Report: Expect large shifts in social media marketing
Acquisitions and mergers will radically change the social media marketplace during the next two years, Forrester analyst Nate Elliot says in a report. Social listening will fall by the wayside and measurement tools will come into their own as competition heats up, Elliot predicts. "Companies not innovating will become swallowed or trampled by larger players from outside the social space," he says. MediaPost Communications/Online Media Daily (2/25)

Network Update

LinkedIn looks at increasing users' private sharing options
LinkedIn is internally testing adding private-communication options to the site. The company has announced its interest in courting enterprises, and this new tool may help. "We're focused on creating value by helping [enterprises] transform the way they hire, market and sell," CEO Jeff Weiner said. "The core value proposition there is enabling companies to eliminate cold calls in favor of warm prospects." CNET (2/25)

Ideas in Action

Oscar-themed tweets aren't automatic winners
Brands experimenting with real-time marketing tied to an event such as the Oscars need to be sure their messages include relevant information and a link for readers to learn more, writes Jay Baer. Brands such as New York Life and Samsung Mobile offered up bland tweets that didn't capitalize on the moment, but others, such as Lean Cuisine and Nintendo of America, managed to give Oscar-themed content a twist that reflected the larger brand. "I'm all for real-time marketing, but promoting some tweets during a big TV-watching night does not, by itself, equal success," Baer writes. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)/DigitalNext blog (2/25)

Named storms generate more social chatter, Weather Channel says
The Weather Channel is defending a decision to give names to winter storms, saying storms with names are easier to discuss on social networks. The winter storm dubbed "Nemo" generated nearly 800 million photos and tweets, The Weather Channel says. "We did it because we understood social media saves lives. When you name something people are more likely to tweet about it," CEO David Kenny said at an interactive-advertising conference. Adweek (2/25)

Pinning product creativity could drive sales
An office-supply chain's solution to a photo-printing problem on Pinterest may drive new business, Steve Sherfy writes. This suggests that brands can go beyond posting about products to also suggest ways users can put the brands' offerings to use, he writes. ClickZ (2/25)

Research and Reports

Vizu: Social media will enjoy a larger ad spend in 2013
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. advertisers plan to increase paid social media ad budgets by more than 11% this year, according to a Digiday survey for Vizu. Overall, 64% of marketers plan an increase, and fewer than 2% will lower their budgets. But fully 70% of those marketers allocate 10% or less to those platforms, with agencies and marketers considering the campaigns more for branding than for direct response. eMarketer (2/25)

The Takeaway

Feeling speechless? Try these content ideas
Coming up with fresh content for a brand's social media presence can be a challenge, Scott Robertson writes. If you're running out of things to say, try posting real-time research, everyday happenings from your business or using social media to amplify your media coverage. "It sounds simple and obvious, but so does 'rinse and repeat' and yet they print that on shampoo bottles. ... It amplifies the value of your media coverage, and you may get your followers talking about you and sharing your message that way," he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (2/26)

Social Shareable

Son's lawsuit says parents left him "unloved"
A 32-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., man is suing his parents for more than $200,000, saying they made him feel "unloved and beaten by the world." He also wants them to mortgage their home to buy him two pizza franchises. He agreed to drop charges if the family will sit down to dinner with him. WNBC-TV (New York) (2/23)

Editor's Note

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SmartQuote

If you want people to know you, you have to let them in." -- Scott Robertson, writing in SmartBrief's SmartBlog on Social Media Share: