Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’

The Social Media Revolution: Are You Connected?

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Today celebrates the revolution in the way the cyberworld is changing how the real world relates to one another – through social media. It’s hard to deny the fact of the impact social media is making on us as a society.

Social media has offered people a voice.

It has helped us reunite with old grade school and high school classmates, stay connected with  friends and family throughout all parts of the world, discuss current news headlines and allow the average person walking down the street to report on world events, as seen through Twitter and Facebook from the streets of Cairo, Libya and Egypt during the past year.

Throughout the past year, we’ve seen Facebook pages smothered with protest and riot plans, photographs uploaded to Flickr and Photobucket and video clips posted onto YouTube. We saw the riots and protests of other countries being displayed through text messages, cell phone images, Twitter posts and Facebook updates.

A global revolution was being created with social media.

Facebook: Numbers Don’t Lie

According to the second annual Arab Social Media Report by the Dubai School of Government and posted on Christian Science Monitor, a quarter of all Facebook users in the Middle East are Egyptian. From January to April this year – the height of the Tahrir uprising – membership on the social site increased by 2 million, the report says.

Although the site is relatively new, its power is undeniable.

eMarketer estimates 132.5 million people in the US will be using Facebook this year, and by 2013, that number will increase to 152.1 million.
Pause. Take a minute to let that soak in. It’s quite astonishing news.

The growth will be driven primarily by increased use among older baby boomers and seniors. Teens and young adults will continue to be the core of Facebook’s audience.

Social Media Day Has People Connected

Social Media Day Has People Connected

Social Media Evolution: The Impact on Our Lives

The evolution of Social Media is happening right before our very eyes. It’s not only changing the way we all live in the present, but it’s also going to affect how we exchange information and live in the future.

Social media has impacted our society and infiltrated the way in which we do everything – literally. From finding the latest deals on food items at local grocery stores, reading reviews on local handymen, having discussions on world news through Twitter and Facebook, hosting Webinars on various topics and so much more!

The obvious factor that social media is becoming so huge is that it’s social. We as humans, for the most part, enjoy socializing with others. Why wouldn’t we enjoy and latch onto technology that enhances our ability to socialize not just with people from our own country, but from all parts of the world? We want to interact with others and have as many discussions as possible on endless topics.

Since 2008, users of social media have nearly doubled, according to a survey released this month by Pew Internet, a project of the Pew Research Center. 59%of Internet users say they use at least one social networking site, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or MySpace.

Only time will tell how much more we can learn and interact with the Internet and if people will continue to accept it with open arms.

Are you ready? Get your seatbelt on. It may be a bumpy ride.

Is Liking and Following Just a Numbers Game?

Friday, June 17th, 2011

100,000 “likes” on Facebook and 100 “followers” on Twitter. You’re company is rocking with your target audience. Or, is it?

Companies have become dedicated to obtaining a high number of fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter, thinking it’s going to boost the company image and increase business.

The numbers game is so appealing to companies because it’s simple and something tangible. They can see the numbers their competitor have and work to pass them.

Likes and Followers is Just a Numbers Game

"Likes" and "Followers" is Just a Numbers Game

What companies don’t know is that research has shown that fewer than 20% of visitors who “like” a business page on Facebook ever return. “Likes” are really pointless. They don’t add value to your company. What’s the point of having so many “likes” if the person has no intention of purchasing your product, or service?

Rather than spend all the company’s resources focusing on gaining so many “likes” and followers”, companies need to use the energy to engage with the audience through comments, re-tweets and discussions.

If companies are so focused on having the highest number of “likes” and followers, then they need to do something productive with all those people’s attention surfing the social networking sites.

Read the full article here.

Companies Need to Think Outside the Box with Social Marketing

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

It’s a fact that the growth of social media is impacting the way organizations communicate. It’s a positive way to reach potential business customers. If this is true, why are so many companies creating Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages and using them ineffectively?

Some of these companies are using these profiles as just another advertising channel to push their product or service in the consumer’s face. The public knows this, and ignores it.

No one logs into Facebook so they can be sold something. They search the site to get caught up with friends, find the latest trend, or follow their favorite actor or musician.

Thanks to the DVR, viewers can skip commercials and get back to their show. They don’t watch TV in anticipation of the latest advertisement – unless it’s the Super Bowl we’re talking about.
Just like television, the consumer is turned off by companies using social media sites to push selling campaigns.

Companies need to talk with their customers - not try to sell them.

Companies need to talk with their customers - not try to sell them.

When a company starts a social media site, their main objective can’t be focused on sales and selling their product, or service. It has to be defining the target audience and finding out their likes and dislikes. They need to relate to them and create a sense of security.

It’s obvious that going social is the way for business. Forrester Research’s survey data show that 85% of business decision-makers use social media for business purposes and, when it comes to posting or uploading content, writing reviews, commenting on discussions and reading Online forums, they do it more for business than for personal reason. Companies want the consumer to trust them, and when they are finally in the buying mood to think of their product, or service instead of the competitor. This trust isn’t created through self-promotional Tweets and status updates.

To attract the consumer, companies need to engage the target audience by using anecdotes, sharing ideas, creating a question and answer forum and establishing the company as a trusted leader in the business.

If the message is honest, cutting edge, creative, strategic, motivational, etc., people will find out and become attracted to the company. Companies’ social media marketing efforts need to create content that not only attracts attention, but encourages the reader  to share it with their social networks. Brand awareness is created and in most cases, so is customer service.

With the advancement of social media marketing, companies need to think outside the box from the boring promotional message and be creative when reaching their audience. In the end, if the reader doesn’t “like” you, or “follow” you, chances are the company’s message will be lost in the Cyber world.