Users, marketers flock to social nets over past 12 months

Time spent by users on social media, as well as marketers’ spending in the segment, have posted strong growth over the past year, Nielsen Co. has found. Users logged 17% of their online time on social networks and blogs in August, compared to 6% for the same month in 2008, and ad outlays in such venues over the same period jumped 119% to $108 million, according to Nielsen.  ClickZ

Twitter users show more interest in marketer messages, survey finds

Twitter users are more inclined to interact with brands than users of other social networks, according to a new survey from Interpret. Among the findings: Nearly one in four Twitter users surveyed had either reviewed or rated products online in August vs. 12% for users of other social nets, and one in five Twitterers were apt to look at company profiles or click on ads or sponsored links, compared to 11% and 9%, respectively, of non-Twitter users.  PaidContent.org

5 tips for agencies to thrive in social-media era

Phil Johnson, CEO of PJA Advertising & Marketing, Cambridge, Mass., suggests five ways in which agencies must adapt in order to thrive in this time of user-generated, social media. Among his ideas are that shops will have to develop or run “customer communities” for clients and shift from their roles as creators of branding messages to developers of content aimed at a clients’ target audiences.  Advertising Age

“Sopranos” actor becomes new face of 1800 Tequila

Former “Sopranos” cast member Michael Imperioli is the star of a major multiplatform push for Proximo Spirits’ 1800 Tequila that targets upscale tipplers. “Michael Imperioli represents the 1800 Tequila brand perfectly,” said Elwyn Gladstone, vice president of marketing for Proximo. “Just like 1800 Tequila, he’s not going to be pushed around. He tells it like it is.”  More about this team: Brandweek

Research: 1 in 5 Twitter posts cite marketers by name

One of every five tweets on Twitter includes the name of a brand or product, according to a study by researchers at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. The research suggests the potential for microblogging to eventually match e-mail “in terms of its communication impact” for marketers, said Jim Jansen, an associate professor at Penn State.  PaidContent.org

How to see PR problems coming

Social-media crises can be tough to spot early on, but there are early-warning indicators, Andy Sernovitz writes. You should step in whenever the “pointless troll comments” are actually coming from an influential figure, he notes. Seeing outrage from normally loyal fans or noticing the discussion spreading to other communities are also causes for alarm, he writes.  SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media

FCEdge is now on Facebook

More information on FCEdge can be found on Facebook. Visit us today.