Wanted to share this article from the Wall Street Journal…interesting for two reasons: it shows how popular Twitter is becoming with different age groups as well as the growth of status updates (vs. social networking). Food for thought when planning marketing campaigns.

Please feel free to leave your comments after reading the article.

Thanks and enjoy!

A Fifth of Internet Users Now Share Status Updates, Pew Says

Working with bloggers is an area RL&A specializes in, and it continues to amaze me that the one thing we always hear from bloggers is that companies and agencies often put little to no effort into their outreach. This is an area we have been looking to perfect, for some time now. We know that many of the bloggers receiving our pitches are getting tons of requests from other firms, yet we hear that many are not succeeding because they are approaching them the wrong way. In the blogosphere, not succeeding can mean getting a negative post – about the product or even the agency or person doing the pitching, which can have dire consequences and remain online for a long, long, time.

• Don’t mass pitch bloggers – they can detect a canned group pitch every time
• Always take the time to personalize your email, which gets back to relationship building and putting in the time to get to know the blogger
• Respect the blogger’s blog, time and intelligence
• Remember the blog is about the blogger, so make sure the product or service being pitched relates to the blogger and his/her audience
• Be completely transparent about who you work for and/or represent
• Don’t try to influence a blogger’s review

When all checks and balances are accounted for, a good, thorough product review is the result and a lasting relationship is established. Here’s a perfect example -http://thedirtytshirt.com/certain-dri-review-and-giveaway

With the huge increase in consumer-generated content online, that line in the sand between authentic consumer opinion of bloggers and direct marketing to consumers via blogs is being more closely defined, especially as some marketers/companies have taken some liberties in providing hefty “freebies” or payoffs to get influential bloggers to write positive reviews about their products. So it is no surprise that the FTC is now cracking down on blogger payola (how small or large it might be) with more formalized rules (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353749,00.asp) and, more importantly, fines (for bloggers and companies) for breaking those rules.

And you know what? WE here at RL&A WELCOME IT! Despite how scary this sounds now (especially to that blogger somewhere in Small Town, USA who was really happy discussing her opinions of eye shadow, air fresheners or sippy cups, but now worries she’ll be slapped with an $11,000 fine!), what this really comes down to is ethical business practices in the social media arena. A company with great blogger relationships in key client categories (mommy, health, beauty, etc.) can do this successfully and ethically…as we do daily….without crossing that line. And the companies and bloggers that do cross that line…repeatedly…well, they deserve to be outed, because it shows the rest of us in a better light. If they continue to exist, it taints the whole process.

In fact, when we send a blogger a client’s product to take a look at – knowing full well she could also do a negative product review – we are extra happy to see the following language at the bottom of her (or his post) now:

This review is 100% my opinion and although I was sent the product by mail from the company to try, it did not affect my review. I love this product anyway!

How’s that for an endorsement!

According to eMarketer’s “Community and Social Media Study,” a combined 99 percent of online retailers who were surveyed currently employ (86%) or plan to employ (13%) Facebook fan pages as part of their consumer marketing. This news follows the release of a recent study from the Association Associated of National Advertisers (ABA), which found that two-thirds of marketers utilized social media in 2009, as compared to 20 percent in 2007.

I remember when I first joined Facebook. It was in 2005, and I was a senior in college. The social network, which was strictly for students at that time, was rolled out on a college by college basis. Back then, there were no advertisements, fan pages and product pages. It wasn’t long after that brands realized Facebook was an untapped marketing opportunity with an ever-growing network of consumers at their fingertips. It’s interesting to see just how much the Facebook landscape has changed in the four-plus years that I’ve been a member.

For brands like the drugstore beauty and health brands RL&A represents, Facebook is a manageable and cost-effective way to connect with consumers – one that allows us to learn about their product likes/dislikes, to answer questions that might not normally be asked or answered, and to reward them for being fans in an effort to reinforce their brand loyalty. More and more brands continue to realize that Facebook is now more than just a network of college students. It’s a melting pot of parents, sports fanatics, product lovers, gamers, beauty junkies, health nuts, and everyone in between. In fact, the fastest growing segment of Facebook users is 35-54-year olds, with those 55-plus following right behind.   

It’s been said that “Facebook is now the epicenter of all things social,” surpassing even e-mail in the quantity of messages shared. As PR professionals, Facebook and social media allow us to get a handle on our target demographic in a way that is much more immediate and personal than through traditional media channels, such as print and TV. We can find our clients’ niche, develop and nurture relationships and really show consumers that they’re important to the brand. Facebook can no longer be ignored.