Cell Phone Trends in 16 Countries: Source: Pew Research Center. The median % of people who own a cell phone has increased by 36% since 2002; the current median is 81%.
Email Marketing
01/07/2011
09/14/2010
Social Media: Expose Your Company to the Light
As cliché as it sounds, you never know until you try.
This day in age it has become increasingly important for businesses to harness social media. You don't necessarily need a perpetual approach either, but at least give it a try and see where the outreach takes you. It is also relatively effortless and economically feasible as well; it only requires time and dedication. Not to mention, the benefits overwhelmingly outweight the time and energy that organizations must be prepared to devote towards the social ecosystem. 
The social media environment is constantly evolving and changing as well. As this occurs, social media continues to become increasingly connected to business and the way in which it is conducted. Despite the juxtaposition of social media and social businesses, the phenomenon remains relatively new and wasn’t even part of the picture ten years ago. As a result, it can be challenging to decipher what is to come and where the world of social media is headed.
Regardless of the direction that social media may travel, I am intrigued by the possibility of what’s to come and where the trends will ultimately lead. However, even with excitement there comes a degree of obfuscation. One can never truly predict the course of time, and we will have to wait to see where the process goes next. Personally, I think that location-based networking services will continue to expand and increase the overall level of personal transparency. For example, Foursquare would be classified as a geographical social media network.
Moreover, if companies neglect to commence a social media strategy, they may be failing to connect with a niche portion of the population. This niche segment could potentially become customers, which may even help cultivate more customers, merely through word-of-mouth marketing.
All-in-all, I believe the benefits of social media are hard to decipher and classify. However, I wanted to showcase an assortment of ways that social networking can benefit companies of all sizes. Who knows, maybe you will experience the benefits first hand and create a tangible way of classifying your own social advantages.
The Three Benefits of Reaching Out -- Socially and Strategically
1. Transparency -- Companies now have the ability to be more open than ever and connect with customers in mere seconds. It can also function in a reverse manner, with individuals being able to communicate with companies online, aside from the barriers of an organizational hierarchy. For the most part, prospective customers want to feel as though companies have the utmost credibility and conduct business in an honest fashion. With this in mind, social media can be an avenue to accomplish this, by opening the gates of communication to any individual that would like to correspond directly with the company.
2. Awareness -- Businesses can build an online identity, which hopefully generates more involvement from ordinary individuals. Social media can also be a primary avenue for news on events, contests and information that correlates the organizational mentality and overall mantra. This will allow companies to control the message and the fashion in which they convey themselves. Ideally companies want to present themselves in a professional manner, plus social media can help document the tech savvy nature of an organization, by showcasing their ability to utilize online avenues of expression.
3. Special deals and contests -- Ann Taylor for example is using Foursquare in a recent effort to harness social media platforms. Their campaign specifically allows individuals that are mayors at specific locations in New York City, to receive 25% off of their total purchase. Depending on the successful of their campaign, they may even attempt to expand the approach to all stores nationwide. Not to mention, there are specific social media programs that will allow to trigger messages at specific times. By having the option to schedule a message, businesses can determine when they would like prospective customers to be made aware of certain information. This means that social media in a sense, is more tactical than ever.
Business can also establish credibility, integrity and a degree of trustworthiness, merely by interacting with a niche portion of the population on-line. Obviously it needs to be in a positive and helpful manner, which will help yield the results that companies are striving for. Nonetheless, a companies’ approach is generally dependant on their particular organizational mantra and overall goal structure.
All-in-all, businesses should consider commencing a social media strategy, if of course they haven’t already. The strategy doesn’t necessarily need to be perfected from the onslaught either. Through time and social participation, businesses can literally generate a social prescription for the company, which speaks from experience and contains a frame of reference for comparison.
This prescription will hopefully become a remedy for the company and involve a transformation, once businesses have an understanding of the landscape they are working with. Just remember, there isn’t necessarily an incorrect way to conduct social marketing – just give it a try and see what happens. There are no rules to abide by and the conditions are still relatively new.
Image Credit: Social Media Marketing -- Enough is Enough by: Jennifer Mattern - July 2009
08/23/2010
The Overwhelming Benefits of Social Media
As cliché as it sounds, you never know until you try.
This day in age it has become increasingly important for businesses to harness social media. You don't necessarily need a perpetual approach either, but at least give it a try and see where the outreach takes you. It is also relatively effortless and economically feasible as well; it only requires time and dedication. Not to mention, the benefits overwhelmingly outweigh the time and energy that organizations must be prepared to devote towards the social ecosystem.
The social media environment is constantly evolving and changing as well. As this occurs, social media continues to become increasingly connected to business and the way in which it is conducted. Despite the juxtaposition of social media and social businesses, the phenomenon remains relatively new and wasn’t even part of the picture ten years ago. As a result, it can be challenging to decipher what is to come and where the world of social media is headed.
Regardless of the direction that social media may travel, I am intrigued by the possibility of what’s to come and where the trends will ultimately lead. However, even with excitement there comes a degree of obfuscation. One can never truly predict the course of time, and we will have to wait to see where the process goes next. Personally, I think that location-based networking services will continue to expand and increase the overall level of personal transparency. For example, Foursquare would be classified as a geographical social media network.
Moreover, if companies neglect to commence a social media strategy, they may be failing to connect with a niche portion of the population. This niche segment could potentially become customers, which may even help cultivate more customers, merely through word-of-mouth marketing.
All-in-all, I believe the benefits of social media are hard to decipher and classify. However, I wanted to showcase an assortment of ways that social networking can benefit companies of all sizes. Who knows, maybe you will experience the benefits first hand and create a tangible way of classifying your own social advantages.
The Three Benefits of Reaching Out -- Socially and Strategically
1. Transparency -- Companies now have the ability to be more open than ever and connect with customers in mere seconds. It can also function in a reverse manner, with individuals being able to communicate with companies online, aside from the barriers of an organizational hierarchy. For the most part, prospective customers want to feel as though companies have the utmost credibility and conduct business in an honest fashion. With this in mind, social media can be an avenue to accomplish this, by opening the gates of communication to any individual that would like to correspond directly with the company.
2. Awareness -- Businesses can build an online identity, which hopefully generates more involvement from ordinary individuals. Social media can also be a primary avenue for news on events, contests and information that correlates the organizational mentality and overall mantra. This will allow companies to control the message and the fashion in which they convey themselves. Ideally companies want to present themselves in a professional manner, plus social media can help document the tech savvy nature of an organization, by showcasing their ability to utilize online avenues of expression.
3. Special deals and contests -- Ann Taylor for example is using Foursquare in a recent effort to harness social media platforms. Their campaign specifically allows individuals that are mayors at specific locations in New York City, to receive 25% off of their total purchase. Depending on the successful of their campaign, they may even attempt to expand the approach to all stores nationwide. Not to mention, there are specific social media programs that will allow to trigger messages at specific times. By having the option to schedule a message, businesses can determine when they would like prospective customers to be made aware of certain information. This means that social media in a sense, is more tactical than ever.
Business can also establish credibility, integrity and a degree of trustworthiness, merely by interacting with a niche portion of the population on-line. Obviously it needs to be in a positive and helpful manner, which will help yield the results that companies are striving for. Nonetheless, a companies’ approach is generally dependent on their particular organizational mantra and overall goal structure.
All-in-all, businesses should consider commencing a social media strategy, if of course they haven’t already. The strategy doesn’t necessarily need to be perfected from the onslaught either. Through time and social participation, businesses can literally generate a social prescription for the company, which speaks from experience and contains a frame of reference for comparison.
This prescription will hopefully become a remedy for the company and involve a transformation, once businesses have an understanding of the landscape they are working with. Just remember, there isn’t necessarily an incorrect way to conduct social marketing – just give it a try and see what happens. There are no rules to abide by and the conditions are still relatively new.
Image Credit: Social Media Marketing -- Enough is Enough by: Jennifer Mattern - July 2009
07/26/2010
Tips for Remaining Professional with Social Media
At some point, I believe we will all be expected to be
fluent in social media. From my perspective, this means that we will basically
be unable to stay truly connected without it. This naturally leads one to
question—if social media is beneficial to those involved with it, or if it will
create more of a divide amongst individuals who don’t have access to the
Internet on a daily basis.
What do you think? Is social media overall beneficial or detrimental to society as a whole? I guess it may be challenging to draw a conclusion right now, but throughout the course of time, I would have to assume this question will come to the forefront. Take a minute and think about it for yourself, what would you be doing with all your extra time, if social media wasn’t occupying some of it?
This doesn’t necessarily mean that individuals should stop using social media. I just think it is merely important to consider the logistical reasons for a certain behavior, regardless of what it is; especially when the behavior is substantially time-consuming and may inhibit your personal relationships.
I think it will be especially prevalent, considering the vast amount of people who are just commencing social media as we speak. These individuals haven’t even thought of the implications of their networking behavior. Not only could the negativity of social media correlate to privacy issues, but I think it could also be damaging to an individuals’ innate mentality and connection to the physical world.
Hopefully it doesn’t go this far, but the new technological obsession has already transformed the definition of staying connected. At the moment, there is no mechanism or equation for predicting the future of social media and as a result, time will be the only indication about where social media networking goes next.
Not only do I think it will be important for personal use, but I also think it will become an obligation for businesses. I believe it will even become a necessity, regardless of the type of business that an individual is currently operating or working for.
Moreover, I think this will soon become a reality, because organizations need to reach prospective customers where they interact with each other, and for the most part, I would say this interaction is continually growing on social media platforms. I also don’t see the trend changing in the near future, so prepare for the social media landscape to be somewhat constantly present.
This is why I believe it is essential to join the social conversation, because without it, it may become increasingly difficult to stay truly connected. Not only to your close friends, family and loved ones, but also to the businesses that offer special deals online. It may also become more strenuous to find career opportunities and prospective employment, without showcasing your talents, education, skills and goals online.
This day in age, more businesses are utilizing social networks to recruit employees. However, some individuals are eliminated merely based on the information that potential employers discover. Don’t fall into this trap. Make sure if you are going to use social environments, that all of your information is reasonable and work appropriate, pictures included. Employers don’t want to see images of you behaving in ways, which they would classify as immature. Use your best judgment and strive to maintain a degree of professionalism.
With this in mind, a majority of businesses have already made a push to incorporate a social marketing strategy. Depending on the particular organization, it could be a social strategy that yields success or failure. However, one will never know the implications unless they try. It could ultimately enhance business operations and in a sense, be a compliment to the overall business manta and economic condition.
For those who haven’t established an online presence, now may be a convenient time to consider one. Who knows, you may prospectively harness individuals that may be beneficial to you in the long run. As cliché as it sounds, you never know until you try.
Especially since social media and blogging are instantly available and free; this presents an ideal option for companies to facilitate people, who could become future customers in a mere effortless fashion.
Nonetheless, social media shouldn’t be driven by making more money. It should be viewed as merely a benefit to the business strategies that have already been working. It isn’t that time consuming either and it is easier than ever to cross-post on multiple social networks. So why not give it a try and start reaping the benefits of digital interaction?
Image from socialnomics.files.wordpress.com
07/13/2010
Will Advancing Technology Destroy Interpersonal Communication?
I remember a more simple and
un-embellished time, even unpretentious as far as I am concerned. A time
when people weren’t constantly updating their Twitter
accounts, communicating with their friends via Facebook, staring at a
small screen with intrigue and arguably isolating themselves from the
tangible world. 
Personally, I cannot judge because I constantly fall into this trap and even find myself updating various social platforms simultaneously. Even though I continually use social media, I can still see the potential for digitalization to destroy the nature of interpersonal communication.
With individuals constantly expressing themselves through digital channels, will they even be able to connect with people on a personal level, aside from the barriers of digital concealment?
Furthermore, with more and more people utilizing innovative technology, we will eventually see the destruction of personal communication skills? What do you think? Have you ever considered this possibility?
I am not sure if this question has ever come into your own mind, but I thought it was a valid one to consider.
Anyways, this day and age it is hard to go anywhere without seeing evidence of digitalization. We cannot seem to escape the social and technological revolution, even if we try. Whether it’s an I-Pod, I-Phone, I-Pad, Blackberry or opposing personal hand-held device — people just cannot seem to function without a constant connection to the multi-media world.
Moreover, individuals have the ability to stay in contact with people like never before. At the same time, we continue to ride the wave towards increased technology and maximized innovation. Time will only tell what will happen and where the road of technology will ultimately head.
I am by no means questioning the advancement of technology; I am merely pondering the end result of this new obsession. Will there be a down side or will it remain optimistic?
Can we continue down the road and maintain the yielding of benefits for society? Or will the reality of communication amongst individuals be eventually tarnished?
Please join the on-going conversation and let me know what you think.
07/10/2010
The Importance of a Social Media Strategy
Regardless of the implications, I am intrigued by the possibility of what’s to come and where the trends will ultimately lead. However, even with excitement there comes a degree of obfuscation. One can never truly predict the course of time and we will have to wait to see where the developments in digital technology occur.
Nonetheless, social media has already brought about innovation and has even changed over time to become more user-friendly. Individuals now have the convenience of updating one aggregate site, which will post a message on a collection of different social environments.
Who would have thought this could become a reality in the digital world, especially considering the social media advent is to some extent, still in its youth? Even though it may seem unexpected, the ability to cross-post is evident and I don’t believe it’s going anywhere in the near future; at least as far as I am concerned.
For example, I facilitate posts with HootSuite and Ping.Fm, which allows me to maximize efficiency, by taking less than five seconds to express my ideas on approximately fifteen social websites, simultaneously. In my case, the updates generally include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, Orkut, Digg, GoogleBuzz, Delicious, Friendster and LinkedIn, just to name a few.
Social media has also continued to become more interconnected. This means that most platforms have the option of syncing with other sites. I even have the option of connecting my blogs to HootSuite as well, which can create a haven for news aggregation, information and continual communication.
Moreover, social media junkies can continue to update their status and post a message on as many networks as they would like. This can even be more beneficial for businesses; they can have one individual responsible for social marketing and allow that individual to do it with utmost convenience and efficiency.
HootSuite even allows you to schedule messages periodically. This means that businesses can determine a network strategy and post messages automatically, regardless of the time of the day. With this in mind, organizations can specifically target messages to individuals that are time-sensitive and relevant to the business itself.
The reason this is so important, is because social media doesn’t necessarily influence sales or participation; it is more of a vehicle to increase recognition, awareness, web-influence and potentially SEO (search engine optimization).
Business can also establish credibility, integrity and a degree of trustworthiness, merely by interacting with a niche portion of the population on-line. Obviously, it needs to be in a positive and helpful manner, to yield the results that companies are striving for. Nonetheless, a companies’ approach is generally dependant on their particular organizational mantra and overall goal structure.
All-in-all, businesses should consider commencing a social media strategy, if of course they haven’t already. The strategy doesn’t necessarily need to be perfected from the onslaught either. Through time and social participation, businesses can literally generate a social prescription for the company, which speaks from experience and contains a frame of reference for comparison.
Basically, this prescription will become a remedy for the company and involve a transformation, once businesses have an understanding of the landscape they are working with. Just remember, there isn’t necessarily an incorrect way to conduct social marketing – just give it a try and see what happens. There are no rules to abide by and the conditions are still relatively new.
Twitter : @RJSchoenefeld
Contributing Blogger on Social Email Marketing
Linked-In : http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanschoenefeld
Delicious : http://delicious.com/ryanschoenefeld
Social Marketing Forum : http://www.socialmarketingforum.net/profile/RyanSchoenefeld
Facebook : http://bit.ly/aHZOiM
06/23/2010
The Dynamic Definition of Social Media Marketing
I was recently asked how I would define the nature of social media and social marketing. As a result, I pondered what social media means to me and how I would specifically describe it. All-in-all, I personally think that social media defies definition and overall classification, because in a sense it comes down the approach that people use.
However, I am sure there are people scattered throughout the world who would think differently and express the conceivable way to conduct social media in their own mind. But I think that is part of the intrigue of social media–that everyone has their own way of establishing their approach and new media perspective, which cannot be challenged in a sense.
Some individuals use it for personal networking and other people utilize it for professional purposes. Regardless of the reason, businesses and individuals cannot seem to isolate themselves from joining the celebration and expressing themselves through digital avenues.
I am not sure if this question has ever come to your own mind, but if you are fortunate enough to be involved in social networking, I think it is important to understand your own personal characterization.
Without taking the time to depict your understanding of what you are accomplishing, why are you ultimately doing it? Shouldn’t we be able to illustrate our perception of social media and the goals we are striving for, regardless of if it is for personal or professional principles?
Nonetheless, my categorization of social media and the nature of digitalization is included below. Please feel free to share your own definition and commence the conversation with the individuals you continually interact with.
Social media is all about the exchange of information; it also involves the concept of ideas being shared, amidst people who couldn’t have connected in the traditional world. Take advantage of the technological revolution and start networking for yourself.
It is often said that you never know until you try and social media fits the structural mold. Nonetheless, listed below is how I would define social media. As always, keep in mind that social media is up to your own interpretation.
Personally, I would define social media as an attempt to connect with a niche portion of the population, which utilizes digital channels of communication. These individuals were formally unavailable and couldn’t have been harnessed through traditional marketing avenues.
This day and age, it has become increasingly important to reach out to these individuals, especially in light of the expansion of social networking. Social platforms now grant businesses the ability to accomplish this with ease. By establishing more transparency and openness, companies can ultimately harness potential customers that were previously unattainable.
Now that you understand the definition in accordance with my perspective, create your own definition and establish your personal social media platform. As cliché as it sounds, you never truly know, until you try.
Source: The Continuous Disquisition -- Ryan Schoenefeld
06/18/2010
Social Media Marketing Lessons for Email Marketers
- It is based on relationships Social media marketing is based upon the way you move from connections to relationships by being a valuable partner and respecting people. Email marketing is about relationships as well. When someone signs up for a newsletter he says “I want your stuff in my inbox, here I am, add me to your list”. A good email marketer understands that. Just as he or she knows that you should respect your subscribers by taking their needs into account.
- It is about the value and content you provide In order to receive value, you have to provide it. Smart email marketers know how important it is to offer good content and other valuable items to their subscribers. Content, value and relevancy are key in email marketing. They are key in social media marketing as well.
- It’s the people, stupid Brands are people, customers are people, the whole social web is about people. Chatting, tweeting, liking, blogging, commenting, caring and sharing. Every good email marketer knows that there are real people behind the email addresses that sit in his databases and that they should be treated as such.
- It’s about sharing One of the most popular activities on social networks is sharing. Thoughts, posts, video’s, images, you name it. Social media marketing thrives on sharing, buzz, viral effects, etc. Email marketer have known that since ages. Who invented “send-to-a-friend”? Who understands that email has a strong viral potential if the message is relevant and share-worthy?
- It is based on listening Social media marketers know how important it is to listen to what people are saying about their brands, their competitors, market trends, etc. and to act upon it. That’s why they use all these social media management tools. But what’s new? All email marketing professionals listen to their recipients: they ask them what they want, run satisfaction surveys, they even ask people who unsubscribe why they do so and provide them an alternative, so they listen and act as well!
- It’s integrated and cross-channel Social media marketing is part of an overall marketing strategy. It’s about having a cross-channel and holistic view. Email marketers are experts in cross-channel strategies. They know that email marketing has an important role in the overall marketing strategy, including providing customer service, improving customer loyalty, acquiring and nurturing leads, CRM and much more.
- It’s about content What do people share most on social media? Content. What do people tweet about often? Content. What’s the reason why a blog post get’s shared, tweeted, liked or socially bookmarked? Content. Social media marketing and inbound marketing are about being found and noticed by good content. This content becomes a story that leads to word-of-mouth. Good social media marketers also highlight the content and stories of other people. Email marketers know all about good and relevant content. They know that content is what makes your email opened and clicked. They even test their content and look at what converts best and thus is most appreciated!
- It’s about context and personalization Social media marketers understand the importance of context. They know how to track the digital footprints of people, segment, choose channels and act upon “digital signals” by providing personalized content via appropriate channels or engaging in contextual dialogues. Email marketers are the kings of personalization, offering choice, segmentation and swiftly acting upon the digital signals of their recipients.
- It’s about trust and respect Brands and businesses that use social media know that they have to be authentic, real, transparent, participative and respectful. They know they are joining a global and continuing stream of conversations, and that they have to gain the trust of people by listening, answering, providing value and having a personal approach in times where people increasingly control communication and lose trust in businesses. Email marketers know that as well, from long before social media even existed. They understand you have to listen and talk to your recipients and they most of all understand that an email relationship is based upon trust, reliability and permission, starting from the subscription form.
- It’s about engagement Social media marketing is not only about listening and talking. It’s about acting, engaging people, sharing passions, involving “crowds” and communities and inviting people to participate in what you, as a business, do. All good email marketers know that they need to engage recipients and emotionally appeal to them. They also know that people act, buy, forward and click for sentimental reasons, more than for anything else.
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