Archive for June, 2010

Online Marketing Blog: Search Engine Optimization + Social Networking!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

In May 2010, social platforms surpassed the number of visits by Internet users when compared to the search giant Google. Google is the most popular search engine in town, if not the only search engine that really remains "standing". I mean who uses Yahoo for search anymore (anyone???)?
 
Top visited sites remain Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and then the rest.

But I don't see how Facebook can ever become a "search engine". It just doesn't have the content that Google has. Facebook and other social platforms have "user-generated" content. So from a user reach perspective, they are great tools for businesses. But individuals and companies will continue to use Google as a search engine to find relevant information. Hence the need for search engine optimization and top rankings. But since top rankings can benefit from links from social networks, businesses benefit from incorporating search engine optimization and social networking together.

Google's got competition in Facebook for sure from a simple "user" number perspective which I can see why. Grandmas who'd never go to Google to search for anything would definitely go to Facebook to see pictures of their grandkids. Right?
 
So is it really surprising then that Facebook will continue to lead the "number of users" statistics? But when it comes to finding anything at all; from cooking tips to products to vacation spots, Google's where I'm going to be and so are you.

 

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Posted in Google, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Online Marketing Blog: Flickr Enables Facebook Photo Sharing!

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Flickr makes integration with Facebook easy, Finally!

Yes, finally Flickr has added the ability to share your photos on Facebook. Your photos will need to be set up as "public" photos for them to show up on your Facebook Wall. 

Social photo-sharing site Flickr has, at long last, added some much-need social networking integration to its online service. You can now simultaneously post your photos to Flickr and Facebook.

So how does it work?

First, connect your two accounts to get this integration working for you. Once that happens, each time you upload a public photo to your Flickr account, an update will appear on your Facebook wall including the image, its title and the description of the image.

Also remember to shut off the old Flickr to Facebook integration that you may have activated on Facebook. Otherwise you'll see everything show up double! To do this, just go to your Facebook wall and click on Options —> Settings —> Flickr where if it is enabled, just "remove" that enabled feature.

 

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Posted in facebook, Flickr | No Comments »

Online Marketing Blog: Social Brandcasting for Business!

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

If I had a dime every time I heard "but I don't see how "Facebook" can help my business", I'd be a rich man! Yes, I know I've said this a guzzilian times but it's true.

Social networking is really nothing more than social brandcasting – meaning casting your brand out there in the social networks, period! So why are businesses not able to see the value of Brandcasting and leveraging the tools available to them to promote themselves?
 
Social Brandcasting benefits are quite simple:

  • You can reach more people through popular sites like Facebook & Twitter than through ANY chamber event you may attend
  • You can continuously promote your services and company events without spending a dime on print materials
  • You can go on a "ra ra" campaign in a non-obtrusive manner and no one will think twice about it online

You can do "horizontal" brandcasting which is to everyone and everywhere across the board, same message, same positioning. Then you can do the "vertical" brandcasting where you position different messages on different platforms.  By balancing quantity (number of followers, fans, connections) and quality (what you say, how you say, the personna you create of yourself or your company online, etc.) you get the biggest bang for your buck.

Capice? If not, call me and I'll be more than happy to discuss this at length cause this is what my company does day in and day out!

 

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Posted in facebook, Internet Marketing, Linkedin, Social Media Marketing, twitter | No Comments »

Social Media Blog: Why Use Twitter for Business

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

If I had a dollar for every time I heard "but how can Twitter help my business" OR "Twitter? I don't think it'll help me", I'd be a multimillionaire! Ok, so I exaggerate; but for sure I would be hundreds of dollars richer.
 
So why should you use Twitter?

Well, Twitter is free. Twitter is easy. Twitter is flexible. Twitter helps make quick contact and quick connections. But most of all, Twitter is the only tool that allows you to toot your horn as often as you want without the added expense of buying ad space.

A lot of people also say "but we get all our business through referrals". Ok. Well, how do referrals happen? People get to know you at events and lunches and dinners. Once they know you and once they've seen your work (directly or indirectly), they start referring people to you. Twitter then can become a GIANT referral system for you too. People network on Twitter pretty much the same way they do offline. They get to know you, ask questions, read other people's referrals, and check out your capabilities on your website. Once they start seeing you more and more, they find a measure of comfort in your company's legitimacy and capability. Tie the Twitter conversations to offline phone meetings, web conferences, and face to face meetings and now you've really started making the online work for you.

But, Twitter can be time-consuming. And if you don't have the resources, you may want to retain people like us who can cost-effectively manage your Twitter conversations. People are talking everywhere. Your customers and prospects are on Twitter talking about what they need, what frustrates them, what they can benefit from, etc. Not doing anything due to the lack of budget or a lack of resources is no longer optional.

Isn't it time you got on Twitter?

 

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Posted in twitter | 2 Comments »

Social Media Blog: Yahoo Social Networking Coming Soon To You! (June 2010!)

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Oh yeah, here we go! Yahoo's jumping on the bandwagon, the social media bandwagon that is. And you know what, it's with the use of YOUR free yahoo email address.

Yep, Yahoo 280 million or so email users will be able to share information and pictures, exchange ideas, and network online with others in their address books. Unlike Google's Buzz, a user's contact list won't be made public but if you have a Yahoo email address and if you don't OPT OUT, you will be in part of the Yahoo social networking scene whether you like it or not.

Who knew when you signed up for your free Yahoo email that this would happen to you eh?

Suddenly the people you emailed to will become your "Friends" and you'll be sharing your vacation pictures, your thoughts, and every comment you make with others and vice versa.

Not interested? Want to protect yourself from the Yahoo social craze? Well, you will have the option to OPT out. Yahoo plans to notify users on June 7th, one week before they go live with these new features so be on the look out if you want to opt out.

If you don't want to participate, just click one button on the settings page and you'll be opted out. Alternatively you can go and select  the areas that you want to opt out from and stay opted in for certain features.

Can't wait to see the latest foray into social networking by "almost obsolete and eclipsed by Google" Yahoo!

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Posted in Google, Yahoo | No Comments »