Social Media News For The Week Of 9/28/12

Social Media Is The New SEO - Deal With It!

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become inextricably tied to social media because of Google's increased emphasis on the level of engagement across social networks in determining the search ranking of websites. Companies hoping to be visible on search engines need to not only have a strong social media presence, but interact with their audience as well. Just being present on social platforms is not enough. Full Story Here: 

 

10 Tips for Building a Social Media Strategy

Social media has, and will continue to, greatly expand the possibilities for businesses to reach new customers while gaining their loyalty at the same time. But social media, if not properly utilized, can do harm as well. It is imperative for any company engaging their brand on social media to have a well planned and clear strategy for success on social networks. Full Story Here: 

 

Dreamforce 12: Social business capabilities evolve in the cloud

Last week the software as a service company, Salesforce, held their annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco. The conference featured influential guest speakers such as former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and General Electric CEO, Jeffrey R. Immelt. The main takeaway from the conference is the future of the cloud as the home of social business. The First of Two Stories: 

 Another Interesting Story:

Infographic: A Look at Some of the Worst Social Media Blunders of All Time

It is always useful in business, and in life in general, to try to learn from the mistakes of the past. Social media must be used both carefully and responsibly. This very interesting infographic makes the point abundantly clear. Full Story Here: 

Posted via OnFast - http://www.OnFast.com

Does Your Facebook Post Have Call to Action?

A call to action (CTA) is the first step in establishing a link and opening dialogue with your reader.  CTA's make the connection between your brand's content and your audience easier.

A call to action directs the user to make the next move. This can be as easy as giving a command or providing an opportunity to get more information.  Perhaps you have a super video on YouTube that introduces a new product. A clickable call to action will get your reader to the video without having to provide complicated lengthy URL's.

Examples:

•     Click here to read more
•     Click here to see our video
•     Click here to like us
•     Take our survey

Social Media Tips For Foursquare

Foursquare is at the forefront of the location-based marketing craze that has come about with the proliferation of smartphones and mobile devices. For any local business trying to compete by getting customers to come to their physical location, Foursquare can't be beat. The platform does not require much in the way of work for brands to participate and see the benefits of their customers promoting the business for them.

However, businesses must make it worthwhile for patrons to tell their friends about their brand experience. Here are some ideas for effectively using Foursquare to promote your business.

1. Race for Mayor -

The customer who checks-in the most amount of times at a particular place is referred to as the "Mayor" of that location. Prizes and benefits offered to customers who seek the title, combined with the perks of the position can keep many people coming back and spending money at your business. The race for mayor at a business can become very competitive, resulting in great rewards for the business's owners.

2. Give Incentives -

A common incentive theme is to offer deals and discounts for checking-in at a business. Other creative ways to leverage Foursquare are to hold contests and giveaways, give special discounts for check-ins on specific days or to give a prize to the first check-in of the day. There are many creative ways to use deals maintain customer loyalty. Offering such things as a special for customers who bring their friends, and deals for people who check-in a pre-determined amount of times are a few more ideas.

Social Media Optimization --- What Is SMO?

Social Media Optimization, or SMO as it is commonly referred, is the methodology of making content from websites, blogs, and other Internet sources easily shareable across social media networks. The level of social media presence a company has plays a role in determining the potential for people to connect with the organization and is also a factor of SMO. With search engine rankings placing greater emphasis on the volume of content sharing, social media optimization has become a critical facet of overall search engine optimization strategy.

SMO is about visibility for all online marketing content to both people and search engines, including your website, blog and social media. Over time, the focus has changed from driving website traffic to expanding the potential for your content being easily seen by many people. With proper SMO, traffic will still be driven to your website, but your content will be viewed across a much wider spectrum of platforms, increasing your exposure to a larger audience.

Social Media for Employment and Recruiting - Facebook

With more than 900 million members worldwide, it was inevitable that Facebook was to become a giant in the job market. LinkedIn has traditionally led, and still does in this area, but Facebook has matched an increasing amount of job candidates with their future employers. Facebook, by sheer numbers of users, is positioned to become the tool of choice for both recruiters and job seekers.
 
Benefits of Using Facebook for Recruiting

1. Largest Network - Facebook has the largest audience of all social networks.
2. Facebook is Free - Facebook is free to all of its members, and companies can present themselves to candidates using tools, such as video, images and search without incurring any additional cost.
3. High Level of Engagement - Facebook offers a higher degree of two-way communication and engagement than other social platforms. Brands can attract prospective employees by providing content of interest to them, leading to further commentary and interaction.
4. Active Users - Potential job candidates are active on Facebook and spend considerable time on the network. It just makes sense for businesses actively seeking personnel to go where the people are. Companies can easily facilitate quality candidates locating their brand, initiating contact and pursuing employment themselves. Businesses don't have to chase after talent; the talent can come to them.

Social Media News For The Week Of 9/21/12

Small Businesses Get Nearly Half of Traffic from Social Media

Traffic on small business websites is being driven largely by social media according to the results of a study conducted by Northwestern University and Syndio Social. The study looked at over 300 Chicago based websites and found 51.7% of all traffic to those sites was being steered by the combination of Facebook (48.1%) and Twitter (3.6%). Medium sized business sites received 31% of their traffic from social platforms. Full Story Here: 

Social Media Etiquette for Businesses

It is crucial for companies who choose to promote their business on social media to remember to strike a balance between promoting and providing value to their audience. Listening to the audience and taking their needs into consideration while being relevant should be at the foundation of any social media marketing campaign. Full Story Here: 

Social Media Demographics For Facebook

 

For businesses that use social media for marketing purposes, being armed with social demographic data can be useful in several ways. Knowing your audience helps you to properly target your message and can be of use in determining which platforms are the best fits for your company. This is the first part of a series that will present the demographic data for the major social media platforms.

Social Media News For The Week Of 9/14/12

Skeptical Businesses Slow to Adopt Social Media

A survey by eMarketer of small to medium sized businesses found that only 24 percent of small companies and 33 percent of mid-sized companies have structurally incorporated social media in their marketing campaigns. However, for the small companies who have adopted social media, many find it effective. 49 percent report positive results from their social media marketing campaigns. Full Story Here:

Social Media Platforms Prove Beneficial to Small Businesses

Small to medium sized businesses that do get onboard with social media report it has helped them, in a study by the software firm, Vocus. According to the company's research, 87 percent of SMB's who have added social media to their marketing mix say it has helped gain business. Only 10 percent reported no effect from social media. Facebook continues to be the platform of choice for SMB's. Full Story Here:

Social Media For Employment And Recruiting - Part 1 - Introduction

Job seekers and employers are increasingly turning to social media for employment and recruitment solutions. Naturally, the LinkedIn platform leads social networks in use for employment purposes, but other social networks are not far behind. Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ have become recruitment tools for businesses and important resources for job seekers as well. This is the first of a five part series on social media and the job market. We will begin by looking at some statistics around recruiting and social media.

There were 3.7 million job openings on the last business day of July 2012, little changed from June. Source: www.bls.gov

Information Overload

Today, it's difficult to keep up with a relentless barrage of tweets, Facebook posts, phone texts, e-mails, and instant messages. Users must master a plethora of tools, features, and options to stay contemporary with rapidly changing technology. It's a head spinning experience to navigate the dissimilar spheres of on-line communication. Most troubling, is the time management ramifications of responding to constant digital interruptions.

Clearly, questions arise regarding effectiveness and productivity. Just what is the cost of unnecessary interruptions? As we bounce among a matrix of social channels, are we subjecting ourselves to the potential for lost productivity, blunders, miscommunication, and burnout? Some people like to call this multitasking. In reality, this addictive behavior only makes you anxious and confused.

Social Media News For The Week Of 9/05/12

Commentary: Social media fundamentally changes rules of engagement

Social media was at the core of this strategy. On the night Obama accepted the Democratic nomination, 85,000 people packed the Denver Broncos football stadium. Full Story Here:

Social-Media Insights From Barack Obama, America's First Truly Social President

No politician in history has leveraged social media to the extent of President Obama. Here's how his administration stays ahead of the curve--and what you can learn about effective social brand-building from the Tweep-in-Chief. Full Story Here:

Ignore Fads

New trends come and go. Hardly a day goes by that you don't uncover a new social media site. Early adopters love these opportunities and often jump in without assessing the real effort and pay back. A business can easily be lured into wasting precious time learning about new unproven fads.

Some basic questions to ask your self are:

•       Is this site popular and will it generate traffic?
•       How vast is the audience?
•       What are the demographics?
•       Is this effort compatible with my strategy?
•       Will this effort generate new business?
•       Can you quantify the results?
•       Do I have the time and resources to make this work?

Don't be tempted into becoming a "Social Media Technical Expert" while the real challenge of growing the business is ignored.

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.

 

Posted via OnFast - http://www.OnFast.com

Information Overload

   

Today, it's difficult to keep up with a relentless barrage of tweets, Facebook posts, phone texts, e-mails, and instant messages. Users must master a plethora of tools, features, and options to stay contemporary with rapidly changing technology. It's a head spinning experience to navigate the dissimilar spheres of on-line communication. Most troubling, is the time management ramifications of responding to constant digital interruptions.

Social Media Demographics For Twitter

 

Twitter Demographic Data

 

 555 million members worldwide

182 million visitors per month

 59% female, 41% male

Does Your Facebook Post Have a Call to Action?

  A call to action (CTA) is the first step in establishing a link and opening dialogue with your reader.  CTA's make the connection between your brand's content and your audience easier.

 A call to action directs the user to make the next move. This can be as easy as giving a command or providing an opportunity to get more information.

 Perhaps you have a super video on YouTube that introduces a new product. A clickable call to action will get your reader to the video without having to provide complicated lengthy URL's

 

Examples:

•      Click here to read more
•      Click here to see our video
•      Click here to like us
•      Take our survey

 

Your social media post with a call to action needs to grab the reader's attention.

 Your clickable link should ask a question or provide information. In addition, including a visual image that your reader can click on is effective.

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.

Posted via OnFast - http://www.OnFast.com