Widgets are changing our world

“Today, online retailers are looking for ways to extend their reach to social networks, desktop and web widgets, blogs, and mobile applications to connect with customers,” says Worklight’s David Lavenda. “But the real question is not how to capture customers’ attention, but rather how companies generate sales and enhance customer loyalty via such popular tools as Facebook, iPhone, iGoogle, Adobe Air and others. Secure retail widgets represent a new and exceptional channel for convenient shopping and always-on customer service, one that generates sales for retailers and saves customers time and money.” “Online sales are becoming an increasingly critical element of multi-channel retail sales, especially as people become highly selective in where and how they shop,” Lavenda added. “Retailers that are able to monetize this migration to the online channel, with successful widget marketing and sales efforts, will quickly stand apart from the rest.” • Allow customers to search and shop directly via the widget, without being redirected to the retailer website. • Engage customers by providing personalised widgets with highly-granular, individualised offers to improve conversion rates, lower marketing costs, and increase lift. Enable customers to respond to offers within the widget, without being redirected. • Provide social networking tools to let customers share experiences regarding services and products with their friends. Then let friends order products directly from the social networking sites. • Experiment with marketing messages to quickly and cost-effectively select the most effective messages for micro-market segments. • Monitor response and conversion rates to gauge the success of widget campaigns and improve performance. • Compare the costs and returns of secure widget-based offers against traditional marketing channels or even non-secure widgets

Experiment #1: Media Mash

Pomegranate Media are announcing a new experiment into social media! We are currently in the lab getting out the bunsen burners, tweaking knobs and turning screws to create one monster of an experiment!

The aim of our experiment is to find out just how far we can push ourselves within the social media network. Using sites such as You Tube, Twitter, Facebook and the like we plan on promoting ourselves left right and centre.

Check back here soon for an update on our progress. Keep your eyes peeled and your ear to the ground… You might just see us out there in action!

Are women and Social Media, the perfect match?

It certainly seems so. A recent study carried out by consumer magazine publisher IPC shows that in the last 12 months alone the number of women attracted to social media and social networking websites has grown by an astonishing 53%. The survey discovered that two-thirds of women count social networking as one of their regular online activities, a quarter of women often read online forums, up from 18% in 2007 while a fifth post questions or answers. With the continued surge towards social networks and user generated content it is time to ask yourself whether your brand and your website is seeing the full benefit. To see how Pomegranate Media can help you maximise the impact from this ever growing audience check out PIP our dedicated search engine optimisation service. The survey also highlighted something many of us already know, the fact that women love to shop! With the proportion of women who shop online (57% of the sample) increasing by 8% since 2007. Source: Digital Bulletin

Facebook’s U-turn on image policy…

It seems that Facebook’s popularity as a forum for campaigning against controversial issues may have backfired on itself for the first time.

A recent decision by its owner, Mark Zuckerberg, to update Facebook’s terms and conditions regarding the ownership of information once a user deletes their account has caused many to question just how much control they really have of data they post online.

The alteration of the terms without prior notice enraged over 25,000 users to the point where they joined Facebook groups to protest at the restrospective changes. It seems it worked – as Facebook has agreed to revert to its previous licencing agreement until the issues surrounding the information ownership can be resolved.

With the launch of competing social networks, such as Twitter, proving equally popular, we fear Facebook could be treading on thin ice if it alienates users and they opt to go somewhere else.

Read the full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7896309.stm

Do you twitter?

It’s the latest thing at the moment with many celebs professing their love for the act of twittering, including Steven Fry and Jonathan Ross, but what is it all about? We had a bit of a dabble into the medium here in the office recently. Why not get involved and follow the Pomepeople??!

New Facebook phone hits the shelves in time for christmas

Finding it hard to drag yourself away from your PC for fear of missing out on who tagged you in an old school photograph or which of your friends is now listed as “in a relationship”? Yes you know who you are – calling all Facebook addicts!

Well fear no more! Mobile phone company 3 has just announced the launch of a brand new handset – the INQ1 (pronounced ink one) which is set to be dubbed the ‘Facebook phone’.

Whilst surfing the internet on your phone is nothing new and neither is sending mobile Facebook alerts from your handset, the INQ1 aims to fill the gap for those users who can’t afford the likes of the Apple iPhone or Blackberry Storm but still enjoy social networking, e-mail and instant messaging as well as surfing the web from their mobile.

The phone will integrate single button access to social networking with all the key features of a standard mobile phone, a clear indication of the overwhelming impact that social networking sites are having on our lives.

So, whilst bosses may have banned access to Facebook on company PC’s, the dawn of a new Facebook mobile will make tracking employees movements just that little bit more tricky. Oh how we love technology!

Facebook phone