Brafton: Who is checking out branded pages? 45 percent of social users

Brafton News Content Marketing

Who is checking out branded pages? 45 percent of social users Jan 31st 2013, 20:41 Social media marketers work to develop new strategies for sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and new data shows that their efforts are not in vain. Initiatives geared at the younger sect may be particularly powerful, according to a recent survey by Ipsos OTZ and Ipsos Global @dvisor. Though 45 percent of respondents check out branded Facebook pages, 54 percent of those under 35 look to the social site for company content. They look for deals, new products and services, recommended businesses, restaurants to frequent and trips to take. Virtually all brands can capitalize on how active users are on social sites, writing content, status updates and posts that reach Facebook's 1 billion monthly active users. Marketers - take note. These numbers suggest that social media marketing campaigns for branded Pages are worthwhile. Ipsos reported that creating and posting content regularly can help set brands apart, as users need something to work with and look at when they visit sites like Facebook. "With so many people connecting with brands on social networking, it is important for brands to regularly create content to keep these "friends" engaged." -Ipsos. Branded social media initiatives have been a hot topic as of late, particularly on Facebook. Today's release of the Facebook Card shows more opportunities for marketers who can't afford to neglect building their brands on Facebook. Media files: shutterstock_109056593.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: Content marketing recap: January 2013

Brafton News Content Marketing

Content marketing recap: January 2013 Jan 31st 2013, 20:53 If January is a clear indication, 2013 is going to be filled with insights for marketers to make their content campaigns more effective. This month's top content marketing headlines can guide strategies for investment, optimization and measurement. Content ROI is there for the taking: Think video Brands that invest in optimized, quality pieces generate returns on cross-media content. According to fresh Nielsen data, 55 percent of global consumers are more likely to purchase a new product when they learn of it through brand web pages. Landing pages and ongoing blogs or articles should be created for every new business offering, especially since 53 percent say website articles increase their purchase intent. This finding piggybacks off of data from HubSpot, showing companies with more than 1,000 website pages can increase leads by up to 250 percent compared to sites with 101 to 200 pages. Beyond written text, 37 percent of audiences are likely to purchase based on videos they find on sharing networks – as if marketers needed another sign that videos are one of the most important formats of the year. Businesses across verticals are poised for major returns from video marketing. For example, a new IDG report shows 58 percent of tech professionals watch videos to learn about products they want to buy - but brands should remember to go beyond a commercial focus with video content and create diverse visual clips. An additional 57 percent of tech buyers look for how-to content, which can inspire tutorial video blogs, and 52 percent look to videos to keep up with the latest tech developments ideal for marrying news content marketing with video outreach.  (Check out Brafton's free white paper on video strategies for more insights on identifying video types to support unique brand goals.) Video marketing is the content effort du jour, but brands can't forget about other channels: Nielsen's data indicates social media updates are necessary to reach 43 percent of audiences likely to purchase products they discover on preferred networks, and SEO still takes the cake with 67 percent of respondents saying search findings drive purchase likelihood.   For SEO, create SXO content To reach search audiences, Google has reminded marketers to start their years with SXO – search experience optimization. Following Matt Cutts' end-of-2012 declaration that SEO is becoming SXO, the search giant released another Panda update on January 22, impacting 1.2 percent of English queries. Once again, the company pointed to its guidelines for high-quality website content to help marketers understand how to succeed on the web. Google's blog post reminds marketers to focus on SEO content quality standards including a niche focus, careful editing and researched topics, and here's an extra hint: Focus on the snippets for various content pages. Cutts highlighted the SERP experience as a critical component to SEO. The snippet copy should be an engaging page teaser that makes people want to click (and, of course, the page should live up to the promise of the this description). Snippets are important places to get in keywords, but don't skimp on the creativity. Cutts also referenced page-driven conversions, readers bookmarking pages and people "telling their friends about" content as indications of good SEO/SXO copy, which means brands should monitor website interactions for insights on search robustness. This should also remind marketers to look for results beyond SEO keyword progressions and traffic volumes, helping them refine success metrics around content. New measurement tools highlight content that counts According to an SEOmoz report updated at the start of 2013, traffic figures and conversions are the most "critical" data to marketers. The survey asked 780 readers (nearly half are SEOmoz customers) to rank metrics that matter for optimizing and auditing. With the majority of B2B and B2C brands increasing their content investments this year, it should be good news to marketers that more tools can help measure these and other results. Brafton reported January brought updates to Google Anlaytics, with a new dashboard feature that lets marketers see their most important data front and center. Google gave brands a further boost with a new Google+ Page manager dashboard that lets marketers instantly see how many followers a given Page has and when the last post was made. For social marketers who also use paid options to get content in front of users, new Facebook metrics can help build results-oriented campaigns. The social giant announced a new conversion measurement and optimization system that will help businesses understand which ads influence conversion actions on their websites. As a wider variety of "new" formats become the content marketing norm and SEO continues to prove intertwined with the quality of content, it's clear businesses have to prioritize their content analytics to invest smarter in 2013. Media files: CONTENT-MARKETING-RECAP-JAN-2013.png (image/png, 0.1 MB)

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Brafton: Facebook releases gift card, presenting opportunity for marketers

Brafton News Content Marketing

Facebook releases gift card, presenting opportunity for marketers Jan 31st 2013, 19:24 Facebook released the Facebook Card, a type of gift card that allows people to exchange presents across the social media site. Social media marketers should take note - this new feature will allow companies to better connect with audiences through the spirit of giving. The Facebook Card can now be loaded by big name brands like Olive Garden, Jamba Juice and Sephora, but may roll out to smaller companies and retailers in the near future. The new card allows users to give gifts from multiple brands to friends and family using one card - the Facebook Card. According to Facebook, the card can hold balances from many retailers at once. A user could have gift balances from a few of their favorite retailers - $6.00 to Starbucks, $140.00 to REI and $85.00 to Target - and use them as they see fit. It's easy - A Facebook user buys a gift card for his or her friend, who receives it in the mail a few days later. Now that the recipient has a card, it can be loaded over and over again with more gifts. "You can view your gift balances in your account settings on Facebook from your phone or desktop. Facebook will let you know when balances change by sending a real-time notification to your phone." -Facebook Newsroom Brafton has reported that 500,000 brands are now using Promoted Posts, showing that many are already using marketing and advertising features on the social platform. The Facebook Card may be another opportunity for marketers to connect with target audiences. After all, everyone loves a gift. Media files: shutterstock_62123887.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: YouTube may allow brands to charge users for access to video content

Brafton News Content Marketing

YouTube may allow brands to charge users for access to video content Jan 31st 2013, 17:53 YouTube reaches more than 800 million monthly active consumers. This impressive user base embraces video content from amateur clips to cat videos to spotlights on their favorite brands. As video marketing emerges as another dimension of content marketing, organizations must wonder how they can get their content in front of viewers ,convincing them to opt-in to viewing the visual aids. According to various reports, YouTube may allow brands to charge for access to certain channels or specific videos. While on the outside this event may push some prospects away, it could also create an exclusive brand community that online shoppers want to become part of in the immediate future. AdAge reported that YouTube began reaching out to a small group of producers to gauge interest in the service. More, it seems as if the first paid channels will cost between $1 and $5 a month - not such a significant investment. How will brands use paid channels to engage their audiences? Clearly, these videos - the clips that users will pay for - must cater to an audience that has already shown interest in branded products or services. Companies would falter if they try to leverage YouTube's paid channels for lead generation. Video marketing has become a hot topic as of late, and brands look to gain an edge over the competition any way possible. Interestingly, YouTube understands the demand for video content creation and production, and wants to provide brands the ability to profit from their uploads directly. Media files: shutterstock_79079872.jpg (image/jpeg, 1 MB)

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Brafton: Facebook’s Promoted Posts feature used by 500,000 brand Pages

Brafton News Content Marketing

Facebook's Promoted Posts feature used by 500,000 brand Pages Jan 31st 2013, 16:25 The days of Facebook being a social network where college students come to meet and socialize are long gone. Today, business professionals and consumers use the social media hub for a variety of purposes, and with new technologies, Facebook has become an essential tool for both B2B and B2C brands. Facebook reaches approximately 1 billion monthly active users - the largest social media network in the world. With such a hefty user population, brands have wanted to leverage the reach of Facebook for their own monetary gains, and the network seems happy to oblige. In the company Q4 earnings call, Facebook representatives touted the success of its Promotes Posts feature, despite claims made by critics that they shouldn't have to pay to reach their followers, MarketingLand reports. During the call, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg reported that approximately 500,000 Pages have used Promoted Posts to reach fans. More, Sandberg announced that about 30 percent of Promoted Posts users are new advertisers and 70 percent are repeat customers. Facebook marketing must fit into any social media marketing strategy, especially with features like Promoted Posts showing signs of success. Companies can use the paid feature to boost visibility of their custom content. When a brand creates a well-written piece of copy, it wants its fans and followers to see the media, and Promoted Posts makes this process easier for everyone involved.   Media files: shutterstock_78884932.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: Google introduces new online shopping tool for B2B brands

Brafton News Content Marketing

Google introduces new online shopping tool for B2B brands Jan 31st 2013, 14:54 B2B brands have turned to the web to get the word out about their unique products. Approximately 93 percent of B2B marketers will allocate resources toward revamping their websites, creating memorable experiences for users with more custom content, as Brafton has reported. While in 2012 companies allocated time and money toward the understanding of content marketing, this year will bring another step in the same direction, with a focus on perfecting content creation strategies for cross-platform lead generation. Once again, Google makes every professionals' job easier by introducing a new product geared toward B2B brands. According to CPC Strategy, Google quietly released a beta version of Google Shopping for Suppliers. Currently, it's only U.S. electrical and electronics industries that can take advantage of this technology, but a wider rollout will come in the next few weeks. Of course, B2B transactions look much different than B2C sales - there is a lot more room for negotiations between business-to-business deals. Google understands this, and revised its policies on Pricing and Payments, Shipping, Taxes and Returns and Refunds. To become verified in the program, businesses will have to submit a one-time fee of $1,000 USD. Verified suppliers receive a unique badge on their listings and have their products show ahead of unverified listings in SERPs. In addition to higher PageRank, verified suppliers also see their offerings in Sponsored results, so products will show in organic search. B2B companies should not abandon their content marketing or web optimization efforts in favor of Google's new Shopping for Suppliers function, but mixing the sales tool into the equation can provide brands with many benefits. An even balance of branded SEO content and paid advertisements via Google Shopping for Suppliers can increase lead generation for B2B organizations. This may serve prospects throughout the sales cycle and guide them toward conversion. Media files: shutterstock_91046513.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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Brafton: Think big with effective video marketing strategies

Brafton News Content Marketing

Think big with effective video marketing strategies Jan 30th 2013, 20:00 Customers buy products or services from brands they trust, so it's imperative for companies to discover how to develop loyalty through web marketing initiatives. In many instances, organizations strengthen rapport with new and existing shoppers through compelling marketing collateral, always selling to prospects, but never taking their business for granted. Professionals look to expand their arsenal of tools to create loyal fan bases, but when it comes to video, brands drop the ball. The problem stems from how sales executives view visual media compared to creative staff members - taking the wrong strategic angle can turn video content into a sales tool, not a relationship builder. Therefore, when looking to foster trust with prospective and current customers, brands must spend significant time developing the right strategy - the production should always take the backseat. Check out Brafton's white paper on how to create the perfect video marketing strategy. Video can impact how customers engage with branded content on the web, driving referral traffic, lead generation and conversion. Brafton has reported that Old Spice increased its website traffic by up to 46,525 unique visitors after publishing two video campaigns to its YouTube Channel. People not only watched the clips on YouTube, but they also clicked-through and visited the company's web page for more information and brand collateral. Video and travel: The perfect match According to Google, 90 percent of travelers watch video content online when planning their vacations and trips. More, 75 percent of affluent travelers, 72 percent of business travelers and 45 percent of leisure travelers book plans after viewing online visual media. Orbitz, one travel company that understands the value of video, recently partnered with the I LOVE NEW YORK tourism to develop a seven-part original video content series on the site featuring stunning footage of the Adirondacks and the Catskills. The videos will include information on hotels, flights and destination activities. The hope is that these videos will drive more travelers to New York State's stunning landscapes and, by providing travelers with short, beautiful videos beforehand, the campaign gives people a little taste of the Great Outdoors to compel them to book a trip in the immediate future. Media files: shutterstock_120001987.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB)

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Brafton: Facebook’s Custom Audiences feature promotes cross-platform branding

Brafton News Content Marketing

Facebook's Custom Audiences feature promotes cross-platform branding Jan 30th 2013, 19:02 Perhaps the biggest complaint of social media marketing is marketers' inability to bridge the gap between online and offline engagement. The fans and followers linked to a brand's Facebook Page may not be an accurate representation of whom invests in the company's products or services most often. In fact, those consumers connected with corporate Pages reflect only a sample of the overall percentage of people interested in these organizations. However, Facebook introduced its new "Custom Audiences" feature in August 2012 and, while its adoption remains slow, the tool could be the most effective social media advertising option to date. Custom Audiences allow marketers to create social media lead lists based upon emails, user IDs or phone numbers. The list can be uploaded via CSV or TXT file to Facebook directly. This process gives social media marketing professionals the ability to continue conversations with prospective and current customers across the web - Custom Audiences resembles a form of retargeting, and it gives professionals the chance to create memorable cross-platform experiences.  Custom Audiences resembles a form of retargeting, and it gives professionals the chance to create memorable cross-platform experiences. As MarketingLand contributor Greg Sterling points out, the critics will say Facebook's targeting feature comes close to breaching privacy protocol, but in actuality, Custom Audiences acts the same way as offline direct marketing campaigns. More, Facebook says that its audience targeting feature sees match rates between 50 percent and 95 percent, helping organizations take advantage of the network's broad web coverage. Companies have also already seen impressive results from Facebook's Custom Audiences function. For example, MGM Resorts used the tool to target repeat customers with offers for its Aria, Luxor, MGM Grand and Mirage hotels, the source reports. According to the reports, MGM Resorts saw a five times return on marketing spend. JackThreads also used Custom Audiences to target inactive buyers, and the company saw a six times return on spending. How much does Custom Audiences cost? It's free. Marketers using Custom Audiences can upload an unlimited number of lead lists and target specific audiences directly through those audience segmentations. This feature can also work hand-in-hand with Facebook targeting, helping organizations reach out to specific demographics. How much does Custom Audiences cost? Facebook offers the feature free of charge to brands active on the network, making it another incalculable benefit of Facebook marketing in today's digital world. Media files: shutterstock_6410392.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB)

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Brafton: LinkedIn focuses on optimizing site for digital content discovery

Brafton News Content Marketing

LinkedIn focuses on optimizing site for digital content discovery Jan 30th 2013, 16:35 The Content Marketing Institute reports that 83 percent of B2B brands use LinkedIn to distribute custom content. Perhaps the reason so many organizations use LinkedIn for marketing is the site's focus on connecting like-minded professionals. In October 2012, LinkedIn launched a feature that allowed members to follow a group of Influencers who share their industry knowledge and insights through regular digital content. LinkedIn just announced that the Influencer list has grown to 220 professionals, all of whom have contributed to more than 2,300 posts on the site, generating 30 million views. In a recent blog post, LinkedIn's Itamar Orgad notes that the site hosts 9.5 million "people follows" to date and is planning more options in 2013. The social media company hopes this function will help members find relevant online content, encourage them to share media and help people engage with thought leaders online. LinkedIn also has a few plans for the immediate future. For example, Orgad writes about enhanced search filters to help users access Influencer posts quickly using filters like "recent posts," "top posts" and "following." Additionally, LinkedIn will improve content discovery modules to help members find relevant content based on what they're following and reading, and members can also read relevant content published by Influencers directly from their profiles. Media files: shutterstock_55225330.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: Marketers, jump in! The age of video marketing has arrived

Brafton News Content Marketing

Marketers, jump in! The age of video marketing has arrived Jan 30th 2013, 14:20 If you step into an American home at 9 p.m., you're likely to see at least one person engaging with video content, whether they're watching a movie, TV show, online video, and whether they're doing it from their PCs, television sets, tablets or smartphones. Video is taking over, presenting opportunities for marketers looking to gain a competitive edge. The age of video is here, proven by the substantial growth of viewing in the past year. More, people tune into visual clips on popular social sharing sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. In 2013, Katherine, Emma and Ted are apt to make decisions based on video content. Video is growing, growing, gone-- What's the evidence proves the dominance of video marketing? Why should marketers develop initiatives that include moving pictures? To start, the amount of videos on the internet, the number of YouTube channels and video marketing campaigns have all increased since the start of 2012. According to the Content Marketing Institute's (CMI) benchmark report released in 2012, approximately 52 percent of B2B brands reported using video marketing as a content strategy in 2011. In 2012, 70 percent used it. Video was in the top four of CMI's content marketing tactics that saw a substantial year-over-year increase. Sure, more are using video, but is it effective? CMI reports that 58 percent of B2B marketers believe video is an effective tactic. Brands publish video content all across the web to generate greater exposure, but 61 percent of B2B marketers indicated that they use video-sharing site, YouTube, to win premium leads. As Brafton has reported, the market for video is expected to reach $8.04 billion by 2016. Can I reach the audience? Who is watching this stuff? Much information has been released about who is watching video, which can help brands decide whether or not to put on their directionals and say "action." According to a study by Total Beauty Media Group, female audiences embrace video, as 87 percent of women watch online videos. The study also reported on differences based on age - older women prefer to view content on their desktop computers, while younger females set turns to smartphones and tablets. But if you don't have a product that caters to women, don't despair, as video content compels tech buyers to react, too. To hit both men and women, companies that sell tech products should consider emphasizing video marketing in order to reach customers. After engaging with video content, 72 percent of tech buyers research products and services. Because 92 percent of B2B tech buyers go to websites to find out about what's hot, engaging videos posted to blogs and landing pages can propel viewers to convert. Spotlight on YouTube, a video website with hits Where do many turn when they want to get a moving picture fix? They turn to YouTube, the video social sharing site where videos often go viral. Brafton has reported that marketers can use YouTube's impressive reach to engage returning and potential customers, and our latest infographic offers a step-by-step guide to building a brand Channel. The social network reaches 800 million unique users every month and holds more than 4 billion hours of video content - it's a hub of innovation that marketers can't ignore. YouTube recently made a deal with Virgin America Airlines to provide in-flight YouTube clips, demonstrating the reach of the network as more brands jump on boards. Marketers can create branded channels on YouTube to create a multimedia hub for engaging content. Video is booming- viewers are tuning in, social media sites are developing new tools and brands are creating moving pictures. It's time to jump in- 2013 is set to be video's big year. Media files: shutterstock_112496870.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.7 MB)

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Brafton: Pinterest marketing gets a makeover with a few interface updates

Brafton News Content Marketing

Pinterest marketing gets a makeover with a few interface updates Jan 29th 2013, 20:22 TechCrunch recently reported on San Francisco firm SV angel's $30 million secondary investment in Pinterest, marking another monumental achievement for the world's most visually active social network. However, brands may be more interested to learn that Pinterest plans to implement changes to its interface over the next few weeks. According to an official blog post, Pinterest has begun to test an update to its website with a small group of people. The changes should improve basic search functions on the site, improving the visibility of select pins and posts by increasing image size. The three main changes are listed below: 1. Easy navigation - Pinterest made its internal search function more intuitive so users can get to where they want to go quickly. 2. More pins, please - The social media network made its pins bigger and added more relevant information to each post. The site offers this example: "On each pin, you'll see pins from the same board, other boards this pin was pinned to and a whole slew of related pins." 3. Jacked up site speed - Pinterest also noted that it made under-the-hood changes, hoping to improve the site's speed long term. Pinterest marketing has already become an effective practice for brands across all industries, and these changes may make the site an even greater ally online. Media files: shutterstock_114612364.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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Brafton: More spending on social media ads

Brafton News Content Marketing

More spending on social media ads Jan 29th 2013, 19:20 Social media is sweeping the nation, which is why many marketers are set to spend more on social media marketing ads on sites like Twitter and Facebook in the coming year. Marketers want to get their brands in front of prospects - 71 percent of agencies and 89 percent of advertisers already use free tools, according to a recent survey by Vizu, a small division of Nielsen. Vizu surveyed more than 500 media professionals to find out where they stand when it comes to social media spend. In fact, every advertiser engages on at least one social network. If brands are lagging on their strategies and initiatives, it may be time to up the ante. Promoted Tweets, Facebook ads, spending on branded Pages, analytics and spending on outsourcing may lead to more success on sites. Nielsen reported that 64 percent of advertisers expect to increase their spending on paid social ads, predicting budgets will grow by up to 41 percent. Funding plans and sources will change as well, as marketers and leaders recognize how important it is to funnel resources into social media plans. "Currently, only 41 percent of advertisers report having a dedicated paid social media ad budget. To fund the increase in paid social media advertising activity, the majority plan to pull budget from other channels - both on and offline." Brafton has reported on the rise of social sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. As these networks grow and change, companies are acting in kind, creating bigger budgets for their initiatives. Media files: shutterstock_116727979.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.3 MB)

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Brafton: Instagram releases monthly active user data, grabs brands’ attention

Brafton News Content Marketing

Instagram releases monthly active user data, grabs brands' attention Jan 29th 2013, 17:30 Some social media networks help brands drive referral traffic back to their websites for lead generation purposes, and some platforms allow companies to showcase their corporate culture effectively. While each avenue has its own benefits, the latter channels present unique and unexplored challenges for both B2B and B2C social media marketing professionals. As Brafton reported, Instagram has earned the public's attention, and recently released analytics tools to help companies understand how they can use the service for branding. In a step to bring the American people into the world of Instagram, the Facebook-owned, picture-sharing company released monthly active user data for the first time - the figures speak for themselves. According to Instagram's press page, 90 million people access the application on a monthly basis, increasing 10 percent between December 2012 and January 2013, when the company nearly altered its terms of service and rattled the tech world. Funny how people threatened to leave, while an even greater number of users flocked to the network. More, Instagrammers leave around 1,000 comments each second, publish 40 million photos daily and commit between 8,500 and 10,000 Likes per second. With such an active user base, businesses must find ways to use Instagram to strengthen their online branding, even if they just take pictures of their staff members, products, meetings or corporate events. The potential for success outweighs the risk of overlooking the network for much longer. Media files: shutterstock_106493345.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB)

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Brafton: Is Google+ really the second largest social media network?

Brafton News Content Marketing

Is Google+ really the second largest social media network? Jan 29th 2013, 16:30 The long-told story of the nerdy kid in grammar school growing up to become a stronger and successful person plays out in the world of social media, too. Google+, for example, often garners a reputation of being a failing and largely useless site next to Facebook, but new data from the Global Web Index paints a much different picture. In GWI.8 (Q4 2012), data shows a shift in platform usage by the world's population. When evaluating behaviors of consumers aged 16 to 64, GWI found that 51 percent use Facebook, 25 percent use Google+, 21 percent use YouTube and 21 percent use Twitter. In terms of fasting-growing network, Twitter takes top prize, growing by 40 percent last year to reach approximately 288 million people across 31 markets. However, GWI also discovered that Google+ has emerged as the second largest global social media network. YouTube comes in at No. 3, showing the immense power Google has over the social media marketing world. Brands without active Google+ marketing campaigns may be swayed to embark on their first ventures with GWI's findings in tow. People are flocking to Google+ to take advantage of the social media layer produced by Google, granting users access to the company's social networks (Google+ and YouTube) seamlessly. "This data comes as a surprise. When we look at the activity on Brafton's and our clients' social pages, we notice far more updates and engagement by users on Facebook,  Twitter and Pinterest channels than we do on Google+ Pages," Meagan Parrish, director of social media at Brafton, said. "If "active usage" also includes being logged in to Gmail (and likewise Google+), I would be less surprised by the study's results." Media files: shutterstock_102801449.jpg (image/jpeg, 1 MB)

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Brafton: Twitter advertising API might be the final step to a Twitter IPO

Brafton News Content Marketing

Twitter advertising API might be the final step to a Twitter IPO Jan 29th 2013, 15:30 The Wall Street Journal recently reported that global investment powerhouse BlackRock wants to purchase $80 million worth of Twitter shares from early employees, which further supports the idea of the company going public this year. The BlackRock talk isn't the first time rumors of a Twitter IPO came into question. According to various sources, Twitter may reach a $9 billion valuation, as long as the social media company sparks faster revenue growth. According to TechCrunch, an advertising API might be the solution for Twitter. Ingrid Lunden, TechCrunch contributor, reports that Twitter is finally ready to launch an ad API aimed at drawing a wider professional crowd to the network. Lunden notes that Twitter has already begun to spark conversations with advertisers and that the suggested API will mirror the current self-serve model. Brands with active Twitter marketing campaigns may want to learn the potential benefits of a new Twitter ad platform, as social media content published to professional accounts could generate leads and conversions. Therefore, organizations must develop dynamic Twitter campaigns that can adapt to potential functional changes already in the works. Media files: shutterstock_119470144.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.6 MB)

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