Social marketing

Chinese social media is way ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to integrating customer experience in the funnel

The constant supply of new innovations in Chinese social media has not stopped in 2021. Many Chinese social media apps now double as payment solutions, so consumers can seamlessly move between their social media streams and make purchases without leaving the app. Fast technology and a strong customer focus have shaped the social landscape in China. It’s only a matter of time before the Western social media ecosystem starts to adopt more commerce integrations. In this article, we explore five of the latest innovations to social media in China that have taken marketers and consumers alike by storm.

1. WeChat gesture recognition

Originally set up to mark Chinese Valentine’s Day, WeChat released a popular new feature in the summer of 2020 called gesture recognition. This is a hand gesture that uses two…

The Silicon Valley Unicorn. When a platform that isn’t even out of beta has a valuation of a Billion dollars, as marketers we need to take note right? Absolutely

In May 2020 shortly after the world was thrown into disarray by the Coronavirus Pandemic, Clubhouse, a new social media site, focusing on an audio experience, entered Beta with around 1500 members. It was already being valued at $100 million dollars and it didn’t even have a website. Members trickled in through the year and then in December, it experienced hockey stick style growth. According to Backlinko, Clubhouse now has 6 million users at the time of writing (Feb 21), that’s up from 600k just two months ago.

Clubhouse marketing stats

Searches for “clubhouse app” have increased by 99x over the last 6 months according to Exploding Topics (below). They are up over 3250% over the last 90 days. …

Viral marketing is not an exact science. It’s not the case that if you want to create a viral marketing campaign you simply have to think about it, plan it, and then you have it. If only it was that simple

Viral marketing has grown in popularity for consumers seeking entertainment and content creators finding new ways to reach their customers. Chances are that every CEO out there would like to have a viral marketing campaign for their company. Why? Because it is one of the most effective types of marketing. You don’t have to spend large budgets on creating ads or getting them out there. The focus here is on great content.

What is viral marketing?

Viral marketing - or word of mouth marketing, as it was known before the technology era - has been existing for decades, but only during the past few years, since the appearance of social media networks,…

Social media strategy and planning essentials

This is part 9 of my Smart Insights 12 part social media series. In the last part we looked at reporting for social media; in this blog, I discuss what tools you can use to help plan and manage your social campaigns. Please note that this list isn’t exhaustive. There’s a wide range of tools available, and each person I know uses a different mix depending on business needs. This blog aims to show you the types of tool you need to evaluate; you should then do your own research to find out what gives you're the functionality you need.

Measurement tools

Let’s start by getting the fundamentals put in place. To do social media intelligently, you need to underpin your planning and decision making with accurate data.

Google Analytics campaign tracking

My first port of call is always web analytics + URL campaign tracking. I’m going to…

Last year I made half a dozen resolutions for 2012 as an email marketer. The basic overall theme was to focus more on relating better to people we serve on their terms, be they clients of the company I work for or subscribers to an email newsletter of any of those clients. I don’t know how you did with your resolutions, but here’s my self-assessment of how I did.

1. Stop talking like a rocket scientist

I’d give myself 7 out of 10 on this one. While like to think I’m naturally talented at putting industry terms and complex ideas into frames of reference which people can understand, I still found myself being lazy at times. Who wants to write out ESP or CTA and so on? I’ll tell you, don't confuse the people who most need to understand what…