Ben Poltarak
As a Social Media Analyst at the Ad Council, Ben focuses on tapping into the world’s largest focus group with the aims of analyzing discussion trends and helping to tailor strategy to ensure that buzz is closely aligned with the organizations goals. Ben has been working within the social media research space for over 3 years and he hopes to highlight industry trends and share how marketers and advertisers continue to leverage the space.
Posts by Ben
The Art of Listening
Have you ever noticed how many people are using social media these days? Everyone from your best friend to your mom is posting on Twitter, Facebook and other online communities. What would you do if I now told you that someone was listening to what’s being said? All the conversation online, ranging from opinion sharing to insightful product reviews to emotional support makes social media the largest focus groups and companies are beginning to listen.
According to SocialMediabiz.com, the companies that will succeed in the current market place, “will be social businesses, committed to forging deep and meaningful relationships with their customer”. Organizations that hope to connect with their consumers, need to be dedicated to listening what they have to say. Online monitoring or “listening” is almost a necessity for any organization. Organizations large and small have invested serious dollars to putting their ear to the metaphorical ground to inform their decisions relating to “product development, customer support, public outreach, lead generation, market research and campaign measurement.”
Most conversation online are unsolicited, that’s what makes it so pure and valuable. For instance, a pharmaceutical company wants to hear how patients talk about their drugs and an agency wants to know what aspect of their commercial is annoying. Companies also “listen in” to put out threatening fires and reach out extraordinary customers.
In terms of executing a listening strategy, there are tons of social media monitoring vendors, each designed to fit the varying needs in the market place. To get an understanding of what providers our out there, check out “The Forrester Wave”, a 2010 evaluation of the top listening platforms in the market.
Social media monitoring is a practice that is here to stay, so why don’t you stop and listen…you may be surprised what you hear.
Filed under: Communications, Social Media
Maturity within the Social Media Space
Amid stuffing my face at my family’s annual Thanksgiving feast, I noticed my older cousin taking a picture of the table setting with her iPhone. Moments later, I received a confirmation from Facebook that I, along with some other relatives at the table, had been tagged in the photo taken by my cousin moments earlier. Given that I have come of age with Facebook and other social media platforms (I’m in the latter half of my 20’s – shhhhhh!) such acts have become common occurrence. What was surprising was the fact that my cousin is part of the baby boomer generation and was just as social media savvy as a pre-teen or tween.
As a digested my food, I began to realize that there is no longer a generational gap when it comes to social media. According to Nielsen’s recent State of the Media: The Social Media Report, nearly “4 in 5 active internet users” are visiting social networking sites. Furthermore, those internet users over the age of 55 are significantly aiding the growth of “social networking” through mobile devices (twice as many as last year).
Some other interesting insights regarding the demographic breakout of social media include:
- Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other U.S. website
- Females and 18-34 year olds are the most active social networks users
- Nearly 2 in 5 social media users access services through mobile devices
- More women watch videos on social networks, but men watch longer
- Active social media users are influential offline
The pace of social media’s growth within the online space is certainly not a surprise to anyone. What does fascinate me though is the maturity of social media’s users. What the Nielsen report shows is that though sites such as Facebook may have been intended for a younger audience, it’s quickly being adopted by an older demographic.
We’re clearly living in global “social” village, so move over 25-34 year olds – an older, wiser and more influential demographic is joining the space.
Filed under: Communications, New Media, Social Media
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