Facebook halts Gifts program to re-evaluate

Twitter posts user, revenue growth in second quarter | Apps improve fares for India's auto rickshaws | Agency's puppy threat makes a point about skippable ads Created for sugengaria@gmail.com |  Web Version   July 30, 2014 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF        SIGN UP | FORWARD | ARCHIVE | ADVERTISE The Big Story Twitter posts user, revenue growth in second quarter Twitter ended the second quarter with 271 million subscribers, up 24% year-over-year, and its revenue more than doubled to reach $312.2 million, though its net loss grew to $144.6 million. Mobile accounted for 81% of all ad revenue in the second quarter. Bloomberg (7/29), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (7/30) Share:  Going Global: Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses Social media is creating new avenues for merchants to promote their companies at a low cost. However, before business owners decide which social media platforms to use for marketing, they need to know more about available options and why they should choose one social media channel over another. In this white paper review some of the most popular options. Download the free white paper now. Connecting & Collaborating Sponsored By Apps improve fares for India's auto rickshaws Auto rickshaw drivers in India are finding paying riders much more swiftly with mobile applications from several startups that are similar to Uber and Lyft. The ride-hailing programs employ algorithms to map potential routes and maximize pickups. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/25) Share:  TRUSTe 2014 US Consumer Confidence Privacy Report Consumer trust is falling. 55% of consumers (down from 57% in 2013) say they trust businesses with their personal information online. For a valuable barometer of consumer confidence, business impact and recommended business practices, download the TRUSTe research report now. Marketer Moments Agency's puppy threat makes a point about skippable ads Nail, a Rhode Island-based agency, set out to create an "unskippable" YouTube pre-roll ad by threatening to electrocute a puppy if the ad is skipped. The agency says more brands need to realize they have a short time to make an impression on YouTube. "We've found it frustrating the way brands stick their TV spots on YouTube and walk away. ... TV creative often opens with a slow pan and you're bored by the time the skip button appears," said Greg Shumchenia, Nail's social media strategist. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/CMO Today blog (7/29) Share:  Are hashtags working for brands? Brand hashtags have made their way from the digital world to outdoor signage, TV ads, storefronts and packaging, but it's still not clear if consumers want to use them -- or even understand them. Contests centered on hashtags are a common way they're being used, and Twitter advises advertisers to use hashtags related to "organic trending topics." The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (7/29) Share:  How well do you know social media? Introducing SmartBrief for Social Business Summer Quiz: take the SmartBrief on Social Business summer quiz every Friday to test your knowledge. Answer the questions to see how well you do, and share your results with others to see how you match up. Check out an old quiz. Trending Articles from Advertising Age Free access for SmartBrief readers Eight Media and Marketing Buzzwords That Must Die Ad Age's 2014 Small Agency Awards: See the Winners Jane Newman on How Planning Kept Apple Creatives on Right Track Share:    Platform News Facebook halts Gifts program to re-evaluate Facebook says it's ending its Gifts program, which allowed users to exchange virtual and real-world goods. "We'll be using everything we learned from Gifts to explore new ways to help businesses and developers drive sales on the Web, on mobile and directly on Facebook," Facebook's Tera Randall said in a statement. Mashable (7/30) Share:  Measurement Matters Don't forget about offline word-of-mouth Social media generates 25 billion brand impressions a year, but research indicates that offline person-to-person interactions account for 30 times that number, Gabrey Means and Cassie Hughes write. "The next time you want your brand message to go viral in the real world consider integrating strategies that drive word of mouth," they write. Fast Company online (7/30) Share:  Social Shareable Take a Facebook break? No, thanks, most users say A Dutch group is urging Facebook users to experience "99 Days of Freedom" by quitting the network for the summer, with limited success. About 30,000 people reportedly have signed up since the campaign launched July 11. The Denver Post/San Jose Mercury News (Calif.) (7/21) Share:  Editor's Note Got something to say about social media? Say it on our blog SmartBrief on Social Business publishes original blog posts, videos and interviews with social media thought leaders on its blog network, SmartBlog on Social Media. Submitting guest posts is a great way to share your perspective with the entire SmartBrief on Social Business audience. If you're interested in seeing your name in SBoSB, check out our step-by-step guest post guide and then e-mail editor Ambreen Ali for more information. Share:    SmartQuote 90% of consumer conversations are still taking place offline." -- Gabrey Means and Cassie Hughes, writing at Fast Company online Share:    Andy Sernovitz, Editor at Large Andy Sernovitz is the New York Times best-selling author of "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking" and the blog "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" He runs WordofMouth.org, where marketers and entrepreneurs learn to be great at word of mouth marketing, and SocialMedia.org, the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands.   Subscriber Tools Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.   Editor:  Ambreen Ali Managing Editor:  Stephen Yusko Contributing Editor:  Ben Whitford Advertising:  Dena Malouf Jobs Contact:  Jackie Basso   P: 202.407.7871     SIGN UP   SHARE   ADVERTISE   SEND FEEDBACK Update Profile | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe |  Archive | Web version (print friendly) Download the SmartBrief App  iTunes / Android   Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2014 SmartBrief, Inc.® Privacy policy |  Legal Information