A survey conducted by Barclaycard has claimed that nearly six million people in the UK are regularly using social media platforms to tell porkies, while an additional 10 million are “poised for pretence”.

The results suggest that perhaps users of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks should not get so green with envy when they scan through their newsfeeds and uncover revelations of friends having amazing nights out, landing plum jobs and brushing shoulders with (more…)

They may have recently sealed a 20th league title, but it seems as though Manchester United could do with brushing up on their social network skills, after the club used Twitter and Facebook to hail the appointment of David Moyes as manager hours before an official announcement had been made.

Trigger-happy United officials used the club’s Facebook page early in the afternoon of Thursday, May 9 to (more…)

A study from Forrester Research has estimated that European businesses will be spending €3.2bn on marketing via social media outlets by 2017 – with nearly a quarter of this generated within the UK.

The report has forecast that Britain will be spending (more…)

According to a survey recently conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, an increasing number of employers are utilising the benefits of social networking sites to recruit job candidates. Social media websites are used by 77 per cent of employers who completed the SHRM survey.

The vice president of research for SHRM, Alexander Alonso, says that the work of HR professionals is changing, especially in (more…)

Visiting the Doctor’s is never a great deal of fun but, for Betty Levitt, it’s a deathly experience.

The 76-year-old grandmother is constantly told by the doctor’s reception that she is dead. Mrs Levitt, who has 15 grandchildren, said: (more…)

A new social media campaign has recently been launched to revive interest in Spam – the foodstuff as opposed to unwanted emails.

Sir-Can-A-Lot is an animated character which features as the online spokesman and mascot for Spam introducing TV shows and events such as (more…)

Social media is playing an increasingly central role in the internet marketing campaigns of companies worldwide, and figures show that the money spent on them is steadily rising.

Popular social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others are being used by (more…)

According to a study carried out by researchers at Buffalo University, Aalto University and Texas A&M University, businesses that engage with customers using social media sites are more likely to benefit from increased sales.

Aalto University’s assistant marketing professor, Ashish Kumar, states that the study is proof that people who use social media sites to engage with a company are more likely to spend than those who don’t interact with a company using social media.

The study revealed that people who spend time on a company’s social media website spend 5.6 per cent more and are 5 per cent more likely to visit the company than those who don’t participate. Previously, companies have questioned whether investing in social media would increase revenues but this research is proof that communicating with customers, inviting their participation online and personalising messages does increase return on investment. According to the study, encouraging customers to interact with the company, sending regular communication about upcoming events and creating a site which is user friendly is crucial for success. Social media is used in search engine optimisation, targeting customers depending on a number of factors, like age or purchase history. However, not all customers will respond to the same social media activity.

The study has proved that there is a direct link between a company’s SEO campaign and the number of sales from a customer who spends time on the company’s social media site. The use of social media can also help to segregate customers to improve targeted marketing.