Social Media Marketing

Social networking is certainly the rage today, but I'm advancing the theory that most direct marketers don't use it to its fullest capacity. A few weeks ago, I spent about four hours looking at Facebook sites for my favorite retailers, catalogers and online merchants. Many were good at initiating conversations and trying to build brand loyalty. Very few, however, followed the basic tenets of direct marketing by using that communication to either build their databases or encourage purchasing. Social networks are places to build community. But that can go hand in hand with marketing and selling.

We've reached the final issue of 2009 for All About ROI, certainly a year most of us are happy to see end. As we look forward to a better 2010, I'm pumped that there are some positive signs out there showing a recovery is on the way. It may take a little time, but it's coming.

Today's teens have been inundated from their earliest recollections with advertising, be it on TV, online, in their favorite video games and movies, and the list goes on. To effectively sell to this generation of consumers, Under Armour studies what makes it tick. What are teens thinking about? How do they behave? What motivates them to purchase?

I don't know about you, but I get pumped at the prospect of having a chance to win a giveaway every day. It certainly piques interest among folks following Amy Reed's tweets (@chickdowntown).

Engagement marketing happens when people become a part of the product they're buying or consuming. Many marketers think it begins and ends with sites on which visitors create the content — Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. They think a simple product mention on these sites will drive traffic and make their 
sales soar. But the evidence says otherwise.

This year's economic retreat actually stands to help Gaiam, a product and information services company with a heavy emphasis on sustainability, position itself for greater growth in the near future.

As I mentioned in my most recent column — a recap of the National Center for Database Marketing conference last month — it’s not good enough to just serve your customers anymore. You must cement them emotionally to your brand, your products and your customer service.