We all know that social web matters to businesses, but many companies are struggling to find ways to jump in and figure out who is going to manage it.  The social web allows businesses to engage and develop relationships with customers – to share opionions, feedback, knowledge, and hold conversations.  But immediacy is at the heart of the social web, especially when it comes to defusing any negative buzz in the online space.  It’s imperative to find and/or hire people who are willing to make participating in the social networks one of their number one priorities.  Here are some helpful skills that a social marketing manager must have:

1) Understand how people interact, network and talk in the social space

2) Strategically build optimized profiles on key, appropriate sites

3) Know where the brand’s customer hangs out, and how to speak with them depending on the channel

4) Listen more than s/he talks.  It’s about tracking and learning from the conversational flow.

5) Be alert to opportunities, ideas and suggestions that can lead to desirable new products or innovative changes to current ones.

EDU Interactive recently attended PR Newswire’s panel discussion: “Industries in Flux: Media and Public Relations and the Impact of Social Media.”  Here is a brief overview of some of the important discussions:

* Social Media should not be considered a campaign, but a strategy to build relationships.

* The level of engagement should be the true measure of success, not simply the number of fans, members, or followers.  It’s the time spent, level of interaction, intimacy, and influence.

* Social media should not be used to outright promote a company or product.  Instead it should be used to share expertise, build relationships, create a conversation, and/or be more human.  What is your ultimate goal?

* 60% of people online use social media.  93% believe companies should have a presence in social media.  85% want to interact with select companies and/or brands and 56% feel closer to a brand when they have the opportunity to interact.

More and more of the media giants, such as Disney Media Networks and CBS, are investing millions of dollars on new research facilities to track how people respond to ads of varying sizes, locations and animations on the Internet.  We know how to measure precisely how often Web site visitors click on advertisements, and which kinds of ads draw the most clicks. But what about those who do not click, the many millions of others whose eyes merely flit across the screen?  These types of answers are what companies like Disney are hoping to uncover with these studies.  By using advanced technologies, such as eye-tracking goggles, heart-rate monitors, skin temperature readings and facial expressions (probes are attached to facial muscles), scientists and advertisers hope to uncover the secrets of how the human brain responds to different types of online ads and messages.  As findings are unveiled, they will begin to drive the design of Web sites and ad campaigns of the future.

The answer will be revealed on August 5th, when Bing announces the winner, who will hold title to Bing’s new jingle (or “bingle” as they like to call it) and a $500 AmEx gift card!  Be warned – time is running out…you only have one more week to submit your entry on Bing’s You Tube site!  The contest winner will be picked based on number of views and quality of ratings they get on their video submission.

This is another perfect example of a company attempting to use viral marketing as a new way to market, advertise and connect with prospects and customers.  They are utilizing a creative way to spread conversational buzz about their search engine and with hopes – begin to compete on the same level as the Google giant.

I’m interested to see how well the campaign will be received and picked up by online users.  Check back in early August for a follow up on their campaign performance!

I recently read a great article that reminded companies how they need to get creative and think outside their “marketing” boxes when it comes to social media.  Companies like JetBlue and Zappos are successful examples of how to interact with your customers.  JetBlue recently tweeted “Interesting bit of trivia learned today: the collective noun for turtles would be ‘a bale of turtles.’  This is obviously not something you would automatically expect to come from a major airliner, but it was in response to a customer complaining of a “turtle-related delay” at JFK airport.  JetBlue has led a good example by actively participating with their followers responses and staying true to their corporate voice. They have also managed to find a balance and use the Twitter space as a form of marketing by recently launching the account @JetBlueCheeps, which offers followers links to last-minute flight deals.  But it’s a very fine line between being too overtly self-promoting and being engaged with customers – and that line is what many companies are still trying to find.  Zappos uses Twitter to help customers get a sense of what their culture is like, rather than market themselves directly.  Their CEO tweets messages like “Learned today Poland Spring water comes from Maine, not Poland. Also, Sarah Palin resigned. Not sure which was more shocking.”  Zappos currently has an impressive 1 million followers.  Having a conversation means being able to relate to customers while still advocating a brand.  I think it’s difficult for many companies and agencies to take off their traditional marketing hats and wrap their arms around this new medium. But if a company can find that right balance of how to position themselves in this online space, it can be extremely powerful for their brand.