This Week On Twitter: Fortune 500 Social Stats, Social B2B And Twitter’s 10 Biggest Brands

Need a little weekend reading? We’ve compiled our top ten Twitter stories of the week, which includes the social media statistics of Fortune 500 companies, a look at B2B social marketing, how email still has the edge on social media when it comes to popularity, social media versus search marketing and the 10 most popular brands on Twitter. Here are our top 10 Twitter stories of the week. 1. The Social Media Statistics Of Fortune 500 Companies [INFOGRAPHIC] Did you know that 62 percent of Fortune 500 companies have an active corporate Twitter account? Perhaps surprisingly, this is ahead of those with an active Facebook Page (58 percent), but collectively the rapid growth of these channels, as well as the proliferation of corporate blogging (which, while still a force, has been stalled by the social media rise), is indicative of a broader, sweeping change in the ways that businesses are using these tools to connect and engage with their customers. Which is great news not only for the end user, who is now empowered to liaise with brands directly (and openly), demanding better service and products, but also for marketers, who can tailor and scale campaigns to a degree that is unparalleled in history. 2. How Social Is B2B? [INFOGRAPHIC] Did you know that 61 percent of U.S. marketers use social media to increase their lead generation? While the business to consumer (B2C) side of social media is both proven and well established, business to business (B2B) social marketing has been a harder sell. But the effort is paying off. A recent Business.com study showed that 55 percent of B2B survey respondents search for information using social media, and IBM reported an incredible 400 percent increase in sales in a single quarter after implementing a pilot program of social selling. 3. 62% Of Adults Worldwide Now Use Social Media (But Email Is Still More Popular) [STUDY] More than six in ten (62 percent) online citizens around the world use the internet for social networking, reveals a new study from independent market research company Ipsos. Social media is most popular in Indonesia, where 83 percent engage, ahead of Argentina (76 percent) and Russia (75 percent). However, while these findings are impressive, social networking usage continues to lag behind email in every country, with a heady 85 percent of those polled favouring the electronic messaging service as their top online activity. 4. Social Media vs Search Marketing – How Do They Match Up? [INFOGRAPHIC] As social media rapidly integrates itself into our everyday personal and business lives, it’s easy to forget that, while increasingly important, Twitter and Facebook aren’t everything, particularly when it comes to marketing. Search, for example, is still of paramount importance to brands. For local business visibility, customers are far more likely to use search engines than they are social media. And while social media excels at brand awareness and consumer interactivity, search marketing has been shown to be more effective for lead generation. So, we like social media, but we also like search marketing. But which is better? There’s only one way to find out. 5. REVEALED: The 10 Most Popular Brands On Twitter Back in February we reported that Selena Gomez had become the tenth member of Twitter’s 10 million club, joining other luminaries such as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry as Twitter profiles who could boast 10 or more million followers. Club membership is now up to 14, with Nicki Minaj, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres all reaching 10 million followers in the past few weeks. But what about brands? Are there any brands on Twitter that can boast an eight-figure follower count? 6. 77% Of Consumers Would Buy From Your Company If Your CEO Was Tweeting [STUDY] A new study on eMarketer suggests that CEOs who tweet are regarded more positively than those who don’t – so it’s high time company big-wigs get their thoughts in order, condense them, and type them out in 140 characters or less. 7. Think Twitter Is Crap? Turn Anyone’s Tweets Into (Actual) Toilet Paper With Shitter Have you ever wanted to turn your tweets into something that you could, literally and figuratively, wipe your ass with? For reals? Well, this is so your lucky day, because thanks to this (it has to be said) innovative product idea from new startup Shitter, you totally can. And it’s not just your own tweets that can be privy to this somewhat unsavoury experience – the Twitter musings of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Mashable can now be your butt’s for the taking. 8. Gluttony, Lust, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Envy And Sloth – The 7 Deadly Sins Of Social Media [STUDY] Do you pride yourself on your outstandingly good behaviour on Twitter and Facebook? Well, you might want to take another look, as if you’re anything like the overwhelming majority of other social networking users, you’ve committed at least one of the Bible’s Seven Deadly Sins. And probably a lot more. 9. Shooter May Have Used Twitter To Locate Victims In Vancouver, two men were shot in front of a popular downtown restaurant. One of the wounded men, 24-year-old rapper Lazeevil, tweeted that he was eating at the restaurant, Italian Kitchen, twice before the shooting happened. 10. How Not To Get Your Hashtag Hijacked (Like McDonald’s Did) [INFOGRAPHIC] Have you heard of hashtag hijacking? It’s not a fun experience, especially if you’ve spent thousands promoting a hashtag only to have it take over and its meaning changed from the one you originally intended. McDonald’s is possibly the most visible company to have its hashtags hijacked, with giddy Twitter users twisting the intended meanings into ironic, sarcastic and sometimes spiteful tweets. Also this week: A student has been jailed for 56 days over racist tweets New Fame Game increases Twitter following for one winner each day Follow the Titanic’s ill-fated voyage on Twitter Who are the biggest Twitter stars in music, TV and sports? Improve your vocabulary using Twitter Did you know we have a newsletter? Sign-up to receive a daily digest of all things Twitter, sent straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up for the AllTwitter Newsletter.

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This Week On Twitter: Fortune 500 Social Stats, Social B2B And Twitter’s 10 Biggest Brands

Shea Bennett

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Shea Bennett