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Like promoted tweets on Twitter and sponsored messages on Google and YouTube, paid Facebook posts may soon linger in your Newsfeed if users are able to pony up a fee to make sure their latest status updates get the proper attention. The world’s largest social network is testing a system in New Zealand allowing users to pay a range of nominal fees, in the area of $2, for those “sticky” promotions, which ostensibly would allow the update to stay in friends’ Newsfeeds without being pushed down by incoming posts. Building Confidence BBC News reported the trial program last week. Facebook told the network, “This particular test is simply to gauge people’s interest in this method of sharing with their friends.” It’s one of the potential revenue streams Facebook seems forced to explore as it offers its stock to the public and needs to convince investors that it is not a long-running fad. Facebook has long rebuffed rumors that it would eventually start charging users a membership fee, or roll out some kind of premium service, declaring on its log-in page that it’s “free and always will be.” As far back as 2009, hoaxes about a paywall prompted Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to tell BusinessWeek: “We are not planning on charging a basic fee for our basic services. That question stems from people thinking we’re growing so quickly, we’re running out of money. We’re growing really quickly, but we can finance that growth.” But as the IPO looms, as pop singer Gucci Mane might say, Facebook these days is “all about the money, money, money.” The company is also planning a paid app store and reportedly partnering with restaurant chains for sponsored coupon offerings. Return on Investment? Relying on ad sales no longer seems enough now that General Motors this week opened a conversation about whether those ads are… Continue reading Promoted Posts Could Bolster Ad Revenue for a Public Facebook →

Like promoted tweets on Twitter and sponsored messages on Google and YouTube, paid Facebook posts may soon linger in your Newsfeed if users are able to pony up a fee to make sure their latest status updates get the proper attention. The world’s largest social network is testing a system in New Zealand allowing users to pay a range of nominal fees, in the area of $2, for those “sticky” promotions, which ostensibly would allow the update to stay in friends’ Newsfeeds without being pushed down by incoming posts. Building Confidence BBC News reported the trial program last week. Facebook told the network, “This particular test is simply to gauge people’s interest in this method of sharing with their friends.” It’s one of the potential revenue streams Facebook seems forced to explore as it offers its stock to the public and needs to convince investors that it is not a long-running fad. Facebook has long rebuffed rumors that it would eventually start charging users a membership fee, or roll out some kind of premium service, declaring on its log-in page that it’s “free and always will be.” As far back as 2009, hoaxes about a paywall prompted Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to tell BusinessWeek: “We are not planning on charging a basic fee for our basic services. That question stems from people thinking we’re growing so quickly, we’re running out of money. We’re growing really quickly, but we can finance that growth.” But as the IPO looms, as pop singer Gucci Mane might say, Facebook these days is “all about the money, money, money.” The company is also planning a paid app store and reportedly partnering with restaurant chains for sponsored coupon offerings. Return on Investment? Relying on ad sales no longer seems enough now that General Motors this week opened a conversation about whether those ads are… Continue reading Promoted Posts Could Bolster Ad Revenue for a Public Facebook →

Like promoted tweets on Twitter and sponsored messages on Google and YouTube, paid Facebook posts may soon linger in your Newsfeed if users are able to pony up a fee to make sure their latest status updates get the proper attention. The world’s largest social network is testing a system in New Zealand allowing users to pay a range of nominal fees, in the area of $2, for those “sticky” promotions, which ostensibly would allow the update to stay in friends’ Newsfeeds without being pushed down by incoming posts. Building Confidence BBC News reported the trial program last week. Facebook told the network, “This particular test is simply to gauge people’s interest in this method of sharing with their friends.” It’s one of the potential revenue streams Facebook seems forced to explore as it offers its stock to the public and needs to convince investors that it is not a long-running fad. Facebook has long rebuffed rumors that it would eventually start charging users a membership fee, or roll out some kind of premium service, declaring on its log-in page that it’s “free and always will be.” As far back as 2009, hoaxes about a paywall prompted Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to tell BusinessWeek: “We are not planning on charging a basic fee for our basic services. That question stems from people thinking we’re growing so quickly, we’re running out of money. We’re growing really quickly, but we can finance that growth.” But as the IPO looms, as pop singer Gucci Mane might say, Facebook these days is “all about the money, money, money.” The company is also planning a paid app store and reportedly partnering with restaurant chains for sponsored coupon offerings. Return on Investment? Relying on ad sales no longer seems enough now that General Motors this week opened a conversation about whether those ads are… Continue reading Promoted Posts Could Bolster Ad Revenue for a Public Facebook →

Sales, marketing and customer service departments alike are adopting social applications. But seeing a return on social CRM investment may take a little longer than some hope. According to Gartner, only 50 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will receive a worthwhile return on investment from their social customer relationship management initiatives by the end of 2012. “For the 50 percent of Fortune 1000 organizations not determining, or even measuring, ROI, ignorance will mean failed projects,” said Adam Sarner, research director at Gartner. “Among the companies who will not see a worthwhile return, only 20 percent will even have the data to evaluate where their social strategy is falling short. These organizations will be unable to justify future funding.” Looking for Measurable Results Gartner predicts the worldwide market for social CRM software licenses and subscriptions to total $2.1 billion in 2012, up from $850 million in 2011, and that social CRM revenue will represent 10 percent of the overall CRM market. Despite the uptick, Gartner sees the success of social CRM over the next two years depending on how well companies and social CRM technology providers can make these projects more than just social objectives by tying them to clear and measurable business objectives. Three-quarters of new social CRM initiatives that receive funding will have a business case incorporating measurable ROI by the end of 2012, Gartner predicts. “Social data, such as numbers of fan pages and weekly Tweets, is not enough to correlate with the contribution of top business objectives,” Sarner said. “ROI, measurable business value and budget justification for social projects are becoming unavoidable topics for many organizations.” Differentiating Social CRM Although social CRM was mostly at first a marketing concern, it has trickled down to other areas of the enterprise, from marketing and sales to customer service and support. Social CRM, for example, is of growing… Continue reading Social CRM Essential, But ROI Takes Time →

Sales, marketing and customer service departments alike are adopting social applications. But seeing a return on social CRM investment may take a little longer than some hope. According to Gartner, only 50 percent of Fortune 1000 companies will receive a worthwhile return on investment from their social customer relationship management initiatives by the end of 2012. “For the 50 percent of Fortune 1000 organizations not determining, or even measuring, ROI, ignorance will mean failed projects,” said Adam Sarner, research director at Gartner. “Among the companies who will not see a worthwhile return, only 20 percent will even have the data to evaluate where their social strategy is falling short. These organizations will be unable to justify future funding.” Looking for Measurable Results Gartner predicts the worldwide market for social CRM software licenses and subscriptions to total $2.1 billion in 2012, up from $850 million in 2011, and that social CRM revenue will represent 10 percent of the overall CRM market. Despite the uptick, Gartner sees the success of social CRM over the next two years depending on how well companies and social CRM technology providers can make these projects more than just social objectives by tying them to clear and measurable business objectives. Three-quarters of new social CRM initiatives that receive funding will have a business case incorporating measurable ROI by the end of 2012, Gartner predicts. “Social data, such as numbers of fan pages and weekly Tweets, is not enough to correlate with the contribution of top business objectives,” Sarner said. “ROI, measurable business value and budget justification for social projects are becoming unavoidable topics for many organizations.” Differentiating Social CRM Although social CRM was mostly at first a marketing concern, it has trickled down to other areas of the enterprise, from marketing and sales to customer service and support. Social CRM, for example, is of growing… Continue reading Social CRM Essential, But ROI Takes Time →