Let’s imagine that we are about to market a new energy drink. In this case, our market research had shown us that 51% of college students consider themselves energy drink consumers, while the remaining 49% would not consider the product. In order to optimize our marketing spend, we would need to focus our budget on the 51% who would consider purchasing an energy drink. This kind of niche targeting is made possible by Facebook’s ad platform.

Find Your Niche Audiences

In the case of launching a campaign for our energy drink, Facebook’s ad platform allows us to target not only by basic demographics such as age and location, but also by precise interests. We begin by filtering the Facebook community by keywords that are highly relevant to our product. In this case, we want consumers who are also energy drink consumers, so we are filtering our audience by those who have liked: Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, caffeine, taurine, and guarana. After filtering the Facebook community by these parameters, our total reach within the US is just over 7.7 million.  Our ads will be the most relevant to this audience.

If the objective is to run ads towards influencers on college campuses, then we can creatively identify them by targeting influential campus organizations. In this case, we’ve pinpointed national fraternity and sorority members, in college, between ages 18-22.

Now that our market has been identified and targeted for our campaign, the next step is to match, hone and optimize our creative messaging prior to launch.

Align Unique Creative To Each Audience & Increase Ad Relevancy

Now let’s begin experimenting with appropriate messaging and creative. Our traditional research also uncovered that a significant amount of energy drink consumption is done while our consumer is out partying. We developed sample copy and imagery that resonates with this behavior and speaks directly to this segment. We recommend doing this type of sub-category analysis, targeting and messaging for each segment in order to achieve the highest engagement rates with your Facebook ads. We ran this ad to students in college between ages 18-20 who like to party:

(Aim to spark curiosity with your imagery. This photo performs well because it’s hard to tell what’s going on here)

Target Friends of Fans

One simple and powerful way to increase the relevancy of our Facebook display advertising is to target “Friends of Connections.”  The example above features the caption “Kyle Dardashti likes this.”  This recommendation would appear for all of Kyle’s friends and similarly with all the friends of the rest of the brand’s community members, letting them know a trusted friend of theirs already likes the page. On the ad platform, it’s as simple as the click of a button.

One possible limitation to adding this feature however is that it is reliant on the number of members who have already liked our brand or product.  According to Facebook, the average user has 130 friends, but according to some sources the average Facebook fan has 310 friends[1]. For example let’s say our energy drink brand currently has 20,000 fans in its community. Our total reach to friends of fans would be approximately 6.2 million.  With a community of just 1,000, your reach would be 310,000.

There is no better recommendation than a peer recommendation. Ads with social context have a 65% increase in Ad Recall, 2x Message Awareness, 4x Purchase Intent & 25% increase in Action Rate.[2] It’s even more impactful for students with a college education or higher to see social endorsement. Add more relevance to your ads and watch engagement rates go up.

A-B Test Your Creative

Now that we have determined where our niche audiences live on Facebook and developed a strategy for targeting sub-groups within our target, it is time to optimize our content. Facebook’s Ad Platform makes A-B testing of creative easy, allowing for us to launch both imagery and written copy in a variety of combinations simultaneously, with real-time feedback on which ones are performing the best.

A simple way to quickly isolate variables and identify top-performing combinations of creative and copy is to develop a simple matrix. We recommend continually optimizing your campaigns using this method, to get the most out of your marketing dollars.

Analyze and Optimize

Launching our campaign and identifying top-performing ad combinations is only the beginning. Below is a list of tips to keep in mind throughout your Facebook ad campaign to ensure that you are maximizing your budget and generating the highest performance from your targeted ads:

Ongoing creative analysis and optimization

By utilizing A-B testing you can identify which imagery, copy, and target groups performed well. Complement your best ads with new creative variations that follow the strategy of your top performing ads while discontinuing ads that are not performing well, in real time.

Analyze the Responder Demographics reports for your ads

If your ads lean strongly towards a specific demo, consider narrowing your targeting to them to maximize engagement rates. If this compromises a balance you would like in your community then adjust or add creative that will speak to and bring in the demo you want. An example objective might be to maintain a gender balance.

Run ads to your own community

These are the members who have subscribed to read your messaging. Since only 5-15% of your community members actually see your posts, ads provide a cheap alternative and effective way to reach them.  When more members are brought back to the page to engage, the EdgeRank on the brand posts increases and your reach is higher. Ads targeted towards community members have 7x the click-through rate of external ads.

Practice these tried and proven techniques and you’re half way there! Take a peek at Facebook’s Marketplace Ad Platform and tweet me @kyledardashti with any questions.

As an early adopter of social media (nearly the 1 millionth Twitter user, and avid Friendster contributor ca. 2003), I’ve truly spread my soul over the Internet. I’m everywhere and nowhere at once. So what happens when the “big show” is over?

In real life, I’m a husband and father, and with that comes the all-too-real responsibilities of solidifying my estate with wills – both living and passing – life insurance, disability, you name it.

A fifteen-year-old isn’t thinking about this stuff. But in 2012, when anyone shuffles off this mortal coil, their 17,000 LinkedIn connections, 5,000 Facebook “friends”, and their fifteen Twitter nom-de-plumes all live on – and are sometimes prompted to interact automagically.  Aaaaawkward.

Each platform has its own rules. When your next-of-kin produces proof of your passing, some sites give the option of locking and memorializing your likeness for Internet posterity. Some take your presence down altogether. Some don’t have provisions and you’re seemingly active from beyond the grave.

These are considerations you should take into account just like any other part of your digital life. You should still be in control of the message.

It’s never too early to make provisions as to how you want your digital remains handled. I feel like an insurance salesman, so please don’t shut your door on my foot.

Here are some options.

You could:

1) Note your wishes in a will. It’s easy enough, just a little creepy.  Supply your usernames and passwords in a document. Leave it with your lawyer (AKA friend you trust, safety deposit box, hope chest or Trapper Keeper). The challenge here is keeping it up to date.

2) Employ the services of a company who holds onto social media logins for just this purpose. They’re out there and they’re not expensive. I know that they hold similar problems of updating, but it means that you don’t need someone to sift through your life to your cache of logins. That can be an emotional toll on anyone. For more info here’s a link from ages ago:http://mashable.com/2010/10/11/social-media-after-death/

3) Not care and live on. Consider it a cyber-haunting (see http://ifidie.net/). Depending on who you are, and who your acquaintances are, they’ll either love it, or be horribly scarred by it.

A while ago a “service” called the suicidemachine.org came out. It’s was a method by which you delete your accounts with one quick log in. Quick. Painless. Seems to me that if a password-escrow service partnered with them, the full deletion process could easy, and peaceful for everyone.

As for me?  Well, after my Space Viking funeral (read Space Viking, funeral – not space, Viking funeral), I plan on having someone Foursquare check me in to heaven. Then straight to the bin with the rest.

That search has led many to Pinterest, a place where moms, teens, young professionals, and increasingly more guys are getting in on the world of “pinning” and the “re-pin”. After experiencing unprecedented growth throughout 2011, Pinterest has quickly become the golden child of social media.

So why will Pinterest continue its success in 2012?

VISUAL CURATION. Utilizing infinite scrolling, Pinterest provides users with an endless stream of relevant content. The instant gratification keeps users searching the site. In November of 2011, pinners spent an average of 88.3 minutes on the site.

NO NORMS. The site is anything you want it to be with no predetermined norms of how to use it. Profiles are almost non-existent, which has “pin-natics” diving in to explore. Looking for gift ideas for a friend? Check out the “gifts” section which sorts products by price. Renovating your apartment? Type in “apartment” and let your imagination run wild.

UNRESTRICTED. Unlike Facebook, everything is publicly accessible. For spectators looking to observe, Pinterest provides an infinite springboard of discovery around anything your heart desires. Once these spectators are ready to get in on the action, they can request an invite or ask a friend already on the site.

PIN-WORTHY. As current users begin to see an increase of friends descend onto Pinterest, their curation of shared images and content will become more selective in hopes of being liked and “re-pined”. This added level of curation will force users to create more specified boards for their followers.

MIDDLE AMERICA. While many startups rely on communities in Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley to spark initial growth, the site’s core user base grew from word-of-mouth in middle America. Major social media and tech publications are now playing catch up to cover the craze, in turn, giving Pinterest the exposure it deserves.

E-COMMERCE INTEGRATION. In early January, Etsy added a “Pin It” button to increase the virality of product sharing back to users’ boards. As more brands begin utilizing this social integration, Pinterest will increasingly be seen as a valuable and inexpensive way to allow consumers to be advocates.

While every user’s experience is unique, Pinterest provides us with a visual representation of the collective interest graph. As Pinterest continues to grow and brands find their way onto the site, only time will tell if and how the site will monetize to profitability, or an early exit.

Will Pinterest get acquired by a major publisher like CondeNast, an Amazon or an eBay? Or maybe a social networking site like Twitter?

What are you predictions for Pinterest in 2012 and beyond?

Social media users are more influential, spend more on holiday gifts and are more likely to recommend a holiday gift than non-users. Their advocacy is directly influencing holiday gift purchasing decisions this holiday, and we have the proof! During the weeks leading up to Black Friday / Cyber Monday, social media users were 1.5x as a likely to make a gift recommendation to their friends and family. Better yet, those recommendations were twice as likely to result in a holiday gift purchase than recommendations made from non-social media users.

Brands that recognize this are winning big this season. Among brands that respond to consumer’s requests across their brand pages, these interactions led consumers to make a holiday gift purchase 80% of the time! While this is compelling, our research indicates that brands are only responding around 1/2 of the time to these requests, leaving opportunity on the table.

This January, Mr Youth will be unveiling a full report on how social advocacy-fueled gift purchases this season. To learn more about what brands won big, which social media consumers are most valuable, and what your brand should know about how to join this conversation, send a short email request to: MRYHoliday@mryouth.com and be among the first to receive our report when it launches!

About Our Methodology

The data in this infographic is reflective of the three week period leading up to and during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping event. It is a small part of a broader, six week study on social media usage during 2011 the holiday shopping season. Unless noted in the copy as a BF / CM data point, all information is cumulative of the three week period leading up to and on BF / CM. Our full study is currently being fielded through a nationwide survey of 500 households, once a week, over the six week period leading up to the Christmas holiday (November 17 – December 19). Mr Youth conducted this study in conjunction with Survey Sampling International (SSI) and Kanter Analytics.

We caught up with 300, 13-19-year-old teens in an online discussion to talk to them about the technologies, platforms and brands they used over the course of the year, with their responses offering fresh insights into who they are. The following narrative represents insights gleaned from more than 4,500 individual responses:

2011: A Year Of Personal Sacrifices

No longer insulated by parents doling out discretionary funds, teens are not only reacting to the pressures felt by their cashed-strapped parents, but are helping to take on the responsibility through part time jobs and making their own sacrifices on personal spending. Billed as “The Lost Generation,” the unemployment rate of a teen is double that of an adult (20% by some measures; NPR, 2011), which leads to teens adopting many of the cost-saving measures they glean from their parents.

“My parents have been more honest with me in terms of our budget this year and I’m constantly stressed that we might not be able to afford groceries the next month. It’s not something I’ve been able to deal with because there isn’t anywhere near me hiring 16 year olds.”  - Female, 16, CA

Like Their Parents, Teens Are Savvy Mobile Users

Much of the coupon-redeeming, price-comparing and loyalty-point-aggregating activity marketers have witnessed among adults around Black Friday/Cyber Monday is actually taking place among teens, as well. Roughly 30% of teens wielded smart phones during 2011, with estimates that 2012 will bring 50% adoption levels (Consumer Reports, 2011). The top shopping apps mentioned among teens in our discussion forum included Amazon mobile for scanning, Foursquare for check-in discounts, Old Navy’s Snap Appy, Seventeen, Red Laser and ShopKick. A surprising number of teens expressed interest in using apps to learn about local deals at restaurants, as well as redeeming offers from Groupon and LivingSocial.

“I use QR code technology to scan for details while in-store, and my barcode scanner to check prices in-store.” – Male, 16, FL

We asked our teens to define a “dream” mobile app that currently does not exist. Yes, we received a lot of ridiculous answers (e.g., one that prints out million dollar bills), however, a central theme began to unfold: teens are looking for hyper-personalized utility. It is not enough to simply help them pick out a new outfit to wear–our teens mentioned needing help deciding among items in their own closets. More than just friend recommendations, they asked for apps that offered suggested products based upon the likes/interests found in their own social profiles.

Also, the opportunity for a brand to step up as an ally of all things education is huge. Across dozens of posts, we found that teens are seeking a mobile solution for keeping track of their homework assignments, grades, high school sporting events and to-do lists. In 2012, there’s a viable opportunity for marketers to uncover what the next level of customization means for this generation, and find ways to add utility to their high school experiences.

“My app would be for school. It would record everything my teachers say, save it in sections and organize everything.” – Male, 15, IL

Teens Are Native Users Of Virtual Currency

Gamification continues to grow among teens, as it provides them with a way of earning points and virtual currency in an entertaining format. 43% of teens have spent real dollars on in-game virtual items or virtual currency. With the total US market for virtual goods at just over $2 billion in 2011 (Inside Virtual Goods, 2011), it is no wonder that brands are finding ways to leverage this currency as an incentive. Teens flock to games such as Cityville (Over 55 million active users, #1 game on Facebook in December; Games, 2011), Sorority Life and numerous others to earn points that can be redeemed for real items. Many teens in our forum described earning virtual points in order to save money on holiday gift purchases this year.

“Yes, I earn points from sites like Swagbucks, Superpoints and others, and redeem them for gift cards. I typically make around $40 a month, although because I knew Christmas was coming up I managed to earn around $100 so far.” – Female, 19, AZ

Top virtual points/currencies among our panel: MyYearBook’s “Lunch Money,” Facebook “Credits,” Coca-Cola’s “MyCokeRewards,” Sorority Life’s “Brownie Points” and SwagBucks.

Watching Content Is A Social Experience

Social media turns watching content into a shared experience among teens, and with research citing improved ad recall when ads are published across multiple platforms (Up 150%, compared to just TV; Mashable, 2011), the circumstances are ripe for brands to create an integrated approach to content. When tuning-in to their favorite TV shows (Glee, by a two-to-one margin; Mr Youth, Nationwide Poll, 2011) 53% are posting comments about the show to their Facebook pages, 45% are texting their friends show-related updates, a staggering 39% will visit the show’s Facebook page, and 18% will Tweet directly at the show. By contrast, only 11% report using a show’s specific mobile app (Mr Youth, Nationwide Poll, 2011).

Among teens who feel compelled to stay focused on (only) the show, many teens will opt for texting or sending a message via Facebook chat during commercial breaks. This provides an opportunity for brands to extend show engagement through social activities during the “commercial break” that ties back to the content, and socialize the experience among a viewer’s friends.

“I watch mtv.com and I will always be on Facebook on another tab and if friends are chatting with me, which they most likely are, I chat back during commercials.” – Female, 19, MN

Teens Yearn For More Customization On Facebook

Earlier this year, we surveyed teens across the country on their reactions to the Facebook changes unveiled at F8 in September. Two and a half months later, we decided to reach back out to teens for their insights. Among 250 responses from our online discussion, teens expressed their overwhelming desire to keep things simple and unchanged. Negative sentiment (among our responses) to Facebook’s ticker remains persistently highly, as teens think it provides too much information about their social activities. On the other hand, Facebook mobile (and “places” in particular) is very well received. Teens look forward to the day when they can customize their pages further, choosing their own color schemes, much like the old MySpace. As brands find creative ways to personalize and brand their own timeline pages, they should also be thinking of ways to help teens modify and individualize their own pages.

“The only thing that I think would help make Facebook better is if they let you customize you profile background and colors. This will help express your personality at a higher level.” – Female, 19 OH

Teens Use Google+ To Meet Up Online

Teens are using Google+ to have more intimate conversations among subsets of friends, carving out circles, which fit their own definitions of social groups. Teens have fun defining these: “cool kids, weird people, fat people, hot girls (and guys) and Moustache Mafia,” are among the more interesting circles. Teens also create circles for high school classes and after-school clubs/hobbies to facilitate study sessions. Hangouts are another way in which teens can connect with their classmates online to socialize their late-night cramming. Brands should support this activity, helping to bring together teens around unique circles and interests.

“I actually love Google + and wish more people would use it. My circles are: Posse (main group of friends), Mom Friends (so I won’t annoy my friends with gross updates about parenting), College Friends, and High School Friends.” – Female, 19, CA

Teens View Twitter As Their News Source

For teens, Twitter is their news source. They follow musicians, sports teams, celebrities, authors and deals from brands. As other platforms are better at conversations among peers, Twitter is (predominantly) a broadcast medium with this generation for up-to-the-minute facts.  A few sources they follow most closely: The Onion, NPR, Local News, TMZ and MacNews.

“I do use Twitter! I follow Old Navy, Banana Republic, Airbus, US Airways, Southwest, BBC, CNN, and my local news.” – Male, 18, AZ

Spotify And TurnTable Turn Teens On To Music

This generation prefers free, on-demand music from streaming services as opposed to content ownership. With the ability for teens to follow what their friends are listening to on Facebook, teens now have Spotify and Turntable to thank for expanding their own musical tastes. In a recent poll among teens, we found that 70% of teens are “highly likely” to listen-in to music tracks that they notice their friends listening to in the activity feed on Facebook (Mr Youth Nationwide Poll, 2011). Undoubtedly, this social integration has led to the successful rise of Spotify, Turntable and other services keen on taking advantage of Facebook apps, as a way to grow awareness of their services. Top music services with teens in 2011 included Pandora, YouTube and Spotify, as well as lesser-known sources Grooveshark, iheartradio.com, Playlist.com, SoundCloud, last.fm and Tumblr.

“I use Spotify because I love showing my friends what I’m listening to.” – Male, 16, NY

Teens Want Ads That Entertain And Offer Authentic Messages

Teen’s tune-in to brands that offer distinct value exchanges. They want to be entertained, while also learning how products will benefit them. Allstate’s Mayhem accomplished this, providing a source of entertainment, while also conveying a straightforward product benefit. Other top ads with teens this year include Target’s recent two-day sale Black Friday ads, Kenny Power’s K-Swiss ads and Old Navy’s “Funnavations” campaign. A few lesser-known examples also surfaced, including Derma Blend’s “Go Beyond The Cover” ads (Derma Blend, Go Beyond The Cover; Derma Blend, 2011), which reached more than 7 million views on YouTube in just two months.

“I look for humor, results, and excitement in my commercials.” – Male, 15, MI

Ads that missed the mark? Ads that “tried too hard to be cool” or appeared to alienate or exclude others. Exclusivity, or “us vs. them” marketing that might have worked with older generations, is seen as offensive among this generation. One example of what did not connect with them was Dr. Pepper’s latest campaign, which focused solely on men. Teen girls in our panel felt left out, with a vocal minority vowing never again to drink the soda. Among teen guys, they saw the ad as playing on traditional stereotypes (Dr. Pepper TEN; Dr. Pepper, 2011).

“Dr. Pepper is my second favorite drink, too! I haven’t had Dr. Pepper since because it made me so frustrated. It was a ridiculous commercial, it was sexist.” – Robert, 19, IL

Diverse, Customized Style Is The Trend

A tough economy has not kept this generation of teens from expressing their own sense of style. Popular among teens this year were Toms shoes, Uggs, hair feathers (yes, feathers!), animal prints, moccasins, and leather jackets. Both vintage and hipster looks appear to be alive and we’ll, among. Beyond the usual e-commerce destinations (Amazon, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, Haute Look, Ruelala), it was interesting to see many on the radar that we might not know about. Up-and-coming e-commerce sites included: 6pm, nomorerack, modcloth, Free People,  Go Jane, Beyond The Rack, NectarClothing.com, UrbanOg.com, Threadsense.com, & Asos.com

“I express myself by not following the trends set by others,but by creating my own trend and if no-one agrees with it or doesn’t like it, so be it. I am a representation of myself and no-one else and that can never be taken from me or any other person who feels the same.” – Female, 16, MI

Now it’s time to close the door on 2011, and enjoy the holiday season. Keep these insights in your back pocket for 2012, and consider how the events, technologies and social platforms teens are using today will impact their decision making in the New Year!

Since last year, the University of Southern California has been using Foursquare to foster a sense of campus community by embracing everything from venues and specials to tips and lists. With over 18,000 followers and 135,000 check-ins to date, USC’s adoption of the location-based social platform has proven that Foursquare can do so much more than dish out badges.

In this case study we see a traditional institution proactively reach students in a way that resonates with them. True, our Class of 2015 study tells us only 12% of college students are on Foursquare. However, with the right formula and a little innovation, USC has proven that Foursquare can thrive among college students when used in a way that benefits them. Bucket list for seniors? Campus event updates? Bookstore discounts? Yes, please.

USC isn’t the only university jumping on the Foursquare bandwagon, and it’s not “new news” either. Last year Foursquare forged a relationship with 20 universities across the country to, as the Foursquare blog says, help “students, alumni, and staff connect with each other, find new and interesting things to do, and earn rewards for exploring their campus and nearby areas.”

So, on your next trip to SoCal be sure to take the virtual campus tour via Foursquare and check into at least five spots along the way. This could earn you some sweet campus swag and maybe even the True Trojan badge!

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to put our intel to work, serving up fresh-from-campus blog posts chock full of all the college trends you need to know to stay in the know. This week our featured trend is: Photo Sharing Apps.

From Facebook to Foursquare, today’s college student has come to age on the Internet and lives in a world where the persona they curate online often serves as a first impression for potential friends long before they ever meet in person. Reputation is no longer grounded in the offline world, but is extended and amplified by the links they share, the venues the check-in to, the photos they’re tagged in and the influencers they “follow”.

Every college student knows that if a photo didn’t capture it, then it probably didn’t happen. Students eager to supplement their online personas with digital snapshots have been quick to turn to mobile photo-sharing applications to capture, enhance and instantly share their experiences, giving friends and followers the opportunity to visually walk a mile in their shoes.

While mup-loading, or mobile-uploading, is nothing new for college students, new mobile applications such as Instagram and Hipstamatic allow students to further curate their personal brand by applying one-click “filters” to photos, elevating every day snapshots to visually intriguing pieces of art that are sure to impress their friends.

“… Creating a life stream of photos online is practically effortless. Sharing photos is also a more emotionally connective form of communication… I quickly began to notice my tendency to look for “Instagram-worthy” moments”–Tyler Patton, 22

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to put our intel to work, serving up fresh-from-campus blog posts chock full of all the college trends you need to know to stay in the know, starting with our fashion update: Boho Chic.

For today’s co-eds, college is about much more than having a good time. Between school, resume-building extracurricular activities, networking and maintaining their g.p.a. students are feeling incredible pressure to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. In a high-pressure environment, students think their clothing should be anything but. The skinny jeans, stick straight hair and tight cocktail dresses of last semester have been replaced by long flowing skirts, natural waves and sturdy gladiator sandals, a look that students are calling “Boho-Chic”.“

“Boho chic is…free-spirited, flowy but put together. I consider myself boho chic wit feathers, earth tones, and brown leather taking up a majority of my wardrobe.”-Emily Tracy, University of North Carolina age 20

Freedom is the name of the game and for stressed out students, Boho-Chic affords the perfect escape from their every day lives by combining style and comfort without confining them to specific brand names, looks or silhouettes.

”Boho-Chic is casual, but in a ‘I just rolled out of bed and look good’ kind of way…There’s something very alluring about the grungy, messy look–seems like you’re not putting effort in but it’s a finely crafted mess, so to speak.”-Amelia Viner, Emerson College age 21

We are the Mr Youth interns. In honor of Social Media Day last Thursday we are sharing our POV on the good life of YouthNation, the present and future of social media, and whatever else crosses our young, millennial minds in 140 characters or less:

- Elizabeth C: Social media icon sheets & comforters will replace dinosaurs and rocket ships.

- Kara B: #D0M!N@T!0N

- Jon I: Some people think the internet is ruining are ability to comunikate, but I think we’re just fien. The future is #social.

- Thomas S: I am not witty enough for this, I defer to the Twitterverse.

- Vinny S: Emoticon Media, The future of Social: – A typical day.

- Annie D: Social media helps to engage the brand and the customer through dynamic, interactive, and unique experiences (games, applications and videos).

- Lauren F: I have a feeling Facebook is going to lose its spark soon. The site has lost its simplicity and exclusivity, #unlike.

- Alison W: SM lets me stalk a dog named Boo on Facebook, tweet at Barack Obama and keep in touch with my grandma in Florida #EndlessPossibilities…

- Adam P: In the modern battle of David versus Goliath, social media is the slingshot.

- Alexa D: Rule #76.5: Social Media plays like a champion.

We want to hear your musings on social.  Tell us in the comments!