Because we’re all about you splendid readers, the hardworking staff is working hard to stay on top of marketing trends in social media networks.

But we have to admit our head kind of exploded when we read yesterday’s Mediabistro’s Morning Media Newsfeed and saw these two stories.

From Richard Dumas’ piece in SocialTimes:

Why Brands Don’t Respond on Social Media

If you’ve ever used social media to ask a question, look for information or vent your frustration about a product or service, you may have wondered why your post was met with silence. Maybe another consumer responded with a suggestion, but where was the brand that was the subject of your ire? Why didn’t they reach out to help solve your problem? Given that so many people now use social media to discuss products and services, why aren’t brands tripping over themselves to offer help?

Companies clearly recognize the marketing opportunity that social media provides, yet most seem to be focused on relentlessly posting messages touting the virtues of their products, while very few have mastered the art of responding during the moments that matter most to consumers.

Then, from Patrick Coffee’s piece in PRNewser:

25 Brands Making the Most of Twitter’s New GIF Feature

Last week the nerds at TechCrunch told us that the new Twitter GIFs aren’t really GIFs at all–they’re just tiny mp4s on loop with no sound.

That’s OK, though. We welcome any excuse to search for funny videos on the Internets, especially when they’re part of Twitter’s latest attempt to make money on ads that will not annoy those jonesing for breaking news and trending jokes.

Here, then, are some of the brands we’ve noticed using this newest, shiniest thing . . .

Then there’s this Jeff Elder piece from the Wall Street Journal:

Social Media Fail to Live Up to Early Marketing Hype

Companies Refine Strategies to Stress Quality Over Quantity of Fans

In May 2013, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. bought ads to promote its brand page on Facebook. After a few days, unhappy executives halted the campaign—but not because they weren’t gaining enough fans. Rather, they were gaining too many, too fast

“We were fearful our engagement and connection with our community was dropping” as the fan base grew, says Allison Sitch, Ritz-Carlton’s vice president of global public relations.

Today, the hotel operator has about 498,000 Facebook fans; some rivals have several times as many. Rather than try to keep pace, Ritz-Carlton spends time analyzing its social-media conversations, to see what guests like and don’t like. It also reaches out to people who have never stayed at its hotels and express concern about the cost.

Ritz-Carlton illustrates a shift in corporate social-media strategies . . .

Excellent WSJ chart:

You can see why our head is spinning, yes?

Talk among yourselves. On social media, if possible . . .