Here is a look at 9 stories with a lot of interesting tips and statistics on social media marketing, F-commerce and Facebook that you may have missed this week.
The planets are aligned: Facebook Spartan and Ipad projects set to launch early next week
The long awaited HTML5 –based mobile platform that Facebook has been building in secret for months is set to be launched early next week. Click here
New social commerce infographics – SoLoMo football & f-commerce grammar
Increasing in popularity is Football in SoLoMo (social local mobile) world from mobile gaming app, footballmeister, a lot of football fans use it to feed their passion. Also some information on the rise of social grammar for Facebook. Click here
Three Dangerous B2B social media mistakes
“Not creating new and engaging content” is one of three dangerous B2B social media mistakes. A lack of competency in all three areas will prevent your company from truly getting the most from your social media programs. Click here
HOW TO: Use the new Facebook to see who has unfriended you
To do it or not?! Facebook have now added a tool on the new timeline profile which provides you with a rundown of the ‘friends’ that have unfriended you. Click here
Facebook gives $10 million in free advertising to small businesses
Starting in early 2012, Facebook, the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will roll out a great new program that gives away $10 million worth of free advertising on Facebook to small businesses. Click here
Five Facebook changes & what you need to know
Have you adjusted to the new Facebook changes? Here is a detailed look at how the news ticker, smart lists, news feed, subscribe feature and timeline will impact marketers and business owners. Click here
Magners trials ‘F-commerce’ with £10 Facebook packs – marketing
Magners, the cider brand, has become the first drinks company in the UK to get on the ‘f-commerce’ train and sell its products directly on Facebook. Click here
6 Tips for launching a product on Facebook
A lot of businesses are turning to Facebook to increase brand awareness, build community and strengthen customer service. Here is a list of tips on how companies can effectively leverage Facebook to amplify new product launches. Click here
A look at Facebook usage across eight different countries
“In a recent international study by Experian Hitwise, the leading online competitive intelligence service with the world’s largest sample of internet users, the home internet usage of various individuals from eight different countries accessing Facebook during August 2011 has been revealed”. Click here
We hope these 9 social media summaries have brought you up to speed with what you may have missed this week. Feel free to leave a comment or suggestions on what you think of this week’s blog.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Here is a quick look back at 9 news stories you may have missed this week.
How to use the new Facebook list (and why you should)
This week Facebook launched a new feature: improved friends list. This is a direct response to the “circles” feature of Google+, which enables you to put your friends into lists. To make the most out of Facebook’s improved lists. Click here
Facebook to launch “major” profile redesign at f8
The highly anticipated event of the year, Facebook’s f8 developer conference is taking place today in San Francisco. It’s a day where developers, entrepreneurs and innovators come together to create a more social web. Click here
5 Ways to optimize your Facebook page
Are you making the most out of your marketing opportunities on Facebook? Here is a look at 5 ways to understand how best to optimize your Facebook page. Click here
Google+ now open to everyone
Google+ is now opening up to everyone after being invite-only for nearly three months. Google’s Vic Gundotra wrote, “We’re ready to move from field trial to beta, and introduce our 100th feature: open signups”. Click here
6 Ways B2B companies are using Facebook
Can B2B companies use Facebook? Absolutely! Hubspot’s Kipp Bodnar writes, “As a company selling to other companies, Facebook serves as an important tool for generating leads and nurturing customer relationships”. Here is a look at 6 B2B companies and how they are using Facebook. Click here
The social enterprise is here – Forbes
What does Social Enterprise mean? Clara Shih, an author and CEO of social media management company Hearsay Social, writes an interesting piece about Social Enterprise. Click here
Dylan’s desk: Facebook approaches a billion customers – VentureBeat
With 750 million people using Facebook and this number increasing daily. Facebook is not far off the one billion customer mark. This will put Facebook in an extremely elite group that few other companies have matched. Click here
Study: How Facebook incentives boast brands 38%
According to a study released on Monday by market research firm knowledge networks’ KN Dimestore subsidiary, “Brand perception increases an average of 38 percent when incentives are offered on Facebook”. Click here
3 Ways to improve your company’s social media architecture
“Visualize your social media footprint” Visualization is the first step in recognizing you have a problem. This is just one of three ways to improve your company’s social media architecture. Click here
We hope that you found this week’s blog informative, relevant and useful to you and your business. Get in touch with VendingBox today as we would love to hear some feedback from you.
How to use the new Facebook list (and why you should)
This week Facebook launched a new feature: improved friends list. This is a direct response to the “circles” feature of Google+, which enables you to put your friends into lists. To make the most out of Facebook’s improved lists. Click here
Facebook to launch “major” profile redesign at f8
The highly anticipated event of the year, Facebook’s f8 developer conference is taking place today in San Francisco. It’s a day where developers, entrepreneurs and innovators come together to create a more social web. Click here
5 Ways to optimize your Facebook page
Are you making the most out of your marketing opportunities on Facebook? Here is a look at 5 ways to understand how best to optimize your Facebook page. Click here
Google+ now open to everyone
Google+ is now opening up to everyone after being invite-only for nearly three months. Google’s Vic Gundotra wrote, “We’re ready to move from field trial to beta, and introduce our 100th feature: open signups”. Click here
6 Ways B2B companies are using Facebook
Can B2B companies use Facebook? Absolutely! Hubspot’s Kipp Bodnar writes, “As a company selling to other companies, Facebook serves as an important tool for generating leads and nurturing customer relationships”. Here is a look at 6 B2B companies and how they are using Facebook. Click here
The social enterprise is here – Forbes
What does Social Enterprise mean? Clara Shih, an author and CEO of social media management company Hearsay Social, writes an interesting piece about Social Enterprise. Click here
Dylan’s desk: Facebook approaches a billion customers – VentureBeat
With 750 million people using Facebook and this number increasing daily. Facebook is not far off the one billion customer mark. This will put Facebook in an extremely elite group that few other companies have matched. Click here
Study: How Facebook incentives boast brands 38%
According to a study released on Monday by market research firm knowledge networks’ KN Dimestore subsidiary, “Brand perception increases an average of 38 percent when incentives are offered on Facebook”. Click here
3 Ways to improve your company’s social media architecture
“Visualize your social media footprint” Visualization is the first step in recognizing you have a problem. This is just one of three ways to improve your company’s social media architecture. Click here
We hope that you found this week’s blog informative, relevant and useful to you and your business. Get in touch with VendingBox today as we would love to hear some feedback from you.
Friday, September 16, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Below is a look back at the 9 stories you many have missed this week in terms of Facebook, Twitter, start-ups and social media.
Facebook Commerce: Do Facebook likes matter
8th Bridge recently conducted a survey into Facebook likes. They wanted to find out if anyone cares about Facebook likes, do they drive traffic and why do people click like. Here is what they found out. Click here
4 Successful and creative Facebook contests
Here is a look at 4 successful and creative Facebook contests including brands like Coca Cola and Maybelline which have come up with some great ideas for promotions and contests on Facebook. Click here
How consumers interact with brands on Facebook
According to a recent study (conducted by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey) of online consumer behaviour found that people interact with their favourite brands on Facebook far more than on any other social network.
Click here
Adidas pop-up retail strategy: what social commerce can learn
Paul Marsden, Editor of Social Commerce Today, writes an interesting piece about pop-up retail strategy. He believes “the business rationale for opening fan-stores in social media is smart, simple and compelling”. Click here
Rewardli lets SMBs leverage their social graph to get discounts on purchases
Rewardli which launched this week at TechCrunch Disrupt allows small businesses to leverage their social graph to form buying groups and save money on purchases they make already in their day-to-day activities. Click here
Finally! Twitter unveils analytics tool
Twitter has finally unveiled an official analytics tool – Twitter Web Analytics. This new tool announced Tuesday, should help provide clarity to those who rely on Twitter for content distribution. Click here
20 Ways to promote your Facebook fan page
This article is made up of a collection of 20 ways to promote your Facebook fan page. “Write a blog post about your fan page”, is one of 20 different ways to increase conversation on your fan page. Click here
And the winner of TechCrunch Disrupt is ……Shaker
The winner of TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2011 has been announced after 3 days of judging and 31 start-up pitches. Click here
The ultimate cheat sheet for expert Twitter marketing
Are you taking advantage of everything Twitter can offer for marketing? Here is a list of 35 tips and tricks for getting the most from Twitter. Click here
We here at VendingBox hope that you found these 9 summaries of interest and would love to hear from you. Feel free to communicate any future topics/suggestions you would like us to cover.
Facebook Commerce: Do Facebook likes matter
8th Bridge recently conducted a survey into Facebook likes. They wanted to find out if anyone cares about Facebook likes, do they drive traffic and why do people click like. Here is what they found out. Click here
4 Successful and creative Facebook contests
Here is a look at 4 successful and creative Facebook contests including brands like Coca Cola and Maybelline which have come up with some great ideas for promotions and contests on Facebook. Click here
How consumers interact with brands on Facebook
According to a recent study (conducted by Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey) of online consumer behaviour found that people interact with their favourite brands on Facebook far more than on any other social network.
Click here
Adidas pop-up retail strategy: what social commerce can learn
Paul Marsden, Editor of Social Commerce Today, writes an interesting piece about pop-up retail strategy. He believes “the business rationale for opening fan-stores in social media is smart, simple and compelling”. Click here
Rewardli lets SMBs leverage their social graph to get discounts on purchases
Rewardli which launched this week at TechCrunch Disrupt allows small businesses to leverage their social graph to form buying groups and save money on purchases they make already in their day-to-day activities. Click here
Finally! Twitter unveils analytics tool
Twitter has finally unveiled an official analytics tool – Twitter Web Analytics. This new tool announced Tuesday, should help provide clarity to those who rely on Twitter for content distribution. Click here
20 Ways to promote your Facebook fan page
This article is made up of a collection of 20 ways to promote your Facebook fan page. “Write a blog post about your fan page”, is one of 20 different ways to increase conversation on your fan page. Click here
And the winner of TechCrunch Disrupt is ……Shaker
The winner of TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2011 has been announced after 3 days of judging and 31 start-up pitches. Click here
The ultimate cheat sheet for expert Twitter marketing
Are you taking advantage of everything Twitter can offer for marketing? Here is a list of 35 tips and tricks for getting the most from Twitter. Click here
We here at VendingBox hope that you found these 9 summaries of interest and would love to hear from you. Feel free to communicate any future topics/suggestions you would like us to cover.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
How to create a following on Facebook
Facebook has over 750 million active users (and growing) from all over the world! Looking at these figures imagine the reach your business or personal profile could have? We recently wrote a post on “10 ways to make the most out of your Facebook page”. This week we are exploring ways to create an engaging, sustainable following on Facebook. Here is an insight into five steps you can take to increase your Facebook following:
Username
Developing a username is one of the first and most important things you will do when creating your Facebook page. It is essential that you develop a username that makes it easy for people to find you, as well as entering as much information as you feel comfortable with. This will make the searching process easier for your customers/friends.
Utilise Facebook tools
A starting point for increasing your following is to invite all the people you know through the search button or the search for friend’s button by using your email address book. From there you can connect with friends of friends. Then join as many relevant groups as possible. This will expose you to many more users and friends. If it’s very relevant to your business try to contact the administrator of a group and ask them for permission to post on their wall. Make sure you contact them in a discreet manner so you’re not spamming and try to make your content relevant to the page you are posting on. Each month you should import your contacts from your email accounts. This will help to grow your Facebook network as you’re meeting new people through other channels.
Make use of other platforms
Make it easy for customers to find your Facebook page. This can be done by creating a link to your Facebook page from other social platforms e.g. Twitter and your website which will help drive visitors to your Facebook page.
Promotions
Offering free products or shipping is another great way to increase your following. This motivates visitors to join your Facebook page through intriguing offers that your customers would be interested in; for example, free shipping, 10% off next purchase, and free samples. A good example of a company that is making the most of its promotional ideas on Facebook is Toys “R” Us. Toys “R” Us run a fun-featured fan promotion where people can upload a picture of themselves or their children. The photo with the most votes will be featured as their profile picture for a week. Another example of good promotional offers is McDonalds. Presently their fans are in with a chance to win a VIP trip to Las Vegas with three friends for the 12th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Engagement through Facebook Campaigns
Facebook campaigns, when done correctly, can have a huge impact on your brand in terms of following, awareness and engagement. For example, Starbucks' Facebook campaign, where they increased their community to over 7 million by asking their fans to build their official Facebook page. Another very successful Facebook campaign was Levi’s. Last year and again this year Levi’s used Facebook to find the next online face and voice of Levi’s womenswear “Levi’s Girl”. This was a great idea by Levi’s as it got people interested and talking about Levi’s and in turn increasing their number of fans and likes on Facebook.
We hope that these five steps will give you some ideas on how to increase your following on Facebook. Let us know what you think of this post and if there is any other topic you would like us to cover.
Username
Developing a username is one of the first and most important things you will do when creating your Facebook page. It is essential that you develop a username that makes it easy for people to find you, as well as entering as much information as you feel comfortable with. This will make the searching process easier for your customers/friends.
Utilise Facebook tools
A starting point for increasing your following is to invite all the people you know through the search button or the search for friend’s button by using your email address book. From there you can connect with friends of friends. Then join as many relevant groups as possible. This will expose you to many more users and friends. If it’s very relevant to your business try to contact the administrator of a group and ask them for permission to post on their wall. Make sure you contact them in a discreet manner so you’re not spamming and try to make your content relevant to the page you are posting on. Each month you should import your contacts from your email accounts. This will help to grow your Facebook network as you’re meeting new people through other channels.
Make use of other platforms
Make it easy for customers to find your Facebook page. This can be done by creating a link to your Facebook page from other social platforms e.g. Twitter and your website which will help drive visitors to your Facebook page.
Promotions
Offering free products or shipping is another great way to increase your following. This motivates visitors to join your Facebook page through intriguing offers that your customers would be interested in; for example, free shipping, 10% off next purchase, and free samples. A good example of a company that is making the most of its promotional ideas on Facebook is Toys “R” Us. Toys “R” Us run a fun-featured fan promotion where people can upload a picture of themselves or their children. The photo with the most votes will be featured as their profile picture for a week. Another example of good promotional offers is McDonalds. Presently their fans are in with a chance to win a VIP trip to Las Vegas with three friends for the 12th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Engagement through Facebook Campaigns
Facebook campaigns, when done correctly, can have a huge impact on your brand in terms of following, awareness and engagement. For example, Starbucks' Facebook campaign, where they increased their community to over 7 million by asking their fans to build their official Facebook page. Another very successful Facebook campaign was Levi’s. Last year and again this year Levi’s used Facebook to find the next online face and voice of Levi’s womenswear “Levi’s Girl”. This was a great idea by Levi’s as it got people interested and talking about Levi’s and in turn increasing their number of fans and likes on Facebook.
We hope that these five steps will give you some ideas on how to increase your following on Facebook. Let us know what you think of this post and if there is any other topic you would like us to cover.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Here is round up of the 9 main stories that you may have missed this week.
Nestlé social commerce experiment: Nestlé marketplace
Nestlé has just joined the social commerce movement, launching an innovative new social marketplace (Nestlé Marketplatz), which allows consumers to shop & share 72 Nestlé brands. Click here
Social commerce: Learning from the car wash
If you are interested in using social commerce to boost customer commerce to boost customer loyalty?! Then this car wash study which outlines a number of key loyalty insight may be of interest to you. Click here
How Twitter helps network solutions manage its reputation
Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner, interviews Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions about how Twitter became a core component of Network Solutions’ social media strategy. Click here
How to: Use your social media skills to earn extra money
Here is a selection of core ideas by Alexis Grant, a Journalist and social media strategist on how to start making money using your social media skills. Click here
19 Mind-blowing mobile commerce features
When developing your mobile commerce plan, it’s essential to know what you want to do. Here is a list of unique mobile commerce website and application functionality to get you thinking. Click here
Top 10 small business Facebook pages: 2011 winners!
Here is a list of 10 creative Facebook page winners that have been selected from more than 1,400 nominations for the Social Media Examiner’s top 10 small business Facebook pages for 2011. Click here
9 Amazing mobile marketing statistics every marketer should know
“There are 6.8 billion people on the planet. 5.1 billion of them own a cell phone, but only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush”. This is one of nine interesting facts and figures about mobile marketing. Click here
The Twitter life: 10+ Twitter tools you need
So what can you do to make the most out of tweeting? How can you evaluate this effort? Here is a list of Twitter tools you need to maximise your Twitter life. Click here
More than half of US Smartphone owners use location services
According to a study published by Pew Internet and American Life Project, they found that of the people that own Smartphones in the US, 55% use the device for some kind of location –specific task. Click here
Hope today’s round up of the 9 main stories you may have missed this week is of interest to you. Make sure to get in touch as we would love to hear what you think of this blog and of VendingBox!
Nestlé social commerce experiment: Nestlé marketplace
Nestlé has just joined the social commerce movement, launching an innovative new social marketplace (Nestlé Marketplatz), which allows consumers to shop & share 72 Nestlé brands. Click here
Social commerce: Learning from the car wash
If you are interested in using social commerce to boost customer commerce to boost customer loyalty?! Then this car wash study which outlines a number of key loyalty insight may be of interest to you. Click here
How Twitter helps network solutions manage its reputation
Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner, interviews Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions about how Twitter became a core component of Network Solutions’ social media strategy. Click here
How to: Use your social media skills to earn extra money
Here is a selection of core ideas by Alexis Grant, a Journalist and social media strategist on how to start making money using your social media skills. Click here
19 Mind-blowing mobile commerce features
When developing your mobile commerce plan, it’s essential to know what you want to do. Here is a list of unique mobile commerce website and application functionality to get you thinking. Click here
Top 10 small business Facebook pages: 2011 winners!
Here is a list of 10 creative Facebook page winners that have been selected from more than 1,400 nominations for the Social Media Examiner’s top 10 small business Facebook pages for 2011. Click here
9 Amazing mobile marketing statistics every marketer should know
“There are 6.8 billion people on the planet. 5.1 billion of them own a cell phone, but only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush”. This is one of nine interesting facts and figures about mobile marketing. Click here
The Twitter life: 10+ Twitter tools you need
So what can you do to make the most out of tweeting? How can you evaluate this effort? Here is a list of Twitter tools you need to maximise your Twitter life. Click here
More than half of US Smartphone owners use location services
According to a study published by Pew Internet and American Life Project, they found that of the people that own Smartphones in the US, 55% use the device for some kind of location –specific task. Click here
Hope today’s round up of the 9 main stories you may have missed this week is of interest to you. Make sure to get in touch as we would love to hear what you think of this blog and of VendingBox!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Below you will find a lot of interesting tips and statistics on social media marketing, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook deals to the deal pool: five lessons for social commerce
After a short period of only four months, Facebook has ended its Facebook deals. Paul Marsden, editor of Social Commerce Today, explains the five lessons that should be learned from this. Click here
Facebook Ads: 5 tips for success
According to recent research from Merchant Circle , 22% of small businesses have used Facebook Ads, and 65% say they would use Facebook Ads again, citing ease and flexibility as the top reasons to run another campaign. Click here
13 Mind-binding social media marketing statistics
“53 percent of people on Twitter recommend companies or their product in their tweets”. This is just one of thirteen very interesting social media marketing statistics to get you thinking about the limitless possibilities that the internet provides. Click here
The anatomy of social media crisis
As reported by Altimeter group on Wednesday, social media crises are on the rise, but 76% of those that occurred since 2011 could have been diminished or averted with the appropriate social media investments. Click here
How to use a personal Facebook profile for Business
Here are a few tips on how to customise your personal account to share personally or directly with your friends and in turn optimizing your personal profile for business. Click here
Red Bull’s smart use of social media and branded content
Branded content is a massive area in social media at the moment. Red Bull understands the subtle nature of this medium and is using it to their advantage. Click here
The making of the social media strategy
Developing a social media marketing campaign you need to have a strong strategy with methodical implementation which will hopefully lead to successful results. Click here
6 Tools to manage your social media marketing
Social media marketing is one of the most talked about marketing tactics in the ecommerce industry. Armando Roggio, practical ecommerce, describes in detail the six tools to control your social media marketing. Click here
Pizza Hut’s social media mistake
Pizza Hut Southern California’s Facebook page suffered a slight social media embarrassment last week, thanks to one little checkbox. Click here
We hope these 9 social media summaries have brought you up to speed with what you may have missed this week. Feel free to leave a comment or suggestions on what you think of this week’s blog.
Facebook deals to the deal pool: five lessons for social commerce
After a short period of only four months, Facebook has ended its Facebook deals. Paul Marsden, editor of Social Commerce Today, explains the five lessons that should be learned from this. Click here
Facebook Ads: 5 tips for success
According to recent research from Merchant Circle , 22% of small businesses have used Facebook Ads, and 65% say they would use Facebook Ads again, citing ease and flexibility as the top reasons to run another campaign. Click here
13 Mind-binding social media marketing statistics
“53 percent of people on Twitter recommend companies or their product in their tweets”. This is just one of thirteen very interesting social media marketing statistics to get you thinking about the limitless possibilities that the internet provides. Click here
The anatomy of social media crisis
As reported by Altimeter group on Wednesday, social media crises are on the rise, but 76% of those that occurred since 2011 could have been diminished or averted with the appropriate social media investments. Click here
How to use a personal Facebook profile for Business
Here are a few tips on how to customise your personal account to share personally or directly with your friends and in turn optimizing your personal profile for business. Click here
Red Bull’s smart use of social media and branded content
Branded content is a massive area in social media at the moment. Red Bull understands the subtle nature of this medium and is using it to their advantage. Click here
The making of the social media strategy
Developing a social media marketing campaign you need to have a strong strategy with methodical implementation which will hopefully lead to successful results. Click here
6 Tools to manage your social media marketing
Social media marketing is one of the most talked about marketing tactics in the ecommerce industry. Armando Roggio, practical ecommerce, describes in detail the six tools to control your social media marketing. Click here
Pizza Hut’s social media mistake
Pizza Hut Southern California’s Facebook page suffered a slight social media embarrassment last week, thanks to one little checkbox. Click here
We hope these 9 social media summaries have brought you up to speed with what you may have missed this week. Feel free to leave a comment or suggestions on what you think of this week’s blog.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
10 ways to make the most out of Facebook
A large proportion of the world’s population are now on Facebook. In fact over 175 million people log into Facebook every day! This is a large number of people but of this amount of people how many people know how to get the best out of Facebook? Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your Facebook business page. This is an overview of what we believe are the key topics in using Facebook as a business tool.
1. Creating a Facebook strategy
With all new business ideas you need to have a strategy in order to be successful. The same goes for your business Facebook page. With Facebook you can create a unique page image, integrate applications to increase engagement, have a shop on your Facebook page together with many more interesting ideas to increase awareness of your business on Facebook.
2. Create a following
Develop a username that makes it easy for people to find you and enter as much personal information as you feel comfortable with. This will allow people to locate you. To increase your number of friends on Facebook you need to invite all the people you know through the search button or search for friends by using your email address book. Join as many groups as possible this will expose you to many more users of friends. If it’s very relevant to your business try to contact the administrator of a group and ask them to post on the wall. Make sure you contact them in a discrete manner so you’re not spamming and try to make your content relevant to the page you are posting to. Another way to create a following is to use Facebook campaigns. We will explore this in-depth in the following weeks.
3. Reward loyal supporters
If you have just set up your Facebook page, but your business is well-established. Encourage your existing customers to join your Facebook page and reward them with special deals.
4. Status updates
Status updates are of great importance to any Facebook page. Without constant engagement with a stream of updates you will have a very dull page with minimum interaction. The key to continuous status updates are to communicate and connect with your community. Each status update can be commented on and “liked”, which gives ample opportunity for feedback.
5. Applications
Facebook has an unending supply of applications to choose from. You can add tabs that have unique content, conduct polls, play music and much more. Even though we feel that custom tabs can be useful and creative we feel that you shouldn’t rely too much on them. You should concentrate more on your live news feed and keep it fresh, relevant and current at all times because this is where most of the conversation happens.
6. Importing blog content/links to blog posts
This is a simple, easy to use and can create greater interaction as users can read and comment on your blog post on Facebook. Make sure to always ask for feedback and keep interacting by thanking them or providing more insight to their comments.
7. Video/photos
Having a good selection of photos, videos or links that you think your friends might be interested in is a great way to create an interest in your page and develop more interaction with friends. In turn, they may like your video or photos and leave comments about them. This also keeps your profile current and boosts it to the top of the live news feed page. There are many ways to use videos and photos in a creative way. We will explore more of this in the following weeks.
8. Update regularly
It is essential that you update your profile and status regularly on Facebook. Keeping your profile current will boost it to the top of your friends’ live feed page. The news feed is of utmost importance. Therefore, it is crucial to have fresh, valuable and meaningful content on a regular basis. Tailor you content so that it grabs the interest of your friends. Remember that it’s like in real life relationships, so try to establish two-way symmetrical relationships and avoid talking to yourself!
9. Leverage your existing social networks
Whether from Twitter, Linkedin or StumbleUpon if you’ve built up a strong network for your business, utilize it to promote your Facebook page. There are unlimited amounts of social networking platforms and it’s very important to identify the most valuable to your business and connect them in the right way.
10. Examples
Finally, it’s always important to check out what your competition is doing or to see how some of the best are doing it. Take a look at some of these major Facebook pages to see what’s working for them:
• Red Bull
• Burts Bees
• Toy Story 3
• LiveScribe
• Coca-Cola
We strongly recommend that you have a look at Facebook studio. Facebook studio is a community for agencies and marketers doing great work on Facebook.
These are the ten key topics that will be covered over the next few weeks in trying to assist you with your Facebook strategy. If there is any topic that you would like more help with, please get in contact and VendingBox would be very happy to facilitate you.
1. Creating a Facebook strategy
With all new business ideas you need to have a strategy in order to be successful. The same goes for your business Facebook page. With Facebook you can create a unique page image, integrate applications to increase engagement, have a shop on your Facebook page together with many more interesting ideas to increase awareness of your business on Facebook.
2. Create a following
Develop a username that makes it easy for people to find you and enter as much personal information as you feel comfortable with. This will allow people to locate you. To increase your number of friends on Facebook you need to invite all the people you know through the search button or search for friends by using your email address book. Join as many groups as possible this will expose you to many more users of friends. If it’s very relevant to your business try to contact the administrator of a group and ask them to post on the wall. Make sure you contact them in a discrete manner so you’re not spamming and try to make your content relevant to the page you are posting to. Another way to create a following is to use Facebook campaigns. We will explore this in-depth in the following weeks.
3. Reward loyal supporters
If you have just set up your Facebook page, but your business is well-established. Encourage your existing customers to join your Facebook page and reward them with special deals.
4. Status updates
Status updates are of great importance to any Facebook page. Without constant engagement with a stream of updates you will have a very dull page with minimum interaction. The key to continuous status updates are to communicate and connect with your community. Each status update can be commented on and “liked”, which gives ample opportunity for feedback.
5. Applications
Facebook has an unending supply of applications to choose from. You can add tabs that have unique content, conduct polls, play music and much more. Even though we feel that custom tabs can be useful and creative we feel that you shouldn’t rely too much on them. You should concentrate more on your live news feed and keep it fresh, relevant and current at all times because this is where most of the conversation happens.
6. Importing blog content/links to blog posts
This is a simple, easy to use and can create greater interaction as users can read and comment on your blog post on Facebook. Make sure to always ask for feedback and keep interacting by thanking them or providing more insight to their comments.
7. Video/photos
Having a good selection of photos, videos or links that you think your friends might be interested in is a great way to create an interest in your page and develop more interaction with friends. In turn, they may like your video or photos and leave comments about them. This also keeps your profile current and boosts it to the top of the live news feed page. There are many ways to use videos and photos in a creative way. We will explore more of this in the following weeks.
8. Update regularly
It is essential that you update your profile and status regularly on Facebook. Keeping your profile current will boost it to the top of your friends’ live feed page. The news feed is of utmost importance. Therefore, it is crucial to have fresh, valuable and meaningful content on a regular basis. Tailor you content so that it grabs the interest of your friends. Remember that it’s like in real life relationships, so try to establish two-way symmetrical relationships and avoid talking to yourself!
9. Leverage your existing social networks
Whether from Twitter, Linkedin or StumbleUpon if you’ve built up a strong network for your business, utilize it to promote your Facebook page. There are unlimited amounts of social networking platforms and it’s very important to identify the most valuable to your business and connect them in the right way.
10. Examples
Finally, it’s always important to check out what your competition is doing or to see how some of the best are doing it. Take a look at some of these major Facebook pages to see what’s working for them:
• Red Bull
• Burts Bees
• Toy Story 3
• LiveScribe
• Coca-Cola
We strongly recommend that you have a look at Facebook studio. Facebook studio is a community for agencies and marketers doing great work on Facebook.
These are the ten key topics that will be covered over the next few weeks in trying to assist you with your Facebook strategy. If there is any topic that you would like more help with, please get in contact and VendingBox would be very happy to facilitate you.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple, Facebook made big changes to privacy settings are two of many other interesting stories and tips to hit the headlines this week. Read on to see what else has changed in the world of social media!
4 Tips for effective Facebook community management
Are you looking for an easier way to manage your Facebook page? Andrea Vahl, Social Media Examiner shares four tips that will increase your value to your community. Click here
5 Commonly held social media myths….Busted!
Today, in the “Science of Social Media” Webinar, Dan Zarrella will bust some commonly held myths. Here is a look at some of the social media misconceptions which Dan will expose during the Webinar. Click here
First details about lift, the next social network from the founders of Twitter
Ev Williams, Biz Stone and Jason Goldman, the recently departed co-founders of Twitter are now working together again. On August 24, they announced their latest product, a stealth alpha app called Lift. Click here
Facebook makes massive privacy and tagging changes
I think you will be excited to hear that Facebook is launching one of the largest privacy overhauls in its history. The initiative will make it clearer with whom you’re sharing photos, status updates and locations. Click here
Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple
Today’s main announcement is that Steve Jobs is resigning as CEO of Apple and handing the job to Tim Cook. Here is the letter from Steve Jobs himself. Click here
How to recover from a social media PR disaster
Company ‘slip-ups’ are inevitable, especially with instant reactions from the fast-paced world of social media. Companies need to be prepared on how to react in unpredictable circumstances. Here is a look at how you can bounce back from a social media PR disaster. Click here
How to leverage customers’ social behaviour for inbound marketing
Here are five questions to get you thinking about “where” your customers are most socially active online, and how you should act/share in return. Click here
Twitter enhances user profiles with image galleries
From Monday Twitter is rolling out “user galleries” to members. Galleries will display the 100 most recent images the user has tweeted from supported photo-sharing services. Click here
5 Steps to a successful QR code Marketing campaign
Are you wondering how to use QR codes to enhance marketing? Keep reading to learn some tips for implementing 5 essential steps. Click here
We hope the “9 Things You May Have Missed This Week” is of interest to you. Here at VendingBox we would love to hear from you and to share your views.
4 Tips for effective Facebook community management
Are you looking for an easier way to manage your Facebook page? Andrea Vahl, Social Media Examiner shares four tips that will increase your value to your community. Click here
5 Commonly held social media myths….Busted!
Today, in the “Science of Social Media” Webinar, Dan Zarrella will bust some commonly held myths. Here is a look at some of the social media misconceptions which Dan will expose during the Webinar. Click here
First details about lift, the next social network from the founders of Twitter
Ev Williams, Biz Stone and Jason Goldman, the recently departed co-founders of Twitter are now working together again. On August 24, they announced their latest product, a stealth alpha app called Lift. Click here
Facebook makes massive privacy and tagging changes
I think you will be excited to hear that Facebook is launching one of the largest privacy overhauls in its history. The initiative will make it clearer with whom you’re sharing photos, status updates and locations. Click here
Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple
Today’s main announcement is that Steve Jobs is resigning as CEO of Apple and handing the job to Tim Cook. Here is the letter from Steve Jobs himself. Click here
How to recover from a social media PR disaster
Company ‘slip-ups’ are inevitable, especially with instant reactions from the fast-paced world of social media. Companies need to be prepared on how to react in unpredictable circumstances. Here is a look at how you can bounce back from a social media PR disaster. Click here
How to leverage customers’ social behaviour for inbound marketing
Here are five questions to get you thinking about “where” your customers are most socially active online, and how you should act/share in return. Click here
Twitter enhances user profiles with image galleries
From Monday Twitter is rolling out “user galleries” to members. Galleries will display the 100 most recent images the user has tweeted from supported photo-sharing services. Click here
5 Steps to a successful QR code Marketing campaign
Are you wondering how to use QR codes to enhance marketing? Keep reading to learn some tips for implementing 5 essential steps. Click here
We hope the “9 Things You May Have Missed This Week” is of interest to you. Here at VendingBox we would love to hear from you and to share your views.
Friday, August 19, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Here is a quick look back at the main stories you may have missed this week.
Google launches futuristic shopping catalog App for tablets
Google just put a revolutionary spin on shopping catalogs. The company launched an Ipad app that takes traditional catalogs and adds a level of rich interactivity, as well as letting you purchase items on each vendor’s website. Click here
Roundup of latest F-commerce best practice recommendations
F-commerce is new and experimental but has really taken off the past few months. Here is a roundup of the latest F-commerce best practice recommendations by Paul Marsden, Social Commerce Today. Click here
The simple secret to increasing your social media following
In social media marketing, generating a large following can be extremely helpful for businesses. So what is the secret to increasing your social media following? Click here
5 simple steps to getting started with mobile marketing
Are you considering mobile marketing? Wondering how you can use mobile marketing to connect with customers? Here are a few ideas to get started in mobile marketing. Click here
How to: protect your business’s identity on twitter
With more and more small and medium sized business owners turning to Twitter as a tool to engage with customers protecting your business identity and reputation becomes increasingly important. Click here
5 social media success secrets for small businesses
Willing to learn how to use social media effectively and produce a positive return for your business? Here are 5 tips to drive social media success for your business. Click here
Google maps get a weather layer
Google maps just got interesting! This new weather layer to Google Maps means that users planning a day trip or a holiday can do it all from one free, Google-powered, ad-supported place. Click here
Google to acquire Motorola’s handset business for $12.5billion
Google and Motorola mobility have entered an agreement where the search giant will acquire the mobile maker for $12.5billion, formally announcing the beginning of Google’s official entry into the smartphone market as a vendor. Click here
Men sentenced to 4 years for inciting riots on Facebook
Facebook has been used in a vicious way over the riots in England and as a result two men have been sentenced to four years in jail for attempting to use Facebook to “organise and orchestrate” disorder. Click here
I’m sure our 9 news stories have brought you up-to-speed with what has been going on this week. Make sure to get in touch with us here at VendingBox; we would love to hear any comments or opinions you may have.
Google launches futuristic shopping catalog App for tablets
Google just put a revolutionary spin on shopping catalogs. The company launched an Ipad app that takes traditional catalogs and adds a level of rich interactivity, as well as letting you purchase items on each vendor’s website. Click here
Roundup of latest F-commerce best practice recommendations
F-commerce is new and experimental but has really taken off the past few months. Here is a roundup of the latest F-commerce best practice recommendations by Paul Marsden, Social Commerce Today. Click here
The simple secret to increasing your social media following
In social media marketing, generating a large following can be extremely helpful for businesses. So what is the secret to increasing your social media following? Click here
5 simple steps to getting started with mobile marketing
Are you considering mobile marketing? Wondering how you can use mobile marketing to connect with customers? Here are a few ideas to get started in mobile marketing. Click here
How to: protect your business’s identity on twitter
With more and more small and medium sized business owners turning to Twitter as a tool to engage with customers protecting your business identity and reputation becomes increasingly important. Click here
5 social media success secrets for small businesses
Willing to learn how to use social media effectively and produce a positive return for your business? Here are 5 tips to drive social media success for your business. Click here
Google maps get a weather layer
Google maps just got interesting! This new weather layer to Google Maps means that users planning a day trip or a holiday can do it all from one free, Google-powered, ad-supported place. Click here
Google to acquire Motorola’s handset business for $12.5billion
Google and Motorola mobility have entered an agreement where the search giant will acquire the mobile maker for $12.5billion, formally announcing the beginning of Google’s official entry into the smartphone market as a vendor. Click here
Men sentenced to 4 years for inciting riots on Facebook
Facebook has been used in a vicious way over the riots in England and as a result two men have been sentenced to four years in jail for attempting to use Facebook to “organise and orchestrate” disorder. Click here
I’m sure our 9 news stories have brought you up-to-speed with what has been going on this week. Make sure to get in touch with us here at VendingBox; we would love to hear any comments or opinions you may have.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Social Commerce Trends 2011
This is a summary of some of the main trends from a new study “F-commerce: selling on Facebook” the new whitepaper by Dr Paul Marsden, a well-known social media strategist for Syzygy and editor of social commerce today.
Facebook Trends
56% of Facebook users have clicked through to a retailer’s website because of a Facebook post. This is a great percentage and retailers should utilise this tool.
40,485,186 The most liked Facebook shop? That would belong to Lady Gaga!! Not a surprise as she knows how to create word of mouth. There, she sells merchandise from CDs to Fame Monster USBs.
Social plug-ins let you see what your friends have liked, commented on or shared on sites across the web. 10k is the average number of websites that have integrated with Facebook every day since social Plug-Ins were launched.
The Facebook pop-up shop is a digital evolution of the pop-up retail model used by brands to showcase collections and interact with customers on a new level. 3rd Highest sales day for online fashion retailer Rachel Roy on the day it opened a temporary “pop up” Facebook fan-store. It’s not surprising that more and more people are seeing the benefits of shopping online. 67% of shoppers spend more online after receiving recommendations from their online community of friends.
F-commerce trends are divided into three main emerging micro trends; Social Networking, Mobile and Local trends;
1. Social NetworkingTrends
Social Networking Trends are constantly changing and evolving. Established brands are using social networks to reach their consumers, and small business owners are realising the power of creating a Facebook Page, or Twitter account to engage their customers.
Social networking is now the number one online activity. This is down to consumers spending 23% of their time online on social media sites.
42% of US online adults follow a retailer via Facebook, Twitter or blog. A further 28% of Facebook users have purchased something online via a link on Facebook. Purchasing online involves a lot of trust. 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users.
2. Mobile Trends
The research shows that Smart phone user’s use their phones on a regular bases for social networking. For example 63% of Smart phone users use their handset to access a social network, at least once a week. While 79% of Smart phone users use their handsets to help with shopping and 35% of Smart phone owners have made a purchase on their handsets.
Mobile web access seems to be increasing on a daily basis. 34% of Facebook users access Facebook from their mobile phones at least once a day (32% view YouTube videos on a daily basis from a handset). Dr Paul Marsden reckons that by 2015, the mobile web access will overtake desktop access.
3. Local Trends
Social media isn’t just taking off globally this is also on a local level with 86% of customers using the web to find local business: 20% + of all Google searches have a local intent. This is also evident with mobile phone users. A staggering 95% of mobile users use their handsets to find local information and 88% of those users take action based on that information.
Local promotions and coupons on the web are also accessed by mobile phone users. 78% of mobile connected consumers have purchased from a local deals site. Nevertheless a lot of people like to view a product online before purchasing it in store. 45% of online European consumers have researched a product online and then bought it in a shop.
Social networking, mobile and local trends have grown quite considerably over the past year. According to Dr Paul Marsden this is set to continue over the next few years. We here at VendingbBox would love to hear from you and what you think will be the top trends for next year?!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
News stories, tips and trends, intrigued? See below for the 9 stories you may have missed this week.
Online retailers face new challenge – the tablet
Once you have set up your e-commerce website and you’ve optimized it for m-commerce and you’ve even got abroad the f-commerce train. The next new trend is t-commerce. Click here
Speed summary: 7 Top tips for F-commerce from New York Times
Try and make the F-commerce experience more exclusive and unique through these 7 top tips. Click here
7 Tips for retailers: How to make your mark in F-commerce
Doron Simovitcch the co-founder and CEO of shopping search engine and Facebook e-commerce solutions provider sortprice.com doesn’t believe that Facebook commerce is just a passing fad. Click here
Google+ could become the second – largest social network within a year
Google+ which launched in June 29 is quickly rising up the ranks of social networks. According to a new survey by YouGov PLC 13% of U.S. adult online use Google+. Click here
5 Tips for getting media coverage using social media
Here is a sample of the 5 best practices you can try that will increase your chances for getting media coverage using social media. Click here
911 Will soon accept texts, videos, photos
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a five-step plan to update the technology that powers the 911 emergency response system. Click here
50 Social media stats to blow your mind
“25% of hotels are still ignoring social media” and “Nearly twice as many men (63%) as women (37%) use Linkedin” Two of 50 intriguing facts on social media. Click here
Shopping turns social and mobile, a study says
According to new research by consulting firm, The E-tailing Group Inc. “More than half of frequent web shoppers turn to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter at least some of the time to gather ideas for shopping”. Click here
Top 10 Twitter trends this week
This week’s top 10 twitter trends compiled by Matt Siverman, Mashable.com. Click here
We hope you’ve learned something new! Make sure to share your thoughts with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
Online retailers face new challenge – the tablet
Once you have set up your e-commerce website and you’ve optimized it for m-commerce and you’ve even got abroad the f-commerce train. The next new trend is t-commerce. Click here
Speed summary: 7 Top tips for F-commerce from New York Times
Try and make the F-commerce experience more exclusive and unique through these 7 top tips. Click here
7 Tips for retailers: How to make your mark in F-commerce
Doron Simovitcch the co-founder and CEO of shopping search engine and Facebook e-commerce solutions provider sortprice.com doesn’t believe that Facebook commerce is just a passing fad. Click here
Google+ could become the second – largest social network within a year
Google+ which launched in June 29 is quickly rising up the ranks of social networks. According to a new survey by YouGov PLC 13% of U.S. adult online use Google+. Click here
5 Tips for getting media coverage using social media
Here is a sample of the 5 best practices you can try that will increase your chances for getting media coverage using social media. Click here
911 Will soon accept texts, videos, photos
FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a five-step plan to update the technology that powers the 911 emergency response system. Click here
50 Social media stats to blow your mind
“25% of hotels are still ignoring social media” and “Nearly twice as many men (63%) as women (37%) use Linkedin” Two of 50 intriguing facts on social media. Click here
Shopping turns social and mobile, a study says
According to new research by consulting firm, The E-tailing Group Inc. “More than half of frequent web shoppers turn to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter at least some of the time to gather ideas for shopping”. Click here
Top 10 Twitter trends this week
This week’s top 10 twitter trends compiled by Matt Siverman, Mashable.com. Click here
We hope you’ve learned something new! Make sure to share your thoughts with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
Friday, August 5, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Another exciting week full of new trends and ideas on; Social media, Ecommerce and F-Commerce. Check out 9 stories you may have missed this week.
7 Key findings on the use of social media and E-Commerce: New study
Jeff Bullas an Internet Digital Marketer has done a new study on how a lot of on-line retailers have been rushing into using social media as the next big Marketing thing and he feels it is showing some promise. Click here
The truth about what customers really want
This is a concise summary of both social media and social commerce into 50 actionable insights by Dr Michael Soloman, a well-known consumer psychologist. Click here
Bullish or Bearish on F-Commerce? The FT opinion [infographic]
So are you an F-commerce bull or F-commerce bear? The Financial Times has run a piece on f-commerce by April Dombosky entitled Companies Embrace the F Word. Click here
8 expected social media trends for 2011
If you are using social media as a marketing or communications tool, check out these 8 expected social media trends for 2011 to stay ahead of the competition. Click here
How social commerce works: The social psychology of social shopping
Understanding the social psychology of social shopping provides businesses with a strategic advantage over those who simply position social commerce as a set of tactical tools. Click here
Checking out 9 tips to increasing eCommerce conversions at checkout
Here are a few suggestions to help eCommerce sites increase conversions by plugging up holes in their checkout process. Click here
7 eCommerce Marketing Applications of Humor
So how exactly can humorous devices be used to increase conversions in eCommerce. Here are some eCommerce applications of humoristic tools that can improve the user experience for your potential customersClick here
Boxing up social commerce: Hot opportunity?
Subscription-based e-commerce models are quite hot right now. Would you box up your social business? Click here
Integrating educational content into your eCommerce site; 10 pointers
The ecommerce landscape continues to get more competitive. One tactic to look at is incorporating educational content related to the products you sell into your site.
Click here
We hope these 9 new stories are of interest to you. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
7 Key findings on the use of social media and E-Commerce: New study
Jeff Bullas an Internet Digital Marketer has done a new study on how a lot of on-line retailers have been rushing into using social media as the next big Marketing thing and he feels it is showing some promise. Click here
The truth about what customers really want
This is a concise summary of both social media and social commerce into 50 actionable insights by Dr Michael Soloman, a well-known consumer psychologist. Click here
Bullish or Bearish on F-Commerce? The FT opinion [infographic]
So are you an F-commerce bull or F-commerce bear? The Financial Times has run a piece on f-commerce by April Dombosky entitled Companies Embrace the F Word. Click here
8 expected social media trends for 2011
If you are using social media as a marketing or communications tool, check out these 8 expected social media trends for 2011 to stay ahead of the competition. Click here
How social commerce works: The social psychology of social shopping
Understanding the social psychology of social shopping provides businesses with a strategic advantage over those who simply position social commerce as a set of tactical tools. Click here
Checking out 9 tips to increasing eCommerce conversions at checkout
Here are a few suggestions to help eCommerce sites increase conversions by plugging up holes in their checkout process. Click here
7 eCommerce Marketing Applications of Humor
So how exactly can humorous devices be used to increase conversions in eCommerce. Here are some eCommerce applications of humoristic tools that can improve the user experience for your potential customers
Boxing up social commerce: Hot opportunity?
Subscription-based e-commerce models are quite hot right now. Would you box up your social business? Click here
Integrating educational content into your eCommerce site; 10 pointers
The ecommerce landscape continues to get more competitive. One tactic to look at is incorporating educational content related to the products you sell into your site.
Click here
We hope these 9 new stories are of interest to you. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Does your brand have the F-factor?
We are talking about the Facebook factor, one of the most important challenges that a brand should face. Today more than 500 million of active users interact through social networks but still few brands own a page with E-commerce capability.
The shopping scenario has totally changed, with the social network now one of the main devices that a brand uses to reach its consumers. According to the Financial Times, Facebook is no longer a place to share pictures, comments and memories, but it has taken an active part in people’s choices and behaviours.
When we say “F-factor” we assume brands should be in the same place as consumers are, in the social network. Companies like; Procter & Gamble, Levi’s and Delta Air Lines are experimenting with what is called F-commerce.
According to research from Booz&Co, about $5 billion worth of physical goods are sold on social networks, users find F-commerce easy to use and easy to set up for their own businesses.
Predictions say that in 2015 the social commerce market should grow to $30 billion.
How to achieve the “F-factor”? Few users currently shop on Facebook, firstly because there are few brands on Facebook using E-commerce and secondly because users often are not motivated to press the “Like” button. The best practice for all those brands investing in F-commerce is to generate a complete “engagement” with their fans by selling targeted products specifically created for f-fans and offering special deals. Alan Fulmer, co-founder of Channel Intelligence said in an interview on Forbes: “What you have to do is offer something on Facebook that people can’t get anywhere else. Give them a reason to find you and keep coming back… You’re going to be funny in some way, or show them cool commercials. Or you’re going to be very informative and educate them. You also want to offer ways to save and win. Give them promotions, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes and samples.”
Statistics and experts confirm the growing phenomenon of F-commerce and VendingBox is proud to offer a wide range of F-commerce solutions to help brands improve their presence among their fans on social networks.
For further information please visit our website at www.vendingbox.net
The shopping scenario has totally changed, with the social network now one of the main devices that a brand uses to reach its consumers. According to the Financial Times, Facebook is no longer a place to share pictures, comments and memories, but it has taken an active part in people’s choices and behaviours.
When we say “F-factor” we assume brands should be in the same place as consumers are, in the social network. Companies like; Procter & Gamble, Levi’s and Delta Air Lines are experimenting with what is called F-commerce.
According to research from Booz&Co, about $5 billion worth of physical goods are sold on social networks, users find F-commerce easy to use and easy to set up for their own businesses.
Predictions say that in 2015 the social commerce market should grow to $30 billion.
How to achieve the “F-factor”? Few users currently shop on Facebook, firstly because there are few brands on Facebook using E-commerce and secondly because users often are not motivated to press the “Like” button. The best practice for all those brands investing in F-commerce is to generate a complete “engagement” with their fans by selling targeted products specifically created for f-fans and offering special deals. Alan Fulmer, co-founder of Channel Intelligence said in an interview on Forbes: “What you have to do is offer something on Facebook that people can’t get anywhere else. Give them a reason to find you and keep coming back… You’re going to be funny in some way, or show them cool commercials. Or you’re going to be very informative and educate them. You also want to offer ways to save and win. Give them promotions, rebates, coupons, sweepstakes and samples.”
Statistics and experts confirm the growing phenomenon of F-commerce and VendingBox is proud to offer a wide range of F-commerce solutions to help brands improve their presence among their fans on social networks.
For further information please visit our website at www.vendingbox.net
Thursday, July 28, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Interested in Social Commerce and Social Media? Check out 9 stories you may have missed this week!
What's Your Facebook Ecommerce Strategy?
Online retailers are definitely taking of Facebook and looking for ways to take advantage of the massive social media giant and its expanding ecommerce capabilities. Click here
Group-Thinking, not Group-Think: 5 Social Commerce Tips from Pikaba
Group-thinking is key to harnessing the power of groups, because unless you think and target in terms of groups, you are unlikely to benefit from word of mouth networks and collective buying power. Here are 5 simple and smart tips for profiting from social commerce. Click here
How Big is the Ecommerce Industry? [Infographic]
E-commerce sales are growing by more than 19% a year and will be almost $1.4 trillion by 2015. Click here
For M-Commerce, a Simple Design Can Lead to Better Performance
Web performance, whether it’s the time it takes for a page to load or how often a site goes down, is just as important for m-commerce as it is for e-commerce, says Andrew Brown, co-founder and CEO of ToolFetch.com. Click here
Brave New World: Facebook Connected Cameras Break Out of the Fitting Room into Clubs and Resorts [Video]
Resorts around the world are equipping visitors with RFID bracelets and installing sensors throughout their venues making it easier for visitors to swipe their wristband to upload pictures, update status, and check-in using Facebook Places. Click here
PowerReviews Spreads Consumer Reviews Between E-Commerce Sites
It’s a simple law of e-commerce: the more consumer reviews there are on a product, the more sales will result. ”As review numbers go up, conversions go up, and SEO traffic goes up,” says Cathy Halligan, SVP of sales and marketing for PowerReviews. Click here
Turn Your Webcam Into a Credit Card Reader
Payment startup Jumio revealed a new technology Tuesday that turns a standard webcam into a secure credit card reader. Click here
ROBO Shoppers Are Evolving—Are You Keeping Up?
In-store no longer means shopping offline; consumers are bringing online research into the aisles, empowered by smartphones and the liberation of once-siloed information. Click here
The Sharing Economy Gets a Poster Child Valued at $1.3bn
AirBnB, the user-review-powered P2P marketplace that allows people to share their homes with travellers around the globe has just joined the billion dollar valuation club, following a new $112m round of investment and valuing the 36 month old startup at $1.3bn. Click here
We hope you find this of interest. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
What's Your Facebook Ecommerce Strategy?
Online retailers are definitely taking of Facebook and looking for ways to take advantage of the massive social media giant and its expanding ecommerce capabilities. Click here
Group-Thinking, not Group-Think: 5 Social Commerce Tips from Pikaba
Group-thinking is key to harnessing the power of groups, because unless you think and target in terms of groups, you are unlikely to benefit from word of mouth networks and collective buying power. Here are 5 simple and smart tips for profiting from social commerce. Click here
How Big is the Ecommerce Industry? [Infographic]
E-commerce sales are growing by more than 19% a year and will be almost $1.4 trillion by 2015. Click here
For M-Commerce, a Simple Design Can Lead to Better Performance
Web performance, whether it’s the time it takes for a page to load or how often a site goes down, is just as important for m-commerce as it is for e-commerce, says Andrew Brown, co-founder and CEO of ToolFetch.com. Click here
Brave New World: Facebook Connected Cameras Break Out of the Fitting Room into Clubs and Resorts [Video]
Resorts around the world are equipping visitors with RFID bracelets and installing sensors throughout their venues making it easier for visitors to swipe their wristband to upload pictures, update status, and check-in using Facebook Places. Click here
PowerReviews Spreads Consumer Reviews Between E-Commerce Sites
It’s a simple law of e-commerce: the more consumer reviews there are on a product, the more sales will result. ”As review numbers go up, conversions go up, and SEO traffic goes up,” says Cathy Halligan, SVP of sales and marketing for PowerReviews. Click here
Turn Your Webcam Into a Credit Card Reader
Payment startup Jumio revealed a new technology Tuesday that turns a standard webcam into a secure credit card reader. Click here
ROBO Shoppers Are Evolving—Are You Keeping Up?
In-store no longer means shopping offline; consumers are bringing online research into the aisles, empowered by smartphones and the liberation of once-siloed information. Click here
The Sharing Economy Gets a Poster Child Valued at $1.3bn
AirBnB, the user-review-powered P2P marketplace that allows people to share their homes with travellers around the globe has just joined the billion dollar valuation club, following a new $112m round of investment and valuing the 36 month old startup at $1.3bn. Click here
We hope you find this of interest. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and check back next week for another weekly update.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
8 Tips to Provide Better Mobile Shopping Experience
The mobile phone, the world at your fingertips. Advancement in the mobile phone industry has made anything possible from GPS navigation to uploading things on the internet with just the click of a button. Many businesses have taken advantage of this medium already through advertisements. By the end of 2011, mobile advertising in the United States alone will expand to a billion-dollar business. By 2014, it has been projected that the U.S. market will double in size, reaching $2.5 billion. But the mobile industry is not just for advertisers. Mobile commerce is now on the rise as well. Here are 8 ways to make your online purchases easier for your customer.
1. Never make registration a necessity: If someone wants to purchase on their mobile, let them enter their credit card details. If you force them to register it creates a barrier for them. This is very important for mobile commerce because filling out details on a phone can be very difficult and can cause them to abandon the purchase.
2. Include a search bar on your site: It has been found that mobile users love to search. It is difficult to browse on a mobile device so if you include an easily accessible search bar it will make the process leading up to the purchase so much easier.
3. Don’t limit their choice of products: In other words, give your customers the same access to your list of products as any other online user.
4. Make it simple for existing customers to make a purchase: We can learn from retailers like Tesco, and Amazon. These businesses sell so much through their mobile shopping carts because their existing customers can make purchases with just a few clicks.
5. Image loading speed: Make your images load fast but make sure that viewers can see the whole product.
6. Take advantage of the phones capabilities: For example the Apple IPhone allows users to flick the screen to view images of the products they are interested in, so it possible to do that on your shopping cart.
7. Keep the checkout page mobile: Never send users to a non-mobile-optimized checkout page. Otherwise you run the risk of abandonment.
8. Provide alternatives to mobile checkout: There are some customers that are still afraid of providing their credit card information through their mobile. To help overcome these fears encourage a phone call, have a store locator listed, or add a reserve and collect in-store option.
I hope that these tips can be helpful to you as you create your mobile shopping
presence. If you have any questions please email support@vendingbox.net.
1. Never make registration a necessity: If someone wants to purchase on their mobile, let them enter their credit card details. If you force them to register it creates a barrier for them. This is very important for mobile commerce because filling out details on a phone can be very difficult and can cause them to abandon the purchase.
2. Include a search bar on your site: It has been found that mobile users love to search. It is difficult to browse on a mobile device so if you include an easily accessible search bar it will make the process leading up to the purchase so much easier.
3. Don’t limit their choice of products: In other words, give your customers the same access to your list of products as any other online user.
4. Make it simple for existing customers to make a purchase: We can learn from retailers like Tesco, and Amazon. These businesses sell so much through their mobile shopping carts because their existing customers can make purchases with just a few clicks.
5. Image loading speed: Make your images load fast but make sure that viewers can see the whole product.
6. Take advantage of the phones capabilities: For example the Apple IPhone allows users to flick the screen to view images of the products they are interested in, so it possible to do that on your shopping cart.
7. Keep the checkout page mobile: Never send users to a non-mobile-optimized checkout page. Otherwise you run the risk of abandonment.
8. Provide alternatives to mobile checkout: There are some customers that are still afraid of providing their credit card information through their mobile. To help overcome these fears encourage a phone call, have a store locator listed, or add a reserve and collect in-store option.
I hope that these tips can be helpful to you as you create your mobile shopping
presence. If you have any questions please email support@vendingbox.net.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Automatically promote your special offers on Facebook.
In this short article, we will see how easy it is to create and promote your special offers using the Facebook campaign feature.
VendingBox supports 2 ways of creating special offers. If you have imported your catalog from your Zen Cart or osCommerce store, your special prices are automatically set up, so skip down to the Facebook campaign section below.
Creating special offers
Find the product you want to add as a special offer, using 'Manage Products -> Search ' as shown here.
Edit the product by clicking the little pen icon in the product row.
Scroll down and enter a date range for the special offer. Usually this is s short time that the item is avaiable!
In this case we will make some MMA gloves available for the crazy low price of 5.00
Apply details.
Repeat this for as many products as you like. Once done, you can then create the promotional campaigns.
Facebook campaigns
VendingBox supports 2 ways of creating special offers. If you have imported your catalog from your Zen Cart or osCommerce store, your special prices are automatically set up, so skip down to the Facebook campaign section below.
Creating special offers
Find the product you want to add as a special offer, using 'Manage Products -> Search ' as shown here.
Edit the product by clicking the little pen icon in the product row.
Scroll down and enter a date range for the special offer. Usually this is s short time that the item is avaiable!
In this case we will make some MMA gloves available for the crazy low price of 5.00
Apply details.
Repeat this for as many products as you like. Once done, you can then create the promotional campaigns.
Facebook campaigns
The following easy steps show you how to get started with Facebook campaigns.
1. Choose 'Facebook Campaigns' from the left menu.
2. Click the "Get Started" link , giving the application permission to make posts to your page.
3. Allow the page to reload, and 'Create a new Campaign'.
Once created you will be ready to begin adding your special offers.
4. Search for products to add to this promotional campaign, and choose 'Add' for each one.
When done, go 'back to campaigns' and configure your schedule.
5. Choose a slogan and a schedule for your campaign.
In this case it might be simply "Special Offer! Mad price for gloves."
There are lots of schedules to choose from, ranging from hourly to weekly. If you want to repeat the campaign once all the products in your list have completed, simply tick the 'Repeat' option.
The system already knows all of the Facebook pages you own, so you can choose the page to post the products. Enable the campaign, save, and watch it all happen for you.
So what does it look like once posted?
Friday, July 22, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of social commerce and social media with our 9 summaries on what you may have missed this week!
Eight presentations on Social Commerce
Econsultancy, Digital Marketers United have published a handful of presentations that cover the main facets within this specific, rapidly-evolving area of e-commerce. Click here
Get ready for "T-commerce," says Twitter CEO
Twitter is turning its attention to social commerce in a bid to generate new revenues, CEO Dick Costolo said at the Fortune BrainstormTech conference. Click here
Predicted Social Commerce Growth Illustrates the Need for Increased Online Protection
With the rate of social commerce predicted to grow over the coming years, organisations are being advised to ensure elements of their online marketing strategy are suitably protected from potential cyber attacks, reports CrowdControlHQ. Click here
Recommendation Roundup: How to Profit from Social Commerce
Here is a list of practical recommendations for deploying social commerce from industry experts. Click here for a roundup of their tips.
Selling into the Sharing Economy. The Next Big Trend in Social Commerce?
What’s the next big thing in Social Commerce? Selling into the Sharing Economy is one. Click here to find out more.
Social Media to Social Commerce in 3.3. Seconds
The new arm of social media is social commerce you can bet that if you’re not addressing social commerce now you are doing your clients a disservice. This piece illustrate how quickly social commerce is evolving. Click here
Infographic: The history of F-commerce
Social commerce will top $30 billion globally by 2015 with Facebook-generated sales one of the primary drivers. Click here
Social Commerce Acid Test from Amex
Amex has launched its Link-Like-Love social commerce program, a next-generation rewards program integrated with Facebook for Amex card holders and that offers personalized rewards based on Facebook Likes and check-ins. Click here
The rise of Social Commerce
A new Social Commerce report by JWT Intelligence looks at Facebook commerce and other ways in which retailers are using the social graph to engage consumers.
Click here
We hope you find this of interest. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and stay informed with our weekly update.
Eight presentations on Social Commerce
Econsultancy, Digital Marketers United have published a handful of presentations that cover the main facets within this specific, rapidly-evolving area of e-commerce. Click here
Get ready for "T-commerce," says Twitter CEO
Twitter is turning its attention to social commerce in a bid to generate new revenues, CEO Dick Costolo said at the Fortune BrainstormTech conference. Click here
Predicted Social Commerce Growth Illustrates the Need for Increased Online Protection
With the rate of social commerce predicted to grow over the coming years, organisations are being advised to ensure elements of their online marketing strategy are suitably protected from potential cyber attacks, reports CrowdControlHQ. Click here
Recommendation Roundup: How to Profit from Social Commerce
Here is a list of practical recommendations for deploying social commerce from industry experts. Click here for a roundup of their tips.
Selling into the Sharing Economy. The Next Big Trend in Social Commerce?
What’s the next big thing in Social Commerce? Selling into the Sharing Economy is one. Click here to find out more.
Social Media to Social Commerce in 3.3. Seconds
The new arm of social media is social commerce you can bet that if you’re not addressing social commerce now you are doing your clients a disservice. This piece illustrate how quickly social commerce is evolving. Click here
Infographic: The history of F-commerce
Social commerce will top $30 billion globally by 2015 with Facebook-generated sales one of the primary drivers. Click here
Social Commerce Acid Test from Amex
Amex has launched its Link-Like-Love social commerce program, a next-generation rewards program integrated with Facebook for Amex card holders and that offers personalized rewards based on Facebook Likes and check-ins. Click here
The rise of Social Commerce
A new Social Commerce report by JWT Intelligence looks at Facebook commerce and other ways in which retailers are using the social graph to engage consumers.
Click here
We hope you find this of interest. Make sure to share your thoughts and views with us and stay informed with our weekly update.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Top Ten Suggestions to Succeed in Business Through Social Commerce
Business stuck in a rut? Need something new?
Why not try social commerce!
Social commerce is a rapidly growing social medium. On Facebook alone 150 million people engage on external websites each month. $30 billion are predicted revenues for social commerce markets in 2015. The numbers are impressive so why not try it!
Here are the top ten suggestions for your business on how to take advantage of this social phenomenon:
1. Solutions like Share and Earn allows you to offer anybody that shares or tweets a product, to receive a percentage of the sales that are generated whenever a friend makes a purchase from your store.
2. Use Facebook contests that require your consumer to ‘like’ your page. This will automatically send users to the Facebook store and will encourage product browsing.
3. Give rewards to your customers for their social activity on your website. These can be virtual as well as monetary incentives and will generate customer loyalty.
4. Don’t just sell: social commerce shouldn’t be all about selling your products – add value to your customers’ shopping experience – and give them a reason for communicating with you and their friends.
5. Focus on sending promotions and discounts through email, Twitter, and Facebook.
6. Post ads on your Facebook Wall and link the Facebook store’s PDP pages. Or better yet set up a store directly on your Facebook. This will cause quick purchasing ability within the social media network.
7. Add social media sharing links directly on your website.
8. Give special offers to your loyal customers. This will make your customers feel special by giving them exclusive access to information and products.
9. Make personalized recommendations based on purchasing history, and the customer’s social profile.
10. Engage in dialogue with your customers. Create an open forum so that you can interact with customers who want to talk to you.
If social commerce is of interest to you why not check out an event featuring Warren Knight, Co-founder and director of Gloople, the UK’s 1st “Social Sharing” e-commerce platform on Tuesday 26 July. He will discuss how to use social commerce to get business. To find out more about this event you can click here.
I hope these tips are useful for you, if you have any questions email us at support@vendingbox.net.
Why not try social commerce!
Social commerce is a rapidly growing social medium. On Facebook alone 150 million people engage on external websites each month. $30 billion are predicted revenues for social commerce markets in 2015. The numbers are impressive so why not try it!
Here are the top ten suggestions for your business on how to take advantage of this social phenomenon:
1. Solutions like Share and Earn allows you to offer anybody that shares or tweets a product, to receive a percentage of the sales that are generated whenever a friend makes a purchase from your store.
2. Use Facebook contests that require your consumer to ‘like’ your page. This will automatically send users to the Facebook store and will encourage product browsing.
3. Give rewards to your customers for their social activity on your website. These can be virtual as well as monetary incentives and will generate customer loyalty.
4. Don’t just sell: social commerce shouldn’t be all about selling your products – add value to your customers’ shopping experience – and give them a reason for communicating with you and their friends.
5. Focus on sending promotions and discounts through email, Twitter, and Facebook.
6. Post ads on your Facebook Wall and link the Facebook store’s PDP pages. Or better yet set up a store directly on your Facebook. This will cause quick purchasing ability within the social media network.
7. Add social media sharing links directly on your website.
8. Give special offers to your loyal customers. This will make your customers feel special by giving them exclusive access to information and products.
9. Make personalized recommendations based on purchasing history, and the customer’s social profile.
10. Engage in dialogue with your customers. Create an open forum so that you can interact with customers who want to talk to you.
If social commerce is of interest to you why not check out an event featuring Warren Knight, Co-founder and director of Gloople, the UK’s 1st “Social Sharing” e-commerce platform on Tuesday 26 July. He will discuss how to use social commerce to get business. To find out more about this event you can click here.
I hope these tips are useful for you, if you have any questions email us at support@vendingbox.net.
Friday, July 15, 2011
9 Things You May Have Missed This Week
It has been a busy week in the social commerce and social media realms. Let’s take a look at what has been happening.
Social Commerce for CPG Brands
Digital marketing agency 460i has published a strategic report and POV on social commerce for brands in the consumer packaged goods industry. click here
The Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Commerce
Facebook Commerce, otherwise known as F-Commerce, is becoming more popular in social commerce. Here you will find everything you need to know about this social media. click here
5 Big Trends in Mobile Commerce
A survey of 18-64 year-old mobile shoppers was conducted to find out what the trends were in M-commerce. The findings are presented in this article. click here
E-commerce stocks bring in July with a bang
In the spirit of the Fourth of July, e-commerce stocks shot up last week. Internet Retailer Online Retail Index had a 3.56% gain during a week when the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained only 0.59%. click here
Other social media news you may be interested in:
Google+ About To Hit 10 Million Users
Does Google+ have what it takes to be the top in the social media network? Paul Allen, of Ancestry.com, has estimated that Google+ has already reached 10 million users. click here
How to Measure Social Media Marketing; 3 Steps
Like other forms of online marketing, social media marketing needs to produce a return on investment, however, it is not always easy to measure. This article discusses the three keys to effectively measure your social media strategy. click here
Merchants Need to Adopt a Social Media Mindset; 10 Principles
Many businesses have a facebook or twitter account but do not know how to use it. In this article, Paul Chaney talks about 10 principles that are foundational to building a successful social media marketing strategy. click here
EU Privacy and Cookies: A Very Inconvenient Truth
There has been a revision of the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive that requires consent before cookies can be placed on a consumer’s computer. Since this consent must be done by interrupting the web user, many are nervous about the negative impact this will have on their site. click here
10 Brilliant Social Media Video Case Studies to Take Inspiration From
As you plan your marketing campaign, it is good to take a look at what businesses have done in the past. Here is a list of 10 social media video case studies. click here
We hope this is beneficial to you. We would love you to share your thoughts with us! Stay tuned for more news next week
Social Commerce for CPG Brands
Digital marketing agency 460i has published a strategic report and POV on social commerce for brands in the consumer packaged goods industry. click here
The Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Commerce
Facebook Commerce, otherwise known as F-Commerce, is becoming more popular in social commerce. Here you will find everything you need to know about this social media. click here
5 Big Trends in Mobile Commerce
A survey of 18-64 year-old mobile shoppers was conducted to find out what the trends were in M-commerce. The findings are presented in this article. click here
E-commerce stocks bring in July with a bang
In the spirit of the Fourth of July, e-commerce stocks shot up last week. Internet Retailer Online Retail Index had a 3.56% gain during a week when the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained only 0.59%. click here
Other social media news you may be interested in:
Google+ About To Hit 10 Million Users
Does Google+ have what it takes to be the top in the social media network? Paul Allen, of Ancestry.com, has estimated that Google+ has already reached 10 million users. click here
How to Measure Social Media Marketing; 3 Steps
Like other forms of online marketing, social media marketing needs to produce a return on investment, however, it is not always easy to measure. This article discusses the three keys to effectively measure your social media strategy. click here
Merchants Need to Adopt a Social Media Mindset; 10 Principles
Many businesses have a facebook or twitter account but do not know how to use it. In this article, Paul Chaney talks about 10 principles that are foundational to building a successful social media marketing strategy. click here
EU Privacy and Cookies: A Very Inconvenient Truth
There has been a revision of the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive that requires consent before cookies can be placed on a consumer’s computer. Since this consent must be done by interrupting the web user, many are nervous about the negative impact this will have on their site. click here
10 Brilliant Social Media Video Case Studies to Take Inspiration From
As you plan your marketing campaign, it is good to take a look at what businesses have done in the past. Here is a list of 10 social media video case studies. click here
We hope this is beneficial to you. We would love you to share your thoughts with us! Stay tuned for more news next week
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
New Pricing Plans!
We are happy to announce a new pricing feature we are adding to our website. It will be comprised of five pricing categories customized to your business needs. We understand that each business is unique; therefore, each plan will provide a variety of features that will be accessible to you. You can find a complete list of the plans at http://www.vendingbox.net/plans. Social commerce is on the rise, and we want to make it as easy as possible to stay ahead in this market. We feel that these pricing plans will provide the support you need in your endeavours. If you have any questions, please email support@vendingbox.net.
Monday, July 11, 2011
What’s New in Social Commerce?
Have you ever purchased something online? If so, you are among many around the world who have participated in social commerce. Social commerce, or S-Commerce, is the buying and selling of products online. Seems simple enough, but it has become an international phenomenon. In 2015, social commerce revenues are predicted to reach $30 billion. If we look at the numbers today, we can see that we are well on our way to meet or exceed that prediction. For example, the company Groupon alone recorded $11 million in sales for one day on behalf of GAP. And there are even more success stories. The brand Pampers sold 1,000 Diapers in 1 hour of putting their store on Facebook. Baby & Me reported that 50% of online sales came from Facebook alone, and F&F stated that they generated £2 million + in sales with Facebook vouchers. Now the question is how can businesses take advantage of this market? There are many key trends in the market, and if the business, and even the consumer are aware of these trends, he/she can profit from the experience. I am going to highlight the most recent trends currently going on comprising of Facebook shopping, mobile commerce, friend sharing, and the most recent trend, group gifting.
Facebook Shopping
Otherwise known as F-Commerce, it allows companies to use services such as VendingBox to sell goods and services through Facebook.
Mobile Commerce
Mobile Commerce, M-Commerce, is the ability to manage/conduct transactions through your cell phone. Studies show that people will spend approximately $119 billion on goods and services through their mobile phone. Some companies such as VendingBox have already launched a mobile version of their software. It’s easy to use, and conveniently accessible on the go.
Friend Sharing
A growing trend among social commerce is showing what your friends have purchased. This feature is a product of studies which have shown that consumers rely heavily on the recommendations of their friends. VendingBox has taken this one step more and created a share and earn feature. This innovative feature allows you to offer anyone that shares or tweets a product, to receive a percentage of the sales that are generated whenever their friends or followers make purchases from your store. Similarly, for those who enjoy the opinions of their friends and community when shopping, there is a website called ‘what are you wearing’ which allows you to add items to your wardrobe online and get the opinions of friends before you buy.
Group Gifting
Ebay has developed a feature in which you can buy a gift for someone’s birthday, wedding, etc, and ask his/her friends to contribute. If you are unsure what your friend would like for a gift, you should consider using Facebook Connect. Through Facebook Connect, Ebay obtains information from your friend’s Facebook profile to help you find the perfect gift.
In conclusion, social commerce is continuously improving in its endeavors to make a better system. Bing Gordon, a leader in social web, said it best, “The potential for social commerce today is infinite....”
Facebook Shopping
Otherwise known as F-Commerce, it allows companies to use services such as VendingBox to sell goods and services through Facebook.
Mobile Commerce
Mobile Commerce, M-Commerce, is the ability to manage/conduct transactions through your cell phone. Studies show that people will spend approximately $119 billion on goods and services through their mobile phone. Some companies such as VendingBox have already launched a mobile version of their software. It’s easy to use, and conveniently accessible on the go.
Friend Sharing
A growing trend among social commerce is showing what your friends have purchased. This feature is a product of studies which have shown that consumers rely heavily on the recommendations of their friends. VendingBox has taken this one step more and created a share and earn feature. This innovative feature allows you to offer anyone that shares or tweets a product, to receive a percentage of the sales that are generated whenever their friends or followers make purchases from your store. Similarly, for those who enjoy the opinions of their friends and community when shopping, there is a website called ‘what are you wearing’ which allows you to add items to your wardrobe online and get the opinions of friends before you buy.
Group Gifting
Ebay has developed a feature in which you can buy a gift for someone’s birthday, wedding, etc, and ask his/her friends to contribute. If you are unsure what your friend would like for a gift, you should consider using Facebook Connect. Through Facebook Connect, Ebay obtains information from your friend’s Facebook profile to help you find the perfect gift.
In conclusion, social commerce is continuously improving in its endeavors to make a better system. Bing Gordon, a leader in social web, said it best, “The potential for social commerce today is infinite....”
Thursday, July 7, 2011
F-Commerce – The new social media buzzword!
F-commerce is latest buzz word to come out of social media land. The phrase was coined by people who started to find ways of selling their product on Facebook hence the F, very similar to S-Commerce (social commerce – online buying and selling of goods and services).
F-commerce specialist companies such as VendingBox make it easier for companies to sell and market their products or services through Facebook by providing an interface that people can just drop into their Facebook profile and market their home-made jams or war memorabilia to all their Facebook fans.
Here are two great stats for individuals or companies who are trying to decide if selling their products on Facebook is the right way to go - 70% of social media users say that connecting with friends and family is the reason for using social media and 90% of consumers who shop online rely heavily on recommendations from people who they know.
From the consumer point of view, F-Commerce works for them because they are already Facebook users and log on daily to chat with their friends and family. Now they can get their brother, sister, or best-friend’s advice on their F-Commerce purchases. There is even a growing trend among many websites to show products that your friends have purchased.
As more and more companies start selling and more people start buying, the competition level will also start to increase between related companies – so the inevitable – incentives will kick in – Fox13 have already implemented a sweepstakes for consumers who like their page.
To conclude we can quote no better man than Mark Zuckerberg himself when he said “....if I had a guess, social commerce is next to blow up”. Well he hopes, anyway, it will double his fortune!
F-commerce specialist companies such as VendingBox make it easier for companies to sell and market their products or services through Facebook by providing an interface that people can just drop into their Facebook profile and market their home-made jams or war memorabilia to all their Facebook fans.
Here are two great stats for individuals or companies who are trying to decide if selling their products on Facebook is the right way to go - 70% of social media users say that connecting with friends and family is the reason for using social media and 90% of consumers who shop online rely heavily on recommendations from people who they know.
From the consumer point of view, F-Commerce works for them because they are already Facebook users and log on daily to chat with their friends and family. Now they can get their brother, sister, or best-friend’s advice on their F-Commerce purchases. There is even a growing trend among many websites to show products that your friends have purchased.
As more and more companies start selling and more people start buying, the competition level will also start to increase between related companies – so the inevitable – incentives will kick in – Fox13 have already implemented a sweepstakes for consumers who like their page.
To conclude we can quote no better man than Mark Zuckerberg himself when he said “....if I had a guess, social commerce is next to blow up”. Well he hopes, anyway, it will double his fortune!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
VendingBox launches automated Facebook campaigns
One of the biggest challenges you will face when getting started with your Facebook store is providing regular updates on your products for your fans.
It's important to regularly update your page with special offers, promotions and details on what's new in your store. However this can be time consuming, and although we have all been drinking the social media cool-aid, we don't all have time to continuously update our pages in this way.
VendingBox has just launched a fantastic promotional tool, which allows vendors to create scheduled product promotion campaigns. In a nutshell, all you need do, is create a campaign, add some products, choose a schedule, and watch the posts happen for you!
The following easy steps show you how to get started.
1. Login to your VendingBox account, select a VendingBox, and choose 'Facebook Campaigns' from the left menu.
2. Click the "Get Started" link , giving the application permission to make posts to your page.
It's important to regularly update your page with special offers, promotions and details on what's new in your store. However this can be time consuming, and although we have all been drinking the social media cool-aid, we don't all have time to continuously update our pages in this way.
VendingBox has just launched a fantastic promotional tool, which allows vendors to create scheduled product promotion campaigns. In a nutshell, all you need do, is create a campaign, add some products, choose a schedule, and watch the posts happen for you!
The following easy steps show you how to get started.
1. Login to your VendingBox account, select a VendingBox, and choose 'Facebook Campaigns' from the left menu.
2. Click the "Get Started" link , giving the application permission to make posts to your page.
3. Allow the page to reload, and 'Create a new Campaign'.
Once created you will be ready to begin adding some products.
4. Search for products to add to this promotional campaign, and choose 'Add' for each one.
When done, go 'back to campaigns' and configure your schedule.
5. Choose a slogan for your campaign.
Some ideas would be "What's new" , "Friday Madness" , "Cake of the hour!" , "Special Offer" , "July is the month for gloves!"
There are lots of schedules to choose from, ranging from hourly to weekly. If you want to repeat the campaign once all the products in your list have completed, simply tick the 'Repeat' option.
The system already knows all of the Facebook pages you own, so you can choose the page to post the products. Enable the campaign, save and watch it all happen for you.
There is no limit to the number of products that can be added to a campaign, and no limit to the number of campaigns you can create. You could promote one product at 20.00 and another at noon, or a have a daily special offer at 16:00
It's noon bargain time! What a cool call to action?
So what does it look like once posted?
Going on holidays and want to keep the posts going on your site while away?
Have you gathered a seasonal set of products, you want to promote over the next few weeks?
Let us know what you think of this feature!
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