Social Media Marketing

Those in the retail industry understand just how important it is to have a strong, engaging Facebook presence. The social network is the optimal resource to spread news, drive awareness and create buzz among fans.

Nielsen’s third quarter study, State of the Media: The Social Media Report, examines the increasing influence of social networking on consumers and points to trends that bode well for businesses active in the social media space.

Facebook is the top online hangout, but few of the largest online retailers are doing e-commerce directly from their Facebook pages. So says a study by Ability Commerce, an e-commerce software services firm.

The CEO of Zappos Tony Hsieh has 1.8 million followers on Twitter. In many marketing circles, he's something of a Twitter god, using the Twitter feed to promote Zappos and his way of thinking about business to his many followers.

A group of Auburn University fans have called for a boycott of Old Navy after the retailer aired a television commercial that shows an Auburn fan bringing pizza to a University of Alabama party. The Auburn faithful believe the Tigers fan in the commercial, dressed in a Tiger costume and riding a four-wheeler, is portrayed in a foolish manner or as a pizza delivery man. The offended fans even started a Facebook page to register their complaints.

It's back-to-school season, which means class is in session for all the related marketing efforts. More than ever before, brands seem to be leading with social media. Take Famous Footwear, which worked with Buddy Media to build a "Back to School" tab on its official Facebook Page. So far, more than 50,000 people have joined the Famous Footwear Facebook community.  

Terms like social commerce, Facebook commerce and social shopping are making headlines. Nearly every retailer is trying tap into the 750 million potential shoppers on Facebook. The one thing missing is what it really means to make your e-commerce efforts social.

The former eBay executive who launched a social marketplace called YardSellr has launched a new shopping website. Danny Leffel's company Yardsellr launched Style.ly, a marketplace open to third-party sellers that's focused on fashion. The site describes itself as a social buying and selling marketplace where fashionistas buy and sell new, gently used and vintage women's fashion and accessories.

Responsys has released its Viral & Community Links in Emails 2011 report, which found that retailers are more focused on using email marketing programs to promote their social communities and less focused on email for social sharing.

Contests are a great way to expand a company's marketing reach if the message gets out to the right people. Online promotions of all types, including contests, require a combination of paid advertising and a top-quality network to be successful. The network has to be large enough to generate traffic and interest to make the contest successful. Adding pay per click and advertising on social media platforms is needed to expand your reach. Before your next contest, create and execute a staged strategy to build community and interest.