There are countless ways to track your brand on social media. Simple methods include using Twitter search and Google Alerts; more elaborate tools include Radian6’s newly announced Engagement Console, which will scour numerous social platforms for any mention of your brand.
The deal between Twitter and search giants Google and Microsoft to blend the microblog into their search results will have a big impact on the search marketing industry. Doug Platts, head of natural search at iCrossing, tells you what you need to know.
Thanks to Richard Young for sending me this link.
Here’s the presentation I gave at the Small Business Bootcamp in Nelson and Castlegar, BC. For more information on how we can help, visit our services page.
It might be hard to appreciate without the audio, but that will come soon.
The timing for this is amazing: 10 minutes after telling an audience that Google is going to do some major upgrades to it’s search to expand it’s social media features, they go and announce that they are about to launch it from Google Labs (and I was just speculating). Here are the major features:
- The bottom of search results will soon have social networking information from your friends, like their Flickr (Flickr) photos or their status updates. It’s a blended search integration, similar to seeing news or image results.
- These are pulled from social networks connected to your Google Profile. The more that are connected, the more social information that will appear in search results.
- They have also improved searching for images using social networks. Images become more relevant using social networking data.
- It will launch in Google Labs in the next few weeks.
Thanks Mashable.
Copyblogger is one of the best destinations for tips on how to write for the web. They consistently provide helpful and clear articles about attracting and keeping an audience and providing genuinely helpful copy. I often get bummed out at the loss of originality and pure expression (and I’m guiltier than most of writing to a formula), but I have to remember that communication is more than art or pure expression. It’s just as much about transmitting information in the simplest and unadorned way (except for the occasional “hook”).
Having said all that, one of the most important parts of any blog post is the headline. The copyblogger website has done a series called How to Write Magnetic Headlines. The latest installment is 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work. Here are the highlights:
1. Who Else Wants ... ?
2. The Secret of ...
3. Here is a Method That is Helping ... to ...
4. Little Known Ways to ...
5. Get Rid of ... Once and For All
6. Here’s a Quick Way to (solve a problem)
7. Now You Can Have (something desirable) (great circumstance)
8. [Do something] like (world-class example)
9. Have a (or) Build a ... You Can Be Proud Of
10. What Everybody Ought to Know About ...
There was so much interest in how to master twitter, I decided to record a video. This is based on the blog post 10 Steps to Becoming a Twitter Master.
Let’s face it, most people think twitter is a gimmick. It’s easy to set up an account and easy to start posting. Sadly, most people stop there. Many of my clients post a few tweets, get a few followers and then become frustrated at the amount of time they spend composing elegant messages for a tiny audience. It just doesn’t seem worth it.
But if you persevere, Twitter can become a powerful and time-saving tool for staying connected with your friends and promoting your business.
Here then are my 10 easy steps to becoming a twitter master:
If you’re like me, you have a couple of businesses going on. I’m a consultant, a web designer, and a partner in a yoga training company (no joke). Since each company has a unique client base and who are clearly interested in different things, I set up a blog and twitter feed for each company. By creating separate twitter accounts I can focus on giving my followers things they’ll find interesting.
Not too long ago our productivity training service (afishinsea.com) was mentioned in the National Post as part of a story about Apps for the iPhone. Of course the story also got posted online and now lives forever in their archives, which is pretty cool. These kind of mentions, especially on a high-authority website like the National Post can have also sorts of unexpected benefits. I’m going to write about the benefits of traditional PR in another post, but at the moment I’m curious about why journalists are inclined to mention your website or business in a story.
I found a list of the 10 Reasons Why Journalists Will Write About Your Website. Make sure to check out the full story for some great action ideas.
Here’s the run-down:
1. They need to create a list
2. They need a seasonal story
3. They want to follow up on a big story
5. They’re writing about a particular group and you fit the bill
6. You’ve won an unusual order
7. They need an example to illustrate a national trend
8. They need an example to illustrate federal legislation
9. They need expert comment
10. They need an award winner
Podcasting is my favorite medium, but up until today, just thinking about making my own podcast was too much. Sure, I’ve been recommending to clients that a podcast is as a great way to get into people’s ears, but I’ve never felt that I had the time to plan topics, record and edit the audio, and then upload it into a format that works as a podcast. Those days may be over. Here is what I think is the easiest way to record a podcast.
Possibly my favorite radio show ever is called Wiretap, which plays on CBC in Canada and NPR in the US. It’s a built on a simple concept: the host, Jonathan Goldstein, calls random friends or people about random things (like trying to find somebody to watch his cat) and records the call. What ends up emerging are compelling stories about life and friendship. Amidst the mundane talk comes something funny, sometimes dramatic, often universal, and always real. The sound quality isn’t perfect but that only adds to the show’s appeal - it feels more real.
I think this style of show - people calling each and recording the conversation is the future of podcasting.
Here’s a sweet blog about using Keyword Research, Forums and Blogs to find out what people are looking for & what they are willing to pay for it.
“Hi, my name is MrCucumber69, I have a gray blob for a face and that’s all I care to share about myself - will you be my friend?” Silly as that sounds, this is the way users of many social web applications greet each other. It’s not very useful or inspiring.
Communication works better when you have a good idea who it is you’re talking to. How can new online services get users to describe themselves, though?
Simple question: if you had 2-hours a day to devote to no-cost, off-blog (even off-line) marketing for your blog, what would you do� The author posed this question to a collection of some of the world’s top bloggers and social network marketers and here’s what they revealed. Click here for the article.
Facebook has just released an API that gives company the ability to develop software (called “Widgets”) that can be used within Facebook - think of Facebook like an operating system, say Windows, and widgets like software that runs on the OS, say Adobe Photoshop.
DoubleClick, an online advertising company founded in 1996, provides display ads on Web sites like MySpace, The Wall Street Journal and America Online as well as software to help those sites maximize ad revenue. The company also helps ad buyers — advertisers and ad agencies — manage and measure the effectiveness of their rich media, search and other online ads.
Social Media Optimization (SMO), a new term recently coined by Rohit Bhargava, has since been taking on life of its own. In his introduction to SMO, Rohit draws similar comparisons to SEO…
Over the last 10 years, thousands of companies have spent hundreds - of - thousands of hours experimenting with search engine optimization. Thankfully, the results and opinions have been openly shared among Internet marketers and has formed into something close to knowledge. Of course, every time Google or Yahoo changes their code that determines their page-ranks, some of that knowledge becomes obsolete. The core principles, thankfully, do not change…
Here’s a great list that describes some common-sense techniques for increasing visitor traffic to your weblog. A lot of these suggestions apply to websites in general, so even if you haven’t yet blogged, it’s worth a read.
Are you trying to figure out how to increase your website’s profile in your online niche market? Here’s some good tips on how to brand your site like a pro.
First, here’s the clip: Daily Show Take on MySpace. I found this clip through Digg.com (which makes a hat-trick of primo Internet/pop culture references). If you’ve never heard of myspace.com or online social networking, this is a great introduction.
Ever wonder how spammers make money? Here’s a great 10-step list on how to become a spam king, without ever sending an email.
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