Video Post: 2012 Predictions

What are going to be the newest trends in social media for 2012? Andrea takes a stab at three predictions that seem to be on the horizon: Death of e-mail, rise of the Twit Pitch, brands becoming publishers, and building applications with gamification components.

Top Brands on Pinterest

The newest and hottest social network to break the top 10 list is Pinterest. The visually appealing, micro-blogging site allows users to find, share and organize online images they find inspiring. It has exploded from 1.2 million users in August to over 4 million today, and it's still technically invite only.

All of this attention has caught the eye of brands, especially those in the home, garden and lifestyle sector. It's a smart marketing move, as the largest audience on Pinterest is comprised of women ages 25-34, with interests in those categories.

Below are a few brands that (according to Pinterest) really know how to utilize all that the site has to offer:

1. Whole Foods
2. Martha Stewart
3. Better Homes and Gardens
4. Real Simple
5. West Elm
6. Bergdorf Goodman
7. Today
8. Travel Channel

What makes them so successful?

1. Brand Focus
They all know how to showcase their brand, whether it be food, design or destinations. For example, Whole Foods has boards that highlight their own Whole Foods recipes. Real Simple posts craft ideas and inspiration that comes from their magazine.

2. Become a Resource 
All of these successful brands have become a resource for their followers. They contribute helpful information that is in line with their image and mission. Today for example has boards with tips and behind-the-scenes peaks from the show. Better Homes and Gardens makes sure you will never be floundering for a dinner recipe with boards ranging from "Healthy Dinner Recipes" to "Casseroles to Make Tonight!"

3. Board Quality
One of the most defining traits of successful interest pages are rich, full boards. No one wants to follow a board that has sporadic or few pins. Bergdorf Goodman has 20 boards, all devoted to a fun trends and style. The Travel Channel offers beautiful picture after picture of travel destinations and finds.

It won't be long until more brands are realizing the potential of Pinterest to highlight their product or service in a highly visual network. What do you think? Are you following any brands on Pinterest?

Video Post: CES 2012 Las Vegas Preview

Axiom is showcasing three great clients at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES.) Here's just a taste of what media and show attendees will see.

Where will social media go in 2012 and beyond?

Just a year or two ago, it was common to see "emerging media" as an alternative buzzword for social media. At the time, it made sense. Facebook was still skyrocketing in popularity, and new social networks were popping up every week.

But now that 2012 is here, it's safe to say that social media is no longer "emerging" and has fully arrived. And while some analysts claim the social media phenomenon is just a bubble waiting to burst, new Facebook statistics from TechCrunch show that the growth may have slowed, but it hasn't stopped.

According to their numbers from comScore, Facebook had 15 million new visitors in 2011 compared to almost 50 million in 2010. This highlights the fact that social media is now in a gradual growth stage, and not the exponentially fast growth stage it had been for years.

An article in ReadWriteWeb dove into this a little deeper, gleaning that the statistical focus will shift from the number of users on various sites to the engagement on those sites. "How much time?" will replace "how many users?" as investors, speculators and pundits look to see who's dominating our online lives.

The main reason for this is that social media across the board, especially Facebook, has more or less reached a saturation point. Echoing many people's complaints when Google+ first hit the scene, most users don't want to add to the long list of channels to keep track of. They are set in their social networking ways, and are now looking for new apps and devices to supplement those social networks.

For marketers, this means we have to move beyond where people are at and start looking at how they are using those social media channels. Regardless, it's good to see that social media continues to become more and more integrated into our daily lives.

Video Post: TechnoDad previews CES

TechnoDad follows up his Tuesday CES preview post by looking at a few products that will be displayed there. A wall outlet that has USB plugins ($30). Second: NuScribe - a convenient 2 in 1 touch screen stylus and pen ($12). Third: NuTouch Gloves - type, tap, swipe, and scroll in the cold ($10).