Social Media

What You Need to Know About Social's Future

Author:
Heather Sundell
Source:

It's been a big year of growth for social media as an industry, and, as it shows no signs of stopping any time soon, here are five things to keep an eye on.. After all, we are a bunch of geeky social media enthusiasts who just can't keep our traps shut on the topic.
 
Social media is going to gain more attention and spend

Social Media Helps Big Retailers Drive Traffic During the Holidays

Author:
Zak Stambor
Source:

Some of the largest players in e-commerce—Amazon.com, Best Buy Co. Inc., Target Corp. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.—found ways to increase the number of consumers who clicked from social media sites to their retail sites during the holiday season, according to an analysis by social marketing vendor Buddy Media and web measurement firm comScore Inc. The report is based on data gathered via comScore’s Social Essentials measurement service.
 

Marketers Value Social Media for Both Branding and Customer Acquisition

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Social media tracking and measurement help companies determine benefits and value
 
As marketers include social media as part of their overall strategy, 97% agree that it provides benefits and value to their business.
 

2012: The View From Here

Author:
Barbara Apple Sullivan
Source:

What themes will define marketing and branding in 2012? One month into the year, we’ve identified four trends to watch:
1. Many channels; one adaptable brand presence.
We see too many brands stretching or splintering their messages as they extend them to more and more channels. This often happens because a brand message wasn’t originally designed for digital and social distribution, or because the brand engagement is managed by separate and disconnected groups. Companies need to craft campaigns that are elastic and adaptable before they activate.

Consumers in the Middle of Google-Facebook Battle

Author:
Byron Acohido, Scott Martin and Jon Swartz
Source:

Google and Facebook might have finally gotten the average consumer riled up about privacy.
For the past two years, each company has experimented with different ways to divine more and more about how people live their lives on the Internet, without sparking a revolt.