more likely than non-contributors to also publish a blog, and are 9 times more likely to take an active role in organizing an offline event or meeting for a group that originally met online.
For marketers who are looking to connect with the key influencers in their niche, the findings suggest that online forums are a smart place to start; however, marketers should proceed with caution. Justin Choi, founder and president of PostRelease, writes, “Online forums are great places to find enthusiastic consumers and influential brand advocates. The people in forums are often discussing specific products, sharing advice and asking each other for recommendations. For marketers, participating in that discussion is not quite as simple as jumping into a forum conversation – forums have rules about that. But there are tools for connecting in a way that’s transparent and relevant.”
Here's a snapshot of the behaviors and habits of people who contribute to forums versus the non-contributors.
#3: Only 47% of Companies Experimenting With Social Media
A study by Gartner predicts that by the end of 2010, more than 60% of Fortune 1000 companies will manage an online community. However, another study by ComBlu brings Gartner’s findings into question.
ComBlu’s study, The State of Online Branded Communities, shows how most companies do not understand how to engage within online communities and have no real idea of what their customers want on these sites. Furthermore, most companies are unaware that people interact on these sites in different ways, so many companies are merely pushing data with little or no interaction.
The report reveals that when companies do get people to join their communities, their lack of engagement is extremely obvious to the sophisticated user.
“Instead of engaging the visitor, the brand drives them away because they offer little of value. Consumers today are sophisticated users of social tools and seek out communities to learn, share and interact. If these elements are missing, or there is no obvious organizing structure that fulfills specific needs, the ‘faux’ community will be quickly abandoned,” stated the report.
Here are some interesting findings related to brands and their online community activity (or lack thereof):
■47% of brands are still in the experimental phase, meaning they “exhibit lots of social activity with little connection or integration with each other.”
■24% are community ghost towns, meaning there is no engagement and very few members with no return visitors.
■20% show a cohesive strategy and typically had robust engagement tools and multiple activities with an active participation from their community.
■9% show community overload with multiple messages to the same audience, most likely causing confusion and diluting the message.
Perhaps even more important, the study points out that some of the most effective online community best practices were used the least. Of the 135 communities they examined, only:
■44 have a community manager. A community manager acts as the face of the community. Without one, there is no cohesive bond between the community sponsors and its members.
■44 allow social networking. This practice allows community members to connect with each other and find shared interests, thus promoting further connection.
■35 offer social bookmarking. This best practice gives community members a tool to personalize and aggregate their online experience at the brand’s destination site.
What do you think about these study findings? As always, we want to hear from you. Have you had similar results that support the data above or does your social media experience contradict the findings? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
About the Author, Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield is a social media strategy consultant. Her passion is helping companies, authors and speakers create raving fans using social media and online marketing.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
10 Reasons to Blog to Grow Your Business
Blog is the most popular thing in the web market. Many small entrepreneurs make use of blogs for promoting their business. Blog is usually considered to be the first step of getting into the internet business. Many small entrepreneurs earn huge money from their blogs. Let us learn the top 10 reasons to use blog marketing for promoting your internet business.
1. Cheap or Free way of Marketing
Many blog hosting services are free. At the most they are cheap. Blog is a good way of promoting your website as well as products. It is the most cost-effective option of internet business. Blogs are informative and directly interact with the viewers. Therefore, blogs give authenticity to the web business. Blogs help in creating brand name for any internet business. No wonder this reason tops our list of top 10 reasons to use blog marketing
2. Brilliant platform to create a wide network
All kinds of internet businesses need to maintain interactions and network with other corporations and consumers. However, remaining in touch with all of them is not possible. Therefore, maintaining a blog that is updated regularly will come in as handy. Blogs can reach thousands of targeted readers at any time in any place.
3. Superior company presence
Blog marketing increases visibility of your internet business or brand. Whenever anyone is looking out for a particular product or service, your brand will come first in their mind. Other than this, if you have a blog that it is attached to your main website then it can contain links to other pages of your website. On the other hand, a non-attached blog is directly linked to the site. When you get familiar with blogging you can also exchange links with other high PR blogs for getting good search engine results and quality traffic.
4. Enhanced product or service popularity
Blog marketing give popularity to your products. People trust blogs more easily than they trust your website. Blogs can be the main window for educating consumers or clients about your products or services in a very effective manner. You can also add interactive features to your blog for making it more user-friendly and thus, enhancing your credibility.
If you don’t have the time for maintaining such a blog then hiring bloggers for this purpose will prove to be highly beneficial. These bloggers who have a good professional experience can give engaging and proper information of your products and services.
5. Ameliorated brand or company name
Blog marketing accelerates personal interactions with the consumers. The tone and style of the blog articles and the blog introduces as well as forms a connection between you and the consumers. This makes them get closer to you and gain an in-depth understanding of the kind of products that you sell or the services that you offer. A regularly updated blog builds a strong relationship with the consumers. The relationship gets even stronger if the comments are answered regularly.
6. Increased consumer communication and bonding
One of the main reasons to use the blog marketing is to know your consumer opinions, likes and dislikes through comment feature. If your products or services need improvement of any kind then you will not have to conduct any survey or research; you will come to know it directly through your comments section. Other than complaints, you can get compliments as well.
7. Pulling heaving heavy relevant traffic
Blogs always increase your website, product, internet business or any business popularity if the links are placed in the blog posts. Of course, for getting traffic quality posts are a must. But the traffic that is sent from your blog is usually convertible. Blogs actually sell products and that is why many companies hire bloggers for selling their products.
8. Viral effect through mouth publicity
When people read about your product, if you are able to convince through your blog posts; you will get free publicity when they tell their friends. So, this viral effect will increase your sales. Word of mouth marketing is very effective and you can capture this market with the help of your blog. If you share personal experiences with the readers, you can create affinity between your readers and you, and this affinity will help you to increase the sales of your product.
9. Improving the search engine presence of your site
A very well search engine optimized blog that is attached to your website adds to the search engine presence of your site. Content containing quality information and specific keywords will give your internet business or website an extra edge. You must make use of appropriate tools to spot specific keywords for including in your blog posts. Your blog title and posts both must contain the main keyword.
10. High rate of viewers converting into buyers
Blogs that contain specific or targeted keywords and have engaging informative content provide traffic that ends up buying your products or services. Search engine optimized blogs provide traffic or readers who are looking out for specific products or services. If the content or blog posts are able to build relations with the readers such readers are easily converted into buyers.
Reference: acidblog.net
1. Cheap or Free way of Marketing
Many blog hosting services are free. At the most they are cheap. Blog is a good way of promoting your website as well as products. It is the most cost-effective option of internet business. Blogs are informative and directly interact with the viewers. Therefore, blogs give authenticity to the web business. Blogs help in creating brand name for any internet business. No wonder this reason tops our list of top 10 reasons to use blog marketing
2. Brilliant platform to create a wide network
All kinds of internet businesses need to maintain interactions and network with other corporations and consumers. However, remaining in touch with all of them is not possible. Therefore, maintaining a blog that is updated regularly will come in as handy. Blogs can reach thousands of targeted readers at any time in any place.
3. Superior company presence
Blog marketing increases visibility of your internet business or brand. Whenever anyone is looking out for a particular product or service, your brand will come first in their mind. Other than this, if you have a blog that it is attached to your main website then it can contain links to other pages of your website. On the other hand, a non-attached blog is directly linked to the site. When you get familiar with blogging you can also exchange links with other high PR blogs for getting good search engine results and quality traffic.
4. Enhanced product or service popularity
Blog marketing give popularity to your products. People trust blogs more easily than they trust your website. Blogs can be the main window for educating consumers or clients about your products or services in a very effective manner. You can also add interactive features to your blog for making it more user-friendly and thus, enhancing your credibility.
If you don’t have the time for maintaining such a blog then hiring bloggers for this purpose will prove to be highly beneficial. These bloggers who have a good professional experience can give engaging and proper information of your products and services.
5. Ameliorated brand or company name
Blog marketing accelerates personal interactions with the consumers. The tone and style of the blog articles and the blog introduces as well as forms a connection between you and the consumers. This makes them get closer to you and gain an in-depth understanding of the kind of products that you sell or the services that you offer. A regularly updated blog builds a strong relationship with the consumers. The relationship gets even stronger if the comments are answered regularly.
6. Increased consumer communication and bonding
One of the main reasons to use the blog marketing is to know your consumer opinions, likes and dislikes through comment feature. If your products or services need improvement of any kind then you will not have to conduct any survey or research; you will come to know it directly through your comments section. Other than complaints, you can get compliments as well.
7. Pulling heaving heavy relevant traffic
Blogs always increase your website, product, internet business or any business popularity if the links are placed in the blog posts. Of course, for getting traffic quality posts are a must. But the traffic that is sent from your blog is usually convertible. Blogs actually sell products and that is why many companies hire bloggers for selling their products.
8. Viral effect through mouth publicity
When people read about your product, if you are able to convince through your blog posts; you will get free publicity when they tell their friends. So, this viral effect will increase your sales. Word of mouth marketing is very effective and you can capture this market with the help of your blog. If you share personal experiences with the readers, you can create affinity between your readers and you, and this affinity will help you to increase the sales of your product.
9. Improving the search engine presence of your site
A very well search engine optimized blog that is attached to your website adds to the search engine presence of your site. Content containing quality information and specific keywords will give your internet business or website an extra edge. You must make use of appropriate tools to spot specific keywords for including in your blog posts. Your blog title and posts both must contain the main keyword.
10. High rate of viewers converting into buyers
Blogs that contain specific or targeted keywords and have engaging informative content provide traffic that ends up buying your products or services. Search engine optimized blogs provide traffic or readers who are looking out for specific products or services. If the content or blog posts are able to build relations with the readers such readers are easily converted into buyers.
Reference: acidblog.net
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