MediaWhiz In the News: Week of Sept. 3-7, 2012
MediaWhiz’s leaders are continually sought after as resources for opinions, advice and expertise, based on our deep understanding of industry trends, the needs of our customers and the broader marketplace in which we operate.
The Lead Generation Marketplace Grows Up
Revenue Performance | Sept. 5, 2012 | Op-Ed by Peter Klein, SVP of Media
The lead generation industry has matured and is now reaching an inflection point. While some companies will fall by the wayside, it represents a positive change and will create many new opportunities.
The good news is that “Online Darwinism,” for lack of a better term, has effectively eliminated many companies that refused to adhere to the basic values that once made them successful.
The great news is that new service and marketing channels continue to arise to support the marketplace.
And the best news? The future offers endless possibilities for those companies that operate in an ethical manner and add value for their partners. Read more …
MediaWhiz: Facebook Needs to ‘Listen to Marketers’
eMarketer | Sept. 4, 2012 | Featuring Steve Goldner, Sr. Director of Social Media Marketing
Recently, Steve Goldner, senior director of social media marketing at MediaWhiz and its sister agency, Ryan Partnership, was quoted in an eMarketer report, “Facebook Marketing: Reaching Consumers in a Changing Environment.” The report analyzes how Facebook is altering brand marketing in the Digital Age.
Goldner’s comments focus on what Facebook should do to help marketers ensure their brands stand out on Facebook and receive more detailed information on the metrics of their Facebook marketing spend. A recap of those comments can be found below.
Comments of Steve Goldner, Senior Director of Social Media Marketing, MediaWhiz and Ryan Partnership
On whether brands that market on Facebook stand out from the competition …
“Marketers, advertisers and clients want something that stands out. The reality is it still is difficult to get a brand to stand out on Facebook.”
On how well Facebook listens to the concerns of marketers …
“The challenge is to get Facebook to listen to marketers. You have no chance of talking to an [Facebook] account rep unless you’re at a certain level of spend.”
On the level of user and ad data analysis that Facebook offers brands …
Ryan Partnership’s Goldner noted that brands and marketers want better analytics and the ability to connect Facebook marketing to sales. That will be one area that continues to develop as Facebook finds the right metrics and results to track on the site.
Twitter Helps Advertisers Home In
E-Commerce Times | Aug. 31, 2012 | Featuring Steve Goldner, Sr. Director of Social Media Marketing
A Giant Step from Promoted Tweets
It is a much more precise way of targeting prospects on Twitter, said Steve Goldner, who leads the social media marketing practice at MediaWhiz and sister agency Ryan Partnership.
“I would say this is a great step forward for Twitter in terms of its monetization,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “Now advertisers can focus on delivering more contextually relevant information to users.”
Users will appreciate the targeting, he said — provided it is truly relevant.
“Social users are willing to engage and hear from brands if what they have to offer is applicable,” Goldner maintained.
More to Go
Still, Twitter needs to make more progress with its monetization efforts, Goldner said. “The next step would be to actually allow users to profile themselves and indicate the type of information they want from brands.”
That is where social advertising is heading — or at least should be headed, he added.
“I, as a consumer, should be able to indicate that I am interested in, for example, digital photography, and that would open a gate for specific information coming to me from relevant brands. That would be the most powerful accomplishment for social advertising to date,” Goldner maintained.
It would also be an accurate reflection of the power of social media, which is firmly in the hands of consumers, and not brands, he pointed out.
How To: Recognize the Power of Brand Advocates
iMedia Connection | Sept. 6, 2012 | Op-Ed by Keith Trivitt, Director of Marketing and Communications
For years, public relations professionals have known of the power of brand advocacy. But in the digital age brand advocacy is evolving into the realm and responsibility of nearly every type of digital marketer. Whether you’re working on a search marketing campaign or overseeing a client’s display strategy, every marketer needs to understand and believe in brand advocacy.
Thus, a recent eMarketer report, titled, “Brand Advocates: Scaling Social Media Word-of-Mouth,” was a timely addition to marketers’ library. The report highlights the stunning growth of brand advocacy over the last five years while providing helpful tips companies can use to cultivate brand advocates and how to avoid common pitfalls of annoying those who most appreciate your brand.
Not surprisingly, the report’s executive summary sums up what most marketers already know: “Brand advocacy is becoming a critical part of the social media marketing mix.”
But there’s more than the obvious that underlies successful brand advocacy campaigns. Consumers aren’t just “liking” a brand and commenting about it on social networks for the fun of it. As eMarketer reports, they are doing so because many desire to see their favorite brands succeed. And that can have powerful positive effects on companies — if they respect and utilize their brand advocates properly. Read more …
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