Part of my job is to watch other marketers and analyze what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong. One of the best times do to that is during the Super Bowl.

Last week, CNN asked me to comment on the Super Bowl commercials, which was a lot of fun. After the interview, I decided to take notes and grade each of the spots on a scale of 1 to 10.

Apparently, I was the only person on the planet who thought this Cars.com spot was funny as hell.

I wasn’t able to see all the spots (hey, a guy has to visit the restroom at some point), but here’s how I rated each spot. (Side note — My ratings are based on three criteria: 1) clarity of message, 2) emotional impact and 3) memorability.)

Here goes. How do my ratings compare to your ratings? And which of your favorite spots are not included?

• Elton John as King for Pepsi — 7 (on a 10-point scale)
• M&M’s Introduces Ms. Brown — 7
• Coca-Cola Re-Introduces the Polar Bears — 6
• Chevy Trucks Apocalypse — 6
• Bridgestone Tire Football — 6
• Doritos Missing Cats — 8
• Chevy Yellow Car for Graduation Gift — 10
• Dog on Treadmill/Darth Vader for VW: — 5
• Polar Bears on Ice for Coca-Cola — 7
• Telaflora Valentines Night Commercial — 8
• Sketchers Dogs Running Race — 6
• Cars.com Two Heads Talking — 9
• Grandmother with Baby in Elastic Swing — 7
• E-Trade Baby in Maternity Ward — 9
• Halftime Spot with Clint Eastwood for Chrysler — 10
• XFinity Houses Drag Racing — 6
• Coke Employee Buys Pepsi Max/Regis Philbin — 8
• Toyota Reinvented Stuff spot — Too boring to grade
• Century 21 Agents with Donald Trump and Deion Sanders — 7
• Jerry Seinfeld First Acura Buyer — 8
• Samsung Galaxy Singing in the Streets — 7

As you can see, some of my favorite spots were duds according to the population at large (e.g., Cars.com). Other spots I didn’t like were well-received by the general population.

Proof, once again, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

Not long ago, a company called Semiocast did an analysis of which countries had the highest Twitter usage as a percentage of total population. While the U.S. comes in first in terms of total numbers (with 107 million users), it comes in second to the U.K. in terms of percentage of total population with a Twitter account.

Special thanks to Ross Dawson who originally brought my attention to this data via Google +.

Like most businesses, you probably have your marketing plan for 2012 already in place. But have you built your plan so that you’re ready to respond to the latest market trends? While it’s important to stay focused, it’s equally important to be prepared for the opportunities and challenges that will come from the latest marketing trends.

Wondering what the future looks like for marketing in the year ahead?

Here are my predictions for the top ten marketing trends of 2012:

1. A broader brand presence across channels
With the range of available marketing channels growing all the time, businesses will start to recognize the value of connecting up their marketing approach across the web, social media and other channels. This will be inspired by the need to better manage business resource in more challenging times – and to create a more streamlined brand presence. Instead of relying on one or two channel marketing approaches, more and more companies will link up their activities to create a truly coherent brand across multiple channels.

2. The rise and rise of user-generated content
User generated content took on momentum in 2011 – and this will continue into the New Year. Whether it is a YouTube video showing a customer using a product or customers sharing their experiences within a selective online community, content that comes direct from the potential or existing customer is likely to grow in value. The key test of this trend will be how successfully companies inspire and facilitate user-generated content. However they do it, it looks like the voice of the user will grow significantly in value in 2012.

3. Mobile marketing reaches critical mass
Mobile is going center stage. A third of smartphone owners have used their device to buy a product online (Source: EPiServer) and this number is growing. The companies that fully prepare their marketing approach for mobile in 2012 are the ones that will benefit from a potential customer-base  that browses – and shops – on the move.This demands targeted, mobile-ready content and a willingness to adapt internal marketing processes. With 59% of UK consumers now in possession of a smartphone and 18% owning a tablet device (Source: EPiServer), mobile marketing is a trend that businesses can’t afford to ignore. (In the U.S., smartphone penetration is 46%, according to Nielsen.)

Video is one of the hot, new trends for marketers in 2012. The 60 Second Marketer has more than 50 "How To" videos on its YouTube channel. Click the logo above to visit our YouTube channel.

4. The gap closes between business brands and social media
We all know social media is big news for business. But in 2012, it will be even bigger – and even slicker. Companies will start taking social media more seriously as a professional marketing tool. But it won’t just be the big companies using social media to actively connect with customers. Many more companies will start to interact, meaning customer service – and customer interaction – via social media will evolve even further.  The gap between social media and the business brand will get ever smaller. Again, the user or the customer will take center stage with the rise of the brand advocate in recommending, recruiting customers and connecting with companies in 2012.

5. A clearer vision on the value of analytics
Companies will seek to improve their understanding of marketing analytics in 2012. With increased channels and brand presence, businesses will look to clarify and streamline their marketing data. Companies will recognize the value of analytics that allow them to maximize on the flexibility of social media marketing by adapting their content according to live viewer response. Add to this an increasing focus on cost management and online marketing analytics look set to become the vital flipside of business marketing.

6. Up close and personal
Next year is the year that marketing becomes more personalized. Tailored content that is customized to the needs and interests of a specific market or audience will grow in value and popularity. This is for a number of reasons – the increasing growth of content’s role within online marketing and the growing presence of online, niche communities, for example. As people become more and more accustomed to selecting which brands and businesses can join them within their own online community, the value of personalized marketing approaches and content will continue to grow.

7. Content diversifies – again
Content has been big this year – and its role and value is likely to diversify even more in the year ahead. With the increase of personalized marketing, more companies will start to present content that is focused on telling stories about their business and products or services. But this won’t be a top down approach. Companies will need to draw out the stories from within their workforce – and encourage their workforce to share stories. In 2012, carefully crafted, managed and distributed content will play a vital role in successful business marketing.

8. The customer recommendation rules
In 2012, the voice of the user or the customer will get louder. Businesses are becoming smarter at integrating opportunities for customer feedback and response within their marketing approach. Social media word of mouth will keep growing, with people increasingly relying on their own online social circles to advise and comment on their choice of services or products. The companies that actively embrace this shift will be the ones that boost their profile and credibility in 2012.

9. The influence factor takes over
Closely linked to prediction number 9, social media influence will gain critical mass in 2012. Already gaining momentum, a powerful trend in the year to come is the ability for companies to influence, increase and map their influence across the social media channels. The power to inspire users in a real-world, but professional way will make a huge difference to their performance in 2012.

10. Video is center stage
Anticipated to be big for quite some time, it looks likely that video is set to be one of the leading marketing trends in 2012. The growth of video within business marketing fits naturally with the broadening of social media channels and with increasing customer focus on feedback and recommendations. Expect video to take on some surprising approaches in 2012 – with many companies developing fresher and more user-focused forms of viral marketing.

How’s 2012 looking to you?

2012 is looking like a year where marketing channels and messages will diversify – and where user connection, influence and feedback will rule. Companies can stay ahead by embracing and facilitating how their customers interact with them on social media. Combine this with a more targeted content and better connected cross channel marketing can help grow your leads, customers and revenue in 2012.

Whatever your choice, the New Year is a great opportunity to review what’s been working for you – and what you want to leave behind in 2012. Look back at past marketing activities and at their ROI and other results to see what’s worked best. Then you can move on to make more leads and more customers your New Year’s resolution for 2012. Start with 40 ideas for New Year resolutions now – download this eGuide 40 New Year’s Resolutions for Marketing in 2012.

Guest Author: Sookie Shuen is the community manager at Tomorrow People, an inbound marketing consultancy. She offers free advice and updates based on her experience of helping businesses evolve through a five step inbound marketing methodology. She handles all online and digital community activities based around Zoober Inbound Marketing philosophy. Read her Inbound Marketing Blog.

No matter what you thought of the Super Bowl commercials, one thing was sure — it was an awesome game. (Unless you were a New England Patriots fan. Sorry, guys.)

What were your favorite spots? Vote for your favorites below.

It may surprise you that the headline on this blog post was “Social Media Doesn’t Work,” especially when you consider that I wrote a book called How to Make Money with Social Media.

The sad truth is that social media doesn’t work for the majority of companies that fall into the “you can do social media in 10 minutes a day” trap.

Trying to do social media in 10 minutes a day and ignoring it for the other 23 hours and 50 minutes a day is like trying to have a successful relationship with your spouse while ignoring him or her for 23 hours and 50 minutes a day.

Social media doesn't work if you try to do it in 10 minutes a day. In order for it to be effective, you'll need at least 25% of a full-time employee's efforts devoted to it.

Trust me, it doesn’t work.

The Secret to Social Media is to Use Social Media. When I make speeches on social media, one of the first questions I’m often asked is, “How much time should I devote to my social media campaign?”

The answer I give people is very specific. If you’re a small business with fewer than 10 people, you’ll need to devote 25% to 35% of a full-time employee’s efforts to social media.

If you’re a company with 11 to 100 people, you’ll need to devote 35% to 75% of a full-time employee’s efforts to social media.

And if you have 100 or more people in your company, you’ll need about 1 full-time employee devoted to social media for every 100 employees in the company.

Does All This Make Sense? You’ll probably agree that social media isn’t a playground for summer interns any more. It’s a real, viable marketing tool that’s every bit as important to your bottom line as your accounting department or sales department is.

If you’d like to take a deeper dive into social media metrics and measurement, you might enjoy reading How to Calculate the ROI of a Social Media Campaign (which I wrote for Mashable) or Setting Up a Social Media Campaign (which I wrote for the 60 Second Marketer).

Other Articles of Interest on the 60 Second Marketer

• Do You Have Facebook Fatigue?
• 15 Must Read Google Blogs for Social, Mobile and Digital Junkies
• Will Coca-Cola, Priceline, Volkswagon or Cars.com win the Super Bowl Commercial Wars?

The post above is adapted from the 60 Second Marketer e-newsletter. To see a sample of our free marketing e-newsletter, click here.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

There’s a fabulous magazine from the U.K. called The Ultimate Guide to Google’s Hidden Tools that I came across the other day. It’s packed with great tips about how to supercharge your use of Google.

One of the sections in the magazine highlights the top 15 blogs from Google. If you get the chance, stop by your bookstore or magazine rack to pick up a copy — it’s packed with great tips. With that in mind, here’s an excerpt from their 15 Google Blogs section:

Analytics

http://analytics.blogspot.com/

Google Analytics is the search giant’s own site-monitoring service, providing you with the tools and information you need to see who’s visiting your site.  This blog also contains loads of advice on getting the most from the service.

Android Developers

http://android-developers.blogspot.com

Packed with essential code and tips, this is a crucial read for all Android developers.  Use the Tags column on the right-hand side for posts about specific versions of Android.

Blogger

http://buzz.blogger.com

If you use Blogger, this blog will help you get more from the service’s tools.  The archive stretches back to 2005.

Chrome

http://chrome.blogspot.com

With Chrome reinventing itself so frequently, it’s no surprise that the browser’s official blog is one of the Google’s busiest.  Bookmark it for a heads-up on how the browser is evolving.

The Google Mobile Blog is a great place to get tips on mobile marketing.

Docs

http://googledocs.blogspot.com

It’s not always easy to master some of the advanced tools in Docs, so we’re pleased that the official blog explains how to use them in crystal-clear English.  You’ll find tips on all the functions in Docs, including advice for spreadsheets and help on using the service on phones.

Gmail

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com

You’ll find loads of useful tips and tricks from the Gmail team on this blog.  Look out for the ‘Faces of Gmail’ feature, which is a Q&A with members of the Gmail staff.

Google+

http://googleplusplatform.blogspot.com

Reading the Google+ blog (above) is a great way to get to grips with the social network.  If you’re a Facebook veteran wondering whether or not you should switch, the tips here might persuade you.

Green

http://googlegreenblog.blogspot.com

Google’s Green Blog is used to highlight the company’s efforts to become more environmentally friendly.  It’s impressive to see how seriously they take the subject of saving energy.

Lat Long

http://google-latlong.blogspot.com

The Lat Long blog, updated almost every day, is where the Google Earth and Maps team celebrate new projects, tools and features.  To find new places around the world to visit, look out for the Imagery Update posts.

Mobile

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com

Google’s Mobile blog lets you know more about how the company’s sites and services are being optimized, so they can be enjoyed on the move.  Android fans should definitely bookmark it.

Search

http://insidesearch.blogspot.com

We all rely on Google for fast and relevant search results, so this blog is a fascinating glimpse into how the company tries to improve the service.  Some of the best posts are the complicated ones, when the team explain about changes to site ranking and the all-important algorithm.

Security

http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com

Google’s Security blog gives you valuable tips on staying safe online, and reports on how the company is fighting the increasingly potent threat of web malware.

SketchUp

http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com

If you love creating 3D models in Google Earth, you’ll find loads of inspiration in the official blog.  Whenever new buildings are released for a city, you can watch stunning videos showing what’s possible.

Translate

http://googletranslate.blogspot.com

Available to read in dozens of languages, from Afrikaans to Yiddish, the Translate blog explains how Google is helping to make the web a multi-lingual experience.  You’ll learn tips on better translation online, and discover which new languages Google is working with.

YouTube

http://youtube-global.blogspot.com

Had your fill of cute cats and giggling babies?  Then visit the YouTube blog to find something new to watch.  It does lean heavily towards US content, so you may prefer the UK-specific version of the blog at http://youtubeukblog.blogspot.com.

There’s plenty to work with here, so I’m sure you’ll be busy for quite a while. If you have any suggestions on similar blogs that are not part of the Google family, let us know in the comments section below.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

Twitter has over 16 million users. 42.3% of the entire American population is on Facebook. And YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world. The bottom line is that your target audience is almost certainly using social media to engage with the products and services they love.

Despite all that, it can be challenging to figure out how to get started in social media and, more importantly, how to make sure your efforts are effective.

With that in mind, here are 5 tips that will help you succeed no matter what social-networking site you apply them to.

1. Commit resources & time with the intention of succeeding, not just experimenting. Look at social media as an opportunity cost. You’ll get out of it what you invest. So, by carving out the time for strategic implementation, you’ll be able to take advantage of the benefits social media has to offer. As technology continually changes, it is also important to have ongoing training for employees in order to keep them on track and up-to-date with the newest information available.

If you're trying to use social media to make an impact on your business, plan on devoting 25% to 50% of a full-time employee's time to your efforts. Devoting any less time is the equivalent of trying to put out a house fire with a garden hose.

2. Take advantage of the “social” part of social media, which is its most vital component. The marketing landscape no longer consists of simply talking to consumers. Your customers now expect a mutual interaction in which they can talk with you as well. By doing so, you can find out exactly what they require and what their concerns are. If a customer has something negative to say about your brand, do not delete it and certainly don’t ignore it. Be sure to listen to their point of view and make it into a conversation. After all, you are supposed to be social, right?

3. Engage in a wider conversation. It’s important to communicate information about your product or service to your audience, but it’s also okay to share news stories, blogs, and other relevant information that doesn’t necessarily point to your blog, your products or your company. Social media is popular because it enables people to find and share information that they value. The key is that you become valuable by sharing useful content.

4. Understand that you no longer control the message because once information or media is available on the social web, it is at the hands of the general population. Encourage participation, feedback, comments, and discussion, especially from major influencers online. Influencers are those who have large-sized online networks and can help to effectively spread your message while also activating others to do so. Although you may not be able to control the messages, you can at least keep track of them. Check out our article 7 Free Tools to Help You Monitor Your Online Reputation.

5. If you don’t at first succeed … keep trying. If you’re not getting the results you want, try new ways to engage your intended audience. The web makes it easy to recreate your message and try new social media marketing strategies. If you find yourself in need of some help, check out 30 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips From 2011.

The Take Away: Remember that every engagement either reinforces or takes away from the brand experience, so learn everything you can, apply what you need, and continue putting in the effort. When it comes to social media you certainly get what you give.

Brittney Leigh Smith is a regular contributor and marketing analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

I don’t know about you, but every so often, I get burnt-out by Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and even the bright, shiny new object Google +. There’s just something exhausting about the constant updates and conversations going on via social media.

Today, I came across a good article by JP Mangalindan on the CNNMoney website. It’s worth reading the entire article, but here are a few paragraphs that resonated with me.

Do you have Facebook Fatigue? Are you in a social media slump? If so, provide our readers some tips on how to create balance in a social-media-crazed world.

Then a few months ago, my relationship with Facebook hit bottom. The compulsion to log on reached a point where I checked Facebook incessantly at home, on the train, and at work. When for some reason I couldn’t sign on, I became frustrated. It was only when I found myself refreshing the News Feed on my phone between crunches at the gym that I realized the extent of my addiction. Would it be a big deal if I waited until afterwards to check? Well, of course not. But try telling that to me as I cursed my phone reception atop the sit-up bench.

I like to think there’s a reason for that incident beyond a mild case of “gym rage.” The way Facebook is structured now, you feel like if you don’t dip your toes into the social network’s stream of information for a second here, a minute there, you will miss out. The dashboard, once a study in relative simplicity, vaguely resembles a busy screen from World of Warcraft. The News Feed breaks up updates by Top and Recent Stories, a distinction I’ve never needed. And the live ticker chronicles the minute moves of friends as they happen, which sounds great in theory, but is more a visual distraction in practice.

One of the key points JP makes is that Facebook used to be a study in relative simplicity. Today, it’s a mish-mash of utter confusion. I couldn’t agree more.

What are your thoughts?

All this makes me wonder, are you as exhausted by social media as I am? If so, what are some tips and techniques you use to create balance?

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.

An oft-asked question regarding mobile applications is how you can begin to market and share your creation with the masses. Publishing the app itself is only the first in a series of steps to broaden the reach of your content. Below are some techniques which you may find useful in promoting a new mobile app.

Get to know your target audience

Understanding who exactly makes up your audience allows you to tailor your app promotion to those who would likely be interested in your content.

Start by engaging your audience through social means, such as Facebook, Twitter, and your blog comments to find basic demographic trends. Keep in mind the age, location, and gender of those who embrace you/your content, as well as their interests.

• Do you attract a “geek and proud” crowd? Make sure your words and imagery evoke an understanding of the latest tech, software or web-trends as they relate to your content and banners.
• Arm-chair quarterbacks and desk-chair umpires? Pictures of the ballpark, sharing your club’s cheers and adding your team colors to the mix help your audience associate with your interests as well.
• As a “foodie,” let your refined palate extend into your promotion with mouthwatering close-up images and evocative culinary language.
  

  Creating an app is only half the battle. The other half is promoting it. Here some tips to help you get started.

Learning more on targeting audiences/markets will ultimately help you to create campaigns based on individual demographics for maximum impact. However, taking a geniune interest in your audience will help you craft your message as you begin to promote your app.

Blog about your new app

Should you blog about your new app? Absolutely. Create a post which introduces your audience to your application. Explain its features and how it can be of benefit to them. For example:

• If you use your app to promote a podcast, explain that they can use your app to listen anywhere they have a mobile data connection.
• If you are as mobile as your app, mention that your audience can use location features to find your meet-ups, favorite restaurants/pubs, or where to hang out before the big game.
• Let them know that the blog they’re reading at this moment is accessible on your app! Using your app to view your content will save them a few steps during their mobile browsing experience.

You may want to show your app’s design or create a guide to using your app. Try taking a screenshot with your iPhone, which is a fairly simple process, or Android device, which may depend on your rooting situation, but provides apps such as Screenshot It orScreenshot ER.

Utilize your social presence

Do you have a Facebook page? A Twitter account? If not, social networking tools are the simplest, and most cost effective way to maximize your app’s promotion.

• A friendly tweet or Facebook post that includes a link to your app in the iTunes store is a great way to announce your app’s arrival to your audience.
• If blog commenters are wondering where they can find more of your content, feel free to point them to you app. Let them know they can also comment and participate using your app’s social functions, if applicable.
• Try creating a page that explains your app and submit it to StumbleUpon.
• Use your network to spread the word. There’s no harm in asking your associates, family and friends to support you with a “like” or retweet.

These services are free, and are a great way to expand your potential audience.

Use banner ads

Banner ads are an easy way to provide a nice visual link to your app, both on your personal site or any site you have an agreement to display these on.

• You’ll want to use appropriate and eye-catching imagery/headlines in your banners, and make sure you’re including this around the content area, and “above the fold” for the best click-through rates. Here is a visualization of optimal banner placement/design.
• There are standard sizes for most ad banners which should be followed. You can find a list of ad banner sizes here.

Try to visualize what your audience would expect to see on one of your banner ads, and build from there.

A few final words

Don’t let the publication of your new app be the end of your journey. Keep close tabs on statistics when introducing some of these techniques to see what works best for you and your audience.

It’s easy to maintain your existing audience, and love every minute of it, but there’s always potential for growth in your content delivery. Take the next step and promote that app!

Josh Wolff, Support Director at ShoutEm. ShoutEm is a mobile application creation platform, which allows users to design and publish rich-featured, native mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.

Who will have the best Super Bowl Commercials in 2012? That’s a question CNN anchor Don Lemon asked me on Saturday night.

This year, the cost of a 30-second TV spot on the Super Bowl is running $3.5 million. There are three dozen brands participating in the commercial-fest, including Bud Light, Budweiser, Cadillac, CareerBuilder.com (go chimps!), Cars.com, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Priceline and Volkswagen.

What are the big stories this year? Here goes:

1. Priceline Kills Off William Shatner: It’s true, the man who has re-incarnated his career more often than any other actor in history may have met his match. Rumor is that Priceline will introduce the new spokesperson during the Super Bowl. Will it be Spock? Chekov? Lieutenant Uhura? (My bet is that they’ll reincarnate Shatner — after all, how can you kill Captain Kirk?)
2. Coca-Cola Integrates Social Media Into the Super Bowl: The Coca-Cola Company has decided to reintroduce the Polar Bears in an innovative way. They’ll be running regular 30-second spots, but the Polar Bears will also be reacting to the game and the commercials from a dedicated, live-streaming Facebook page.
3. Cars.com Will Have the Most Talked-About Commercial: The biggest risk in doing a Super Bowl commercial is to spend $3.5 million to bore people to death. There’s no risk of that happening with the new Cars.com commercial that has two talking heads coming from one body. My prediction? It’ll be the most talked-about commercial around the water cooler on Monday — 60% will love it and 40% will hate it.
4. CareerBuilder.com Reintroduces the Chimps: The challenge CareerBuilder.com has always had with their chimps campaign is that people remembered the chimps but couldn’t remember CareerBuilder.com. Will they fix that problem this year? We’ll see next week.

If you’d like to see more information about some of the commercials mentioned above, check out my interview on CNN with Don Lemon below.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Founder of the 60 Second Marketer and co-author of “How to Make Money with Social Media” and “Go Mobile.” He is also a popular marketing speaker at events, trade shows and corporations around the globe.