The numbers are steadily increasing but a white paper issued in August 2011 by the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), entitled, ‘The Client’s Use of Social Media and Social Networking’ demonstrated it’s still an uphill climb. More than 1,600 surveys were distributed; 160 responses received. The breakdown of firms using some form of social media was 36% engineering; 24% architecture; and 17% for construction, landscape design and facility owners.

“For many construction firms, all their work is about getting a project off the ground,” said Daryl Andrews, vice president of marketing and business development at 360 Construct, a building management firm. He added that it’s still a slow-go for the construction industry to use social media as part of their business strategy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Most architectural firms currently using social media tend to be larger, primarily due to the investment in time/labor and having the requisite skills to navigate/communicate effectively on key social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The engineering community, on the other hand, has been quicker to adapt social media. Way back in Fall 2009 (probably equates to about 50 years in tech time), CE News conducted a survey on social media and mobile devices that was sent to about 750 civil engineering firms. Slightly more than half- 51% - said they use regularly use professional networking sites like LinkedIn; 30% said they use social networking mediums like Facebook to promote their business; 20% use Twitter or blogs. Those percentages have undoubtedly increased.

“Engineering firms can take advantage of social computing tools for knowledge management, expertise sharing and information retention, which is especially critical with the pending retirement of baby boomers and incoming millennial generation,” said Brian Zeve, managing director, Microsoft Professional Services Industry. “Web-based collaboration through wikis, blogs, tagging, and other content management tools can provide firms with a whole new way of architecting knowledge and enabling input and expertise to bubble-up within the firm.”

The current social media flavor of the month, Pinterest, has exploded onto the scene in recent months and quite a few A/E/C firms are now sharing their ‘pins’ in the form of visual portfolios of previous jobs, ideas, and designs conducive to their respective business. Most A/E/C firms usually have a welter of images for key projects so Pinterest is fast becoming an attractive forum to showcase work.

So with the aforementioned in mind, here are a few examples of how a handful of A/E/C firms in the U.S. and abroad are effectively using social media:

Burns & McDonnell

Established in 1898, the venerable Kansas City, MO-based firm has more than 3,400 employee-owners including engineers, architects, construction experts, planners, estimators, economists, technicians and scientists. Burns & McDonnell plans, designs, permits, constructs and manages facilities worldwide. The company also ranks 26th in Fortune’s 2012 list of ‘100 Best Companies to Work For.’

While the 113-year-old firm has roots dating back to the 19th Century, Burns & McDonnell hasn’t rested on its laurels and has readily embraced 21st Century social media avenues.

For starters, the company maintains a comprehensive Careers Blog; recent posts have included ‘How to Establish Your Online Presence’ (see YouTube video in this post; the company also maintains a dedicated YouTube page containing numerous videos); ‘LinkedIn: 4 Things You Need to Know About This Powerful Tool;’ ‘7 Tips for Stress-Free Business Travel;’ and ‘What Recruiters See When They Read Your Resume.’ Posts are cross-linked to the company’s LinkedIn site and tweeted.

Burns & McDonnell also uses LinkedIn for recruiting - two recent posts, for instance, advertise openings for a telecommunications coordinator in the Kansas City headquarters, and a project manager-substation design, in Wallingford, CT.

The Facebook home page currently has 915 Likes; it also features numerous shared links to stories in the news that are of interest to employees, project photos, even volunteer opportunities – a recent one was for Jazzoo, the Kansas City Zoo’s largest annual fundraising event.

As of today, the company had 3,271 followers on Twitter (@BurnsMcDonnell). In addition to company-related tweets and retweets, Burns & McDonnell also uses Twitter for recruiting. Here’s one example from yesterday: #Engineering student looking for the coolest jobs? Check out @BurnsMcDCareers.

Snow Architects

Located in Liverpool, United Kingdom, Snow Architects is a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Chartered Practice; projects range across the board – residential properties, apartments, restaurants, hotels, mixed-use city center developments.

The firm utilizes a wide variety of the most popular social media tools – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter; posts photos/videos on Flickr, Vimeo and YouTube. The company’s director, Dave Cornett, is also using QR codes and Augmented Reality (AR) to help with practice development.

“We’ve been using QR codes in our printed brochure to link to additional information on the website, such as videos or additional photographs of the project,” said Cornett.

Cornett’s enthusiastic about how AR can be applied to architecture.

“We’ve done some image based AR and 3D models to show clients; they’ve been impressed when I pull out my iPhone and guide them through their building,” said Cornett.

He added that the company has also been looking at geo located models – these are superimposed over a phone’s camera as you look at the site.

“We’ve had a lot of Twitter interest in this worldwide, which is something I didn’t expect. The main disadvantage right now is that there isn’t a single app which can do all the things I would want to so it’s a case of switching from app to app,” said Cornett.

Cornett said that social media has helped increase brand awareness for his practice.

“Most people have actually now heard of us when we go to industry events in Liverpool and Manchester; we have also had job enquiries via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook on the back of a tweet or status update which jogs someone’s memory,” said Cornett.

Martell Home Builders

The Moncton, New Brunswick construction firm is one of Canada’s largest home builders.

The company made the plunge into social media because of a key problem – customers didn’t know where to find them when they needed them. So Martell resolved this by adding a ‘Where’s My Contractor’ feature on the web site which lists Twitter accounts of the firm’s managers – this way clients could see what they were doing and know how to find them. The web page is also connected to a Google Map API (application programming interface), which puts a stickpin on a map, making it even easier for customers to find their contractor.

Martell’s Twitter page is popular – to date, @martellhomes has 12,495 followers and the company tweets about a half-dozen times each day on a wide variety of topics – some recent tweets (with links) have included: ‘21 ways of turning pallets into unique pieces of furniture;’ ‘Top 10 ways to add value to your home;’ and ‘What tool can you not live without? 14 must-have tools for new homeowners.’

The company has an extensive YouTube archive – there are currently 79 videos for viewing covering a wide expanse of helpful homeowner-related topics. Some of these include:

• How to fix a door latch
• How to adjust or replace a shower
• Maritime energy solutions

While the jury is still out on whether social media is generating billable projects, it’s definitely helping the A/E/C industry connect with the public and ultimately may lead to new collaborations and clients.

Jing Liu, principal of Brooklyn, NY-based Solid Objectives-Idenburg Liu, an architectural design firm, believes social media will gain momentum across the A/E/C divide over time but with a caveat:

“Younger people who are in their 20s are very much in touch with the technology,” said Liu. “Online there is so much information, however, that I don’t think people completely trust what they read. They need to get know you personally before they give you a project.”

Stay tuned.

Red Bull's Facebook post in which over 17% of engagements were shares

Subscribe Free

If you're not already subscribed, why not get this FREE weekly email of the most impacting posts on Facebook?
Free Sign Up

About Zuum

Zuum is a tool that helps brands increase their engagement level with their Facebook fans by knowing what works on Facebook. For their brand and their competitors.
www.ZuumSocial.com

If someone walks into a party and takes his pants of and swings them over his head, wears a toga, or does a dance with a lampshade on it'll be memorable. Or in the case of Jim Belushi, wearing a toga and smashing a guitar:

Click here to view the embedded video.

What's interesting is the next morning, you'll probably just recall "some crazy guy doing something crazy." You won't know his name or anything about him. Everyone remembers Belushi doing crazy things in Animal House, but who remembers his name was Bluto, or anything about him?

In contrast, how many parties have you been to when everyone leaves having met the soft spoken, brilliant artist, businessman, or college student. Maybe this person made a clever point over dinner, or just circulated in an easy fashion listening and chatting intelligently about the ideas and events.  Perhaps, he or she was a guest speaker who was invited to say a few words between cocktails and dinner?

The next morning, you turn to you wife or husband and recall this Memorable Person by name. You maybe even Facebook message the Memorable Person with ideas social or business. The Pants Taker Offer  - he's just a crazy story you tell. You don't need to take your pants off to make an impact. And in fact, if you're remembered for doing so, no one knows who you are, and no one would think of reaching out to you.

Large interstitial ads, push downs, and skins are the crazy guy at the party.  You kind of know something happened that was jarring but not much else.  This is why typical display advertising only has a brand lift (increase in favorability or purchase intent as a result of seeing a banner) of say 30% at best.

In contrast, Social Advertising, can see lifts that are multiples higher:

We've seen similar results in our work with GE and Virgin, among others.

What's amazing is how soft-spoken this social messaging can be.  A small icon saying, "Post by Brand X," or a Twitter feed or even just a Facebook post.  If the content is produced by the brand and exemplifies what the brand aspires to, no one misses who the message it from.

Click here to view the embedded video.

(Jump to 3:35 to see ad great Lee Clow explaining this phenomenon)

It makes people love and respect the soft-spoken thoughtful brand - there is no reason to wear a toga.

And so when I'm asked, "is there enough branding?" I point to the data.

The data shows, you don't need to wear a lampshade online to be noticed and remembered. And in fact, if you do don the toga, the results are pretty clear - when was the last time the guy who twirled his pants was remembered by name, respected, or asked to lunch.  You're jarred by the crazy behavior, but that's about it.

The way to behave at a party for the long term is pretty clear, and on the social web, it's just the same.

In a SoHo Lab, HuffPo Mafia rekindles the old magic

A story not only about how corporate dysfunction is killing the creative spirit, but also about how easy it is for the creative thinkers to find a different path. Like water running downhill.

Via @Britopian

GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas

Clearly GMs move wasn’t the last word on this issue. But what’s hidden in many of the articles I’ve read is that GM is still pouring a lot of money into Facebook content creation. They may have come in with a bad direct response mindset thinking they could spin Facebook ads into gold, but the fact that they’re still spending considerable sums on their Facebook pages content shows they aren’t anywhere near giving up on Facebook.

Via @Aerocles

Facebook’s Purchases May Hint at Its Future

This really demonstrates the challenges so many large companies are having keeping up. Companies like Facebook are foregoing much of the typical legwork around acquisitions, playing things more from the gut. Of course, the story isn’t over yet, but in the meanwhile, with Facebook able to make large acquisitions like Instagram quickly, it’s making things difficult for their less-nimble competitors.

How Users Are App-ifying The Web, With or Without Publishers

This app vs web story has been an interesting one, and as the article points out, it’s not shaking out the way either side thought. Another example of how lowering production and startup costs add constant forks in the pathway of technology.

Via @bradberens

What the Web Could Learn From Dawn of TV

Despite the relative recency of mass communications, it’s remarkable how cyclical they are. Mobile is following so many of the same routes Web 1.0 took. This article draws the parallels between online video content, and the early days of TV.

Via @learmonth

Facebook giveth, Facebook taketh: A curious case of video apps

Whether or not you saw the NY Times article about Facebook’s ability to predict the future of apps, this is a good alternate view.

Via @mcarney7

Twitter Campaign Donates Your Unused Characters

Another example of advertising seeping into every nook and cranny it can find.

Via @mashable

Six months ago, if you had mentioned Dollar Shave Club to a room of people, you would have gotten all blank stares (even though the company has been around since June of last year). Today, there are over 4.5 million people who would nod their heads and smile. 4.5 million YouTube views. In just a few weeks. How did they do it?

A viral video incorporates strong planning, careful execution, and a little bit of luck. Fortunately for those of us who have never won the lottery, the strong planning and careful execution part carries a little more weight than the luck part. Can you design a video and guarantee that it will go viral? Maybe not, but by incorporating these lessons from Dollar Shave Club, you can at least ensure that it earns the right to be seen and shared.

Don’t Take Yourself  Too Seriously

Humor is something Dollar Shave Club does really well. Seriously. There’s hardly a straight line in the entire video. But they’re not just cracking jokes either. Some of the humor is obvious and some is a little more under the radar, but all of it works together to communicate the vital information you need to know about the company. And it leaves you with that “You’ve gotta see this!” feeling.

Create a Unified Approach

Take a long look at your existing website and craft your video so that it supports your current marketing strategy. When you visit the Dollar Shave Club site, every element hangs together and sends the same vibes you received in the video. Your website visitors shouldn’t wonder whether you’re the same company as the one that produced the video they loved.

Put the Most Important Stuff First

In the first ten seconds, we know what Dollar Shave Club does, how much it costs, and what the quality of the product is. We get our questions answered: How can they afford it and are the razors any good? If we decide to stop viewing (which we won’t, because their fabulous style holds our attention) we still have everything we need to know to pique our interest and entice us over to the website.

Put a Face On Your Company

Even if you don’t have the marketing background and camera-ease that Dollar Shave Club’s founder, Mike Dubin does, it still helps viewers connect with your company when you put a face behind the name. Make the story human and people will relate to it.

Creating videos people love begins with understanding how to communicate a message they can relate to and want to share. After that, who knows? You just might win the lottery.

Banishing Short-Term and Shiny: A Look at Vail Resorts

This is how everyone should be thinking about digital marketing.

Via @ClarkKokich

Your Company Has Social Media Nailed. Now What?

An excellent series of questions to ask after you’ve reach the first level.

Via @RichardLevick

Facebook to Brands: You’re Posting Stuff Wrong

The subjects brands post about is the key to engagement. That’s why text analysis is the key to knowing what works on Facebook.

Why CMO Tenure is so Short

This has long been a known problem for both clients and agencies, and it’s interesting reading what some of these industry leaders have to say about it.

Via @emarxe & @djgeoffe

Facebook Dominates Mobile Social Networking

Facebook’s big story to me has always been the amount of time and frequency with which people use the site. Now it looks like that same behavior is tracking over to mobile. And to think they bought Instagram to better succeed in mobile.

Via @JackMarshall

Ad Account Guy Gets Man Lessons

I like this because a lot of people want to publish content, but aren’t sure what to write about. This guy found a way to get over that hump.

As a child of the 90s, one of the most lauded and influential films of that era for me was undoubtedly Pulp Fiction, thanks to its mix of dark humor, action, irony, and a unique tempo of scenes. It wasn’t a conventional movie when it came out, and even then I remember it sparking a lot of debate and discussion on topics like “is it too violent” or “what’s in the briefcase” or “should you ever take out your boss’ wife under any circumstances.”

Rather than trying to peel through the layers of the movie itself though, let’s take a look at what brand marketers can learn from Pulp Fiction. Here are seven of the best marketing lessons that Vincent Vega, Jules Winnfield and friends have for us. NOTE: Spoiler warning for those who have yet to watch the movie.

1. Be smart about working relationships – Choose your business partners and your colleagues carefully. Vince Vega and Jules…great team. They know how to work together to tackle a project and seem to have a good time doing it. Vince and Mia Wallace? Not the best match-up. Each has a different goal for the night and they are not aligned on strategy. Even the rollercoaster relationship between Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace shows how two opposing agendas can sometimes work together with the right intervening scenario (Zed and the Gimp’s agendas aside).
2. It’s all about content – Everyone in the movie who comes in contact with the briefcase is transfixed by what’s inside. Is it gold? Marsellus’ soul? Diamonds? Tarantino claims it was simply a MacGuffin to keep the plot moving. What it actually was doesn’t matter…it grabbed people’s attention and motivated them. That’s exactly what good content does for marketers and the audience we are trying to reach. Keep in mind what you’re going to put in your proverbial briefcase before you focus on how you’re going to deliver it…
3. Choose the right tools – Hammer, baseball bat, chainsaw, katana! Butch knows the result he’s looking for, and chooses the most efficient way to reach it.
4. Don't lose focus – Vincent Vega was on his game for most of the movie…he handles the situations with Jules, he handles Mia Wallace…but he drops the ball while staking out Butch’s apartment. By leaving his weapon on the kitchen counter while he uses the facilities, Vince shows us the importance of always being on the ball. Sure, maybe that’s why marketing is such a high-stress career, but we’re a group of motivated professionals and juggling updates, knowledge and responsibility is what we do.
5. Word of mouth – Big Kahuna Burger…that’s that Hawaiian burger joint…This IS a TASTY burger! There’s no substitute for word of mouth and a recommendation from our friends. That’s why social media carries such weight, because ultimately we trust the opinion of people we know. If you are setting up tactics for a social campaign, first go back to see lesson #2 above, and then be sure that there is a conversational connection in order to get your audience talking, recommending and supporting.
6. Have a plan, but be flexible – “Pumpkin” and “Honey Bunny” work out their strategy of how they’re going to rob the restaurant by citing third party research, industry trends, their own past experience, and divvying of responsibility. If it weren't for Vince and Jules, it likely would have been a flawless robbery. The lesson to take from this scene is that when Pumpkin and Honey Bunny do encounter that unexpected roadblock, they re-assess and adapt to the situation. As much as we can plan and prepare…PR interviews, events, media buys, etc., there is always the likelihood that something will need to change and we will need to roll with it.
7. Drink good coffee – Jimmie buys the gourmet expensive stuff because when he drinks it he wants to taste it. This is more of a personal takeaway that I adhere to. Life’s too short to waste on crap coffee.

© All Rights Reserved I-5 Design and Manufacturer

This is part 4 of a series on the challenge of targeting SMB markets and how the use of buyer-based modeling and buyer-based marketing help organizations to grow their SMB customer base.

When it comes to the SMB segment and the multiple sub-markets, it is just a plain fact that you cannot be everywhere. We addressed the segmentation thought process crucial for buyer-based marketing to the SMB segment in the previous article, Grow SMB Revenues With Buyer-Based Marketing, as a means to know where to have a presence. Therein lays the new buyer realities of today. Having a presence that creates a gravitational pull of SMB buyers towards your organization is the new realty of mastering the SMB challenge.

SMB marketing and sales began to become more than just an afterthought in the early ‘90’s through the early 2000's. Considerable investments were made in establishing inside sales organizations and in outbound marketing activities specifically to reach the SMB base of customers and prospective buyers. Newly created inside sales organizations endured the trials and tribulations of field sales entrenched infrastructure as well as the ownership battle of the mid-size customer gray area. Marketing discovered that outbound tools for inside sales and for marketing to the SMB segment varied greatly from that of a focus on large field accounts.

In a span of 5-7 years we find ourselves in a drastically different world. The notion of reaching buyers is becoming a huge hurdle to climb for those wedded to predominantly outbound activities related to inside sales. As mentioned, establishing an inside sales function can be a sizable investment. The Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 today find themselves with inside sales units loaded with personnel, technology, software, and etc. that were installed and aimed at outbound efforts. What we now have is the challenge of turning on a dime to repurpose inside sales and marketing support to at least gain balance in inbound marketing while succeeding at a level of outbound demand generation as well.

This has more to do with transformation shifts in buyer behaviors with new technologies being the driving force behind these changes. What is profound is that this is more than the labels of the elusive, invisible, or buyer 2.0. No, they didn’t go anywhere and they are not hiding. Nor, should we be of the mind that buyers are now just empowered – as if sellers gave them the empowerment. Buyers today - with SMB buyers a significant part of this picture - are creating new ways of working and conducting business. Here’s the smell the coffee moment for sellers: SMB buyers, in addition to larger accounts, are creating a new world of buyer-driven economies whereby as sellers - if you do not fit or adapt – it is a world in which you will not be participating within.

While I may be seemingly digressing here, I do so to make a very salient point. SMB buyers are adapting new technologies in the entrepreneurial fashion they have started their business with in the first place. Unburdened by large scale infrastructures, they can see how to make new uses of technologies nimbly and drive new ways of conducting business as well as expand their own customer bases. SMB businesses, not so surprisingly, may be surpassing larger enterprises in their adoption of new technologies for interacting with buyers.

What Does This All Mean?

If you are part of a larger enterprise marketing to SMB buyers, what this all points to is a higher stakes challenge. Expectations on buyer experience are being renewed at a constant rate for the reasons mentioned above. Many of today’s new technologies, which for the most part had their original invention in non-business pursuits, have balanced the equation. While larger enterprises enjoyed an advantage in acquiring newer technologies over that of SMB businesses, this may no longer be true. In fact, the opposite in many cases may be true with SMB businesses able to leap frog into newer technologies as cost factors continue to be driven lower.

With this being the case, larger enterprises need to focus on creating seamless buyer-based experiences that allow SMB businesses to act quickly, make choices, and do so in the channels they prefer. This applies to both inbound and outbound efforts. A key focus for inbound efforts is that of enriching the buyer experience. Darren Pleasance, a Principal with McKinsey & Company, recently covered this topic in an excellent article entitled, Serious about SMB experience? Focus on your web site, on McKinsey's Chief Marketing & Sales Officer Forum site. Darren mentions the importance of the web site experience, providing the ability to buy seamlessly through multiple channels, and investing in post-purchase experiences as keys to success in the SMB segment. All of these contributing to enriched buyer experiences. The core of SMB buyer-based marketing and selling will not only be the web site as Darren articulates, but I believe the totality of the buyer experience now becoming the driving force behind how SMB buyers choose.

This brings us back to outbound. Does this mean inside sales and other outbound activities will simply go away? Far from it I believe. A fundamental shift however needs to take place in how organizations view and orient their outbound efforts such as inside sales. This shift relates to transforming from a tools-based approach to a buyer-based experience approach. Here’s the voice of one SMB business executive articulating this point:

“The thing that kills you is that you get what you need from the web site but contacting them directly is a whole different matter. It’s as if they are clueless that I may have visited their site and got information to review. On top of that, I get calls from their people saying they are my account manager. Really? Then how come they don’t know that I talked to someone in their company already?”

This exemplifies what happens when organizations fail to connect their inbound activities with outbound activities in SMB buyer-based marketing and selling. On the other hand, connecting the two tightly enriches the experience as this SMB business owner says:

“I was really impressed to be honest. I went on the site and found a few items I wanted to read so downloaded them. I got a call from the company; his name was Steve, first acknowledging that I had downloaded the papers and then asking if I had questions. We wound up having a discussion on some of things we’ve been working on. Wasn’t pushy or anything like that.”

To create impressive buyer experiences, this integration of inbound and outbound cannot be ignored. While the shiny object these days is inbound and the incessant promotion of content marketing, for some products and services, the ultimate deciding factor will continue to come down to the buyer conversation taking place. One thing we can count on is that more and more SMB buyers today come to table ready for a conversation – are you?

Next Up: Closing the deal in SMB with Buyer-Based Selling

Follow @TonyZambito

Related articles

• Grow SMB Revenues With Buyer-Based Marketing (buyerology.com)
• How To Get To Know The New SMB Buyer (buyerology.com)
• Your Top Priority Is Growing The SMB Revenue Base - Now What? (buyerology.com)
• Channeling Buyer-Based Experiences in SMB (buyerology.com)

Imagine you are sitting at a street cafe in Paris. You have a copy of Sartre's Being and Nothingness, a copy of Le Monde, the newspaper, and next to you, as is often the case in Paris, is a cute dog.
You read philosophy, you read the news, you pet the dog.
You don't become stupid when you are petting the dog,
You are just being human!
And when you read the philosophy you are still worldly.
And when you read the paper you are still intellectual.
You talk to your friends at the cafe: sometimes about the dog, sometimes about philosophy, sometimes about the news, and, yes, sometimes about what you are eating for breakfast.
Humans are complex and have emotional needs, intellectual needs, social needs...
- Jonah Peretti, May 4, 2012

We are multi-faceted and the social newsfeed embraces that rather than shuns it.  The cafe Jonah describes is every day on the social web.  That intermingling is an essential element of social publishing and social advertising. It's why the BuzzFeed front page has a a mix of stories like 33 Animals Who are Disappointed in You (the cute dog), a thought piece from John Herrman on Internets service TOS's (the Sartre),  and a hard hitting investigative piece by Michael Hastings on Obama's campaign team (Le Monde).  The sharing and commenting on Twitter and Facebook- that's the conversation at the cafe.

@Buzzfeed breaks major news and the @whitehouse takes notice wapo.st/JNmPgu@peretti@jonsteinberg @lererventures

— Eric Hippeau (@erichippeau) May 2, 2012

It's why BuzzFeed can tangle with the White House, on the same day as having the great memey post 23 Reasons Why May Is Going To Be The Best Month Ever.  We think people want a mix of all different types of social content, and we think an intermingling, organized by social, is what makes the most sense in today's world.  And the Facebook newsfeed and the Twitter feed, prove that in the social era you consume content like you sit at the Paris Cafe.

We no longer Google for news in the morning, head to a portal, or even pick up a newspaper in front of a door. We head to Facebook and Twitter to connect with our family, friends, and co-workers, just like we check our email. Social is the new starting point, and a place we've arrived at after Portals and Search.  Because of social, we consume what is shared with us, and it's organized by people and emotion, and there are no rigid content category lines. It's in many ways a freer and more natural way.  It's why we social publish: Animals, Politics, Internet culture, Women's Lifestyle, Technology, and memes all in one Paris cafe.

The newsfeed changes everything - it's multifaceted, social, and fast - and that's why social publishing is so different from traditional publishing.  In fact, it resembles the Paris cafe more than it does the newspapers we grew up with.

The Rise of the Visual Social Network

Infographic on the increasing use of photos in social media. Several weeks ago I posted a report on the Zuum blog on research we found that indicates that photos and videos drive sharing much more than status updates and links. Although these visual forms of content are often more difficult (read: expensive) to produce for brands, they're also seeing better response rates. And that can justify the added expense.

Via @adverblog

Mark Zuckerberg joins Viddy – it might really become ‘Instagram for video’ now

If you're wondering what the next Instagram might be, that headline pretty much covers it. Unless you want to see Zuckerberg's first video upload -- of his dog. To manage your expectations, I'll just say that David Fincher's job isn't in jeopardy with this.

Via @Aerocles

Hertz Creates Their Own Groupon Style Deals on Facebook

While this isn't a new idea, that doesn't mean it can't work. I guess the real question is, What's a Share worth? If it's $20 like this offer would indicate, then a lot of speculators are going to have to recalculate what a Facebook fan is worth.

Via @jasonkeath

More PR Agencies Get Into Media-Buying Game

This is a big indicator of the content marketing trend. PR agencies as much as anyone understand the media value of a good story. Once you have a good story, paid media becomes a way to distribute it. Of course, the biggest question is still, What makes a good story. That's where understanding what engages your audience comes in. And developing content accordingly.

Via @alexbruell

How Microsoft Leveraged Bloggers for a Successful Product Launch

Remember when a social media campaign was mainly about engaging bloggers? It can still work.

Via @Mike_Stelzner

Not-So-Slow Recovery: U.S. Agency Revenue Surges Nearly 8% in 2011

Remarkable, industry-leading 17% revenue increase last year for digital shops.

Via @bradage

No UGC, please – but will the Olympics’ social media strategy work?

The Olympic Committee's dilemma captures the challenges media companies and corporations all over the world are facing regarding social media. And like most, they don't have a clear cut policy, which is probably impossible outside of complete openness, anyway. Click through to see one of the better editorial images I've seen in a while.

Via @gigaom

Oreo's post this week: "Fan Lisa T. was born in 1912 - the same year Oreo cookies were introduced. Wish her a special happy birthday below!"

SUBSCRIBE FREE

If you're not already subscribed, why not get this FREE weekly email of the most impacting posts on Facebook?
Free Sign Up

ABOUT ZUUM

Zuum is a tool that helps brands increase their engagement level with their Facebook fans by knowing what works on Facebook. For their brand and their competitors.
www.ZuumSocial.com

Inside The AP’s Social Strategy

Great read for both a brief but interesting backdrop to the APs history, as well as how a 150 year old news organization is using Facebook and Twitter. They state that Twitter is their primary engagement vehicle, but Twitter is where they find the breaking stories, which I definitely agree with.

Via @joshsternberg & @bmorrissey

Market With Messages That Tap Into Man’s Primal Urges

Sometimes we get caught up in trying to rationalize strategies and key product benefits. I like this level-set on how it all tracks back to very core emotions.

Nike Auction – Bid Your Sweat

I really like this as a way of rewarding what in this case is literally Nike’s ‘most active’ customers. It would obviously have to be a very limited offer, but instead of just throwing out a 10% off sale, why not give the discount to loyal customer’s who’ve worked for it?

Via @adverblog

Content Strategy Ain’t Just For Large Companies

Good article with three key points for getting started in content marketing. Not only is it also for small businesses, when you consider the costs of paid media, it could be even more for small businesses than large.

Via @Robert_Rose

Top 5 News

A very simple content curation site. The top 5 stories from the top news publications.

Via @learmonth

How tech’s giants want to re-invent journalism

Since we have a bit of a news theme on this post, I’ll continue with a look at how news publishing really isn’t changing, despite the technical advances. In a content marketing world, how news is gathered and distributed will always be a key topic to be on top of.

Via @ckanal

Facebook Now Has 901 Million Users

On track to hit 1b by end of year. Remarkable.

Via @AdTech

Facebook generates $1.21 per user on average worldwide in Q1

With all the talk about what a Facebook Fan is worth, this is what they’re worth to Facebook.

Via @brittanydarwell

Confessions of an Agency Mobile Specialist

This is a good series from Digiday. Kind of the WikiLeaks for advertising.

Via @JackMarshall

INFOGRAPHIC: How Fortune 500s Use Social Media

23% of Fortune 500 companies have a public facing blog. 58% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate Facebook page. I get the argument that brands should be driving traffic to their site, but you also have to consider where the masses are gathering. To follow the money, you have to follow the traffic. With these numbers, the top brands are basically saying the money’s on Facebook.

5 Ways Businesses Are Using Facebook Timelines

A quick, fun read with good visuals.

Via @KentHuffman

CP+B Taps Henry to Get Creative With Insights

The best bite is in the last paragraph. Quote: “From a right-brain standpoint, where analytics is really heading is storytelling. Analytics has too often been columns and rows of data, and where that needs to evolve to is creative narratives. There’s a very creative element in driving action out of insights. Left and right brain both need to be used to maximize the impact of what can be seen simply as raw data.”

Via @NoreenOLeary

Facebook becomes No. 1 most visited site in Brazil, according to Experian Hitwise

Brazil has always been an interesting social media study to me, because it’s the one place where Google, via Orkut, has experiences social media dominance over Facebook. Perhaps it’s confusion over Google+, and the Brazilian Orkut users got lost in the shuffle. But even if that was the case, it’s interesting that users there seem to be making the shift to Facebook and not Google+.

Via @brittanydarwell

Proof that Facebook fans are worth more to brands

The finding is that Facebook fans of a brand are significantly more likely to purchase, consider, or recommend the brand than those who aren’t page fans. The obvious caveat is that this survey seems to have been given to consumers in general, and thus the ones who are Facebook fans are also likely already customers. And naturally current customers would be more likely to purchase than non-customers.

Great copywriting in a Craig’s List ad

Artful, long form copywriting is not dead. It’s just moved to Craig’s list. And if you want ROI on this, it sold within two days. Bidding wars, I hear.

Via @_GregCollins

This Thursday we have an report coming out in iMediaConnection that shows a distinct relationship between content type and engagement type. We’re seeing a consistent trend that photos and videos drive more sharing than status updates. It’s something we’re seeing again in this week’s data.

YouTube's post this week: Top 10 Greatest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Moments

Subscribe Free

If you're not already subscribed, why not get this FREE weekly email of the most impacting posts on Facebook?
Free Sign Up

About Zuum

Zuum is a tool that helps brands increase their engagement level with their Facebook fans by knowing what works on Facebook. For their brand and their competitors.
www.ZuumSocial.com

That got me to wonderin’ – how do some of the world’s most popular religions, in effect, ‘market’ themselves? What are some of the digital tools available online and does going the virtual route somewhat detract from physically being in a place of worship or complement someone’s spirituality?

So I spent a bit of time wandering in the digital desert and came across a number of interesting sites and apps.

Here’s a snapshot (alphabetized -- not listed in any particular order of preference):

Buddhism

Sumi Loundon Kim, the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University and minister for the Buddhist families of Durham, NC, summed up the dilemma of teaching Buddhism to a new generation that uses texting, Facebook, Twitter and other online social media.

“These other worlds exist only through the eyes and mind; there is no touch, no taste, no smell, and very little hearing. As such, virtual worlds present us Buddhist teachers with students who live not just one step removed from reality, but two,” said Kim.

Kim added that Buddhist teachers can’t afford to underestimate the impact of social media on young people today since they have become ‘neurologically adapted’ to this lifestyle.

“The next generation of dharma teachers must not shy away from understanding the force of technology,” she said.

And one of these entities is The Buddhist Channel. The site’s home page has a pithy slogan on its landing page – ‘Bringing Buddha Dharma Home.’ The Buddhist Channel offers a welter of information and tools – global news related to Buddhism, features on archaeology, arts & culture, healing, travel, various podcasts from Buddhist scholars, even e-cards and games.

Another site, Unfettered Mind was established in 2001 by a Buddhist teacher, Ken McLeod. It provides scores of hours of iTunes podcasts, Buddhist text translations, sutra sessions, and more.

In South Korea, where smartphones are more ubiquitous than in the U.S., there are numerous Buddhist apps ranging from a mobile version of Buddhist prayer beads to a location search program that uses GPS to find the nearest temple. Another app, ‘Hello Dharma School,’ features pop-up animations of the Buddha’s life and uses simple vocabulary to explain basic Buddhist philosophies.

“Modern day people are too busy and don’t have time to visit temples,” said Jung Ho, director of missionary research at the Jogye Order, the biggest Buddhist sect in the country. “With mobile apps, people can keep in touch with Buddhism – smartphones can serve as mobile temples.”

Christianity

Even the pope’s gone digital.  The Vatican is using technology to help Pope Benedict XVI reach out to his flock of more than one billion Catholics worldwide. The site has its own multimedia player called Vatican Player that aggregates content from Vatican media (managed by Vatican Radio). On the site you can access the pope’s encyclicals, homilies, read apostolic letters, download info on basilicas and papal chapels, etc.

But in one of his messages, the pope offered a caveat. New media and social networks offer a ‘great opportunity’ but he warned of the risks of having more virtual friends than real ones.

“It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives,” said the pope.

Another thriving Christian online site is GodTube.com, which is now drawing over two million monthly users. CEO Chris Wyatt recently said “we apply web technology to the Gospel in a way that appeals to young people – we call it Jesus 2.0.”

Chris Ford, a social media expert with the Southern Baptist Convention, said social media is a big plus for Christianity and has had an overall positive impact in three areas – evangelism, ministry outreach, and educational communications.

“It should be no surprise that, for spreading the Gospel and globally mobilizing people for missions, social media can have significant, positive implications,” said Ford.

Brandon Vogt, a Catholic writer/speaker who also blogs at ThinVeil.net, said that at its core, the church is ‘one giant social network.’ Church fellowship, noted Vogt, shouldn’t be exclusive and closed in on itself – it should always be outward-focused and mission-oriented.

“Fellowship in the past was constrained to times when people gathered at churches or in homes, but now conversations about Sunday sermons can linger throughout the week,” said Vogt.

Vogt added that social media also opens the doors of Christian fellowship, inviting millions of outsiders to join the community.

“Young secularists who would never darken the doors of a church find themselves dialoguing with Christian bloggers, and an atheist YouTube viewer stumbles across a religious debate and becomes intrigued by the idea of God…when used prudently, social media tightens the bonds among Christians and also connects them with millions outside the faith,” said Vogt.

Hinduism

Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion after Christianity and Islam, has about 950 million followers. It’s the dominant religion in India, Nepal and among the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Hindu Online purports to be the world’s largest portal on Hindu religion, culture, shastras, and more. There’s a vast array of information available on the site – scores of articles, sections devoted to religion, culture, community, a digital library featuring manuscripts (e.g., Veda, Upanishads, Ayurveda), even a Learn Online area where you can get up to speed on everything from Sanskrit to Vedic mathematics.

Two more interesting examples:

Kauai’s Hindu Monastery, located in Kapaa, HI, is a monastery-temple complex with 21 monks. Established in 1949, the monastery has a very popular Facebook page – at last count almost 4,200 had ‘Liked’ it. The Facebook page features photos and videos of the temple, and site visitors share their thoughts and experiences on the monastery’s Wall. Lastly, the site provides links to other Hindu organizations such as the Hindu Students Association, Hinduism Today Magazine and Hindu American Foundation.

Twitter is also being used more frequently for major religious holidays.

Diwali, India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year, is celebrated in October or November each year and is also known as the Festival of Light. Run a search that time of year and you’ll find that #HappyDiwali will be trending.

One popular Tweet last year came from Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor:

“A very happy Diwali to all of our followers! Spend some quality time with family and friends and be safe!”

Popular Hindu leaders have jumped on the Twitter bandwagon to reach out to their followers. Devotees of Mata Amritanandamayi, a spiritual leader and guru who is sometimes referred to as ‘The Hugging Saint,’ regularly tweets (@amritapuri) in order to provide real-time updates of her activities.

Islam

It has been well documented how social media helped usher in last year’s ‘Arab Spring.’ But technology is also playing an important role in reaching out to Muslims worldwide on religious matters/issues.

For starters, there have been a suite of apps developed for smartphones that have become popular during Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar. Ramadan generally lasts about 30 days; participating Muslims refrain from drinking, eating, smoking and sex during daylight hours. Other apps help find the nearest mosque or halal (food that’s permissible per Islamic law) restaurants in various cities.

Some examples:

iQuran, an Android app on Google Play, enables viewers to read the Holy Quran in Arabic alongside its translation. It provides verse-by-verse audio playbacks, repeat functions and unlimited bookmarks.

The Essentials of Ramadan, available on iTunes, provides in-depth info on the rules and laws of Ramadan.

Find Mecca, also on iTunes, uses GPS to locate the Qibla (the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays; it’s fixed as the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca) anywhere worldwide using an iPhone or iPad. Users can see Mecca with the camera in augmented reality mode; the app also can set an automatic countdown to the next required prayer and adjusts to various time zones.

Nidhal Guessoum, reporting in The Huffington Post, said Twitter is now being used frequently to send Quranic verses and religious injunctions; YouTube and Facebook to disseminate sermons.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamanei, even issued a fatwa (a juristic ruling issued by an Islamic scholar) on using Facebook:

“In general if it requires engaging in immorality and evil acts such as spreading corruption, lies and false materials, or if there is concern that it is sinful, or it strengthens the enemies of Islam and Muslims, it is not permissible. Otherwise it’s fine.”

Judaism

There are about 13.4 million Jews worldwide, about 0.2% of the world’s population, with about half in Israel, half in the United States. The rest are scattered widely.

One rabbi in the U.S. has taken proactive steps to bridge this diaspora.

Rabbi Laura Baum founded OurJewishCommunity.org – catchphrase under the Welcome sign on the home page reads, ‘Bringing Judaism to People Where They Are.’

The site’s chief objective is ‘to provide the same services of a brick-and-mortar congregation, such as access to rabbis, sermons, educational materials, social networking, discussions, and more.’

OurJewishCommunity.org uses a variety of tools to generate live content – live stream, blogs, video casts on YouTube, audio podcasts on iTunes, a Facebook Fan Page (currently more than 5,200 fans from 18 countries) and a Twitter feed.

Baum recently presided over an online Passover Seder, which attracted more than 400 people – but no Orthodox Jews, who are not allowed to use electronic devices during the Seder or Sabbath (Friday night through Saturday sunset).

“Sitting in a room is a powerful way to have community; but the fact you can do Passover with people all over the world, that is not any less of a community,” said Baum.

There are also a number of interesting mobile apps being used by Jews around the world.

The Orthodox Union recently released a new mobile app that provides information on what food products are kosher for Passover.

Crowded Road, a software firm, rolled out iTorah-iPad Edition, which includes vowels for Hebrew text to make it easier to read.

Davka Corporation, which bills itself as ‘First in Judaic Software,’ offers the Tanach Bible, a Study Tool for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It includes the Hebrew text and English translation of the Torah and other important works, and can be downloaded on iTunes for $1.99.

Can social media glean modern day solutions to the challenges that first arose during biblical times and are still with us thousands of years later?

Jury’s still out. But these digital tools are having a significant impact on the social and religious lives of people of all faiths and denominations.

New Research: Americans Hate Social Media Promotions

Great point made here, drawing a distinction between companies ‘being social’ and ‘doing social’.

Via @jaybaer

What was it about Instagram that made it worth a $1B acquisition by Facebook?

This is really more about the mobile opportunity Facebook sees, and the value that data will bring to marketers.

Via Via @ckanal

7 Lessons From Content Marketing’s Greatest Hits

As the article says, lately it’s been almost impossible to not read something about the subject of content marketing. So let me add to those odds.

Via @juntajoe

The Digiday Dictionary: What It Really Means

Not sure what all the industry buzz-words ‘really’ mean? This gives you the meaning behind the meaning. (Funny stuff.)

Via @sweissman and @JackMarshall

Wisconsin Cheese Develops Global Following: Case Study

I really like the way they’re working to provide a comprehensive knowledge base on their subject. I’m not sure about spreading the brand across so many properties, as it’s really sub-branding, which always takes more marketing budget than getting a single brand across.

Experiment: “If Anyone Wants to Talk About Anything, Call Me” (or Text If You Prefer)

A human interest story around technology. I like how the writer delves into the fuzzier side of technology. Craig (the aforementioned writer) just joined HuffPo, and it looks like they’re giving him some nice territory to explore.

Via @ckanal

Sponsored Filters? How Facebook Could Monetize Instagram

Another view on what Facebook might do with Instagram.

Via @mcmains1965 and @kheussner

And I guess when you think about it, in this case, coffee does go very well with eggs.

Starbucks' post this week: Look what I just found -- Happy Easter!

Subscribe Free

If you're not already subscribed, why not get this FREE weekly email of the most impacting posts on Facebook?
Free Sign Up

About Zuum

Zuum is a tool that helps brands increase their engagement level with their Facebook fans by knowing what works on Facebook. For their brand and their competitors.
www.ZuumSocial.com

Etch A Sketch’s Stock Tripled Overnight After The Romney Gaffe

People are always asking what the ROI is in the area of social media, content marketing, and PR. In this case, we have a stock price tripling in one day. That’s a pretty good “Return”.

Etch-A-Sketch Puts Out Gaffe-Inspired Print Ads

Paired with the above link, this shows how the brand seized the opportunity to make a splash. Nice, simple creative.

Websites as Evening Gowns

Very quirky way to visualize different online properties. And a good example of the randomness you’ll find on deviantART.

Via @Aerocles

Conan O’Brien Takes Over Mashable for April Fools’ Day

One of the better April Fools gags.

The Twitter Hashtag is the New Neon Sign

A look at some innovative ways Twitter hashtags are being used.

Machinima! Adventures of a Digital Content Company

Fascinating look into the world of Machinima. This touches the ad industry in a number of areas, including content marketing, consumer-generated content and the growth of niche communities as target markets.

Via @digitalshields

An Ingenious, Radical Branding Campaign, Lost In Current TV’s Woes

I have long wondered why brands don’t use subtle animation in online logos. This is a great example of how that can work.

Quaker Oats Man Gets a Makeover to Look Healthier

Odd that the icon for one of the most health-related food products, oatmeal, wasn’t healthy-looking enough. Was a double-chin a sign of health at one point?

Get these insights and more on Facebook activities in your industry.
Register for a FREE Trial of Zuum.

Red Bull's post this week: "Decisions, decisions."

Subscribe Free

If you're not already subscribed, why not get this FREE weekly email of the most impacting posts on Facebook?
Free Sign Up

About Zuum

Zuum is a tool that helps brands increase their engagement level with their Facebook fans by knowing what works on Facebook. For their brand and their competitors.
www.ZuumSocial.com

Stay informed. Want to explore the best ways to reach and connect with today's Mom and her new digital life? Attend the iMedia iMoms Summit, Apr. 22-25. Request your invitation today.