FTC Plans to Crack Down on Celebrity Social Media Posts That Are Not Clear Advertisements

The increase of celebrities peddling brand messages on their personal social media accounts that are light on disclosure has not gone unnoticed by the Federal Trade Commission.  In fact, it’s on their radar and they are planning to crack down on this practice that can be very confusing to followers who are not aware that celebrity is being compensated for the product endorsement.

Social media users need to be clear when they’re getting paid to promote something, and hashtags like #ad, #sp, #sponsored –common forms of identification– are not always enough.

The FTC will be putting the responsibility on the advertisers to make sure they comply according to  a deputy in the FTC’s Ad Practices Division, Michael Ostheimer. It’s a move that could make the social media posts seem less authentic, thus reducing their impact.  Read more

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

 

Paid Social Media Content: To Disclose or Not to Disclose Sponsorship? The FTC Weighs In.

The FTC says social media influencers should clearly disclose if they’re being paid to endorse a product with language like #sponsored, but the social media world appears to wrestling and even conflicted on how to handle paid endorsements.

It’s a new form of advertising but it doesn’t look like an ad to the average consumer.  In fact, many shoppers now find the latest fashion trends, beauty products and vacation destinations from social media outlets like Instagram and blogs and while many bloggers are paid to show off things “they love” they are not always disclosing that they were paid for “their love of a product.”

Broadcasters and public relations professionals are well aware of the rules of paid spokesperson disclosures, but social media influencers are navigating new waters when it comes to adding “hashtag sponsored” to their Facebook post, Tweet or Instragram photo.  Reporter Jenna Susko of KNBC in Los Angels filed a report on their own investigation into the increased and borderline epidemic of product bombs hitting the social media newsfeeds and raised concerns that consumers are being manipulated by posters who have a hidden agenda.

Check out their newscast on nbclosangeles.com on how the undisclosed brand sponsorships of popular bloggers on social media accounts are raising concerns for the FTC.

Bottom line, if a post is sponsored, it should disclose it in some way.  A natural way to blend it in to the post is to say you’ve “teamed with XYZ company” and only agree to endorse products that you genuinely like so as not to mislead followers and fans.  Others can dislike the product, but if you authentically like it, it’s an honest statement and honesty is always the best policy.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

 

The Price of Celebrity Plugs: How Much is a Tweet Worth?

When the average TV viewer, radio listener or social media user hears that a celebrity uses a product, most have no idea that the celeb is a paid spokesperson (even though FCC and FTC laws dictate that they acknowledge it).

Companies regularly hire celebrities to plug their product and are often at the mercy of agents to determine the spokesperson fees and have not really had a way to determine the “fair market value” to pay for services.  Well, now you can turn to to Thuzio, a company that uses a sophisticated algorithm which has reverse-engineered 10,000 real-life transactions to calculate the price of a celebrity appearance, tweet or Facebook post from every VIP on planet Earth to determine a price tag for what society values.

In the brave new world of social media endorsements, celebrity tweets can cost advertisers millions depending on many factors: the type of celebrity, their cross platform following, and engagement with followers.  A ginormous Facebook and Twitter following is certainly a big factor, of course, and musicians are worth more than athletes when it comes to appearance fees.

Thuzio 360’s  talent database is available by subscription and is primarily used by marketers looking for that perfect superstar spokesperson or mini-celebrity to promote their brand on social media.  So who are New York’s most valuable celebrities? Taylor Swift tops the list and theoretically commands $2.5 million for a single appearance and Rihanna is second on the list at $1.5 million.

The Wall Street Journal covered this intriguing topic in detail and if you’re considering a celebrity spokesperson for your SMT project, be sure and check out our tips for the best value for your spokesperson budget or contact me at 213-986-8070 for a free consultation.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

 

Winning Public Relations Strategy – BowWOWza

My friend just posted this on her Facebook page and I thought this was one of the most inventive customer service ideas and also an effective public relations strategy.  It’s not always about the well placed earned print, broadcast or digital media, but more about what the customer experience is through all aspects of the process that can generate free press and organic social media outreach.

Caldwell’s Pet Supply in Portland, Maine, just hit a home run on making the customer experience just that, “an experience.”  Here’s what my friend posted in social media.:

My dad has a new dog that he is house training, and I sent some “potty bells” that hang from the doorknob so that Hobie can let Dad know he needs to go out.  I got this as a customer service follow-up … someone has missed their calling.

“Your Potty Bells have been gently taken from our Caldwell’s Pet Supply shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a doggy pillow. A team of 50 employees inspected your Potty Bells and polished them to make sure they were in the best possible condition before mailing. Our world-renowned packing specialist lit a local artisan candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your Potty Bells into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy. We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland, Maine waved ‘Bon Voyage!’ to your package, on its way to you, in our private Caldwell’s Pet Supply jet on this day.

“We hope you have a wonderful shopping experience with us. In commemoration, we have placed your picture on our wall as ‘Customer of the Year.’ We’re all exhausted but can’t wait for you to come back!!”

Think of all the goodwill and free social media this company is getting from one very impressed and satisfied customer.    The company is also dedicated to the environment, to improve the lives of dogs, and offer products that will make the life of dog lovers easier than ever.

Kudos to Caldwell’s Pet Supply. This was BowWOWza!

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

Facebook Sees Big Spike in Small Businesses Paying to Advertise, But Is Small Biz Seeing an ROI?

For almost a decade, businesses have been able to set up a free fan page on Facebook and reach their customers and clients for free, but in 2012, Facebook introduced a new feature: companies could pay to put their posts onto more peoples’ news feeds. First on “CBS This Morning,” the tech giant is revealing that 50 million small businesses now have pages on Facebook. Three million of them are paid advertisers, a 50 percent increase in just the past year.

Small businesses are paying to use social media, in hopes of boosting their bottom line and a recent survey by Manta, a small business directory, found that Facebook is by far the top social network used by small businesses and delivers the most value. But 59 percent of small business owners say they don’t see a return on their investment from their overall social media efforts including Facebook, Google+, Linkedin and Twitter. Read more

IMPORTANT:  The preceding blog post is shared from CBS This Morning.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

 

Five Essential New Tactics for a Successful Tourism Marketing Strategy in 2016

[Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Photo Credit: Marianne Schwab]

Thinking about your 2016 marketing plan? Here are five new tactics to help tourism marketers attract more visitors from social media.

Wherever travelers go in 2016, they’ll be using social media to discover the best spots, plan their itinerary, and share their memories with friends.

The challenging (but also rewarding) part about social media is that it doesn’t sit neatly in one place of your visitor’s journey. Instagram might be where visitors first get inspired to learn more about your venue or destination. But it’s also where they learn about a local hike or decide to visit your wine region while visiting.

In this article, I’ll share five tactics that will help you build a successful tourism marketing strategy in 2016. These are based on interviews with destination marketing experts and strategies we see working in the travel industry.  Read More

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  The preceding blog post is shared from HootSuite.  Five tactics are detailed are on their blog post.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

Statistics That Will Shake Your Social Media Strategy

If you think you’re going to hit the social media jackpot just by setting up a Facebook page and creating a Snapchat account, you’re fantasizing.

The landscape has evolved; there’s way too much noise, and users are tired of constant self-promotion.

The good news is, the social media platforms are bigger than ever before. That means, there’s much more you can potentially achieve in terms of reach and brand awareness.

Read more

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  The preceding blog post is shared from TruConversion.  More important statistics are on their blog post.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

 

Social Media is Becoming a Leading Source of Breaking News

Twitter and Facebook are increasingly becoming leading news sources. According to a new study by Pew Research Center of more than 2000 U.S. adults, almost two-thirds use social media sites for catching up on current events. This is up significantly since 2013 when about 50% of adults in the U.S. said they used Twitter and Facebook for news.

I do know that it seems like I hear about certain news stories through my Twitter and Facebook newsfeeds since I’m more plugged into them than I may be to an online news website, TV, or radio.

Just like me, most news directors and editors are probably not surprised by these survey results since most news agencies have directed their resources to get their reporters to write their stories and promote them on social media to drive traffic to their online sites.

Twitter is particularly an important tool for not only, news addicted readers, but also for reporters looking for scoops.

Social media is indeed working in tandem with news outlets (broadcast, digital, and print) with platforms like Twitter and Facebook being great ways to also drive viewers to their digital news where they can capture an audience they may not reach through the traditional channels. In fact, social media may be the “new tradition.”

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

Copyright (c) 2015. CMP Media Cafe. All Rights Reserved.

Infographic: Ways to Improve Organic Reach with Facebook

Have you noticed a decrease in engagement and audience on your fan page?  According to an infographic from QuickSprout, organic reach has dropped 49 percent since October 2013.

Although Facebook’s algorithm might be responsible for a slowdown in your Facebook engagement and reach, there are things you can do to increase your organic reach. Here is an infographic to teach you how to increase your organic reach.

Courtesy of: Quick Sprout

So you see, optimizing your organic reach isn’t rocket science and if you use Facebook to analyze your fans, you can gain insights to grow your reach.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe

How The World Uses Twitter [Infograpic]

Want to know how the world uses Twitter? There are over 270 million Tweeps around the world actively tweeting 140 characters at a time. It’s a great social networking platform for businesses to communicate with their clients or customers, gain new prospects, and even drive traffic to their website or blog.

But just because lots of people are on Twitter doesn’t mean they all use it the same way. This infographic offers some unique insight into demographics on typical Tweeter.

Infographic courtesy of Blog.HubSpot.com:.

I hope you enjoyed these Twitter statistics.

Peace and coconuts,

Marianne Schwab, Executive Producer, CMP Media Cafe

Follow us on Twitter:  @CMP_MediaCafe