Martech Social - Blog

Facebook Adds location to any app

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:14:00 GMT

Three months ago Facebook acquired Foursquare competitor Gowalla promptly closing it. The team were transferred to Facebook to help work on the social giant's own local offering.

Last week the initial results of the collaboration were released. The ability to incorporate location into any new app created.

This change is part of a broader move to allow app makers greater ability to harness the Open Graph for apps. This wider inclusion of apps into the timeline has already been seen with 'official' partners including The Guardian and Washington Post, Spotify and now UStream. All of these apps combine the ability to consume media (news, music, streaming video) within the Facebook timeline [link http://martechsocial.com/blog/how-will-facebook-s-new-timeline-affect-brands ] and the ability to share richer data to Facebook.

Of particular interest to Facebook is apps with a specific interest. So, you could create an app for London eating out recommendations. The app would allow any user to deliver a rich update to their timeline. With the new API opportunities such an app could include photos, location, comments and friends.

Such an app goes beyond the original places/check in function of last year's Facebook offering great opportunities for brands and competition for niche social networks (Click here to view our previous article on The Rise of Niche Social Networks)

This one food example could challenge both Foodspotting and Evernote Food through the combination of function and access to the larger Facebook network.

These changes will give us the chace to create more dynamic apps (Click here to view our app library) with greater scope and deliver rich solutions that go much further than any previous Facebook update. The combination of app, mobile and local abilities signals an important move forward for the social network.

Take a look at our Facebook app development here http://martechsocial.com/apps/facebook-app-library

Google + launches UK TV ad amidst falling audience

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:44:00 GMT

Google has launched its first full TV advertising campaign for Google+. Taking a similar pitch to the Chrome ads (sharing of family experiences), the Google ad aims to show how one user can share their moments and memories with friends and family, through sharing of photos, updates and videos.

From this video alone it looks as if Google is aiming directly for the Facebook audience, ignoring the wider aspects of Google+ and how it impacts the wider web. Perhaps this ad is the easiest way to encapsulate Google+ into 60 seconds.

This advert comes on the heels on some bad numbers for Google+. A recent Wall Street Journal /Comscore report suggests more time is spent on any other social network than Google+. The Comscore data points to a meagre 3 minutes per month vs seven hours on Facebook and 89 minutes on Pinterest. (View our previous article on Pinterest)

However, in a recent interview (http://technmarketing.com/2012/03/an-interview-with-googles-senior-vp-engineering-vic-gundotra-about-google-and-misconceptions/) , Vic Gundotra Senior VP Engineering at Google, refutes the data claiming it is vastly different to Google's own numbers and does not take into account mobile usage, which is an important source of Google+ traffic.

The continued bad press for Google+ has already led pundits to write off the social network, but we remain watchful of its potential. Whilst all the negative publicity is around its lack of usage [vs Facebook], Google+ continues to weave into every element of Google, from search to video and potentially blog commentary soon. (http://www.slashgear.com/google-comments-system-tipped-to-rival-facebook-27220229/).

In time we may be using Google+ without knowing it, removing the direct comparison to Facebook and making it an attractive proposition.

Why all brands need a content strategy

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:42:00 GMT

When planning social strategies, one of the most frequent questions we are asked is, "What do I write about/share?" The exact answer is different for each client but the overall view is share whatever you can.

That sharing can be simple status updates or questions to solicit responses but that can run dry very quickly. What we stingily recommend is content, unique, relevant and constantly refreshing.

Why? because consumers like content.

Research into brand Facebook pages shows that the most popular updates (defined by number of likes and comments) are photos. A photo is also worth a thousand words, which helps when you only have 140 characters on Twitter!

Red Bull has been a global leader in brand content creation for the past decade with its Red Bull Media House. http://www.redbullmediahouse.com. By sponsoring teams, Red Bull creates the content that fits perfectly with its audience profile. This access to content then empowers their social channels including Facebook and Pinterest (See last month's article on Pinterest http://martechsocial.com/blog/5-brands-doing-it-right-on-pintrest).

Almost the other extreme is Hiscox Insurance. A private insurance company focused on high net worth individuals, Hiscox has little relevance for social channels. A combination of regulatory control and a dry subject means an insurance company cannot use a traditional content approach. However, Hiscox collected unique works of art, displaying them in the Art Cafe at their HQ in London. Now Hiscox have a dedicated website for their art. Instead of talking about insurance, they can talk about art.

The creation of content moves the brand conversation away from "what the brand is" to a more compelling "what does the brand do, think, care about." That in turn helps social engagement and the sharing opportunity to benefit from 'viral' content.

Regular, fresh content also works well for SEO. Google likes to see fresh content and sites will gain more external links if there is a compelling reason to.

Whilst many brands can't compete with the scope and investment of the Red Bull media house or have an art collection like Hiscox, they can all create content.

The most basic level of content is sharing company knowledge. From sharing cocktail recipes from a bar to writing '10 ways to reduce your fuel costs' any company can create relevant content.

But content does not have to stop there. With the social tools like Instagram (http://www.digitaltomorrowtoday.com/2011/12/07/si-great-examples-of-brands-using-instagram/) any brand can take a photo and share it instantly on Twitter and Facebook. Soundcloud (www.soundcloudcom) can be used to record and embed audio clips and video works both for the YouTube audience and SEO friendly web content.

Curating content, like some brands on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) can also be a useful and quick start to generating content but not as valuable as original work.

An investment in fresh content, and the strategy behind sharing it, could deliver benefits across all forms of digital marketing. Think about what your brand does, knows and experiences then think about how to share that. You are on the first step towards a content strategy.

5 Days to go - Facebook Pages timeline upgrade

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:15:00 GMT

As most people now know as of the 30th of March 2012 (Which is in 5 days time!) your Facebook fan page will change to the new timeline layout. No, this is not the end of the world, but it certainly is a change to your page as you know it.

So there are quite a few changes to the way your page will look and the way that you engage with fans of your page. Some people will greatly benefit from these changes ie. brands wanting to make messages more visible by highlighting key content and others will find that the new pages actually restrict interaction levels for example messages made by your fans will be restriced to a single content area (See images below).

Pinning messages and engagement:

Applications

Another majot change which will affect a lot of people is the new space dedicated to apps. The new apps open in their own page without the fan page navigation which was present in the old Facebook fan page layout. What this means is that the space to showcase apps has now been increased from the previous 520 pixels to a whopping 810 pixels which means you get a lot more of space to show off what you love and what you are all about. However, before you get too excited, you need to be aware that you will need to upgrade your existing applications to fit this space. It doesn't mean that any existing apps will not work, as they will do, but without extending the full width of the page and float centrally, to the left or the right depending on how they are coded. The comparison of old and new apps space can be seen below:

Old Facebook page app space:

New Facebook App Space

Still haven't upgraded? Click the image below to view/download our free guide

These are just a few of the features, to get a full overview click the image below where you can view/download our full guide on how to get your new Facebook page set up and how to effectively manage it with the new interface.

If you require new apps for your page or any assistance upgrading to the new time line feel free to get in touch and we'll be more than happy to help 020 7801 9877.

5 Brands doing it right on Pintrest

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:58:00 GMT

Hardly a day passes without mention of Pinterest as the 'next big thing'. It has rapidly grown in 2012 to become a major 'niche network' (http://martechsocial.com/blog/the-rise-and-growth-of-the-social-network-2012-and-beyond) which is now starting to attract brand attention.

Pinterest has the potential to showcase brand elements [images, graphics, videos] for easy consumption and sharing. It has two main benefits for brands:

i. The opportunity to place the brand and brand elements in front of a [currently] engaged and active audience that will rate (like) and share (repin) content they like to their audience.

ii. Allowing the brand to link back to their site (using the Pinmarklet) which in turn can drive traffic, engagement and sales.

Brand use of Pinterest is still in its early phase as they start to identify engaging content and methods for posting and tracking results. You can find a large list of brands on Pinterest here however, many of these are just 'placeholders' for future activity or to protect the brand. So here we have five examples of brands we feel are harnessing Pinterest well.

1. Amnesty International

Amnesty USA combines great visuals to promote their message with relevant shopping images to help connect the site and generate income from Pinterest clicks. The combination of facts, shopping and some great movie recommendations ensures that Amnesty maintain relevance and interest without singular focus on campaigning.

http://pinterest.com/amnestyusa/pins/

2. Red Bull Racing

In a way, Red Bull don't need a presence on Pinterest. The raft of images found when searching for 'Red Bull' shows the level of brand engagement from simple packaging shots [often associated with Pinterest users 'Brands I love'] to F1 images and more. http://pinterest.com/search/?q=red+bull

The Red Bull Racing Pinterest consists of boards with approved images of the RB8, brand wallpapers linking through to their website and 'behind the scenes' images from a Kasabian concert help promote the brand in multiple ways. With a tantalising promise of 'pins from around the world' this could become a cool channel for F1 updates as they happen.

http://pinterest.com/redbullracing/

3. Hendricks Gin

Hendricks are taking a 'curated' approach to Pinterest sharing little of their official 'corporate' instead sharing inspirational images that are relevant to brand positioning and of interest to their followers. Many of the images are shared from, and link back to, to their blog www.unusualtimes.com

http://pinterest.com/hendricksgin/ginspiration/

4. Nordstrom

Nordstrom is a US Fashion retailer using Pinterest as a shop window. At the time of writing they have 436 pins and 10,000 followers. Nordstrom is pinning images of and links to their clothes ranges into relevant boards including Spring 2012 weddings, Shoes and Beautify Favourites. The creation of relevant boards will both help fashion discovery and help 'upsell' products by showing them in context with others.

http://pinterest.com/nordstrom/

5. Time Magazine

Time is using Pinterest to combine new articles and content with archive images linking though to the relevant Time or Time Life sections. This combination of new content and archive content works well to keep users engaged whilst reinvigorating some highly valuable historic content.

By phasing the pinning of new and old content, Time will ensure their boards receive regular interest and discovery as people share the current themes and enjoy discovering older/'cool' images.

http://pinterest.com/time_magazine/pins/

How will Facebook's new timeline affect Brands?

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:22:00 GMT

How will Facebook's new timeline affect Brands?

Facebook Fan Pages are set for a revamp in line with with Timeline styles pushed out to most users over the past month. Whilst official news is limited, we can expect to see the new pages looking similar to, but not ' a carbon copy' of the Facebook timelines now visible across most consumer profiles.

We expect the new pages will also offer new language and actions moving away from simple likes to potentially include other terms or other actions. We have seen some limited examples already from brands including Pinterest that includes 'pins' onto the timeline if someone shares their Pinterest updates. Spotify, one of the first brands to include the new updates allow users to stream their Spotify listens using the verb 'listen'.

This change of language can help brands better connect with their audiences moving away from the standard 'call and response' of updating a fan page seeking links and comments to a more natural feel of actions and opinions.

We also expect greater engagement with brand 'apps' delivering more integration than the current apps which offer limited engagement within a frame on the current fan pages. If we see greater engagement in line with Spotify listens or Guardian reads we could also achieve greater and deeper interaction with the consumers. The Guardian app, for example, has reinvigorated online readership boosting both engagement with existing readers and opened the site to a new and younger audience.

Like the consumer timeline, there will be an opportunity for brands to 'back fill' their history form inception to key points. This has the very real potential to help grow the content available for engagement. No longer restricted to 'new' updates, brands could be adding classic TV ads or press ads to their archives delivering further engagement and a better representation of the company's history.

A dedicated conference on the 29th of February will be the first real opportunity we get to see the new layout and opportunities. Whilst we don't expect to see many opportunities for new timelines in the the UK soon, we can watch, learn and prepare for their eventual roll out in the UK.

Will Google's Latitude kill Foursquare and Upset Facebook?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:13:00 GMT

Will Google's Latitude kill Foursquare and Upset Facebook?

For a while last year, Foursquare was the only location based social network in play. Facebook had wound down its location offering, then acquired Gowalla taking it out of play. Now we hear news that Google has quietly launched Checkins, and Leaderboards for their Latitude service.

If you are not familiar with Latitude, it is Google's mobile attempt to track mobile users and share their locations with connected friends. The service has been active for a couple of years with no real fanfare and little value once the novelty has worn off. In December 2011 we saw the rise of Hotpot - combining Google Local data with the ability for users to add ratings and reviews.

The latest incarnation of Latitude brings 'game like' checkins and leader boards to the mobile app. The ability to check in to a location, earn points and compete with a wider social network places Google directly in the path of Foursquare and as importantly, provides a head start [to the social location networks] ahead of Facebook.

Brands looking to harness footfall and social success will look at Google's updates as potential to further enhance and improve their Google and social presence. At present the new checkins don't connect to Google+ but we expect this will happen in time.

The new check in functions are available for Android users of the Google Maps app with iOS (iPhone) expected to arrive soon.

Now would be a good time to ensure your Google local listings are up to date and correct.

Obama's Google+ Hangout demonstrates the potential for brands

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

One of the key features of Google+ is the Hangout function. A Hangout is simply a video chat with up to 9 other selected people. This feature is similar to Facebook's Skype function but with more attendees. President Obama is the latest 'celebrity' to create a Google+ Hangout.

As we reported before (See previous blog post on the use of social media in the US elections here) Obama's team continue to be at the forefront of social media use. This example demonstrates the potential for a 'live' interaction between a key person and a selected audience which can be translated for brand use.

The Muppets, heavy on the promotional trail have also been using Hangouts to share details of their new film and provide us with some laughs along the way.

The opportunity for brands is to use Hangouts for invited special previews, discussions or to use them for customer support sessions. With the potential to expand from 2 participants to a total of 10 there is real scope to create an event or deliver personal service.

With the right strategy, a Google+ hangout also has the potential to deliver far more content and benefit than the hangout itself. Creating an event can be something that is promoted before, during and after the event. The ability to record these hangouts means you can also have content to share after the event.

Whilst we can't all achieve the press of Obama or Beckham (Video Below) but we can achieve greater value by planning and maximising the content generated.

Take a look at your organisation, what can you share in a Hangout? Do you have a resident expert who can answer questions, can you visually demonstrate a new product or can you invite fans to ask the questions.

Google has a dedicated channel of previous Hangouts so check these out (link: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleplusHangouts?feature=watch) for inspiration.

Google centralises data to manage privacy and improve ad targeting

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:52:00 GMT

It has been a tough start for Google in 2012. Despite record profits, investors expected more and dropped their stock by 10% whilst consumers were alarmed at the latest privacy announcement.

If you hadn't seen it, Google is centralising (link http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-tracks-consumers-across-products-users-cant-opt-out/2012/01/24/gIQArgJHOQ_story.html) all privacy policies to make it easier for the consumer to understand what is being recorded and why. Google aim to make this a safer experience for consumers but in reality it is also centralising its knowledge about Google users. So as a consumer using YouTube, Google+ and Gmail I will have one privacy policy but also one central tracking function to help Google understand better about me.

This centralised knowledge is key to Google's future as it seeks to gain more value from its customers and sell more targeted and valuable advertising. From its origins selling ads against keywords, Google is now maturing to be able to improve the relevance of these ads further decreasing the need for 'long tail' keyword searches.

So, in time, if Google knew I had been watching BMW videos on YouTube, used Google location services in Sevenoaks it could deliver a targeted 'BMW dealers in Sevenoaks' ad. This form of advertising is also where Facebook wants to be, tieing in your stated interests with your actions recorded on the social graph.

As social activities permeate into the established web marketing channels we can expect to see more of this data mining to deliver more targeted and personal results.

The rise and growth of the social network...2012 and beyond

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:37:00 GMT

During 2012 we expect Facebook to reach the 1bn user mark. Twitter is expected to grow past the 300 million user mark with Google rapidly chasing their tail.

But 2012 will not just be about the major social networks. It will also be about the rise of the niche social network. These networks have been growing for some time but will gain prominence for their potential reach and level of engagement for connected consumers with different interests.

A report from Comscore in October 2011 highlighted Tumblr as the fastest growing social network behind Sina Wellbo (Chinese Microblogging site). Tumblr, as you recall gained a leap of interest last year with the patronage of President Obama. (Click here to view the previous article on the role Social Media has within the presidential elections)

These social networks do not compete with Facebook et al, instead offering a network built around collected interests or methods of sharing. Pinterest, for example is a rapidly growing community sharing pictures - designs, inspirations, fashion, infographics and more. The consumer choses what they wish to share and what they wish to receive in their feed.

Instagram is another rapid growing niche network for 2012. The network is primarily iPhone app based, allowing you to take, edit and share photos instantly. Again the Obama campaign has jumped on this channel as a great way to share the visual message that is harder to achieve on Twitter.

One of the reasons for Instagram's growth has been the ease of which you can share with other social networks including Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

This ability to interact and share with the major social networks is a key theme across almost all of the rapidly growing niche networks. In order to succeed these networks need to slip easily into the daily social routine; the ability to include Facebook updates within the network or to share directly with the Facebook audience (and other networks) is important for long term success.

The continued rise and success of these networks is a great demonstration that brands can have their own networks and be part of the larger social networks. With the right integration and strategy, it does not have to be an either or decision.

Why Facebook Page Private Messgaing could be bad for brands

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:32:00 GMT

News arrives today that Facebook is trialling a new service for fan pages. The private messaging function effectively opens a private 'back channel' allowing consumers to correspond directly with the page administrators.

This function will be similar to the DM function in Twitter which allows brands and consumers to continue private conversations. This dialogue opportunity will initially be instigated only by the consumer/fan from which the brand can build a dialogue.

On first inspection this looked a great opportunity for brands to engage further with their consumers. However, there is a potential downside to this channel if handled badly.

With the rise of social media, social networks and 'web 2.0' (going back a bit) there was a very real opportunity for brands and consumers to have a freer more active dialogue which could empower customers. However, these channels also gave the opportunity for a quicker and potentially more damaging complaints to be shared.

The opportunities for private messages on Facebook could see even greater connections between consumers and brands if managed correctly. For brands that get inundated with messages, or don't actively manage or respond to these messages there is potential to offend customers with the associated ramifications. The channel, therefore, has great opportunities if handled correctly but more potential for damaging relationships if not handled well.

At Martech we believe all social channels have an important role to play in consumer dialogue both talking to and listening to the consumer. Brands that understand this and manage them well on any platform could succeed more than the brands that chose to ignore or mishandle these opportunities.

The rise of Second Tier App Stores

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:21:00 GMT

Or the App becomes the platform...

Apps are big business. The Apple Mac App Store just passed one million downloads, Google's Android downloads are averaging 1 billion per month and Microsoft launch their own desktop app store with Windows 8.

In 2012 we will see the rise of 2nd Tier app stores, or app stores within apps. Spotify, an app you download from all major app stores has launched its own set of apps that work within the app itself. Within Spotify you can now personalise the experience with apps from other providers including Rolling Stone for music reviews and TuneWiki for lyrics.

RunKeeper, a successful social exercise management app is also growing to launch its own platform, allowing other companies and brands to harness the existing data and structure from RunKeeper, using it to enhance the app and promote the relevant elements of their business.

From being a simple app in the App Store, Runkeeper is now using key elements of it service to add value to other apps, which in turn offer an extension of the Runkeeper brand and service. Runstar, a social running app for Android now combines Runkeeper data with its own service to deliver even greater value to the consumer.
These are just two examples of a growing trend for 2012. We expect to see more brands create their own platforms allowing greater convergence of products and services through an app.
GFor brands looking to start an app strategy, these 2nd tier opportunities may offer a real opportunity. By offering an element of their business or service, a 2nd tier app could plug into an existing and engaged audience from which a dedicated app strategy could be started.

2012 Predection - The continued rise of niche social networks

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:54:00 GMT

2011 has seen the major social networks expand their reach, with Facebook now achieving over 800m users, Twitter heading towards 100m and Google+ rapidly catching. So, with such a large proportion of online consumers on these channels, what possible value is there in niche social networks?

Well, Niche social networks have seen fantastic growth in 2011. Foursquare, the location based social app has 15 million users, checking in 4 million times per day at over 30 million locations. Instagram, the social photo sharing app has 15m users and saw an average of 50 photo shares per second over Thanksgiving. Both of these are niche social networks connecting people around a common theme or interest.

These are just two examples of how niche social networks are growing and we expect to see a wide range of other niche social networks gain traction in 2012. From Cime.in to FoodSpotting and Path, these social networks all focus on connecting smaller groups of people around a common theme like food or family. They also have similar traits - mobile, social and local.

These new social networks will be mobile connecting the what are you doing with the where and with whom. For social relevance, they also contain the ability to connect with friends on Twitter and Facebook to ensure maximum relevance with the consumers' daily social activity.

In this day of social giant dominance any niche that does not connect with the the major networks will be doomed to failure. At Martech we have been developing niche brand social networks for some time, ensuring the social interactions and content are managed and owned by the brand whilst the social engagements are seamlessly integrated with the larger social networks.

In 2012 we expect to see more social networks appear, connecting the best elements of the larger social networks with the best parts of a brand or interest.

Are you a member of a niche social network?

Charity communities are for life not just for Christmas.

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:49:00 GMT

The recent Children in Need event included social networks as a key part of its activity. The charity saw meteoric growth in the week running up to the Friday adding thousands of fans on the day alone.

This success is great news but one that needs to be managed throughout the year, not just in the run up to and immediate aftermath of the event.

Comic Relief has also seen great success with Facebook. The 2010 fan page achieved 20,000 fans with the 'Official Red Nose Day' fan page reaching 336,000 fans.

But what value is a page if it is not updated? A charity, just like any other business needs to maintain that connection and relevance throughout the year. The official Comic Relief page, linked from www.comicrelief.com has not been updated for a month with a gap of two months before that. The page does highlight Red Nose Day 2011 and Sport Relief 2011 as the key channels, however the lack of updates points to lost potential, even if it was to 'point' to the current page.

It is rare for any fan page to 'lose' fans but they can lose engagement. The fan page for Children in Need has already slowed down its updates and resultant engagement

No doubt charity events of this scale will not need to worry too much about engagement, benefiting from major national television coverage. But for smaller charities this attention to regular engagement could mean the difference between success or otherwise.

Klout and Social Scoring - What is all the fuss about?

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:46:00 GMT

Klout, the leading social scoring tool has had a bumpy autumn. As the leading company offering social metrics, a Klout Score has rapidly become a badge of pride for consumers and a useful benchmark of consumer value to brands. However, attempts to improve over the autumn have left the value of a Klout score in some doubt.

The first hiccup was the introduction of topic scoring. The aim was to monitor a consumer's social activity to identify what key topics they talked about, allowing other Klout members to endorse this by offering +K's against certain topics. So, if we were actively talking about F1, and you felt we were knowledgeable you could give us a +K. However, the initial indexes of topics was a little off target incorrectly identifying topics including 'Unicorns'! Now the topic measurements are on target we now saw a new problem, the scores dropped.

Pre summer, our score was in the thirties but has since dropped to 15! Many consumers saw their scores drop in the summer, a typically quieter period, but expressed concern that the overall scoring was down. Like a currency, the Klout score had a value when it had found a level in the market that people accepted. A Klout score of 30 was OK, 60 was great. But when that 60 suddenly became a 30, questions were, rightly, asked. more..

These changes have rocked confidence in Klout and led some to renounce their Klout activity and for others to question their privacy record. more..

The social scoring landscape is around two years old and not yet 'mature'. The changes made by Klout will have been to help them grow to our mutual benefit. The daily chase for headlines, tweets, shares and clicks can sometimes amplify an issue out of all proportion. As part of growing up, we expect to see more bumps along the way.

Klout scores, along with scores from Peerindex and the soon to launch Kred have an important role to play in helping brands identify potential new customers or get a better understanding of their own social followers. As a standalone measure, Klout has little value, not now and not in the past, but as one of a set of metrics from which to plan, Klout still has an important role to play.

Social Media to be a cornerstone of 2012 US Elections

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:07:00 GMT

The US elections of 2008, and the success of Barack Obama, highlighted how social media and social networks could help connect and inspire an audience. After the success of Obama, almost every business blog was publishing, 'lessons to be learned from Obama's use of Social Media.' Now, the US 2012 Presidential Race kicks off with social media, yet again, in the spotlight.

This time, in addition to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, we have a new name. Tumblr. Actually, not that new but one that will get a lot more famous by the end of 2012. Tumblr is a cross between a blogging platform like Wordpress, and a social network like Twitter.

With 60m users globally it is no threat to Facebook but has seen success with fashion brands including TopShop using the service.

Offering the ability to post images, video and text a 'Tumblog' also makes it easy to share within the Tumblr environment, with links to wider social networks.

Tumblr is not new, and not right for every brand or campaign. What is in little doubt, is the fact we'll be hearing a lot more about it!

www.tumblr.com

Five reasons why an app strategy will be crucial in 2012

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:33:00 GMT

Apps are increasingly becoming an important extension for brands seeking to engage with consumers across digital platforms. Heading towards 2012 we look at how apps will become even more important in 2012 and why brands need to consider their strategies today.

1. Smartphone growth is excepted to slow in 2012 from 63% this year to 22% next year. According to research from CEA, the major focus for consumers will be personalising their smartphone experience with more apps. Brands maintaining a presence in the key app stores will have greater opportunities for brand awareness, download and engagement. more..

2. Dixons, the UK electronics retailer expects 10% of all purchased to be Google Chromebooks by the end of 2012. Chromebooks run without an operating system instead relying on apps from the Chrome store to increasing functionality and personalisation.

3. A study from June 2011 suggests consumers are speeding more time on mobile apps than mobile web. The report found consumers spending 9% more time on average using mobile apps through frequent repeated app use.

4. John Lewis predict a large percenrage of TV's sold this Christmas will be app enabled. The opening of the Android Marketplace on the Google TV will also provide opportunities for apps to be consumed in the living room working independently or connected to television consumption.

5. The mobile app landscape is expected to balloon over the next 5 years with an expected 44 billion mobile apps by 2016. more..

Apps will certainly gain more attention across more platforms by more people in 2012. The market is not yet in a place where the decision needs to be a mobile optimised website or an app, instead a successful strategy will incorporate the best elements of both.

According to the latest report from Distimo, the insights group, over a 90% of the world’s biggest brands are now taking the opportunity and leveraging on mobile apps as a tool to engage with their consumers. more..

The growth in apps, app stores and app platforms will offer great potential for brands but will also lead to increased competition for presence and share of voice. Brands that have already launched apps, or will launch imminently will be in the strongest position to gain a foothold and learnings from which to flourish in this space.

The Rise of 2 Screen Media Consumption

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:53:00 GMT

30% of the UK population now has access to a smartphone, according to data from Google & IPSOS. Just under half of the smartphone owners surveyed were accessing the internet mulitple times every day from their mobile device. In contrast, more of the smartphone users were accessing the Internet ‘multiple times per day’ from a desktop computer. However, the difference is slim - 49% regularly access from a smartphone with 58% regularly accessing from a desktop computer.

The gap between smartphone and desktop Internet use is narrowing and with it, the boundaries of desktop and mobile use are blurring. Mobile Internet use is now becoming a complimentary activity to watching the TV or a movie. 30% of smartphone users watch TV whilst accessing their smartphone.

This activity is not restricted to teenage users. 60% of respondents aged 18 to 29 actively watched and surfed, dropping to 50% of respondents aged 30 to 49. The 50+ category still recorded 34% of respondents watching TV whilst accessing mobiles.

Watching TV is a social habit, the rise of ‘Social TV’ will be an important trend to watch in 2012. But what does this dual screen activity mean for businesses online? To achieve the greatest results, should a brand focus on a mobile platform or just a web platform?

The rise of ‘two screen’ media consumption is not just a feature of social activities. Whilst the figure is lower, at 26% of users, accessing the Internet on another device whilst using a smartphone is now a reality.

Further data points to the merging of web surfing and mobile surfing. This combination of activities can be in part identified by location and activity with smartphone users accessing the Internet frequently whilst travelling or waiting for connections.

Brands considering an ‘either or’ strategy should definitely be looking at both as part of a cohesive strategy maximising the potential and relevance of each channel for the greatest returns.

How do the recent Facebook changes impact brands?

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:31:00 GMT

How do the recent Facebook changes impact brands?

The recent Facebook changes have been seen as a revolutionary way of presenting information. The timeline, rolling out now, shows your Facebook life and interests in a timeline which focuses on what you have done and what you are listening to.

Worryingly for brands, it has had a negative impact on some Fan Page traffic. The publishers at AllFacebook rapidly saw a decrease in traffic to, and from the Fan Page in the days following Facebook's new style. To read more on their article click here

This is not the first time Facebook changes have negatively impacted fan page traffic. Back in March 2010, an update to the notifications system had a negative impact on mangy pages and apps seeing traffic drops of between 10% and 50%. Read the impact that the changes made here

With both these instances the traffic will, and did stabilise over time as Facebook worked out how to live with the new effects and brands worked even harder to achieve that engagement.

Like Google's recent Panda update, the changes have a rapid and often negative impact on traffic, with little advance notice given for the changes.

With Facebook, we knew there were 'changes afoot' before the F8 conference, but we weren't sure exactly what these changes would be and how they would impact our pages. Similarly with Google updates, there is often no official announcement but alerts from an active SEO community. In both cases, the changes will have impacts that were not planned for.

Like renting a great shop, your Facebook presence is subject to Landlord’s rules. Should the landlord decide to change the layout, or up the rent you will have to obey, or leave. Furthermore, with your Facebook fan page you are not paying rent so you may have less rights than you expect. These recent changes indicate that changes from the landlord may not always be for the better.

By the numbers, Facebook is the largest social network but perhaps not the most important. We believe the most important social network should be your own. The risk of reliance on Facebook, or any one large source of traffic is the risk of losing that traffic.

To be clear, we are not recommending a move away from Facebook. It should be a key part of your social strategy, but only one part of it.

At all times you should be considering how to entice your customers to your own site or network. At the very least encourage your fan page visitors to leave their details on your mailing list or visit your own site for more information. Look for reasons to bring that relationship back on your own turf. This will ensure you are investing in customer relationships that you own, not relationships you rent.

At Martech our social strategies can include the development of a brand community. Whether this be for a retail chain, a formula one team or a group of bars, we help build the foundations of a social network a brand owns. This community can sit on the principle domain or an additional domain, both of which are owned by the brand and benefit from engagement and ‘Google Juice.’

We also understand the average consumer may not want to sign up to a brand new network or spend time away from Facebook, so we make it easy. By building in Twitter and Facebook functionality to our social networks we can ensure the branded community becomes an integral part of the social activity, feeding to and feeding from other social networks.

Would you like to know more?

QR Codes

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:07:00 GMT

QR codes are short for quick response codes. You will have no doubt seen them on an increasing number of packages and now in advertising campaigns. The QR codes are not new but are starting to gain traction with the rapid growth in mobile internet use and smart phones enabled with QR code readers.

When a consumer sees a code they are encouraged to 'scan' the code with their smartphone which will, in turn take them to a specified place. This can be a link to the normal website or a dedicated campaign page (mobile optimised) that relates to the offline ad.

The codes offer a good opportunity for brands to connect offline with online marketing in a quicker and potentially more accountable fashion than traditional 'Find us on Facebook' mechanism that is often too vague to stimulate direct results. The codes themselves are still quite ugly but are gaining more recognition so they won't be chugging any time soon.

If you are looking to try QR codes you will find plenty of websites offering free QR code generation. These allow you to input your desired web address and return a unique QR code for your use. These tools are a great start but offer limitations vs using premium QR codes, such as lack of tracking and the need to create the code before the campaign is fully prepared.

A rival to QR codes is also available in the form of Google Goggles. 'Goggles is a mobile app that allows you to take a picture and send it to Google. As Google uploads the image from your phone it analyses the image to define what it is. Scan a Red Bull can and it will give you Red Bull results. Since late 2010, Google has been working with major US brands to trial Goggles enabled billboards. Instead of scanning a code, consumers are encouraged to take a picture of the ad and watch as bespoke results are returned.

We expect to see more from Google Googles in 2012 but in the meantime, check out QR codes - they have good potential for any offline to online 'bridge' - whether it is a press ad, your brochure or packaging. Let us know if you would like to know more about how we can integrate it into your activity.