Archive for April 2008
What I Think I Think for 2008
Every year we get a new perspective on Online marketing from tons of experts telling us what is now important and what is coming next. So here is my shot at making bold predictions and assumptions of the important things we’ll see in 2008. I think…
1. I think U.S. mobile search will never grow as fast or be as effective as international mobile search
2. I think auction based TV spots will start to make huge traction this year
3. I think advertisers will start taking email marketing seriously again
4. I think ad agencies will start buying ad serving companies (I mean they will buy more of them)
5. I think social networks will incorporate RSS feeds to create more stickiness
6. I think Microsoft and Google will continue to spend money for dominance of all Online user activity
7. I think more companies will try to bring campaign managment in house
8. I think local search will lose steam. It’s all about universal search.
9. I think Facebook will catch MySpace in number of users
10. I think China won’t seem like such a great opportunity for online marketing
What Makes a Good Social Media Campaign?
I recently attended a conference ( Authentic Communication 2008 ) in New York with the intentions of understanding how businesses are managing social media campaigns. There were a ton of POVs from PR groups and media managers and I walked away realizing that it’s still too early to create a standard metric for managing social media effectiveness. What we can do is really understand the social network user and build on that idea.
I’ve provided a few guidelines that could help you set the right expectations for your campaigns. Below are my 5 rules to understanding your social media customers.
1. Facebook and MySpace are for social gatherings. I am looking to connect with people not products. Appeal to my desires and behaviors not my demographic profile.
2. Creativity wins. If you want me to talk about your product, entertain me with your ad.
3. Don’t make me think. I like applications, but don’t hide your intentions, show me your ad.
4. Create a group around your product. If my friends like it I may like it. My friends give you instant credibility.
5. Respect my privacy. Don’t ask me for information, read my wall 
http://www.facebook.com/lexicon
Good luck with your next Social Media campaign!
