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Posts Tagged ‘social networking’
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
There is a new contender on the block as far as Facebook is concerned. Google has just announced it’s newest product, Google + brand pages. Google+ brand pages look a lot like Facebook’s fan pages for businesses or brands. The platform is still in beta stage but is open to the public.
Since Google+ is still less than a year old, they don’t have the following yet that Facebook has but it’s only be a matter of time. Why, you ask? Simply because of the name, or brand, if you will. The Google name will go a very long way in bringing in numbers.
The new Google + has some of the same styling as Facebook as far as profile, pictures, friends and news pages. Friends are put in circles, such as friends, family, etc. There is also an option to choose the latest news headlines or people you find interesting and add them to your pages as well.
Additionally, Google already has a good grasp on search and other means of keeping track of what people are searching for online. Think about your ad placed on Google +. This alone could be a potentially big boost for your business. Google + is already ahead of the game in this area. More so than Facebook.
On Google + you can start a “hangout.” There is a webcam attached so all of your friends or business acquaintances can get together and visit or talk about business. It seems there will be a little bit of Skype, Facebook and YouTube all rolled into one platform. That will be much simpler than having to tab back and forth between them.
It’s going to be interesting how well Google + is received. For all intents and purposes, it looks like it’s going to be a huge success simply because of the name.
Tags: advertising, Branding, facebook, google, internet marketing, Social Media, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 2 Comments »
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
It looks as if Facebook has gotten its hands slapped. The Federal Trade Commission announced on Tuesday that a settlement has been reached in regards to Facebook’s privacy practices.
Facebook will now have to conduct privacy audits every two years for the next 20 years. This is a result of the mishandling of Facebook users’ private information back in December 2009. Facebook had made some changes to its privacy notices and did not give user’s a choice if they wanted their information used or not. Facebook was sharing user information with outside developers. This infuriated many users and complaints were filed.
Only the audits are required at the moment, no fines or fees. But, if it happens again, Facebook will be fined $16,000 a day for each time it happens. Also, Facebook will now have to make sure there is a link for the user to use in order to confirm any changes to their profile. It looks as if Facebook better be careful in the future.
Facebook is wildly popular around the world with an estimated 800 million users. You can’t go anywhere anymore without someone asking “are you on Facebook?” Even businesses are jumping on the bandwagon with Facebook pages for their business.
With so many users, it will remain to be seen if everyone will be happy with the stepped up security.
Tags: facebook, publicity, Reputation Management, Social Media, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 3 Comments »
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve written a few times about Google+, but what I haven’t done is told you why your local business should be using Google+ for social networking, marketing, and branding. There is actually more than one reason.
- Since Google+ is owned by the largest search engine, you can bet there will be search implications to using the service.
- Your Google profile gets a boost when you use Google+
- Google Maps and Google Places are tied to Google+ so you have a built-in local component to the service as well.
- You can easily share videos through Google+ with your YouTube account. This ability will actually get better over time.
- Using Google’s photo sharing service, Picasa, you can share your photos and have unlimited space to store them, increasing your ability to share through Google+.
- Google+ has an awesome video chat feature called Hangouts.
- With Circles, you have greater privacy and targeted marketing abilities than you have with any other social networking service.
- Google+ allows you set the privacy setting for each aspect of your public profile.
- Google+ is easy to use.
- With Google+’s Circle sharing feature, you can add hundreds of new people to your network with one click. You can’t do that on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Your friends and family may not be on Google+ just yet, but I think in time they will be. How many more reasons do you need to try Google+?
Tags: google, local business, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 10 Comments »
Sunday, September 11th, 2011
Does your company need its own private social network? Could it benefit from one? If so, then Chatter might be the place for you.
Let’s talk about why you might want a private social network.
If you are a global company or you have multiple office locations, a private social network could allow employees at your multiple locations to get to know each other better and to share their insights into your company processes and work environment. It could serve, if anything, as a huge morale boost to your company.
Another reason you might use a private social network is for training purposes. If you hire a lot of people and spend time training them, you could use a private social network to offer peer training. Let your current employees mentor the new ones.
Chatter itself offers its top 10 ways to use a private social network:
- Connect with experts
- Remote collaboration
- Share large files more easily
- Prepare sales presentations
- Manage team projects more efficiently
- Discuss confidential topics
- Get answers to your questions
- Share important information with your coworkers
- Solve customer issues more effectively
- Brainstorm marketing ideas
Many companies – even small businesses – could benefit from their own private social network. It is a question worth asking. Do you need one?
Tags: collaboration, small business, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
A new study shows that small business owners recognize the value of word of mouth advertising, but they don’t see a need for social media. Perhaps SMBs are not aware that social media is the new word of mouth.
Let’s face it, we live in a world where the Yellow Pages are used less and less often. People now conduct their searches for local businesses online. Looking for real estate? They start online. Want to buy a car? They start online. Interested in buying a product – any product? People start online, read reviews, ask their friends via social media, and maybe – just maybe (OK, probably) – they’ll make the purchase offline. But more and more they are starting their search online.
Maybe your business is doing fine without advertising. Maybe you have a steady string of customers based on your lifelong reputation. That’s good. But what if you’ve been in business for less than five years? Less than ten?
If your business is less than ten or fifteen years old, then I’d say you need to develop a social media presence. Word of mouth advertising is essential, but in the future that word of mouth will travel via social media. It will travel near and far. If you’re not doing something online, through social media and through search, then you will be relegated to history.
Learn how you can make social media be your most effective word of mouth tool.
Tags: small business, Social Media, social networking, word of mouth
Posted in Social Media | 8 Comments »
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Are you a big reader? Do you use Amazon.com a lot? Buy books, read books, download Kindle files? Did you know you can use Amazon.com as a social networking tool?
This is truly a useful tool for writers, musicians, artists, other crafts persons, and people in the publishing industries. Amazon.com can be your niche networking space.
Here are some tips to help make Amazon.com a social networking application for you:
- When you read a book, listen to music, or try out a new product, leave a review. Amazon also has a cool feature for reviewers called Real Name. If you leave your reviews in your real name, as opposed to a fictitious name, you can designate that with your Amazon reviews.
- You can designate a Wish List on Amazon and display your wish list with a widget on your website or blog.
- If you are an author, you can set up an author’s profile at Amazon and communicate with your fans.
- With the Amazon Give Facebook app, you can display your wish list on your Facebook page.
- Amazon Grapevine is another Facebook app that posts updates to your friends’ Facebook walls every time you take an action on Amazon.
Amazon can be used for social networking. It’s more than just an online department store. It’s an online department store with social benefits.
Tags: Amazon.com, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 12 Comments »
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
A study carried out by Sensis shows how consumers are using social networks. Here are some of the findings:
- 12% research products they’re interested in purchasing
- 11% follow brands in hopes of receiving special offers
- 12% research travel offers or holiday destinations
- 15% follow or search for information on specific brands
Of course, most people are using the social networks for personal reasons, but you should pay attention to these numbers. They seem small, but what they tell me is that people are on the social networks for personal reasons, but while they are there they are also using their time to research consumer opportunities.
So what industries are represented?
- Clothing/fashion = 42% consumer researchers
- Electrical goods = 39%
- Home furnishings = 28%
- Computers = 21%
- Music = 19%
I’m actually surprised that music is so far down the list, but you can understand that clothing and fashion are so high because we’re talking about social networks where a large percentage of the time is spent on personal business.
How can small businesses use this information? Obviously, if you are in the clothing or fashion industry, then it looks good for you. But no matter what industry you’re in, if you can leverage social networks to place your brand in front of the people interested in your type of products, then you stand a reasonable chance of securing new business.
Tags: Branding, consumer research, small business, social networking
Posted in Social Media | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
I’m excited to let you know that tomorrow – I know this is very short notice, but sometimes these things just happen that way – I’ve been invited to be a part of a Goldmail seminar and I’d like to invite you to attend. The topic I’ll be speaking on is “Top 5 Tips For Putting LinkedIn To Work.”
Now, let’s start at the basics: What is LinkedIn and why should you be on it?
LinkedIn is a social networking website for business people. Chances are, you already have a profile at LinkedIn and you may be wondering what to do with it. If you don’t, that’s OK too. I’ll tell you why you should have a profile at LinkedIn, and what to do with it.
In my webinar tomorrow, a part of the Goldmail Thought Leader Series, I will share with you 5 specific ways you can put LinkedIn to work for you right now, today. These are not methods that will take days or weeks to implement. They are easy-to-follow steps that you can do right away to make your social networking at LinkedIn profitable and pay off in a big way.
To learn more about the Goldmail Thought Leader Series and tomorrow’s webinar, click this link and watch the short video, then sign up for the webinar, which will take place on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 4 p.m. CST.
Tags: business, LinkedIn, social networking, webinar
Posted in Social Media | 1 Comment »
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