Facebook is, at the moment, the most important social network in the world. Over 500 million people connect to one another in the “Social Network.” And, with the introduction of the Open Graph, we are interacting with our Facebook connections on our favorite websites where our social graph and the corresponding activity of Likes, interaction, and commentary become the centerpiece for social curation and more importantly, our focused attention. We are putting our social network to work and we are…
Twitter Promoted to Ad Network
Four-and-a-half years ago, Jack Dorsey sent the Tweet that would eventually spark a social revolution. At just 24 characters long, Dorsey and the Twitter team introduced us, one by one, to a new medium for connecting and communicating with one another. It would forever change how its community shared, discovered, and learned, setting the stage for a new era of influence and relevance. And in just four short years, Twitter would emerge as something more personal than a social network,…
The Beginning of the End of Business As Usual
Listening is only the beginning. Engagement is the beginning of the end of business as usual. Once we hear, truly hear our customers and the people who influence our decisions, effective engagement is inspired by the empathy that develops simply by being human. We start to see things through the eyes of our consumers. We feel their pains, frustrations, and also happiness. We sense what it takes to encourage positive sentiment. Once we put “people” back into the mix, a…
(R)evolution Episode 3: Rick Bakas on Social Media, Wine and Engagement
Welcome to the third episode of (R)evolution, a new series that connects you to the people, trends, and ideas defining the future of business, marketing, and media. My guest this time around is Rick Bakas (@rickbakas) of Bakas Media, previously director of social media at St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley. Note: This is a live setting and there are a few spots where offscreen noise is a factor. Stay focused, Rick represents what’s going on in the front lines…
The Socialization of Business: Your Dirty Little Secrets are No Longer Secrets
If a conversation takes place online and you’re not there to hear it, did it really happen? Conversations do not fall into a black hole never to be heard again. And, there is no event horizon preventing their escape. The social effect is more powerful than we realize. The truth is that if one voice or a chorus of voices finds the right audience, not only will businesses realize that conversations are taking place, they will find a miraculous cure…
Connecting the Dots: Socializing Touchpoints
We are now down to the second-to-last video where Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo (@26dottwo) and I examine the state and future of social media. In this segment, we outline the importance of connecting offline and online experiences. Brands must now introduce a connected series of touchpoints between traditional and new media programs to define paths and bring desired outcomes to life. However, to connect the brand strategy to the individual requires a personal approach that starts with the “First…
5 Not-So-Easy Steps to Managing Your Brand Online
Unless you literally run your business with your ears plugged and your eyes covered, you are aware of the importance of social media and its impact on both brand and bottom line. However, while social media is the topic du jour in mainstream news, on blogs, in books, at conferences and at your local Starbucks, we may still underestimate its overall promise and potential. The socialization of business is comparable to the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland or the…
Video: Introducing the 5th “P” to the Marketing Mix — People
I recently sat down with Chris Beck, founder of 26dottwo, a digital media agency in the San Francisco Bay Area for a in-depth discussion on the state and future of social media. We examine a broad range of topics that explore the impact of the social economy on business, culture and the democratization of influence. In this installment, we discuss “people” as the 5th “P” in the marketing mix. While this is a subject that’s been discussed over the years,…
Social Media Spend to Double This Year
The spirit of social media is enlivening industries, refreshing marketing, and humanizing businesses. While the steps to the social revolution are gradual, so are the budgets that fund innovation. Progress is underway however, and with every experiment and pilot program, we learn the answers to the questions that serve as the gateways to change. Early experiments are sparked within various forward-looking divisions and funded by other resident or surrounding programs or departments. As social media permeates and socializes the frameworks…
Social Media is Measured by the Sum of Its Parts
Social Media is greater than the sum of its parts, but it is these parts that define the socialization of business. Today consumers are interacting with peers, brands, and influencers in social networks at varying levels across more industries than you might possibly believe. The answers of who, what, when, where, how, and to what extent are out there; we just need to spend a moment searching for the insights necessary to galvanize meaningful social media content, branding, and engagement…
