toto`s

The Internet audience is growing. The sophistication of technology used to reach the audience precisely is getting better too! The users are spending more time browsing, consuming content, researching, connecting, engaging, comparing prices, shopping or contributing information. Knowledge is also shared to a great extent. On the other hand, there are brands and companies that target the audience for Engagement, Leads, Conversions, Registrations, etc. Every one tries to beat their competitors by being innovative and bringing in Never Done Before things to delight the customer. Here comes the trap (for the innocent customer, its a trap, for the brand or agency, it is a part of their marketing strategy) Acquire New Customers - get new users to register for my service. Re-target Existing base - make sure every single individual is reached out again because he/she has been to my website before. try to remind them about my existence and make them interact / buy or register. Re-mark...

Brands are built by efforts of many stakeholders. Stakeholders are primarily the Company owners, Product teams – R&D; Marketing units - brand team, media agencies, creative team, vendors; Service – customer care, feedback, test marketers; Supply chain - wholesalers, distributors, retailers and most importantly the decision makers across the chain. Brands develop their personalities over years of service, delivering exceptional products / services and assuring the same level of quality across time, geographies and even generations. In the entire mix, the Media Agency has a special importance, significance and role. They not only bring their experience on the table, their analysis & expertise helps reach out to the right audience, at the right time, at the right place, by increasing the efficiency of every dollar spent. In a market that has its dominant spenders, we also see some niche products and services making their mark without spending. They rely on public r...

Social Media is growing at a pace that can be best termed as "unstoppable." Thousands of social media tools  have been invented, launched and then failed.  The top social media platforms are reaching their maturity stage and look to be in a consolidating position, where their objectives and goals are set; and they know their potential. Financially, the major platforms seem to be on a profit making spree. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube stand out of the crowd, whereas Pinterest, Instagram, Quora, Google+ are making their way to the top, but still have a long way to go. But, what does the consumer do, where does he go from here? On one hand, I feel overwhelming by all the products, application, contents and activities offered by my social media networks. Yet, I'll admit, I'm practically addicted to my social media platforms, so I'm a rather vulnerable target of these marketing gimmicks. Recently, I read  5 Tips for Avoiding Social Media Burnout ...

Brands are investing more and more on managing, maintaining and beautifying their  Facebook Page ! The main focus has shifted from The Web Site, which was always the primary destination of the Brand. Twitter ,  LinkedIn ,  Pinterest ,  YouTube  or  Blogs  do help to increase goodwill of the brand and be present across all the touch-points, but Facebook has emerged as the clear winner at least in the past 2 years. Possible Reasons: More Interactivity, Loyal Fan Base, Information Dissemination, Real-time Feedback and Insights. More Interactivity:  Fans can talk to the Brand, ask their queries, respond freely to the posts, complain about the product/service, and live the Brand Experience. Loyal Fan Base : As Facebook says, the Fans are here to "Like" the Brand Page for many reasons, right from getting free samples or waiting for product/service info or connecting with the brand ambassadors or playing interesting contests or supporting the...

Google has finally unveiled brand page for  Google+ , allowing businesses and brands to join Google’s social network. Google has launched its first  Google+  feature for big-name brands and businesses to interact with customers, called Google+ Pages. Businesses will be able to set up their own Google+ accounts with the feature, which is the social network's first big venture into an area currently dominated by Facebook. “So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people,” Google SVP of Social Vic Gundotra said in a  blog post . “But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about—from local businesses to global brands—so today we’re rolling out Google+ Pages worldwide.” The new Google+ brand pages look similar to Google+ Profiles, except for the little square icon that designates that it’s a Page rather than a Profile. Users can add brands such as Fox News, the Dallas Cowboys and  Angry Birds ...

Social Media  is proving to be the most powerful substitute to  Market Research ! Brands, Individuals, Analysts, Researchers, and Products are taking the Social Media Route for insights. B2B companies, who may not benefit a lot with their Social Media Presense, are also venturing on the Web, creating properties that support their existence. Take for example the  PAL  property created by Suzlon in India. Its about Pure Air Lovers Society, where Suzlon will plant 1 tree for every member who joins this cause! Globally, there any hundreds of MNCs that have started such campaigns that works toward social good. There are a few initiatives started by students, youth, and organizations to spread awareness of a Safer, Sustainable Planet! Companies can benefit in many ways: Their goodwill increases, they start understanding the audience sentiments, they can spread awareness of a few causes, and in turn, get an idea of what the people want. In short, its a nice way to ...

A Social Media User, in general, would be happy to share content, network with like minded people, and grow. A Social Media Enthusiast will try to be in as many networking sites as possible, share his content (most of the time the same content). A Social Media Newbie would try to analyze his/her scores, activity, and would always be on the lookout to improve scores. The most common example being  Klout  ,  HowSociable ,  Social Mention , and the like. A Social Media Expert will never analyze his score or check his online reputation. It is majorly done by those who think they are experts/specialists, but aren't. On Twitter, there are so many ways to increase followers, or post tweets with #hashtags to increase participation and improve scores, that there are thousands of users with 10,000+ followers, and come across as Experts. They automatically come across as credible, real specialists. But the reality is far from truth. They are Re-tweeters and content amplifiers,...