SEO Werkt!

In the spirit of asking for forgiveness instead of permission, I can’t tell you how very sorry I am for the title of this blog post.

Yes, it is just a shameless attempt at link bait. I’m really really sorry (cue Jim Bakker tears).

But now that you’re here, please read on. Because there is one really good reason why you don’t need to measure social media ROI.

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Before I tell you that reason, let’s talk about the reasons that aren’t on the list.

“The ROI of social media is that you’ll still be in business in five years” is not only wrong and inane, it’s not a reason for not measuring SM ROI.

“Asking what the ROI of social media is is like asking what’s the ROI of your mother” is not only a demonstration of your stupidity (and a good reason why you should be fired from your job), it, too, is not a reason for not measuring SM ROI.

“The ROI of social media can’t be measured” is one of those statements that makes your senior management team want to beat the crap out of you, so let’s not put this on the list either, OK?

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There’s really just one good reason for not measuring social media ROI:

It’s not worth the effort.

There are three elements to that statement:

1. The amount of money you spend on SM is so small that measuring its ROI isn’t worth the effort.
2. The amount of money you would need to spend to develop the capabilities to accurately measure the ROI of SM would effectively wipe out whatever ROI you’re generating.
3. There are more important things for you to figure out how to measure.

These aren’t mutually exclusive statements. They’re all tied to the amount of money you spend on social media.

When I last asked financial institutions how much they were investing in social media as a percentage of their overall marketing budget, more than half said “too small to measure” which was the answer below “1-2%.” One in five FIs said they didn’t have a separate budget for social media.

So let’s say you work for an FI with $10b in assets, and you spend 1% of assets, or $10m on marketing each year. If one-half of 1% of your marketing budget goes to social media, you’re putting $50,000 into social media on an annual basis.

I’m not arguing that knowing the ROI of that $50k investment isn’t important. What I am arguing is that the cost and effort required to develop measurement capabilities might actually cost you more than the $50k you’re spending on social media.

The other point I’m arguing is that it’s my bet your marketing measurement capabilities regarding the other $9.95m that’s invested in marketing isn’t as good as it could be. Do you really want to invest $50k to improve the measurement of  a $50k investment, or spend it to better measure the $9.95m investment? (Take all the time you need before answering).

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Bottom line: The level of chatter regarding social media ROI is way out of control, and way out of proportion.

Gurus (and other morons) who try to redefine how ROI is calculated should be strapped in a chair and forced to watch Ben Affleck movies for 48 hours straight.

Gurus (and other morons) who have idiotic reasons for not measuring social media ROI should have their tax rates increased. 

If you have other good reasons for not measuring social media ROI, I’d like to hear them.

Filed under: Analytics, Marketing, Social Media Tagged: ROI, Social Media

In an attempt to give the mobile payments industry some guidance, the trade group Electronic Transactions Association today announced the Mobile Payments Committee, a task force that includes representatives from all four of the major U.S. carriers, as well as others developing mobile payments solutions.

Chaired by Jackie Moran, Verizon’s executive director of federal relations, the committee will serve as a way to develop policy and business strategy for the mobile payments industry. Among the issues the committee is tackling, it will help participants figure out the complex business relationships necessary to make mobile payment options interoperable; help legislators and regulators understand how to develop mobile payments public policy; and educate consumers and merchants about the benefits of mobile payments.

“Our industry must work collaboratively to ensure that the regulatory and business environment promotes innovation and cooperation,” ETA Chief Executive Officer Jason Oxman said in a statement today. “As the trade association of the payments industry, ETA is the hub of activity in mobile payments, and our Mobile Payments Committee will help ensure that consumers and merchants have access to an efficient, reliable, and secure mobile payments system.”

Mobile payments tech feels a lot like the Wild West right now, with competing standards, hardware, and goals, it makes sense for the industry to come together to figure out broader solutions. After all, their biggest challenge is still ahead of them: convincing consumers that they should give a damn about mobile payments.

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile are all joining the ETA to take part in the committee, which should hopefully put an end to carrier exclusive payments offerings (like Sprint’s Google Wallet arrangement). Other companies in the Mobile Payments Committee include Google, Isis (itself a union between several carriers), PayPal, Verifone, and Intuit.

The committee will meet for the first time later this month, the ETA says.

Photo via Shutterstock

Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat

Wikileaks has been down for five days now, the result of a massive distributed denial of service attack hitting the website.

This is not the first time Wikileaks has been the target of a DDOS attack. The website was down for four days in May due to the same type of attack. As ZDNet notes, a group called AntiLeaks says it’s behind the attack, indentifying themselves as “young adults, citizens of the United States of America.” They further explained:

“[Wikileaks creater Julian] Assange is the head of a new breed of terrorist. We are doing this as a protest against his attempt to escape justice into Ecuador. This would be a catalyst for many more like him to rise up in his place. We will not stop and they will not stop us.”

Wikileaks is a controversial website that often posts proprietary information that has more than likely been uncovered without permission. The organization famously leaked U.S. State Department war cables that included a number of embarrassing and secret pieces of information the government did not want disclosed. The leak led to a years-long trial involved Bradley Manning, who served in the U.S. military and is credited with releasing the cables to Wikileaks.

Most recently, Wikileaks released e-mails from security think-tank Stratfor after the company was hacked. The e-mails, if they were real, show racist internal nicknames for various people and groups, such as ““Hizzies” for members of Hezbollah and “Adogg” for referencing Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In July, Wikileaks released what it called the “Syria Files,” or a number of government e-mails showing the “inner workings of the Syrian government.”

via ZDNet; Julian Assange image via New Media Days/Peter Erichsen

Filed under: security

As I reviewed all of today’s social media marketing news, I kept stumbling over folks talking about Facebook’s new Page Post Targeting options. My initial reaction was, been there, saw that.

But this wasn’t a case of deja vu. It was actually another real attempt to try and make marketers feel in control of their social media efforts. It felt familiar because only a few weeks ago, I wrote about Twitter’s new enhanced targeting for Promoted Tweets. Last month, Facebook announced Promoted Posts (where you pay to promote an individual post in your Timeline) and then there was the new Facebook Recommendation Bar … and so on and so on, you get my drift.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Facebook and Twitter and all their social media pals are working to help you be more successful at what you do, but I have to wonder if all these changes are getting us anywhere.

Facebook’s new Page Post Targeting option is all about targeting your message to the audience — that’s a good thing. But let’s look at the big picture. Page Post Targeting only effects who sees the post in their newsfeed. All posts remain visible on the Page Timeline.

So, let’s say I run a travel business and I create 10 targeted posts. Eight are about specific local attractions so I target those by location and two are for cruises (one for seniors, one for young singles) that I target by age groups. Smart. 20 year-old Judy only sees my singles’ cruise post in her newsfeed, that’s perfect. But here comes Ellen, who is clicking through to Facebook from my blog and she sees all 10 posts lined up on my Timeline. All other content is pushed off the page and I look like I don’t use my Facebook Page for anything but advertising, so she keeps on clicking.

I hear you saying, so don’t write 10 posts at once, spread them out. And yes, I could. But I’d say back to you, you’re missing the point.

The point is, the options are changing so quickly, how can we even know what’s working and what isn’t? Those targeted posts might convert but maybe we lose 5 followers because our Page looks like one long advertisement.

Maybe it’s a question of size. If I’m Nike, then yeah, being able to target my ads is cool because I have a staff who can bury the long trail on my Page under a bunch of cool sneaker pictures. But if I’m a two-man operation who can barely keep up as it is, this is just more mud on the windows.

Slice and dice the information anyway you like, it all comes back to the quality of the content. If you’re using your Facebook Page to post nothing but ads for this week’s specials, you’re wasting your time. If you’re posting quality content that is interesting to your customers, they’ll share that information with their friends and they’ll come back for more.

All I’m saying is, don’t get caught up in the check boxes. Concentrate on what it says inside the big box first.

Crack journalism is coming to the land of cat and Justin Bieber videos: YouTube is helping to launch a new channel with the Center for Investigative Journalism (CIR). The new “I Files” channel will curate videos from sources such as The New York Times and Al Jazeera, in a attempt to bring some much needed attention to the fledgling investigative journalism space and bolster YouTube’s multi-million dollar foray into professional content. An $800,000 grant from the Knight foundation is seeding the channel, which will share revenue with its content partners.

To justify the partnership with a website normally associated with skateboarding dogs, the I Files team cites recent evidence that user-generated content on YouTube is a growing source of serious news for the average citizen. “That’s our assignment at The I Files,” writes Stephen Talbot of the Bay Citizen, “to be timely and relevant, to provide an outlet for a citizen journalist who captures an incredible moment on camera, but above all to dig deeper and to present well-reported and engaging stories that offer real information and insights.”

The YouTube project is part of the Knight Foundation’s push for philanthropically-funded local investigative journalism, which has been hit especially hard by the financial downturn of traditional media. Last year, the FCC released a report on the decline of journalists covering local politics, and speculated about the possible corruption and negligence going unnoticed. YouTube could potentially offset this problem with user-generated content and by incentivizing the CIR’s national partners, such as the BBC, with some added viewership.

But, just how much attention YouTube will give the I Files is unknown. A spokesman for YouTube tells TechCrunch that “we highlight all kinds of news content from time to time on the site, and often highlight new channels – so you can expect that in the first few weeks after launch we’ll look for opportunities on YouTube and social media to tell more people about it.”

Although human-animal communication can be limited, we’ve seen services attempting to bridge the language gap with innovative ideas such as the in-house animal psychic at Oregon’s Hotel Monaco. Now, Jungle Island in Miami is incorporating iPads into its Orangutan School in an attempt to better understand the primates and encourage interaction between visitors and animals.

Trainers at the park are using an app on the devices initially developed for use with autistic children, which provides visual prompts selected by touch. At Jungle Island, the primates are encouraged to select the food they want from images shown on the iPad, or more importantly let handlers know the location of pain when in distress. The animals were taught signs for ear, eyes and shoulder, enabling more accurate medical attention from staff. The tourist attraction hopes to develop the current app further for use with the public, so visitors will be able to interact with the animals.

Pet owners will already know how much animals like to play with touchscreen tablets such as the iPad, but Jungle Island is harnessing their power in a way that could improve human-animal relations and serve to draw in more visitors. Zoos around the world – one for inspiration?

Website: www.jungleisland.com
Contact: www.jungleisland.com/public/contact.cfm

Spotted by: Hemanth Chandrasekar

Never has the question “Do you use an iPhone?” been so important.

Today in a Silicon Valley court Apple and Samsung face off in one of the most significant trials of the extensive iOS-Android legal battles. Apple is seeking damages in the billions for, primarily, what it says is patent infringement on its style and design. In return, Samsung is suing for Apple technologies that it says infringes Samsung inventions that are essential to the operation of a mobile phone.

Meanwhile, the two combatants can’t even agree where to sit.

Since some experts believe that 85 percent of cases are won and lost in jury selection, the process is notoriously challenging. Lawyers from both sides will be seeking any evidence of bias in an attempt to stack the jury with as many favorable members for their clients as possible, while blocking any who might side with their opponents.

One problem for Samsung is location. The Korean company is fighting Apple on its home turf, in Silicon Valley. Apple is an iconic company in the U.S., but especially in the tech-centric San Francisco area. How this will affect potential jurors is an open question.

And lawyers for both sides will have to wrestle with questions such as whether iPhone use makes a jury member more likely to believe Apple, like Apple, or favor Apple. Or, conversely, if Android use might predispose jury members to side with Samsung.

Since smartphones are so personal, it’s a difficult question. Battle lines could already be drawn in jurors’ minds, because for many, they have already made a decision for one platform and against another.

A possible solution?

Only feature phone users need apply. Which would mean, of course, that people who know least about modern smartphones would decide one of the most key cases between the two companies that sell almost half of all smartphones sold globally.

It’ll be a difficult case, lasting at least four weeks.

But perhaps not as difficult as finding 10 jury members in San Francisco who don’t use smartphones.

Image credits: Apple, Samsung

Filed under: mobile, Top stories, VentureBeat

Microsoft has confirmed that its slick-looking Surface tablet will launch on Oct. 26, the same day it releases the Windows 8 operating system, as noted in the company’s annual report to the SEC.

“The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012,” Microsoft wrote in the report. “At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices.”

While this is all Microsoft has said about the Surface’s availability, we can infer that this will be the launch of an ARM-based version of the tablet running Windows RT. Windows RT is a light-weight version of the OS that will have Office pre-installed. Microsoft will release an Intel-based Surface tablet running Windows 8 Pro 90 days after it ships the ARM-based version with RT.

Surface is Microsoft’s bold attempt to finally build its own PC hardware, and the device could become a legit high-end competitor to Apple’s iPad, especially at enterprises that are wary of iOS. The Surface is incredibly thin at just 9.33 millimeters, and it sports a 10.6-inch display. We can’t wait to get our hands on it to try it out.

h/t CNET

Surface photo: Microsoft

Filed under: mobile

To absolutely no one’s surprise, Microsoft is hastily preparing for the October launch of the Windows 8 operating system. One way the company has prepared is a revamp of its successful hardware lineup of keyboards and mice, which are launching today.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s attempt to make Windows a much more versatile OS in the new mobile-focused landscape and it will work across all different form factors including tablets like the Surface and hybrid laptops. But while the OS is better suited for tablets than desktops and laptops, Microsoft nonetheless must be ready to give early adopters and new PC/tablet buyers the tools to run Win 8 in the best way possible.

Microsoft will do this with its just-announced keyboards and mice. Let’s take a look at the lineup:

1. Wedge Touch Mouse ($70): First up is the Wedge Touch Mouse, which is fairly small and minimalist. It includes Bluetooth connectivity and BlueTrack technology so it can be used on almost any surface, even your pants. The mouse is smart enough to sleep automatically whenever the PC it’s paired with also is put to sleep.

2. Wedge Touch Keyboard ($80): Next is the Wedge Touch Keyboard, which is light-weight and designed to paired with a tablet. The keyboard has a durable black cover that can also be used as a tablet stand. After testing the cover stand with a Samsung developer tablet, I found it to be a clever addition and one that you’ll have with you as long as you have your keyboard.

3. Sculpt Touch Mouse ($50): The Sculpt Touch Mouse is cheaper option than the Wedge Touch Mouse. It uses Bluetooth for connecting and features a four-way touch scroll strip for navigating the Windows 8 Start screen. Personally, if you’re already considering spending $50, you might as well up it $20 for the more versatile Wedge model.

4. Sculpt Touch Keyboard ($50): Finally, the Sculpt Touch Keyboard is a full-size board that weighs a little more than pound and is more likely to be used at a desk rather than mobile. It has a “comfort curve” design so your hands will land in a more natural position. The keyboard also will power down after a period of inactivity to save power.

On an additional note, Microsoft has also updated software drivers in Windows 8 for its popular Touch Mouse ($80). The Touch Mouse itself has not been updated, but when you use it with Windows 8, the device corresponds with the new OS’ gestures.

Check out a few photos of the Wedge Touch Mouse and Keyboard below:

Photos: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat

Filed under: VentureBeat

In an attempt to clean up comments on YouTube, Google is encouraging all its users to post their real names.

It was announced last June, during their developers conference, that the search engine giant is working to improve YouTube comments. This means that this new feature could be the first step in removing anonymous comments on the video-sharing site. Although it could take some liveliness out of the community around the content, how it will affect the discourse in YouTube’s comment section remains to be seen.

On the other hand, this could improve the site’s appeal to businesses. In turn, this could enable YouTube to contribute something to Google’s bottom line.

How Real Names on YouTube Comments Work

When a YouTube user comments on a video, a pop up box will appear, asking him or her to use his or her full name. The video-sharing site will post the user’s real name based on what’s on his or her Google+ account.

However, users can also refuse to show their real names. If they do that, another pop up box will appear asking them to justify their decision. The choices to defend their refusal range from saying that it’s for personal reasons, to informing that the account is used to represent a brand or business, to saying that a user is undecided.

Meanwhile, Google allows users to review their YouTube content before posting their full names. The video-sharing site also made it clear that users can revert back to using their username at any time.

The Drawbacks

Although using real names could serve as characterization for some YouTube users, this feature could bring a social or political activist to jail who lives in a repressive regime. That’s the reason why Google was prompted to revisit the same policy on their Google+ after receiving a handful of user comments.

On the other hand, requiring YouTube users to display their real name doesn’t mean that the search engine giant is not aware of the dangers that it pose for other users. In fact, they’ve recently added a YouTube feature that will automatically blur out the faces on a video. This feature could be helpful for those who are seeking social justice through online clips.

Nevertheless, users have the option not to use their real names if they want to comment on any YouTube videos that they watch.

The post YouTube Bids Users to Post Real Names to Clean Up Comments appeared first on About Social Media.