Sneak Peek of Secrets Revealed: An Interview with Ponara Eng

Submitted by jill.gutterman@... on 01/16/2012 / 0 Comments

Don't like to waiting for the big reveal?  Missed getting one of the 160 seats for this weeks sold-out event?  Don't dismay, we've got a sneak peek of what Ponara Eng, a strategist at 8thBridge.com, will be covering at this weeks event, Secrets Revealed: Social Media Grows Up.

 1) What is the most interesting trend you are seeing within social commerce?

Social commerce will move beyond facebook.com. So-called “f-commerce” drove most of the stories on social shopping last year, but thanks to the new Open Graph (revealed at f8), brands will begin to define their own social actions in an effort to influence purchase decisions wherever the customer is – the .com, mobile or tablets. Interest-graph sites like Pinterest will also gain attention as a social commerce channel.

2) If someone is ready to take the leap into social commerce, what is the one tip or advice you would give them?

Treat social commerce as a word-of-mouth activator. If your business already benefits from positive reviews and referrals from happy customers, then a good social commerce solution will amplify that effect using the power of a person’s social network. It’s word-of-mouth at scale.

3) 8th Bridge has been an innovator in social commerce, what tools do you use that help evaluate ROI (Return on Investment)?

We work with the major tools out there as well as a custom-built analytics platform that measures everything and allows us to quickly iterate based on results. Since social commerce is still in the early stages, those with the most data points will be poised for the highest ROI.

4) Given the workshop-style of your presentation on Wednesday, is there any recommended links the attendees should check out prior to the presentation?

Booz & Co. “Social Commerce Emerges as a Commerce Channel” http://bit.ly/ihuiN3

8thBridge.com “The News from F8 and what it means for Shopping” http://bit.ly/oYXwsE

Ellsworthy.com “Creating Social Commerce Experiences Using Social Design Guidelines” http://bit.ly/xfpVp8

5) You are recently transplanted back to the Twin Cities, what has surprised you the most about the Midwest scene?

I’m constantly amazed at how pioneering and innovative Minnesotans are. We have a lot of smart folks making a dent in the universe. For example, I recently read about EarthClean, a local company with an organic solution that puts out fires 10X as fast as water. That’s exciting! After living in SF and NYC for a number of years, I also pinch myself that I get to be back home (I grew up in St. Paul) working for a startup widely considered to be the leader in social commerce.

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Jill Gutterman, MIMA Board of Director