Marketing Technology 5

5 Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #65

Stories This Week: Best Apps of ’12, Twitter advertising best practices, social media’s 15 mins, 5 Marketing Mega-Trends, Socl – MSFT’s social network

1. 25 Standout Apps From 2012

[Mashable] Instagram, Twitter and Facebook were, without a doubt, the most talked about apps of 2012, but they’re not what Mashable considers the top apps of the year.

My Hits: Instagram, Foursquare, Buffer, Twitter, Facebook, Untappd and Google Authenticator (2 factor security)

My Misses: The “where my friends are apps” (Highlight, Glancee, Sonar, etc.) and Facebook

That’s right, Facebook is on my naughty and nice list. I truly have great experiences with friends there, but in 2012 Facebook’s need to drive revenue diminished the social experience of its users.

2. 4 Tips For Using Twitter Ads & Promoted Tweets

[TopRank] Implementing a successful social media advertising program is an art form.  There are many opportunities for success and failure, which is why it’s imperative that you follow a set of best practices to increase your chances for success.

My Take: Click through for details, but the four tips are below.

1. Tip 1: Pin To the Top of Your Timeline
2. Tip 2: Utilize Hashtags
3. Tip 3: Promote Good Content
4. Tip 4: Using Geographic Targeting For Improved Results

3. Is Social Media’s 15 Minutes Of Fame Up?

Gartner Hype Cycle

[SEOMOZ] This Op-Ed takes a more critical tone in measuring social media’s: The Good, The Bad and The Money

My Take: The author raises good points, brand managers do need to understand why they’re using social media and for what gains.  Check the comments for some eager push back on how social media can better serve small/medium businesses (post purchase). 

Having a technology background, Marketing’s reaction to Marketing Technology life cycle follows a predictable pattern that has been documented for decades.  The trend is nicely illustrated by what Gartner calls the “Hype Cycle”.  Technologies spring to life, go through a period of exuberance, take their lumps as people realize the technologies failings, then settle in as the technology matures and finds its place in the technology toolbox. Sure, many technologies fade away before becoming truly productive, but considering the scale of consumer impact that social is having – I find it hard to imagine social is a fad.

4. Five Marketing Meta-Trends

[ChiefMarTec] Scott Brinker covers 5 huge trends in Marketing. What are they? Click through to slide 18.

My Take: Not the first time I’ve covered Scott’s work in this space. Pay attention to what he’s saying, he’s predicting the future in real-time.

5. Microsoft pulls back the covers on Socl, opens its social network to the public

[TheVerge] Microsoft is opening the doors on Socl, the mysterious social network project from its FUSE research group. As ZDNet reports, up until now the beta had been limited to a small set of users, but now anyone with a Facebook or Microsoft account is free to sign up.

My Take: Ugh.  Really. Come on Microsoft, another social network?  I’m sitting this one out.

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