Living Digital at CES: Where Mom Bloggers and Tech Connect POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:31 PM

Last week I spent three days at the vast, sprawling, and ever-intriguing 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The big trend spotting for me as I marveled at diverse technology product innovations: how deeply integrated technology will continue to become for today’s digital families. From fridges that have an electronic touchpad built in to tell us everything from the weather to expiration dates on our food to the complete waterproofing of our phones during the manufacturing process to new ways to power-up on the go, stay tuned for more from CES as I’ll post soon on emerging trends in consumer technology.

I took part in a fascinating Mom & Tech panel discussion with several other Mom bloggers, organized by Robin Raskin and Living in Digital Times. While we all had varying Mom perspectives and blogged from different points of view, we all shared insights from our own experiences with technology from a Mom blogger engagement perspective. As I talked about both the power and the challenges involved in blogging about technology, I also shared insights gleaned from some of our recent Mom Central Consulting research surveys, which all looked at the different ways Moms incorporate technology into their busy lives.

I’ve included some of our top research highlights here.

“Hold on a Second, I’m on the Phone!”

• The majority of Moms (51%) have downloaded over 16 apps to their Smartphones.
  • Most popular download categories among Moms: social networking (82%), games (80%) and entertainment (79%). For kids: games dominate (73%) with education coming in second at 50% and entertainment at 40%.

• The majority of Moms (59%) consider cost the most important factor in selecting an app. 39% of Moms report typically downloading free applications, while 28% want apps $.99 or less. Only 1% would pay over $5 for an application.

• 74% of Moms let their children regularly play on their phone. Only 17% of Moms say they have downloaded no apps for their kids.

• Win Mom over, and your app becomes her new best Smartphone friend: 47% of Moms reported using their favorite apps at least once a day on average.

On the Go – With Foursquare

• Of those surveyed, 26% of Moms have a Foursquare account.
  • In thinking about why they check-in, Moms want:
    • Coupons/Discounts/Specials (62%)
    • To connect with friends (37%)
    • Friends/Family to know where they are (34%)

• Given the options provided, Moms would activate a code if it offered:
  • Discounts and coupons (92%)
  • Special offers (75%)
  • Exclusive content (46%)

New Trends in Health & Wellness

• 75% of the Moms polled will discuss health/medical issues on social networking sites.
• 62% of Moms follow/friend consumer HC and 52% follow/friend wellness companies online.

• To share suggestions and questions about health or medical issues on social media and networking sites, Moms utilize…
  • Social networking site like Facebook, MySpace (56%)     
  • Online discussions, forums, list-serves, or other online group (56%)
  • Blogs, such as a mom blog or blog focusing on a specific health issue (48%)
  • Websites of any kind, such as a health sites (37%)

TV Trends in the Digital Age

• While Moms' TV viewing habits reflect the digital age (60% watch shows online or via DVRs), the greatest percentage of Moms (64%) still watch their favorite shows live.
  • The vast majority (79%) of Moms indicated interest in interacting with show producers, actors, hosts, or other fans online.

• 30% of Moms report that they post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites while they watch TV.

Moms & Social Media

• Moms don’t view social media sites with a quick-and-done glance while heading out the door for carpool pick-up:
  • 54% of Moms check into Facebook all day long and 78% use their Smartphones to check in and update their Twitter and Facebook accounts while on-the-go.

• 9 out of 10 mom prefer Facebook as their “go to” social media destination.
• 4 out of 5 Moms maintain two separate identities on Facebook, private and public.

Connecting With Brands

• 80% ignore targeted ads on their social media networks.
• 10 – the average number of brands Moms following or like on Twitter or Facebook.
• 60% of Moms agree – poorly used Twitter or Facebook accounts negatively impact Mom’s perception of a brand.

 

Top 6 Trends Leading Up to the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:58 PM

For generations, Americans dreamed of technological innovations that would jumpstart commerce, speed up communications, and make family life easier. Now, as wired households have become the norm, each January we visit the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see what’s next on the innovation horizon. This year, as CES lays out innovations in the world of consumer technology that would make even George Jetson’s head spin, we’ve identified our Top 6 emerging trends for the digital family.

 

     “Turn on, Lights!”

The Jetson’s lived in a futuristic apartment complex in Orbit City – filled with gadgets and gizmos and a robot housekeeper named Rosey. With future homes being wired with integrated systems that control lights, operate locks, turn on and off stereos and TVs, and raise the temperature as we drive home – we’re not too far behind. CES 2012 should shed some light on next-generation technologies to make today’s smart homes even brighter.

Welcome to the Cloud 

As families move more and more tasks and activities online – ranging from finances to photos  – it will become even more challenging to track, consolidate, and organize our digital  imprint.  As the Cloud cover increases in 2012, we look to CES to showcase some of the hottest new developments in Cloud computing.

 

Good-Bye, Landline!

With so many families – adults and kids alike – toting cell phones and staying in touch via such technologies as UMA, Skype, and Biscotti TV Phone, many households have opted to say good-bye to their landlines. Between families wanting to trim household expenses in tough economic times and attempting to reconcile the value of a phone that simply makes and receives calls, we expect to see this trend continue in 2012 – and even more landline alternatives emerge out of this year’s CES.
Digital Natives Dominate

From gaming systems to laptops to Smartphones to tablets, few things come between kids and their electronics. And as more and more brands market apps and accessories for kids – ranging from toddlers to teens – we’ll expect to see technology designed for kid consumers continue to grow. The silver lining for parents? With kids unwilling to separate from their electronics, it continues to become even easier for parents to track tweens’ and teens’ whereabouts and keep tabs on them as they move from activity to activity.
Electronic Accessorizing

Most families now count laptops, Smartphones, tablets, e-Readers, GPS systems, and digital cameras as basic to their everyday lives. But with all these devices comes the need for ways to tote, customize, print, project, and otherwise accessorize our technological tools. At CES 2012, we expect we’ll see a host of ways to maximize these innovations – including how to extend battery life, capitalize on Bluetooth options, and increase the capabilities of our tablets and Smartphones.
Maximizing Mobile

With the advent of Smartphones and touch-screen technology, it seems fewer and fewer people actually talk on their phones these days – choosing to use them instead to text, surf, change channels, make purchases, navigate from point A to point B, and even start their cars on frigid mornings. As phones become increasingly more sophisticated, we’ll look to CES to see emergent tools, apps, and hardware that can further morph Smartphones into the one indispensible device that never leaves our side.

So Proud of Making the Inc. 500|5000! POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 2:31 PM

We're so very proud of Mom Central Consulting making the Inc 500|5000 list of the nation's fastest growing private companies. Above, Stacey Smith and Stacy DeBroff attend the Inc 500|5000 conference last week in Washington, D.C.

Heading to #BlogHer '11! POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:37 PM

A team of Mom Central folks head out to San Diego today for BlogHer '11. 

Follow their tweets via our @MomCentral tweep list here: #BlogHer Tweeps

And if you see them during the conference, be sure to say hi!

M2W Conference Update (Event) POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:53 PM

Back in April, we attended the 7th annual Marketing to Women Conference (M2W) in Chicago. This conference is a Mom Central favorite as we always walk away with some great insights, and take pleasure in seeing familiar faces while also making new friends.

A presentation by WSJ journalist Jeffrey Zaslow, contained a tear-jerking discussion on his book with Randy Pausch, “The Last Lecture”, and also an uplifting bit on his new book “The Girls from Ames” about a 40-year friendship between 11 women. An engaging speaker, Mr. Zaslow got a standing ovation for invoking emotion with a first person account on his time with the interviewees, and tales of real human spirit.

Another dynamic session was led by Bridget Brennan, CEO of the Female Factor, on understanding why women make purchasing decisions.  Bridget presented a humorous and enlightening session on “Why She Buys,” and how some companies have cracked the female code on how think like their main consumer. Yes, women definitely buy products for their quality and functionality, but let’s not forget about making them look good in the process!

Stephen Reily, of VibrantNation.com, explained how women over the age of 50 are often ignored, but in reality hold the greatest buying power.  Advertising and marketing campaigns make a habit of gearing messaging toward a younger crowd in an effort to come across as hip, but the real spending is done by women over 50. These women are often invisible with 15% of Boomer women stating that sales associates often come across as unhelpful.  What retailers and marketers are missing is that these women are the first demographic to buy a luxury item.

Presentations by SheSpeaks, Buzz Agent and BlogHer were also of interest to Mom Central Consulting as we often share the same space.  SheSpeaks and Buzz Agent both presented case studies that reinforced why influencer marketing is a strong strategy for branding.

Next year's M2W takes place April 24 & 25, 2011 in Chicago.

#WOMMA School of WOM Recap POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:57 PM

Our own Megan Maguire and Stacy DeBroff visited the windy city this week to rub elbows with some of our favorite and most admired interactive marketers, community and brand managers, CEO's, VP's and strategists. 

WOMMA's School of WOM kicked off the 2011 season on Monday May 9th and provided two full days of insightful best practices, discovery, exploration and fabulous networking. Stay tuned for more thoughtful, deeper analysis on the conference from Megan and Stacy next week.  In the meantime, Megan shares her four topline takeaways:

1) “Influencer” discussions permeate all sessions:
Opinions are mixed about the best way to define them, reach them, engage them, and track with them but everyone understands that working with influencers will be a big part of marketing programs to come.

2) Mobile, mobile, mobile (and QR codes!):
The biggest ‘up and coming’ trend discussed centers on how to integrate mobile elements into traditional marketing programs. Like social media, mobile will not be a stand-alone program; rather it will give marketers a new platform for campaign activation. Mobile elements must be unique and involve location/real-time/interaction. Not tapping into those traits makes mobile essentially useless.

3) Attendees:
Span big brands to small boutique firms in all areas of the US.

4) Presentations:
The best by far was Brian Solis’ keynote, which focused on making engagement matter on social media (understand what your fans want and use social media as a way to deliver value using this information.)

Can't get enough School of WOM? Follow the conversation here, in the Buzz Room.

Event Report: BSMC’s Evaluating Social Technologies POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 11:54 AM

This past March I had the pleasure of attending the Boston Social Media Club’s morning event: “Evaluating Social Technologies: From Chaos to Strategy.” Gathering in Cambridge early on a Thursday morning, it was nice to see from familiar faces from the Boston Social Media scene. Presenters wasted no time getting into the meat of the event, which was refreshingly insightful thanks to a diverse group of panelists:

• Janet Aronica, Community Manager, oneforty (@JanetAronica)
• Zach Hofer-Shall, Analyst, Forrester (@znh)
• Kathy O'Reilly, Director, Social Media Relations, Monster.com (@kathyoreilly)
• Ben Boardman, Marketwire & Sysomos (@benboardman5)

The event focused on sharing feedback about the best of the best platforms for all things social media. Breaking options into four categories – discovery, publishing, measurement, and CRM – helped to pinpoint areas of need and group the appropriate platforms accordingly. Here at Mom Central, we’re always looking to find better ways to listen and measure social ROI, so I was pleased to hear the panelists share their perspectives on these ever-evolving challenges. The biggest takeaways:

• The tools you use will be most greatly impacted by the overall goals of your company. Are you a brand or an agency? Are you looking to track individual campaigns, publish content, or build a conversation with your brand enthusiasts? Your answers to these questions will determine the platforms you’ll need to invest in most, and how to structure workflow around them.
• No one tool does it all. It’s important to understand the benefits and limitations of each program you employ. While expensive programs have much to offer, there are a range of inexpensive and free tools that perform certain functions very well. Explore all your options and develop a plan to integrate the best of the best for your company.

Also discussed by panelists were trends for the coming year. Here’s what they see happening in the industry:

Marketers are starting to realize that a lot of their social media efforts are going to involve the IT department. IT is beginning to make more decisions about what tools a company will use based on security and usability. Marketers are going to have to collaborate and learn to compromise with IT on what they need and what works best for the company.

Companies are looking to gain insights on their customers from their Facebook posts, but are   from privacy settings – its only possible to see content that is public. As platforms evolve to integrate more fluidly with Facebook, companies will be able to better manage their use of this popular site.

Sentiment analysis will continue to be a ‘must have’ for measurement. While platforms will evolve to better analyze content around sentiment, the tools will never fully replace the need for human analysis, which can account for language nuances, tone, and individual perspective.

A big thanks to the Boston Social Media Club team who put on the event. We’re looking forward to the next one!

Megan Maguire (@megan_maguire) is an Account Manager at Mom Central.

Living Digital at CES: Where Mom Bloggers and Tech Connect POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:31 PM

Last week I spent three days at the vast, sprawling, and ever-intriguing 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The big trend spotting for me as I marveled at diverse technology product innovations: how deeply integrated technology will continue to become for today’s digital families. From fridges that have an electronic touchpad built in to tell us everything from the weather to expiration dates on our food to the complete waterproofing of our phones during the manufacturing process to new ways to power-up on the go, stay tuned for more from CES as I’ll post soon on emerging trends in consumer technology.

I took part in a fascinating Mom & Tech panel discussion with several other Mom bloggers, organized by Robin Raskin and Living in Digital Times. While we all had varying Mom perspectives and blogged from different points of view, we all shared insights from our own experiences with technology from a Mom blogger engagement perspective. As I talked about both the power and the challenges involved in blogging about technology, I also shared insights gleaned from some of our recent Mom Central Consulting research surveys, which all looked at the different ways Moms incorporate technology into their busy lives.

I’ve included some of our top research highlights here.

“Hold on a Second, I’m on the Phone!”

• The majority of Moms (51%) have downloaded over 16 apps to their Smartphones.
  • Most popular download categories among Moms: social networking (82%), games (80%) and entertainment (79%). For kids: games dominate (73%) with education coming in second at 50% and entertainment at 40%.

• The majority of Moms (59%) consider cost the most important factor in selecting an app. 39% of Moms report typically downloading free applications, while 28% want apps $.99 or less. Only 1% would pay over $5 for an application.

• 74% of Moms let their children regularly play on their phone. Only 17% of Moms say they have downloaded no apps for their kids.

• Win Mom over, and your app becomes her new best Smartphone friend: 47% of Moms reported using their favorite apps at least once a day on average.

On the Go – With Foursquare

• Of those surveyed, 26% of Moms have a Foursquare account.
  • In thinking about why they check-in, Moms want:
    • Coupons/Discounts/Specials (62%)
    • To connect with friends (37%)
    • Friends/Family to know where they are (34%)

• Given the options provided, Moms would activate a code if it offered:
  • Discounts and coupons (92%)
  • Special offers (75%)
  • Exclusive content (46%)

New Trends in Health & Wellness

• 75% of the Moms polled will discuss health/medical issues on social networking sites.
• 62% of Moms follow/friend consumer HC and 52% follow/friend wellness companies online.

• To share suggestions and questions about health or medical issues on social media and networking sites, Moms utilize…
  • Social networking site like Facebook, MySpace (56%)     
  • Online discussions, forums, list-serves, or other online group (56%)
  • Blogs, such as a mom blog or blog focusing on a specific health issue (48%)
  • Websites of any kind, such as a health sites (37%)

TV Trends in the Digital Age

• While Moms' TV viewing habits reflect the digital age (60% watch shows online or via DVRs), the greatest percentage of Moms (64%) still watch their favorite shows live.
  • The vast majority (79%) of Moms indicated interest in interacting with show producers, actors, hosts, or other fans online.

• 30% of Moms report that they post on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites while they watch TV.

Moms & Social Media

• Moms don’t view social media sites with a quick-and-done glance while heading out the door for carpool pick-up:
  • 54% of Moms check into Facebook all day long and 78% use their Smartphones to check in and update their Twitter and Facebook accounts while on-the-go.

• 9 out of 10 mom prefer Facebook as their “go to” social media destination.
• 4 out of 5 Moms maintain two separate identities on Facebook, private and public.

Connecting With Brands

• 80% ignore targeted ads on their social media networks.
• 10 – the average number of brands Moms following or like on Twitter or Facebook.
• 60% of Moms agree – poorly used Twitter or Facebook accounts negatively impact Mom’s perception of a brand.

 

Top 6 Trends Leading Up to the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:58 PM

For generations, Americans dreamed of technological innovations that would jumpstart commerce, speed up communications, and make family life easier. Now, as wired households have become the norm, each January we visit the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see what’s next on the innovation horizon. This year, as CES lays out innovations in the world of consumer technology that would make even George Jetson’s head spin, we’ve identified our Top 6 emerging trends for the digital family.

 

     “Turn on, Lights!”

The Jetson’s lived in a futuristic apartment complex in Orbit City – filled with gadgets and gizmos and a robot housekeeper named Rosey. With future homes being wired with integrated systems that control lights, operate locks, turn on and off stereos and TVs, and raise the temperature as we drive home – we’re not too far behind. CES 2012 should shed some light on next-generation technologies to make today’s smart homes even brighter.

Welcome to the Cloud 

As families move more and more tasks and activities online – ranging from finances to photos  – it will become even more challenging to track, consolidate, and organize our digital  imprint.  As the Cloud cover increases in 2012, we look to CES to showcase some of the hottest new developments in Cloud computing.

 

Good-Bye, Landline!

With so many families – adults and kids alike – toting cell phones and staying in touch via such technologies as UMA, Skype, and Biscotti TV Phone, many households have opted to say good-bye to their landlines. Between families wanting to trim household expenses in tough economic times and attempting to reconcile the value of a phone that simply makes and receives calls, we expect to see this trend continue in 2012 – and even more landline alternatives emerge out of this year’s CES.
Digital Natives Dominate

From gaming systems to laptops to Smartphones to tablets, few things come between kids and their electronics. And as more and more brands market apps and accessories for kids – ranging from toddlers to teens – we’ll expect to see technology designed for kid consumers continue to grow. The silver lining for parents? With kids unwilling to separate from their electronics, it continues to become even easier for parents to track tweens’ and teens’ whereabouts and keep tabs on them as they move from activity to activity.
Electronic Accessorizing

Most families now count laptops, Smartphones, tablets, e-Readers, GPS systems, and digital cameras as basic to their everyday lives. But with all these devices comes the need for ways to tote, customize, print, project, and otherwise accessorize our technological tools. At CES 2012, we expect we’ll see a host of ways to maximize these innovations – including how to extend battery life, capitalize on Bluetooth options, and increase the capabilities of our tablets and Smartphones.
Maximizing Mobile

With the advent of Smartphones and touch-screen technology, it seems fewer and fewer people actually talk on their phones these days – choosing to use them instead to text, surf, change channels, make purchases, navigate from point A to point B, and even start their cars on frigid mornings. As phones become increasingly more sophisticated, we’ll look to CES to see emergent tools, apps, and hardware that can further morph Smartphones into the one indispensible device that never leaves our side.

So Proud of Making the Inc. 500|5000! POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 2:31 PM

We're so very proud of Mom Central Consulting making the Inc 500|5000 list of the nation's fastest growing private companies. Above, Stacey Smith and Stacy DeBroff attend the Inc 500|5000 conference last week in Washington, D.C.

Heading to #BlogHer '11! POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 12:37 PM

A team of Mom Central folks head out to San Diego today for BlogHer '11. 

Follow their tweets via our @MomCentral tweep list here: #BlogHer Tweeps

And if you see them during the conference, be sure to say hi!

M2W Conference Update (Event) POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:53 PM

Back in April, we attended the 7th annual Marketing to Women Conference (M2W) in Chicago. This conference is a Mom Central favorite as we always walk away with some great insights, and take pleasure in seeing familiar faces while also making new friends.

A presentation by WSJ journalist Jeffrey Zaslow, contained a tear-jerking discussion on his book with Randy Pausch, “The Last Lecture”, and also an uplifting bit on his new book “The Girls from Ames” about a 40-year friendship between 11 women. An engaging speaker, Mr. Zaslow got a standing ovation for invoking emotion with a first person account on his time with the interviewees, and tales of real human spirit.

Another dynamic session was led by Bridget Brennan, CEO of the Female Factor, on understanding why women make purchasing decisions.  Bridget presented a humorous and enlightening session on “Why She Buys,” and how some companies have cracked the female code on how think like their main consumer. Yes, women definitely buy products for their quality and functionality, but let’s not forget about making them look good in the process!

Stephen Reily, of VibrantNation.com, explained how women over the age of 50 are often ignored, but in reality hold the greatest buying power.  Advertising and marketing campaigns make a habit of gearing messaging toward a younger crowd in an effort to come across as hip, but the real spending is done by women over 50. These women are often invisible with 15% of Boomer women stating that sales associates often come across as unhelpful.  What retailers and marketers are missing is that these women are the first demographic to buy a luxury item.

Presentations by SheSpeaks, Buzz Agent and BlogHer were also of interest to Mom Central Consulting as we often share the same space.  SheSpeaks and Buzz Agent both presented case studies that reinforced why influencer marketing is a strong strategy for branding.

Next year's M2W takes place April 24 & 25, 2011 in Chicago.

#WOMMA School of WOM Recap POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 3:57 PM

Our own Megan Maguire and Stacy DeBroff visited the windy city this week to rub elbows with some of our favorite and most admired interactive marketers, community and brand managers, CEO's, VP's and strategists. 

WOMMA's School of WOM kicked off the 2011 season on Monday May 9th and provided two full days of insightful best practices, discovery, exploration and fabulous networking. Stay tuned for more thoughtful, deeper analysis on the conference from Megan and Stacy next week.  In the meantime, Megan shares her four topline takeaways:

1) “Influencer” discussions permeate all sessions:
Opinions are mixed about the best way to define them, reach them, engage them, and track with them but everyone understands that working with influencers will be a big part of marketing programs to come.

2) Mobile, mobile, mobile (and QR codes!):
The biggest ‘up and coming’ trend discussed centers on how to integrate mobile elements into traditional marketing programs. Like social media, mobile will not be a stand-alone program; rather it will give marketers a new platform for campaign activation. Mobile elements must be unique and involve location/real-time/interaction. Not tapping into those traits makes mobile essentially useless.

3) Attendees:
Span big brands to small boutique firms in all areas of the US.

4) Presentations:
The best by far was Brian Solis’ keynote, which focused on making engagement matter on social media (understand what your fans want and use social media as a way to deliver value using this information.)

Can't get enough School of WOM? Follow the conversation here, in the Buzz Room.

Event Report: BSMC’s Evaluating Social Technologies POSTED BY Stacy DeBroff AT 11:54 AM

This past March I had the pleasure of attending the Boston Social Media Club’s morning event: “Evaluating Social Technologies: From Chaos to Strategy.” Gathering in Cambridge early on a Thursday morning, it was nice to see from familiar faces from the Boston Social Media scene. Presenters wasted no time getting into the meat of the event, which was refreshingly insightful thanks to a diverse group of panelists:

• Janet Aronica, Community Manager, oneforty (@JanetAronica)
• Zach Hofer-Shall, Analyst, Forrester (@znh)
• Kathy O'Reilly, Director, Social Media Relations, Monster.com (@kathyoreilly)
• Ben Boardman, Marketwire & Sysomos (@benboardman5)

The event focused on sharing feedback about the best of the best platforms for all things social media. Breaking options into four categories – discovery, publishing, measurement, and CRM – helped to pinpoint areas of need and group the appropriate platforms accordingly. Here at Mom Central, we’re always looking to find better ways to listen and measure social ROI, so I was pleased to hear the panelists share their perspectives on these ever-evolving challenges. The biggest takeaways:

• The tools you use will be most greatly impacted by the overall goals of your company. Are you a brand or an agency? Are you looking to track individual campaigns, publish content, or build a conversation with your brand enthusiasts? Your answers to these questions will determine the platforms you’ll need to invest in most, and how to structure workflow around them.
• No one tool does it all. It’s important to understand the benefits and limitations of each program you employ. While expensive programs have much to offer, there are a range of inexpensive and free tools that perform certain functions very well. Explore all your options and develop a plan to integrate the best of the best for your company.

Also discussed by panelists were trends for the coming year. Here’s what they see happening in the industry:

Marketers are starting to realize that a lot of their social media efforts are going to involve the IT department. IT is beginning to make more decisions about what tools a company will use based on security and usability. Marketers are going to have to collaborate and learn to compromise with IT on what they need and what works best for the company.

Companies are looking to gain insights on their customers from their Facebook posts, but are   from privacy settings – its only possible to see content that is public. As platforms evolve to integrate more fluidly with Facebook, companies will be able to better manage their use of this popular site.

Sentiment analysis will continue to be a ‘must have’ for measurement. While platforms will evolve to better analyze content around sentiment, the tools will never fully replace the need for human analysis, which can account for language nuances, tone, and individual perspective.

A big thanks to the Boston Social Media Club team who put on the event. We’re looking forward to the next one!

Megan Maguire (@megan_maguire) is an Account Manager at Mom Central.