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Should we take Google Plus seriously?

A recent study shows that Google Plus is now the second largest social network in the world. According to GWI, there are now 343m people using the platform, and it is hardly surprising. Google is integrating the existing user base of Gmail into G+ and continues to…

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 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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

News Round-Up: The Socialympics Legacy

After 16 days of sporting excellence, London bid farewell to the Olympic Games last night. Touted as the ‘world’s first social games’, London 2012 lived up to the hype around social media with networks extending their reach far and wide, as well as acting as a supplement to traditional media.

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…

Five social media monitoring tips

From one-man-bands to global conglomerates, social media provides businesses with a wide open window into the thoughts, opinions and behaviours of customers. Whether it’s a simple keyword search in Google or the deployment of a sophisticated tool, social media monitoring can add value to everything from customer acquisition and product…

How to destroy your social media reputation in 5 easy steps

1. Take it personally Responding in the heat of the moment may be a very human thing to do. But, when acting as the public persona of a brand or a client of such a response is a sure fire way to get your arse handed to you by the…

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…

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…

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…

Four ways in which the new Twitter better promotes your brand

Twitter has launched new brand pages with a new look and some useful functionality. For those companies already on Twitter, this news is worth your attention. Twitter’s new brand pages will better promote your brand in 4 ways: A large header image gives greater prominence to your logo and/or tagline. …

Are cats the new Pizza Express? The value of social currency

Estate agents used to say, that if Pizza Express opens in a new area, it’s a sure sign property prices in said area are about to rise; and smart property investors should pay attention. So I put it to you, if a meme spreads across YouTube, it’s a sure sign…

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.

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…

Social media is science fiction

As this is the immediate future blog, rather than my own, I obviously steer away from anything too personal (apart from my various press trips of course). But if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share a little anecdote with you. I listen to the @wittertainment…

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…

No such thing as bad press?

Search is a hot topic at the moment. With innovations in mobile and local search and the impact of real time mentions and social media, the competition for the much sought over front page position is hotting up. For some, the temptation may be to take advantage…

Search basics ‘rapped’ up

OK we know this is just some SEO basics, but given our recent social search report, we thought this was just great advice on to get you started… © Charles Lewis. “Page Rank”. Video.

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 …

Sony’s Music Unlimited spreads its wings at MIDEM 2011

Get excited, it’s another post by Mark where he’s been on a press trip! (OK, stop rubbing it in [that’s what she said!].Ed.) Last weekend, I accompanied our client Sony Europe as they visited the MIDEM 2011 conference in Cannes. If you haven’t heard…

Should the iPhone be worried?

As a fanatical iPhone fanboy I was sceptical when I first heard about the concept video for this young Chinese upstart to the smartphone crown. However, the winner of the gold award at the 2010 Furong Cup ‘Digital Product and Service Design Competition’ might just have something, it is quite…

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,…

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…

Great e-commerce product pages; how social are they?

Recently, Econsultancy published a piece on ten great e-commerce product pages. Following our research into the social shopping explosion we wanted to find out exactly how ‘social’ some of these retailers are. All of which will be popular destinations for consumers this Christmas. We’ve…

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…

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…

BlackBerry takes wraps off its tablet

The much rumoured “BlackPad” has been revealed. Last night at the company’s developer conference CEO Mike Lazarides introduced its Apple iPad rival. We know little more than the tech specs right now but the preview video looks pretty cool. Price? Well that is mooted by the guys…

Finally seeing IFA in 3D

This year I finally made it to IFA! After two years of organising press trips and managing them from the office, I was allowed out to help support the Sony Europe (client) PR team with the mammoth job of co-ordinating their…

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…

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…

Katy’s cotton candy PR

Things are going great for Katy Perry as of late and with more than 3.5 million followers on Twitter, the ‘California girl’ isn’t afraid of using a little social media to create some online buzz around her new album, Teenage Dream. Record label Capitol…

Beware, the world is watching you: what brands can learn from CatBinLady

If I said the name Mary Bale or Cat Bin Lady last week, you probably wouldn’t know what I was talking about. Before now, Mary Bale was just your normal, everyday person…until she decided to throw a cat in a bin! Unfortunately for Ms Bale, her actions were caught on…

We’re living in a virtual world

If you’re living in the UK like the team at immediate future, you’ll no doubt be enjoying a bit of classic British summertime – it’s August, and you need a coat, scarf and wellies to go anywhere. It’s frankly rubbish outside, so why not stay in and get everything you…

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…

How to microblog out of a macro catastrophe

In a recent online poll by Faxo.com, the public was asked where they would most like popstar, Justin Bieber, to tour. The public said North Korea. When ‘the public’ cast its vote on July 7th, it was, however, predominantly made up of fans of the online bulletin board, 4chan.org, which encouraged visitors to hijack the poll and manipulate the results.

Not another social media conference…

So I probably should have got round to writing this last week, but seeing as I’m STILL mentioning Social Media Influence in about 90% of my conversations, I’ve decided it does warrant a post. Social Media Influence 2010 was held at London’s Marriott Hotel…

Social Media Lens uncovers the truth about social media

Taking a look at the evolution of social media as a communications tool over the past year, it is clear that one thing in particular has changed, businesses now take it seriously and include in their communications strategy. Brands now automatically lose their shine with customers if they do not…

Chatroulette – a step too far?

As we all know, for some time now, media-savvy companies have been taking full advantage of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, for a combination of brand-building, direct sales, customer service and PR. This has left us all wondering what will be the next big ‘thing’. Could it be the controversial Chatroulette?…

Does the death of Bebo put pressure on Twitter?

Since the news broke that Bebo is in terminal decline, opinion formers have been asking: why did it fail? Some, like The Times, have pointed towards a lack of monetisation through advertising. If we hold up the Facebook smart advertising model as the best commercial blueprint, this…

Social Media for Social Change

Recently there has been a major shift in the world of Corporate Social Responsibility. Climate change and the current economic climate have pushed companies to adopt a more pro-active approach to CSR. The bottom line is now centred around people, planet and profit. As businesses aim to build more sustainable…

Howzat for a landmark in live streamed video?

Last week saw the announcement in the press of the Indian Premier League’s plan to stream the whole of the 2010 tournament live via YouTube. As many commentators have noted over the past week, this calls into question the whole notion of…

Four essentials for brainstorming creative ideas for online PR

Just before Christmas, we experimented with some new brainstorming techniques across a number of clients. It got me thinking how there is a lot more to a creative brainstorm when you are planning for social media ideas. Offline, a PR brainstorms rely upon understanding a client: its business or products, its audience, and its requirements. In addition, a good knowledge of what is newsworthy, the media and what is currently capturing the headlines is essential. Of course, this knowledge is necessary for online PR brainstorms too, but you have to add to the mix with a more detailed understanding of social media.

The best Christmas viral

Brilliantly executed viral by Lean Mean Fighting Machine. LEAN MEAN FIGHTING MACHINE “Dem Phones” [tag]viral marketing, video[/tag] © Lean Mean Fighting Machine, “Dem Phones”, Video …

Traditional Media will have to become social media relations experts

Emily Bell has run an article in today’s Media Guardian commenting on the Guardian’s new look homepage that grabbed my attention. Most interesting is a point referenced to Jeff Jarvis, highlighting the recent drop in importance for the homepage. Visitors to…

Search results for "youtube"

Should we take Google Plus seriously?

CEOs and Social Media

The social snowman driving an 11.4% increase in sales…

Trends and directions of the top 10 social media platforms

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

5 Tips to Use Google Hangouts in B2B Marketing

Cadburys show that Google+ is worth a go

Weekly News Round-Up

Monday News Round-Up

News Round-Up: The Socialympics Legacy

LinkedIn acquisition of SlideShare – all you need to know

Five social media monitoring tips

How to destroy your social media reputation in 5 easy steps

Snack brands latest campaigns drive social engagement

RFID: blurring the lines between on and offline experiences

SOPA and PIPA – the web’s four letter words

Four ways in which the new Twitter better promotes your brand

Are cats the new Pizza Express? The value of social currency

The social media story – beyond the tech

B2B social media case studies

Social media is science fiction

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

No such thing as bad press?

Search basics ‘rapped’ up

Social Media. Shaken, not stirred

Sony’s Music Unlimited spreads its wings at MIDEM 2011

Should the iPhone be worried?

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

All I want for Xmas is my two favourite blogs

Great e-commerce product pages; how social are they?

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

What’s all this chatter about a #royalwedding?

immediate Insights – Converting to purchase from social media

BlackBerry takes wraps off its tablet

Finally seeing IFA in 3D

Places places everywhere?

Holy social media Batman

Katy’s cotton candy PR

Beware, the world is watching you: what brands can learn from CatBinLady

We’re living in a virtual world

Social media in a league of its own

How to microblog out of a macro catastrophe

Not another social media conference…

Social Media Lens uncovers the truth about social media

Chatroulette – a step too far?

Does the death of Bebo put pressure on Twitter?

Social Media for Social Change

Howzat for a landmark in live streamed video?

Four essentials for brainstorming creative ideas for online PR

The best Christmas viral

Traditional Media will have to become social media relations experts