In an era of instant communications, real-time information is capturing the attention of online marketers.
So where is it headed? Speakers at Tuesday’s panel at the Social Media & Video Strategies forum hosted by ClickZ in San Jose, CA, discussed upcoming trends.
Meebo Chief Operating Officer Martin Green said he envisions applications that will enable localized tweets. “If I want to find people in San Jose or Northfield, Minnesota, I could connect with them,” he said. What’s more, he anticipates advertisers will be able target consumers based on interests and people they associate with, in addition to age or gender.
Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra said Twitter is the number-one marketing vehicle for self-described professional bloggers. “They use it rabidly. Twitter is allowing them to build a mini-media business,” he said.
On another front, Steve Grove, head of news and politics, YouTube, said social channels are being tapped for “digital activisim.” Examples he cited included online videos showing protests in Iran after the June election and heated town hall debates about health care reform in the United States. These reports provide relevant information to people — immediately.
As for a tip when marketing in social channels, Stwittergy.com founder Ricardo Guerrero compared it to attending a cocktail party. “You are not going to walk into a cocktail party and say, ‘I sell widgets. Who needs widgets?’ It’s a place to start building a relationship,” he said.