In 2007, Intuit launched TurboTax Live Community, a site for users to get answers to their tax return questions. Accessed directly from the TurboTax’s help center or from any TurboTax data entry screen, customers can view, ask and answer basic or complex tax questions.

Goals:

Challenges:

Strategy:

Getting employees involved with Live Community was important. TurboTax employs one year-round moderator off-season and four during high tax season. All departments are encouraged to participate and listen to what users have to say, if only to fine-tune the product.

“Our employees receive in-depth training on how we respond to customers and how to use Live Community the best ways possible. It’s very much encouraged,” Jeff Stevenson, Live Community manager at Intuit, told eMarketer in a June 2011 interview.

A good deal of interaction, however, comes from “super users”—a group of industry experts, such as accountants and law and tax professors, who go through a vetting process to test their accuracy and professionalism. Some spend up to 12 hours per day on the site.

Between employees, super users and the community, the answers stay relevant. TurboTax focuses on teaching by example and is careful to only remove offensive content, not incorrect information. “It’s encouraging more participation rather than just deleting and discouraging a person because then what they worked on isn’t visible in the community anymore,” said Stevenson.

Live Community users are motivated by points earned when their responses are given a thumbs up. Appreciation can also be expressed via a happy face button, which is more personalized than a generic up or down vote. All user profiles can be viewed to see how many thanks, votes and points a particular person has earned, which is a good way to determine success records.

Results:

Attracting participants has not been a problem. Over 90% of employees have Live Community accounts and around 100 super users have joined the site. One top super user alone has answered over 70,000 questions and has had his answers viewed over 9 million times.

Intuit learned that people with specialized knowledge often like to share their expertise. They were able to capitalize on super users’ willingness to help customers and set a professional tone on Live Community for the general public.

They also found that customer inquiries are often less complex than they first appear. Rather than having many customer service representatives waiting to help with ad hoc requests, a storehouse of commonly asked questions can be built up, drawn upon and added to by users.

Of the more than 800,000 questions that have been posed, 770,000 have been answered—about a 96% response rate. A large portion of the unanswered ones did not have enough information in the original question for a response.

Benefits of Live Community have been twofold: Keeping staff costs low and increasing response time for customer questions. “We recognize that having our support costs go down is kind of a happy byproduct of having Live Community. But we want to give our customers the answer to their questions as fast as possible, and that’s the whole reason we put Live Community in the product,” Stevenson explained. “I know, as a customer, when I have a question I want it answered fast. And this is the best way we can do it.”

The complete version of this case study is available to eMarketer Total Access clients. Learn more here.

Consumer electronics retailer RadioShack sponsors Team RadioShack riders in races around the world. For the Amgen Tour of California, held May 15–22, RadioShack wanted to incorporate Promoted Products into its overall marketing campaign supporting the team.

“We kicked it off with a promoted trend on the first day of the race, and then we had a Facebook tab that was the epicenter for all the content,” said Adrian Parker, social media director at RadioShack, in a June 2011 interview with eMarketer. “We used Twitter to spark [the campaign], but it was just one part of a bigger campaign.”

Challenges:
This use of promoted products was different from RadioShack’s previous Twitter campaigns because it was centered on a hashtag relevant only to RadioShack, #BackTheShack. The company’s previous Promoted Trend campaigns used hashtags #UNeedANewPhone and #IfIHadSuperpowers, both of which had been popular as a source of conversation on their own. This time, the conversation would be led solely by RadioShack.

RadioShack also needed to find a way to keep followers’ attention after the first day of the campaign. “A Promoted Trend is an easy way to create 24-hour excitement,” Parker said. “But the challenge is, how do you make it relevant a week later?”

Strategy:
Before the race, RadioShack worked with Twitter to get information about how users interacted on the social network during the Tour of California in 2010. “They were able to give us data and insights to inform our decisions about how to activate the campaign,” Parker said.

On May 15, RadioShack purchased the #BackTheShack hashtag. During the day, the company tweeted about the race and its team and encouraged users to go to a tab on the RadioShack Facebook page, which had interactive elements, including a contest and videos.

“This campaign was a great way for us to make RadioShack and Twitter relevant to cycling fans, but also to people who weren’t cycling fans,” Parker said. By also using the Tour of California’s #ATOC hashtag, RadioShack got involved with the overall conversation around the race and was able to introduce its Twitter feed to cycling fans.

After the promoted trend ran for 24 hours, RadioShack purchased promoted tweets throughout the rest of the week, highlighting the tweets that reminded users to enter the contests it was running on Facebook. The company also tweeted regular updates about the cyclists, announced the daily winners of the Facebook contests and replied to fans.

“Our general philosophy and approach has been to ignite and spark the campaign with a promoted trend to create immediate awareness in the Twittersphere,” Parker said. “Then we can sustain that with promoted tweets and take ownership of a hashtag or dial into whatever the trending topic is for that day. And then a promoted account can be used specifically to gain followers.”

When it comes to measuring success, RadioShack looks at engagement metrics, such as new followers, retweets and other analytics, as well as measuring conversation, share of voice and resonance.

Results:
RadioShack gained 700 followers on the first day of the campaign, when the promoted tweet ran. During the entire week, its Twitter account gained more than 1,200 new followers, while its Facebook page gained 1,800 new “likes.” There were more than 16,700 mentions of #BackTheShack and 4,000 retweets of RadioShack tweets during the week.

“We were definitely pleased with it because we were able to carry a conversation for more than just a 24-hour period,” Parker said. “A Twitter conversation for that long was something that we had never done before.”

However, the company wasn’t tracking sales or business results with this campaign. While a previous campaign for #UNeedANewPhone tracked links back to an online upgrade checker and was able to show how many people purchased products from RadioShack online, this time the company wasn’t promoting a specific product or sales promotion.

Parker said that using the combination of promoted tweets and a promoted trend reinforced his opinion that Twitter’s ad products are best viewed as a suite that work in tandem to keep a conversation going.

“Twitter’s flexibility is key for brands because you’re able to manage your investment” in real time, Parker said. A brand can monitor how engaged fans are with the content and change the plan accordingly for maximum impact.

The complete version of this case study is available to eMarketer Total Access clients. Learn more here.

TV is a focus in many of eMarketer’s recent reports. But that’s not because digital is any less important. Indeed, digital is more important than ever. With a growth rate of 20.2% this year to $31.3 billion in spending, online advertising will ascend soon to the second-most important ad format behind television. But, since TV is not about to disappear, and digital is growing, brands have to adapt to seeing the two in an integrated whole.

Among the factors behind digital ad spending’s growth is the rise of online video, which “gives brand marketers the familiar messaging medium of TV combined with online’s targeting,” writes eMarketer principal analyst David Hallerman in his new benchmark report, “US Online Ad Spending: The Floodgates Are Open.”

With the ascension of video and the merging of online video and TV, consumers are cutting their pay-TV cords because they can get all their favorite programming online, right? Not exactly, writes senior analyst Lisa Phillips in “TV Video Viewing: Beyond Cord-Cutters.” Her analysis points to one conclusion: The pending death of pay-TV is greatly exaggerated.

In “Socializing the TV Experience,” principal analyst Debra Aho Williamson looks at the convergence of social media and TV, as networks and cable TV players tap online social networking as a means to maintain or build relationships with viewers.

Here are eMarketer’s top picks from June 2011:

REPORT: US Online Ad Spending: The Floodgates Are Open
In eMarketer’s latest benchmark report on the current state and future of online ad spending, principal analyst David Hallerman states that digital ad spending is at an “inflection point” compared with the last three years—and the next few years to come. Shooting upwards 20% this year to $31.3 billion, online advertising’s place in the major media mix is now complete. Learn more about this report.

CHART: US Online Video Ad Spending as a Percent of Total Online and TV Ad Spending
While video grows faster than any other online format, its share of the online ad market will remain small—just 6.9% in 2011. Online video ad spending will reach only 3.6% of TV’s ad spending total this year. Available only for Total Access subscribers.

WEBINAR: Secrets to Online Marketing Success
Now that we are in an age of customer-centric advertising where old, disruptive ad models no longer work, how can marketers capture consumers’ attention and keep it? This webinar takes the most important concepts from my new book, “Digital Impact: The Two Secrets to Online Marketing Success,” and gives you a blueprint for creating content that is truly engaging, as well as explains the seven most important digital marketing metrics. View webinar.

REPORT: TV Video Viewing: Beyond Cord-Cutters
There is still a long way to go before marketers can easily buy spots against premium TV content like “30 Rock” on the internet. “The online video industry has not yet developed its own lexicon, much less standardized metadata and taxonomies,” writes senior analyst Lisa Phillips. But online TV and movies are where viewers are steadily moving—particularly young adults—so marketers have to follow. Learn more about this report.

CHART: US Households that Subscribe to High-Speed Internet or Pay-TV
The share of US households with cable or satellite services has remained fairly steady the last few years, despite cable companies reporting subscriber declines in 2010. Experian Simmons data shows 85% of US households had some type of pay-TV service through early 2011. Available only for Total Access subscribers.

INTERVIEW: Using TV Star Tweets to Engage Viewers
CBS, long known for its older audience, is using social media to bring younger fans together with talent on top-rated shows such as “NCIS,” “Survivor” and “The Mentalist.” In April, the network hosted “Tweet Week,” which featured tweets from the stars of such programs, and won CBS 50,000 more Twitter followers. What did CBS learn? Available only for Total Access subscribers.

REPORT: Socializing the TV Experience
As social media becomes more entrenched in people’s lives, TV viewers are more frequently tweeting, posting on Facebook or texting friends about TV programs. TV show fan pages give these viewers dedicated places to discuss, comment and share whenever they feel like it. “The result is that, more and more, the success of a TV show depends not only on its ratings but also its online buzz,” writes Debra Aho Williamson. Learn more about this report.

SPOTLIGHT: Toyota Encourages Drivers to ‘Friend’ Their Car
The new social network for Toyota owners, Toyota Friend, will enable the brand’s drivers to see information related to ownership and maintenance as well as communicate with their car, other drivers and dealers using status updates and short messages similar to tweets. The app will send updates to drivers about issues like low tire pressure or notify a dealer that a car is coming in for service. Available only for Total Access subscribers.

INTERVIEW: eBay Auto Buyers Take App for a Spin
In the US last year, eBay sold $120 million worth of cars and $60 million worth of parts through its core eBay mobile app. In May 2011, eBay introduced a dedicated eBay Motors iPhone app. Because of the down economy, auto buyers are willing to shop for a car beyond their local area. eBay’s app makes that easier. “People are more willing to spend a little bit of time to make sure their pennies are spent wisely,” says Steve Yankovich, VP of Mobile at eBay. “And they are discovering it’s not that hard to find and purchase a vehicle and have it shipped.” Read interview.

ARTICLE: Tablet Audience Leans Young, Wealthy
Tablet growth is exploding. Among the groups buying them fastest are young adults ages 18 to 29 and those relatively more well-to-do. The percentage of consumers with the highest incomes ($75,000-plus) who have adopted tablets nearly doubled from 9% in November 2010 to 17% in May 2011. Read article.

To listen and watch playback of the webinar, Facebook Marketing—Strategies for Turning “Likes” into Loyalty, click here. You can view the PowerPoint deck below.

The webinar will address these key questions:

• How are marketers using their Facebook pages?
• How do consumers interact with brands on Facebook?
• What can marketers do to encourage ongoing involvement once a consumer has “liked” a brand or page?
• How do brands such as Adobe Photoshop, Chef Boyardee, Clarisonic and Discovery use Facebook?

About Debra Aho Williamson

Debra is eMarketer’s lead analyst focusing on social media marketing and the demographics of social media users. She produces eMarketer’s forecasts for social network advertising spending in the US and worldwide and has written more than two dozen reports delivering key insights covering how marketers, media and consumers are engaging with social media. A founding executive editor of pioneering internet business publication The Industry Standard, Debra is quoted for her analysis in the business press and invited to speak at major digital marketing internet events.

Sponsored by Vitrue.

Having celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2010, Hallmark is arguably the most recognizable American greeting card brand. Despite a long history, Hallmark is not completely bound by tradition. In November 2007 the company began turning to its customers for inspiration with the launch of Your Greeting Card Competition, a contest on its website that solicits user-generated card designs.

There is one contest per month (excluding July and December) for a total of 10 per year. Hallmark creative teams propose contest card themes based on objectives such as a desire to have fresh content for Father’s Day. Contest entries are accepted for three weeks. Some 85% to 90% of contest participants are female, and while the contest is international, participants are typically from the US.

Hallmark also created a Facebook page for the contest, separate from its corporate fan page. The Facebook contest page is where fans share their contest entries and talk about them. It is also a place where Hallmark talks directly with contest fans.

Challenges

Strategy

A team of four was assigned to run the contests and interact with fans on Facebook. They created a dedicated website and Facebook page. Both are user-friendly, with tips on what makes a good greeting card and a detailed FAQ list. There is also an emphasis on community. An active fan base of over 10,230 helps answer each other’s questions and gives advice—members have even been known to meet up in real life.

The sense of community also extends to fans’ relationship with the brand. From Facebook posts and video peeks into the Hallmark offices, participants have come to know the faces behind the contest. “That’s the stuff that keeps them engaged and lets them really feel like they’re getting insight into what goes on behind the scenes, as well as getting to know the team as people,” said Kenya Harp, associate innovation leader at Hallmark.

Getting customer participation was the easy part. The company had long been asked by the public, “Where can I submit my greeting card idea?” Prize money—$250 for 20 online winners and an additional $250 for the 12 whose designs are chosen to be sold in Hallmark Gold Crown stores—is an incentive, but not necessarily the prime motivator. In fact, Harp mentioned that many contest winners actually forget to cash their checks—they simply wanted the validation of the Hallmark logo on their creation.

Initially, Hallmark planned for the contests to last from 20 to 30 weeks and for one grand prize winner to be chosen by an online public vote. That winner would be awarded $2,500. It turned out that entrants wanted more opportunities to win, so the contest went monthly, with more lower-stakes prizes. And instead of a popularity contest, staff became the judges. “We did some research and found out that people didn’t want the public to vote anyway. They wanted Hallmark to vote, because we’re the experts,” said Harp. An added benefit to having staff picks was that it enabled Hallmark to take back some control over the contest’s outcome.

The company also made a decision to stop blogging and using Twitter and to instead focus solely on Facebook, where it was achieving deeper interactions with participants.

Results

Hallmark measures the program’s success by looking at the number of repeat entrants and winners, as well as the quality and quantity of submissions. Harp said that, on average, each contest garners 1,500 submissions for a total of 38,736 to date. Hallmark also has specific sales goals for each contest. In fact, sales of customer-created cards tend to do well or even better than company-created cards, according to Harp.

Another pleasing result is that the competition appeals to the younger demographic that Hallmark is targeting. Over half of submissions are from consumers ages 45 and younger as compared with the average Hallmark customer, who is 45 to 55 years old.

Also, since putting more of a focus on building its Facebook contest community in 2010, the number of fans on Hallmark’s Facebook contest page increased over 340%, from 2,994 to 10,230. Additional results include:

The complete interview is available to eMarketer Total Access clients. To learn more, click here.