Study Shows Social Medi...

IBM sat down to talk one-on-one with 1,700 CEO’s in 64 countries to discuss changes in how they do business. First, let’s marvel at the logistics behind that. All those busy people. All those languages. All that data. Seriously, I don’t think we appreciate the effort that goes into these things. Now, let’s move on to the results. To the right you see a chart with a surprising message. The CEO’s were asked how they engage with their customers. The top line represents where they are today, the bottom line where they expect to be in 3 to 5 years. Right now, social media came in dead last but it’s expected to climb to the second spot in the coming years. At a glance, I would say that these results relate to B2B companies, but the report doesn’t say one way or the other. I understand B2B being heavily face-to-face. I don’t see it in business to consumer. But again, the study doesn’t specify one or the other so I have to assume it’s a mix. Technology in general came up as the aspect most likely to impact business in the coming year. Their second choice was “People Skills.” It’s not well defined in the report, but I’m sure old school CEO’s are worried that technology is erasing our ability to connect one-on-one. Looking internally, the top CEO’s agreed that the old corporate structure doesn’t work anymore. They said they were working toward an open and honest environment where collaboration and new ideas are encouraged at every level. They also stressed the importance of values and making sure that everyone in the company is on board and working toward the same goal. But even with social media chipping away at face-to-face, the CEO’s said that personalization was still important. They believe that technology is giving us new ways to collect that data we need to listen and respond to our customers. IBM calls data a “critical new natural resource” that can be harnessed to propel a company to new heights. What do you think? Has technology made it easier to listen and respond to our customers? Or are we moving farther and farther away from personalized, customer service? Join the Marketing Pilgrim Facebook Community

Learning LinkedIn from ...

Hey did you hear? There’s this social media thing and some company got like really, really rich from an IPO last week. Did ya hear? Of course you did but hopefully you are now moving on with your regularly scheduled life and looking for the things that will help you do business online that may even include something other than Facebook. Our Inbound Marketing Channel sponsor, HubSpot, has put together a new (and free) learning resource that does just that. It’s about the ins and outs of LinkedIn. Learn from social media experts how to get the most from LinkedIn . Get tips and insights from experts who will help you get the most from one of the most important channels for your business’ marketing message! GET YOUR FREE COPY RIGHT NOW! Join the Marketing Pilgrim Facebook Community

Twitter Admits Not Ever...

If you have ever signed up for a new Twitter account you have been ‘offered’ a list of suggested people to follow. Let’s just say that unless you intend to use Twitter for the most shallow and useless reasons (which, let’s face it, most do but I digress) that suggestion list is awful. Well, six long years into this Twitter has admitted as much. As a result they are introducing tailored suggestions. The Twitter blog explains Currently, when new users come to Twitter, we show them all almost the same suggestions for what or who to follow. That isn’t ideal. Since you have individual interests, you should get individual suggestions. After all, even though millions of people love Justin Bieber, FC Barcelona or Kim Kardashian, not everyone using Twitter may want to follow them. To make it easier and faster for everyone to get started on Twitter, we’re beginning some experiments with tailored suggestions in a number of countries around the world. The first experiment will show new users a list of accounts that we recommend you follow, alongside a timeline filled with Tweets from those accounts. This kind of personalization along with yesterday’s Do Not Track announcement shows that Twitter is working to make it more useful and efficient for users and marketers alike. In a world where most social media news is about how someone or something has either gotten worse or is further abusing your privacy maybe Twitter is paying attention and figuring they can look different by doing something useful. Wow, now there is a novel concept in today’s business world. Join the Marketing Pilgrim Facebook Community

Do Interactive Agencies...

Is anyone really willing to admit that in the Internet marketing space the hype from agencies is far exceeding the reality at this point? I know it may be heretical to even imply this but I prefer to dabble in the truth rather than BS. In the Internet marketing space that point of view earns me the title of ‘contrarian’. Well, I accept that title and look to results like those found by PulsePoint (reported by eMarketer ) to further make the point. It appears that the agency side of the ledger sees their delivery capabilities in the three major areas of marketing as either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ effective. Confidence is good I suppose but only if it’s based in reality. Otherwise it can be little more than salesmanship. Why do I see things this way? It is just that SO many people I run into have major gripes about the ‘help’ they receive from agency providers, regardless the size of the business. The get sold a bill of goods (the same bill of goods that was drilled into a salesperson’s head as gospel) then when it comes to delivery there is a serious disconnect. Unfortunately, the way many agencies handle client engagements is in a ‘fake it ’til you make it’ mode. Delivery is done by underpaid and relatively inexperienced folks and, well, you can guess where it goes from there. The next chart made me chuckle a bit. It shows just how confident agencies REALLY are. This chart shows the marketing priorities of these three groups. If agencies were truly as good as they claim don’t you think they would be more willing to measure results better? The revolt by marketers and others seeking agency level help has been a long time coming and really it can’t come too soon. How many monthly retainers will it take for clients to finally yell “No mas!” and simply do the best they can in house since their results were not that much better after paying someone else? Now, don’t think this is a blanket statement or indictment against the agency model. There are great providers out there. It’s usually the ones, however, that aren’t out there saying how good they but rather doing good work and living off referral business, that steer clear of this mess. How do you feel about the agency side of the interactive space? What has been your experience? Are you an agency provider who disagrees with me? Then please let us know your thoughts in the comments. We can’t know unless you make yourself be heard.

Affiliate Ball New York...

There is big news and a lot of hype swirling around the Affiliate Ball. Neverblue stepped up their marketing game by securing the “title” sponsorship for this event and will now have the appropriate nomenclature of "Neverblue Presents The Affiliate Ball".