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Friday, May 11th, 2012
Microsoft’s search offering, Bing, has undergone another revamp. And with a huge focus on social, Bing may have found a way to begin to oust Google from search dominance.
After joining a ‘search alliance’ with Yahoo!, the “New Bing” will try to usurp Google by offering things it currently can’t.
Of course, Bing will still return normal organic search results and paid ads, just like it used to.
But now its social annotations, scraped from public information across a variety of social networks, are being lumped into a special sidebar, giving you the chance to interact with social friends.
The sidebar will pull information from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare and even Google+.
Google has already fallen out with Twitter, and, to a lesser extent, with Facebook. It can’t return Twitter profiles in its search results, because the microblogging site has blocked their spiders.
Not so with Bing.
Whereas Google has faced accusations of throttling social results – leading Facebook and Twitter to publicly demand “Don’t be Evil” (a cheeky nod to Google’s original ethos) whilst falling out with the search giant – Bing isn’t discriminating.
Google isn’t going to be able to pull info from Twitter or public posts from Facebook until relations are mended. In the meantime, Bing has a big open deal which could allow it to steal a march on Google.
The ramifications of this social focus, on both search engine optimisation and pay per click campaigns, could be huge. It would see an integrated Internet marketing approach, where search marketing and advertising is combined with social media.
Friend recommendations could become key selling tools, for instance. Group discounts for social groups with similar interests could be offered. It’s still early days, but the potential to create more joined-up marketing campaigns certainly exists.
Bing has been quick to point out that in a blindfolded taste test – much like those undertaken during the 1980s cola wars between Coke and Pepsi – search users preferred Bing’s search results to Google’s.
“We regularly test unbranded results, removing any trace of Google and Bing branding,” they said. “When we did this study in January of last year, 34% preferred Bing, whilst 38% preferred Google.
“The same unbranded study now shows that Bing search results have a much wider lead over Google’s. When shown unbranded search results, 43% prefer Bing, whilst only 28% prefer Google results.”
Of course, internal market research is hard to qualify. And Bing still needs to convince people to leave the relative comfort zone of Google and try something new.
If that works, though, then Google could face a real fight to maintain its position.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in SEO, Pay Per Click Services, Multilingual Search Marketing and Website Conversion Enhancement services.
Tags: Bing, facebook, Google, LinkedIn, online marketing, optimisation, PPC, results, search, SEO, social, twitter, yahoo
Posted in Search Engine Optimisation
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Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
Business networking site LinkedIn has acquired the team behind popular content sharing platform SlideShare.
SlideShare – which allows professional users to create and host presentations, videos and PDFs online – was launched in 2006 and now has 29 million unique users a month.
LinkedIn paid $119m (£74m) to acquire SlideShare, saying it aligns “perfectly” with LinkedIn’s mission.
A SlideShare app on LinkedIn was already proving popular with professionals. It is thought LinkedIn will now integrate SlideShare into its core site as it looks to improve its ‘product’.
LinkedIn’s current success – it has amassed 161 million global users – is based on the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook. However, unlike Facebook – where users connect with ‘friends’ (random and real-life) -LinkedIn’s niche has been to focus entirely on professional networking.
As a result, the site has become a mainstay for professionals looking to move up the career ladder, make business connections or find new staff.
In fact, LinkedIn has become something of a playground for recruiters and service providers: it has made one-step transglobal headhunting a reality, whilst Internet marketing content can be sent directly to the inboxes of some of the world’s most prestigious and connected CEOs.
The acquisition, confirmed by LinkedIn on May 3, cost $119m in cash and stocks (a split of around 45%55%).
LinkedIn said it was now looking to integrate SlideShare into its core site – giving professionals simple access to tools allowing them to create and share work online, whilst signficantly boosting the site’s attractiveness to new users.
LinkedIn’s CEO, Jeff Weiner, explained: “Presentations are one of the main ways in which professionals capture and share their experiences and knowledge, which in turn helps shape their professional identity.
“These presentations also enable professionals to discover new connections and gain the insights they need to become more productive and successful in their careers, aligning perfectly with LinkedIn’s mission, and helping us deliver even more value for our members.”
SlideShare CEO Rashmi Sinha, added: “We built SlideShare to help professionals share presentations and connect people through content.
“What we can build with LinkedIn, the largest professional network on the Internet, is the most natural extension of this vision.”
Shortly after announcing the acquisition, LinkedIn revealed its first-quarter revenue for 2012 – showing a 101% rise year on year.
LinkedIn’s revenue for the first quarter was $188.5m (£116.5m), with income from the same period rising from $2.1m to $5m. More than half the total revenue comes from LinkedIn’s “hiring solutions” unit, whilst display advertising revenue rose by around 73%.
LinkedIn floated on the stock market last year, with stocks worth around $45 at the start. They have risen by around 70% since.
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Tags: business, corporate, documents, LinkedIn, network, networking, online workspace, powerpoint, presentations, professional, share, shared, slideshare, video
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Friday, March 30th, 2012
Industrial firms have firmly embraced social media marketing, according to an article published on ThomasNet today.
Seven out of ten small to medium-sized suppliers are already engaging with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, as well as other channels, in an effort to promote themselves.
Thomas Industrial Group surveyed more than 3000 businesses, finding that many industrial firms already use social media to market products and services, gain new business, conduct research and forge relationships with their customer base.
The study also found that 56 per cent of buyers are more keen to do business with suppliers that have a social media presence. Perhaps unsurprisingly, industrial suppliers are now using social en masse, with 20 percent saying that they used social platforms to learn about customer’s opinions, 27 percent to find new prospects, and 41 percent to provide information on the products and services that they offer.
It isn’t all good news, however. The results suggest that those companies that fail to get on board the social train are at risk of losing business opportunities to those who have already engaged with social media platforms.
Susan Orr, senior director, strategic marketing at Thomas Industrial Network said: “The industrial sector is awakening to the fact that social media isn’t just a passing consumer fancy, but an essential part of any branding and marketing programme.”
Orr also stressed that social media campaigns require careful management, saying: “Savvy suppliers also understand that the most effective social media programs need constant care and feeding. To influence prospective buyers, suppliers need to continually update their social media content, and to be actively engaging in and initiating conversations.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in SEO, PPC, Multilingual Search Marketing and Website Conversion Enhancement services.
Tags: facebook, industry, LinkedIn, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
The blogging and social sharing platform Posterous has been acquired by Twitter. This is another indication of the joining of dots between social media platforms, bringing more functionality to users and, in this instance, offering Twitter an additional strength by providing easy access to a mechanism for sharing photos, long form writing and more, which 140 characters cannot.
There are many blogging platforms – the best known are Google’s Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, and Posterous. Blogs have gone from being simple online diaries or web logs to now being difficult to tell apart from a website, and often offering advantages over such because of the evolution from social media roots.
Many companies have discovered the usefulness of blogs for engaging with website visitors, sharing information, and posting images and, as blogs have adapted rapidly to social media developments, so companies have been able to co-ordinate social media strategies and efficiencies, such as being able to post directly to a blog from a mobile or smartphone.
Whilst some may see Twitter’s acquisition of Posterous as a step towards commercialisation (the company has an avid, enthusiastic and supportive community behind the platform), it is likely that this is a shrewd move by Twitter to extend its use beyond short form. Although Posterous is not the most popular blogging platform, the opening for Twitter is obvious.
The amalgamation of Twitter with a blog can benefit any social media strategy for small and large companies, and is proving to be essential in this socmed world, as well as a presence on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Posterous has made it very simple for sharing of images, which is one area where many companies still seem to be missing the opportunities presented. Images and videos are not only eye-catching but can be used to simply display information, and the rise of infographics is testament to that. By sharing images across multiple social media properties, it is possible to reach a diverse audience and this may well be one of the key reasons for Twitter’s acquisition of Posterous as well as the rise of Pinterest in recent months.
Tags: acquisition, facebook, Google, LinkedIn, posterous, Social Media, strategy, twitter
Posted in Blog, Social Media
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Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Widely known as the business professional’s social network of choice, LinkedIn is a site that offers a number of great advertising opportunities.
According to Joseph Kerschbaum, writing for Search Engine Watch, LinkedIn Ads, with the right strategy behind them, can provide a fantastic ROI (return on interest).
Kerschbaum has highlighted a number of tactics to implement when using LinkedIn Ads, in order to gain a good ROI.
Here are just two of those aforementioned tactics in a summarised form:
Tactic 1 – As with any PPC marketing campaign you must ensure that you’re targeting an appropriate audience. Creating brilliant ads that are then not seen by your target audience is simply a waste of time, effort and resources.
Tactic 2 – LinkedIn Ads allow images to be featured. Though only small – 50×50 pixels to be precise – the images can be beneficial to your ads.
In order for them to have any benefit, the images need to be cropped and zoomed appropriately – so that your audience can see clearly and quickly what the image represents.
In an example Kerschbaum explains: “If you use an image of a person standing in the rain, the image won’t make any sense because it’s too small, but if you crop and zoom in on that person’s face, this will make the image easier to interpret.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – experts in SEO, PPC, Multilingual Search Marketing and Website Conversion Enhancement services.
Tags: Joseph Kerschbaum, LinkedIn, PPC marketing, roi, Search Engine Watch, Social Media
Posted in Pay Per Click Marketing
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Wednesday, February 15th, 2012
A recent survey has found that Facebook is the social media platform of choice for events marketers looking to promote upcoming events, according to an article published by All Facebook.
Carried out by Constant Contact, a total of 474 small businesses and non-profit organisations were surveyed.
The results displayed that 89 per cent of respondents used Facebook for social media marketing purposes; 66 per cent said they utilised mirco-blogging site Twitter, whilst 54 per cent responded that they used LinkedIn.
Twitter and LinkedIn are widely expected to close the gap during 2012, with the survey also finding that 20 per cent of respondents plan to start using LinkedIn to promote their events; 13 per cent are also planning to begin using Twitter.
Vice president and general manager of event marketing at Constant Contact, Chris Lister, commented on the results.
He said: “Event marketing has evolved. It’s no longer just direct mail invitations, phone calls, and simply hoping that people will come.
“Now it’s social media conversations, real-time communication, and online video – true engagement across platforms to create a holistic event experience from start to finish.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – a best practice Internet Marketing Agency.
Tags: All Facebook, Chris Lister, Constant Contact, events marketing, facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Social networking site MySpace is thought to have gained an extra million users since it was sold by News International last year, according to an article published by New Media Age.
Formerly the most popular social media site, MySpace has been overtaken in recent years by the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – all of which are popular amongst social media marketing professionals.
However, since its acquisition by Specific Media and Justin Timberlake for $35 million, performance is thought to have improved – though the site continues to lose traffic.
Reports have suggested that the rise in users is down to MySpace’s decision to integrate with Facebook and Twitter. A new music player, launched in December, is also thought to have provided a boost.
Under the ownership of Specific Media and Timberlake, MySpace is expected to direct its focus towards music and entertainment – with a recording studio already in place at its London office.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – a best practice Internet Marketing Agency.
Tags: facebook, Justin Timberlake, LinkedIn, myspace, New Media Age, News International, Social Media, Specific Media, twitter
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Research carried out by an automotive digital marketing firm has suggested that businesses aren’t harnessing the full potential offered by social media sites, according to an article published by Car Dealer Magazine.
Razsor’s survey found that while car dealers were active in their use of Facebook and Twitter for social media marketing campaigns, they were overlooking other sites, such as YouTube and LinkedIn.
Group director of digital marketing at Trader Media Group, Craig Stevens, commented on the findings of the survey.
He said: “There’s widespread agreement that in an increasingly competitive market, customer services is a key differentiator that can offer dealers the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
“The last few years has seen significant growth in online activity, both for dealers and customers, but many dealers are still missing out on the opportunity to further engage with online customers. Social can be much more than just a Facebook page. With the right engagement dealers can receive in-depth reviews, feedback on their website and extend marketing campaigns beyond traditional channels,” he added.
Stevens concluded by adding: “The real value of social media doesn’t necessarily come from employing someone to “do social,” but from wider training, understanding and adoption of social media as a communications channel. With a few simple tools, a dealership can offer its customers a new level of customer service, engaging with them whenever they are online.”
News brought to you by ClickThrough – a best practice Internet Marketing Agency.
Tags: Car Dealer Magazine, car dealers, Craig Stevens, digital marketing, facebook, LinkedIn, Razsor, Trader Media Group, twitter, youtube
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Friday, February 3rd, 2012
A recent study has revealed that not only is Facebook the most popular social networking site in general, but it’s also the social network of choice for marketing and advertising executives, according to an article published by BtoB Magazine.
Conducted by California-based firm, the Creative Group, the study asked: “If you had to limit yourself to only one social media platform, which of the following would it be?”
Just over half (56 per cent) of the 500 marketing and advertising professionals interviewed for the study chose Facebook; while LinkedIn came in second with 12 per cent; Google+ rounded out the top three with 4 per cent stating that they would limit themselves to the search engine giant’s first social media offering.
The participants were also asked what they thought was the most common mistake made by creative professionals when using social media sites.
Responses ranged from not updating their profile enough (29 per cent) to providing inappropriate information (24 per cent).
The release of the study results follow Facebook’s – a platform popular amongst social media marketing professionals – decision to file an IPO (initial public offering) application.
News brought to you by ClickThrough – specialists in Search Engine Optimisation and Internet Marketing.
Tags: facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Social Media, the Creative Group
Posted in Social Media Marketing
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Thursday, January 26th, 2012
There does seem to be a constant erosion of privacy by social networks, and the announcement this week that Google’s latest privacy changes will use data across the entire product set is already subject to criticism. LinkedIn introduced social ads last summer which had a default opt-out setting for your name and photo to be used publicly in advertising on the network. Facebook has caused untold furores with its many privacy changes and this week is ‘forcing’ users to adopt the new Timeline.
The need to monetise social networks and apps and services is of course standard business practice. However, the consumer created content which leads to the growth and potential of services such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube etc should not come as cheaply as it does to the network. The harvesting and use of personal details in order to attract advertisers is the payment that the users have to make in order to generate the profits for the network. This is not on a commission or affiliate level, but is ‘gifted’ freely to the network to do with as they choose. However, the depths to which some social networks seem willing to go in order to maximise this “free” content seems to increase rather than decrease over time. It is this seemingly never ending of the pushing of the limits of privacy decency with little respect for opt-in, permissions, or even the awareness of the users, that is worrying privacy advocates.
Despite protestations to the contrary, there would seem to be a casual yet ruthless attitude towards users’ privacy, mainly due to the cut throat market the networks are in. Facebook has been forced to add the strapline – it’s free and it always will be – after unfounded rumours that users would be charged to use the social site, leaving Facebook with one less route to capitalising on their enormous user base. (Friends Reunited, for instance, made its money by charging a nominal £4-5 per annum to access additional data on friends such as email addresses). However, the continuous drip drip introduction of default settings that require action by the user, rather than opt in, is telling about the attitudes which prevail amongst the internet giants.
LinkedIn require you to opt out from having your name and photo used on advertising across the site. Although this was introduced last summer, it is likely that a vast proportion of the users of LinkedIn remain unaware of the change. For many, the account and privacy settings on Facebook are simply too complex to work out what is being shown to whom. Google+ endeavoured to address these concerns by allowing you to choose precisely the people with whom you shared content, but the inclusion of Google+ posts in top search results, as well as the latest privacy changes across all of Google’s real estate, may have unravelled that feelgood strategy.
There have been users leaving the social networks in protest, but for many the privacy issue, or rather the possible results of such policies, is still unclear – what harm does it do me? Meanwhile, there are a number of start ups looking to create privacy enhanced and open source social networks, but the real benefit of social networks is when *everyone* you know is on them and a start up with limited members will struggle to compete with the phenomenal global user base that is Facebook today. (By the end of 2012, it is estimated that more than a billion people will be using Facebook).
How do you feel about the social networks use of your personal data? Would you leave a social network because of its privacy policy? What changes would be one step too far for you to stay?
Tags: facebook, Google, LinkedIn, opt out, opt-in, policy, privacy, Social Media, youtube
Posted in Blog, Social Media
