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John Rampton writes about 5 trends he sees reshaping social media on Entrepreneur.com. He is a contributing entrepreneur who thinks it's not just social networking, now itÛªs social media. ItÛªs our media landscape. ItÛªs mass communication. And hereÛªs where itÛªs heading and what it means for businesses.
Tag: Forecasts: Social Media
Hispanics’ Use of Social and Mobile Drives Local Marketer Strategy
Local advertisers are gradually increasing the budgets they allocate to social and mobile formats in order to reach today’s digital consumer. But, some audiences and demographic groups tend to use social media and connected mobile devices more heavily than others and may make more lucrative audiences when targeted through these formats. According to BIA/Kelsey, Hispanics comprise a highly active social and mobile audience.
Marketers to Tackle Negative Social Posts
Earlier this year, a report from Adobe and Econsultancy revealed that nearly 20% of client-side marketers identified customer experience as their most exciting opportunity for 2014. This compares to only 18% who called mobile the most exciting opportunity. If businesses are so anxious to use customer experience as a marketing tool, it’s worth asking why these enterprises are not tackling negative social media comments with more urgency.
B2B Buyers Looking at Vendor Websites; Social Media – Not so Much
B2B buyers tend to conduct a good deal of online research before they contact a vendor. In some cases, they may skip over a vendor because of what they find, or don’t find, online. This is particularly true with respect to a vendor’s website according to new B2B Web Usability Report issued by KoMarketing Associates and Dianna Huff.
User-Generated Content Can Build Social Media Clout for Brands
Earlier today, I blogged about a study showing that social media is of minimal importance in the B2B channel. The social media factor is critical for the Millennial audience, though. Ipsos MediaCT’s new social influence paper contends that Millennials have a unique way of interacting with social media. About 30% of their media time is focused on user-generated content.
Marketers Watching Twitter’s Lower Ad Rates, Aging User Base
Twitter remains a popular social site for marketers as it currently has 241 million active users monthly. However, in its annual report, the firm acknowledges that ad rates have dropped for 7 quarters now. At the same time, the company’s user growth rate has been stalling and new research from eMarketer suggests that the user base is aging. These changes have implications for the firm and its marketers.
Ad Agencies Questioning Value of Social Media
Ad agencies know they have to be up to speed on the latest technology in order to win clients. This same technology can also be problematic when clients are looking for hard data on their return on investment (ROI). STRATA, in a new survey, notes that half of agencies limit their social media ad purchases because they can’t demonstrate value.
Social Media to Become More Important for Fast-Growing SMBs
As the speed of commerce increases, small and medium-sized (SMBs) know they need to stay top of mind with prospects and customers. The need to generate awareness is even more urgent for marketers who are in hyper-growth mode. LinkedIn has released a new study showing that its social network is a valued marketing tool for SMBs.
Apparel and Beauty Marketers Winning Millennials Through Social Media
Millennials are more likely than other age groups to friend brands and companies on social media. The unique way they share their likes and preferences through various social networks is having an impact on both online and in-store sales. The latest research from the Center for Marketing Research at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth reveals which marketers can benefit from this consumer behavior.
CMOs Sharpen Focus on Social Media
Yesterday, I highlighted some of the top-level findings of the February 2014 CMO Survey from Dr. Christine Moorman at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. This survey also queried senior marketing professionals about social media. The results reveal that social media continues to grow as a percentage of the total marketing budget but enterprises continue to struggle with integration.
New Social Mobile Platforms Competing for Ad Money
Just when you think you’ve figured out the social media world for your clients, everything changes. Facebook still rules in terms of social ad dollars but marketers are hearing the buzz about new social mobile platforms that are attracting the attention of some valuable demographic groups, especially younger consumers. Garett Sloane recently compiled a list of the new mobile platforms for Adweek and looked into whether marketers should be shifting some of their budgets away from the older players like Facebook.
Nearly 70% of Millennials Influenced to Purchase by Social Media Posts
Millennials are significantly more likely than older generations to be influenced by their friends' social media posts about products and services. According to new research, 68% of 18- to 34-year-old social media users surveyed were at least somewhat likely to make a purchase after seeing a friend's post. On the other hand, 78% of social media users 65 and older said they were not at all likely to make a purchase based on what they saw on their friends’ feeds.
