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The Social Networking Monopoly
Posted Apr 8th, 2011 By Mirna Bard in Social Networking With | 6 Comments

It is fair to say that most consumers consider Google and Facebook the Internet in its entirety. While they may be aware of other sites, when they think about the Internet, what they are thinking about is one of the above corporate giants. Social networking has been around for a long time. One of the first online communities was “The Well,” which still exists and was created in 1985 as an extension of the “Whole Earth Catalog.” MySpace, Xanga, and many others were very popular until the Facebook juggernaut took over the entire Internet. So will there be only one search engine or a single social network in the end?

The Faceless Book

It was not too long ago that Facebook was, while successful, just one of a number of social networking sites that people used to keep track of friends, communicate, and post pictures and messages. Friendster, MySpace, Xanga, Classmates, and others all served different demographics and markets.

Facebook on the other hand was originally a social network strictly built for Harvard students, and because exclusivity breeds desire, it led to Facebook expanding to include all Ivy League students. It later expanded again to include all college students of any school, and, finally, anyone with an Internet connection. This “forced scarcity” and tiered rollout created a huge demand and now we have the Facebook of today.

Facebook now claims to have 500 million users, which, if true, constitutes 25 percent of all Internet users. The other social sites have faded fast and while some have survived, many are no longer in business. With the social networking side of things well in hand, and Google the largest gateway to the web, Romulus and Remus rule us all and we are experiencing the end of the Internet. Or is it? (more…)
Poll: What hours of the day are you social networking the most?
Posted Apr 5th, 2011 By Mirna Bard in Polls, Social Networking With | 2 Comments

Please choose your time zone. More than one choice may be selected.
20 Great SmartBrief Social Media Polls and Analyses
Posted Mar 14th, 2011 By Mirna Bard in Polls, Social Media With | 3 Comments

As many of you a while back I won a seat on the SmartBrief on Social Media Board was awarded the role of poll analyst. Let me tell you, time really flies when you are having fun because I have already written 20 analyses. Where are the weeks going?

Below, I gathered the synopsis of all 20 analyses for my readers (Please click on the title to be taken to the full analysis). I would love to hear which analysis was the most helpful to you. Please share in the comments below.

Do consumers want to be treated as individuals?

This was the analysis that helped me win the SmartBrief contest. Do consumers want to be treated as individuals? Treating consumers as individuals by engaging them through social media and outstanding customer service, combined with amazing products or services and revenue-generating initiatives, can help make the relationship between a company and its customers a more powerful experience and a win-win for both.

Is social media better executed in-house?

Is social media better executed in-house? There isn’t one right way to organize your company’s social media marketing management, but which way is right for you?

5 reasons why market research comes before social media

Do you need to do market research? Two-thirds of our readers say they didn’t do any market research before launching their social-media initiatives. I argue that companies that do their research are more likely to find a social media strategy that works for them.

Does social recruiting make sense for your company?

The recruitment process has unsurprisingly shifted to the online world, and social media seems to be the right fit for recruiting qualified job seekers. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every company, but there are many obvious benefits to be had.

Social media and tablets: A perfect duo?

Tablet devices can put the Web at your fingertips, along with a broader range of features than a smartphone. These devices are poised to make social networks an even bigger part of users’ day-to-day lives.

What are the benefits of opening the door to social networking in the workplace?

About 57% of SmartBrief on Social Media readers say companies should place restrictions on social media access for some or all of their employees — but I am not so sure that’s such a great idea. Social media has many benefits to offer a business, many of which rely on everyone having access.

Is Facebook Insights a powerful tool for tracking engagement?

About 37% of SmartBrief on Social Media readers say Facebook Insights has helped them understand and analyze trends and improve engagement. I agree that while Facebook Insights does have its flaws, it’s the most sophisticated data I have seen on a social network.

What makes social-media followers flee?

While about 44% of SmartBrief on Social Media readers say they’ll unfollow someone for posting too often to a social network, I argue that having too little to say can be every bit as bad.

Will 2011 be the year we achieve social-media integration? (more…)
Vallarta Escapes Takes on Social Media with the Tweet to be Heard Conference in Mexico
Posted Mar 2nd, 2011 By Mirna Bard in Social Media With | No Comments

In October 2010, I was invited to speak in Mexico at Tweet to be Heard, the international social media marketing conference. It was my first time in Puerto Vallarta, and what an experience it was. Rightly, this is now my favorite spot in Mexico, and I still haven’t stopped raving about since my return.

Last year’s conference was an absolute blast and extremely worthwhile for all attendees who voiced that they wanted another conference. I also walked away with some truly wonderful life-long friendships.

Well, the excitement continues! I am enormously flattered to be invited back for Tweet to be Heard 2 on May 12 – May 15, 2011 in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Again, I will be sharing the stage with some exceptional speakers: Guillermo Perezbolde, Trey Pennington, Victor Garcia, Marco Ayuso, Richard Snyder, Jay Handler, and William Michael.

Like last year, I am treating it as another well-needed vacation. If it’s time for you to take a break the routine and want to learn about social media, then this is “the” conference to attend. I hope you consider joining us for a remarkable learning experience, fun in the sun, and some great adventure. And if you do decide to attend, please reach out to me for a VIP discount code that I can offer to special guests.

I interviewed conference originators and founders of Vallarta Escapes, Robert Dry and William Michael, to get the scoop on their thoughts of social media after gaining more knowledge from the first conference. I also wanted to learn more about their plans for the upcoming conference. Check out what they had to say below:

Despite Mexico being the 2^nd largest Internet country in Latin American after Brazil, its Internet penetration at 27.2% is lower than many other countries, but growing at a faster pace due to many early adopters. What do you think the future of social media will be like in Mexico?

Social media is the largest adjunct to traditional marketing in wide use today. Mexico, which lagged behind in the past regarding mail and telephone marketing has embraced Internet marketing and is soaring! Not having the prejudices of older marketing ways allows Mexico to speed ahead of other countries still bound to archaic methods. Social media will be the cutting-edge marketing tool for Mexico’s strength in the world economy.

Do you see many businesses in Mexico embracing social media?

Businesses in Mexico embrace youth and the young at heart; therefore, they are positioned to embrace social media. Mexico is a hidden force that is ready to compete with the world on the Internet, regarding marketing and business.

Although you don’t work in the social media industry, you were one of the early adopters to launch a social media conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in October 2010. What prompted your decision to hold an educational conference?

No, we do not work in the social media industry. Vallarta Escapes as one of the leading agencies in Puerto Vallarta for vacation rentals and real estate sales. After embracing social media and online marketing for our business and found success in them, we realized the lack of social media education in Mexico. It made sense for us to bring qualified speakers to learn and share the knowledge with our friends in paradise.

What made you decide to launch Tweet To Be Heard 2 coming up in May 2011 and will only the residents of Mexico benefit from this conference?

At the end of the first conference, we asked the attendees if they would return the next year. Not only did they say yes, but strongly encouraged us to do it in six months and have it as a continuous bi-annual conference.

We also conducted a survey after the conference that reinforced that we were doing the right thing. Additionally, we learned how to improve the Tweet To Be Heard conference to make the upcoming event even more exciting, enlightening and well worth everyone’s time.

Since social media is on the World Wide Web, we naturally invite people from around the globe to join us in our tropical destination while learning from incredible international speakers. This conference is structured to benefit everyone who uses a computer for business.

The first day, the speakers cover Facebook and Twitter for beginners; the second and third days are for attendees who know the basics of social media and want to graduate to a more advanced level, so they can truly leverage the power of social media in their business; the final day is designed for business and marketers that wish to walk away with a sustainable plan, which will help maximize business results.

What changes have you made with your online presence or social media efforts after the first conference, and what were the most important takeaways of the conference?

After the first conference, we created our long-term plan and applied search engine optimization with social networking tactics to increase our rankings in Google. Our detailed marketing plan included integrating social media into the entire marketing mix.

The most important takeaway of the conference was the social media marketing plan as well as the incredible life-long friendships we garnered. We are looking forward to seeing last year’s attendees again as well as meeting many new ones.
Tech-Savvy Job Seeker Tries to Grab Zappos’ Attention with a Social Media Campaign
Posted Feb 23rd, 2011 By Mirna Bard in Social Media With | 9 Comments

In a recent SmartBrief poll analysis, I mentioned one of the growing trends of the future will be recruiters and staffing firms scouting prospects through social networks. Do job seekers need to get social too because of this shift?

In today’s competitive job market, job seekers are certainly jumping on the social bandwagon and doing whatever it takes to get the attention of recruiters by launching short-term social media campaigns to set themselves apart from other candidates.

It is becoming the norm for people to go beyond sending their resume to a company. Many job seekers are using innovative tactics to capture interest and create buzz. Some of these tactics include sending video cover letters, uploading video pitches to YouTube, designing creative infographs instead of text resumes, purchasing Facebook social ads, or even tweeting their way into a job.

A tech-savvy job seeker, Meetu Singhal of Las Vegas took the creative approach and recently launched a social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to try to obtain a job interview for a social media position at Zappos.

I was able to get the inside scoop from Meetu. Let’s see what she had to say:

1. What is your professional background?

I have extensive experience in marketing and communication – conventional and online media. With an overall experience of 11 years and the last five years in providing consulting services to U.S. and Canada based start-ups on online marketing, social media marketing, conversational marketing, community building, crowdsourcing, e-commerce, and analytics.

I have a deep understanding of the latest web technologies and how to leverage such technologies for social commerce is what I bring to the table.

2. When did you first discover you had a passion for social media?

In 2006, I was recovering from some health complications and surgery, and I was working from home for a U.S.-based start-up that was engaged in building community for professionals in the Insurance and Finance industries. My duties included setting up virtual conference events, webinars, email marketing, etc.

After just a few days of working there, I realized that there was a need for doing something that will enable them to generate content collaboratively, and that is when my social media journey began. I helped the founders launch their online presence by setting set up their community blog, podcasts, etc. As you know in 2006, not too many people knew how to set up a blog or how to engage a community for that matter.

Later, I was a part of creating an online community for thought leaders, which can now be seen at www.33voices.com. (more…)