| design58 | social media consultancy | huddersfield, west yorkshire, uk

Social Profiles in Print

This study is simple not scientific factual and surprising, based on The Guardian newspapers  Saturday Weekend Magazine.

Each issue holding 30 -40 pages of full and double page advertising spreads from a total of 80-96 pages. Aware that social media is part of everyday life there is little evidence in these pages.

The Following data has been taken from the Weekend Magazine on 14, 21, 28 May and 04, 11, 18 June.

The following details are specific to the publication of June 11.

Within the publication from June 11 out of the 30 major advertisers five had no Twitter presence and two were without Facebook presence.  The only evidence in the magazine of any social media presence was one Facebook  logo, one more than the June 18 publication.

Interesting to see a full page Starbucks advert without any suggestion of Facebook presence, 23,240,501 Likes on http://www.facebook.com/Starbucks.  The ad is seen in the following image from June 11, repeated on June 18 without the offer and again without evidence that they are active on Facebook.

In support of The Guardian Newspaper they provide a valuable online resource at http://www.guardian.co.uk .

Why aren’t there more logos in print with direction enabling engaging activity with the reader?  The audience is there waiting, businesses are engaging with their audiences online and learning more about themselves from this. Are the rest really waiting to see if it works?

If you do see any representation of any social networks in  print or on the streets in  shop windows, bars, bus or billboard ads. Please take a photo and post them on http://www.facebook.com/design58 we want to see who’s actively integrating what they do onine and offline whether multi nationals or sole traders.

We all have the opportunity to utilise the internet, lets share positive use and encourage more.

Moving forward socially

In the following post on Soical Media Explorer Jason Falls opens up what Clay Shirky is now writing about regarding his term ‘Cognitive Surplus’.

http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2010/07/08/questioning-shirkys-cognitive-surplus/

With evidence growing that building branded communities and viral marketing  does not work and happens organically. [viral marketing a myth...]

Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world

To quote Falls ‘we’re migrating away from (and our younger generations aren’t even starting on) TV addiction.’

This doesn’t result in all social technology use being of benefit globally, there are still going to be the good the bad and the ugly.

It wouldn’t be human otherwise, but amongst it all is real time engagement and collaboration rather than simple marketing and PR exploitation.

Social technologies provide the opportunity to help communities globally as well as our neighbours and families it doesn’t have to be one or the other. The choice is down to the individual reagrding the time available as stated throughout the post by falls and the talk by Shirky.

What do you think….

Consumer care

Social media technologies are providing advertisers the opportunity to provide participation in their online activiities.

If only the last advertising agency on earth had looked ahead and considered the importance of the consumer online and how intrusive advertising has been when pushed constantly at them.

The video was created by www.fitc.ca
view their latest videos at www.vimeo.com/fitc

The Last Advertising Agency On Earth from FITC on Vimeo.

There is the opportunity to avoid advertising now, making the focus swing to understanding consumer needs and importantly consumer habits online. This can be seen in the importance given to social media monitoring by Gatorade the American sports drink owned by PepsiCo.

Within their soical media mission control they are not only able to monitor online trends linked to their product but interact and become a participatory brand. By communicatiing with their customer to better understand their needs.

See the full post on Mashable: Gatorade Social Media Mission Control

Monitoring social media activity is essential to understanding customers, clients, friends, followers and fans. Making it possible to provide a more effective service.

What do you think?

Sharing not shouting.

Marketing once upon a time was about pushing a product or service and making a shout about it, a much harder process now consumers can produce more online content than the marketers.  Whilst producing content they also share information within various communities and networks.

Social media should be used in partnership with traditional methods of promotion and marketing but always with the same basic values used.  Being generous, informative and authentic will help your message go much further than walking into a room and blasting your message through the p a system.

So if you have a product, service or message and you want to tell people about it. Wouldn’t it be better to share information with your audience or market?

By sharing your information with friends, fans and followers the likelihood that your message is shared to their network is far higher. Down to the basic trust and loyalty a social media community and or network can deliver, whether this is your network or the larger network your friends open your message to with positive referrals.

Help your fans, followers and friends to share your information by being genuine, informative and authentic in your delivery.  Make them not only pass on your message because they know you but because they believe in what you do.

Any thoughts please comment below