There are a lot of articles circulating about the benefits of mobile advertising. In fact, many companies and brands are embracing mobile advertising and seeing impressive results. However, the mobile advertising market hasn’t been cornered by one particular vendor and some are wondering if Facebook is going to join the mobile scene.

Facebook is recognized as one of the top social media sites. Plus, numerous businesses appreciate the advance targeting features that are available in Facebook such as demographics, interests, connections, etc. Some would like to use these advanced settings to reach the mobile market. This means businesses would already be prepared to pay Facebook to reach their respective audience. Another plus is that people use their cell phones to check on their Facebook accounts already, so it’s not like Facebook would have to entice anyone to go on their site via a mobile device. They also, have loads of mobile user data at their fingertips. According to an article on CNET, “Facebook already has access to data of a large mobile user base”… Facebook says nearly half of its nearly 800 million users already log in via mobile devices, giving the network momentum in a market estimated to be worth $630 million.” 

Facebook seems to be in a great position to join the mobile market, and despite rumors that they will be offering mobile advertising soon, Facebook has declined to speak about the matter.  Many businesses will benefit if Facebook gives them the ability to run mobile ads.  The ball is in their court to enable mobile ads and only time will tell how they’ll proceed.

When people like something they normally tell their friends. Many businesses would agree that word of mouth advertising is incredibly powerful as well. In fact, a satisfied customer can be one of the greatest assets to a company.  Social share buttons are the online version of word of mouth. This brings back the question of “where’s your social share button?”

Social share buttons allow users to share relevant information with their friends and associates. Many businesses don’t always see the value of the share button, but it definitely helps. The social share button is not about joining the social media bandwagon; it’s about getting relevant information to a greater number of people. Social share buttons should be located in obvious areas on your website where relevant information is located. Relevant information includes blogs, white papers, newsletters, and more.

When someone is reading quality information on a business website, they should have the option to share it with their social media circle. People want to share information of value with others, which is an added benefit to businesses. It’s literally free advertising. Want more proof that social share buttons work?  A study done by BrightEdge mentioned in an eMarketer article states that, “On average, a website without a Twitter share button was mentioned four times, while a site with a tweet button was mentioned 27 times. Including a Twitter plugin button increased mentions on Twitter almost sevenfold.”  

Social share buttons shouldn’t be underestimated by businesses, especially if that business produces a lot of written content that can and should be shared with others. Adding a share button doesn’t take a whole lot of time and the benefits should definitely outweigh the time it takes to add it.  If your business wants to share more info with others, social share buttons should be considered.

 There’s been a lot of buzz around Google+ and Facebook these last few days. Google+ recently made its social network available to the public and Facebook had its F8 conference touting the new features that will be rolling out.  Both Google+ and Facebook want to be the social media site that everyone goes to for social interaction. The real question is why?  It could be because they want to boast that they have the most visitors, but Facebook (see the Computerworld article) already won that title. Plus, it’s safe to say that neither Facebook nor Google+ is improving their social media site for that warm and fuzzy feeling.  So what’s the real reason? It could be that by reaching out to people, they are both competing for the attention of businesses and their advertising dollars.

Facebook and Google+ know that companies will pay top dollar to reach their target audience. Businesses already pay to reach their target audience, so what’s the big deal?  The social media sites can use data and information to predict a user’s actions.
According to an article on CNET, Facebook’s  “algorithm can determine what you’re likely to like based on who you like, what you do, where you go, which apps you use (and how), and so forth–all of which is information that Facebook will now collect through its own service and all the apps that are being built to run on it.”   This is a game changer.

It means that Facebook and Google+ (at a later date) can help corporations pinpoint people who should be in their target audience based on their social behavior.  This makes advertising dollars even more valuable.  In the past people’s profile information, their interests and their “likes” determined which ads would be relevant.  Now, their actual behavior and interactions will be watched and ads will be served based on those actions. Its one thing for a social media site to say a user is interested in country songs based on their status; it’s another thing to say that they listen to the song “Sweet Home Alabama” once a week.  By collecting and providing more valuable data, a social media site can make itself of greater worth to advertisers. In fact, it can help advertisers adjust their strategy based on the data received.  According to CNET, if this works, “Facebook is on its way to becoming the source of the most valuable information on the Web: who likes what, who they influence, and how to reach the people most likely to influence others (hint: go through their friends).”

It’s no wonder that Facebook and Google+ continue to attempt to out-do each other. In the end, it adds up to greater revenue for both companies.

It seems like social media has exploded over the last few years, yet there are many businesses that aren’t quite sure how to use it as a benefit. They’ve tinkered with coupons, giveaways and sign-ups. They’ve even asked people to like their page or follow them on Twitter. Although they’ve tried these different strategies, they still aren’t seeing the great results that they’ve heard others talk about. Social media is not a quick sales fix, it’s about communication. More importantly, communicating with your audience.

Many businesses fail to use social media as a communication tool to connect with their audience. Consumers are willing to give their feedback about a product or service, but someone has to be taking notes. To better utilize social media, ask your target audience to share their opinion about your business product or service. It’s not rocket science, and it could help your business improve an existing product or service. Let’s say for example that a restaurant has recently introduced a new spicy food dish. At first it’s a huge hit, but then the orders for this new dish start to fizzle out and the restaurant owner is wondering why? Instead of discontinuing the dish, the owner starts a social conversation inviting consumers to give their feedback. As the feedback comes in, the owner realizes that customers are disappointed because the spicy food dish isn’t that “spicy.” This feedback helps the owner improve the dish and customers are invited to test the improved version. By simply communicating, the restaurant owner has solved the mystery of why the spicy food dish orders fizzled out.

It sounds simple, but businesses can miss out on opportunities if they aren’t listening. In fact, service and product revenue can be increased from simply reading consumer’s social media communications within your community. Let’s say you own a company that services computers. The business is doing well, but you are wondering where improvements can be made.  As you read through posted comments and tweets, you notice a recurring theme. Customers want extended hours on weekdays, so that they can drop their computer off on their way to work. In fact, many have changed their weekend plans or haven’t even brought their computer in because your weekday hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This forces them to come in during their lunch or rush through traffic to get to your business before close or look elsewhere for help.  What’s the solution? Your business shortens up its weekend hours and extends its weekday hours.

Social media can be a great asset to your business, if it’s leveraged correctly. If your business will learn to pay attention, your audience may be providing new ideas and business solutions.

Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz around Google+.  Some people are predicting that Google+ will give Facebook a run for their money; while others say that Google+ is no threat to Facebook.  Either way businesses should be aware of how Google+ works and how they can use this new social platform to their benefit.

As it stands right now, Google+ is focused primarily on individual users. It seems they want to establish an audience of individual users before opening up their platform to businesses and marketers. However, Google+ recently allowed businesses to sign up for a corporate account beta. There was such an overwhelming response that Google will have to sift through the applications to determine which companies will actually get to participate in the beta.  Outside of the corporate account beta, there is no word yet, as to when and how businesses will be able to market their products and/or services to individuals with a Google+ account.

Google+ is similar to Facebook because it allows users to share their thoughts, photos, videos, etc with friends. However, Google+ has circles which allows users to choose which group of friends and/or associates they want to share information with. For example: let’s say Jane is friends with her parents, her boss and her weekend buddies on Google +. Over the weekend she goes camping with her family. She can share all her pictures with her parents, along with any sentimental thoughts, and not include her bosses or her weekend buddies. On the same note, she can send her weekend buddies a goofy picture of her and her mom, along with a note that says, “you know how my mom is” without her parents or her boss knowing. This could be a true benefit for advertisers, once Google+ opens up the door to them. If a person has more than one circle of friends, then this could mean that there are greater opportunities for advertisers to segment their message.  Other features on Google+ such as Hangouts, Sparks and Huddle may also present an open door for marketers and businesses to reach Google+ users.

Right now, there’s a lot of speculation about what to expect from Google+, especially since it is still in beta.  As Google+ unfolds, it should be interesting to see how companies and marketers can use this social platform to reach their target audience.

It seems that Facebook is getting in on all the action nowadays. They received more visits than Google in 2010, according to TechCrunch and they have there own movie. They may soon add being a top shopping site to their list of achievements.

Last year I wrote a blog about JCPenney launching an ecommerce store on Facebook. In a nutshell, visitors could like, share or purchase products without leaving the Facebook site. Since then, other retailers have joined JCPenney. It may not seem like a big deal, but this could be the start of a growing trend. Remember Facebook pages? Only a few companies had Facebook pages in the beginning and now many companies, big and small have them.

The second half of the shopping puzzle is consumer purchasing trends. Will people feel comfortable making purchases on Facebook for a brand name product they want? It seems that retailers think the answer is yes. Some retailers feel that consumers are more likely to buy a product or service if it comes to them rather than vice versa. According to Direct Marketing News, Jim Wright, Express’ SVP of CRM and e-commerce says, “We need to be where customers are having their experiences and sharing information. We need to take down the barriers preventing a shopping experience.”

The thought here is to not interrupt the environment of Facebook users, but rather engage them to purchase while they are in their Facebook setting, communicating with family and friends. Think about it, if someone goes to a company site on Facebook they might just browse their inventory. Instead of leaving Facebook or opening up another window or tab they could whip out their credit card and make a purchase.

In the end, revenue will decide if companies will continue to pursue and develop shopping capabilities within Facebook. There may come a time that someone says, “I’m going shopping at the Facebook mall.” The only question left to ask is Will your company be located in the Facebook mall?

There are many companies that view social media as a huge mountain to conquer. However, social media doesn’t have to be a daunting task, if your company has a strategy and follows it. Setting a plan in place, alone or with an agency can help a business be successful in the arena of social media.

The first step of the plan is to recognize that it is subject to change. Social media is constantly evolving; therefore it is important to be aware of those changes and willing to make adjustments. Think about Facebook. There was a time where businesses couldn’t do apps, but now they have the capability to create and run many different types of apps on Facebook.  Another example is that not too long ago, every social media site had to be logged into individually. Now, HootSuite and other tools make it easy to access and monitor multiple social accounts across different social media channels.

Another key to being successful with social media is to define the boundaries before you start. What is your tone? How do you want to come across to your fans, followers and viewers? The CEO from Zappos has his own Twitter account and he tweets about his day and things taking place in the office. He has no problem saying, “Getting on a plane, need rest” one day, and the next saying, “here’s a live company meeting with our employees, see video.” The tone of his Twitter account is very engaging. On the flip side, other companies may take a more formal approach, making their tweets a little less personal. Either way, the strategy should be determined from the outset. By setting the tone beforehand, your company can keep out of harm’s way. Make sure that whoever is managing your social accounts (whether internally or externally) is clearly aware of the correct way to “talk” through your company’s social voice. There are many stories about companies who entered the social media world and had it backfire because they didn’t define the boundaries of their social account.

In defining a social media strategy, the base plan doesn’t have to take forever, but it should be carefully thought out. Once your company establishes some basic foundations for your social media account, go ahead and be increasingly creative. Do promotions, contests, free giveaways and more. Social media is a great way to reach out to your target audience; just make sure your business adjusts to changes and clearly defines its social boundaries.

Many companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon. They are on Facebook, they tweet, blog, and some have even social shopping sites which is great. However, here’s a word of warning. Make sure your company has a social media strategy before taking the social media plunge. There can be negative consequences if your company does social media with a half hearted effort or if your company jumps into the social media waters without understanding how it works.

Social media is a two way street; unlike traditional advertising, social media invites the consumer to share their ideas and thoughts. It’s more about building a relationship than telling them how wonderful your company is and expecting them to agree 100%. Although it may be difficult to believe, there may be someone that doesn’t think your business is the greatest one out there. However, social media is a great way to change their mind, but it will take time. Zappos is a great example of a company who has used Twitter to connect with consumers. The Zappos tweets come from the CEO of the company. He is not tweeting about upcoming sales; he is tweeting about fun company events, making jokes and sharing his thoughts on different activities that are occurring in his life. This is creating a bond with his followers, which makes people feel good about the Zappos brand. This can create loyal customers for life and positive word of mouth for the company. Zappos is using Twitter to show people the personality and face behind the company name. Their strategy seems to be working very well.

On the other hand, some companies have failed miserably at social media and have left a negative taste in people’s mouth because of the way they have handled certain situations. For social media to work right, there must be a plan in place. Let’s look at an example that recently happened to me. I went to the website of a well known retail store, (whose name I will not mention), and clicked on their social shopping link. On this social shopping site, there was a game of “find the coupon” (this wasn’t the actual name). Each coupon had a code that could be used for discounts on online purchases. After playing the game, I proceeded to shop online to use my new coupon codes to get discounts. However, there was one slight problem; the code I wanted to use didn’t work. Eventually, I was able to get someone to honor the discount that was on their social game site.

Here’s the issue. There was a disconnect, between this retailer’s employees and the social game that they offered. I spoke with multiple representatives and no one seemed to know about the social game. In fact, I had to explain to a representative over the phone how to find the coupon codes in their own game. Was the social game a great idea? Yes. However, it became a frustration when the code didn’t work and I have no intentions of engaging in any other social media games that this company may have in the future.

Social media is a great avenue to reach loyal consumers and potential new customers. However, to walk into the world of social media blindly is not a wise move. It’s better to wait an extra month before launching, in order to put a plan in place than to step off the cliff into the social media waters and hope your company can swim.

Everyone likes to get incentives for following through on an action. Think about it, how many times have you signed up for a newsletter or given a company your e-mail address in order to get a discount or a particular item in return. The world of social media is no different. Many companies lure in customers with special offers on social media sites.

Social media sites are the new place to hand out incentives in order to reach more potential customers. In fact, many companies offer incentives that can only be accessed through social media sites. Take the Cheesecake Factory for example. July 30th was National Cheesecake day and every slice of cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory was being sold for half price. However, The Cheesecake Factory decided to sweeten the pot even more. On July 29th only, if a Facebooker clicked the Cheesecake Factory “like” button they would receive a coupon to buy a slice of cheesecake for $1.50.

This was a great incentive for consumers, but the Cheesecake Factory also benefitted. When a Facebooker clicked the “like” button on the Cheesecake Factory Facebook page, they were notified that their information would be accessible by the Cheesecake Factory. They were asked if they consented to their information being captured. If they said yes, they were taken to $1.50 coupon. In return for the $1.50 coupon, the Cheesecake Factory received a lot of fan “likes” that day, but they also were given access to information about the people who “liked” their page.  For those who clicked the “like” button, they’ll continually receive notifications and updates from the Cheesecake Factory in their status section.

The Cheesecake Factory is not the only company to capitalize on the friendliness of the “Facebook” network. Einstein and others have run promotions that encourage Facebookers to fan or “like” a page in order to receive an incentive. If a company creates the right strategy, then they too can benefit from offering potential customers incentives on Facebook.

Social media can spread good news or bad news about a company like wild fire across the internet. The real trick is to figure out how to keep the fires contained and quickly put them out. By acting in real time to put out social media wild fires, companies can learn from the situation and make a better name for themselves.

Recently, Hampton Toyota experienced the wild fires of social media first hand. Here’s a brief synopsis of what took place.  One of Hampton’s customers who came in to get their car serviced claimed that one of the employees had taken money from their car. The stealing occurred on several occasions, and was even brought to the attention of one of the service managers.  After complaining several times, with no response, the employee placed a video camera in their car, which caught employee’s stealing money from the car. The customer posted the videos on YouTube and sent a copy to the dealer.  It sounds like an uncontrollable wild fire. However, what the Hampton Toyota dealer did next tamed the wild fire.

The Hampton Toyota dealer took action. He contacted the customer, apologized for the lack of integrity on the employee’s part and in fact, some of the employees were terminated.  He then placed a video on YouTube explaining what happened and how Hampton Toyota had taken steps to resolve the situation. What was turning out to be a disaster was quickly changed to a positive. The Hampton Toyota dealer used social media to put out the wild fire.

There’s a proverbial saying, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond.” The dealer of Hampton Toyota responded correctly. Not only did he rectify the situation with the customer, he effectively addressed the situation with his social media audience. The dealer was able to show that they cared about their customers as well as the social audience.  They were able to put out the social media fire, instead of letting it consume them.