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It’s no secret that social networks have had a difficult time integrating advertising that has a bang for its buck. IDC has released some data showing what social networks - and advertisers - are faced with.

Only 57% of social network users have clicked on an ad in the last year versus 79% of all users in the rest of the web.

When it comes to purchasing, only 11% of social network users will actually make one compared to 23% of the rest of the internet.

“The thinking has been that the popularity of SNS will attract a big audience and generate a lot of traffic, which in turn will produce enormous amounts of user-generated content (UGC) and therefore advertising inventory – without any expenses for editorial staff or content distribution deals,” said Karsten Weide, program director, Digital Marketplace: Media and Advertising. “All of the above has proven true – except that almost invariably, SNS have had a hard time selling this inventory.”

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Google Analytics is now offering Flash tracking. The tracking code is translated into ActionScript 3 programming language. While Google Analytics has been able to provide workarounds in the past, this new feature simplifies the way to track Flash, Flex, and AS3 Content.

Sprout, a company that helps businesses create rich media content, used the code to track videos across MySpace and iGoogle. The Google Analytics team talked to them about their experience:

What do you think of the announcement? Leave us a comment and let us know.

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Earnings are in for MySpace (owned by NewsCorp), interCLICK, and Answers Corporation. The three advertising revenue-based companies had mixed results.

NewsCorp reported that Fox Interactive Media, of which MySpace is the primary web property, saw a 17% gain. However, that’s still a 57% drop from the previous quarter. NewsCorp president Rupert Murdoch isn’t confident about the future of online advertising and expects to see a decline in revenues for the company as a whole going forward.

interCLICK’s ability to hang onto their client roster is the reason why they posted a 23.2% increase in revenues. They also saw a drop in their operating losses. They’re projecting 60% growth in 2009, which seems a bit ambitious considering the economy at large.

Answers Corp., which owns WikiAnswers.com and Answers.com, saw a revenue increase of 19% quarter-over-quarter and 61% year-over-year. However, their net losses are increasing.

Overall, it looks like these companies are hanging on, but the future looks to be in a range from uncertain to bleak.

Online advertising networks are struggling to make ends meet during a tough economy and a slowdown in industry growth. JellyCloud and Adzilla have shut down while AdBrite had to lay off 40% of its staff.

It’s a crowded field with over 300 ad networks, many of them designed to target niche markets. Bigger ad networks, such as AOL’s Platform-A, are experiencing struggles in niches such as auto, financial, and telecommunications.

What do you think of this slowdown? What are your experiences with ad networks? Let us know in the comments.

via WSJ

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New data released by Rubicon Consulting shows that online reviews are second only to word of mouth when it comes to influencing consumer purchasing decisions.

Here’s other key points from the survey:

• The Web is the #2 resource for customer support information, after user manuals. It ranks ahead of calling the manufacturer or asking a dealer.
• Website categories that get the most daily usage are search, social communities like MySpace and Facebook, general news websites like CNN.com and NYTimes.com, and online banking.
• The websites that Americans value most are (in order), Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook. Although Yahoo’s financial challenges have generated a lot of press attention, it continues to have a very large and loyal following.
• Young people (age 22 and under) are much noisier online than their elders. They account for about half of all the content and comments posted online.
• Facebook appears to be ahead of MySpace in terms of number of users in the US, and perceived value of the site.
• Despite extensive publicity, the community sites SecondLife and Twitter reach only a few percent of US Internet users.
• Democrats are more active online than Republicans. Democrats are more likely to participate in online communities, and say they are more heavily influenced in their voting decisions by information they find online.

Harry Max, a principal at Rubicon Consulting said, “Many companies downplay the importance of online communities because only a few percent of all Internet users contribute to them heavily. What they don’t understand is that most other Internet users read those reviews and rely on them heavily when making purchase decisions. Taking good care of online communities can be a huge money-saver for companies trying to get more marketing impact from limited budgets.”

I disagree. I think a lot of companies are interested in online communities but aren’t always sure how to engage consumers with them. However, with the economy the way it is, many companies are likely to cut social media first, as we saw in data released just the other day.

The biggest key to making sure you get good online reviews is to have a solid product or service. So, while you’re making those efficiencies in order to survive the slow economic times, make sure your products don’t suffer. Better yet, create efficient products and services and just watch those positive reviews come in.

To get the ball rolling, you might try pitching a few bloggers - especially mom bloggers if you have a product or service related to them.

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Following in MySpace’s footsteps, Google’s AdWords has released a display advertising builder. Now, you can create your own ad right in AdWords without hiring a designer (Sorry, designers!).

While advertising art may suffer (you did used to hire that designer for a reason, didn’t you?), many people are looking for ways to cut costs during this economic crisis. So these new display ad builders are one way to do that.

Of course, you’ll want to test those ads. If those professional ads done by the aforementioned designer have higher conversions, then outsourcing still may be the way to go!

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MySpace has launched a new self-service ad platform. Dubbed “MySpace MyAds,” the new platform allows anyone to create banner ads and use the social network’s HyperTargeting technology to find target audiences.

MySpace offered up the following steps for advertisers to get started:

• STEP 1: Visit https://advertise.myspace.com or click the “Advertise” link located at the bottom of any MySpace page
• STEP 2: Create a display ad using the MySpace MyAds Builder Tool
• STEP 3: Select a variable ad spend anywhere from $25 to $10,000
• STEP 4: HyperTarget to customers
• STEP 5: Measure ad performance with MySpace MyAds analytics reporting

“With MySpace MyAds, we’re blowing the lid off display advertising solutions for small and medium businesses,” said Jeff Berman, President of Sales and Marketing for MySpace. “MySpace MyAds is a direct marketer’s dream – providing entrepreneurs with the most accessible, personalized, and targeted advertising toolkit in the market. We’re giving businesses better ROI ASAP and in today’s economy, that’s a must-have.”

What do you think about the new platform? Leave a comment and let us know!

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