So the latest Mashable article on the use of social media points to emarketer results indicating that two-thirds of marketers use social media in some capacity. The number is projected to increase to 82% in the next 12 months leaving a mere 12% of businesses uninterested in using the online outlet. The reasons companies aren’t using? They range from not knowing what to do, to not understanding measurement and benefits, to believing it is a poor use of employee time.

As this seems to be a great thing for businesses like myself that teach companies how to use social media and help create and execute social media plans, it definitely leaves the social media space cluttered. The space is becoming filled with a lot more noise than a few months ago, and the noise can definitely get in the way of effective messaging. Read the rest of this entry »

Sorry…I know! My last post was also on Twitter. I apologize! Yet, there’s some big news coming from the little company that’s taking the nation…make that the globe…by storm. There are companies that would be happy to be mentioned in a newscast or blog post once a month; Twitter’s being mentioned by traditional media (TV, radio, cable, etc.) on a daily basis while online it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the “little bluebird that could.”

What’s up with Twitter? First, and most importantly, ClickZ reported that Twitter surpassed Facebook as the most emailed link included in an email marketing campaign. Read the rest of this entry »

Mixed messages abound regarding the relevance of Social Media applications for business, and especially the value of using Twitter to promote business endeavors. Media Buyer Planner recently released bleak statistics regarding Twitter‘s use in the business space. In fact, the online media site reports that only 8% of businesses see Twitter as a viable option for promoting their business…which means that the remaining 92% of businesses are either stubborn, stupid, or simply have no idea how Twitter could take their business to another level.

The survey, a joint LinkedIn Research Network/Harris Poll states, in the raw:

The research, which included surveys of both advertisers and the U.S. public at large. It showed that among advertisers:

• 45% think Twitter is in its infancy and its use will grow significantly over the next few years
• 21% believe Twitter will not move into the mainstream and will remain something mostly young people and the media will use
• 17% believe Twitter’s five minutes of fame are already over and it’s time to find the next big thing
• 17% of advertisers say they don’t know enough about Twitter to have an opinion.

Among consumers, the study found a different picture:

• 69% say they do not know enough about Twitter to have an opinion about it
• 12% think it’s in its infancy
• 12% say it is just something that young people and the media use
• 8% say it is already over

Wow. It’s enough to make one wonder whether people even pay attention anymore, let alone read, watch TV, or use the internet. When major news outlets ask for feedback and tips via Twitter, it would seem to me like the micro-blogging site has become a permanent fixture…call me crazy. Maybe these are the descendants of early humans who thought fire would never catch on… Read the rest of this entry »