In a transformed business environment where social activity is given it’s own currency and value, retailers and e-commerce businesses today are understanding better that properly measuring the performance of a video campaigns requires more than just the single ratio of money to deem if it has been successful return on its investment. The Social Return on Investment, or “SROI,” is a relatively new value system that is helping companies better understand value goals that have been often overlooked before, and video is ripe with data for helping us achieve that.

With Facebook recently making its own Credits the mandatory virtual currency earlier this month, and with it seeing more adoption amongst the bigger social gaming companies and brands with video ads, it’s time for e-commerce and video marketing professionals to tackle the next important question: When is this going to mature into a real opportunity for the rest of us? In this presentation and opinion piece, I explore a number of ways I think that can realistically happen.

I interviewed Paul Verna, senior analyst for the digital intelligence and research agency, eMarketer, to talk about how Facebook credits can be a key strategy for retailers to reward customers, and turn “likes” into loyal fans.

I’m going to be speaking at Mediabistro’s Social Media Optimization Conference (SMOC) on May 23-24 in San Francisco, and presenting on the subject of “social video optimization.” I thought it would make for a good opportunity to share here about the role of social video with eCommerce today, showcase how some successful companies are using video eCommerce to maximize performance and profits, and dole out some of my own tips for optimizing your social video program for the buying and selling of goods, services, and solutions over the Internet.

Anyone committed to driving social and digital media innovation from inside the marketing machine of a midsize to large company understands well the pressures of proving the value of your efforts. Now, two new studies provide sharp insight into the CMO mindset that must be considered when plotting a course for growth, along with your own internal online video sales pitch.

Here’s the first bit of eye-popping news: According to a new survey by social business software company MindTouch, only 15 out of 143 Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) in Fortune 100 companies have…

Recently Facebook announced that their Facebook Credits virtual currency will be mandatory for buying virtual goods in many games and apps on the Facebook platform. Some marketers are predicting the next major step for Facebook will go beyond simple, social interactions to true social commerce – buying real products and services using Facebook Credits. In this article, we will explore live examples of using Facebook Credits with interactive product video.  We will also explore how real Facebook video shopping examples could be further enhanced by having virtual currency available to purchase their own products.

We’ve talked plenty on this site about the importance of creating a smart online video strategy, one that complements and advances your specific brand message and provides a roadmap toward the right style of video for your company.

But what about the video that you can’t affect? In particular, the hundreds of thousands of customer-generated videos now freely posted on YouTube and other sites that dole out brand opinions and product reviews to millions of passionately interested viewers.

How do you go about making that part of your video strategy?

That’s the marketing challenge many retail…

Grant Crowell interviews Crutchfield’s Multimedia Producer Jon Schroeder about how their consumer electronics business’ own video marketing strategy makes the most of their in-house production and experts – utilizing video to build conversations with their customers towards better customer service.

“Facebook is turning into a virtual online mall of sorts” – TechCrunch

2010 has been an explosion for Facebook in the merchant space. So what is the link between the much improved e-commerce experience and activity on Facebook, with it’s new technology and social activity around video? Read on and find out…