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Posts Tagged ‘social media’



What’s a Facebook Business Page Worth to Consumers?

November 4th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Business, Small Business | No Comments »

I have a friend who on Facebook recently has becoming a fan of every product under the sun – Renuzit, Ronzoni, Ziplock, Folgers, ect.

I’ve been seeing these products she is a fan of – because each and every one gets prominently displayed in my home feed –  and I think… really? This woman is really telling all of her friends which air freshener product she likes? Who flippin’ cares?

I certainly don’t. In fact, I think it’s annoying.

Coincidentally a new study was just released last week that addresses this very topic: Why consumers fan Facebook pages.

The report, conducted by ExactTarget and CoTweet, found that discounts and “social badging” were the primary reasons consumers “like” brands on Facebook.

Nearly 40% of Facebook users who become fans do so to receive discounts and promotions and 39% become fans to show their support for a brand to their friends.

Some other interesting findings from the study include:

- 43% of the Facebook users surveyed said they “like”, or are fans of, at least one brand on Facebook.

- 34% of Facebook users say they “like” brands in order to stay informed about company activities or to get updates on future products.

- 17% say they’re more likely to buy after liking that brand on Facebook.

Sure, Facebook is a dynamic way for brands to mobilize their fans and get introduced to even more fans – but what are those business Fan Pages really worth to consumers besides a social badge?

The answer: Absolutely nothing, unless something is in it for them.

Turns out my friend who was liking all of those products only did it for the coupon incentives the companies sent her after she became a fan of their pages. But, the brands’ marketing plans backfired, in my opinion. Sure, they got my friend’s “like” of approval – but her friends are now giving these products a BIG DISLIKE because of the sheer annoyance of seeing them on their main Facebook feeds.

This whole incentive stuff is for the birds. I say brands should stay organic. Let people come to them because they truly like their services or products. If they don’t – and continue to offer these stupid discounts – they’ll end up shooting themselves in the proverbial left foot, because you know why?

All of those fans who were lured in aren’t going to stick around. They’re not loyal. They are fair feather – just like my friend. She has “un-liked” every one of those products.

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A Social Experiment May Prove TV News Is Obsolete

February 3rd, 2010 by Erin Posted in Twitter | No Comments »

I come from a television news background. My husband is a television news anchor.

Television news was, and is, our life blood. If it goes away, we’re screwed.

That’s why I hate to admit that TV news really is dying a slow death thanks to Internet news Websites and social media, like Twitter and Facebook.

And now, a new social experiment may really leave me in a cold sweat.

It’s called “Huis Clos su le Net” or “Behind Closed Doors on the Net.” The experiment will lock five journalists, who are all from other parts of the world, in an isolated French cottage, leaving them without access to print newspapers or magazines.

So how will they keep up with the world? Through Facebook and Twitter.

The experiment will judge how well the journalists can interpret news of the world solely through social websites and how they might go about verifying the facts presented through Facebook and Twitter.

I have yet to get a handle on when this experiment will begin mainly because every website and blog associated with Huis Clos se le Net is in French, including their Twitter feed.

I do expect, however, that when it actually does begin news will spread like wildfire here to the United States.

My gut tells me that the findings from this experiment will not be earth-shattering; that, indeed, you can get ALL of the day’s news right there on Twitter. Facebook I’m not so sure about.

TV news is toast.

My husband better start looking for work.

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Social Media, iPhone Apps Help Make A Difference

January 27th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Technology, Twitter | No Comments »

I’m no stranger to adversity.

Sure, ALL of us hit a rough patch now and then – but what I’ve been through, and what the people of Haiti are now growing through, is anything but rough.

It’s pure hell.

My husband and I, and our then 9-month-old daughter, were in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. As you know, the storm sucked the life out of the vibrant city – leaving it flooded and in ruins. The images you saw on TV were bad. But you have no idea what it was like to be there in person. No idea.

I expect the same can be said for what is unfolding right now in Haiti. I’ve seen the footage on the evening news, but being there is another story.

There is a silver lining though.

It is the monumental effort to give and help.

Back in 2005, I was astounded by the generosity of people across this country, and others, to help New Orleanians deal with Katrina’s aftermath. Donation after donation helped the city heal and rebuild. The call to action back then was, what I thought, unprecedented.

What we’re seeing now in Haiti is historic.

Aid is pouring in at an unbelievable rate – more so than ever before. And, it’s all because of technology.

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook have helped people spread the word, and many one-click FREE iPhone applications make donating effortless.

I often wonder how things would have played out in New Orleans – or even in tsunami-ravaged southeast Asia – if Twitter and more smartphone applications were around.

Funny, it was just five years ago – yet it seems like a completely different time.

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The Social Media Revolution That Wasn’t

November 18th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Twitter | 1 Comment »

Remember that canon I wrote back in early June about Twitter and the Iran election?

You know, the one about the power of social media and the influence it had on the dissemination of crucial, otherwise censored information following Ahmandinejad’s brutal win?

Well, it turns out the social media-driven revolution that was unfolding on Twitter didn’t have the impact we thought it did.

Charles Leadbeater, a British writer and analyst, and Annika Wong, his fellow researcher, decided to empirically explore Twitter’s role during that time. Making use of data provided by media analytics company, Sysomos, Leadbeater and Wong found that Twitter’s impact was negligible – at best.

And why not?

After all, a mere .027% of Iranians are registered to use Twitter – and of that minuscule figure includes some Westerners who changed their Twitter address to Iran as a show of solidarity.

Duh!

Given that only a third of Iranians have Internet access – these findings make complete sense.

I – like so many others who spent countless hours pondering the powerful link between Twitter and Iran’s potential regime change – was dead wrong.

Perhaps, Twitter isn’t has effective as we thought.

Or, perhaps, I was naive enough to get caught up in, what I thought, was a “big” event unfolding before my eyes.

Fool me once, but not twice.

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Twitter vs LinkedIn: The New Face of Social Media

January 6th, 2009 by Erin Posted in LinkedIn, Small Business, Twitter | No Comments »

Something stinks in the world of social media.

There are too many sites. Too many profiles. Too many friends, followers, and contacts.

In the beginning, MySpace and Facebook were the end of the social media line. Not anymore.

Enter LinkedIn and Twitter.

Both are in a head-to-head fight over popularity and validation, especially in the world of small business.

True both can help generate links, forge relationships, and generate direct sales. But, like in any race, there is only one victor – and this case, I believe it will be Twitter.

Here’s why.

Twitter. It’s all the rage lately. It offers the unique ability to connect with a ton of people you normally wouldn’t have access too – and it all begins with a simple one line update, or tweet.

Here’s a real life example.

A recent Wall Street Journal article featured a woman named Alexa Scordato. When Alexa was looking for a job she didn’t email her LinkedIn contacts about possible openings. Instead, she sent a tweet via Twitter.

Her brief message: “Hey there! Looking for a Social Media job up in Boston. Are you guys doing any entry level hires?”

Within a week, according to WSJ, Alexa had an interview. Within two weeks, she had a job.

Twitter also has the potential to drive some serious traffic to your site. Simply enter the URL into your tweet and your site is golden.

Now Linkedln, on the other hand, is whole different ball game. The site is all about e-mail invitations, connections, and building a professional network.  You build your profile, then invite people (or friends) to join your network. While LinkedIn does have the one line update feature- like those found on Twitter and Facebook – it’s not the driving feature on the site. In my opinion, you really have to know LinkedIn to use it to your advantage. Think of it as a meet and greet arena; users must set up a profile and start introducing themselves around.

Seems to me Twitter can maximize your brand with minimal effort. For LinkedIn users, well, that could take a while.

Go ahead. Give a tweet on Twitter – and see where the next big thing in social media will take you.

Sorry LinkedIn.

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