Why CMO's Need to Join the Social Media Conversation

Social advertising spending will reach $11 billion a year by 2017, up from $4.7 billion in 2012, according to a BIA/Kelsey report released last year. This explosive growth will be driven by increased spending on advertising formats native to social media, such as video and mobile marketing, which will reshape traditional display ads into forms suited for socially-engaged audiences. For chief marketing officers and PR professionals, this trend will require breaking away from the one-way communication paradigm associated with traditional TV advertising and news, and embracing a new approach to broadcasting where audiences are active participants in the conversation.

Social TV Advertising

Last year, Nielsen began including TV-related Twitter conversations in its traditional ratings system, with the results revealing how dramatically social media has expanded television advertising's potential outreach. Twitter conversation about live TV grew 24 percent year-over-year between the second quarters of 2012 and 2013, expanding to 19 million unique people and 263 million tweets. Results showed that for every person tweeting about a live show, fifty more were following the Twitter conversation. This multiplier effect vastly extends the outreach of TV ads beyond their initial audience to viewers' social networks, making it imperative to factor the potential for follow-up sharing into ad concepts.

Television's social turn reflects how stationary TV screens are becoming increasingly integrated with their mobile counterparts on multiple fronts. In a broadband age, consumers who used to receive television, computer, and phone services as separate items can now compare TV and internet providers who offer bundled packages delivered over the same wireless network. Digital media players such as Apple TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, and the forthcoming Amazon Firetube enable broadcasts to be shared between devices, according to The Verge. Ad producers are exploiting this merger of media by designing formats such as Vine videos that can play on both traditional and mobile screens, inviting home audiences to share conversations with remote friends, as Adweeek reveals.

Viral Promotional Content

The rise of Vine videos illustrates how social conversations about multimedia content are driving viral campaigns. Mashable explains how the Harlem Shake fad, one of the top YouTube phenomena of 2013, showed how encouraging audiences to get into the video production act could push content distribution to viral proportions. Mobile users were also eager to share photos and graphics with their friends, propelling Instagram to expand its audience by 66 percent in 2013 and come within a percentage point of Twitter's market share, according to Pew research. Conversation-generating content is proving a winning formula for maximizing audience outreach.



Discussion-driven Search Engine Rankings

Social conversations are also weighing into search engine marketing. An annual Moz study found a strong correlation between Google +1 button endorsements and search engine rankings. Analysis indicated that +1 endorsements have a ripple effect, resulting in content sharing that creates organic backlinks. Experiments by media companies such as the Los Angeles Times and Huffington Post have found that embedded Facebook comments can give content a comparable boost. For PR professionals, generating social discussion is becoming increasingly vital for staying relevant to the marketing conversation.

Social Media Marketing what to look out for in 2014

Social media has become a massive part of our day to day lives. It is also a key tool when it comes to marketing your business and its products or services. Businesses across the world big and small have been taking advantage of social media to engage with their customers. We are going to to take a look at some of our predictions for 2014.

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The Micro-Video Takeover

The revolution has already started with the increase in popularity of social networks such as Vine, Instagram and Snapchat. In a fast moving world the 3 minute video has been killed off by 6 seconds of fireworks. The rise of these networks has led to more real time video sharing, where people are creating and sharing direct from their smartphone meaning you could be anywhere doing anything and able to share a video. These 6 second wonders are sure to change the startegy of most videos going on social media now.

Pictures means success

Brands that have used images to share content have huge success with some brands saying that Pinterest and Instagram have actually increased revenue by 5%. This will continue in 2014 and can only get bigger with the likes of Pinterest becoming very important power players rather than being a female dominated network. This is already proving true with Pinterest being the fastest growing network but it also provides greater traffic as well than anywhere else.

Google+ will come into its own

Google+ has always been seen to be chasing the pack but 2014 could be the year that people start to see the full potential of Google+. Google+ currently has the 2nd highest monthly users and that can only increase, on top of this it also has a bigger ownership in terms of of search power. As more and more people begin to use Google's products users will find that they are using Google+ more as integrates all interactions in one place across all Google products. Google authorship will also become a major part of its rise as it will play a huge part in Google's new ranking algorithm.

Social Media is a must if you want to survive

While social media is a big marketing tool at the moment in 2014 it is going to become essential for every business not to just have but be using to engage and promote their brand with customers. Many are seeing how the positive influence of social media is increasing traffic, creating more leads and gains in revenue. Businesses will realise that they will need some knowledge to make sure they take advantage of social media so training or management of a business social media accounts will be needed.

How Retailers Are Using Vine to Master Social Media

If social media marketing was split into tiers, the base would consist of networks like Twitter and Facebook. The second level involves managing a Google Plus account and posting pictures to Instagram and Pinterest. But at the top sits the niche networks which only the savviest marketers truly utilize. Enter Vine.

Vine is a mobile video platform that records six seconds of footage and publishes the final product to a social sharing feed similar to Twitter or Instagram. The videos repeat in a loop, which can add a flavor of humor to the mix, and retailers are jumping on this bandwagon to create new ways to reach consumers.

Urban Outfitters

Because Vine can record a number of short segments within the six-second limit, quick-shot product demos are a great way to use such a short amount of time to show off new items online. Urban Outfitters was one of the first major retailers to use Vine when it launched in early 2013 and is still active on the social network. Along with product demos, it also uploads videos showing its fun and cool company culture and events.

Lowe's

Another early player in the game, Lowe's Hardware made its mark with the "fix in six" series. A compilation of videos giving handy tips around the house using stop-motion animation on Vine. The genius behind "fix in six" is that it doesn't advertise Lowe's directly, but essentially hands out free advice on products the company sells. The clip above shows how to remove a screw that won't budge by using a wrench for extra torque. Viewers who see this might hop over to Lowe's for the right tools.

Gap

Gap uses Vine like a sort of video Pinterest board. It puts new products on display and throws in a twist of creativity and artistic style to add some flair in that six-second window. While videos from Lowe's require a little more production effort, Gap shows that any retailer, no matter what its marketing budget, can make the same quality product videos and a multi-million dollar clothing retailer.

Clothing and "mall" retailers also have the opportunity to use Vine to promote seasonal shopping periods. Department stores could advertise for Black Friday at JC Penny or Macy's with a quick, six-second shot of some of those early morning deals.

Puma

Not every Vine has to be a product video. This post from Puma gives a behind-the-scenes look at a commercial shoot for the shoe company and sporting retailer. Consumers love to see what their favorite companies are doing behind closed doors and these videos are the perfect way to show sneak peaks of company culture (similar to Urban Outfitters' videos).

7 Social Media Tips to Get You Started on the Path to Success!

The number one question we get from beginners is; "How do I get started?"

There are so many social media websites out there, and we understand it can be very intimidating. The Social Media Square One objective is to reduce those stress levels, and make the online process not only profitable for you, but fun too! We would like to share with you 7 tips for getting started with your social media marketing plan.


Use Your Real Name - For some reason, buying a product or service from "HotMama352" does not seem very attractive. Make sure to use your real name when signing up for social accounts. If your name is taken, then it would be acceptable to add some numbers so that it is still recognizable. For example, if your name is a common one like John Smith, it would be OK to use JohnSmith950.
A Photo of You - When choosing an avatar (profile photo) make sure to pick a one that is fun and representative of your professional personality. People do not want to do business with a logo, cartoon, pet or eyeball. Let them see your beautiful face so they know who they are talking to. People are more responsive when they can put a face to a name.
Know Your Audience - Many small business owners are working hard to sell to anybody and everybody in order to increase revenue. While this has you working hard and achieving some amount of success, we know that identifying your target market is one of the most important things a business can do. With so many social networks out there, you want to find the ones that your customers and prospects are using. For example, you might hear that a site like Myspace is out of favor in the social media world, but for a musician, it is still a must. On the other hand, if you want to target the 13-17 year old demographic, LinkedIn might not be the best place to be spending your time. Our advice is to do some research, find out where your customers and prospects are spending their time, and get yourself set up on those social networks as soon as possible so that you can jump into the conversation and start generating leads!
Listen - Once you are a member of the social networks, take the time to listen to what the community is talking about. If you jump in and use the platform with a megaphone to sell your product or service, your credibility will be lost. There is nothing virtual about this online social world, these are real people having real conversations. So act in the same way you would at a live networking event in your hometown. If you would not bombard me with a sales pitch at a live event, don't do it inside of social media either.
Build Relationships - People want to do business with others they like, know and trust. Social media gives us an amazing platform to earn that trust by simply taking the time to build great relationships with them. Just like in real life, this takes time. You must share something about yourself. Don't be afraid to talk about your likes, interests and passions. Nobody wants to do business with a logo or pushy salesperson, so open up and start making friends. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing there is, and you have almost 500 million people out there with the potential to become brand ambassadors for your company. Let's make the most of it by caring about the people, creating value, and showing them that we are here to meet their needs.
Don't Worry About the Numbers - If you only have a couple of hundred people in your network, do not let that get you down. The key is to target your followers, and many times less can be more. We have seen people time and time again try to automate the process in order to increase their friend/followers, but most of the time it leads to a large number filled with bots, spammers, and vacant accounts that bring no value to you, your business, or the community.
Budget Your Time - Minutes can quickly turn into hours on social networks if you are not careful. Many people get caught up playing Facebook games like FarmVille, surfing YouTube for hours watching funny videos, or hitting the refresh button over and over waiting on responses from a post. Our advice is to log in with a set time goal and stick to it.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4687893

Why Social Media Is A Must For Your Business

 

For a long time, social media sites were only perceived as places where young people could stay in contact with one another: somewhere they could share their thoughts, photos and videos with their friends. Sites like Myspace and Bebo helped users connect with new people and keep in touch with their friends online, while also giving them a platform to express themselves.

After a few years at the top, however, Myspace and Bebo were replaced by new kid on the blockFacebook. Facebook, a site designed so that Ivy League college students could create a profile and exchange messages, has become something far greater than its humble origins. Companies and brands quickly realised that they could set up their own profiles, just like the college students, allowing them to connect with Facebook’s millions of users. In 2007, only a year after Facebook went public, there were over 100,000 business pages on the site.

Now, Facebook has over 1 billion users and millions of company and brand pages. The site’s huge membership figures give companies a present and active audience, one they can reach and engage with promotions, and even interact with easily. Companies can use Facebook to keep fans and customers up-to-date with new products, or even to run competitions and contests.

There are a number of other social media sites that provide businesses with fantastic marketing opportunities. Twitter, for example, is where the conversation happens. Twitter’s 200 million users access the site to talk about what they are doing and current topics of interest. Businesses can use Twitter to see what people are talking about and even what people are saying about their brand.

Picture sharing sites like Pinterest and Flickr give businesses a place to showcase their work with eye-catching images, while video sharing sites like YouTube help companies reach the public with viral video adverts. Google+, Google’s answer to Facebook, provides a very similar service to Facebook, but with a focus on building interest-based communities.

Over the last two years, social media has moved onto mobile devices. With apps like Instagram, Vineand Facebook Mobile, people can stay constantly connected to their social media profiles. Meanwhile, with geotargeting social media networks like Foursquare, and similar services on Google and Facebook, local businesses can even find customers nearby and target them with advertising.

In fact, thanks to the reams and reams of personal information users put on social media accounts, businesses can target their ideal customers with adverts.

Social media has become one of the most powerful tools in a business’ arsenal, providing them with a low-cost platform for advertising and marketing, an enormous and targeted audience, a place where they can keep up-to-date with all the headlines and breaking news, a stage on which to release and promote new products, and a forum to speak to customers and monitor the conversation

Article written by Will Sigsworth

Video created and narrated by Rob Thomson