Meet social media's 50 most influential people
A survey of social media influencers completed using Peek Analytics reveals a number of trends for 2013, Haydn Shaughnessy writes. Some key players -- including top-ranked influencer Sean Gardner -- blend social media insights with motivational messages. Others win success by focusing on specific verticals such as hospitality, music or for-profit social media use. The list also contains more self-made social media stars than past iterations, Shaughnessy writes. Forbes (4/17)

Network Update

Twitter may be in talks with Viacom, NBC to run TV content online
Twitter reportedly is in talks with Viacom and NBC over a plan to post short clips of TV content online, then sell ads against the video spots. Revenues from advertising would then be split between Twitter and the TV companies. Bloomberg (4/16)

Facebook aims to make $4 million a day from video ads
Facebook is hoping that its video-ad units, scheduled to launch this summer, could bring in revenues of more than $4 million a day. Under the current plan, individual advertisers would pay at least $1 million for a day of video ads targeting one of four demographic "slots" with video clips of no longer than 15 seconds. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (4/16)

Ideas in Action

Dove video uses sketch artist to make a point about beauty
Dove is running a three-minute video on YouTube in which participants work with a forensic sketch artist to describe themselves and others. The ad demonstrates how women often have a more negative perception of their own looks than strangers do, and employs the tagline "You are more beautiful than you think." Mashable (4/15)

Why Ball's DIY heritage made Pinterest a perfect fit
Marketing with content-sharing site Pinterest has been ideal for Jarden Home Brands' Ball Home Canning, because the mason jars' potential for creative, do-it-yourself projects has been recognized by recession-weary and health-conscious consumers. Barkley and 360 Public Relations have taken a small budget into social media sites, providing canning demos and showing various uses for the glass jars. Jarden has also released a limited "Heritage Collection" line celebrating 100 years of the "Perfect Mason" jar. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (4/15)

Research and Reports

SMBs more likely to spend on social media than new hires, report says
About 5% of small businesses say they plan to expand their headcount during the next three months, according to a Manta survey. However, 1 in 4 such firms are using available resources to expand their social-networking efforts. "As a highly pragmatic and time-constrained group, small-business owners are strategically adopting platforms that show real results for their business," Manta CEO Pamela Springer says. BizReport (4/17)

SmartPulse

Who controls the social media efforts at your organization?

Someone in the marketing department	51.39%
Someone in the public relations department	17.59%
No one person controls all the organization's social media efforts	13.43%
The CEO, owner or sole proprietor	8.80%
Someone else within the organization	4.63%
Someone outside the organization	2.31%
Someone in the IT department	1.39%
Someone in the sales department	0.46%

Who should control social media within an organization?: Businesses are likely to move from having a social media presence driven by their marketing or PR teams to a model that sees everyone in the company get involved, SmartBrief's Jesse Stanchak writes. But the transition may not always be smooth, as different departments may vie for control. The key to avoiding such conflicts is focusing on establishing a corporate culture that emphasizes share responsibility and employee engagement, he writes in SmartBrief's SmartBlog on Social Media.

Did your organization temporarily stop posting to social networks following the Boston Marathon bombing? 

Yes

No

The Takeaway

Buzzfeed exec: Social ads win by offering content worth sharing
Social advertising is a much more effective force for connecting with online audiences than are traditional banner advertisements, which people view as disruptive, Buzzfeed Chief Revenue Officer Andy Wiedlin said at the Digital Media Europe conference in London. Buzzfeed's sponsored content has an average click-thru rate of between 2% and 3%, in addition to the exposure garnered through sharing. "We spend a lot less time thinking how to target and a lot more thinking what people are sharing," Wiedlin said. EditorsWeblog.org (4/15)

Other News

Social Shareable

Facebook billionaire plans out-of-this-world wedding
Napster co-founder and Facebook billionaire Sean Parker is planning an otherworldly $10 million bash to celebrate his wedding to singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas. Guests at the fantasy-themed wedding will be outfitted by "The Lord of the Rings" costume designer Ngila Dickson and will dance on a $350,000 stone dance-floor surrounded by $1 million worth of flowers. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (4/16)

SmartQuote

Social media is not a stationary phenomenon." -- Pamela Springer, CEO of Manta, as quoted at BizReport Share: