Marketing Times - March/April 2008 - (Page 6) Social Media for Marketing Hype, Hope or Happening? Willis Turner, CAE, CSE So, what is the entire buzz about social media and marketing? SMEI has sponsored webinars hosted by Bulldog Solutions on this topic, specifically as it relates to B2B marketing, and the response has been overwhelming. During a recent webinar presented by Laura Ramos of Forrester Research, Ramos polled the audience about their current status with respect to using social media, and over 70% of the respondents indicated that they were either just investigating or just launching some type of social media effort. At Social Media for Marketing Panels held in Minneapolis and Vancouver so far this year, the audience participation has reinforced that this is a hot topic and individuals are hungry for information and ideas on the concept. There are anecdotal stories about how companies are embracing social media, but few concrete examples of success, giving us an indication that it is very early days. Most experts on this subject do stress that deployment of social media tools will not be optional, just as having a web page has become a standard business practice in today’s marketing mix. Here are some tips gleaned from our webinar and panel presentations: Laura Ramos, Forrester Research Educate your customers and prospects about your online marketing activities and show them how to interact with your company online by including information in your traditional media messages Louis Del Monte, TMA e-Marketing The use of video increases the relevance of your web pages, which is optimal for search engine rankings. Video is irresistible and serves to engage those who browse your web pages. Podcasting is also a good 6 marketingtimes
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