Marketing Technology 5

Marketing Technology Stories you might have missed

MT5 Edition: #46

Stories This Week: Foursquare gets pushy, Google+ usage and user satisfaction rises, Facebook ad rates jump, the Facebook Want button debate and social media spending.

1. Foursquare: Check In With Favorite Businesses, Even When You’re Checked Out

[FastCompany] The new feature let businesses push specials to you when you’re nearby without making you feel like you’re getting spammed.

My Take: The fine line between creepy and and charming is as grey as the hair on my head *sigh*.

But Foursquare is putting users in control by focusing on the brands/venues that users frequent. Ultimately this will work because Foursquare is providing a valuable service to users AND because they’re providing a social-based customer loyalty program for businesses.

Social Media Customer Satisfaction

2. Google+ Usage Jumps & People Like It Better Than Facebook

[TheVerge] Google+ reportedly saw 43 percent jump in US visitors during June

[cnet] Facebook users not as satisfied as Google+ users

My Take: Well, a big increase on a small number is still a small number. That said, Google+ has good features, a relatively good security/privacy model and they don’t push a ton of ads – why wouldn’t users enjoy the experience?

3. Facebook ad rates surge 58 percent, leaves Twitter in the dust

[cnet] Facebook’s average cost per thousand impressions has increased by 58 percent in the second quarter of 2012 compared with the year-ago period, meaning Facebook is earning more and more from its ads.

My Take: Amazing to see that Facebook’s mobile ads have a click through rate over 1%, over 4 times Twitters mobile ad click through rate. It shows how effective Facebooks targeting is and how important local, mobile search is to social network services.

In related news, Twitter announced targeted ads.

4. Facebook’s Want Button

A & G’s SchneiderMike & Charlie Hale review and debate Facebooks planned “Want” button.

5. What Are Marketers Spending on Social Media?

[eMarketer] When it comes to how much money to spend on social media, most marketers have less than 20% of their marketing budget set aside for outreach on social sites—including advertising and maintaining a social media presence.

My Take: If you compare these numbers against the number of Marketers who measure return on their investment in social media you’ll see that many continue to invest in social media without tangible business results