Three Social Costs Worth Your Money

While social media may be free, there are a few expenses worth splurging on to improve the exposure or image of your business.

1. Purchase a worthwhile tool. Yes, there are many free tools such as Hoot Suite and Timely that can schedule your posts and add multiple accounts, but that isn't what you're paying for. If you're looking to understand where your followers are coming from and what their typical user behavior is, you need analytics--a feature many free tools do not include. Also there are powerful search options in tools such as Tweet Adder in which a business can locate users by location, profile description or keywords. This tool can also compile and export lists of potential followers, stagger your following of them and unfollow those your don't follow you back.

2. Advertise on social media sites. Target marketing has never been so easy. With social media profiles containing such in-depth information about their users and their user base reaching into the billions, advertising on social media sites should be a no brainer.

3. Hire a specialist. If you want to get serious about your business's social media marketing, committing to a specialist is the next step. Just because social media is free, do not be mistaken that anyone can do it or that is isn't important. It's a rapidly growing market and your commitment to that growth may determine the growth of your company. Hiring a specialist not only guarantees present social media will remain updated and customers outside of your doors will remain engaged, but also future unforeseen trends will be followed and your company's image will correspond with those changes.

Geo-Targeting, It's More than Foursquare

Geo-targeting isn't just about Foursquare. It isn't just about kitschy bargains, loyalty rewards or even becoming mayor of your local coffee shop. The big picture lies within tailoring marketing strategies on a national and international scale.

Just by knowing where someone lives, marketers can predict weather, culture, holidays, nationality, and ultimately, behavior effecting those consumers. Imagine going to Macy's website and before you can even shop, a pop-up says "It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Our store location three blocks from you has these three coats for sale." Or imagine you're a retailer located in different states and have different prices for each state. Now, those prices can change depending on the IP location. Seems simple right? Not exactly.

While it may be easy to obtain IP addresses and develop needs for this asset, to actually make it feasible is another matter. Right now, geo-targeting only identifies a site visitor's true location no more than 85% of the time (according to Geoffrey Hueter, chief technology officer at Certona Corp.). Also, geo-targeting is not the answer to everything. It should still be combined with other information companies have on their consumers to produce the most tailored results.

All-in-all, while geo-marketing isn't perfected, it is undeniably a tool for the future and retailers and marketers alike would be wise to watch its development.

How to Use Pinterest to Drive Web Traffic [INFOGRAPHIC]

Pinterest is quickly coming into its own as a social media tool to stay. Here is a really basic infographic from The Social Marketer on how to use its potential for hits (just forgive them on their misspelling of consistency).

IP Reputation and Spam Words: Why They Do or Don't Matter

For a long time, spam words have been included as a major factor in email marketing. Words such as "increase" or "free" along with all caps have been avoided at all costs. Now it turns out they may be passé as IPSs are using IP addresses are indicators of spam predictors.

Why IPs? Unlike most methods of avoiding spam filters, IP addresses cannot be forged or manipulated as easily as changing out a word on a subject line. An IP address works as a fingerprint, only it contains all your history, not just offenses. A good IP not only guarantees a better chance at delivery, but also increases speed of distribution.

How can I control it? IP addresses are measured by how many of your emails are rejected, how quickly you resend, how many people respond or report you as spam, etc. This is all measured over differing time periods as indicators of predicted performance.

The takeaway? All this translates to maintaining your database. Clean out bad emails and don't abuse your email lists. A few bad attempts won't ruin your IP, but a finger should be kept on the pulse of your reputation and the content your distributing.

Minneapolis 13th Best City for Social Media Jobs [INFOGRAPHIC]

According to City Pages this month, Minneapolis is the 13th best city in the US for social media jobs, second only in the Midwest to Chicago. Check out the infographic below to see other listed cities.

Truth About Email [INFOGRAPHIC]

Email is the workhorse of social networks. While not as trendy as Facebook or Twitter, nothing is as common currency in internet marketing as email marketing. Here are some great tips from Mashable debunking common perceptions of email tendency.

Infographic by Mashable

QR Codes: Are They Feasible?

Last week a client told our marketing agency they wanted a QR code on the front of a promotional packet to divvy out to potential business partners. They wanted it big, across the front cover, so that it even out-shadowed their name. We were hesitant, but said sure and asked where they would like it to lead.

QR Tipping: Photo by Cream Global

"What do you mean lead?" they asked. "It goes somewhere?"

The misunderstanding above is just one example of how the QR code is way ahead of its tipping point of being feasible. The simple truth is the majority of people don't fully understand them. Most people recognize it as a symbol of the future--a scrambled barcode that if stamped on their company, equates to being cutting edge and tech-savvy. What they don't understand is how still in most cases, it makes more sense to list a website or possible even a phone number.

For a QR code to be successful, a marketer has to understand that people are accessing it from mobile devices and therefore, the website the code is being linked to must be mobile-friendly. By failing to understand this, marketers could send their client's customers to a faulty webpage with crappy formatting and barely legible links and text.

It should also be warned that a large number of the general population do not understand how to use QR codes. Many phones need an app to take advantage of them, and when used takes them to the app and then the webpage, hardly making it any more convenient than punching in a website.

Another point to consider is what exactly is the point of using a QR code. If a client wants to use it as a flashy demonstration of technology, fine, but they should not depend on their potential customer's knowledge of aptitude in technology to know their company's contact information.

None of this is to say that QR codes are useless. Unlike the barcode that just carries information in horizontal patterns, QR codes carry vast amounts of information through multiple directions. It is important to remember they were first invented in manufacturing for purposes not too different from barcodes and while their use is expanding, so is the website and mobile technology to catch up with it. It is no doubt that the tipping point of QR feasibility is fast approaching. It's just not here yet.