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

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…
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Myspace: Lessons learnt from other social media networks

Myspace: Lessons learnt from other social media networks

Last week after much anticipation, the new and improved version of Myspace was rolled out to the general public. The launch coincided with the release of singer (and major Myspace investor) Justin Timberlake’s new single. Although the launch may have been overshadowed by Facebook’s announcement of graph search, the site…
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The shift to visual social media

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…
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Why 2013 is the year of Google Plus

Why 2013 is the year of Google Plus

Last year Instagram was the new up-and-comer on the social media landscape, exploding onto the scene and earning a $1 billion pay check from Facebook. With 58 photos being uploaded per second and well over a billion photos uploaded to the site as of May 2012, Instagram was clearly the…
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SO, LO or MO: what’s your focus for 2013?

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…
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New functionality for Google Plus Business boosts engagement and customer service

New functionality for Google Plus Business boosts engagement and customer service

Accumulating connections on Google+ isn’t a problem for some brands – take Cadbury UK with nearly 3 million! But for others, growing the size of the community remains a big challenge when using Google+ Business. The art (and little bit of science) of growing the follower and fan-base for business…
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LinkedIn continues to walk on the path of success

LinkedIn continues to walk on the path of success

LinkedIn have reached a milestone 200 million users this week. An impressive stat for any social media site. Perhaps not quite in the same league as Facebook who have 1 billion active monthly users, but definitely catching up with Twitter who have around 500 million registered…
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Consumer demand is turbo-charging growth in social customer service

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…
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Social TV – The impact of David Attenborough on Social Media

Social TV – The impact of David Attenborough on Social Media

As I watched David Attenborough’s amazing show Africa last night on BBC, I found myself typically “two-screening” – following the conversation on Twitter (with intermittent flicking to Facebook) whilst the other half of my attention was glued to the box.  Whilst some might say that this is ridiculous behaviour, and…
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Instagram and the Power of Social Media

Instagram and the Power of Social Media

This week has seen a huge backlash against Instagram’s new terms and conditions regarding photo rights. The new terms and conditions appeared to claim that unless users deleted their profiles by the 16th January then all content published on the site becomes fair…
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Social Media as a Source of News: Latest Trends and Developments

Social Media as a Source of News: Latest Trends and Developments

In 2012, social media became a major source for breaking news. Before newspapers and other traditional methods of reporting had even heard of a story, everyday citizens were updating their Twitter and Facebook accounts to spread the word. Social media’s immediacy meant that it could always be…
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Could checking social media at work soon be illegal?

Could checking social media at work soon be illegal?

Employers have tightened up rules over the use of social media in the workplace, in fear of employees spending their days glued to Facebook or Twitter and ignoring their daily work. Whilst this is commonplace, could using social media at work soon be illegal? According to Stephanie Green and Christine…
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Will visual content drive social media in 2013?

Will visual content drive social media in 2013?

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…
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Social Media in 2012: The Top of the tops

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!…
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Movember’s social media reach

Movember’s social media reach

Most companies seek ROI when running a big social media campaign. But can charities do the same? This year it seems, Movember is proving that not only can a charity movement have a wide social reach but it can actually convert those Facebook ‘likes’ into real charitable action. The Movember…
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The social snowman driving an 11.4% increase in sales…

The social snowman driving an 11.4% increase in sales…

John Lewis have pulled out all the stops with their Christmas advert this year. Presumably trying to top last year’s heart warming offering. They have extended their campaign across social media platforms. The advert was first unveiled on Facebook before its prime time spot later that day…
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Trends and directions of the top 10 social media platforms

Trends and directions of the top 10 social media platforms

Social media is a dynamic universe. Seemingly insignificant platforms become market leaders in a matter of months, and web giants that appear indestructible fall in no time. Such a rapidly changing market requires attentive monitoring, and access to accurate statistics is essential. People at DreamGrow have published…
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Make the call. Optimise for mobile.

Make the call. Optimise for mobile.

Earlier this year Econsultancy surveyed e-commerce and e-business professionals to understand if and how they were using mobile as part of their multichannel experience. The survey revealed that 74% of companies had developed a mobile optimised website, 29% had developed a tablet-optimised website; and nearly half were…
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The mother of all B2B social media infographics

The mother of all B2B social media infographics

Love these to bits, always great encouragement for B2B marketers. Especially when they are about 6 foot long! B2B social media is handled by the PR department in the main, most do it to create awareness and the shock that more use Facebook (80%) than Twitter (78%) Have a little…
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Tis the season to be social…

Tis the season to be social…

The joyful season is nearing and brands are definitely trying to get us into the Christmas mood. They are doing all they can to boost sales through creative marketing and the use of interesting social media campaigns. Fashion outlet ASOS has launched an interactive campaign. Users will be able to…
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Three quick tips and three fast resources for sourcing content on the fly

Three quick tips and three fast resources for sourcing content on the fly

Unless you have a social newsroom churning away in the background, keeping your site and social estates replenished with fresh content is no mean feat. And with real-time social media platforms such as Twitter churning out a record 32 million tweets in the space of 24 hours during US Election…
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And The Winner of the Presidential Election is…

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…
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Hurricane Sandy – The Social Media Saints and Sinners

Hurricane Sandy – The Social Media Saints and Sinners

Last week Hurricane Sandy left much of the east coast of America in tatters. Whilst the hurricane swept across New York and other states, social media was to be one of the most powerful platforms in which aid was offered. Social media served as a useful tool for family and…
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Is your company making the best out of its visual content?

Is your company making the best out of its visual content?

Images are becoming more and more essential for both search and social media marketing. A recent study by ROI Research shows that as more people are using smartphones to engage in social media as it is now easier to take pictures on the go with a high-resolution smartphone is as…
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words, how much for these videos?

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.
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Politics, Democracy and Social Media

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…
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5 Tips to Use Google Hangouts in B2B Marketing

5 Tips to Use Google Hangouts in B2B Marketing

  It’s been over a year since Google released their challenger to Facebook’s rule on top of the social media pyramid, in the form of Google Plus. Launched in June 2011, the search giant hoped that Google Plus could strike a huge blow to Facebook’s dominance of the social media…
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MySpace Undergoes Dramatic Revamp

MySpace Undergoes Dramatic Revamp

  Could a revamp give MySpace the competitive edge needed to survive the fierce digital market of today? The new MySpace design which was launched by their new owners Joseph Mark (backed by Justin Timberlake) gives Myspace users a unique opportunity to enter a social network that caters to a…
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Cadburys show that Google+ is worth a go

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…
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Do dormant social users add brand value?

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…
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The weekly news round-up

The weekly news round-up

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…
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Weekly social media round up

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…
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Latest news from the world of social media

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…
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Weekly News Round-Up

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…
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Monday News Round-Up

Monday News Round-Up

Olympic sponsors: the social winners Whilst athletes were vying for medals during the dubbed ‘Socialympics’, the official sponsors were hard at work battling for social media dominance. Social Media Influence have released the sponsor leaderboard.  Visa and P&G come in joint 3rd position. Visa saw…
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Attention Community Managers!

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…
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LinkedIn acquisition of SlideShare – all you need to know

LinkedIn acquisition of SlideShare – all you need to know

So, LinkedIn recently agreed to purchase presentation-sharing website SlideShare for £73m. The acquisition wasn’t completely out of the blue for those in the know. As Rashmi Sinha, SlideShare co-founder stated in her recent blog, the two companies developed close ties following the opening up…
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Five tips for successful YouTube content

Five tips for successful YouTube content

Three billion, 800 million, 60. The number of hours of video watched each month, the number of monthly unique visitors and the number of hours of video uploaded every minute. There’s no denying the consumer demand for quality shareable video content. And while it can be tempting to think of…
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7 brands and their Instagrams

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…
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Listen and learn: how to rise above a social customer crisis

Listen and learn: how to rise above a social customer crisis

With an increasing number of consumers – and particularly those under the age of 25 –  expecting customer service through social media channels, brands have a new and highly visible opportunity to turn negative sentiment into public and positive advocacy. Successful social customer service, however, treads a fine…
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Three considerations before exploring social customer service

Three considerations before exploring social customer service

A few weeks ago Econsultancy reported that just 11% of retailers use social media channels to respond to customers; while 81% of businesses use the channels for marketing purposes. Pair this with the fact that 46% of consumers expect great customer service online, not to mention 78% of consumers…
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New Twitter brand pages: a flashy ploy to justify the cost of promoted tweets?

New Twitter brand pages: a flashy ploy to justify the cost of promoted tweets?

The new UK Twitter brand pages have finally hit our shores for those companies that can afford it. Let’s put this out there, brands on Twitter still don’t have the flexibility the Facebook API allows. Twitter will keep a tight rein on what users can and can’t…
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Snack brands latest campaigns drive social engagement

Snack brands latest campaigns drive social engagement

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…
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Real-time touches down at the Super Bowl

Real-time touches down at the Super Bowl

Few events in the sporting calendar command as much media coverage or social chatter as the US Super Bowl. Last year, French data intelligence company, Semiocast, reported that the American football championship was the focus of 4.5 million tweets, driving a 25% increase in global tweets during…
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Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?

Pinterest – 2012’s social media success story?

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…
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If social commerce is about to blow up, has the bomb been dropped?

If social commerce is about to blow up, has the bomb been dropped?

As all eyes focus on the social commerce landscape for 2012, Dimensions Mall, has dropped a veritable bomb less than a month into the year. While 67% of retailers are already planning to use Facebook to drive traffic through to e-commerce in 2012, not to mention Coca-Cola,…
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RFID: blurring the lines between on and offline experiences

RFID: blurring the lines between on and offline experiences

Still relatively unheard of amongst the masses, RFID or radio frequency identification technology has recently made the headlines as it is potentially going to be adopted for use at summer festivals in the UK. Glastonbury organiser, Michael Eavis has confirmed that he is looking into using the technology – read more…
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Your socially engaged consumers spend more

Your socially engaged consumers spend more

 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…
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SOPA and PIPA – the web’s four letter words

SOPA and PIPA – the web’s four letter words

  You may notice that the internet is slightly quieter than you are used to tomorrow.  This is due to numerous internet giants protesting the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). Opponents to the bills state that if passed into…
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Waze – Geolocation emerges from its troubled teens and becomes a useful member of society

Waze – Geolocation emerges from its troubled teens and becomes a useful member of society

You may have seen the other day that GPS navigation system Waze hit 10m users. It’s a social tool that aggregates user reports on traffic, accidents and the like. I’m a recent convert and signed up a few months ago, since…
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Slideshare and the rise of B2B social media

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…
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Afraid of your competitor’s social media activity?

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…
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14 essential stats from the latest UK social media research to help benchmark your planning

14 essential stats from the latest UK social media research to help benchmark your planning

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

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?”…
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Are Google+ branded pages only for Muppets?

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…
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Jettison the social media jargon?

Jettison the social media jargon?

If you’re in the industry, you’d be lying if you didn’t shudder when a choice nugget of social media consultancy newspeak pops out of your mouth, or a colleague’s. It’s like an involuntary spasm, and you feel like you need a shower after it’s come out. Is…
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Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of community management: Part II

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…
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Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of community management: Part I

Measuring the Emotional Intelligence of community management: Part I

Over the past few months we have been investigating the essence of good online community management. We’ve dissected the very definition of an online community and we’ve gleaned insights from experienced community manager, Heather Taylor. Over the next two part-series we will be exploring the role emotion plays within…
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Q&A: RiotRemedy founder, Heather Taylor, talks community management

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…
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Three reasons businesses fail to manage a social media crisis

Three reasons businesses fail to manage a social media crisis

Threee things we can learn from the world’s leading social businesses about how to avoid a social media crisis.
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Online community management: Stop. Look. Listen.

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…
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Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

Google+: how social media marketing could evolve

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+…
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Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing: what not to do

Social media marketing is not new. We’re all familiar with the basics and brands are actively engaging with their consumers on a daily basis. So, why are people still doing it incorrectly? Here, we share what to do and, more importantly, what not to do when it comes to the…
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Social media training – vital lessons from history part 2

Social media training – vital lessons from history part 2

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…
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Social media training – vital lessons from history part 1

Social media training – vital lessons from history part 1

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…
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What is Online Reputation Management: Part I

What is Online Reputation Management: Part I

This is the first in a three-part series of posts exploring what is online reputation management? Part I looks at crisis management in the age of social media. The crisis management model is under threat. Robust plans that once cut the mustard with traditional media are struggling to control and…
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The social media story – beyond the tech

The social media story – beyond the tech

On revisiting the video interview from SES it strikes me that social search is a complex issue that goes beyond the technology. It is much more than key words, phrases. Much more than Google +1; Bing and Facebook integration; or even trying to work around the new Panda algorithms.
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B2B social media case studies

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…
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Roland Bunce. A beautiful sentiment; an ugly indictment of human behaviour

Roland Bunce. A beautiful sentiment; an ugly indictment of human behaviour

If you type the name “Roland Bunce” into Google you return 41,600 searches. According to media reports, Roland Bunce is a 24-year old computer science graduate, who has entered fashion and homeware brand Next’s online competition to find the next model. Despite being atypical model material, he’s…
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Osama bin Laden is dead but traditional news isn’t

Osama bin Laden is dead but traditional news isn’t

So the Royal Wedding quickly became old news. Wills and Kate’s wedding of the year was quickly overshadowed on Monday by the news that the world’s most wanted man has been killed. And while this was a significant day in history, it also became a significant day in the…
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Philosophy is to social media as fish is to bicycle

Philosophy is to social media as fish is to bicycle

What do ancient philosophy and social media have in common? Well, let’s see. In a possible world in which Aristotle transcends time to come face-to-face with the social team at Facebook HQ; he stands there in his toga and sandals and asks everyone to…
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Where’s your +1 for the Google search party?

Where’s your +1 for the Google search party?

You may have seen news of Google’s latest attempt to introduce social recommendations to its platform. +1  (US only service at the moment) allows people to up vote any website they like; this can then be seen by their social connections on Google in…
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Sing it with me, ‘Social music is the future’

Sing it with me, ‘Social music is the future’

I’ve been reading a lot (and trying out) some new and exciting music applications over the past week or so, with people starting to explore hitherto uncharted territory. Everyone and their dog are launching cloud based music streaming services (Amazon have joined Sony in…
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Are dashboards symptomatic of an unhealthy obsession with numbers?

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…
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Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

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 …
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Tweeting about TV

Tweeting about TV

Some of us at IF towers are self-confessed ‘Gleeks’ so we were ecstatic when the new series started last week on E4 and annoyed the haters in the office by talking about it. But it looks like we aren’t the only ones who love a bit of…
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CES 2011 – Back to Vegas for 3D, Internet video and tablets

CES 2011 – Back to Vegas for 3D, Internet video and tablets

So this year I was back in Vegas. No, not for the gambling or the nightlife (not primarily anyway), but to provide support to our client Sony Europe during their launch activity around CES. Yes, it’s…
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What does Quora mean for brands?

What does Quora mean for brands?

There’s been a flurry of activity and attention around the rapidly growing question and answer site, Quora, and this week it hit the mainstream media. For anyone who’s missed the news, here’s a brief introduction, and some of the opportunities and risks that we have identified: What…
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How social media is changing the Christmas wish list

How social media is changing the Christmas wish list

Online shopping is making present buying a breeze for those of us that don’t want to brave the busy shops this Christmas. But is social media changing the way we buy? Are we becoming more and more influenced by our peers on social platforms such as…
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My social media journey of discovery

My social media journey of discovery

By Kate Eglinton Last summer whilst researching graduate positions in communications and public relations, I was drawn in by the social media buzz that has taken the PR industry by storm in recent years.  Social media seemed to be big business. With my…
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Social engagement is not just for Christmas

Social engagement is not just for Christmas

This year, it seems Christmas is truly social. And for many brands social media marketing is definitely playing a big role in the festive push to consumers. M&S and John Lewis are integrating TV with their social media efforts, whilst Argos is pushing out…
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Do social media marketeers really want Santa Claus to come to town?

Do social media marketeers really want Santa Claus to come to town?

When Santa Claus comes to town, the rules are simple. You watch out, you don’t cry and you don’t pout. I put to you that in 2009 the social media marketeers ignored every single one of these rules, pedalling Christmas campaigns that involved risks, made people cry and yes,…
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All I want for Xmas is my two favourite blogs

All I want for Xmas is my two favourite blogs

It’s that time of year again: lists, retrospectives, best ofs, highs and lows. Take twelve months of experience and package it up into a pithy blog post or a commemorative special issue. I am, frankly, powerless to resist. My list of the top ten albums of 2010 has been under…
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November social media round-up: Royal Weddings, Beatles, Christmas and Path

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.
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What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

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…
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immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

The conversion from “like” to purchase is currently a hot topic for brands seeking to optimise social media opportunities; and recent research from YouTube, supported by the IAB, has highlighted the magnitude of this challenge. 60% of people who “like” or…
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Social Media vs Simon Cowell

Social Media vs Simon Cowell

Love it or hate it, the X Factor has taken to our screens again and the hype around the show is even bigger than ever.  From now until Christmas, the British public (willingly or forced) eat, sleep and breathe the X Factor as it not only dominates…
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Social shopping, Chilean miners and how not to crowdsource – a look at October’s top social media news

Social shopping, Chilean miners and how not to crowdsource – a look at October’s top social media news

Can you believe it, it’s the end of October already. Summer days are officially over and the Christmas build up is upon us. We’ve put together a summary of the top social media stories this month, for your delectation and in case you’ve been stuck down a hole for the…
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Google News and Sharing – is social search the future?

Google News and Sharing – is social search the future?

Earlier this week Google added a subtle, but interesting addition to its search function. For some search terms, news results are now displaying a ‘shared by’ number alongside the link. For the searches I’ve tried so far, these ‘shares’ only relate to Twitter but I’ve seen other people…
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Social media agency talking retail!

Social media agency talking retail!

You may have noticed that we’ve been had a very retail focused week here!  As a leading social media agency we’re particularly interested in how social is changing the way we shop. Given this focus, here’s…
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To gaffe or not to gaffe. What is the real impact of a social media crisis?

To gaffe or not to gaffe. What is the real impact of a social media crisis?

I attended the interesting, informative and insightful Social Collective (see #socol for tweets from the event) last week. One of the subjects touched upon was how far negative comments/activity on social media impacted a brand’s reputation. It got me thinking about some of the brand “gaffes” that…
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Is Geomium the app to take location truly mainstream?

Is Geomium the app to take location truly mainstream?

 I am always keen to research and review a new industry trend or topic, therefore, I wanted to draw your attention to a new kid on the social media block – Geomium! With over 550 million users, Facebook is undisputedly the cream of the crop, but a relatively…
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Social Commerce – converting conversation into commerce

Social Commerce – converting conversation into commerce

Last week I attended a pretty insightful WOMMA UK talk where Dr. Paul Marsden presented his latest thinking on The Rise of Social Commerce: Converting Conversations to Commerce. For those of you that don’t know him, Marsden is a renowned digital marketer, author and social psychologist.  He…
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Is social media a name-changing game?

Is social media a name-changing game?

A few weeks ago Google‘s chief executive, Eric Schmidt, suggested people may be forced to change their names in order to escape youthful misdemeanours immortalised online on social media sites, like…
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Places places everywhere?

Places places everywhere?

So it’s official.  Facebook has moved into the location-sharing space in the UK.  At the time of writing there are already 150 million Places users at this stage across Japan, UK and US. Everyone is probably familiar with what Facebook Places is, but just to recap.  It’s…
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Holy social media Batman

Holy social media Batman

The Pope is here in the UK today, but where is he in social media land? I thought I would do a quick check on some of the big networks and see what kind of presence the Holy Father has.One quick search and we can see he…
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Is Twitter Growing Up?

Is Twitter Growing Up?

Mashable have just written about the facebookification of twitter. We’d been having the same conversation in our office. With the launch of the new Twitter coming out of nowhere and then building into a frenzy of energy, the introduction to the next generation of twitter has been…
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I spy with my little eye…

I spy with my little eye…

With rumours of a Facebook “stalker button” circulating right now, once again questions are being raised on the necessity and safety of a button which effectively lets you monitor individual’s online movements without their permission. The fear of a Big Brother style entity has…
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Ping me…?

Ping me…?

Yesterday Apple launched their first social network, Ping. Less than 24 hours later this new platform has received extremely mixed reviews and users are already highlighting issues with the system. With numerous social networking sites already…
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