Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition:  #28

Stories This Week: LinkedIn Follow Company button, rise of niche social networks, future of in-app purchases, how to launch a brand on Pinterest and a massive overhaul of the Facebook ad system.

1. LinkedIn rolls out Follow Company button for all sites

[VentureBeat] This week LinkedIn rolled out a button you can add to your website to gain more followers on your LinkedIn page

LinkedIn Follow Company

My Take: I like that followers will now get LinkedIn “Company Updates” on their LinkedIn home page. That provides new impressions and the opportunity for LinkedIn users to Like and Share your content.

Here’s how to get started in setting up a LinkedIn Follow Company button [LinkedIn]. Here’s a quick video intro to Company Updates. [LinkedIn]

2. Users and Marketers Warm to Niche Social Networks

[eMarketer] New services such as Pinterest and Tumblr are rapidly gaining popularity among consumers and marketers.

My Take: It’s interesting that these niche sites are mostly visually oriented and stripped down in functionality. The straight forward nature of the sites makes it easy for brands to know how to use them and users know what to expect.

3. The Future of In-App Purchases

[eMarketer] This article predicts future revenues in app purchases. In 2012, revenue from in-app purchases will exceed revenue from purchased downloads.

My Take: This Fremium model makes sense too. Having a low price point in the app store lowers to barrier to purchase. It allows consumers to try the game/app and, if they like it, they can purchase more features or levels. Ultimately this is a healthy trend because it encourages developers to build a quality product and it provides consumers with a “utility” model that let’s them decide how much functionality they want to pay for.

Pinterest

4. 8 Strategies for Launching a Brand Presence on Pinterest

[Mashable] These are eight, great steps to launching a Pinterest page, but individuals can use this advice as well.

My Take: Step number 8 may be the most important to brands. If you don’t own the content, don’t pin it to your board. Doing so is potentially a copyright violation that opens you up to litigation.

5. Facebook Relaunches Its Ad Platform, Says Brand Pages Are at the Center

[AdAge] Get ready for big changes at Facebook.

Facebook has taken the best of magazine ads (large-format imagery), the best of television spots (video content), the best of email marketing (guaranteed delivery), the best of newspaper ads (locally tailored and delivered content) and the best of social (the world’s social graph) to create a new and vibrant and amazingly flexible advertising offering.

My Take: This is a must read if you manage a brand on Facebook, but it’s also an interesting read for a Facebook user.