An exclusive partnership with Nielsen , buttressed by its recent acquisition of social TV data firm BlueFin means Twitter itself will provide data that analyzes tweets and provides ratings for the social impact of television shows. And in a less than shocking twist, rumors abound that Twitter will enable advertisers to purchase “high” categorization. Twitter is on its way to becoming something entirely different. At that point, Twitter became less about you and more about what’s worthy of attention. Here are four things Twitter is – or will become. MORE >>

According to a survey done by Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising , 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know. This is a guest post by Aaron Lee. There are three types of mainstream media online. Paid media, owned media, and earned media. Owned media are media assets that you or your company owns including websites, blogs, and so on. Paid media are media assets that are obtained through external investments such as display ads, sponsorships and paid searches. Earned media are media assets that are built through word of mouth, buzz, viral shares and so on. MORE >>

Globally, there are now over 6 billion mobile devices in the hands of consumers, and by 2013 more people will access the Internet via a mobile device than a PC. Nielsen reports the majority of new phone purchases are smartphones, with Android and Apple leading the way.  4.    Spread the word: Remember the days when every TV advertisement had to included the brand’s URL?  Think shortcuts: Entering long URLs into a mobile device is not fun, which is why advertisers around the world are latching on to QR, or Quick Response, codes.  Mobile is BIG. Really big. In the U.S. MORE >>

At this rate, they will surpass a quarter billion by the end of 2013. And, according to Nielsen, 30 percent of all the time spent on mobile devices last year was on social networks. Mobile stream advertising is simply more effective. The success of mobile as a right rail-free advertising platform is only one of many reasons why Facebook has very clearly stated that the future of advertising on its platform is in the news feed (the Facebook stream).  And, surprisingly, consumers seem to prefer a mobile in-stream approach to social media advertising.  MORE >>

In 2013, there will continue to be a growing number of people who have their smartphones and tablets handy while watching television. Television shows are taking advantage of this, but it’s rare to see advertisers do the same. What they will do is visit a website, a social media account, or otherwise contact a store that advertises properly. Many car dealers use television advertising to get their brands out there, to talk about their low prices, and to highlight a sale that’s going on right now. Many of us have done it before. They’re passive. MORE >>