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 Social Networks

Metrics must show impact of marketing on revenue

Paul Albright, chief revenue officer, Marketo December 01, 2011

The way businesses and consumers buy things today has been forever transformed by the abundance of information available on websites and social networks. This is fueling a significant change in the way marketing teams work with sales to drive revenue.
 

Will Google+ boost marketing campaigns?

October 01, 2011

David Erickson, director of e-strategy at Tunheim
, and Arthur Papas, cofounder and CEO of Bullhorn, discuss whether Google+ will boost marketing campaigns.
 

Understanding mobile behavior

Gurval Caer, president and CEO, Blast Radius September 01, 2011

Direct marketing has always been about connecting with customers through timely, relevant and targeted messages that drive action. Technology's evolution this past decade hasn't changed these fundamentals, but it has opened up a new set of parameters.
 

Marketers wait their turn for Google+

August 01, 2011

Google has long lagged behind Facebook and Twitter as a social media destination. Google excluded nearly all brands from 
participating at launch, leaving experts to speculate about the platform's marketing potential.
 

Facebook to launch Skype integration tomorrow, but where's my iPad app, Mark?

July 05, 2011

When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook would announce something "awesome" on July 6, he wasn't fooling much of the media that covers him. (You know your company has clout when the media covers an announcement of an upcoming announcement). Report after report predicted that Facebook would integrate Skype video chat and, thanks to TechCrunch.com, the rumor has finally been confirmed.
 

Toyota and Salesforce.com partnership brings CRM dashboard to driver's seat

David Ward July 01, 2011

Toyota Motor Corp. and Salesforce.com are partnering to bring CRM to a new frontier: the dashboards of consumers' automobiles. The companies said in late May that they will launch "Toyota Friend," a private social network using Salesforce Chatter, its social marketing tool, in Japan with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles next year.
 

Brands digitize live events to bolster consumer databases

July 01, 2011

Top brands are introducing digital and social elements to summer road tours and live events to continue interaction with consumers well after the appeal of the in-person experience has worn off.
 

In with Tina Brown: CRM maven

Mat Zucker, chief creative officer, OgilvyOne Worldwide July 01, 2011

What makes great editors great is that they are able to connect to both the heart and the head. They know what makes their audience laugh, think, stick around and respond. Great editors also have a head for business.
 

Facebook not yet a metonym for sharing

June 06, 2011

Facebook represents 38% of online shares that result in clicks, according to a study released by sharing platform ShareThis and communications company Starcom MediaVest Group on June 2.
 

Will the Microsoft-Facebook search partnership result in ad revenue?

May 18, 2011

Tech-sector behemoths Microsoft Corp. and Facebook said this week that they're teaming up to integrate more Facebook information, such as user "likes," into Bing's search results. The move is obviously a shot across Google's bow, and if it slices into Google's share of the search market, it could reap ad revenue benefits for Microsoft.
 

Express launches social shopping catalog

May 03, 2011

Multichannel retailer Express launched a commerce tab on its Facebook page on May 3 that enables consumers to browse and make purchases from Express' entire product catalog without leaving the social network.
 

Should brands outsource all data storage?

May 01, 2011

Tore Steen VP of marketing and business development at Janrain, and Semyon Dukach CEO and chairman of SMTP Inc., discuss whether brands should outsource all data storage.
 

Sara Lee tests social couponing

April 18, 2011

Sara Lee recently ran a social coupon campaign with social marketing firm SocialTwist that resulted in 81% coupon redemption. While the campaign only generated around 65,000 website visitors in 30 days, it is one more example of brands testing out traditional direct marketing tactics in the realm of social media.
 

Bazaarvoice to launch three products this fall

April 05, 2011

Social commerce software company Bazaarvoice said April 5 that it will introduce three products this fall - Bazaarvoice Customer Intelligence, SocialConnect Suite and Bazaarvoice Platform - to help marketers react faster to social media feedback from customers. The products will also automate some processes and make others simpler and more direct, the company said.
 

Kana Software acquires social listening company Overtone

April 05, 2011

Kana Software, a service experience management technology provider, acquired Overtone, a maker of social media and customer listening platforms, on April 5. The deal will allow Kana clients to understand and analyze customer sentiment, emerging issues and trends across social networks.
 

Google settles FTC privacy charge

March 30, 2011

Google settled Federal Trade Commission charges on March 30 that it violated consumers' privacy, as well as its own policies, when it launched social network Google Buzz in February 2010. The FTC had charged Google with violating the Federal Trade Commission Act by using Gmail customers' information for Google Buzz without their consent, according to the FTC.
 

Posterous launches small business email marketing tool

March 29, 2011

Microblogging site Posterous launched a tool March 28 that allows users to send posts as email newsletters. The company developed the tool for small businesses, which account for more than 20% of its membership, as a complement to the site's social media management capabilities, said Rich Pearson, VP of marketing and business development at Posterous.
 

State Farm issues social sweepstakes on Facebook

March 22, 2011

State Farm Insurance will launch a Facebook sweepstakes on March 31 to expand the number of potential customers who interact with the brand and to communicate the "good neighbor aspect" of the insurance company, said Brent Bynum, marketing manager at State Farm. Agency Proximity Chicago created the promotion.
 

Q&A: Ryan Tuttle, VP of strategic services, BrightWave Marketing

March 22, 2011

Ryan Tuttle joined BrightWave Marketing, an e-mail focused digital agency, in January. He's the former COO of Engauge Digital where he rose in the ranks from account manager at Spunlogic, which was later acquired by Engauge.
 

Marketing's future is in data-rich social Web: Adobe Omniture Summit 2011

March 09, 2011

The Holy Grail of marketing is the data-driven social Web, which gives marketers the ability to communicate en masse with consumers while tailoring their messages to each individual, Ellen Levy, VP of strategic initiatives at LinkedIn, told attendees of the Adobe Omniture Summit 2011 on March 9.
 

I've got mail? Forward it to my Facebook

February 14, 2011

E-mail marketers shouldn't fear the rise of @facebook.com e-mail accounts. In fact, it may be just what they — and consumers — need.
 

Social data collection evolving: Social Media Week

Alex Palmer February 08, 2011

Marketers will make data more usable for their businesses while also allaying consumers' privacy concerns, industry experts said February 8 at Social Media Week in New York. However, the ways marketers collect and analyze data is changing rapidly, said panelists at the "Getting to the Meat of the Tweet: Applying Big Data Analytics to Social Media Data" session.
 

'Sponsored Stories' could make marketers love Facebook 'likes'

January 25, 2011

Facebook has launched a new ad format, called "Sponsored Stories," that turns consumers' actions on the social network into marketing content. However, the big question is whether consumers will accept that.
 

Marketers expect significant social marketing spending this year: Alterian

Mercedes Cardona January 19, 2011

Marketers will spend more money on social media this year. However, they're still mastering their use of social websites to reach consumers, according to a survey from integrated marketing services provider Alterian.
 

Experian buys majority stake in Techlightenment

Ben Comer January 18, 2011

Data analytics firm Experian said January 18 that it has acquired a majority stake in Techlightenment, a UK-based social media marketing company. The deal will help Experian provide social media marketing tools to its clients for branding and direct response social media campaigns.
 

Facebook stops sharing members' phone numbers, addresses - for now

January 18, 2011

Facebook seems to have defused its latest privacy brouhaha by temporarily suspending a feature that would have allowed third-parties to access members' phone numbers and addresses. The issue is the latest bump in the road for the social network, which is trying to expand its revenue stream.
 

Hoover's, LinkedIn to offer 20M in-depth profiles

January 10, 2011

Hoover's and LinkedIn have partnered to provide b-to-b professionals with an interface to use LinkedIn networks within the context of Hoover's business data.
 

Five tips for creating an effective online member acquisition strategy

Larry Drebes, CEO and CTO, Janrain December 29, 2010

Marketers have historically paid close attention to site traffic, time on site and page view metrics. Success on today's Internet, the social Web, is not guaranteed by any of these numbers. The game has shifted, and most savvy marketers are waking up to the fact that new key performance indicators are more relevant.
 

Q&A: Sam Decker, CEO of Mass Relevance

December 28, 2010

Sam Decker, a former Dell marketing director and the founding CMO of Bazaarvoice, a customer ratings and reviews company, launched Mass Relevance earlier this month. The company's goal is to help consumer brands aggregate social media conversations and use that content in their marketing. Decker spoke with Direct Marketing News about his goals for the agency.
 

Big Fuel opens Detroit outpost to handle GM

December 27, 2010

Big Fuel, a New York-based marketing and communications agency, will open a Detroit office to handle social media campaigns for General Motors (GM).The expansion will allow Big Fuel to work with GM on a day-to-day basis, according to Seth Berk, VP of business development at Big Fuel. The two companies will collaborate on social media marketing campaigns structured around each individual GM brand line. The campaigns are expected to be rolled out throughout Q1 of 2011.