Check out this informative article written by TechCrunch. It provides good digital marketing information. To see all new blog posts featuring great marketing info, click here

Published on: 2012-02-09 14:00:02

With more companies vying for the attention of customers on social media channels, content producers, marketers and more are always looking for ways to better track the engagement and reach of their social media footprints — across the globe. Socialbakers , a young startup founded in 2009 has emerged as one of the leading social analytics platforms in Europe. Since raising $2 million in September from Earlybird Capital Ventures and breaking into the black, the startup has turned its sights to the U.S., becoming the exclusive analytics partner with Facebook and others to provide social media analytics throughout the presidential campaign. The company is now officially getting serious about securing a foothold in the states, as it today announced the launch of its U.S. headquarters in San Francisco. To support its arrival on American soil, Socialbakers is also announced a new U.S. leadership team to be based in the Bay Area, which includes veteran technology executive Martin Huml as President and COO and Katrina Wong as VP of Marketing. Huml, who will lead U.S. operations, has previously served as the company’s chairman, and founded a company which became an exclusive distributor for Apple in central and eastern Europe. He also formerly worked at Credit Suisse before founding San Francisco-based investment consulting firm, Runway Capital. Katrina Wong, who will lead the company’s go-to-market strategy, previously led corporate marketing at Zuora, and worked in marketing at both SAP and Salesforce.com. The team plans to build on the traction of its social monitoring platform in Europe, which includes a roster of more than 750 customers and 275,000 registered marketing users (with companies like Danone, Vodafone, Samsung, Lufthansa And Peugoet licensing the premium version of its service), on top of the 60 U.S. brands already using its technology. So what does the company do, exactly? Socialbakers’ analytics platform measures the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns across the major social networks, like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+ through its two flagship products. The first, called “Engagement Analytics,” enables statistical analysis of Facebook worldwide, including Facebook Pages, Places, Facebook apps, developers on Facebook, as well as advertising prices. “Engagement Builder,” by contrast offers benchmarking, competitive reporting, and integrated workflow functionality to enable businesses to track a variety of social media metrics. Jan Rezab, Socialbakers CEO, tells us that he’s seen a surprising amount of SMBs failing to integrate competitive benchmarking and intelligence into their social media strategies, opting to simply tap into certain streams to monitor keywords. While it’s easy for companies today to hook into a search stream and look at individual profiles themselves, the key is obviously to build a robust set of metrics around those profiles and streams. Volume matters, as he says that companies can no longer assume that their users will engage with their Twitter or Facebook content. By showing companies what works through an “Engagement Rate,” which not only tracks the low-hanging fruit like the number of fans and likes, but the number of comments, the type of engagement, how many people are picking up particular posts, how they’re sharing it, which pieces of content are going viral — and perhaps most importantly — how these engagement metrics compare to that of their competitors. Much of the data on the platform Socialbakers offers for free (as most of it is public data that is openly available, just poorly aggregated), a resource used increasingly by marketers. Of course, the company also offers a set of “pro” SaaS tools, for which companies pay between $100 and $1,000 per month depending on the number of fans their pages have attracted. The team believes that the U.S. is home to a fragmented analytics market, and by quickly scaling its platform over the course of the next year, it can become a player in the space. The CEO said that it plans to double the size of its U.S.-based team over the next two months, in addition to growing the international team to more than 100 employees. “We want to help all the companies using Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and YouTube, get out of the dark,” the CEO said. While that’s no easy feat, we could definitely use a bigger lightbulb. For more, check out the company at home here .

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Read more from the original source: Socialbakers Brings Its Leading European Social Analytics Platform To The U.S.

Published on: 2012-02-09 13:59:35

European accelerator HackFwd just announced that Infogr.am from Riga in Latvia as its latest investment. Infogr.am’s product is gunning to be a kind of Adobe Illustrator for online, allowing anyone to create cool info-graphics. The web-based application needs no programming or design skills, and works in the same way that you can snap a photo and share it on your social networks. Users make a statement or an argument graphically and then share it. An infographic can be embedded on a page or shared as a link or an image directly.

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Infogr.am Gets HackFwd Backing To Democratize Cool Info-graphics

Published on: 2012-02-09 13:38:41

This is the Nike Film Room, an interactive experience that is part green screen, part basketball court helping to teach kids how to play ball like the pros. Kids watch pro basketball players produce signature moves on the court and then study their actions to make that move, before jumping onto the green screen court Related Digital Buzz Posts: Nike+ Graffiti Challenge Case Study Nike Air Show: Digital Installation Nike Shout: Game Day Social Installation

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Nike: The Film Room Case Study

This is a good article called Compete Says Google+ Is Becoming An Enormous Success:

Published on: 2012-02-09 13:12:45

No matter how you feel about Google, Plus 1′s and Google + or how you think they should or should not influence search results you have to admit that Google has created some positive social waves for the first time in its history. So just how big is this impact? Compete calls it enormous It is now safe to say that Google+ is becoming an enormous success, with nearly half of the unique visitors of Twitter (40,411,065 unique visitors in December). With a steep upward trend and knowledge of the power behind a Google product, expect continued growth from the unequaled search engine’s social platform known for ingenuity, creativity, and revolutionary product offerings. Compete uses the following numbers as the support for this claim. Now comes the question as to whether visitors are what defines success or, especially in the case of a social network, is that the key performance indicator (KPI) that you use to claim success? I say that it can certainly be one element but it is not enough to make the claim that Compete does. Social is about interaction and that is something that is much more difficult to put in a measurable fashion. We like numbers like visitors because it is something we can all agree on and can get our hands on much easier. The trouble is that it falls far short of being a true measure of success in the social media world. So do you think that this metric is enough to say that Google+ is an enormous success? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments! Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.

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The rest is here: Compete Says Google+ Is Becoming An Enormous Success

This is an interesting post called Analytics Dashboard Netvibes Sold To Dassault Systèmes:

Published on: 2012-02-09 07:06:05

Netvibes has just been acquired by European product design company  Dassault Systèmes (sure this isn’t the type of thing I usually write, but I like the founder Tariq Krim so bear with me here … ). French startup Netvibes is a sentiment analytics dashboard that allows Fortune 500 companies to track their social media presence throughout the realtime web. Dassault is a “3D experience” design company — which lets designers virtualize how products will work in the real world — so the acquisition actually seems jarring at first, but Netvibes CEO Freddy Mini tells me that the buy actually makes sense in terms of connecting what people say about a product to its design process through the Netvibes dashboard. “With the birth of the real-time Web, companies need to adapt to everything and everyone inside and outside their borders. To accomplish this, we need a way to connect and combine different products and uses, internal and external data sources, personal and professional apps, and human curation and algorithms—across all devices and departments, in real-time and in context,” Dassault Systèmes President and CEO Bernard Charlès wrote in a release. “It is the synchronization of the outside world and the inside world into one world,” Mini said over the phone. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Mini says that the deal made, “everyone happy” — in a French accent, of course.

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Analytics Dashboard Netvibes Sold To Dassault Systèmes

Published on: 2012-02-09 02:33:57

I found this article I found for this blog. Read it here – Founder Collective Makes A $4 Million Bet On Paddle8′s Online Marketplace For Fine Art

When it comes to a marketplace for fine art, a space which seems to intrinsically resist digital services, technology really hasn’t had quite the same disruptive influence it has in so many others. Startups like Zazzle and Art.com have taken steps to make art commercial and broadly accessible, with some cool technology to boot, but automation and democratization haven’t really penetrated the upper crust world of fine art in any significant way, for understandable reasons. Democratic luxury sounds like an oxymoron, or phony marketing. Founder Collective , an early-stage venture capital fund based in NYC, has made some smart bets on disruptive models in niche markets, namely on Uber (and Makerbot and Milo), and today the fund is collectively making a bet on the online art market with a startup called Paddle8 . Today, Founder Collective announced that is leading the series A financing of Paddle8, investing $4 million alongside Mousse Partners (a private investment firm affiliated with the luxury goods company, which has invested in Paperless Post and Warby Parker). As a result of the financing, David Frankel of Founder Collective will be joining the startup’s board of directors. With this infusion of capital, Paddle8 hopes to cement a position as an online destination for both beginner and veteran collectors to access fine art works by way of curated selection, insider opinions, on top of a transaction platform that brings automation to the startup’s storefront. And that’s where Paddle8′s value proposition lies, on the one hand it is providing a set of tools and services that enable galleries to run their back ends via its platform, allowing them to ship, insure and install the purchased art without any limitation on time and geography. (A dashboard for inventory and transactional management is in the pipeline.) On the other hand, the NYC-based startup is racking up 100,000 pageviews per day on its current stock and adding 2,000 hand-picked art collectors per month. Art buyers are becoming a more and more global (and less homogenous) audience, and Paddle8 wants to become the service that introduces them to the well-dressed concoction of fine art and eCommerce, engages them online while streamlining purchasing, insuring, and shipping. Paddle8 has already formed partnerships with museums like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), along with 200 other galleries. It will use its new infusion of capital to beef up its technology and feature set. For collectors, this means that it will be launching a new user interface that focuses on collector-to-collector engagement, dynamic editorial, customized navigation, enabling art buyers to browse art works from a slew of eras and media. And for galleries, museums, and art fairs, this means that Paddle8 will provide B2B services like a point of sale transaction platform, virtual “private rooms” to showcase individual works of art (galleries generally have to rely on sending .JPEGs via email when showing pieces of art, as they usually don’t broadcast price), as well as a set of mobile apps that aim to bring ease and efficiency of search and purchase to that increasingly global audience of art hounds. Furthermore, galleries can also offer additional artworks outside of the exhibitions under their own name within Paddle8’s extended gallery. The value and meaning of art often rely on context, and Paddle wants to provide that aspect to its community by inviting influential figures to participate as curators. Every month, a new guest curator introduces a set of works that center around a particular theme. Current curators include the inimitable Robin Williams and Warhol collaborator and Interview Magazine Co-founder Glenn O’Brien. The intent is for that content to become a multimedia archive that will act as an educational tool for the site’s visitors. Somewhat ironically, Paddle8 is looking to bring democratizing and leveling technologies to a traditionally offline and luxury market, though co-founders Aditya Julka and Alexander Gilkes say they are not attempting to surplant the physical and emotional engagement with art, but “rather to enhance access to the fine art world via curation, services and community.” Of course, to continue doing that, they have to monetize, which means that the startup will be taking a “low double digit” percentage of each transaction that takes place on the site. So far, the team has been able to find some traction in a notoriously prickly niche market, both in terms of visitors and revenue, without much capital. And now there are 4 million reasons why that could continue. Add some AR to product pages where users can view enhanced, 3-D representations of the art, and Paddle8 could sail on to victory. Though it’s clearly going to have some push-back from Art.sy . For more, check out the company at home here .

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Originally posted here:
Founder Collective Makes A $4 Million Bet On Paddle8′s Online Marketplace For Fine Art

Published on: 2012-02-08 23:54:42

I thought you would like this article I found for this blog. Read it here – What Does a ‘Like’ Get You These Days?

We often talk about how much a “like” is worth in terms of marketing. But what is a “like” worth to the consumer? Take a look at this chart from eMarketer. The results clearly show that consumers expect to get something in return for their click. But when the CMO Council asked marketers what they thought, they said that consumers clicked out of loyalty or love for their product. It is true that clicking the like button does imply a certain fondness for a brand, but love will only get you so far. Once the bloom is off the rose, consumers want to be rewarded for their loyalty. You could go to Jared, or you could offer coupons, discounts, and freebies, They’re the best way to get me to like your Facebook page. The second most popular choice is an interesting one. At first, I was surprised that 60% of people wanted to interact with others. That’s because my initial concept of a branded Facebook page is one devoted to a product, restaurant or store. Then I thought of the official pages for TV shows, movies, bands, charity organizations, sports teams. . . all of these are the perfects places for sharing thoughts, photos and links. Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information. Now drop down four spaces to “Find service and support.” Half of the respondents chose this answer and it’s a big one. More and more, I see consumers using Facebook pages to register a complaint. I did it myself, a couple of days ago. And you know what? The company didn’t reply. Even after I left a follow up comment and three other people left complaints, the company still hasn’t replied. That’s a company that won’t be getting anymore of my money and all they had to do to keep me was answer. Facebook pages are an excellent way of encouraging commerce with coupons, perks and games. But you have to monitor your pages. You have to respond to the comments, good and bad (especially the bad) and you have to keep the conversation going. If you plan to build a page and forget it, then don’t build it in the first place. What’s happening when you’re not there could do you more harm than good.

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What Does a ‘Like’ Get You These Days?

Published on: 2012-02-08 23:04:08

Facebook is huge on mobile — as an application developer. But questions have circled for years around how it can be a real mobile platform on top of operating systems controlled by Apple and Google. But we got a little more data on what it’s already accomplishing on the platform front, today at the Inside Social Apps conference here in San Francisco. Facebook product director Carl Sjogreen said on stage that out of the 425 million monthly mobile users that it currently counts, 60 million are going to third party apps. And this isn’t just once a month apiece — this is 320 million times total per month, which means an average of five times per user. I couldn’t get more details on how these numbers break down, except that they do not include Facebook’s own native or web apps. Rather, they seem to mean any mobile app that has somehow integrated Facebook. So, like what Zynga has done with the mobile version of FarmVille, or how you can find Facebook friends to add to Path, or any number of other implementations out there. Facebook’s goal as a company is to create a social layer on top of everything, everywhere. For mobile, it already offers a variety of platform-style options including login identity, social channels including requests, the news feed, bookmarks, search, social plugins and email. Many of these features only became available in October. The numbers today mean that this stuff is getting some traction. Mobile app developers, maybe it’s time to look closer at how to use Facebook for your next update.

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Facebook As A Mobile Platform: 60 Million Mobile Users Visit Third-Party Apps Each Month

Published on: 2012-02-08 22:25:12

I thought you would like this post I found for this blog. Read it here – Foursquare Rolls Out New Version Of “Explore” On Mobile With Filters & Improved Search

This morning, Foursquare launched an updated version of its “Explore” feature for both its iPhone and Android applications. The new version brings over several of the features already available through Foursquare on the web , including filters, photos in search results and the ability to change your location. After updating your mobile app, you’ll see the improvements in the “Explore,” section, Foursquare’s local guide which is augmented by your friends’ recommendations and visits as well as other Foursquare users’ tips and comments. Like a mini local search engine, you can search for venues by category (“coffee,” “nightlife”), name, or even something very specific, like what  food you’re in the mood for (“tuna,” “burgers”). You can also tap “Specials” to see just those venues offering check-in or mayor discounts. Starting today, you’ll now be able to use the new filter button (at the top right on iOS or bottom right on Android) to narrow your search results by options like “New to me,” places you’ve already been, “Both,” or, alternatively, you can choose to see those places your friends have tried. You can also use Explore to find recommended places in areas outside your current location, as determined by your phone’s GPS. You can either type in a location or drag the map around, then pinch or tap to zoom into new neighborhoods. Although still sometimes overlooked by those who just use Foursquare as a checkin service/social network, Explore represents a key new direction for the location-based startup. The idea, as Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley explained last month when Explore arrived on the web, is to try to “make local search much smarter…it’s based off what you and your friends actually do, where you go and when you go.” And, for obvious reasons, local search is much smarter when you can actually use it while on the go. The new Foursquare apps are out now, check the appropriate app store for the update.

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Foursquare Rolls Out New Version Of “Explore” On Mobile With Filters & Improved Search

This is a new post called Path: We’ve Deleted All Address Book Data:

Published on: 2012-02-08 20:37:21

It looks like Path has heeded the words of investor Michael Arrington. Yesterday, the startup faced a major privacy backlash when it was revealed that the social app was uploading user’s address book data without actually telling the user. Co-founder and CEO Dave Morin was apologetic, and there was a lot of argument about how big a deal this was (especially since the practice was in-line with Apple’s policies), but Arrington had a simpler suggestion: “ Just nuke all the data .” And in a new blog post , Morin says that’s exactly what Path has done. Well, first he explains that the app was using the data for innocuous purposes (alerting users when one of their contacts joined Path). And there’s a new version of the Path asks you to opt-in before it uses this data. But Morin also says: We believe you should have control when it comes to sharing your personal information. We also believe that actions speak louder than words. So, as a clear signal of our commitment to your privacy, we’ve deleted the entire collection of user uploaded contact information from our servers. Your trust matters to us and we want you to feel completely in control of your information on Path. As Arrington noted, it shouldn’t take too long for Path to collect the data again from the users who want to share it. Still, this seems like an effective symbolic gesture that says, “Yes, we screwed up, and we want to make amends.”

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Read the original here: Path: We’ve Deleted All Address Book Data