Everyone has a very different take on how social media benefits business and how much money or time to invest in their social media presence. I like the direction this article takes, backed with great points.
Let me state this very clearly: Social media has produced the most profound changes in communications, news dissemination and social interaction—period.
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Loic Venance | AFP | Getty Images
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Twitter has certainly changed the way many of us do our jobs, companies communicate with customers and investors and has even helped lead to the overthrow of governments. I’m a huge fan.
But this I also know: Right now social media (the values of their not ready for prime-time-traded stocks, not the companies themselves) smacks of the next big bubble.
That goes for Facebook, Twitter, Zynga and any other company whose shares trade on the unregulated, speculative and sprung-out-of-nowhere secondary markets for private shares—no matter what the venture-capital valuation may imply. (Yes, that includes Groupon.)
Here’s why:
#1: No matter what you may read, nobody really knows what Facebook, Groupon or any of these companies are really worth. Reality: Nobody will, unless they’re sold or do an IPO. And even then, the valuations may be exaggerated.
#2: Normally, unless there is a private transaction, insiders don’t get a crack at selling until there is an IPO or their shares are privately bought in. And if and when there is an IPO, it’s an enormous red flag when corporate officers or other top employees sell on the deal. Normally there’s a lockup that lasts for six months, even longer.
Deal-of-the-day coupon service Groupon announced Thursday the hire of former Google executive Margo Georgiadis, saying she would take on the global sales, marketing and operations area of the business.
The hiring comes as Groupon and Google vie for advertising dollars, with each company pitching its online marketing services to a wide array of small businesses.
“Margo is a strong leader with a passion for helping small business owners and consumers,” Groupon CEO Andrew Mason told AFP in a statement. “We’re thrilled to have her on our team.”
Georgiadis was previously Google’s vice president of global sales.
The daily Deal sites like Groupon, Living Social, Deal on, etc are a big hit! I think I’m going to write an article about the effects that Daily deal sites have on a small business, but it’s a story for another day. Check out the article from eMarketer below.
The February 2011 survey found that US adult internet users subscribe to an average of almost three daily or weekly shopping emails or newsletters, and 56% of internet users subscribe to at least two of the emails.
Subscribers also say they regularly read the emails. Among those who subscribe to at least two, 61% said they read all of the messages. And most access the emails at least once a day.
Most recipients of daily deal emails also pass along the messages to friends and family, though with less frequency. Less than a quarter passed messages along every day, and 45% did so at least weekly.
