High on Social Media
Sometimes you just have to get high to achieve clarity. Or at least that’s what Drew told himself as he ascended precisely 6,224 feet to attend and speak at MediaPost’s Social Media Insider Summit on Lake Tahoe. And, true to form, this elevated event not only met his lofty expectations, but it also revealed five somewhat surprising truths about social media.
Social Media Successes Rarely Happen Only via Social Media
| Although HP cited the launch of the ENVY14 Spectre Ultrabook as done “entirely through social media,” even this big social success story didn’t happen in isolation. The launch began with teaser videos aimed at influential bloggers and ended with the world’s first live streaming concert on Twitter. Enabled by a PR machine and a huge live DJ concert in Vegas during CES, HP proved that a social program with extra juice from other channels can indeed cut through. |
Social TV Apps Could Rescue Live TV
| Though the penetration of social TV apps is still quite low (under 3%), they are starting to have a genuine impact on specific programs. For example, AMC created a social TV app to encourage live viewership of its cult hit, “Breaking Bad.” The app, which was available only during the live broadcast, offered trivia, videos and live polling for the show’s hardcore fans. Though the app doesn’t deserve all the credit, AMC reported that show ratings increased by 14%. |
Don't Even Think of Ignoring Facebook
Facebook’s plummeting post-IPO stock price belies its extraordinary and unparalleled marketing power. With people spending upwards of 6.7 billion hours a month on THE social network, Facebook is the largest entertainment resource in the world. As such, few marketers can afford not to have a strong presence on Facebook, engaging their biggest fans with interesting content and valuable offers that, in turn, can drive site traffic and, yes, even sales.
It's Time to Take Value-Per-Like Seriously
| While social media pundits have offered up $1-3 as the value-per-Like of a typical Facebook fan, ultimately the value of your fans is what matters. Data analytics companies like LoudDoor are now offering tools that can help you calculate your value-per-Like and determine what your fans are actually worth, which could clear the path for bigger ROI-driven social programs. |
Hedge Your Bet By Updating Your Google+ Brand Page
| While Google+ boasts 170 million registered users, RJ Metrics reports that 30% of users who make a public post never make a second one, which could make you ask, “Why bother?” Well, consider the rumor that Google+ and +1 will merge, creating a search driver that marketers simply can’t ignore. In simplistic terms, this would mean that a post on Google+ could result in better SEO performance. Add on the fact that marketers can finally stake out vanity/branded Google+ page URLs (like they’ve enjoyed on Facebook for years), and brands may finally have to plant themselves firmly in Google+ (or should we call it Google+1?). |
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