E-Marketing Associates

Will Twitter’s New In-Stream Promoted Tweets Benefit Businesses?

Jacquelynn Mendez by
on July 29th, 2011

Twitter announced on Thursday that it will be rolling out and testing a new phase in its Promoted Tweet service, allowing a select group of businesses to run informative tweets directly into followers’ timelines.

This new initiative is a major move for the popular social network, especially considering that before this week Promoted Tweets only showed up in Twitter search and along the sidebar as promoted Trending Topics. Now, businesses will have first dibs on the top spot of their followers’ feeds. Although Twitter is hoping these new tweets will add to the user experience, it’s clear that the company runs the risk of losing its network’s trust. The initial roll out of these new Promoted Tweets will be limited to a select group of partners, including Living Social, JetBlue and the American Red Cross, but if the test produces positive results, this offer will slowly expand to a wider group of businesses in the future.

How the New Promoted Tweets will Work
The new version of Promoted Tweets will allow businesses to place tweets at or near the top of users’ timelines, and as to not disrupt the user experience, these paid messages will only show up in the streams of those who directly follow the organization participating in the program. This is done so that users will see these tweets as more of a benefit than a burden, being among the first to see one of their favorite brand’s news. But for anyone who thinks the ads are intrusive, the official Twitter blog says that these Promoted Tweets can be dismissed with a single click, which will hopefully keep annoyed users from un-following any brand. Additionally, after showing up at the top once, the tweet will then scroll through the timeline like any other message.

From the business point of view, I would be a bit skeptical of the benefits of this new offer. Although there will likely be an increase in views, this still does not allow businesses to reach out to those that don’t follow them, limiting their reach to the same group of followers. Then again, if a message is something others want to share, there could be a higher chance of re-tweets, which will help mitigate some uncertainty. From the details given, it looks like the success of this new program will heavily rely on the buy-in from users, which is a tossup at the moment. Nevertheless, it’s clear that this new breed of tweets is definitely a step forward for five year old microblogging network. I look forward to see what Twitter comes out with next!

If Twitter rolled out with this option on a greater scale, would your business be interested in these Promoted Tweets or would you be skeptical of the return on engagement?

Categories: Blog,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , , ;

Netflix Application for Android (Review)

David Sotelo by
on July 27th, 2011

If there was one application that android users have been waiting for as long as I can remember it would have to be Netflix. So many android smartphone users are also Netflix members and have wanted to not only watch Netflix but also manage their queue. The Netflix application for android has actually been available since mid May but it was for a limited number of devices. Well Netflix has recently added support for their mobile service to many more android devices and I wanted to review their movie streaming service and how well it performs.

First thing I noticed when I downloaded Netflix from the market was the size of the application, it weighs in at a hefty 27MB. You can however move it to your sd card which will be a must if you have an older device such as the original droid. Once downloaded the process is very easy to setup, you enter your email and password for your Netflix account and you’re in. Once you are in, the interface is very easy to use with you basically using four main tabs to navigate around the application. The Home tab which gives you a list of top picks it thinks you might like, the Genre tab is where you can browse all the different genres that are available for instant viewing, the search tab that let you search most movies and add any instant movie and lastly is your queue which holds all your saved movies with descriptions about the movie, rate them and of course allows you to play them.

The playback of movies works well even with a 3g connection. Wi-Fi & 4g of course will make sure that you don’t experience any buffering issues but I rarely experienced an interruption when using 3g. The picture quality is good overall, there is some slight pixelation that you will see but for the most part the videos play beautifully and it is easy to pause and play them again. One really nice feature is if you stop watching a movie you can resume playing where you left off and it works great. If there was a gripe it would have to be that you cannot add dvd’s or blu ray’s to your queue and currently it does not change switch over to landscape view other than when you watch a movie. If you have a slider and you slide the phone out to watch a movie it stops, it’s not a big deal but hopefully switching to landscape will come in the future. Also the loading can be slow even just browsing through the catalog but that will less of an issue as 4g becomes more dominant.

So Netflix for more android users is here and it is a great way to enjoy movies on the go. The resolution can be better and I am sure it will improve but it is definitely watchable. You phone’s hardware and connection speed does make a big difference so keep this in mind. This is a great app and was well worth the wait, now Netflix just needs to increase their streaming catalog selection and make it available for more smartphones but this is a great start.

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Categories: App Reviews,Blog,Dr. App — Tags: , , , , , ;

Check Out Vimeo, YouTube’s Creative Alternative

Jacquelynn Mendez by
on July 25th, 2011

With 48 hours of video uploaded every minute, there’s no denying that YouTube is by far the largest video platform online today, but that doesn’t mean that it is the only or even the best option for your recorded footage. It’s time to broaden your online video sharing horizons to the creative alternative that possesses different but equally as valuable strengths, called Vimeo.

Vimeo is a video sharing website that was created in 2004 by filmmakers and video creators who wanted a platform that would offer users a more intimate creative experience. Over time, this low profile website slowly built a tight knit community of over 3 million members and counting, receiving an average of 16,000 new video uploads a day. So although YouTube may have the numbers, Vimeo carries a set of traits that simply surpass the capabilities of the video giant, earning it love from a substantial number of internet users and stars like Kanye West, Tom Delonge and Britney Spears. To be clear, this post is not about making a choice between one platform or the other, but instead, about learning to utilize each platform simultaneously and appropriately depending on the objective of each video.

Why Vimeo?
Referred to as YouTube’s creative cousin, Vimeo is a stage for those who are serious about using video as a creative outlet but still want the same easy to use, easy to share options. The popular platform is steadily becoming the go to site for video makers who want to upload HD quality footage. In fact, most of Vimeo’s appeal lies in its distinctive presentation. This website allows users to embed their videos at a much higher quality than what is offered through YouTube, giving all that hard work, equipment use, money and/or creativity the stage it deserves. In addition, Vimeo’s intimate setting opens the door to more constructive feedback from people who actually care about the footage they watch, leading to quality comments and less trolls.

So now that you know that there is a world outside of YouTube, the trick is to utilize both platforms based on the objectives, placement and features of your video, keeping in mind that Vimeo is made for creative, non-commercial work. That said, in case you’re ever unsure about whether or not your video is too commercial for the close knit community found on this popular alternative, the uploading guidelines are spelled out on the following page: http://vimeo.com/guidelines#uploading_guidelines. Based off its capabilities, Vimeo typically works best for non-commercial professional production work, whereas impromptu footage is more for the YouTube crowd. So although we are all guilty of enjoying the time we spend watching cuddly kittens, karaoke nights and double rainbows, these videos should probably stay on the YouTube stage.

Vimeo isn’t the only video uploading alternative around, so now is the time to research your other options and find out what works best for you. Ready. Set. Film!

Categories: Blog,Internet Marketing,Photo & Video,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , ;

Businesses Need to Know When Enough is Enough with Social Media and Their Customers

David Sotelo by
on July 20th, 2011

Social media has really opened up the doors for an engaging and immersive world to connect with people. This has really helped businesses reach their existing customers and potential prospects in whole new way. Almost every size and type of business has a Facebook and Twitter account to reach out to their customers and try to gain new ones, however there can come a time when trying to do too much can really undermine your goals. Many businesses were and are still concerned with how many fans and likes they have as if that is a means to an end. Fans and likes are definitely important but you want to make sure you treat them in a way that keeps them liking your brand and coming back.

Many companies will often try to post too frequently in an effort to increase their fans and likes but they fail to understand what it’s like to be on the other end. People don’t want to be bombarded with posts and be spoon fed irrelevant and uninteresting content just because the business believes they have to always engage. One Facebook post a day can be enough if you can provide interesting content that your customers will enjoy, it doesn’t have to always be business related. Asking them how they might celebrate a holiday weekend or taking a poll to generate some activity. People do not necessarily go to a company’s Facebook page to engage but if you can make it more personable and down to earth it will be appreciated and will go far. Even responding to negative comments can go a long way.

 

Every business is different and will have to understand what’s important to their audience.  A business page such as notary may benefit from having a conversational approach where you can get people conversing. A hotel may benefit more by posting their current specials or a new menu item. The last thing you want to do is turn off your customers so give them a reason to stay, whether that be through great customer service on twitter or keeping them interested on Facebook. It’s just as easy to unlike page as it is to like it so be authentic and imagine what it would be like if you were looking at your page through their eyes.

Categories: Blog,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , ;

How to Claim your Business on Foursquare (A Beginner’s Guide)

Jacquelynn Mendez by
on July 15th, 2011

Foursquare now has over 10 million registered users, sees 3 million+ check-ins a day and works with over 4,000 claimed businesses. With stats like that, I have to ask, “Has your business checked-in?”

When Foursquare launched in 2009, claiming a business page felt like an impossible feat for small venues. But as frustrating as it was, we couldn’t really blame the then start-up too much since its limited resources left its employees working around the clock to keep up with the network’s tremendous growth. Fortunately, since then, the increasingly growing social media platform has made a number of upgrades and changes to its system, including a streamlined claiming process. So for those of you who still haven’t claimed your business, there are no more excuses!

Having gone through the process myself, I assure you that claiming your business through Foursquare is quick, easy and worth the benefits. So let’s get started…

1. Visit https://foursquare.com/business/

Start the process at the network’s “Foursquare for Business” page. As you can see in the picture below, even if you do not have a brick-and-mortar business, Foursquare still provides a way for brands to participate on the network, but for this post we will follow the path of venue owners.

After clicking “Venue Owners” and reading about the benefits of Foursquare for your business on the next page, click on the “Search and claim your venue” button to get started.

2. Search for your Venue and Start the Claim Process

When you reach the search page, you will be asked to type in your business name. If multiple profiles show up for your one venue, you can either choose to use the page with the most activity or create a new profile. After you find and click your business name, you will be led to the actual profile page where you can click “Claim here” to continue with the process.

3. Claim your Venue

When you click “Claim here,” you will be led to the last portion of the process where you will be asked a series of questions used to verify your employment with the business and determine the best method of verification for your specific location, whether that be by mail or over the phone.

As you can see from the examples below, the verification questions will continue for about 3-5 minutes, so be patient as you carefully read and answer each one. Additionally, if you choose to verify your business via telephone, there is a chance that Foursquare will not be able to match your number with your business. If this happens, you can just go back and choose the USPS mail method.

4. Reap the Benefits!

After claiming your page, you will be able to create specials for your business, add additional information to your profile and see real-time data about your customers, including a gender breakdown of your Foursquare walk-ins, information on the time of day people check-in and details about your most frequent visitors.

Categories: Blog,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , ;

Can Foursquare Be A Revenue Generator For Businesses With Their New Daily Deals?

David Sotelo by
on July 13th, 2011

Geo location services have made more of a name for themselves as a service to check in, read reviews and find things to do. I had mentioned awhile back that Foursquare was partnering with American Express as way to bring more value to American express’s loyalty program.  Foursquare has now just rolled out daily deals from five partners including Living Social, AT&T Interactive, BuyWithMe and Zozi. All of these deals will be available on iPhone, Android and Blackberry. There is also confirmation that Foursquare is in talks with Groupon to add their daily deals.

Foursquare will be using check in histories, time of day and location to target user and provide deals in real time. All the deals from the partners will be imported into Foursquare’s application so that they will be in real time. So this means that if you have a history of checking into Jamba Juice then you can receive a daily deal for a smoothie that is nearby. As of now you can purchase the deals but not redeem them all at the time of purchase.

Foursquare has recently announced that it hit the 10 million mark for registered users so as a way to add extra value and loyalty they will now have these daily deals. This could be great for business both large and small since Foursquare has a huge and every increasing list of users that can now take advantage of the massively popular daily deals that has proven to be successful. Revenue is what matter most to business especially in this economy and the marriage of geo location service and daily deals could be just the thing to help out.

 

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Categories: Blog,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , , , , , ;

3 Social Media Branding Basics

Jacquelynn Mendez by
on July 12th, 2011

There’s no denying that social media has become a major marketing tool in today’s tech savvy society, yet so many businesses are still not taking advantage of the branding capabilities of these popular marketing platforms. From Facebook to Twitter, social media offers businesses the unique ability to easily customize their channels to match the brand, image and message of their establishment, creating a larger streamlined presence throughout the web. So why not take advantage, right? Well, to help get your business get on track, this post will cover three branding basics that should be implemented into every business’ social media campaign.

Custom URLs
Would you be able to remember the URL, “http://facebook.com/businessname/67893082?” Chances are you wouldn’t, so why would you expect your fans to? When people have to put extra work into a search, they are less likely to follow through with an action, which is why it is important for your business to create custom URLs. These identifiable addresses make it easy for customers to find you on the social web while also giving your brand a little extra recognition. Depending on the network, the URL will either be given automatically or there will be a few stipulations before acquiring it, but it’s usually a simple process. So take the time to create user friendly web addresses and I assure you that your fans will appreciate it.

Facebook Landing Page
With so many businesses already utilizing Facebook, it’s important to differentiate yourself in order to stand out from the crowd. One way to do this is through a custom Facebook landing page. According to a study conducted by Brand Glue, a major brand converted visitors to fans at a rate of 47% with a landing tab compared to 23% without one. This is because a unique landing page gives people an appealing element that can’t be found anywhere else, whereas a Facebook wall comes on every profile. In addition, if branded correctly, a custom landing page can help further instill your image into the minds of your visitors.

Channel Backgrounds
Social media channels should be created with the same careful planning as a website; after all, these pages are an extension of the brand itself. Since most major platforms offer customizable background options, your business should take advantage of this by building a profile that matches the colors, image and message of your brand the same way your website does. Taking the time to do this will help build consistency in the mind of your consumer, ultimately increasing your presence and creating greater awareness. When people visit your networks, they should know that they’re visiting your business page.

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , , ;

Google+ Business Pages are in the Works

Jacquelynn Mendez by
on July 8th, 2011

Now that the buzz about Google+ is circling the social sphere, businesses are wondering when it will be their turn to connect. Unfortunately, the newly formed social network isn’t ready for businesses just yet, but its employees are certainly working their tails off to get there!

When Google+ launched last week, a swarm of both users and businesses jumped at the opportunity to join this initially exclusive network. According to a blog post by Google’s Product Manager, Christian Oestlien, the company was positively overwhelmed by the amount of participation they received, particularly from businesses. Unfortunately, after watching early brand/user interactions, Google+ employees immediately recognized the network’s shortcomings. That said, to provide businesses with the experience they deserve, Google is discouraging companies from using regular profiles to connect with users until a suitable solution is created. Initial testing is scheduled to begin in two weeks!

Business Pages Available in Two Weeks
In a vast effort to meet the social media needs of businesses, Google is preparing to run a small experiment, or beta test, with a select group of partners to really narrow down what is needed to create an optimal Google+ experience. This will be an ongoing effort until both parties are completely satisfied, at which time business pages will be open to anyone. So for any businesses that would like to be considered for this testing period, you can apply for a spot at http://goo.gl/zq95C. Decisions will be based on a number of factors, including size, following and past social activity. Additionally, for those businesses that have already created accounts, Google will be shutting down all non-user profiles over the next few weeks.

Although waiting isn’t always fun, the upside to this delay is that it gives companies the opportunity to strategize. So to get a head start, your business should stay up to date on the features offered through Google+ to figure out how to utilize these tools to your advantage. One item that already stands out is the “Huddle” option, which gives businesses the unique opportunity to talk one on one with customers. Within the first week of the network’s launch, this feature was used by Ford to talk to a select group of followers to receive some constructive feedback. So for now, just be patient and prepared because your time to join will come soon enough.

What kind of features would you like to see on Google+ business pages?

Categories: Blog,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , ;

Digital Concierge Service Going Mainstream

David Sotelo by
on July 6th, 2011

We have mentioned several applications for the hotel and hospitality industry including some to help you find a last minute room and some to give you’re a full service tour of your destination. Applications are starting to take away the spotlight from traditional websites as our go to choice for information. Applications are also starting to take shape into full service concierge services for the hotel industry. Most hotels have a concierge but a digital concierge are becoming more commonplace and for good reason. A digital concierge is your full time worker bee that can perform many tasks and transcend your hotel from the analog and into the digital age.

What is a virtual concierge and what does it do? Well a virtual concierge is a digital source for handling all your hotel needs. A digital source can be a Smartphone application, video, or even a monitor in your guest services area. The idea is to be a go to source for guests and anyone looking for information about the hotel but in convenient, interactive and helpful way. You can offer restaurant tips, driving directions, favorite night clubs by locals, and flight arrival and departure times to name a few. There really is no limit, whatever you think your guest and potential guests will like and want them coming back for more.

Hyatt Hotels have been using twitter as a customer service tool allowing their guests to send request 24 hours a day. Intercontinental Hotels has been using video starring individual hotel concierges that can be viewed on iTunes and You Tube. Marriott International Renaissance Hotels have a program called Navigator which offers suggestions for drinks, shopping and sightseeing that can be accessed the hotel’s webpage and iPhone app. Marriott International Courtyard which is a mid-tier brand has a 55-inch touch screen in their lobby called the GoBoard that provides news, weather, employee picks for restaurants and local attractions.

There are many more hotels that are using digital concierges to help their hotels stand out and take their guest relations to another level. A digital concierge will never replace face to face interaction and is not intended to do so but having a digital concierge service can be used in conjunction with one and can help improve customer satisfaction and can lighten your daily work load. If you are in the hospitality business you know that is always welcomed.

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