engagement Immediate Future

Burberry tops Pinterest

Despite being 156 years old, Burberry is proving to be a very progressive brand with its use of innovative social media platforms. It is currently the leading British fashion brand on Pinterest, the image-sharing social network that has gained huge traction around the world since it launched in 2010. Pinterest,…

Top UK Universities in Social Media

I recently read a blog post that ranked universities in the US on how well they were engaging with social media. I thought it might be interesting to look at how our UK establishments were shaping up alongside them. Traditionally speaking, social media is not something…

Treading the fine line between social media success and failure

For most digital marketers nowadays, running and managing social media campaigns is an everyday task. In general, there’s less nervousness around kicking off social media promotions, simply because we’re used to it. Nonchalance, however, is a dangerous state to fall into when it comes to social. This is why I…

The Cornerstones of a Good Social Media Crisis Policy

Social media crises are not as rare as you think. And, as with HMV and Tesco, it’s often the biggest brands that struggle to mitigate the risk. Mistakes are easy to make: you only have to look at Tesco during the middle of the horse burger scandal…

UK high street failures and social media activity: a correlation?

What can social media tell us about the sad demise of high street retailers such as Woolworth’s, Comet, Blockbusters and Jessops? Some quick and dirty research shows these high-street failures were also social media fails. There could be many reasons for their failure, not least the products they sell, their…

CEOs and Social Media

In the past, for many organisations, the struggle to successfully incorporate social media was due to a lack of understanding and often a downright fear from higher management. A report by Weber and Shandwick in 2010 highlighted this by revealing that 64% of CEOs from the largest companies did not…

The shift to visual social media

Content marketing is on the lips of most Marketing Managers as we head into 2013. The growth of platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram are proof of the way that people are consuming content – shifting to rich engaging visual content. Our own client analysis shows that 4x more engagement…

SO, LO or MO: what’s your focus for 2013?

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…

Consumer demand is turbo-charging growth in social customer service

I love to talk about social customer service. I think it’s fascinating and incredibly pertinent in our digital world. It also still amazes me how brands and retailers are still missing a trick! I’ve experienced this slow uptake for myself recently; waiting nearly 2 months for a replacement washing machine…

UK Newspapers in Social Media: winners and losers

As yesterday’s blog post shows, social media continues to radically transform the ways traditional journalism operates across the world. We learnt that some of year’s biggest stories broke via Twitter, not printed press. And traditional journalism will either transform, or die. An unanswered question remains though…

Get social, watch some TV…

One of the biggest trends in social media this year has been its integration with television. Not only are broadcasters using social media to encourage viewers to discuss their programmes but brands are increasingly getting in on the action. The fact that many people now watch television with 2 screens…

Social Media in 2012: The Top of the tops

As we’re nearing the end of 2012, it is vital to review the year behind us before we can start planning ahead. What have been the most significant trends, brands and developments in social media and content marketing? Here’s a few highlights from the best of the best – enjoy!…

And The Winner of the Presidential Election is…

The US presidential race will be decided on Tuesday 6th of November 2012 when either Mitt Romney or Barack Obama will be handed the keys to the White House for the next four years. At present, the race is too close to call and opinion polls have them neck and…

Social media: constantly innovating, occasionally clichéd

For an industry built on innovation and forward-thinking, social media sure has its fair share of metaphors and clichés. Don’t get me wrong, they perform a purpose; they help us metaphorically visualise the virtual. Clicking on a Like button doesn’t necessarily mean anything until you consider that the action demonstrates the user’s…

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, how much for these videos?

Soft Drink companies seem to be the ones that are engaging with their fans in more elaborate and innovative ways. This week’s social media brand chart shows that Red Bull and Coca Cola are dominating social media chatter. This is unsurprising given the enormity of both stunts, particularly Red Bull.

Politics, Democracy and Social Media

Social media is a great tool for engagement; it enables the target audience to set the agenda and puts the customer in the driving seat of communication. It is both an opportunity and a challenge to any organisation, including political parties. In fact, one may even recognise core democratic elements…

Facebook says don’t like something ‘Want’ it instead

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…

How many of your Twitter followers are on Facebook and Google +?

Ever wondered how many of your brand’s Google+ circles are repinning away on Pinterest? Or how many of your LinkedIn connections also use Twitter? And just how many global users does Facebook have this week? Wonder no more! Global Web Index has shed some light on engagement patterns across social…

Facebook to open the data door to businesses

It was only a matter of time before Facebook started to look for new ways to make money out of its businesses. We have had premium ads and now the Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg has suggested businesses can expect premium services as well. Let’s be honest, Facebook has to keep…

Cadburys show that Google+ is worth a go

Google+ has been rifled with issues and skepticism since it began. The social platform has been criticised for its lack of activity and for being too small to be taken as a viable social media platform for brand use. Moreover brands have not always been sure about best practice marketing…

Do dormant social users add brand value?

Findings from BT’s study earlier this year may have pointed towards females being the social media obsessives; but the latest data from Global Web Index into social platforms indicates it’s more of a man’s game. Almost every platform skews male, with the highest male ratio on LinkedIn…

Weekly social media round up

SMB’s are taking over Social Media New research shows that 90% of small business owners have some sort of presence on social media, and that they are beginning to increase their involvement. In studies done by 5starControl, results show that small businesses are “keener on…

Latest news from the world of social media

News Round-Up Coca-Cola Reaches 50 Million Coca-Cola has always had a good grasp of how to market itself and communicate well with its fans. On social media it engages well with its fans in a direct and ‘authentic’ manner. In doing so, it’s…

Weekly News Round-Up

Good News for Facebook Despite its fiscal status in a state of constant flux, Facebook had a good week. The platform passed the final hurdle in its bid to acquire Instagram after the California Department of Corporations ruled that the transaction appeared ‘just, fair, and equitable’. With all…

Attention Community Managers!

Facebook have announced the launch of “Page Post Targeting Enhanced” for fan pages, an extension of the language and location targeting instigated in 2009. This is massive news for marketers and advertisers. Page admins can publish various posts to fans and change the crux of their messages to users based…

7 brands and their Instagrams

With the high profile acquisition of Instagram by Facebook for $1bn there is a lot of speculation about Facebook’s plans for the photo editing/sharing mobile app. CNET and the Guardian’s coverage of the takeover are the most…

Social Media Week 2012

It’s Valentine’s Day? Oh yes, of course! It’s also Day Two of Social Media Week and the line up for the rest of the week is looking fantastic. SMW takes place all over the globe, but there is a host of great events taking place in London…

Understanding Your Social Customers

Following on from my recent post, ‘Embracing Social Customer Service’, I want to offer a closer inspection of the ‘social customer’. The growth of social media platforms has been accompanied by the evolution of this new type of customer. An understanding of your social customers is an important step…

Slideshare and the rise of B2B social media

There is no doubt that the growth of Slideshare has got B2B marketers excited about using social media again. It has become the world’s largest content sharing community. Combine this with the reach of Twitter and LinkedIn and the platform has become a vital part of the best…

Afraid of your competitor’s social media activity?

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…

B2Bs take note – social media needs to empower staff, says global study

There is a perception in the industry that B2B “doesn’t do social”. I have often been asked if B2Bs “should use Social Media?” as part of their marketing mix and if “B2Bs can utilise Facebook?”…

The Three R’s of Facebook Moderation

Creating a branded Facebook page can be daunting for any business; doing so without a robust moderation policy in place can be disastrous. A branded Facebook page can be an open-invitation for foul-mouthed detractors to fill the page with expletives and abuse. Perhaps less obvious are the implications of a…

Reddit – Upvote it: Part II

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…

Reddit – Upvote it: Part I

Are you familiar with Reddit? Is the social news site incorporated into your social media monitoring and planning? So, what is Reddit? A dark horse of the online world, Reddit is a sharing platform that businesses and brands alike should be au fait with. It’s an online…

4 points for a marketer to consider before venturing into Google+

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…

Are Google+ branded pages only for Muppets?

Since Google’s announcement, there has been an enthusiastic response to Google+ branded pages. Generally the applause has been loud and energetic, with over 600 news articles and innumerable blog posts. The positive response has proved interesting. After…

Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of community management: Part II

We’ve taken the three most engaged Facebook pages and for the past week we’ve been watching to see just how much emotion plays a part in their community management. In Part I of this series we laid out our measurement criteria; in Part II we put it to the…

Q&A: RiotRemedy founder, Heather Taylor, talks community management

In 2004 social networks were a groundbreaking channel for brands to self-publicise and broadcast their news. Today, the dynamic between brands and their customers has shifted. Customers want brands to talk with and not just at them. According to Heather Taylor, founder of online community, RiotRemedy, today’s brands need to…

A turning point for Twitter marketing?

This week, in a move that Brian Solis entitled the ‘Mad Men Moment’, Twitter introduced the latest addition to the Promoted products family. So what prompted the dramatic headline? Well the latest version of the promoted tweet will appear in the timeline of users that are not…

Social media skills and the decline of the fourth estate?

A survival guide for journalists and the marketing profession The revelation that taking notes and time management are considered more important journalistic skills than understanding social media, has caused quite a stir. The worrying conclusion from the National Council for the Training of Journalists has been described…

Online community management: Stop. Look. Listen.

In the words of the Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Chernov: “Without content, social media is a sports car with an empty gas tank”. No one knows that better than an online community manager. But what that community manager also knows is that accelerating your social media…

The rise of online influence: Part II

In the second part of our series on online influence, we round up the three best tools for measuring social media influence; along with a look at their advocates and sceptics. In my last post I paraphrased Brian Solis and Vocus in defining an online influencer as someone who has…

A model for social business monitoring

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…

Measuring your online community. Does size matter?

The importance of online communities is evident to many brands. What isn’t so obvious is how you set objectives for the community and, then, how you develop a framework to measure this. What you measure depends on what you have set out to achieve. If awareness is the objective, then…

B2B social media case studies

There is a real dearth of social media case studies when it comes to business to business. The scarcity is even more profound when you are looking for examples from UK companies. Yet, surveys tell us that almost half of UK companies…

Are dashboards symptomatic of an unhealthy obsession with numbers?

Gone are the days of fluffy explanations. Marketing and communications professionals are increasingly expected to provide measurements, metrics and real time data. Whether it is to interrogate a campaign, set benchmarks or justify investment, the numbers count. Social media is no different, and it’s not short on numbers. From Facebook…

Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

The Martini and Dolce & Gabbana partnership is an interesting one. One is an iconic, but slightly old-fashioned alcoholic drink, the other a high-end fashion house. Both are big Italian brands joining forces to launch new spirit, Martini Gold. The partnership was launched at the end of last year with a …

The thrill of the chase. Discounts and e-commerce.

Last night I went to the hairdressers. I paid with a ‘recommend a friend’ voucher; and I left with a 10% off my next cut token. And a few for my friends. The haircut was good – and the fact that I got a good deal made it even better.

November social media round-up: Royal Weddings, Beatles, Christmas and Path

As we move into December and with all the attention turning to Christmas, the social media stories that hit our headlines in November may be a distant memory to you. So in case you’ve forgotten, here’s a round-up of all the social media stories that got us tweeting in November.

What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

We at immediate future feel it’s only right to flag Will and Kate’s wedding engagement this week. Over the past couple of days #royalwedding has been the number one trending topic on Twitter, followed by Kate Middleton at number two and Prince William at number three. As…

What’s in store for the British Monarchy on Facebook

They may be slow adopters but the British Monarchy finally joined 500 million people across the world last week and signed up to Facebook. Instead of having a personal profile, the…

What women want. The fashion shopper.

There’s a bit of a quirk emerging in the retail research report detail that, as a social media agency, we’re interested in exploring. It involves fashion. And women. And how we can’t get enough of talking about our clothing – yet we seem to have quite a clear idea…

The Social Shopping Explosion

Today we are launching our report on social shopping and its impact on consumer behaviour. Online retail has traditionally been characterised by price-driven sales and purchase-driven consumers. The focus, for retailers, has been on engaging the…

New ASA digital remit leaves too many questions unanswered

The extension of the ASA’s CAP code to cover digital marketing communications – both on brand’s own websites, but also through social media, has been driven by a need to close the gap related to companies’ claims online, in particular to regulate marketing to children. There is…

Social media in a league of its own

With a new football season underway and an eagerly anticipated Premier League campaign due to start this weekend, I’ve been considering my consumption of the global game recently and how it’s changed. Not just for individuals, but for brands as well. Everyone knows football is big business…

‘The Spending Challenge’ – a lesson in moderation?

I recently attended a WOM UK briefing run by Reed Smith on the subject of ‘the benefits and legal risks of Word of Mouth Marketing in Social Media.’ One of the subjects touched upon was moderation; when inviting comment from the public, how much…

It’s good to talk!

In this day and age of social networking, many PRs are now beginning to rely too heavily on email and instant messenger to sell-in their stories to the media. Gone are the days of the telephone and the hour long lunch briefing. Now it seems, we are becoming guilty of…

Updated social media paper

Trevor Cook and Lee Hopkins at the Corporate Engagement blog have just published their free (second edition) Social Media white paper. Updates on Second Life, Twitter and wikis and some new case study examples of Australian brands experimenting with social media.Great snapshot of the…

AOP awards add social media and digital categories

Launching with four new categories, AOP publishing awards opens its doors for this year’s entrants. The new categories acknowledge that social media, is making a significant impact on the media business model. They include, use of video, best podcast,…

Roundtable on the future of online says it’s all about social media

A roundtable from e-consultancy (declare: they are a partner) reveals that future thinking of some of the digital industry’s forward thinking players. What strikes me is that throughout…

Search results for "engagement"

Burberry tops Pinterest

Top UK Universities in Social Media

Treading the fine line between social media success and failure

The Cornerstones of a Good Social Media Crisis Policy

UK high street failures and social media activity: a correlation?

CEOs and Social Media

The shift to visual social media

SO, LO or MO: what’s your focus for 2013?

Consumer demand is turbo-charging growth in social customer service

Top 5 blog posts of 2012… and more!

UK Newspapers in Social Media: winners and losers

Get social, watch some TV…

Social Media in 2012: The Top of the tops

And The Winner of the Presidential Election is…

Social media: constantly innovating, occasionally clichéd

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, how much for these videos?

Politics, Democracy and Social Media

Facebook says don’t like something ‘Want’ it instead

How many of your Twitter followers are on Facebook and Google +?

Facebook to open the data door to businesses

Cadburys show that Google+ is worth a go

Do dormant social users add brand value?

Weekly social media round up

Latest news from the world of social media

Weekly News Round-Up

Attention Community Managers!

7 brands and their Instagrams

Social Media Week 2012

Understanding Your Social Customers

Slideshare and the rise of B2B social media

Afraid of your competitor’s social media activity?

B2Bs take note – social media needs to empower staff, says global study

The Three R’s of Facebook Moderation

Reddit – Upvote it: Part II

Reddit – Upvote it: Part I

4 points for a marketer to consider before venturing into Google+

Are Google+ branded pages only for Muppets?

Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of community management: Part II

Q&A: RiotRemedy founder, Heather Taylor, talks community management

A turning point for Twitter marketing?

Social media skills and the decline of the fourth estate?

Online community management: Stop. Look. Listen.

The rise of online influence: Part II

A model for social business monitoring

Measuring your online community. Does size matter?

B2B social media case studies

Are dashboards symptomatic of an unhealthy obsession with numbers?

Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

The thrill of the chase. Discounts and e-commerce.

November social media round-up: Royal Weddings, Beatles, Christmas and Path

What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

What’s in store for the British Monarchy on Facebook

What women want. The fashion shopper.

The Social Shopping Explosion

New ASA digital remit leaves too many questions unanswered

Social media in a league of its own

‘The Spending Challenge’ – a lesson in moderation?

It’s good to talk!

Updated social media paper

AOP awards add social media and digital categories

Roundtable on the future of online says it’s all about social media