The vast potential of social media as a business tool is sometimes tempered by the potential risks it can engender. In a recent brief, Ryan Holmes, the CEO of Hootsuite, outlines a five step guide to social media security. Read more
NewsCred, a leading content marketing and syndication platform, recently uploaded this handy PowerPoint presentation. Here are some highlights:
• 27,000,000 pieces of content are shared every day
• 72% of marketers think branded content is more effective than advertising in a magazine; 69% say it is superior to direct mail and PR
• 64% of B2B content marketers say their biggest challenge is producing enough content
To download the full PowerPoint – click here
To find out how we help our clients make sure they have the all the content they need, when they need it, email me – michael at ar-com.com
There seems to be a perception that Facebook may be good for big B2C brands, but not of much use to B2B marketers, especially those in the services industry. As a recent article in the Social Media Examiner aptly put it, in the context of a legendary mission to the moon:
“The story of Apollo 13 astronauts trying desperately to get back to Earth after a failed mission has a lesson for B2B marketers. Astronauts used the moon’s gravitational pull to slingshot them so they had enough power left to get back to Earth.
“B2B marketers: Facebook is your moon.
“In the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, B2B marketers reported that they were far more likely to increase their use of LinkedIn and blogging than Facebook in the coming year.
“But while Facebook may not be your final destination for marketing to B2B customers, it has incredible gravitational pull. Savvy marketers, like the astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 mission, can leverage that pull to take them where they want to go.”
The article proceeds to detail the fascinating story of how some executive firms went about using Facebook to build a brand “in a crowded field in an industry that frankly isn’t very sexy”. Click here to read the full article
In a space that moves so fast, it’s a good idea to follow the companies and publications that are setting the trends. This time, we’re laying our bets on Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, one of the web’s leading social media management companies (and Canadian to boot). In an end-of-year article in Fast Company magazine, he crystal balls social media’s path in the year ahead. Some highlights include:
• Social media will move beyond the marketing department
• Big data will grow but get more manageable
• Social media education will become formalized
Click here to read the full article here.
A happy holiday season, and a joyous, healthy, and prosperous new year to you and yours from all of us at AR Communications.
I thought this may be of interest to anyone in the midst of Q4 and planning their 2013 campaigns.
This is the company we regularly follow, and that we trained with a few years ago.
This free excerpt from the report is excellent for anyone looking to take their lead gen to the next level in 2013 – http://bit.ly/lead-generation-2012
The information and insights from this company on lead generation are pure gold and well worth reading.
For the latest developments in social media and mobile marketing follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mikerabinovici
Last week, I tweeted that if you only read one business article for the week, it should be the one in I referred to in Fast Company about chaos being the new order. I was wrong. If you only read one business article this year, that’s the one you should read.
The whole subject of chaos, and how we know we should embrace it but yet are afraid of it, is best summed up for me in a few lines from Robbie Robertson’s classic “Somewhere Down The Crazy River”
Wait, did you hear that
Oh this is sure stirring up some ghosts for me
She said "There’s one thing you’ve got to learn
Is not to be afraid of it."
I said "No, I like it, I like it, it’s good."
She said "You like it now
But you’ll learn to love it later."
Indeed we will.
Read the Fast Company article here http://bit.ly/chaos-is-the-new-order
What are your thoughts? How has your company dealt with chaos? Comment below.
One of the most frequent questions we hear from clients relates in one form or another to the dollar ROI from social media. As the industry matures, more data is becoming available to shed light on this question.
A recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute examines the current usage of social technologies in four commercial sectors: consumer packaged goods, retail financial services, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. It concludes that the potential value to be unlocked by leveraging these technologies across the four sectors could potentially contribute $900 billion to $1.3 trillion in annual value.
Although the value that can be captured varies from industry to industry, all of them can benefit. The key to success? Creating the conditions for the full and enthusiastic participation of employees.
Click here for a copy of the study. Click here for a review of the report in Fast Company Magazine
For the latest information on, and best practices for, Mobile and Social Media marketing follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/mikerabinovici
As companies and internal marketing departments evolve their social media strategies and refine their tactics, research is becoming available to shed light on these efforts.
One area of particular focus has been the potentially different impact that social media has on B2B marketers in relation to their B2C brethren. In a recent study titled “2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” Mark Stelzner asked marketers how they’re using social media, and more than 1,900 business-to-business (B2B) marketers shared their insights.
Here are some highlights:
• Of the B2B marketers who took this year’s survey, over 93% use social media to market their businesses. While that’s slightly below their consumer-focused brethren (95.2%), there’s been a significant increase since the 2010 survey when only 88% of B2B marketers responded affirmatively.
• Over 56% of B2B marketers acquired new business partnerships through social media (compared to 45% of B2C marketers)
• Nearly 60% of B2B marketers saw improved search rankings from their social efforts (compared to 50% of B2C marketers)
• B2B marketers are better able to gather marketplace insights from their social efforts (nearly 69% vs. 60% of B2C marketers)
• The one area where B2B marketers significantly lag behind their B2C counterparts is in developing a loyal fan base. 63% of B2C marketers found social media helped them develop loyal fans, compared to only 53% of B2B marketers.
For more information on the report click here.
For more mind blowing research and insight about social media and mobile marketing, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mikerabinovici or email me at michael at ar-com.com