@web smith

Social Growth. There is a growing momentum in the use of social video services Viddy and SocialCam. While the web apps are becoming fixtures on the iOS and Android platforms, (some) businesses are scurrying to figure out how to best use them to build community and rapport. Best suggestions: (1) product development and client feedback would be a novel use (2) customer service response by video.

LinkedIn continues to grow as the go-to platform for interconnectivity for the sake of productivity. So much so that it is leaving the much better funded Google + behind. 

If you have a social strategy, how do you see it changing with the shift in go-to platforms?

Lines in the sand. Who needs Twitter and that social media stuff for business? We have Facebook. Who needs Facebook for business? We have perfectly good email. Who needs email? We have a fax machine.  Who needs a fax machine? We have a landline. Who needs a landline? We have the postal service. 

People always draw lines in the sand. And then embrace the technology when it becomes common practice. Early adoption is seldom a waste; innovation has its benefits.

Early Adopters. It’s always cool to see businesses who buy into social shifts, early, and see dividends paid because of it. Pinterest is surprising many in e-commerce because it seems to be driving an abnormal amount of convertible traffic to their platforms. The demographic of the group has a lot to do with it. If it appeals to Pinterest’s top demographic - middle aged, rural women - Pinterest might be a good move. 

Part II: The Pyschology of Social. Part one covered the timing of social platforms like Twitter. This one may seem a little more boring but it is more important. Email is the most prolific platform for engaging an audience and telling more of the story. Here is the science of optimal timing, cultivation, and adding value to their consumer experience.

The Psychology of Social. Here is a great guide to understanding how to make your communication heard and when the best time of day it is to do so. Audience matters, engagement matters more. 

Facebook. A start-up becomes a phenomenon. A Phenomenon becomes a necessity. A necessity is about to IPO for the very first time in the history of IPO’s. What does that mean? A 100+ billion dollar valuation. 

All Five? As a business, do you pursue all five channels that people pay attention to? Here is a guide that provides great insight into one of the most important surveys. Social media and influence for your business. 

Quite possibly the best description of why social matters. Social Commerce: the proof, authority rules, less is more, follow those you like, stay consistent, and pay it forward. The “Return on Investment” (ROI) of social has always been questioned. Some shun it as “Twitter Child’s Play” and so forth but the truth of the matter is, you buy from who you like. Not just who you see first. The combination of social + advertising is a winning one but this infographic delves into why it should be a prioritized asset for any company. 

Paying it forward is the most important step a company can take towards brand awareness and loyalty. 

Link In. It’s the most undervalued and underestimated real estate on the Web. LinkedIn has several functions that people tend to overlook. If life is all about reducing the number of degrees between people, then it is LinkedIn - not Facebook - that achieves this goal. The platform has unparalleled social monitoring abilities and will continue becoming the go to social network for developing personal and corporate brand equity. 

Follow these marketing phenoms for more instruction, direction, and LinkedIn inspiration: Sean Malarkey and Lewis Howes.