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Displaying posts tagged 'facebook'. Show all posts
Online Community Messaging – the next big online marketing tool
Jonathan Bowers, May 30th 2008, 1:28PM
In their efforts to connect with potential customers online, businesses are already using online banner ads, site sponsorship and email marketing but can we predict the next big development to hit the mainstream? In my view it’s going to be online community messaging.
Why? Firstly, community messaging has the power to deliver a business’s ad direct to the audience. Secondly, using the wealth of personal data held by community sites, marketing can be targeted right down to the individual.
Thirdly, it avoids the potential problems that have developed in using email for advertising, such as spam filters and users recognising and rejecting marketing emails. And fourthly, it offers an exciting, new interface, which we could call ’partnering’ or ‘piggybacking’.
If we take Facebook as an example we can see the huge potential for online community messaging marketing.
Facebook has a number of features that offer an effective message service through activity linking. The most direct model involves creating a fan page of a brand or product and inviting members. As people join their network friends are automatically alerted to the action, which spreads the word about the brand. This marketing style generates what is known as ‘Fansumers’ and it has the added benefit that brands are not just promoted but also endorsed.
The ‘partnering’ message is Facebook’s latest initiative. If a user messages a friend with reference to a commercial entity, the business can pay to include an ad that accompanies the message. The example Facebook uses is a restaurant. A user messages a friend saying they have visited a particular restaurant and included in the massage is an ad for that very restaurant.
Online community popularity continues to go from strength to strength and it offers unique characteristics to help businesses get their message across. So a big part of the future of online marketing certainly involves online community messaging.
Tags: advertising, brand, e-commerce, facebook, internet
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Microsoft and Facebook - the demographics challenge
Jonathan Bowers, October 5th 2007, 11:05AM
In the search arena, there is one advantage Microsoft has over the market leader and this is the ability to target ads demographically.
I attended a seminar yesterday organised by Don't Panic and Manchester Digital which included speakers from Google, Hitwise and Microsoft. The most exciting presentation of the day came from Mel Carson of Microsoft who talked us through the new Adcentre and the demographic developments that give them an edge.
With 25 million Instant Messenger and Hotmail/Live email accounts in the UK, they have gender and age details on many of us that can help marketers to get closer to their target audience.
Microsoft has made some interesting acquisitions over the last few years that help to shape this area of the business that still represents only 5% of turnover. Inspiring developments in both image and video search are on the radar but one recent partnership which does ring some alarm bells on the demographics front is the purchase of 5% of Facebook.
Privacy was mentioned more than once yesterday. If Microsoft starts to offer targeted ads on Facebook the move will certainly fuel the personal information debate. That is, unless Facebook creates a privacy setting to block targeted ads on profile pages.
I can't think of many richer sources of personal information available online and the question is, does Microsoft have the right to resource it? Some would argue that it is better to receive an advert for a product or service that you want than one that you don't.
One thing Mel made clear was that Microsoft is keen to listen to businesses, work with them and deliver ad relevance, so morality aside, Microsoft's allegiance with Facebook is a step forward for businesses and their online reach.
Tags: advertising, facebook, microsoft
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