This afternoon I was asked to give comment to a Time magazine reporter on Google's recent decision to start personalizing some ads in its network -- namely, that you will start to see Facebook-like names and thumbnail photos in advertising throughout the Google network. While some people might think, 'Oh great, that's all I need,' we have Facebook to thank for the concept of social advertising and Sponsored Stories. What was once creepy and annoying is so ubiquitous that most consumers will … [Read more...]
What Yahoo Will Do with Tumblr
With the news that Internet behemoth Yahoo will buy blogging and content platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash has many analysts, including this one, wondering what will happen next. Yahoo clearly wants to buy its way into the social media elite. In December 2005, Yahoo bought social bookmarking site Delicious, but it later sold it in 2011 to the founders of YouTube. In September 2006, it offered to buy Facebook for $1 billion, but Facebook walked away. And Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer … [Read more...]
The Power of Adding One Letter to the End of a Company Name
Today's news that Toronto-based press release distribution company Marketwire is rebranding itself to Marketwired -- yes, you read that correctly, all they did was add a 'd' -- had me thinking: how much longer will press release companies continue to sell the traditional press release (i.e, exist)? (Share Clip) Oh, and the company has also poached Stu Ogwa, former VP of business intelligence of Yahoo, to join Marketwire as EVP of product and technology, according to … [Read more...]
Hoping That Social Media Will Fix Crappy Banner Ads
Long live the banner ad: it has managed to survive not only the dot com bubble but also Facebook's IPO. Yet few admit to wishing to perpetuate its existence. Talk of 'social advertising' usually means buying ads on Facebook, Promoted Trends on Twitter, or even the new SlideShare ads -- complete with inline lead capture -- on LinkedIn. A few companies have been hard at work at transforming the banner ad into a richer experience. A richer experience of course transfers into engagement -- … [Read more...]
IBM Develops an Enterprise Twitter Solution, But Will Anyone Buy It?
For those employees who tweet during the workday, wouldn't it be great to have a platform which allowed you to view all of the tweets and activity from all of your coworkers -- without the noise and clutter of the rest of Twitter? For most companies, large and small, that want to collect or keep track of employee activity on Twitter, the social media manager usually creates a List on Twitter. This is problematic primarily because all of the adding and removing of employees needs to be done … [Read more...]
From Liking to Leading: IBM Lotusphere Is Now Connect
Whew, finally a break from the 2-hour morning General Session, featuring not only the VP and the General Manager of IBM's Social Business division, but also a performance from 1980s pop group They Might Be Giants and a speech by actor-director-producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt (for those of you unfamiliar, he was in Lincoln and 50/50, among others). Perhaps what's most telling about this year's event is the name change: Lotusphere is now Connect. While IBM is normally never referenced in … [Read more...]
A New Victory in the Social Media Policy Debate
According to an article in yesterday's New York Times, federal regulators are ordering employers to scale back policies that limit what workers can say online. Apparently, the National Labor Relations Board continues to inform private-sector companies that workers have a right to discuss work conditions freely and without fear of retribution -- whether those discussions take place at the office or on Facebook. (Share Clip) Such guidelines set by the National Labor Relations Board, are … [Read more...]
Blogging: Why Bother?
Some say the point to blogging is SEO; others say it's to create thought leadership. The best blogs do both. I'm continually asked by clients about the point to blogging. I also continue to hear excuses as to why they aren't blogging. 'I don't know how to write effectively.' 'How frequently should I blog?' 'I'm not that creative.' 'What if I write something and no one reads it?' ...and the list of excuses goes on and on. True, blogposts are original content pages that … [Read more...]
Social Media Certifications Seek To Legitimize the Profession
As a proud member of the social media industry, I often feel that, to borrow a phrase, 'I don't get no respect.' My social media brethren often feel the same. Many of us came from corporate communications or PR roles, where we didn't necessarily need a certain degree or professional designation in order to get or keep a job. As social has proliferated across industries and companies large and small -- and with it the ability to start a Facebook Page or Twitterfeed for free -- everyone … [Read more...]
Email Is Not Social Media
No doubt, you've spent a sizeable budget on your email marketing programs. You've hired a handful of email vendors over the years. You've bought lists. You've hired email experts. You may have even attended one or more email tradeshows. The days of batch and blast -- or spray and pray -- whichever you prefer to call it -- are thankfully behind us. Your email vendor has mostly likely morphed into a 'marketing automation' or 'demand generation' provider -- showing you ways to optimize … [Read more...]