By David Armano. Click here to view the original article.

In 2009 we saw exponential growth of social media. According to Nielsen Online, Twitter alone grew 1,382% year-over-year in February, registering a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for the month. Meanwhile, Facebook continued to outpace MySpace. So what could social media look like in 2010? In 2010, social media will get even more popular, more mobile, and more exclusive — at least, that’s my guess. What are the near-term trends we could see as soon as next year? In no particular order:

1. Social media begins to look less social
With groups, lists and niche networks becoming more popular, networks could begin to feel more “exclusive.” Not everyone can fit on someone’s newly created Twitter list and as networks begin to fill with noise, it’s likely that user behavior such as “hiding” the hyperactive updaters that appear in your Facebook news feed may become more common. Perhaps it’s not actually less social, but it might seem that way as we all come to terms with getting value out of our networks — while filtering out the clutter.

2. Corporations look to scale
There are relatively few big companies that have scaled social initiatives beyond one-off marketing or communications initiatives. Best Buy’s Twelpforce leverages hundreds of employees who provide customer support on Twitter. The employees are managed through a custom built system that keeps track of who participates. This is a sign of things to come over the next year as more companies look to uncover cost savings or serve customers more effectively through leveraging social technology.

3. Social business becomes serious play
Relatively new networks such as Foursquare are touted for the focus on making networked activity local and mobile. However, it also has a game-like quality to it which brings out the competitor in the user. Participants are incentivized and rewarded through higher participation levels. And push technology is there to remind you that your friends are one step away from stealing your coveted “mayorship.” As businesses look to incentivize activity within their internal or external networks, they may include carrots that encourage a bit of friendly competition.

4. Your company will have a social media policy (and it might actually be enforced)
If the company you work for doesn’t already have a social media policy in place with specific rules of engagement across multiple networks, it just might in the next year. From how to conduct yourself as an employee to what’s considered competition, it’s likely that you’ll see something formalized about how the company views social media and your participation in it.

5. Mobile becomes a social media lifeline
With approximately 70 percent of organizations banning social networks and, simultaneously, sales of smartphones on the rise, it’s likely that employees will seek to feed their social media addictions on their mobile devices. What used to be cigarette breaks could turn into “social media breaks” as long as there is a clear signal and IT isn’t looking. As a result, we may see more and/or better mobile versions of our favorite social drug of choice.

6. Sharing no longer means e-mail
The New York Times iPhone application recently added sharing functionality which allows a user to easily broadcast an article across networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Many websites already support this functionality, but it’s likely that we will see an increase in user behavior as it becomes more mainstream for people to share with networks what they used to do with e-mail lists. And content providers will be all too happy to help them distribute any way they choose.

These are a few emerging trends that come to my mind — I’m interested to hear what you think as well, so please weigh in with your own thoughts. Where do you see social media going next?

Paid search marketing presents an extraordinary opportunity for marketers – but only when the programs are executed correctly. Roar Media maximizes this potential by successfully structuring and optimizing programs to deliver strong returns aligned with its clients’ overall marketing objectives. Roar Media is differentiated by our ability to secure the results its clients need, as well as its commitment to detailed financial analysis and reporting in order to ensure the best-possible ROI for clients

Roar Media’s paid search methodology:

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Click here to view and download the Forbes/Google Study: Rise of the Digital C-Suite

Study Excerpt:

CEO needs to locate information on a competitor,
a business partner, a customer trend,
or a news development. What does he or she
do? To find out more about how the C-suite
and top-level executives look for business-related information,
Forbes Insights, in association with Google, surveyed
354 top executives at large U.S. companies (those with
annual sales of greater than $1 billion). These findings were
augmented through detailed one-on-one interviews with
another 15 high-profile executives. The findings clearly
showed that the Internet has become the chief source of
business information, but how the Internet is used frequently
depends on the age and work experience of the
executive.
Among the key findings of the study:
A generational shift is occurring in the C-suite that is transforming
how they use the Internet. Executives who came
of business age with the rise of the personal computer—
typically those between the ages of 40 and 50—are now
assuming leadership positions in corporate America. These
“Generation PC” executives access information more frequently
than executives, see greater value in emerging
Internet technologies, and are willing to retrieve information
in different ways, such as via video or through a
mobile device.
The Internet is the C-suite’s top information resource.
Executives find it more valuable for locating businessrelated
information than references from colleagues,
personal networks, newspapers and magazines, TV and
radio, and conferences and trade shows.
Members of the C-suite search for information themselves.
While delegating research may be part of the stereotype
of a C-level executive, it is not the reality. More than half
of C-level respondents said they prefer to locate information
themselves, making them more self-sufficient in their
information gathering than non-C-suite executives.
When they go to locate information, the C-suite first turns to
mainstream search engines. And they do so frequently, with
six out of ten executives conducting more than six searches
a day. Once they get started on a search, executives are
willing to click around to locate the right information, and
will follow a path of links driven by search results, content,
and advertising.
Video and online networks are emerging as C-suite tools.
While text is still the preferred format for receiving information,
streaming video, webcasts, and similar formats
are increasing in prevalence, especially among executives
under 50. Similarly, although most executives prefer personal
contacts, they are increasingly willing to network and
seek advice through online communities.
Executives in IT are the most prevalent users of the Internet
for information gathering. CIOs and other IT leaders are the
most likely executives to conduct Web searches, use online
communities to gather information and recommendations,
seek out blogs and other Web 2.0 tools, or use online video
over text.
Executives under 40 (Generation Netscape) are the most willing
to engage with emerging Internet technologies such as
blogs, wikis, Twitter, mobile computing, and online social
networks. Having come of professional age in the Internet
era, this generation defines fluency in Web technologies. As
they rise into the C-suite, they are likely to take collaboration
and networking in research to unprecedented levels.

Before joining Roar Media, Samantha worked in the New York offices of such marketing-communications firms as Brown Lloyd James and J. Walter Thompson. She also worked at a public relations firm based in Miami. She brings to Roar Media an in-depth understanding of the many facets of the marketing-communications field as well as strong media-pitching and PR skills. At Roar Media, she also works closely with CEO Jacques Hart and his Internet team to deliver integrated communications campaigns that help clients communicate effectively across all channels.

Samantha has a bachelor’s degree in political science with a focus in international affairs from Hunter College in New York, NY.  She currently is pursuing a master’s degree in marketing. Samantha, who has studied and traveled extensively throughout Italy and Spain, is fluent in Italian and Spanish. Samantha enjoys dining out, cultural events, shopping, traveling and spending time with her family and friends

Click here for more events details

As social media gains more traction, the biggest question we face is “Who owns it?” Is it the Public Relations department, Marketing department or Advertisers?

In this engaging event, Angie Moncada (@angiemoncada) will lead a panel of industry leaders through our most asked questions.

Our panel will consist of:

• Michelle Catin (@mimi2point0), Digital Media Manager for RBB Public Relations

• Alberto Padron, Director of Integrated Marketing for Zubi Advertising

• Jacques Hart, CEO at Roar Media, an Integrated Marketing and Digital PR consultancy

• Andrea Davidowitz, Community Manager for Citrix

• Britt Peemoller, Account Manager for PorterNovelli

Location

City Year
44 W. Flagler Street
Suite 500
Miami, FL 33130

http://socialmediaclubsf.org/

Basic brochure Web sites just don’t cut it anymore. The Internet is an intricate ecosystem where events in one area directly affect events at other areas. Smart companies are leveraging powerful tools such as search marketing, blogs, social media networking, video and photo sharing, podcasts, RSS and e-mail applications. An integrated Internet strategy that combines best practices in Web–site development, social media and search is vital for success in today’s highly competitive digital landscape.

Roar Media’s digital-marketing strategies and tactics, combined with its traditional media outreach, create powerful online and offline synergies that translate into valuable PR and meaningful results its clients can measure.

Roar’s Internet marketing services include:

• Internet strategy
• Social media
• Web-development and design
• Search-engine optimization (organic search)
• Search-engine marketing (paid search)
• Online reputation management

Social media is helping to forge a new era in business transparency and engagement, creating both new challenges and opportunities. Gone are the days when companies could rely on carefully crafted press releases or flashy ad campaigns to communicate with their customers, often in an attempt to convince people that their products are the best in the field. In the age of social media, the rules have changed radically, and people today demand a more honest and direct relationship with the companies with which they do business.

Companies now face a clear choice: wall themselves in and become increasingly controlled and hidden, or use social media and other means to reveal their human side, welcome transparency, and forge new relationships with their customers. The old game is undoubtedly over, and the question now is, “what can businesses do to transition and succeed in this new era?”

Below are the top four broad shifts that social media is causing in business. Please feel free to share any others you have observed in the comments.

1. From “Trying to Sell” to “Making Connections”

In order to change the context of customer relationships from trying to sell to seeking to engage and connect with customers, companies need to use various means, including sites like Facebook (Facebook) and Twitter (Twitter), to socially interact with people. The most popular brands in social media tend to post less about their products or services and more about things that help their customers get to know the people and personality of a company. Their goal is less about “selling” and more “engaging” — and, as a result, through such engagement people feel more comfortable doing business with those companies.

Jeff Swartz, who is the President and CEO of the Timberland Company, is a great example of this. Swartz uses his Twitter account to show his personality by tweeting about his life and the social issues he is passionate about, rather than the shoes his company makes. He also links from his Twitter bio to Timberland’s Earthkeeper project that supports environmental awareness, rather than to the company homepage, in an effort to make a connection with people around something that goes beyond just the products Timberland sells.

Lesson: Release fewer “official statements” and more personal ones that help you make a connection to your customers and audience.

2. From “Large Campaigns” to “Small Acts”

With sites like Facebook and Twitter, we all essentially have our own broadcasting network, and businesses are beginning to see that rather than spending millions of dollars on traditional ad campaigns, small acts can be more valuable because people will inevitably share such experiences through the social web.

In the past, if we had a very bad or very good experience with a company, it could take days or weeks to tell all of our friends and relatives about it. Today, in a matter of minutes, we can let all our friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter know about what happened. When every customer experience can be easily and widely broadcast, small issues become super important.

Loic Le Meur, CEO of startup software company Seesmic (Seesmic), once told me that one of the most important jobs of a CEO today is to hear what people are saying about the company’s product across social media channels, and to respond to them directly. In fact, much of his Twitter stream is @replies to people commenting on his company’s product.

Bigger companies, such as Southwest Airlines and Comcast are using Twitter in the same way, making sure customers’ concerns are addressed. Because bad experiences are broadcast just as fast and just as easily as the good, it pays for companies to pay attention to the one-on-one customer relationships forged via social media.

Lesson: Instead of only relying on big campaigns, make authentic, helpful relationships and communication the new campaign.

3. From “Controlling Our Image” to “Being Ourselves”

Of course companies need to have employee policies, and there is such a thing as bad press, but look at the most popular companies in the era of social media, and you’ll generally find the ones that give their employees freedom to be themselves in online spaces. The goal should no longer be to create a very controlled and polished image that everyone in a company tries to reinforce, but rather to give employees the means necessary to be human beings that can put a friendly face on the corporation.

I am not sure how NBC directs the social media efforts of their employees, but in watching NBC newscaster Ann Curry (@AnnCurry) on Twitter it is clear that she is not simply trying to get people to watch her shows. Curry is someone who speaks out about women’s rights, deeply cares about justice, and likes to quote the Persian poet, Rumi — there is a person there, not a company representative, and as such, I am much more likely to pay attention when and if she does talk about any of her television shows.

John Nack, the Principal Product Manager for Photoshop at Adobe, offers another great example. Adobe is a company that smartly encourages and provides the means for their employees to blog, and anyone who reads Nack’s blog will notice that Adobe doesn’t put many restrictions on what people write about. Nack’s blog is focused almost exclusively on his area of interest — graphic design and photo manipulation — but he doesn’t post solely about Adobe products. Many of the interesting art projects and articles he links to have nothing to do with Adobe and some may even have been created using software from competing companies.

Lesson: Forget the unified company image, give staff the freedom to be themselves, and trust that the relationships that they build will help the company in the long run.

4. From “Hard to Reach” to “Available Everywhere”

To engage with customers, it is no longer enough to have an email address and customer service number on one’s website. Today, people want to interact with and engage businesses via their chosen means of communication, whether that is Twitter, Facebook, discussion forums, or a feedback site like Get Satisfaction (Get Satisfaction).

If I want to communicate with a company, I tend to look them up on Twitter first. Knowing that I can communicate with a company on the networks upon which I am already most active makes me feel more comfortable doing business with them, because I know that if I have an issue, there is someone at the company I can communicate with through those means.

Companies like Dell, for example, have fully embraced multiple channels of support. Their community site lists all the ways customers can connect with them through Twitter, Facebook, Flickr (Flickr), YouTube (YouTube), forums, blogs, email, and more. Dell wants people to be able to connect with them through whatever channel is most comfortable.

Lesson: Rather than expect customers to communicate through your chosen means, allow them to do so through their chosen means.
The New Business Paradigm in the Age of Social Media

In this new era of social media, companies are asked to be increasingly transparent and personal. Of course, traditional advertising and press releases will still have their place, but social sites such as Twitter and Facebook allow a whole new type of communication to take place that has previously been unknown to most businesses. Possibly more important for businesses than getting a large number of followers on social media sites, is following through on the opportunity to forge more genuine and direct connections with their customers.

Businesses who choose not to adapt to the new culture will be at an increasing disadvantage, as their customers slowly build personal relationships with their competitors. We are now in the age of open communication, engaged dialogue, and transparency, and business success may now have less to do with the size of ad budgets, but on the quality of interactions with customers.

Roar Media is a strategic public relations firm and digital-communications agency. The firm combines traditional public relations and advanced Internet marketing, including social media and search marketing to support client’s business goals. Roar Media is differentiated by our team of senior-level strategists with proven success in the development of ROI-driven marketing programs. Our clients are successful, well-established companies, operating in the fields of technology, consulting, health-care, consumer packaged goods and insurance.

Roar Media has an exciting career position for a bright, high-energy, person passionate about social media and Internet communications. The ideal candidate will be familiar with and already actively participate in the Web 2.0 space: social networking sites; video and photo sharing sites; social bookmarking sites, blogs;  wikis, etc.. He or she will be able to “hit the ground running” and quickly perform assigned tasks in a high-quality manner and with a positive, professional attitude.

For the right person, this is a unique opportunity to learn from fun, yet seasoned Internet marketing professionals, work on the cutting-edge of communications and be exposed to next-generation communication practices.

Responsibilities:

• Plan, execute, and manage client’s social media programs
• Develop and pitch positive story ideas and client news  to top blogs and social media outlets
• Extend client’s traditional publicity by diffusing their news releases and articles in social media environments such as: YouTube, Facebook, Digg, Del.icio.us, MySpace, Squidoo, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Twitter, etc.
• Participate in SEO campaigns and index and optimize pages for search engine results pages
• Upload and feature previously-secured media clips and articles in key social media, Web 2.0 sites
• Actively monitor media for mentions and placements
• Create viral marketing strategies to communicate client’s messaging to key Internet audiences
• Establish meaningful metrics for social media campaigns to effectively measure program output and impact
• Prepare and deliver social media benchmark audits and reports for clients
• Stay abreast of developments occurring in the social media and Web 2.0 space

Qualifications:

• Degree in journalism, public relations or marketing preferred (will also consider candidates with previous related work experience)
• Passion for social media, user-generated content, Web 2.0 sites
• An understanding of the fundamentals of Internet marketing and public relations
• Strong writing, proofreading, and editing skills & excellent proficiency in grammar and punctuation
• Strong proficiency in MS Office applications and other web based tools
• Ability to work in a team, as well as independently
• Ability to generate unique ideas and think creatively
• Ability to organize and prioritize work and manage projects under deadline

To Apply:

Please e-mail resume to: info@roarmedia.com

Roar Media is a strategic public relations firm and digital-communications agency. The firm combines traditional public relations and advanced Internet marketing, including social media and search marketing to support client’s business goals. Roar Media is differentiated by our team of senior-level strategists with proven success in the development of ROI-driven marketing programs.  Our clients are successful, well-established companies, operating in the fields of technology, consulting, health-care, consumer packaged goods and insurance.

Roar Media has an exciting full-time opportunity for a high-energy, motivated media relations professional. The successful candidate must be able to “hit the ground running” and quickly perform assigned tasks and activities in high-quality manner and with a positive, professional attitude.

The ideal candidates will have 2-5 years experience working at a public relations agency or as a reporter for a reputable media company or publication. , as well as:

Responsibilities

• Pitch story ideas and client news releases to top media outlets and publishers
• Secure positive publicity for clients in trade and consumer media
• Develop pitches and positive story ideas
• Maintain steady and positive client presence in trade media through releases, contact and responsiveness to inquiries/requests
• Research, design, develop, implement and manage routine client projects
• Handle media inquiries
• Review materials (e.g. pitch letters, news releases, backgrounders, fact sheets, bios, newsletters)
• Maintain clear and consistent communication between media and account team
• Contribute to program development for the Client
• Handle account administration duties such as activity reports.
• Ability to work as a member of a team
• Ability to generate ideas and think creatively
• Ability to organize and prioritize work under pressure
• Ability to work independently

Qualifications

• Min.2 - 5 years of work experience in public relations or top media company
• Basic knowledge of media relations from key trade publications to national outlets
• College degree preferred (public relations, journalism or related field of study)
• Strong understanding of the public relations industry
• Strong grasp of Associated Press (AP) style guidelines
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Knowledge of PR agency resources, culture and system.
• Must be a good communicator orally and in writing
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills.
• Project management skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Outlook and PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat computer software

To Apply

Please e-mail resume to: info@roarmedia.com

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