Banks seek to engage online customers with social media

Banks increasingly are using social channels to engage with customers and build uptake for their online-banking services. JPMorgan Chase is running a social sweepstakes promotion for users who “like” the Facebook page of its Chase Freedom card, and American Express, Capital One and Bank of America also have sought to capitalize on their customers’ love of social networking. “Our reach is much broader because of sharing. They read Facebook like it’s a nicotine addiction,” Chase executive Matt Kane says.  Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model), The 

Do you know what your social media purpose is?

It’s easy to bore your social media followers if you don’t understand why they chose to follow you in the first place, SmartBrief’s Jesse Stanchak writes. A great social media presence manages to blend the brand’s sense of purpose into every update and uses that purpose as the basis for its online connection, so that it never has to choose between being authentic and being relevant, Stanchak writes.  SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media 

What consumers will and won’t share

Consumers are much more willing to share with brands information about their shopping habits than to share personal or location data, according to a study from McCann WorldGroup’s McCann Truth Central. The study also found that 55% of those surveyed don’t want companies to share data with third parties and about half expressed a wish to know about and control data sharing.  DMNews 

Social networks are starting to show the money

Social-network advertising is set to grow up, according to this article. More and better metrics, a new emphasis on transforming ordinary user content into ads, less clutter on the sites to draw more attention to brand messages and the growing popularity of sites other than Facebook will lead to larger social media advertising budgets.  Adweek 

Are you prepared to bounce back from a social media blunder?

When a Red Cross staffer accidentally sent out a tweet bragging about plans to drink Dogfish Head beer and get “slizzerd,” the charity swiftly tweeted an apology and promised to confiscate the offending staffer’s car keys. That speedy, good-humored response undid any damage the rogue tweet might have done to the Red Cross brand, and even spurred Dogfish Head fans to launch an impromptu fundraising drive. “They stepped in quickly and owned the mistake,” Michelle Ponto writes.  KXTV-TV (Sacramento, Calif.) 

How to promote your business with location-based services

If you’re a small-business owner who hasn’t already set up a page on location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare, it’s time to get in the game, MP Mueller writes. To make the most of the platforms, check your social media sites to see which products and services people are interested in and regularly update your offerings, Mueller suggests.  New York Times (tiered subscription model), The/You’re the Boss blog

3 rules for adding a little humor to your blog posts

Being funny can be an asset for bloggers, but it’s important to create fresh, original material and avoid insulting your audience’s intelligence by explaining the joke, writes Erik Deckers. Being able to surprise readers with misdirection and being willing to make light of powerful people — or even yourself — can go a long way toward livening up your social media presence, Deckers writes.  SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media

How to take the pain out of pitching to bloggers

Public relations professionals who reach out to bloggers will find more success if they get to know the blogger first and give the blogger time to respond to an inquiry, Jay Dolan writes. Having a professional e-mail address and a familiarity with the author’s work also are helpful, Dolan writes.  TheAntiSocialMedia.com

Social media success depends on adaptability, survey finds

Success in using social media most often depends on a company’s ability to adapt to change, according to a survey of Fortune 500 marketing executives done by Booz & Co. and Buddy Media Research. The survey found that 94% of respondents identified adaptability as most critical, with having a social media evangelist and firm executive backing rounding out the top three responses.  MarketingProfs 

6 key trends in digital advertising

Adweek’s list of trends driving digital advertising includes the convergence of mobile and desktop media, the rise of HTML5 as a means of presenting app-like content on tablets and computers, and an abandonment of click-through rates as a marker of online advertising success.  Adweek