Social Media Marketing by numbers

Inc.com, an online magazine bursting with ideas for small businesses and entrepreneurs, has recently published an interesting article looking at the pros and cons of six popular social media marketing strategies.

Topics covered include:

  • Hiring a celebrity Tweeter
  • Turning ‘Likes’ into Loots on Facebook
  • Translating YouTube videos into sales
  • Is it worth buying a Twitter following?
  • Rewarding customer referrals
  • Advertising on Foursquare

Each topic is covered through a case study followed by Expert tips, making it a useful summary and guide to those looking to start or progress their social media strategies.

Read the full story >

Melitta

By | November 21st, 2011|Other resources|0 Comments
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Communicators need to enjoy Social Media, new report says

Last year communicators across Europe, including GCN members, took part in a survey to discover how Social Media is affecting our daily work and the challenges and opportunities it presents.

1383 professionals from 30 countries participated in the survey,  jointly conducted by the European Association of Communication Directors and the University of St. Gallen.

And now the results are in, here is a summary:

  • Most communicators have some experience of working with Social Media as they are increasingly involved in tasks such as agenda setting, media monitoring or building stakeholder relationships.
  • A quarter of practitioners are very versed and engaged in Social Media.
  • While many practitioners find Social Media useful and relevant, it is often superiors who drive their use in the workplace.
  • Levels of engagement in Social Media reflect levels of confidence communicators have in using these new applications and platforms. With those with little engagement being the most skeptical. Those actively involved tend to be more satisfied with their jobs.
  • More than half of those surveyed showed signs that the pressure of adding Social Media to the communications mix is leading to overload and stress.
  • Most organizations lack relevant crisis and contingency plans.

The survey report concluded that learning to enjoy Social Media is a good coping strategy for the added stress it can bring and, with many organizations still experimenting with new media, now is a good time to take the leap and actively engage in the Social Web.

If you would like to know more, download the full survey results:
EACD Social Media Survey 2011.

Melitta

By | February 9th, 2011|Other resources|0 Comments
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Chief communicators unprepared to deal with social media threats, survey says

The third annual ‘Rising CCO’ survey has revealed that corporate and brand reputations face greater risk from online threats today than ever before.

The survey, conducted by global executive search firm Spencer Stuart and global public relations firm Weber Shandwick, revealed that while 34% of global chief corporate communications officers (CCOs) report that their companies experienced a social-media based reputation threat during the past 12 months, just as many (33%) say they are not prepared for managing these types of online reputational threats.

Interestingly, or perhaps consequntly, of the CCOs surveyed 54% cited new/social media experience among the most important qualifications for tomorrow’s communicators, showing that CCOs worldwide are preparing to meet the social and online media challenge.

In addition, the firms behind the survey expect social media/blogging to be the fastest-growing function in communications departments in the next 12 months, having already risen dramatically from 28% in 2008 to 41% in 2010.

Read more of the survey’s findings >

Melitta

By | November 17th, 2010|Other resources|0 Comments
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Wikipedia: a new frontier in PR

Wikipedia is one of the World’s most important sources of information online, accounting for 8% of global internet traffic with around 60 million unique visitors a month. As such, it can play an important role in managing a company’s public perception and reputation – but recent research has revealed that firms are failing to actively manage these challenges and capitalise on the available opportunities. 

The study by Lundquist, an international strategic communications consultancy, looks at how Italian companies are featured on Wikipedia and forms part of its research series examining how companies are taking advantage of new trends in web communications. 

The study found that, despite having dedicated Wikipedia articles, information on most major Italian companies is generally limited, scoring on average just 8.4 out of a possible 18 points for completeness. One reason could be that companies have been scared off engaging with online communities following a variety of scandals involving corporate manipulation of Wikipedia articles.

Effective public relations with online communities has had proven success, however. Fiat, for example, has achieved high viewing figures for its corporate information on Wikipedia as a result of engaging directly with the site’s editors. 

“The most important thing for companies is to realise that Wikipedia can boost their international profile,” said Joakim Lundquist, founding partner of Lundquist Srl.

Tips from the report include:

  • Respect the Wikipedia community and understand how the site works
  • Only edit the verifiable facts in your article, such as no. of employees.
  • Make copy-right free images and media available for Wikipedia
  • Use discussion pages to interact with Wikipedia editors and express opinions
  • Monitor your Wikipedia article for updates and vandalism.

For more about the study and its findings, download the Executive summary >

Melitta

By | June 9th, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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Bring Authenticity/Audience Perception to Social Media

Another look at our current ‘Hot Topic’ this time in an interesting piece by Mary Cullen. She believes that the open nature of Social Media will encourage people to improve the quality of their communications and be more authentic in the way they interact with their audience, which will, in turn, have a positive impact on the quality of social media in general. Read the full article >

Melitta

By | February 28th, 2009|Other resources|0 Comments
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Interesting event in Zurich on Corporate Social Media – Friday 31 October, 2008

SOMESSO Zurich ’08 attendees explore the latest developments and strategic shifts in Corporate Social Media across the globe. The first SOMESSO Conference will be held in the heart of Europe, at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut in Zurich, on Friday October 31.

SOMESSO is a must-attend event for industry leaders, brand managers, sales & marketing experts, new media specialists, internet marketers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other financiers. Ideas will be shared and presented, as well as the latest tools, strategies, and discoveries in the field of Corporate Social Media. You will be a Social Media Expert after attending this Conference!

At SOMESSO you’ll find answers to your questions, such as:

  • How will Social Media change the way we do business?
  • How do I, as a company, make best use of today’s available Social Media tools to stay on top of my business?
  • What Social Media tools should I use in my company and which ones are a waste of time?
  • How do I start building my short-term Corporate Social Media Strategy?
  • How does a Corporate Social Media Strategy impact my employees and external networks?
  • How do I (re)present myself (as an individual / as a company / as a leader – on the Internet?
  • New ballgame – what Code of Conduct to apply when interacting with my customers?
  • The return of niche networks – what’s next? (Individualization, community forming, …)

For further information, visit the Somesso website.

By | October 16th, 2008|Other events|0 Comments
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