Something New?!

Talking about measuring, Facebook seems to have added a new feature to Facebook Pages! I can't say its a "FEATURE" but it is quiet interesting. I was looking through my online store page, and saw this...

"43 are talking about this"...is this a new analytic tool for marketers to look at? I have no idea what it is yet, but it seems like an indicator indicating the number of people talking about your page!

I couldn't click into it...but want to find out more! What do you think it might me?

Let me know down below! :D

its gone! ITS GONE!!!

Short post!

This morning went into my online store Facebook fan page & saw THIS!

I guess Facebook is trying to become a better Social Media Marketing Tool?

From my previous post about how generous they are to give out free ads, now they are trying to improve and encourage consumer engagement, relationship, and interactions between brands and consumers.

Sadly the "Review" function is gone! But! Does it really matter? I guess this would definitely generate more interactions and build stronger customer relationship with different brands and fan pages.

Whats do you think?

Generous much?

Just read from Mashables Facebook is targeting small businesses, seducing small businesses to jump on the bandwagon of Facebook marketing! The new marketing tool of 'Facebook Marketing Solution' is giving away $10 Million in Free Advertising! It is also mentioned that by the year 2012, Facebook will be giving out $50 for each qualified businesses and in the same time providing guidance and information on how you can easily advertise and market through Facebook!

Very generous of them to do create such a program! What do you think? Will it Work? Will they survive? Will small businesses be able to gain benefits from this?

Maybe! Just Maybe! :)

Source: Mashable

Have you Tumblr?

There seems to be an increasing social media platform in sharing photos. From my previous blog about  mobile social media "Instagram", and Kates blog about "Pinterest", I would like to continue on introducing new photo or picture based social media platforms.

Tumblr is a social media platform that allows you to "effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be". It is a Blogging platform that allows users to customize and share their blogs and interests through medias and texts. The platform currently has up to:

With such large audiences, marketers will never leave such opportunities to 'capture more fans and build brands'. Many companies have already stepped into Tumblr, making use of this social media platform as a marketing tool increasing its fan base and brand awareness, where in the same time, many of them are still updating and getting on the bandwagon of Facebook marketing. There are 6 Ways that brands can earn more exposure on Tumblr, which I thought was quiet interesting and new!

1. Use Tumblr Curation as a Compliment to Original Content

2. Like and Comment on Good Content From Tumblr Blogs in Your Space

3. Self-Link Original Things You Post

4. Tag Your Posts Exhaustively

5. Repurpose Highlights From Your Other Blogs

6. Create a Meme-Based Tumblelog

Read more about it here!

You can also check out "30 Reasons YOU WILL LIKE TUMBLR" here (@ the bottom of the page)!

This is interesting, where it seems like Tumblr integrates a lot of the existing social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Bloggers, and even Instgram, where most of the time there are "Cross-Post" of contents especially Photos, complimenting the original posts, and extending your audiences to a larger group of people. 

I would love to try it out, and see what I can get out of it, especially for my online store :)

So! What do you think? Would you give it a try? And how do you think platforms like this will affect social media marketing?

Let me know, Down Below! :D

e! m! F!

There seems to have been a big big big big big discussion going on about Facebook & Google+ in the past few days, especially after Facebook has modified and upgraded its NEW LOOKS! And in the same time, many of our classmates has blogged about Facebook vs. G+. Many of us like it, dislike it, or are still getting used to the new looks and new functions, however did you realized that we are moving into.....

"F-Commerce"!?!?!?!

In the past years online businesses are done normally through E-Commerce, doing business through websites or over the internet. Consumers are able to purchase through websites and pay through different payment methods such as Paypal or Credit cards. The use of mobile devices has also increases, where M-Commerce was introduced, where consumer are able to purchase through connected mobile devices.

NOW! With the rise of Social Media, F-Commerce or Facebook Commerce has emerged! Businesses are utilizing and exploiting Facebook as a business platform, yet in the same time a marketing tool to increase engagement and awareness. 

An article from The Age: Look Out Here Comes F-Commerce mentions about how businesses today are selling directly through Facebook to its target market. Several examples such as JC Penny, Petco, and Gilt are given to illustrate usage of F-Commerce. However, The Age also mentions that for Facebook to be widely accepted as a selling platform, it depends on the purchasing experience through Facebook, and most importantly the overcoming with different Noises in Facebook such as personal "News Feed". Therefore, not many companies and brands are doing this, but instead using Facebook as what we learnt as a promotional tool.

I do think that more and more businesses have exploited E-Commerce, M-Commerce, and will definitely move to F-Commerce very very soon. Like what we discusses in class, Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Payvment has already been highly accepted. Therefore, if more and more businesses are trying to sell over Facebook, Facebook may come up with new platforms to fit the companies needs, bringing a new era of Online commerce to consumers around the world.

Do you think we are striving to F-Commerce soon?
What do you think?
Let me know! Down Below :D

Source: The Age

Got a Problem? Tweet it!

Last week, we had a session on Twitter, and learnt some interesting things about Twitter and how businesses can go about using Twitter as a business tool. A few weeks ago! I was trying to find some technical help for my Mac, and thought of a Mac store "Next Byte" which is located behind my house. However, I was too lazy to go down so i decided to find some help online first.

SO! After going into "Next Byte" website, I discovered this Online Technical Help! Not what we usually see and use, where we are redirected to a chat box, and wait for ages to get connected, and get disconnected half way through! Or waiting 15 - 30 Minute for our call to get connected to a representative and wasting our phone credits! Instead! We Tweet it!

TwelpTribe! is a partnership of a technical support website with other existing Mac supports and Experts (Next Byte & iConcierge) in Australia.   All tweeters needs to do when facing a technical Mac problem is "Tweet", and mentioning,

@twelptribe

in your tweet. Soon after, an expert of a technical support will tweet back, guiding you through your problems.

In my opinion, this is extremely clever, in terms of using Social media as a tool of Customer Supports. Since many users nowadays have Twitter, why not make use of it more usefully. I do think that this type of customer service would be beneficial for many organizations out there. However, there may not have been many followers just yet, but I do think that this is a very good way to get fast free instant responses on your technical problem.

What do you think? Let me know...Down Below! :D (Quoting Peter Chao, from YouTube!)

INSTAGRAM! its so addicting!!!

After reading Kate's post about Pinterest I realized how addictive I've got with this photo sharing program called "Instagram". Many of you might have known it and used it already on either you iPhone or iPad. The program was initially designed for iPhone. Users are able to take photos and share it instantly on the Instagram community. Just like Facebook, you can Like, Share, Tweet, Comment, Follow, Geotag sharing your photos to anyone who uses the App.

This leads me to talk about how Mobile devices has taken over the social media world, where everyone is using social media on-the-go, with their mobile devices (e.g. iPhone & iPad).

I have also found that there are a lot of brands who uses this to share snapshots of their life. Starbucks for instance, uses Instagram to engage with consumers, allowing consumers to take photos while drinking Starbucks and #Tagging it to be shared in its Instagram page. This is extremely interesting, where it allows users to engage with the brand more through sharing their life and events with Starbucks with everyone in the Instagram community. This has got me curious in understanding how Instagram relates to business and how it can be used as a business tool.

Here are some benefits for businesses to use Instagram,

1. It helps brands to find products for their customers not just customers for their products.
2. It’s an opportunity to conduct real-time market research.
3. To drive momentum.
4. To get people talking about what you do and why you do it.
5. For customer engagement and intuitive marketing.
6. To deepen relationships.
7. It enables you to put the customer front a center.
8. For running competitions.

Read more about Instagram Business uses here!

For me I would use this for Competitions and Engaging my customers to share their products they bought from me, for example Sneaker wise, "What they are wearing today?". This would be an extremely fun platform to share how they are rockin their kix everyday.

Do you think that Businesses should move more to mobile social network apps, providing a new way to build relationship and engage with consumers...? (E.g. New Innovative Apps) Most importantly! Would Apps like these be considered as a Social Media?

What do you think?

Anyhow! Don't forget to follow me "chunfs" :D and I'll follow you!