Marketers relying more on blogs in the business world

Although Facebook and Twitter are highly rated from internet consumers, blogs are the standard approach for marketers in the business world (b2b).

eMarketer just released a study that states 34% of all US companies are running a public blog. The outlook for 2012 is even more promissing: The study projects an increase by 11 points to a total of 45% by 2012. In 2007 only 16% of companies used a blog for their communication strategy.

“Studies have shown that marketers perceive blogs to have the highest value of any social media in driving site traffic, brand awareness, lead generation and sales—as well as improving customer service.” Paul Verna, senior analyst, eMarketer

Especially smaller companies with less marketing bucks see the potential of blogs. Short sign-of processes, faster internal dynamics and more flexibility in choosing social technology make it easier for a managing director of an SMB company to set up a blog. Larger companies like stock listed companies have more restricted options to go live on Wordpress, Blogger or Typepad in terms of potential legal, IR-related and logistical issues.

Though Twitter and Facebook are easier to set up and kick off the conversation with clients, the impact of blogs is manifold. Blog posts are indexable and searchable on Google as well as on other search engines. And blogging has a long-lasting effect. While tweets cannot talk about complex topics and disappear quite quickly from search engines, blog post stay – no matter if you are looking for that information today ot in five years time.

Spot On!
If companies can manage it from a resources perspective, the best way to go forward is to set up many social media access points. The professionals have identified by web analysis and social media monitoring where client engagement takes place and where their clients are talking. In a perfect world, users will find the blog post via Twitter and then use the “Like” button to get to the Facebook page – and ideally find some interesting and relevant content there again. But creating different content for different access points is the biggest challenge…, bigger than writing a blog post. Don’t you think…?

Google Ads: Marketers have more influence on brand name key words in the future

If your company runs a business in Europe using Google Ads, then the announcement of Google becomes of interest for you. From 14 September 2010 your company will be able to buy and include brand names in keywords in your Google Ads campaign which have been trademarked by other businesses. These changes are extension to the changes made in the UK and Ireleand in 2008. In the US, this has been possible since 2004.

Many companies use Google Ads in order to drive attention to their websites and increase visibility about their products and services. Up until now, it was a court issue for companies to stop third-party ads from being mentioned alongside the paid keyword results of a trademark name. The problem came up when the French luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton complained that only they have the rights to be able to use and buy such trademark terms in search offerings. The objective behind this cause is obvious: Brands wanted to protect their brand name.

And in the era of the social web, this also becomes an important impact on brands and the influence on their consumers. “Google argues that selling brand names as ad keywords to multiple bidders helps consumers because it allows them to find product reviews, sellers of second-hand goods and other information. It stressed that the new policy would not extend to the actual display text in search findings.” The idea is that users will find more relevant context connected to the brand name. The bad news for brand owners is that a hifi dealer will now be able to use the products brand names in its keywords.

Spot On!
Seeing this movement from a Google perspective it is a clever approach to boost their Google Adwords business. Although Google stressed that the new policy would not extend to the actual display text in search findings. Nevertheless, questions arise if Google has to watch out for Facebook as a competitor in the fight on search revenues. If more and more people are spending more and more time asking for the opinion of their friends (see launch of Google Questions) instead of searching the answer via search machines, the world of advertisers and brand might follow.

So, did your company already move budgets from Google to Facebook?

News Update – Best of the Day

Have you ever heard of the X-treme shopper? Well, the amopunt of people that fit in this personalized power shoppers category increases. A new study by GFK research shows that already 31% of Americans find themselves in this category. They use all emerging technologies and information resources available in order to take control of their shopping and purchase experience.

“By mixing and matching information and shopping resources to meet their specific needs, consumers are now continuously creating unique pathways to purchase. This presents an unprecedented challenge for marketers who must take special care to ensure their various touchpoints work together seamlessly to help guide XTreme shoppers on their quest for the best values.”

Mike Kassab, senior vice president of Innovation and director of the Future Buy study, GFK

Did you know that the world population according to the United Nations is 6.8 billion people? And how many have a mobile phone? A new study by Ericsson says 5 billion…!

And what would people do if Facebook was closed tomorrow? A recent study by Andreas Weigend, former chief scientist of Amazon at Stanford, suggests that 40% of respondents would backup photos and 38.7% said they would backup contacts.

Youtube bringt TV-Personalisierung für die Lean Back Gesellschaft

Mit einem neuen Service Angebot adressiert Youtube die Lean Back Gesellschaft. Und das mit einer cleveren Idee: Man verbindet den personalisierten Youtube Account und macht ihn zur Broadcasting Show. Das Angebot mit dem Titel Lean Back ging jetzt live und macht sich auf eine neue (oder alte?) Perspektive des Internet TV-Watching werden.

Für die Navigation ist keine Eingabe von URLs und nicht einmal eine Maus notwendig – Enter Taste und Mousetasten genügen. Es ist irgendwie revolutionär und dann doch die altbekannte Back-to-the-Roots TV-Nutzung – nur eben in der digitalen Welt und mit Personalisierung. Keine Kommentare, keine Kommunikation und keine Ratings. Ein Rückschritt für die Social Web-Gesellschaft oder die Option sich wie gewohnt einfach nur berieseln lassen?

Der Senior Product Manager Kuan Yong von YouTube beschreibt die Technik wie folgt…

“This feed is based on your YouTube settings and preferences, including content from your subscriptions and videos your friends are sharing on Facebook (assuming you’ve connected your YouTube account to your Facebook account).”

Die Verknüpfung mit Facebook und den Informationen aus den Youtube Info Inhalten funktioniert noch unzulänglich im Bezug auf meine Vorlieben, Wünsche und meinen Geschmack zumindest. Es beruhigt ein wenig zu sehen, daß Google und seine Abgesandten noch nicht in mein Hirn sehen oder aus meinen Neuronen lesen kann. Bleibt dennoch interessant zu beobachten, wie man versuchen wird, andere Social Networks zu integrieren. Denn die Chance der Cross-Synergien wird Youtube sicherlich nicht auslassen…

PS: Irgendwie frage ich mich ob das Konzept nicht gegen den Claim des Brands “Broadcast yourself” geht. Wie seht Ihr das?

Brand studies and relativity – It’s all about trust…

The theory of brand strength and leadership is all around and about trust. No wonder that a lot of companies, agencies and consulting companies produce studies that show the importance of results in favor of their business reason – in order to make it a valid business reason.

Some days ago, a marketer said to me: “One day I will write about the theory of relativity research offers”. I can understand my business contact. Especially today. Why? See what kind of study results came out today focussing the relevance of trusted brands in connection to social networks.

As I read the RSS feed of a lot of advertising magazines, it appeared that in not more than two hours (!!!) I came across the following two “studies”.

A: Study, Scource Reuters – Study by Fleishman-Hillard, conducted with Harris Interactive

This Digital Influence Index study says brands using microblogging site elements that provide real-time responses to the public (like Twitter or Facebook) are winning a higher degree of trust from consumers.

Around 75% of respondents say they trust more more in companies that send out short, frequent messages like status updates on social networking sites. These companies deserve more trust from a consumer perspective. In times where leading companies have felt the power of social networks (BP, Toyota, Johnson&Johnson or Procter & Gamble), these findings show the importance of social web engagement companies should consider.

B: Poll, Source AdWeek – Study by Zogby Interactive

This poll suggests that Apple, Google and Microsoft are trusted brands about equally by consumers. But according to the study Twitter and Facebook lag far behind in that respect.

Only 13% of respondents said they trust Facebook completely or a lot. Now, the unbelievable number of 75% are just trusting it a little or not at all. And Twitter does not show better results with 8% trust completely/a lot versus 64% a little/not at all (28% were not sure).

And the numbers in the Gen Y were not better: 20% of the 18-29s trust Facebook completely/a lot – 72% trusting it a little or not at all. For Twitter it is 15% trust it completely/a lot and 66% saying they trust it a little/not at all.

Can you believe these numbers? People are posting their lives and conversations on this social networks. Though they don’t trust them. Strange, right?

Spot On!
So if we take these numbers of the study and the poll for granted, transfer and aggregate their essence, does it mean that we trust brands which show up regularly on Twitter and Facebook, but we don’t trust the platforms of Facebook and Twitter. This sounds bizarr to me. Now, I know that we have to double-check the number of repondents, the way in which the questions were put to the responding audience, the research conducting company’s interest and so on. And sure, a poll offers probably less value than a verified study. Nevertheless, it shows that trust in brands can be seen from different angles. News companies sell both with the same unverified trusted value of one news story. Reuters and Fleishman-Hillard to me sound more like a trusted news source, so I will trust with their findings. It reflects my knowledge…

And in some way I can understand what my customer meant when we was talking about the “theory of relativity of research”.

Futuristic agency visions – In Memoriam Advertising

Whenever there is an advertising festival, we see a promotion video which shall illustrate the future of the advertising business. Some weeks ago, I wrote about the end of the future of advertising agencies which refers to the FITC in Toronto and envisions what could have happened to the last agency on earth.

Yesterday night, I came across another wonderful commercial which Young & Rubican Argentina produced for the Lapiz de Platino Festival. It is directed to those ad agencies with creative ideas that annoy customers (and consumers) with non-authentic, unrealistic and non-engaging productions that are not-yet or no longer familiar with reality.

It is probably not intended to visualize that advertising does not work anymore. And I can already hear some of the evangelists shout out now. But all evangelists out there should rethink their futuristic web visions. Even the founders of the Cluetrain Manifesto did so. They admitted after 10 years in an interview with Simon Owens that the thesis 74 “”We are immune to advertising. Just forget it” might be wrong.

“Advertising isn’t going to work? Yes, it can. Google is the biggest brand and company going and they’ve made it completely on Internet advertising, and so checkmate.” Christopher Locke

And co-founder Weinberger explains…

“Because though advertising has changed, the kind of advertising that appeals to the lizard part of our brain, that does work.” David Weinberger

The challenge for advertising agencies is to elaborate these parts of our resistant brain. Otherwise they will inhume advertising, forget that companies are still looking to acknowledge social media ROI, and continue to create ads that might seem heavenly – but from those who are no longer with us: In Memoriam Advertising.

Top-Banken nähern sich Social Web langsam

Es ist eine Weile her, daß ich über Deutsche Top-Banken zu Social Media und Web 2.0 geschrieben habe. Und in den letzten Wochen wurde mehrfach die Frage aufgeworfen, ob hierzu nicht mal ein Update notwendig wäre. Gute Idee meiner User – machen wir!

Nun könnte man annehmen, daß nach der Finanzkrise in 2009 bei Banken vermutlich ganz andere Prioritäten auf der Liste der Verantwortlichen stehen. Aber da gerade jetzt Vertrauensbildung Not tut, entdecken auch die Banken die Möglichkeiten des Social Web. Und wie man sich strategisch geschickt als Bank im Social Web ins Gespräch bringen kann, hat Mashable kürzlich mit einer guten Zusammenstellung der verschiedener Social Media Optionen und Cases des amerikanischen Marktes gezeigt.

Dieser Post soll nun den deutschen Markt durchleuchten. Methode: Eigene Recherche, ohne die Hilfe der PR-Exeperten aus den Bankhäusern. Schließlich sind wir Kunde und wollen uns den Markt selbst erkunden.

Deutsche Bank
Die Deutsche Bank hat wahrlich einen erstaunlichen Aktionismus hingelegt in den letzten Monaten. Alle aktiven sozialen Kommunikationsstränge bekommt der Kunde als eigene Sub-Seite innerhalb des Webauftrittes angeboten. Von diversen Social Networks wie Facebook, YouTube, Twitter bis hin zu RSS Feeds ist alles übersichtlich dargestellt. Die Deutsche Bank hat aber nicht nur einen Account in den Netzwerken sondern bei den meisten gleich mehrere mit klarer Zielausrichtung (Investement, Karriere oder auch Corporate Communication) bei der Kundenadressierung.

Kundenadressierung? Ja, von Kommunikation kann noch wenig die Rede sein, eher von klassischem PR Broadcasting. Twitter Accounts sind mit Facebook 1:1 verbunden und es sieht aus, als füttere lediglich der RSS-Feed der Presse- und/oder Marcomabteilung die Accounts inhaltlich. Klassische Push-Kommunikation in meinen Augen, da meist mit Webinaren, PR-Meldungen und Promotions mehr die Leadgenerierung im Vordergrund steht.

Da manche Accounts allerdings noch jung sind und wenige Follower haben, bleibt abzuwarten, wie sich der Umgang mit den modernen Medien etabliert. Auf jeden Fall hat die Deutsche Bank das Ohr nah am Markt und bereitet die Kunden auf zukünftige Banken-Trends vor: “Nach Schätzungen der Deutschen Bank werden bis zum Jahr 2011 weltweit bis zu 150 Millionen Menschen ihre Bankgeschäfte online und mobil tätigen.” Eine gute Idee, gleich einen Ratgeber anzubieten: “Sicherheit beim Mobile Banking”.

Dresdner Bank
Eine schnelle Recherche eröffnet einem, daß anscheinend an einem Corporate Twitter Account und an einem Corporate Facebook Account gearbeitet wird. Und auch die Investoren-Riege Dresdner Kleinwort der Unternehmensgruppe hat sich auf Facebook schonmal einen “sozialen Anfang” eingerichtet. Die sozialen Aktivitäten der übernommende Commerzbank AG hat vor kurzem erst Armin Cremerius beleuchtet. Die Dresdner Bank öffnet sich langsam (ganz langsam) auf den Weg zur sozialen Webkundschaft.

HypoVereinsbank – UniCredit
Stilles Twitter-Monitoring? Der Sparkasse hört man jedenfalls schonmal fleissig zu, wenn man sich die Following-Accounts ansieht.

Interessante Erkenntnis war für mich, daß bei YouTube die Branded Accounts offensichtlich nicht wie bei Facebook in die Markenhoheit der Unternehmen migrieren oder für diese freigehalten werden. Wenn man sich mal den HypoVereinsbank Account ansieht. Ob das für die Marke so dienlich ist…?

Bei meiner Recherche fand ich als erstes Googleergebnis eine Stelle als “Praktikant/in für Projekt im Bereich Social Media / Web 2.0 / Employer Branding”. Eine Praktikantenstelle für eine Person, die Internet-Trends erkennen soll? Eine tolle Herausforderung? Oder unterschätzt man angesichts der Job-Beschreibung nicht ein wenig die Macht des “Web 2.0″?

Die HypoVereinsbank nutzt offensichtlich die Kraft von Social Media zur Markeninszenierung, wie sich beim HypoVereinsbank-Lego-Tower-Event über Facebook zeigt. Kommunikation mit den Kunden kann im Social Web auch so entstehen – allerdings mit fragwürdiger Nachhaltigkeit und auf klassischem Marketing- oder PR-Kampagnenlevel. Ist die Aktion vorbei, kommt der Facebook Account zum Stillstand.

Sparkasse
Die Sparkasse zeigt aufgrund ihrer Unternehmensstruktur vor allem regionales soziales Web-Engagement. Die Sparkassen Holstein und Pforzheim Calw twittern schon fleißig. Letztere haben sogar schon Facebook für sich entdeckt. Die Nürnberger haben sogar ein Weblog, welches von Mitarbeitern der Sparkasse Nürnberg geschrieben wird und “offen und ehrlich über verschiedene Themen, z.B. Finanzen, Ausbildung, Gesundheit im Beruf und vieles mehr diskutieren”.

Die Sparkasse Berlin integriert Facebook zur Marketingunterstützung beim aktuellen Konzept “Giro Challenge 2010″. Eine gute Idee, die zum Mitmachen anregt und auf einem interessanten Konzept für Jugendliche basiert. Gut auch der Brückenschlag der Synergieerzeugung mit der Hautpstadtseite Berlin.de, die die Kandidatensuche ausschrieb.

Der Corporate Twitter Account ist eher ein erweitertes Sales-Promotionstool wie man derzeit am Beispiel der Autokredit-Aktion mit Gebrauchtwagen.de ersehen kann. Der übergreifende Youtube Channel der Sparkasse und auch der DEKA Investment Unternehmensbereich vorwiegend auf die eigenen Werbespots zurückgreift, wobei letzterer auch schon kleine Ansätze von informativem Web-TV liefert.

Generell wirken die Accounts noch wenig lebendig und wird selten aktualisiert.

West LB
Man könnte wahrlich sagen, im Westen nichts Neues. Wenn bei Google mein Post zu Social Media und Web 2.0 in Verbindung zur WestLB immernoch als erstes Ergebnis angezeigt wird, dann steht dort offensichtlich Social Media nicht auf der Tagesordnung und ist auch weiterhin kein Bestandteil der webstrategischen Planung.

Spot On!
Vielleicht machen die Banken ja ordentliches Social Media Monitoring. Dann wird sich in den Kommentaren sicherlich bald eine Antwort auf einige Fragen finden. Grundsätzlich fällt auf, daß die populären Social Networks gerne als verlängerter Marketingkanal gesehen werden und sehr kampagnengetriebenen Einsatz erfahren.

Ansonsten muss man mal feststellen, daß Social Media selbst in einer größeren Studie zur Bank 2015 nicht einmal erwähnt wird. Verwundert es da, daß einige Banken sich die Kundenkommunikation nach traditionellem Vorbild genehmigen und stärker auf ihre Kernkompetenzen Beratung und Vertrieb konzentrieren sowie strategisch wenig relevante Bereiche outsourcen?

Ob Social Media wohl zukünftig im Kundengeschäft des Bankenwesens eine Rolle spielt? Und ob Social-Banking auf Facebook bald zum Alltag gehört, darf man trotz einer verheissungsvollen Steria Mummert Consulting Studie wohl eher anzweifeln.

Unerklärlich bleibt mir, warum das Thema Blogs wenig Anklang bei Top-Banken findet. Obwohl doch selbst die Deutsche Bank in ihren Marktforschungsbemühungen das Wirkungspotential bereits vor Jahren erkannt hat. Aber vielleicht habe ich die auch übersehen…? Wer weiß…

PS: Danke an Brandflow für ein paar Links zum Post.

News Update – Best of the Day

Just some weeks ago, I have been talking about the idea of replacing loyalty cards by social networking customer service to drive customer engagement. Now, the New York Times has extended the idea by the integration of location-based advertising using Foursquare… and of course replacing loyalty cards by social networks activity and mobile apps. The idea seems to be moving from trend to standard…

Often the question comes up which brands are the most valuable in the world. Millward Brown’s Optimor BrandZ Top100 Most Valuable Global Brands report gives us some insight. The key findings…

- Google is the most valuable global brand worth $114 billion (2nd is IBM with $86 billion, 3rd Apple with $83 billion, Microsoft was fourth with $76 billion.
- Social Media is a winner: Facebook has a brand value of $5.5 billion. Use of social media was a key trend across many of the successful brands this year, i.e. HSBC’s Expat Explorer online community.
- Strong brands such as Samsung (80% growth in brand value) and Starbucks (17% increase) are evidence that businesses with strong brands recover from adversity faster.

Heineken commercials know how to dive into the hearts of their main target group. “Men with talents” is another fantastic example after their “walk in fridge” idea… Sorry ladies, but we man love it!

News Update – Best of the Day

It is a question that comes up quite often: How to connect HR and social media? Jon Ingham puts some light into the shadow and gives some cases on how to bring the two worlds together.

Facebook is not only surpassing Google as the most popular website (in the US). It is also getting 41% of social media traffic according to some new stats by Hitwise.

Vitamin Water were the first to let their customers name and create their own drink, with their prefered taste. Interesting to see their new commercial which highlights their Facebook fan page in the end. Nice touch, though the commercial content is nothing special to me. Watch it and tell us what you think…

Study: Permanent change of passwords is a waste of time

The last IT managers and their data and identity security topics were always a challenge for me to find another password instead of ‘iloveyou’ or a mixture of birthday numbers. The question is: Is this permanent change of passwords really as effective as possible and in favor of our security? One thing is for sure, if users have a password manager, they just need to remember one powerful super password.

The Microsoft researcher Cormac Herley now found out that the hype around passwords can be doubted. Herley states that users who ignore security advice are acting rational – and not lazy or stupid. Nevertheless, the study concludes changing passwords constantly is a giant waste of time and money. Plus: It makes the users no safer from identity thieves.

Herley resumes that a task requiring one minute per day from every working adult in the U.S. costs about $15.9 billion per year. Unnecessary security advice “treats as free a resource that is actually worth $2.6 billion an hour.” Does that make sense from a ROI perspective?

The strategy of thieves is not to go for dictionary attacks. These won’t break security. Giving away security credentials through phishing or keylogging is the most effective way. The main issue of the paper is the common requirement that users have to change passwords at specified intervals. Hacker that steal your password will be using it straight away – waiting is nt his tactic.

“Insisting that users choose a unique strong password for each (account) which they change often and never write down is clearly a large burden.”

Spot On!
How do you see this study? Is the mega password with the password manager he best option for security?

Nächste Seite »