social media strategy Immediate Future

social media strategy

If you have anything to do with social media, then you know that you are always innovating. If it isn’t the constant evolution of the platforms, the new tools sprouting like weeds across the internet, or the ever-changing trends of users – you need to stay on your toes in…

Corporate communication is undergoing rapid change. As a rule of thumb, the challenge for large businesses is to maintain a genuinely personal approach to the customer, despite the sheer volume of enquiries, whilst keeping in line with the overall marketing strategy. Web solutions, intertwined with thought-through social elements provide a…

Let’s cut to the chase shall we. B2B marketers want leads. In fact 70% say it is the top priority. In social media we have the opportunity. Our buyers are there.

It was revealed last week that Google+ has overtaken Twitter in the US as the second biggest social network. Whilst the prominence of Google+ is growing it is becoming more apparent that companies can no longer afford to neglect the platform from their social media marketing strategy. Brands should look…

With the popularity of LinkedIn Groups growing alongside the other conversation platforms, such as LinkedIn Today and company pages, it has become a considerable challenge to identify the most relevant groups to join. Let’s say you are an IT professional looking to network with your peers……

Although creating a tweet or a Facebook status update is quick and easy, brands need to realise that social can offer a lot more in the long-term. The effort that you put into managing your social presence is meant for a lot more than one sale; you are building an…

Word of mouth is a coveted form of marketing. There is nothing like your customers talking positively about your brand, product and services. Google suggests that the value is on the Zero Moment of Truth where consumers jump online to check out a brand before…

Although Vine is still a relatively new app, it has shown that it has clout with brands and advertisers in a short period of time. Vine is a mobile app that lets you shoot six-second videos, or Vines, to share on social networking sites. With brands continuing to utilise the…

Already we’ve explored the recent research on Live Brand Social to look at how people’s behaviours can inform your planning. You’ve seen the best ways you can use a combination of live events and social media; how you can target your audience and interact with…

Google has developed yet another mind-blowing research tool. Despite the rather unimaginative name, “The Customer Journey to Online Purchase”, it nevertheless provides extremely valuable data to boost the imagination of online marketers, providing even further evidence to treat social media as an integral part of any serious marketing strategy. So…

In the last Live Brand Social post we touched on how, together, live experiences and social create a 48% more successful event. Being active on social before, during and after a live event gives you the greatest opportunity to extend the relationship:…

When it comes to social media, one key to success is to focus on the activities that give you the widest reach, as efficiently as possible. You need to know that your message is being heard and more importantly that it is being heard by the right people. It…

There is strength in numbers, and integrating live brand experiences with your social media activities is a prime example of this. Together they become Live Brand Social, and together they generate amazing figures. 53% of consumers said they will purchase a branded product as a result of this…

Did you skim stones at the beach when you were younger? It’s a favourite summer pastime for plenty of kids but it isn’t so far from the marketing mix that many adults find themselves swimming through these days. How so? Skimming stones has a short lifespan when it comes…

There’s a reason that people like chilli and chocolate and it’s really simple: opposites attract. Alone, these ingredients are delicious but in very different ways. Combined (despite the initial reaction that you’re preparing a culinary disaster) the result is surprisingly satisfying. It’s not so different in brand marketing. You…

With social media being a hub for news stories and updates brands and companies are ever increasingly jumping on popular stories to engage with wider audiences. This is known as newsjacking. When done correctly newsjacking can be an amazing asset for a brand, however, if done badly the backlash can…

The disclosure of confidential information is widely considered to be the biggest risk of using social media. In fact, our research into social media and the law detailed how 3 out of 5 companies are not confident that sensitive or confidential information is protected on social platforms. But UK…

Copying and sharing information online has never been easier but a simple retweet can gain you a lot more attention than you bargained for, and not necessarily of the good variety. Copyright regulations have evolved to keep up with advances in technology and the use of the Internet. For…

Incorporating social media into your marketing mix may seem like the norm nowadays, but so much activity has led to increased attention when it comes to legal credentials. High profile cases like that of Lord Alistair McAlpine have left 3 pertinent concerns with marketers. Who takes responsibility?…

Have you noticed how blue the colour scheme on most social media platforms is? Apparently it is a very trustworthy colour, subconsciously symbolising intelligence, wisdom and stability. Users can also be quite colourful, not only the content that they are sharing but the shades that their complexion goes through when…

Facebook wants to know what you’re doing This week we have taken a look at the new changes Facebook is rolling out! Facebook is about to launch a brand new update which will affect our Facebook status updates. They are soon to become much more interactive due to a…

Social media is a fast-moving, ever-evolving beast – for all marketers it’s a constant challenge to stay one step ahead of the game. We can’t be 100% sure of the future of social, but we can certainly have a jolly good inkling… The results of B2B Marketing’s Social Media Benchmarking…

YouTube launched annotated videos in 2010; this function allows you to link to other videos within your own video. This lets you create highly engaging videos for fans. Producing an innovative and creative video campaign can result in millions of views and great brand awareness; however, despite being launched 3…

We’re living in times of integrated marketing. The distinction between social, e-mail, SEO and PPC does still exist, but it has become essential that different channels work in conjunction, not competition, towards the same goal. As a consequence, brand websites should reflect this integrated approach. There is a great opportunity…

Brands are constantly trying to find a personal connection with their customers. Social media is a platform where they are able to talk to them more directly. With more and more companies speaking to their customers in conversational tones, and using humour to engage with their fan base, April Fools…

It seems like everyone is at it nowadays – Facebook advertising is more or less a standard element of many brands’ social media activity. But how often are marketers taking a step back to ponder WHY exactly they are running advertising campaigns? What do they hope to achieve? Over the…

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” Kennedy’s inauguration speech was as relevant to the American people in 1961 as it is to the content marketer in 2013. Why? Substitute the word ‘country’ with ‘audience’…

I’m sure you’ve probably heard murmurings about Vine, Twitter’s new video-sharing app, which arrived on the social media scene at the end of last week. There has already been lots of excitement around the new app, which is being dubbed the Instagram of video. Twitter’s 500 milllion…

An app says a lot about a branded Facebook page. It can tell us whether a brand has a data and/or member acquisition strategy, while providing insight into the consistency of branding and coherency of content strategy. It can reveal the true extent of on-page geo-targeting, amalgamating localised campaigns and…

I won’t be the first social media marketer whose eyes made a bee-line for ‘Return on Involvement’ in Mashable’s 2013 buzzword bible. Return on involvement – A brand that “gets involved with their community will garner better return on their investment by getting involved hosting fundraisers, partnering with schools and…

For brands using social media, engagement is what it’s all about. Great engagement not only ensures that your content is being seen by your fans and followers, it creates a dedicated community that will lead to more brand advocates who are happy to tell everyone how great you…

As the year draws to a close and we all reflect on the vast and rapid developments that have occurred in social media in 2012, it is clear that one of the most prominent progressions has been the growing importance of smartphones to access social networking sites.

As the year draws to a close the inevitable lists of the best and worst moments begin to appear. But what about social media’s biggest successes this year? Econsultancy have published what they think are the 10 greatest social media campaigns from 2012. Looking back at what…

It’s no secret that the last few months for Facebook have been trying. With stock continuing to slump Facebook has been turning to e-commerce as a way to combat this. In the last fortnight the social media giant has launched Facebook gifts; which allows you to buy friends redeemable gifts…

The B2Bs in the Social Marketing Universe Using social media for business is no longer a new or strange concept. Although some businesses have been slow to grasp the full value of social media for B2B marketing. Last week Facebook announced it was awarding 12 of the…

Engagement is of paramount importance when it comes to getting it right in social media. Your contributions on social networks form the outward representation of your brand or company online and define how you are viewed by others. Which is why effective and compelling engagement requires scrupulous planning and calls…

Shortly after my last post on Pinterest this insightful infographic circulated giving further evidence that the platform could really become a big player in 2012 – check out “is Pinterest the next social commerce game changer“ After making such a huge splash in the US…

Two great examples of brands using social engagement at the heart of their campaigns have popped up recently. Both Walkers Crisps and Kit Kat Chunky have launched multi-channel campaigns supported by TV advertising to create a buzz around new flavours of their products, seeking user participation and driving activity through…

Pinterest was the surprise social network of last year in the US achieving over 31 million visits and rising to number 7 in the Hitwise top 10 social networks of 2011. Whilst the network only represents 0.68% share of visits (Facebook represents a staggering 63.31%) – Pinterest is set to…

For years, content strategists have been hiding in the wings, quietly coordinating the show, while the social media rock stars take centre stage. Not anymore. A media frenzy surrounding the information overload debate, combined with the growing impact of social search, mean that the need for sophisticated content planning is…

New research shows consumers who engage with companies using social media spend up to 30% more than consumers that don’t. The same research from Bain & Company, suggests they are also more loyal and emotionally connected than customers who are not socially engaged. Bain…

If so, you are not alone. New research from econsultancy shows a whopping 85% of brands believe increased social media marketing by competitors will have a significant impact on their social media plans in 2012. With all innovation, there is an adoption curve (see…

Whether you’re planning your tactical social media campaign or reengineering your business for the social consumer, social media research is invaluable in setting benchmarks. They help you manage expectations, isolate priorities and best of all, define KPIs that set the evaluation bar. But there is a dearth of…

So in the first blog in this series, we established that Reddit is significant online social movement, but what exactly can it offer a brand or business? Monitoring: Businesses can utilise the platform as a go-to for cutting edge news and content. Monitoring the platform for relevant…

An experimental scientist? A mathematician, an historian, an IT geek, a money making economist or socially savvy psychologist? Last week we conducted a Twtpoll to discover who you would rather employ as a social media consultant for your business. The results were eye opening. To our…

Before hastily setting up a Google+ page for your business, you need to step back and consider whether there is any value in joining the early adopters. We pulled together 4 points to help you evaluate whether it is worth your company embracing Google+: 1. Objective…

Google+ has really got the social media world excited. Twenty-five million users in 6 weeks, makes the growth of similar social networks like Facebook and Twitter look positively stunted in comparison. And the blogosphere is just as fired up – a quick Google blog search for Google+…

In the last post we looked at figures from the twentieth century and the lessons that could be learned from their experiences when implementing brand social media training. In this post we’ll investigate some historical recommendations crowdsourced on Twitter over the…

Those looking to ensure staff are equipped to represent their brand across social media platforms could do worse than learn from some of history’s most famous and infamous historical figures. So what can your social media training learn from the past? “To be ignorant of what occurred before you…

Social media knows no boundaries. Understanding what customers are saying in the social web has value for multiple parts of a business – not just marketing. Breaking down internal silos and sharing social insight is still a challenge for many. A recent piece of research from Dell/Forrester…

What does it take to become a true social business? We analyse the findings of a report from the Harvard Business Review that identifies four types of social media strategy. We pin-point the what you need to be the ultimate social business - the 'social media transformer'.

As a social media consultancy, we find a lot of people ask us: what is social business? Here are our top 3 infographics to help you get your head into the idea of a social business. It should provide inspiration for your social media strategy!