Ayantek's Social Media Marketing Digest

Who and what are the biggest social influencers in the digital space today?

Recently, the editors at MBA in Marketing Degree Guide decided to find out and embarked on a research expedition that uncovered some interesting information.

The research began by probing who consumers trust when it comes to their purchasing decisions.

• 54 % of consumers report a greater amount of influence coming from communities of smaller size. So blogs with small but loyal followings can deliver high-percentage results in consumer influence.
• 31% of Internet purchases are influenced by blogs, ranking blogs third in influence behind only retail (56%) and brand sites (34%) in influence.
• While bloggers and social media influencers are a premier source of influence, most digital marketers devote few resources to incorporating key influencers into their digital efforts.

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Following in the footsteps of Facebook, which recently overhauled its search, LinkedIn on Monday announced a revamped search with auto-complete, suggested searches and other enh...

Now I’m pulling this next blurb from Vivaldi Partners via wikipedia but pay attention to it:

"Vivaldi Partners defined social currency as the extent to which people share the brand or information about the brand as part of their everyday social lives at work or at home."

Now, let’s fast forward to an article that Jay Baer wrote in which he states that online influencer outreach is overrated:

"I’m not suggesting that influencer outreach is useless or should be abandoned. But, it’s not magic beans. It needs to be looked at for what it actually is – the top of the funnel component of a larger program to generate awareness AND behavior using social media and content marketing."

So take all the aspects of social currency run them through how marketers use them, snap on Jay’s components and basically what you’re left with is a bunch of marketers floundering with the notion of what social currency is. They’re thinking that presence equates to value divided by attention will equal ROI. 

Social currency may not be counterfeit but we need to put the proper value on the currency before it’s too late.

On the Internet, the big battle continues to be over “place.” Twitter’s spat with Instagram and Facebook’s continuing restrictions on data use are all about making sure that you use their website and applications — i.e., come to their house –so they can serve you the ads that make them money.

It’s critical to these social networks that you come to their owned sites/apps. You, however, probably don’t feel the same sense of urgency. I’m betting that you go to these social networks largely because that’s where the action is. That’s where your friends and family are. That’s where the news and updates you care about can be found. That’s where the photos and funny videos are served up to you.

But if the conversations and content came directly to you — precisely where and when you needed it — would you ever choose to go to Facebook?

One of the first questions I invariably ask when meeting with a communications team for the first time is, "How do you use digital communications and social media to listen to your customers?

Most businesses venture into social media expecting to see a big return on investment. The hope is that new customers will come in droves, and that the benefits and revenue generation will be huge. However, this is rarely the case. It takes time to build momentum with social media, and the benefits aren’t always as obvious as we would like.

If you’re feeling a bit skeptical about social media marketing and whether or not it’s worth the effort, following are some reasons why it may be working better than you realize....

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Want to know the latest cool facts about your favourite social media platforms? Here's 52 cool facts about social media in 2012.

It’s all to easy to understand why many ‘traditional’ or, dare I say it … old fashioned businesses don’t grasp the whole concept of social media.

Despite generally high comfort levels with social media, business owners and entrepreneurs are often still confounded by the complexities associated with developing a smart, comprehensive social media marketing strategy.

A new infographic aims help in this struggle by covering the essential basics when outlining a winning plan of action.

So what can you take away from this “8-step strategy for successful social media marketing”? Check out the infographic below to find out.

See Infographic...

In this connected economy, your marketing message is traveling through complex and interconnected networks of relationships.

This is why marketing today is more than a process of earning the attention of people and engaging them with your business. It also requires that you do the same with their friends and influencers, and then theirs too – and so on, and on, and on.

While this may seem to be a daunting task, leveraging digital and real-life networks to ensure the future success of your business can be distilled down to two basic practices:

1. Communicate Well
2. Play Well

Facebook has announced the expansion of the advertising system enabling marketers to tailor messages to users of the popular social network based on their browsing history.

According to coverage Tuesday morning from Reuters, the latest effort comes as Facebook continues to “refine its ad business.”

So far, the system has been used to target graphical display ads on the right side of a Facebook user’s page, based on websites visited in the past, such as for products or potential vacation destinations.

Based on details provided in Tuesday’s announcement, Mark Zuckerberg’s social network of more than one billion members will integrate Facebook Exchange into the ads in Facebook’s News Feed.

“It ties together two of the most significant innovations that Facebook Inc has made in the past year to its advertising business,” today’s report reads, “which accounts for roughly 84 percent of the company’s revenue.”

The expansion, however, doesn’t include mobile for now. At first, the Facebook Exchange system will only be available for newsfeed ads that appear on desktop PCs.

“Desktop is more in line with what FBX (Facebook Exchange) has been doing effectively in the right hand side. And we also find that desktop is the place where more people convert from seeing direct-response ads,” says Facebook spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana.

Fleeting as social media exchanges may seem, they can have a pronounced impact on business and their influence can echoe far beyond a simple post or retweet.
 

 
Looking to enhance your corporate social media efforts? Here are 10 simple rules every corporate social networking team should follow to better connect with fans and maximize the value of their online presences.

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For businesses and individuals alike, maximizing your social media efforts is important. It can also be fun, once newbies get beyond the often frustrating first steps of establishing an attractive social media presence.

Thanks to a helpful new infographic from imforza, it’s never been easier to customize a social media account with a professional-looking design.

Unlike the vast majority of throw-away infographics that populate the blogosphere today, this social media design cheat sheet is a keeper. Check it out Here.

The most valuable part of social media is driving recommendations and natural and authentic social mentions from your customers.

Marketing practices have evolved considerably in recent times, as businesses have looked beyond the quest for profit and instead sought to empower consumers as a part of their brand. Social media h...

A look at why marketers need to go back to the roots of marketing and re-evaluate their social media.