Does Facebook advertising create value?
Facebook is set to launch its roadshow in order to pitch its IPO to investors, but not all are excited with the social-media giant’s advertising business. Some of them with large spending accounts are pondering whether they are managing to get their money’s worth. The doubt exists as analysts decide exactly how to value the company for an initial public offering scheduled for May 18. According to one of them, the issue with many social media sites like Facebook is regarding ROI.
Are you addicted to Facebook? A test will tell…
If your friends, colleagues and family members taunt that you are getting addicted to Facebook, they can be correct. A team of researchers in Norway has identified six stark signs to tell that you may have become addicted to the social site interactions, 24 x 7. They have employed those signs so as to develop a test. The idea is to help people work out if they really suffer from social media addiction.
Social media and the role of word of mouth
In the competitive online realm, smaller business entities tend to draw a major chunk of their loyal customer base largely through word of mouth. They rely on the buzz generated by any dynamic form of interaction on popular networking platforms. Based on a constant interaction with the prospects, and by seeking their inputs as well as feedback, marketers can grasp the sentiment prevailing within the target community. Here are some important factors that further emphasize the link between social media and the role of word of mouth:
Facebook Timeline : Attractions and Restrictions
Ever since the launch of Facebook Timeline, online brand marketers and social media strategists have brainstormed their way to innovative campaigns. Intricate treasure hunts, fictional brand mascots and engaging quizzes were all part of the innovative explosion. The timeline came with a wide array of interesting features and accompanying restrictions. Here are some:
Attractions:
Brands now have an option of ‘pinning’ important posts to the top of their Facebook page for upto 7 days creating awareness about certain posts. Also, the cover photo feature widens the spectrum of expression for brands allowing them to express themselves with a core brand message. Another great feature is the ‘milestone’ feature where fans can connect with the rich history of brands and have a look at how brands have thrived with time to make better products and services. Facebook timeline is also known to provide real-time data by churning out analytics within minutes allowing brands to make minute by minute adjustments to their posts depending on how they are doing. Here’s a complete guide: http://mashable.com/2012/03/01/facebook-timeline-brands-guide/
Restrictions:
Although these features open a wide door of opportunities for brands to engage and build a stronger fan base, they do come with certain restrictions. Deals, prices and contact information are out of bounds when using the cover photo feature. Also, the dimensions for display images are unconventional. But that has not stopped brands from being innovative and expressive with this feature. They can still use it to convey brand messages and logos. Another restriction that has affected mature brands is that the timeline is known to date back only to the 1800s. This restricts the history span of many brands whose history dates back beyond that time.
Read More
Send promotions to Facebook news feeds directly
Facebook has just rolled out its new service in form of Facebook Offers, projected as a means directly sending promotions to Facebook news feeds, especially for small businesses. It’s apparently another push from the world’s top networking site in the category of direct offer.
Facebook’s latest acquisition has an India connection
If you happened to miss out on this little bit of news in the midst of all the hype over Facebook’s billion dollar acquisition of Instagram, the social site has struck another buyout deal with a customer-loyalty near field communication (NFC) app. Tagtile is developed by two IITians working in the US.