Tag Archives: president
Google+ counts 400 million profiles, but what’s its real social marketing reach?
Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president of engineering, reported through his own Google+ account that the social network now counts more than 400 million users. These accounts were primarily activated by Google users who chose to create a Google+ presence when prompted to do so while using another service from the company. However, many have wondered how many of these users make the site a regular part of their web activity and what the network, itself, offers for social media marketing. Continue reading
Is email marketing dead? Experts say no, though social integration key
In an interview with eMarketer, Ed Kats, president of MediaWhiz, said that email and social media marketing campaigns are likely to remain strong contributors to integrated marketing strategies on the web. Many have suggested that email will become less successful moving forward, because young people interact with the channel less than social. However, Kats suggested that many have been predicting the demise of email for years, but it’s performance has remained strong. In fact, Kats, and other marketers, said that using both email and social marketing can help make each channel more successful. For most, email and social represent two parts of the same conversion funnel. Continue reading
Twitter debuts Political Index to monitor presidential candidates’ social buzz, related content can boost marketing efforts
Twitter recently announced a Political Index that monitors mentions related to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. The tool provides a daily update of sentiments expressed on the site related to the candidates. While the Index is obviously aimed at consumer users, the tool represents the social platform’s growth a conversation starter for Americans, which shows marketers the true value of a strong social presence – and it could foreshadow Twitter marketing sentiment monitors to come. In recent months, Twitter has rolled out a series of features that deliver more relevant content to users. The Political Index does not currently have the same functionality as hashtag pages in that there is no content aggregated onto the Index’s page. Twitter launched its hashtag pages earlier this year to provide a hub for Tweets related to particular events of note, such as the Olympics. However, as the election approaches, it’s likely that Twitter will roll out some form of communication tool to aggregate content related to the election. “Each day, the Index evaluates and weighs the sentiment of Tweets mentioning Obama or Romney relative to more than 40 million Tweets sent on all other topics,” Adam Sharp, head of government, news and social innovation, for Twitter said in a blog post. “For example, a score of 73 for a candidate indicates that Tweets containing their name or account are, on average, more positive than 73 percent of all Tweets.” Businesses may want to look out for similar tools for marketers that measure whether brand @mentions are generally positive or negative. In the short term, the Political Index might also help inform Twitter campaigns. To maximize the visibility of website content, Brafton has frequently reported that the inclusion of relevant trending topics into articles can help marketers attract to their followers interested in the event. A relevant article about a presidential campaign’s impact on an industry is just one way content writers can appeal to readers. Moreover, it’s increasingly important that companies using content marketing focus on engaging and informing their prospects on top of guiding them toward conversion. Consumers respond better to organizations that actively pursue thought leadership and look to foster trust. Brafton recently reported that 83 percent of consumers are more likely to trust a company produces content that hits on several different issues or highlights multiple points of view on their industries. Continue reading
Twitter, NBC partner for Olympic promotion, hashtag page can help marketers boost content visibility
Marketers developing website content related to the London 2012 Olympic Games can now share it with a massive audience, as NBC Olympics and Twitter announced a cross-promotion of the event on the microblogging site. Any content shared with the hashtag #Olympics will appear on the hashtag page, which will be broadcast on NBC to help marketers get their content in front of new audiences. However, it’s critical that companies planning to use this as part of their integrated new media marketing campaign create content relevant to their industry and the Olympics. In the past, Twitter has rolled out similar hashtag pages for other major sporting events. Most recently the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship was the subject of a hashtag page due to the high-volume of traffic it produced on the microblogging site and its popularity on the network. “With the eyes of the world focused on London, there is no doubt the conversation on Twitter will rage around the competition, the athletes and the incredible stories for the games,” Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, said in a release. “This partnership with Twitter will enable NBC Olympics to make an enormous contribution to this conversation, bringing to the swarm of attention surrounding the London Games … ” Using trending topics from around the world as part of a web marketing effort can help companies give their sites an SEO boost as well. However, ensuring that this content remains true to their industries is critical, since users are unlikely to build respect for a brand (or convert) if the connection between articles and offerings isn’t compelling and explicit. Additionally, the growth of Twitter as an indicator of popularity and hub of communication on the web is perfectly demonstrated by NBC’s partnership with the social network. [caption id="attachment_56586" align="aligncenter" width="350"] The Twitter-NBC Olympic hashtag page includes Tweets from notable athletes and others even without the inclusion of the tag.[/caption] “Twitter has now become the roar of the crowd during live sporting events …,” Chloe Sladden, vice president of media for Twitter, said in the release. “Partnering with NBC Olympics to create Twitter.com/#Olympics allows us to now shine a spotlight on the best moments within the shared experience of the Olympics and to tell the stories that capture the world’s attention.” Moving forward, marketers can anticipate the use of hashtag pages for other major events, aside from sports. With the 2012 presidential election upcoming, various entertainment award shows and other popular events, similar efforts could help marketers drive traffic to their sites through Twitter. Previously, Brafton has highlighted events, such as the Super Bowl, Mother’s Day and others, that spark increased search and social activity. Continue reading
Email marketing campaigns reaching recipients throughout the day, even in bed
A report from Good Technology found that email marketing campaigns are reaching consumers more often given the growth of smartphones. In fact, 68 percent of consumers said they check work email before 8 a.m. during the week and keep watch over their inbox even on weekends. Even during vacation or other time spent with friends and family, people monitor work email to keep track of their inboxes. For marketers, the growing access of mobile emails means content sent as part of marketing campaigns is more likely to reach these audiences throughout the day. Additionally, ensuring users can access website content included in email campaigns from mobile devices is critical to the success of these messages in driving traffic and conversions Continue reading
