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Facebook makes app finding easier

Posted by Rich Cherecwich on May 20th, 2009 at 12:00 am

Before Twitter became all the rage, branded apps on social networks like Facebook and MySpace were generating all the marketing buzz. And while there isn't a day that goes by where I'm not invited to use some application or Top 5 list, the excitement over Facebook applications has seemed to cool.
One reason many users are turned off is the difficulty that comes with finding an application, and the sometimes inadvertent spamming of friends that comes with activating one. Facebook today unveiled a new application directory that could spur a golden age of apps by centralizing everything in one easy-to-use hub. The social net is even going a step further and suggesting applications you may like – I'm offered Trip Advisor's branded "Cities I've Visited" app as a suggestion.
Facebook is also giving developers a chance to leap the competition, by letting them pay $375 to have their applications displayed prominently, according to the NY Times Bits blog.

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Should you use social apps in ad campaigns? Forrester says yes!

Posted by Michael Lazerow on May 4th, 2009 at 12:00 am

Since launching Buddy Media in September 2007, I have been a leading champion for the use of social applications by brands to engage users. But it's been lonely on "app island" as many were quick to dismiss the use of apps in ad campaigns, or "app-vertising" as Buddy Media coined it. So it was welcome news that Forrester Research, in a report released last week, became the first independent research firm to encourage clients to use social applications and think "long term" in social ad campaigns. "To enhance an ad campaign with social elements, interactive marketers should know their audience's behavior, commit to the communities for the long term," Forrester's Sean Corcoran wrote in the report's executive summary and outlined five different ways that brands can enhance their ad campaigns.
I'm not authorized to share the entire report. So you'll need to purchase the report yourself to see the five ways. But all five ways are core to Buddy Media's mission to help companies market more effectively in the social media ecosystem. At the core of Forrester's recommendation is the idea that social media marketing is not turned on and off like banners, buttons and traditional digital marketing. It's an always-on program for marketers.  Social media is about using your marketing to build always-on lines... Read more

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Marketing is high on the mind of wireless executives

Posted by Matt Kapko on April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am

I just got back from a whirlwind pair of days at CTIA, the country's largest wireless conference, and one thing is for sure: marketing is getting more interest and attention every year.
Not surprisingly, applications are all the rage these days. With last summer's introduction of Apple's App Store, there's been a tremendous wave of interest and dollars flooding into all things app. Soon enough, most device manufacturers will have their own mobile app stores that bypass carriers' walled gardens and deliver optimized applications direct to the user. Those that plan to last make it through the next couple years should have some application-centric plan ready for prime time.
The more exciting opportunity that mobile applications present to marketers is the growing interest from brands. Everything from car makers to large food brands and even toilet paper have weaved their way into the mobile application game with varying utilitarian value. Brands are no longer looking to extend into typical applications like a basic car racing game for an auto maker. Instead many are trying to find tangential relationships that can be built through more useful, long-term needs. One toilet paper maker, for example, worked on an application that helps... Read more

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Beating the "Results" Drum Is Great, But What Data is Most Relevant?

Posted by Michael Lazerow on March 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 am

Not to beat up on an overused phrase, but "Show me the money" has turned into "Show me the results" when it comes to brands and marketers allocating their budget in these challenging economic conditions. It comes as no surprise that 59% of attendees surveyed at last month’s iMedia Brand Summit said they will be "heavying up on measureable, ROI-driven strategies."   But what do “results” mean, exactly? There are so many different ways to spin it that it can be hard for even the savviest of marketers to get to the bottom of what is actually relevant to them. At Buddy Media, we consider results to be engagement, or "someone doing something with your brand." That something may be sending a virtual gift, playing a fun game or finding the cheapest gas in your area, either way, people are taking an action as opposed to delivering an impression.   What can be done to further clear things up? For one thing, there is plenty of data out there. That of course is one of the benefits of digital marketing - it is all trackable. But is it the right data?  This is something we ask ourselves and our clients... Read more

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3 Ways the Ground is Shifting in Social Networks

Posted by Michael Leis on February 11th, 2009 at 12:00 am

With Compete releasing January statistics on social network unique visits and total monthly visits for the United States, some very notable changes in national computing habits are forming:

We love our oligopolies
This may emerge as the latest magnetic ribbon to put on the back of your car. Like almost every other US industry, we talk a good game about being open, or transparency, or the long tail, but when it runs into money, there's two or three major competitors, and then everyone else.
We saw it happen with the splitting of AT&T reforming over two decades to become an industry of three significant players. Then again in cable. And financial. And airlines. And music.... the list goes on.
Compete's latest numbers as shared by Caroline McCarthy show more than anything that social networking is mature because it looks like an oligopoly. Facebook and MySpace have secured positions so far away from the competition, you can practically call them utilities.
Twitter is for real, for real
Jumping from a rank of 22 to 3 in terms of monthly visits isn't a fluke. Twitter is building a dedicated, ubiquitous communications platform that is growing exponentially. It's practically unprecedented. This isn't shiny object... Read more

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