Social Media Marketing for Beginners, the Risks and Rewards
May 21, 2013
To learn how to attract the targeted clientele, read the article Engaging and Entertaining With Social Media Marketing on Marketing Promotion. The article cautions against hiring expensive (and often fraudulent) social media marketing firms. Many of these companies use tricks to appear to be creating lots of ads and yet they are not generating any interest, or even being seen. The article also urges those new to social media to copy (or be inspired by) other company’s use of Facebook, Twitter and the like. The article goes on,
“The information gathered from your social networking strategy will allow you develop more appealing, user-friendly approaches. Additionally to your website, you can make a Facebook store that will be accessible from any posts you make. Those who use Facebook often wander around the site and can look through your product selection and make purchases without leaving Facebook. This way, Facebook users you want to turn into customers will be able to stay on Facebook and still make purchases for you.”
Additionally, on Twitter there are tools like Tweepi and Twellow which enable you to discover the audience you want to target, and make sure that they see you too. The article also reminds that social media marketing is meant to generate revenue, not “reaction.” At ArnoldIT we promote the best methods of utilizing social media marketing and caution against unnecessary risks.
Chelsea Kerwin, May 21, 2013
If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.
How to Plan and Implement a Social Media Marketing Strategy
May 21, 2013
For tips on implementing a social media marketing plan, read the article Become the Social Media Marketing Expert on YahSuccess Blog. Touting the importance of a timeline and an idea of what you want before you create it, the article also encourages entrepreneurs to interact with users on various sites. This will not only open up a dialogue with potential clients, but can even attract more attention. The article explains how,
“For example, you could develop an article that celebrates your company reaching one thousand Twitter followers. Publicly thank people for their interest, comments and other interactions and discuss the positive aspects of social media. Many people will share this kind of article… When a user comments on any posts, it will show on their page and their followers will see it. In order to generate greater exposure, facilitate reader interaction with you as well as with each other.”
Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are all excellent resources, if you know how to use them. The article recommends posting videos on Youtube so that users will get an idea of your store’s offering before ever visiting. Additionally, be sure to link to your Twitter and Facebook, so that Youtube followers will be more likely to repost your videos. These beginner steps are helpful, and at ArnoldIT we provide even more resources and information on professional social media marketing.
Chelsea Kerwin, May 21, 2013
If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.
Pinning Down the Origins of Brand Engagement on Pinterest
May 17, 2013
Brand engagement has typically stemmed from brands themselves. Pinterest is another platform for that typical path to be carved out by brands as they create boards and pin images. However, a recent study by Digitas and Curalate shows that users are carting the bulk of brand engagement. The article ”Pinterest Fail: 70% of Brand Engagement is Generated by Users” covers more on this study created using stats from over 10 million Pinterest pins, comments and likes. 120 brands were examined for the study.
Fashion retail and automotive industries are lacking in their emphasis on Pinterest. Only 18 percent of fashion brands pin items on Pinterest but the average retail pin receives about 46 repins.
We learned from the article that electronic and visionary brands are on top of their Pinterest game:
“‘Aspirational products such as cars should do well on Pinterest. It’s unfortunate to see the auto industry stuck in first gear,’ said chief executive of Curalate Apu Gupta. ‘The industry needs to leverage the heritage of their brands to tell compelling visual stories that create emotional connections with consumers.’ One industry that was found to be very active in the Pinterest community was electronic brands. Digitas and Curalate found that 47 percent of electronic industry pins were made by brands. The study found that pictures of e-health devices proved to be very popular on the site.”
Using Pinterest for marketing purposes has become easier in the last several years because of their analytics offerings for verified brands. Why are 100 percent of companies not utilizing it? Well, some industries may be more apt to pick up on brand engagement opportunities than others. Others may see users starting their brand engagement for them and not want to interfere with what is already working. Let’s remember that Pinterest was designed with the intention for content to spread organically.
Megan Feil, May 17, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
ArnoldIT Announces New Gourmet De Ville Video Shorts
May 15, 2013
Gourmet De Ville, a new ArnoldIT information service launched in January of this year, will now be adding a video service to its print coverage of artisanal food and spirits.
Jasmine Ashton, editor for Gourmetdeville.com, will be hosting the weekly videos spotlighting innovative recipes and the latest industry trends.
Ashton remarked:
“I am very excited to be a part of this new service and look forward to sharing my insights on the craft food and beverage sector with viewers. I believe that the demand for information on gourmet food, beverages, and industry leaders is exploding. Gourmet De Ville makes high value information available in a concise, easy to understand format. Our videos will simply be another avenue to explore this content.”
In her first video, Ashton covers Limoncello Tiramisu. She introduces the video by saying:
“In Italy, it’s common to have a bottle of Limoncello brought out after dessert. The tangy lemon liqueur is believed to help you digest all that great pasta and rich sauces.
But we heard about a chef in Florida who makes Limoncello Tiramisu — an after-dinner drink and dessert all rolled into one.”
We are looking forward to watching Gourmet De Ville’s video coverage in the coming weeks and believe that they will be a refreshing addition to the content that is already available on the site.
Ric Manning, May 15, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Bloomberg and Alleged Two Way Systems
May 11, 2013
Just a small thing, the Bloomberg privacy breach allegations. There are far weightier matters in search; for example, are evaluations and ratings of search vendors objective? Someone on the LinkedIn Enterprise Search Engine Professional Group even raised the possibility that vendors “pay” for coverage in some consultants’ evaluations of technology.
Well, on to the smaller thing which is labeled this way in the New York Times: “Privacy Breach on Bloomberg’s Data Terminals.” You can located the story in the May 11, 2013, edition of the newspaper. If you look online at http://goo.gl/oeMqA you may be able to view the news story. (Google, no promises because I know how you want every blog post to have continuously updated links, but that’s another issue.)
The main idea seems to have originated with a real journalism operation called The New York Post. This point appears in paragraph six, so it is definitely a subordinate point.
As I understand the allegation, Bloomberg tradition terminals had a function which allowed “journalists to monitor subscribers were promptly disabled.” I think that Bloomberg terminals generate some sort of report which allegedly allowed a journalist to determine if someone had used the terminal. The idea is that no use of a terminal suggests that the person has either moved on, lost his or her hands, or experienced an opportunity to find his / her future elsewhere.
How secure are secure systems. Image source: Sandia.gov at http://goo.gl/NaEBE. Modern methods for accessing digital information are difficult to depict. Paper is tangible. Digital data are just “out there.” Humans assume that if it cannot be seen, the problems associated with what’s “out there” are no big deal. Is this an informed viewpoint?
The Atlantic Wire covered the alleged breach in a story called “Why Billions Are at Stake in the Bloomberg Terminal Privacy Problem.” What I found interesting was that the Atlantic Wire pointed out that the breach allegedly allowed a journalist to determine the “news habits” of Bloomberg terminal users. Is this similar to the type of information which online services extract from users’ Web search histories?
How To Formulate A Strategy For Social Media Marketing That Works
May 9, 2013
In the article 5 Questions to Ask Before Implementing a Social Media Strategy on Social Media Today, guidelines are presented for pursuing a new social media strategy. These include defining your goals (short term and long term) discovering whether these goals can be accomplished with one strategy or several, creating a step by step outline determining what you will do every day to reach your goals, asking yourself throughout the process whether your strategy needs adjusting, and having a workable timelines in place. The article explains,
“Everyone’s strategy development is different, but the overarching themes can be applicable to all. Oh yeah, and strategy (since I see it everywhere and no real description attached) is the high level plan(s) that’s built to achieve certain, pre-determined goals. Tactics are the executional steps that help achieve the overarching goals of the strategy… There needs to a be a concise list of short term, immediate goals you want to knock out”
One aspect of this guide that the article dwells on is the value of recognizing the difference between what you want to have happen and what is actually possible in reality. In other words- know thyself. Don’t get distracted by the complexities of a big project, make detailed plans and stay organized to keep disciplined. This summary is expanded on with more details at ArnoldIT, where the confusing new world of social media is elucidated.
Chelsea Kerwin, May 09, 2013
If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.
Valley Auto Loans: A Successful Story of Social Media Marketing
May 9, 2013
A press release on Digital Press titled New Social Media Strategy Help Valley Auto Loans Connect with More Bad Credit Auto Loans Shoppers throughout the Country speaks to the rising popularity of social media marketing. Valley Auto Loans, a well-known company that provides applicants with “hassle-free car loans” has adopted a new marketing strategy aimed at the people most likely in need of their services. Social media marketing techniques are explored in the article,
“All companies are now looking to build a strong social media presence for their business. Valley Auto Loans has built their strategy around the highly popular platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, G+, and Pinterest…Valley Auto Loans operates with an objective of offering 100% approval guarantee to poor credit car loan applicants. By building a strong social media presence, they have done well to get the word out to those people who need them the most.”
Valley Auto Loans credit their recently implemented social media strategy with a recent surge in bad credit auto loans applicants. Realizing that it may be awkward for some of their customers who cannot qualify for a car loan or student auto loans, Valley Auto Loans attempts to provide such individuals with a speedy solution through auto lenders. Reaching out via social media got their message to frustrated people running out of options. For more information on the techniques of social media and tactical implementation, visit ArnoldIT. We explain some of the types of social media and differentiate between their uses and values.
Chelsea Kerwin, May 09, 2013
If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.
Augmentext Video Live on GourmetDeVille.com
May 8, 2013
Short honk: The folks at GourmetDeVille, an information service covering artisanal and craft spirits sent me a link to a short news video. The talent is Jasmine Ashton, one of the ArnoldIT writing and research team. Ms. Ashton told me that she worked with Augmentext to develop this program. I wanted to send a happy quack to Ms. Ashton and her colleagues. I understand that more videos will be forthcoming. Although I am not a video person, I understand that video is a high value information type. I applaud the effort. Check out the 90 second news item at http://goo.gl/nLISJ.
Stephen E Arnold, May 8, 2013
Spnsored by HighGainBlog
Social Media: Changing Marketing From the Inside Out
May 8, 2013
The article 6 Factors That Turn Social Media Strategy Into Results on {grow} is full of tips and advice on how to not only implement a social media strategy but also how to even approach such a transformation in your business. Beginning with the warning that this is unlike traditional advertising, in that you can’t relegate to an outside source, but must instead promote internal change, the article goes on to describe the pitfalls of doing social media the wrong way, such as changing directions before you given the new strategy time to yield results. The article also insists on measurement being united with objectives,
“Repeat after me. “I will measure my marketing efforts.” In today’s data-filled world, there is no reason NOT to measure. It’s just this simple: How do you know your strategy is working if you don’t measure? Don’t get caught up in the endless ROI debate. Pick meaningful KPI’s that are helping to move the needle for your business objectives. “
Because of the ubiquity of blogs and Facebook pages, the article argues that without such tools you are already behind. Also addressing the heads of companies, the article instructs leaders to support the implementation with a hands-on approach, the only way to know what resources to provide out of necessity. The successful implementation of social media strategy is vital in this day and age; it is the only way to reach certain targeted audiences. More about effective approaches to social media strategies can be found at ArnoldIT.
Chelsea Kerwin, May 08, 2013
If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.
More Cool Vendors: A Chill Wind?
May 6, 2013
I was interested in the four news items in my alert system. A large consulting firm, which I think “invented” the notion of “business intelligence”, identified four companies as “Cool Vendors.” I was not familiar with any of these firms: Cloud Sherpas, Glue Networks, Nintex, and Reveille.
Here’s a snippet from the Reveille news release I saw:
The Cool Vendors in Content Management 2013 report provides IT and business buyers with innovative solutions to help them to create, manage, and access their information better. The analysis focused on providing solutions to support content on-the-go, improved collaboration capabilities and more effective management of the applications delivering the content.
And I noted from the Glue Networks’ item this passage:
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
There are many lists generated, including those from one of the publications for which I write a for-fee column. My questions include:
- How does a company get on a “list”?
- Are the lists useful if the organization generating the list does not have some confidence in the listee’s business viability?
- Are these lists of most use to insurance, real estate, and other commercial enterprises trying to sell the listee something?
When I read lists for anything, now more than ever I feel a chill marketing wind, not the hot breath of customer buzz. If a reader can shed light on these lists, please, use the comments section of the blog?
Stephen E Arnold, May 6, 2013
Sponsored by Augmentext
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