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SmartBrief on Social Media

November 13, 2009

Today's Buzz

Ideas in Action

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American Express creates winning b-to-b network
American Express stands out among b-to-b marketers for its award-winning promotion of OPEN -- a card targeted at small business -- across several media. "Many business owners have what we call a 'high relationship IQ' but a 'low social media IQ,'" notes OPEN's Jason Rudman. The division has a forum that serves as a resource to boost their social-media skills, help small businesses network and boost brand recognition for OPEN. "We keep a pulse on how we are doing by measuring engagement and soliciting feedback," Rudman adds. ZDNet (11/9)

World's largest cruise ship sails social seas
Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrives at its home port in Florida for the first time today, but it's already made a big splash online. Royal Caribbean has been producing webisodes about the ship that have attracted 4.8 million viewers. The ship, has a "cult of personality" on Twitter and Facebook, says Bob Cook, Go Travel's vice president of cruise sales. The Miami Herald (free registration) (11/12)

Post-turkey shopping season begins online
Retailers are gearing up for Black Friday by posting deals on Twitter and Facebook. Deloitte Research predicts that 20% of shoppers plan to use social-media sites in their holiday shopping, and companies such as Staples and Old Navy are taking notice. There's also an iPhone application from dealnews.com that tracks holiday sales. Google/The Associated Press (11/12)

Web 2.0 Expo New York
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The Takeaway

Facebook tips for small business
Facebook pages present a way for small businesses to get a Web site, if they don't already have one, and allow them to start interacting with customers. "The pages that are most successful are the ones that really replicate the personality of the business," notes Facebook's monetization director. Just remember not to overemphasize sales and take time to build meaningful interactions with fans, writes Kermit Pattison. NYTimes.com (11/11)

Social marketing amounts to customer service
Social media has turned customer service into a marketing tool, since negative experiences can now easily be shared with millions of others, Alex Hawkinson writes. "Listen to your customers. Try to deliver value to them and give them the tools to share their positive experiences," writes Hawkinson. "When they have negative experiences, be the first to hear them." Social Media Today (11/12)

SEO for product searches and online retailers
When a customer searches for a product, it's hard for online retailers to set themselves apart from the pack -- especially since many retailers have the same product descriptions -- Michelle Bowles writes. By using fresh content and avoiding repetitive copy, retailers can improve their search engine results. Think about using PDF pages and images, too, as part of your search engine strategy, she advises. "Draw traffic to more static pages, rather than revolving pages," she writes. Online Marketing Blog (11/13)

"Chinese Facebook" tops 100 million users
Social networks are taking China by storm, where Renren.com -- a Facebook-style site -- is expanding from college students to the larger population. The site had 100 million users at the end of October, a large fraction of the 360 million Chinese online. Part of RenRen's success is due to Twitter's and Facebook's being banned by the government, Normandy Madden notes. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (11/11)

Trackback

The big re-tweet

Like sharing great articles, ideas and resources on Twitter? Share them with us, and we'll publish the most useful submissions for the world to see. Simply add the #sbosm hashtag to the end of your tweet and we'll consider your finds for this newsletter.

merylkevans: Great case study from @smexaminer by @casey_hibbard It Pays to Listen: Avaya's $250K Twitter Sale http://bit.ly/45g8rd

Editor's Note

Of these metrics, which is the most important one to track in social media?
Virality (the reach of your brand and how much your message is spread)
Sentiment (positive, negative or indifferent consumer reaction)
Financials (the effect social media has on your bottom line, such as revenue)
Volume (number of comments, blog posts, tweets, links, etc. about your brand)

SmartQuote

In many ways it's more comfortable to talk about something in a blog than it is in a press release."

--Adam M. Goldstein, chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean, as quoted by The Miami Herald