Rumours swirling that Instagram will be getting video

by Marketing ON 18 June 2013

The web a buzz after technology site techcrunch.com claimed that the popular photo sharing/editing network Instagram will be getting a Vine-style video feed by June 20.

Details are few and far between but the site is reporting a source’ has told TechCrunch that Facebook, which owns Instagram, will be unveiling a video sharing feature at an event on June 20.

Former deputy social media editor at Reuters, Matthew Keys, has also written about the possibility of the site getting video capability, describing it as not unlike Twitter’s video sharing app Vine. Vine enables users to upload and share, directly on Twitter, videos up to six seconds in length.

So far this is all we know at Marketing mag, but will be watching closely for anymore information as it comes.

Watch this space!

How Facebook is cleaning up for marketers

by Marketing ON 14 June 2013

Facebook is streamlining the various types of advertising formats on offer in an effort to simplify the system for advertisers, as well as introducing better measurement and reporting tools.

The social networking site will reduce the options marketers can choose for ad units after Facebook acknowledged that the previous model was confusing to marketers.

Facebook’s Timothy Rathschmidt told Marketing magazine the simplification process came off the back of consultation with different advertising clients, with the changes aimed to help marketers achieve their objectives using a much simpler system. He equated the social network’s advertising situation to that of a ship having been built while underway.

Development of the platform’s ad offerings has taken place through features that were first introduced as user-only that were then monetised, as well as from ad features introduced on a custom basis for particular advertisers, resulting in confusion and redundancies among choices.

“We had 27 ad units and we looked across and found that some of them met the same objectives and met the same goals and we thought it should just be simpler, regardless of what your objective is. Whether it is ‘liking’ a page, installing an app, bringing in an offer, posting pictures about your brand and your company, we just wanted to make it consistant across all of our different platforms.”

In the next six months, Facebook will be reducing the total number of ad units by half and will be aiming to map all ads to business objectives, such as in-store sales, online conversions, or app installs. It will now also automatically add social context and eliminate the step of creating sponsored stories.

“We know social enhances ad resonance; people are influenced by this type of word-of-mouth marketing. Research from Nielsen, comScore, and Datalogix shows that social context can drive awareness and return on ad spend, so we want to make it easier to add it to our ads and will aim to make all of their ad platforms appear asthetically more consistant,” Facebook wrote in a blog post explaining the changes.

Advertising accounts for 85% of Facebook’s revenue, and it is in the process of reinvigorating revenue growth following a sharp slowdown early last year. In Q1 this year, the company’s total revenue was up 38% year on year, with ad revenue up 43% year on year. Facebook shares have fallen approximately 15% so far this year according to a report by Reuters.

Facebook is also scrambling to roll out new types of ad formats suited to small mobile screens as consumers increasingly access Facebook on their mobile devices.The company is widely expected to introduce video ads this year. Of the 1.1 billion monthly users, 751 million are using Facebook on mobile, up 54% from last year.

The announced changes to ad offerings will come into effect in late June and July.

Myspace officially launches $20m resurrection campaign, app, streaming music

by Marketing ON 13 June 2013

Remember when it was all about emos, The OC and Myspace? The once-dominant social network has today relaunched itself, investing a US$20 million sum into a new advertising campaign and officially burying the News Corp version of the Myspace site.

The struggling site, which was once the largest social network in the world and the most-visited website in the US, was sold by News Corp in 2011 for a mere US$35 million after paying US$580 million for it in 2005.

It’s new owners, Specific Media Group and musician Justin Timberlake, debuted a soft launch of the new Myspace late last year, but this official launch reveals more detail on its music streaming and mobile plays. The network’s first mobile app is available for iOS devices and includes a music streaming service featuring user-programmed stations and the ability to create animated GIFs. Called ‘MyRadio,’ it features radio stations curated by Myspace community members and is being backed by popular musicians, including Pharrell Williams, Lady Antebellum, Lil Wayne and investor, Justin Timberlake.

Myspace has stated a desire to renew its focus on artists and musicians and is hoping to be a vehicle where artists can better connect with their fans. There have also been big changes to the site’s layout, with users able to log in using their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The site now scrolls horizontally rather than vertically, in an attempt to enhance the experience for the ever-growing tablet and mobile audience.

The post-Facebook apocalypse

by Peter Applebaum ON 12 June 2013

You’ve done the social media course. You’ve given the meticulously researched presentation to senior management full of infographics, embedded videos and pie charts. And it worked. You get the green light for the organisation to start ‘doing’ social media.

Where to start? Well, Facebook obviously. Anyone who knows anything knows that Facebook is the big bopper in social media. So if you have to be active in social media it obviously has to be on Facebook. Or so the corporate thinking goes.

After all, Facebook is now the recognised social media channel so there’s little risk and a lot of sense in putting all the company’s social media eggs in that one basket. Look at the facts: over a billion global users, 2nd most popular website in the world / Australia, powerful geographic, demographic and psychographic targeting. It’s a no-brainer.

But what if everything changes? What if, in a few years – or months – time, Facebook loses its appeal and consumers go elsewhere for their social fix? Unlikely, you say. Remember the billion users thing? My friends and I are on Facebook all the time, you say. And it’s valued at over $50 billion dollars, for goodness sake!

They’re valid points.

But consider MySpace, circa 2007. Facebook was the runt of the litter and MySpace was not just the social media master of all it surveyed, it was the most visited website in the US. The usual suspects flooded MySpace with their marketing campaigns: Pepsi, McDonald’s, Nike, Toyota, Sony, Hilton and Ford to name a few.

Fast forward a mere six years and MySpace is now the 133rd most visited website in the US.

While MySpace is still a viable business, certainly according to new owner Justin Timberlake and his partners, it’s no longer the must-have digital marketing option it once was.

Of course, the fortunes of websites and businesses rising and falling are nothing new. The difference today with marketers hitching their social media star to the Facebook wagon is that it is often done without any meaningful planning or strategic thinking. Many companies feel that they’ve ticked the social media box just by having a Facebook page.

Because social media marketing is so relatively new there are not enough people that have a deep enough understanding of what should and should not be done in this space. The end result that we’re seeing now: poor decision making.

The foundation of social media marketing – creating, building and maintaining long-term direct relationships with consumers – can be easily forgotten with all the technical and creative fun to be had with Facebook and other social platforms. Results are measured by the number of Likes, comments and shares. Don’t get me wrong, they’re important statistics. But they can’t be viewed in isolation if you’re looking to generate that all-important ROI from your social media investment.

Consider what will become of your social media program should a future visit to Facebook, the main plank of that program find virtual tumbleweeds and a few hardy zealots clinging to their almost empty newsfeeds. It truly is an apocalyptic thought.

It doesn’t have to be, of course. You need to question how you’re genuinely engaging with your consumers beyond throwing up some nice (in your opinion) posts, photos and polls. Are you thinking of what interests them as opposed to what suits you? Are you creating multi-faceted relationships where you engage on any number of levels – real and virtual – that are relevant to your consumers?

It’s telling that PR agencies are running the Facebook show for many companies. PR is an incredibly powerful tool, particularly in a digital context. But by definition, PR is all about me, the brand talking at you the consumer. Generate ink, air and pixels all about ‘me, me, me’ and the job is done.

Is that a valid way to run any sort of relationship?

Recent Pew Research found that 61% of users suffered from ‘Facebook Fatigue’ and had taken a break from the platform for several weeks or more. Had you even heard of Facebook Fatigue 12 months ago? Neither had I.

The simple conclusion is that Facebook must be viewed as a communication platform, much like TV sets, car radios and mobile phones. Yes, it’s a wildly popular, dynamic and powerful platform. Today. As for tomorrow, well, it may still be Facebook. Or it may be Roamz, Nextdoor, Sgrouples or some other platform that’s still being developed on a kitchen bench somewhere in the world. Heck, it might even be MySpace again.

The main game is guaranteed to always be your consumer. They must be informed, engaged, entertained and motivated in any number of ways. They must find you interesting, funny and even exciting no matter how you communicate with them and via what platform. Remember, they’re nothing if not fickle.

3 common Facebook marketing mistakes and how to avoid them

by Maria Abadilla ON 29 May 2013

Technology is ever changing. The world of social media goes through more cycles of ebb and flow everyday than we can imagine.

One minute, someone comes out saying social media is dead. The next minute, there’s a news piece that social media is soaring. What is someone especially new to social media supposed to make out of it?

As a marketer for more than 15 years, I’d love to set the record straight: Social media is here to stay. Just as in any other type of marketing, Facebook marketers make mistakes too. Some of these are acceptable, while others intolerable. With 74% of marketers saying Facebook is an important part of their lead generation strategy, it’s clear that this platform is here to boost your success.

Therefore, the fewer mistakes you make, the better you can leverage Facebook as a solid marketing platform.

Let’s look at the 3 most common mistakes new marketers make and how to overcome them below:

1. Measuring the wrong things

For the amateur marketer, getting 1000s of “likes” on their company page is a benchmark of success. But think about it: What’s the point of getting those several thousand people to like you in return for a freebie (for example), never to return on your page? Is it any good to see the numbers rise while real engagement is going down the drain?

Some businesses make the mistake of going only after the numbers; they end up making things worse by buying a bunch of “Likes” from third party websites, which is nothing but a list of disengaged fans that have no interest in your brand. Not only is this practice shady, but it also hurts your brand beyond repair. You are better off with a few real fans instead.

As a Facebook marketer, your aim must be not only to expand your fan base but also to raise your profile and “click” with your fans. Write useful posts, answer comments and share the love by giving away discounts and freebies when possible. You want real people as fans, not zombies who stop interacting with you from day one!

2. Not being clear on your goals

Too many businesses start out by pumping out content on their Facebook timeline but not realising the reason behind it. For any goal to be worthy of achieving, the intention behind it is hugely important. If you’re posting regular content on your page but hardly seeing any new “likes” or comments, perhaps it’s time to reconsider your goals for that page.

Ask yourself this: Why have I created this page? Is it to connect with my clients? Serve better with outstanding customer service? Gain new leads? Build brand awareness? Answering these questions will help you fine-tune your hard work on and realise the real goals.

Once you’ve outlined a clear goal, planning becomes a natural second step. Build a strategic plan for how to achieve the goals you’re set for yourself.

3. Not engaging enough

Creating a Facebook page for your business is simple. It’s pretty much self-doable. But most businesses fail in what comes after setting up a page.

Before you set yourself a business page, remember it is all about commitment. A successful fan page takes hard work, time and effort. Once you keep at it, you become a pro with consistent learning and keeping in touch with new policies and rules. However, if you are no longer interested in engaging with your audience through the page, you’re better off having no page at all.

Find interesting material to post, ask them what they’d like to see more and pay attention to their comments. Facebook is a very visual platform – look at the way they have revamped and brought in the Timeline feature. And what about the big cover image?

Approximately 6 billion photos are shared every month on Facebook. We think the social media giant is sending a clear message to marketers. Images grab attention. If you want to get maximum engagement on Facebook, definitely go ahead and use relevant images with your posts.

In short, be conversational in a balanced way – but stay away from tooting your own horn too much or being completely boring!

Now that you know the top three Facebook marketing mistakes, why not jump online and tweak things for a better ROI? You’ll thank yourself for it!

Feature: The Era of the Buyer

by Marketing ON 23 May 2013

In B2B marketing, as in B2C, a revolution has been brewing over the past few years as the power of the buyer grows. This power struggle has seen marketers begin to adapt from reaching out to buyers to luring them in. In 2013, the buyer revolution will come to a head, according to research conducted by Green Hat and ADMA, with the balance of power set to reside firmly in the buyer’s court.

Empowered by the ability to research, learn and compare online, buyers are increasingly resistant to push-based marketing approaches, triggering a shift from outbound- to inbound-dominated marketing. A hot topic in marketing circles over the past few years, inbound will break through the line this year, fuelling the use of social media, content marketing and PR as bait to attract buyers.

This in turn sparks another shift: the move from real-world contact to cyber interaction. For the first time the balance of spend in B2B looks set to tip to the side of digital marketing over traditional techniques.

Faced with this chain reaction of shifts, B2B marketers are stuck between realising the buyer is in control and adapting their tactics accordingly. A host of challenges prevent marketers from closing the gap between realisation and execution, as they grapple with problems old and new. However, Green Hat’s ‘B2B Marketing Outlook Australia 2013’, drawn from a survey of around 300 marketers, shows good news on the horizon.

Budget relief is on the way

The budget restrictions that have plagued the industry look set to relax this year (see Figure 1). Firms increasing their spend will outnumber those cutting back by three to one.

Marketing departments are also growing, says managing director at Green Hat, Andrew Haussegger. “The vast majority still have fewer than five team members, but we’re finding that a lot more companies are increasing the size of their teams to five and above… budget on salary is going up.”

While this elicits a sigh of relief in many, working with scarcity and deploying funds wisely will continue to be a necessity for marketers. David Redhill, chief marketing officer at Deloitte, believes budgets are being redirected and more closely managed in concert with other forms of business development. Spend intentions display a clear channeling of funds away from traditional demand generation, forecast to drop by eight% from a high of 36% two years ago, to digital marketing, which looks set to jump three% on last year.

Closing the gap on the buyer revolution

The era of the buyer is upon us, according to Chris Fell, managing director of inbound marketing specialists g2m Solutions. “A big sea change is occurring, underpinning a lot of the changes that are coming in marketing,” Fell says. “Marketers are struggling to figure out how to adapt to the new world that they’re faced with. There is a gap between realising the buyer is in control and changing the tactics and tools in the process.”

But the gap is starting to close. Marketers are realising they’re not the trusted source they once were. In such a climate, ideas are the new currency, says Redhill, noting buyers are increasingly looking past marketing to their industries’ opinion leaders. “When we talk about providers, we’re not talking about the sales and marketing people, because they don’t believe us – it’s the subject matter experts within our business.

Marketers plan to respond to this power shift by adopting inbound marketing in greater numbers than ever before. Last year, 42% said they spent more on outbound than inbound marketing, while only 22% spent more on inbound. This year, 35% will spend more on inbound, while only 31% will do the reverse, shifting the balance in favour of pull-based marketing tactics for the first time.

“Inbound marketing has broken through the line in the plans and intentions of marketers,” Haussegger says, pointing to a knock-on effect for social media, content marketing and public relations. One dollar in every seven will be spent on content marketing this year, Green Hat’s research reveals. Much of this will be deployed online.

The increased focus on inbound triggers another big shift for 2013: marketers channeling even great spend towards digital. The balance is expected to shift in digital’s favour for the first time by next year, if it hasn’t already. Anecdotally, the growth in spend planned for websites, online advertising, social media, SEO and SEM, as well as content marketing and lead management (see Figure 2), points to digital eclipsing traditional this year, Haussegger estimates.

“By next year, based on the trends we’ve seen over the last couple of years, we are certain more will be spent on digital… buyers are online and so the marketers are looking for them online.”

The number one digital tactic marketers will look to invest in during 2013 is websites; with 77% planning to increase spend on this asset. As technology improves, marketers are making websites an interactive place for people to visit, Fell notes. “Blogging, downloading stuff, testimonials, webinars, watching video – people are starting to use websites for places to go to interact with the organisation,” he says.

More B2B organisations are now creating and publishing social media content than aren’t, with incidence set to jump from 34% last year to 52% this year. “They’re either dipping their toe, ankle, knee or the rest of their body in social media,” Haussegger explains, “and the total inbound advocates are fully up to their necks.” Smaller, nimbler organisations are leading the way. “Some of the larger organisations are often more challenged around the rules dictating how they can actually apply their content in social media,” he adds. Only 17% are yet to have any involvement in social media.

Uncertainty over return appears to be holding the others back, Fell believes. “Some are, therefore, hesitant to jump in and commit large amounts of time and money to it.” Green Hat’s research supports Fell’s assertion, with only one in eight of the opinion that their investment to date has been worthwhile.

LinkedIn remains the most used – 82% tap its rich source of information on professionals – while 69% use Twitter (which Fell sees as an untapped force for lead generation), 66% are on Facebook, and others, including Google Plus, remain a blip on the radar. Content is being posted to YouTube by 54% and on industry blogs by 41%.

Being involved in LinkedIn is a no-brainer according to Kimon Lycos, founder of B2B agency Mihell and Lycos. “In terms of lead generation, in terms of sales performance, in terms of brand building, it’s unrivalled,” he says. There’s general agreement that marketers got their heads around LinkedIn in 2012, taking it beyond recruitment into lead generation and brand building territory.

On Facebook, opinions are mixed. Some believe it’s not a place for most B2B brands, while others think it’s a potential gold mine. Lycos sees it as the equivalent of looking at family pictures on a desk. “You’re able to get a snapshot of what their personal interests are, and then you can build rapport based on that. I think it’s also got great relevance with recruitment and demonstrating and displaying a company’s culture.”

Mobile

Coming in at number five on the priority list for digital tactics this year is mobile enablement, pointing to the market finally getting serious about mobile sites.

Lycos thinks there is a great niche for mobile catalogues and content marketing. “Conferences and events could make much better use of this technology to add more value to their events. I’d like to see stuff like match-making, so I could share the type of people I’m interested in meeting and be matched up with those people.”

Where does that leave ‘traditional’ marketing?

With buyers having migrated online, traditional techniques are failing, Haussegger believes. Once big-ticket marketing ploys are being cut back or, in some cases, stopped altogether.

Tradeshows and conferences, a mainstay of the B2B world, are also reducing in relevance according to Marketing’s sources, an assertion reflected in the data. There’s a belief bigger, longer events are no longer attracting top-level decision-makers, sparking a movement towards smaller, more personalised events.

B2B marketing is about effecting an introduction between a human salesperson a buyer, Fell says, pointing out events are still a strong tactic. Redhill sees events moving to those of greater value: “Seminars, report launches and private briefings are certainly eclipsing hospitality and feel-good event spend.”

Not all traditional disciplines are set to decline, however. Reflecting the shift to inbound, PR has stepped up to the top position for planned traditional marketing spend. Growth in PR is expected to come most strongly from SMBs.

Speed bumps and the road ahead

Automation is the word on every marketer’s lips, with back-office procedures, such as integration with sales or CRM, proving the most troublesome over the past year. Rolled together, 60% of automation challenges selected by respondents reside in the back office, compared to 40% in front.

Automating lead nurturing and management was nominated as the most pressing challenge over the past year. The research found that one in every 12 dollars spent in 2013 will go to addressing this goal.

The age-old challenge of measuring ROI followed close behind, with the disconnect between marketing and sales one of the major factors clouding measurement. Marketers are unsure if sales follow up on around half of leads generated.

When it comes to using data to target buyers with relevance and context, it is still early days, Haussegger says, “But some marketers are on the road towards making one-to-one marketing a reality.”

“You need a lot of content to tailor to the different stages of the funnel,” Fell points out. “The journey takes a long time in B2B, and therefore you have to give them different tidbits at each stage, to accelerate them through the sales funnel, towards being qualified leads that you can then centre.” Interpreting and acting on the reams of data being collected is a further challenge, complicating the progress towards a one-to- one marketing model.

On the whole, however, Redhill thinks marketers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. “Better use of social media, better use of thought leadership and better use of data, they are all intertwined. I’ve seen increasing alignment of social media presence outside the business with brand objectives and use of data in the marketing formula, increasingly organically, so [there’s a] continuous feedback loop.”

With buyers now in control, marketers need to be more agile – ready to respond with what the buyer wants when they want it. “It used to be that business- to-business businesses are sort of like the aircraft carriers of the marketing world,” Redhill concludes. “It takes a long time to check and adjust, to get the market feedback, feed it into the sales model and adjust and change it.” In the era of the buyer, however, B2B marketing is quickly becoming a more agile craft.

2013 Yellow™ Social Media Report: businesses need to catch up to mobile-mad world

by Marketing ON 21 May 2013

Aussies are slowly ditching the desktop computer and using their smartphone and mobile devices to access social media according to a new study.

The 2013 Yellow™ Social Media Report found that the number of social media users now tapping smartphones to access social media increased to 67% from 53% last year, with people using laptops and PCs decreasing to 64% to 69% in 2012.

The use of tablets to access social networks almost doubled from 18% in 2012 to 35% this year. Mobile devices were most popular for social media users under 50 years of age, while those over 50 still prefer to use computers to access social sites.

“We’re seeing major changes in the way Aussies are now using social media,” explains Kelly Brough, executive general manager, digital partnerships and innovation at Sensis.

“The average consumer is now more likely to post a comment or tweet from a mobile device and the number of people using tablets has almost doubled in the past 12 months,” she says.

The report found that 65% of online Australians are now using social media and of those, 45% access it daily which is an increase from the 36% in 2012. The research findings also suggest Australian businesses aren’t building relationships with consumers via social media:

29% of small businesses and 24% of medium businesses that use social media do not have a strategy to drive traffic to their social media sites
Only 25% of small business and 28% of medium businesses that use social media measure return on investment (ROI) of their social spend
Investment in social media decreased in the last year with small businesses spending on average $1,970 (down from $3,410 in 2012) and medium businesses $11,780 annually (down from $16,920 in 2012)
Discounts and giveaways are the key reasons why consumers follow brands however only 28% of small (down from 34% in 2012) and 33% (up from 27% in 2012) of medium businesses that have social media sites offer such incentives.

The report also highlights the growing influence ratings and reviews have on consumers’ decision making. Consumers, on average, are reading four reviews before making a purchase and the proportion of social media research that results in a purchase has increased to 58%.

“More Australian consumers are using social media to inform their purchasing decisions. This presents small and medium businesses with clear opportunities to build customer relationships and potential sales, however our research shows that businesses are not effectively engaging with these channels,” says Brough.

According to the report, Australians use social media at either end of the day with more people accessing social media in the toilet, while general social media use in the workplace has also increased.

37% of users check social media first thing in the morning (up from 33% in 2012)
42% check it as the last thing they do before going to bed (up from 40% in 2012)
6% check social media while they’re in the toilet (compared to 5% in 2012)
34% of social media users now log on at work (compared to 30% in 2012)

Western Australia has the highest proportion of SMEs with a social media presence of 34% while Northern Territory SMEs are the least active with just 23%.

Interestingly, in the past year, SMEs in regional areas have adopted social media faster than those in metropolitan areas. Usage among regional SMEs has grown from 10% to 35%.

Australians continue to expand their social media networks with the average number of friends, contacts or followers increasing from 227 to 258 in the last 12 months. Facebook also continues to dominate as the most popular social media site, followed by Linkedin and Instagram.

95% of social media users are on Facebook (down from 97% in 2012)
Facebook users spend seven hours per week on the site (up from six hours in 2012)
20% of social media users are on Linkedin, 16% use Instagram and 15% use Twitter
Use of Google Plus has grown from 8% in 2012 to 15%
Pinterest usage is 7% and mainly restricted to female users.

Thumbs up to digitally enhanced 2013 Eurovision Song Contest

by Marketing ON 17 May 2013

After the success of the 2012 event in terms of record website figures across the three finals nights which saw 162,000 unique visitors hitting up sbs.com.au/Eurovision and visitors engaged for an average of 38 minutes per session, this year SBS is going all out digitally in the show’s 30th anniversary year.

Focusing on emerging online platforms, in 2013 SBS will give Australian fans the chance to comment and vote for or against performers in real-time. Fans will play judge, jury and executioner on finals night in a way to up the ante by ways of being interactive.

SBS director of online and emerging platforms, Marshall Heald explaining, “This year will be SBS’s most ambitious broadcast yet – across all our platforms. We’re excited to be offering a truly social experience for our audience, allowing them to have their say and be a part of the broadcast.”

Heald admitting that this year is a “chance for Australians to celebrate Eurovision beyond the TV screen, with a multi-platform package to satisfy even the most hardcore fans”.

From live online and mobile voting, SBS is going beyond Twitter feeds onscreen and is instead offering Australian fans a say via enhanced online and mobile voting. Results will be tallied in real-time and displayed onscreen, immediately after each song.

There will also be onscreen comments, uploading of Eurovision party photos, a display of Facebook commentary, and word clouds, while punters will be supplied with QR code-embedded table tennis bat paddles to give a thumbs up or down to contestants.

All eyes will be focused on the neo SBS Eurovision website, redesigned in all its glory. Hosts Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang will once again head up the exclusive SBS coverage starting tonight and concluding on Sunday evening.

Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares turns social media horrorshow

by Simon van Wyk ON 17 May 2013

Lessons in how not to handle social media were played out in excruciating detail across the social landscape this week. It all started with the appearance of Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. The experience did not go well for the restaurant’s owners, Samy and Amy Bouzaglos, who came across as wholly unsuited to running an upscale eatery. They swore at customers, wouldn’t accept a diner’s feedback and revealed how they resold cakes made by other bakeries at a higher price. Gordon Ramsay actually walked out of their restaurant, unwilling to digest any more of their unsavoury business antics.

The restaurateur’s exit sparked a torrent of social media shaming from people on Reddit and a volley of one-star reviews on Amy’s Baking Company‘s Yelp page. There the whole sorry episode should have ended, however the owners took it upon themselves to respond to the commenters on Reddit and Yelp by throwing a volley of torrid abuse back at them. It’s not pretty.

Epic meltdown on Facebook

Their posts started out defensively before degenerating into a barrage of insults and profanities. For instance, some of the owner’s cleaner posts on their Facebook page read:

The owners have since issued a retraction of sorts, claiming that the restaurant’s social media accounts had been hacked. Believe that if you want to.

The real irony in this story is that the whole thing started with the restaurant appearing on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – the show that is designed to help failing restaurants. The restaurant was already in trouble before the social media disaster. Now, while everyone on the planet has heard of the eatery and its somewhat combative owners, I’m not sure anyone’s going to be queuing up to eat there.

Of course Amy’s Baking Company is certainly not the first business or brand to damage their reputation and credibility on social media.

Last year in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, American clothing retailer Gap, got itself in all sorts of trouble by using the disaster as the springboard for an ill-thought through promotional tweet:

“All impacted by #Sandy, stay safe! We’ll be doing lots of Gap.com shopping today. How about you?”

It beggars belief that a company of Gap’s standing could let this particular tweet slip through their approval net. By way of an apology, the company made a donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross, and posted a written apology on their Facebook timeline.

Likewise, back in 2011, shoe designer Kenneth Cole used the Cairo riots as a platform to sell his new collection.

“Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online.”

Of course Kenneth Cole promptly apologised for making light of the riots in Egypt, but not before the Twitterverse was running rampant with a #boycottKennethCole and a spate of fake insensitive Kenneth Cole tweets.

Hijacked hashtags can also create all sorts of issues for unwary brands. Starbucks created the #spreadthecheer hashtag hoping to encourage Starbucks fans to tweet upbeat holiday messages under the hashtag. Unfortunately users hijacked the hashtag and tweeted out negative sentiments about the chain’s workplace practices.

In the same vein, McDonald’s oversaw its #McDStories hashtag fiasco where people began sharing some unpalatable stories about the fast food chain. One user’s tweet really set the tone:

“I used to like McDonald’s. I stopped eating McDonald’s years ago because every time I ate it I felt like I was dying inside. #McDStories.”

Typically social media meltdowns don’t have a lasting effect on brands. It’s more a matter of weathering the storm, and damage control. Of course we’ve never seen anything quite like the Facebook meltdown for Amy’s Baking Company, and while it did strike me as a media stunt gone wrong, I think this one may have long-lasting impact. That said, the business was already in trouble.

While the Samy and Amy story has made for riveting reading, there are a few takeaways that we should all take on board.

Don’t use social media when you’re upset. Consider waiting an hour or two – or better still, sleep on it. Things always look so much different in the cool light of the next day
Respond only to key comments and try not to be defensive. The best approach is to address the issues raised unemotionally to show that you are listening, and demonstrate that you’re doing your best to make amends. Certainly apologise if you need to
Don’t feed the trolls. While it’s important to respond to major comments – you don’t have to respond to everyone, as many of the commenters may be trolls waiting for you to stoke the flames. Silence typically works wonders
Never use derogatory language or make abusive and personal comments
Never use CAPS LOCK.

Aussies want brand info while Brazilian’s just want freebies on Twitter

by Marketing ON 16 May 2013

Australians are far more likely to have a genuine interest in the brands they follow on Twitter than their counterparts in the UK, Germany and Brazil.

A new study by Exact Target has found consumers’ online habits vary across the globe and had revealed that peoples motivation to ‘follow’ on Twitter vary from country to country.

The top reason for following a brand or organisation on Twitter in Australia was ‘to keep up to date with a company’s products’ and 36% of respondants liked to ‘to receive alerts related to developments within the organisation’.

The top reasons from the other countries surveyed were:
· Brazil: ‘to receive discounts’
· UK: ‘for more information related to my personal interests, hobbies, etc.’
· Germany: ‘to receive alerts related to developments within the company’

Lee Hawksley, managing director of ExactTarget Australia explains, “While only 6% of the online Australian consumers follow brands on Twitter, Twitter followers are networkers, leaders and influencers that Australian businesses can’t afford to ignore.”

Twitter were also found to be less motivated by discounts and freebies than fans on Facebook or email subscribers. They were even seen to be more viewed as a place to gather information including: product and service updates, advanced notice of new products, alerts related to developments within the company, exclusive content and information related to hobbies and interests.

“When using Twitter, remember to consider your audience. Consumers want to be heard—especially the influential users on Twitter who follow your brand. Provide them with an intimate view of your brand, so they can share their ‘insider information’ with the rest of the world. Also keep in mind that many online consumers are monitoring Twitter, even if they are not actively participating,” Hawksley added.

Australians also came out as the top consumers for engaging with brands on Facebook, creating a tremendous opportunity to connect with fans on an individual level and drive engagement that builds loyalty and brand advocates. More than 50% of Australian consumers Like a brand on Facebook, compared to 77% in Brazil and 45% in the U.K.

The results are based on surveys from online consumers gathered over the past year in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany and the UK by ExactTarget and published in their 2013 Global Executive Summary.

The rise of paid social media

by Catriona Pollard ON 16 May 2013

Social media is an excellent way to build relationships with your target audience and customers as well as amplify your marketing message. Paid options offered through a variety of social media platforms mean businesses now have the opportunity to be even more targeted with their social networking.

A recent survey by Vizu found three out of four advertisers surveyed used paid social media in their marketing strategies, and 64% of respondents planned to increase their paid social media investment during 2013.

Paid social media options include promoted posts and ads on Facebook, LinkedIn ads, promoted tweets on Twitter and sponsored blog posts.

How paid social media works

Facebook ads – can be used to promote a new business page, an event or to direct traffic to your website and boost sales. These can be targeted via location, demographics and even interests so you can ensure you’re reaching the right people. Ads are charged on a cost per click or impression basis.

Facebook promoted posts – appear higher in the news feed than organic posts, so that means more people will see your post. Use Facebook Insights to see what your followers respond to most. You set a budget for the lifetime of the post and Facebook will estimate how many people that will reach.

Twitter – promoted tweets can be used to gain more followers or direct followers to a sales page. They are charged on a cost per engagement basis, with engagement meaning a retweet, reply or a click on the link.

LinkedIn – ads are positioned on pages throughout LinkedIn, such as profile, home or search pages, with businesses using them to promote services and products. Again, you can target by location and demographics, plus title and industry. You pay for the clicks or impressions received.

Sponsored posts – many bloggers now offer sponsorship in the form of advertising, or product giveaways and reviews. If you know the blogger connects with your target market, these posts can be used to build your brand and direct traffic.

Pros of paying for social media

Paying for social media can get quicker results in the target market you’re looking for. It works well if you’re aiming for these objectives:

Starting conversations – paid social media can allow you to specifically target your potential customers and speed up the conversations you have with them online.
Lead generation – drive traffic to a specific platform or URL to build followers or entice customers with a special offer.
Brand awareness – Facebook and LinkedIn ads can both help with brand awareness because you can pin-point interested potential customers who want exactly what your business offers. This is a great strategy to build an audience initially or increase your market reach with a particular segment of the market.
Social media promotions – if you already have an active social media network, a paid promotion for a new marketing campaign or competition can really ramp up your results.

Cons of paying for social media

As the cost of paid social media is usually based on performance through click-throughs and engagement, it is fairly low risk, but there are some things to consider before jumping into a big commitment:

Alienating your networks – in the same way that we often find something else to do during ad breaks on television, paid ads on social media can make people switch off your brand. Make sure any social media advertising you do is part of an overall marketing strategy so the ads aren’t the only time your networks hear from you.
Hitting the wrong target – do your research before investing in any paid social media because even though the campaigns are measured on performance, if you get the target audience wrong it will be a waste of your time.

How to measure paid social media

Click-throughs, extra followers and engagement are often used to measure ROI of paid social media advertising, however other metrics also include sales and increased brand awareness within the target market.

Social media is here to stay, and more paid options will become available as these platforms find more ways to help you amplify your message.