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DigitalRoyalty

Social Media Trends To Look For

January 16, 2012

 

 

 

Digital Royalty Founder and CEO, Amy Jo Martin, was recently interviewed by TechCrunch to provide insight on the 2012 social media landscape. Article written by Joseph Puopolo:

In 2011, social media had its share of growing pains. Large brands and corporations took to social media in force to try to find footing in this expanding medium. Some brands found success, while others found peril and new PR nightmares. One person who has helped brands navigate the proverbial social media minefield is Amy Jo Martin. She is the founder of Digital Royalty, a social media firm that has set itself apart by helping A-listers find their social media voice.

Amy works with people like Dana White of the UFC, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson of acting/WWE fame and brands like Nike and Fox Sports (and now Joel Stein). Her specialty is working with organizations or individuals and making them look good online. Since the online world is in perpetual flux, I wanted to get Amy’s take on the social media landscape for 2012.

Here were a few key trends Amy said we should look out for in 2012:

1. Social TV Integration

Many shows have already begun to integrate social TV, either through polling or integrating social elements within the show. See my example of how both the UFC and WWE are integrating social media into their programming. Social media played a pivotal role in the last presidential election, and it will likely be more integrated into political broadcasts.

As each news channel fights hard to keep their viewers engaged, networks like CNN and Fox have made significant strides to engage their audience, although some would argue that this social media integration has come at the expense of hard-hitting journalism and analysis.

2. TV Is Going Online in a Big Way

2012 will be the first time that the Super Bowl will be streamed live to the world. Since the Super Bowl is generally viewed as the mother of all advertising spectacles, it will add a new dynamic into the digital component to advertising and social media integration.

3. Facebook Credits Take Center stage

Facebook in 2012 has the potential to project its power and truly take Facebook credits into a viable currency. Amy puts it quite well when she says “they’re building an online destination we’ll never need to leave, and my guess is they’re only about 8% of the way through their product roadmap.”

4. Big Business Has Woken Up

The way corporate entities approach social media is shifting. Many companies realize that setting up Twitter, YouTube and Facebook accounts is not going to cut it as their social media strategy. Brands will need to seriously shift their perspective by treating social channels more like communication channels and less like an advertising channels in order to make a difference. From my perspective this transition has already occurred, judging by the extent to which brands’ Twitter accounts are now used as channels for CRM and customer support, managing pissed off or happy customers in near realtime.

5. ROI Is Still Huge

ROI will remain a key metric to any social media strategy. The concept of engagement is now becoming more and more an excepted metric. CEO adoption of social media is improving, and more CEOs are recognizing the benefits of humanizing their brand by taking to Twitter.

Customer service, research and image branding could all be considered social media intangibles, yet all three are obviously important in business. Social channels impact every single aspect of business from human relations to finance, sales, operations and legal. It’s important for everyone to understand how social media affects their role and responsibilities. Opposite of television, social media is a dialogue vs. a monologue and if a brand is able to collect opinions real-time in high volume via social channels like Facebook polls, they can save a great deal of money on formal research studies.

There have been a lot of discussions about social media fatigue and whether brands refuse to play for that reason. With over a billion people on social media it’s irresponsible for any brand not to have some sort of presence. 2012 will be the year for brands to go beyond cookie cutter campaigns and really determine how it not only adds value to their company, but how it adds value for their customers. 2012 will be crucial for companies and social media. For those who don’t see a direct correlation between social media and sales consider:

“Social media is an ideal tool for moving people up the fan ladder, from being a casual fan of a brand to a loyalist, because the communication channels allow people to build stronger emotional connections with brands.”

So in 2012, the question is, how will your brand use effective strategy to move people up the fan ladder from interested to foaming at the mouth brand zealots?

Post image for Simple (Yet Impactful) Facebook Design Tip

Simple (Yet Impactful) Facebook Design Tip

August 30, 2011

By: Britnee Johnson

Over the last few years, Facebook has evolved brilliantly, avoiding the pitfalls of its social network ancestors from Xanga to Myspace. Much of the success has been due to its more subtle and natural use of advertising. Facebook limits customization and flagrant ads and makes marketers work hard for user attention.

Instead of banner ads and pop-ups, Facebook advertisers must savvily use ads and sponsored stories to be less invasive and more personal. But many marketers miss the visual “pop” of old fashioned (and admittedly, obnoxious) banner ads of yesteryear. Some clever brands have married the creativity and visual stimulus of old ad types with the more natural feel of Facebook’s new ad integrations by creating photo banners.

Now, individual users on Facebook can customize their images to create personal photo-streamed collages to make their personal and commercial pages stand out from the stock. Whether through a profile banner creator or manual compilations, these banners stand out both on your profile and in others’ news feeds.

A brand that is taking full advantage of the feature is HBO, which offers personalized profiles (reminiscent of MySpace), allowing the brand to capitalize off of loyal fans willing to champion their favorite show, as shown on HBO’s Game of Thrones page. Another great example is BMW, as it strategically draws in audiences to show-off the latest campaigns and avoid the familiar look-over with traditional advertising.

But brands aren’t the only ones catching on. Facebook users have created custom banners to showcase their photography, display their art pieces and even broadcast their business card or resume in a whole new way. Twitter has also recently jumped on the visualization bandwagon with their photo sharing menu that has an uncanny resemblance to Facebook’s similar functionality. Customization is so far not an option, but where there’s a clever developer or hacker, there’s a way.

Ultimately, both individuals and brands are finding the value in sharing images to amplify their message and stand out in the Facebook crowd of 750 million. As often as Facebook re-imagines features and functionalities, there is plenty of room for more customization in the future. So what’s next? The return of the customized profile? Videos in your top banner? Revamping of the infamous “poke” feature? Let us know your thoughts.

State of The Twitter Union

August 25, 2011

By: Britt Johnson

For every social media startup, there are dozens more that have fallen to the wayside and equally as many new platforms waiting in the wings (Goodbye Google Buzz, hello Google+).

With its own humble beginnings, Twitter could have easily been lost in the crowd. Literally sketched out at the hand of founder Jack Dorsey in 2006, Twitter aimed to deliver quick bursts of information to specific groups of people. The result was the microblogging boom. In just five years, Twitter has revolutionized communication and connected our world in an unprecedented way.

Of course, there will always be the cynics and skeptics. But for those who believe in the power of numbers, read on. After you are done, ask yourself this: are you or your brand taking full advantage of Twitter’s impressive (and exponentially growing) influence? Without further adieu, here is a glimpse of where Twitter stands today.

FACT: There are more than 200 million Twitter accounts worldwide.

That is the equivalent of signing up every person in Australia. With that kind of reach, it is undeniable that there are people out there who are interested in what you have to say, and what you have to offer. From celebrities to satirists, athletes to artists, every user finds a unique application for Twitter use. DoubleTree by Hilton, for instance, operates more than 260 hotels worldwide. There is a select group of properties that operate Twitter accounts to better serve guests on a local level by offering deals, contests and most importantly, extend the DoubleTree by Hilton CARE customer service to the online space. It’s all about delivering value to your audience when, where and how they want it.

FACT: 460,000 new accounts are created on Twitter each day.

Think back to when you joined Twitter: Who were the people and brands you followed first? Position yourself as a thought leader and expert within your field to stand out in the crowd. New users are looking for trustworthy and reliable sources, ones that can provide content that they won’t find anywhere else. We like the mantra Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh coined for tweeting: Make all of your tweets ICEE; They should inspire, connect, educate or entertain.

FACT: More than 200 million tweets are exchanged everyday.

Some quick math can tell you that with 200 million users, and 200 million tweets each day, the site is buzzing with activity. Familiarity with the medium will tell you there is a large community on Twitter that is vastly more engaged and more influential to your brand than those on other platform users. Of Twitter users who use the platform daily:

  • 72% publish blog posts at least once a month
  • 70% comment on others’ blog posts
  • 61% write at least one product review a month
  • 61% comment on news sites
  • 56% write articles for third-party sites
  • 53% post videos online
  • 50% make contributions to wiki sites
  • 48% share deals found through coupon forums

You want to make sure you participate in these conversations. The best way to do that is authentically engage your followers. Use replies and @mentions, retweets and the newly-powerful favorite function on a regular basis to make your followers feel like they are being heard and appreciated.

FACT: 13% of all American adult Internet users are registered on Twitter.

… And 70% of Twitter traffic comes from outside of the US. In a world where almost all business has the potential to be international business, this is great news. Additionally, the Twitter audience has been proven to be more affluent and to have more buying power than the average consumer. Factor in that following is an opt-in process and 33% of Twitter users log-in everyday, and you get a higher chance at conversion from users who have the desire and ability to buy what you’re selling (whether that be a message or a product).

FACT: 55% of Twitter users are female, while 45% are male.

Women typically make up the larger gender demographic across most social platforms, Facebook included. You may know how to market to your traditional audience, but your messaging may need to be adjusted in order to fit your Twitter following. Strategize content not only for the audience, but the platform. Resist the urge to push the same message through all of your social accounts, as followers may interpret it as spam.

Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball to tell us where Twitter will be in the next five to ten years. A safe assumption is that it will continue to evolve as users needs and demands change. Whether it stands the test of time or not, Twitter has been the lab for testing an entirely new type of people-fueled and focused medium. There is no doubt that the no holds barred conversation transpiring on Twitter is, and will continue to be, the overpowering force in marketing and advertising, but above all, communication as a whole. The numbers don’t lie.

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