Posts Tagged ‘social media’
The rise of Twitter search
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
The way we search for information is changing. Everyone who uses the internet knows it, but the trend goes far beyond the move away from using paper telephone directories and towards search engines. It’s true that Google is still the first port of call for most people looking for information on the internet, but as the web becomes more social, the way we search is changing too.
Exact figures are hard to come by but it’s known that by the end of 2009, Twitter was serving up to 19 billion searches per month. That’s searches made through Twitter, not those related to tweets and tweeting. The only search engine that serves more queries than that is Google- neither Yahoo nor Bing come close.
Of course, a lot of that 19 billion is down to software, not real people, but nevertheless, this figure shows that huge numbers of people are not content to sit back and watch tweets come to them. They go out and use Twitter as a resource to find recommendations, information, and entertainment.
The three most popular sites on the internet are Google, Facebook, and Youtube. Two out of those three are almost completely populated with social content. The images, the text, the videos and comments are the work of ordinary users. This is the real meaning of ‘Web 2.0′- instead of a network of static sites users can only view, participation and interaction are what the new internet is all about.
As the next step in the development of search resources, Twitter makes perfect sense. Google and the other major search engines are pretty smart but they aren’t perfect. They can give you the biggest restaurant, the closest restaurant, and the restaurants that have invested the most in SEO. They can only make guesses at the best restaurant. What they lack is real input from normal people and these days that’s what users want. The development of Google + was probably prompted by this idea, at least in part.
There are two ways Twitter can be used to find information. The most obvious is to tweet a request- ‘Anyone know a good vegan restaurant in San Diego?’ and see what you get back. Users expect recommendations from friends but they’ll often take suggestions from strangers. Social media savvy businesses (and blogs) stay on the lookout for relevant tweets like that one. They can be an excellent source of new customers or readers in almost any industry.
The second method is to search for tweets other people have made using the terms ‘san diego’ ‘restaurant’ and ‘vegan’. At peak times, about 300,000 tweets are made per minute, spread across every conceivable topic. The chance of finding a recent, relevant tweet is pretty high for almost any obvious search query.
So, how do bloggers capitalise on the growing use of Twitter as a search resource? Like a lot of SEO, it all comes back to keywords. Remember that any and every tweet you make could be viewed by searchers as well as your followers and the followers of your retweeters. Use your blog keywords in your tweets, get involved in trending topics, and try the search facility yourself. Find some relevant conversations and get involved.
About the author Jess Spate is an SEO consultant working primarily in the travel and outdoor industry. Her client list includes resources for those who want to buy Wyndham timeshare units or get Marriott timeshare points resale information.
IBM Study Reveals Most Companies are Flunking Social Media
Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Attention companies with social media profiles; we now have proof that no matter how much social media experts tell you what your customers want, you’re just not listening. And it’s killing your online presence.
In a recent study conducted by IBM, the findings reveal that most companies are overestimating how much consumers wish to interact with them. As a result, they are completely failing in their social media campaigns.
Online Advertising Revenue Up, But So Are Social Media Valuation
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
Like markets and economies around the globe, the global Internet advertising market is unlikely to return to its pre-recession levels just yet. Bloomberg News reports that worldwide expenditures for online advertising are not expected to return to 2008 levels until 2012. This doesn’t mean, however, that online markets are stagnant, just that the online advertising market also took a thrashing in the financial crises of late 2008 and 2009.
Bloomberg’s reports that spending on online advertising “will increase 4.6 percent next year, after ‘surprisingly strong’ 4.9 percent growth in 2010,” according to numbers reported by media buying company, ZenithOptimedia. Magna Global, which tracks ad sales rather than overall spending, in turn, “projects 5.4 percent growth in 2011, following a 6.9 percent gain this year,” according to Bloomberg’s. (more…)
Why the Facebook Like Button Might Not Be Right for Your Blog
Friday, May 21st, 2010
I read a blog post today that distressed me greatly. The post was about the new Facebook like button and the poster was explaining to readers why the Like button was not right for everyone. Darn. I knew that. I should have posted it and explained why first! Maybe I can make up for being tardy on information by providing additional information that might explain better what has already been said on another blog.
What does the Facebook Like Button do?
The Facebook like button can be embedded into any website and allows visitors to share content over Facebook. When content is shared, the link is displayed in the News Feed (the ‘what’s on your mind’ field) with a thumbnail and description. Shared links have potential to bring in social networking traffic from the Facebook friends of the sharer or liker if you will.
Using LinkedIn to Maximize Your Blogging Efforts
Saturday, May 15th, 2010
A guest post by Patsy from Go-Gulf.com.
LinkedIn is an excellent social media tool. Over the past few years, social media has jumped to the forefront of the marketing world. It has connected millions of people worldwide. So how, as a blogger, can you use LinkedIn to maximize your blogs exposure? Take a look:
Social media marketing advice from Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra
Saturday, March 27th, 2010
After a panel on using social media as a marketing vehicle, Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra was asked by one of the listeners for an exclusive social media marketing tip.
“I can give you a tip but that one won’t work again,” Jalichandra said.
With that response, Jalichandra revealed a powerful piece of Internet marketing wisdom that most bloggers don’t take too seriously. Successful social media and other forms of Internet marketing campaigns need to be unique, innovative and always ahead of the curve. The same thing will never work twice.
Watch an interview (below) with Jalichandra that took place after the panel.
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