Fifty-nine percent of marketers are still using social media platforms as silos, on an ad-hoc basis or not at all according to an eMarketer report released in March. Social media as a silo is a contradiction in terms because at its most foundational level, social media is made to bridge gaps. This can be gaps between a business and its consumers or between the components of a digital media program. So why are marketers sentencing their social media programs to solitary confinement?

More than likely, they do not see the synergies between formats or they are not viewing their marketing initiatives from a holistic perspective. While no social media integration strategy will be the same, here are a few questions to get you thinking about integration opportunities.

+ What are the social media trends in B2B and B2C marketing?

+ What role/s do social media channels play in your media mix?

+ How does paid advertising impact social media (and vice versa)?

+ How should you measure your social media initiatives?

To learn more, join Geary Interactive’s Vice President of Media Services Vanessa Newkirk for a webinar on August 4.

WHAT: "A Social Approach to Digital Media Marketing"

WHEN:  Wednesday, August 4th at 10:00AM PDT (1:00PM EDT)

From the desk of Leslie Hammann

Facebook is my favorite social media platform—by far. Sure, it’s had a fair share of privacy blunders, but all and all, I haven’t had any major complaints. That was until a few months ago. Now, I am pretty convinced I am being stalked by the social behemoth. My evidence? While spending time with my other addiction, Pandora, I received notifications that some of my Facebook friends had the same taste in music as me. This is not shocking or completely irrelevant information.

Then I realized that my Facebook and Pandora accounts use different email addresses. How did Facebook and Pandora connect the dots? How did they follow me across the two platforms? Another example is when a personalized note was sent to yet a third email address prodding me to connect with my Facebook friends. It’s a bit creepy that Facebook is able to hunt me down across three completely unrelated email addresses.

The marketing value of Facebook users’ profiles is undeniable, but I think they need to exercise a bit more tact and warn people before they pop up in unexpected places. I would take a pop up window, email or smoke signal, just as long as I have some forewarning that the information available on my profile will follow me to my work email account or Pandora station.

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