facebook

The Hard Truth about Facebook: Why the Facebook IPO looks like a Bad Investment

May 17, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Facebook Does Not Produce any Content
Facebook May be Maxed Out!
Facebook Lacks Innovation
Facebook Does Not Replace a Conversation!

Facebook DOES NOT Produce Any Content!

We have been told time and time again, “Content is King”. As an avid digital user, I have found this to be absolutely true. You may be hard pressed to find many who disagree. If this holds true, then Facebook is the biggest flakey investment you can make, in fact, it shouldn’t even survive much longer.

Facebook capitalized on technology – it was a place for people to come to connect and learn. This was at a time when content was still struggling to make its way to digital avenues. In fact, iTunes was in its infancy and did not even hit the top spot until 2008. This gave Facebook the edge as The Place to interact and learn. Think about content producers like the NY Times, they too, were late to the digital era.

What is Facebook and how does it generate revenue?

Users that create content! Every time you participate in Facebook you give them content. This was a fair tradeoff in 2008, perhaps even in 2011, but times are changing. If 2012 is the year of content, then Facebook may be in trouble. While there is likely not going to be a wild withdraw from Facebook at this moment, trust me when I say content providers are starting to see the value in limiting their content and perhaps even withdrawing future content from social sites like Facebook.

If the NY Times stops posting on Facebook, the NY Times will still have increases in readers and perhaps an increase in viewers. It’s arguable about whether or not the NY Times has made a terrible error in posting anything to Facebook. If I know that I count on the NY Times for my “content” but also know that I have the NY Times in my Newsfeed on Facebook, than I am much less likely to visit the NY Times app, website or open the email because I am counting on seeing the NY Times content on my stream. In fact, I even get a small preview that will likely let me know what the “content” is about and so there is no reason to visit the NYTimes.com or their app on my iPad. This is arguably a terrible business model for the NY Times!

The same can be said about entertainment – TV shows, Movies and Artists (i.e. musicians) that get little or nothing for producing “content” for Facebook. Why should Britney Spears keep placing “content” on Facebook? It’s not like Britney Spears needs 910 Million people to be introduced to her, does she? In fact even if only half of her “likes” turned into paid subscriptions at $1, she would have a entirely new revenue stream just based on the “content” already being produced.

Facebook May be Maxed Out!

We all know there is a peak in every business and venture but at 900 million how much further can you really grow? In fact, by recent number indications, Facebook may already be slowing down. Getting 900 million to pay attention to you is one thing, getting them to stay is another. As a Facebook user I admit I already spend a massive amount of time on Twitter and LinkedIn in comparison to Facebook. When Pinterest came out I gave up more of my Facebook time, not the other two!

Why are other Social Sites stronger then Facebook? They have a niche! Facebook has tried to be all things to all users and that’s gotten them lost! LinkedIn is where we go to do business and professional networking, Twitter is the top choice for news and chatting – after all you’ve never heard of a FacebookUp have you? Ever attended a virtual conversation on Facebook? In fact, Facebook completely dropped the ball when GooglePlus captured the world’s attention with Hangout! When you try to be everything to everybody you end up being no use to anyone, that’s Facebook’s grim future right now.

Note: Google may be the exception (Search and Social Come Together)

Facebook Lacks innovation

Let’s face it, when you fail to innovate you tend to open the door and show yourself out, Facebook showed early signs of that when Twitter was released. That was arguably the start of Facebook’s Why didn’t we think of that? Well lets copy it or better yet buy it!

The list goes on and on, Facebook got its status updates from Twitters innovation, Facebook Places developed from FourSquare and GoWalla, which was such a failure that later they bought GoWalla. Google Plus quickly trumped them with Video Chat and so Facebook tried to copy it. Once Facebook realized that Google was way too big and they could never compete with the inbound marketing of the search Giant, we then had a short lived Bing/Facebook Social Search integration. You love Google Video Ads, well Facebook copied that too. Fan of being able to Pin It! so is Facebook. If you really love the fact that a picture is worth a thousand words, then that’s the equivalent of a billion dollars as that’s what Instagram was acquired for, by Facebook!

We could talk about the business model, but after all the news about retailers flocking to Facebook pages and then running away clearly it’s not a primary place for business, no matter how many times they try to tell you it is.

Facebook is clearly over extended and in complete chaos with its inability to innovate beyond its checkbook. This doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have value in marketing and advertising, after all 900 million emails is a safe list, just one that might not be quite as valuable as we have been lead to believe.

Facebook Does Not Replace a Conversation!

It is possible that in the near future society will hinder Facebook forever, a status update is not a conversation. Networking, Learning and Communications are greatly hindered by the existence of Facebook and its just a matter of time before our nation and communities around the globe shun Facebook as a major contributor to health issues and conflict. Facebook has little if any reality in it, it is a place for people to share what they choose, trying to showcase themselves, their family and their lives in the best light possible even if it is the furthest thing from the truth.

One might enjoy the idea that grandparents can see their grandchildren through the curation of an edited and extremely biased feed, the truth however could range from basic struggles to life threatening abuse that fails to get discovered from a lack of real world contact.

If you’re a friend, family member or loved one, I hope you don’t mistake the value of real life contact with the purpose of a feed. I most especially hope it’s not at the cost of a future or a life.

The Balanced Truth

While I spent most of the time looking at a few of the issues that will impact Facebook’s survival, I don’t want to be unfair. Facebook is a great tool, but it’s just that, a tool! Facebook has connected people like never before, contributed to the free dissemination of information and pioneered Social Media into the revolution of digital communications. However, it’s just software.

Facebook cannot replace real life communications or the desperate need we have for them as part of our existence. No child will be born because of Facebook, no war will be stopped, no product will be manufactured by it, and no business will grow simply because they were on Facebook.

Children come from physical contact, wars are averted through communication that requires we hear, see, touch and smell each other. Facebook is not going to get on the assembly line and build your Ford, stove or Mobile Phone. Facebook will not report the news, and ask the tough questions. Facebook will not repair your roof or rescue you during an emergency. Facebook will not raise a child, nurture them, inspire them and provide for them. No business will be successful because they got on Facebook, that’s up to the entrepreneur, their vision, passion and hard work.

I am taken in awe by Facebook’s Innovation to come to existence and serve a purpose, it has changed lives, some for better some for worse. Facebook has value and can be used as an effective tool, just not one that a reasonably educated and experienced person can see growing much further. Facebook has been a consumer of great ideas and innovative content, but that’s the problem, it consumes, it doesn’t create.

Author:

@BasilPuglisi is the Executive Director and Publisher for Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei.com). Basil C. Puglisi is also the President of Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. A Digital Brand Marketing Consultancy that manages professional and personal branding for Fortune 500 CEOs, Hedge Fund Managers and Small Business Owners.

Sources:

***Disclaimer, The article is meant to share the opinion of the author based on availble informations and data, it is not an investment tool.***

Using Social Media for Brand Awareness

May 7, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Cost-effective and powerful, social media is changing the way companies network. That’s because many businesses today are finding that connections made on sites like Facebook, Twitter and blogs are allowing them to better communicate with customers, more effectively draw in new leads and, over all else according to a July 2010 survey, increase customer awareness of their brand.
How does this work? How can you leverage the power of social networks to expand your brand’s influence and reach? Check out these five practical ideas!

Know Your Brand. Before you can promote your brand, you need to have a solid understanding of what it is. Ask yourself what distinguishes you company from others, what you offer that no one else does, what makes you valuable. Then, find a way to promote those benefits across all your marketing materials, from your logo to your website to your Twitter profile, in order to communicate a strong sense of your brand.
Establish a Solid, Branded Web Presence. Your website is your single most important online branding tool, the place where all your other marketing tools will direct. With a strong Web presence, your company has a resource that means better search rankings for increased traffic, increased leads and higher conversion rates.
Go Where Your Audience Is. A big part of being able to effectively reach your audience is understanding who they are. Is your audience active on Pinterest? Instagram? Facebook? Go where they are and join their conversations in order to expose them to your brand—and to enhance your scope of influence, offer something that meets their needs, whether tips, answers or links to helpful resources.
Connect with Online Influencers. Identify the people in your industry who are most influential and work to build relationships with them. Follow them on Twitter, respond to their posts on blogs and Facebook, email them when you have something valuable to say. By connecting with these influencers, you help expand your company’s reach.
Keep at It. A strong social media presence isn’t built overnight—in order to develop a loyal following, you have to earn it. Be consistent about posting on your social profiles so that users come to trust and respect your contributions; if you don’t, you run the risk of harming your reputation rather than helping it. If you can’t keep up with a profile, it’s better not to start it.

What do you think—could social media be a game changer for your brand? Take advantage of these tips to watch your presence expand!
Author:
Shanna Mallon is a writer for Straight North, a leader among Chicago marketing firms. She writes for clients in various B2B industries, from merchant processing solutions to Kevlar welding gloves. Check out the Straight North blog! @straightnorth
Sources:

Wrapp Your Friends: Social Gift Giving & Promotions

April 30, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

With so many new interactive activities taking place on Facebook, it seems that one more company has caught onto the social media frenzy and is taking advantage of new ways to interact with your social network. A Swedish Social Gifting service, Wrapp just debuted in the U.S. that will allow Facebook users to purchase gift cards for those in their social network. Wrapp currently has partnerships with more than 25 retailers. Some of those retailers include:

Fab
Gap
The Wall Street Journal
H & M

Wrapp launched in Sweden in November, and has since added Norway and the U.K. Wrapp also has established satellite offices in Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, France, Taiwan, and Australia.

How to Wrapp

To get started with Wrapp users need to either install the Android or iPhone app or head to the Wrapp website. Once Wrapp is integrated with your Facebook account, birthdays and other occasions will be twice as easy to take care of with just a few clicks. Even better, Wrapps algorithm will match social profiles of targeted friends with their available partners as well as the users demographics. You can then purchase one of their preselected gift cards or add onto the amount manually. With Wrapps integration with Facebook, news feeds will also be posted when the cards are gifted, as well as when they are redeemed by the cards receivers. Physical gift cards are not always necessary. On the mobile apps for smartphones and tablets, they can actually be redeemed through the bar codes that display on the Wrapp site after confirmation that the location accepts that gift card. Codes can also be used while shopping online.

According to Wrapp, over 1.4 million gift cards have been sent out via their service in the last four months. Chief Executive Officer Hjalmar Winbladh adds,

“Wrapp is the ultimate win, win, win app. You and I get to give our friends free gift cards to great retailers. The cards we give are stored in our friends’ phones so they’re always with them when they want to buy something they really want. And the merchants get a proven customer-acquisition and retention platform built on Wrapp’s friend-to-friend marketing for conducting performance-based campaigns.”

Wrapp combines three very hot industries in gift cards, social networking, and mobile shopping.
Author:

Sources:

Boosting Revenue with Social Media

April 29, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

For many marketing companies, management of corporate or small business level social media has become a full-time endeavor. For this reason it can be vital to learn what impact your efforts are actually having on your brand awareness. Gaining this knowledge will help you to understand what it may take to boost your business’s bottom line.

The Noisy Social Media Environment

Social media networks are busy places. Once a user has built up a large friend or fan following, the information can stream by at light speed. There are plenty of opportunities to place ads to garner that extra attention from those who may not be able to meticulously pick through their social media networks information, but still scan it for an overall idea of what the internet world had to offer today.

In a recent release of a study by the Adobe Digital Marketing Team, some statistics may have shown why consumers and businesses may not be benefiting from social media like they could.

36% of tweets with valuable content are swallowed by a more boring majority.
37% of those who do use social media networks say that the ads they see are not very useful.
63% of social community managers spend more than 30 hours per week.
26% spent 41 to 50 hours on their community administration and management.

Account proliferation seems to contribute to the overload currently experienced on social media networks. The Adobe study showed that many companies with over 1,000 employees, had an average of 178 social media network accounts. Not only can this clog up the networks, but it can also make full brand analytics rather difficult to test in some cases. Many social marketers also report that they feel they lack resources. Many of those also reporting that they often struggle to measure ROI, which ironically, does not help for getting new resources.

Measuring Social Success

There are obviously many business, large and small who are utilizing their Facebook fan pages to great benefit for their businesses and brands. Facebook and YouTube both have emerged as leaders in social marketing successes. These two market leaders dwarf their competition with an unparalleled critical difference in terms of time spent by users on those sites.

The study also showed that recommendations from other social users can affect the level of enjoyment a possible consumer may feel about a video. When it comes to websites and content, the study also showed that users tend to stay logged in more than twice as long when doing so with social plug-ins.

Many other social networking and social media statistics found in the study can also be vital to understanding how to implement

Social sharing increases email click-throughs

CTR without sharing shows up around 26%.

Twitter – 5.0%
Facebook – 5.4%
LinkedIn – 9.6%

People use social networks to find local business

In 2008 4% of consumers reported they used social networking sites to find local business.

2009 – 7%
2010 – 9%
2011 – 15%

Social Drives Sales but Faces Perception Challenges

During a self-assessment of women’s marketplace influence, 73% of young adult women described themselves as influential information sources. It also showed that orders that come in via social media networks are commonly larger than those through more traditional digital means such s email, search engines, or even ad displays. In the same realm, the study showed that social sharing can actually trickle down to orders. A quarter of online shoppers who shop at least quarterly, and log into their Facebook accounts at least once a month have made purchases based on a social recommendation.

Author:

Sources:

Measuring Social Influence – Klout, PeerIndex, SocialIQ and Kred

April 26, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Nowadays, when a business wants to gauge how the general public feels about their brands, products or services, they are using tools for measuring their social influence on the web. In many cases, some even use them to take a measurement of their competitors. Staying on top of important industry trends, changes in algorithms, and social influence measurement tools can keep you and your business afloat on the web and learning how to make those trends, changes and tools work for you can assist your business in increasing growth, brand visibility, and even your business’s social media ‘voice.’

If you need a reminder of how important those things can be to your social media campaigns, take a look back to the blog, 4 important lessons on brand marketing via Twitter, where we shared the successes that JetBlue, Hilton and more were having from the social media voices they created for themselves. We covered the spread of social influence tools in another past blog titled Klout vs PeerIndex vs SocialIQ at the end of last summer, but how are those tools developing now?

Klout

Klout is still as powerful a force in social influence as ever. Recent updates include some fairly impressive leaps ahead in keeping up with business technology and its impact in the realm of social influence. Just this month Klout announced they would be offering dedicated pages for brands where Klout users will be able to see lists of top influencers for each brand as well as observe social media conversations, monitor brand developments and even earn access to some special perks. This new update, codenamed “Brand Squad” is launched in a partner venture with Red Bull.

For some more information on where Klout may be headed, don’t forget to check out the video from #SMWSMAC where we had a full panel including Michelle Ross of Klout to explain where we can expect social influence measurement tools to take us in the coming year. Klout still has its naysayers as well. However, it has also begun to be an item of reference now asked for in some job interviews as well. For those working in the social media industry, it may soon become a vital tool on your own list of portfolio and reference links.

PeerIndex

PeerIndex has found itself in continual growth since we delved into it last August. Reebok has just offered the top 100 most influential PeerIndex users, as identified by their own PeerPerks service, a free pair of Reebox’s RealFlex trainers. In promoting their own, “The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived” marketing campaign. The PeerPerks system, hosted on its own microsite, allows users to sign in just as they do on PeerIndex, by using their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Although this particular marketing campaign will focus on those who have influence in fitness, athletics or sports, it seems that a few more brand offers from big names like Reebok may push PeerIndex and their competitive reward system into more growth for their social media influencer user base.

SocialIQ

SocialIQ was just breaking out of the start-up phase when we last covered them. Since then they too have grown into an impressively notable competitor on the social influence circuit. Early on, they had enacted their own series of perks for those who were influential in a variety of industries and the developers at SocialIQ are still continually looking to improve and perfect their relationship with users. Just this past Tuesday they met with a customer service special interest group at Intuit to ask for some feedback on the SocialIQ experience design.

SocialIQ has an aesthetically pleasing and easy to manage user interface in their one click social media network integration with Twitter and Facebook. Developed by Soovox, the algorithm SocialIQ uses seems to be working and measures influence based on the same idea as the others. However, I have noticed that SocialIQ has done some pretty impressive improvements on their site’s look as well as their feedback to users complete with an influence level analysis that tells you which brands you may have the closest affinity with.

Kred

A month ago we covered Kred and what it had to offer as a newer social influence measurement tool on the net in Monitoring Your Social Reputation with Kred. Just this month Kred has added Facebook to their options for users wanting to measure their social influence scores. Everything seems to be working well so far and with Kred making a major showing at SXSW this year, the company is slowly starting to gain more ground. Kred scores do break down a bit differently as users actually receive points for interactions, tweets, mentions and more, so I would definitely encourage those who have not tried it to do so. It may offer the last piece to the puzzle of your business’s social influence analytics.

Author:

Sources:

CEOs and Social Media Influence in the Workplace

April 15, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Although there is already a growing list of reasons why it is beneficial for every member of a company’s team to participate in social networking, there may be another new reason that should encourage further consideration.

BRANDfog Study

A recent study conducted by BRANDfog shared some rather concerning statistics about CEO participation in company leadership via social media platforms. The general consensus is that top business executives are slower than their employees and consumers when it comes to using social media for communications.

64% of CEO’s are NOT engaged on their company’s website or social media networks
Only 5% of all Fortune 500 CEOs are on Twitter
Only 4% of global CEOs have a profile on Facebook or LinkedIn
Only 13 Fortune 500 CEOs have active Twitter accounts

If that alone isn’t enough reason to encourage CEOs and others in similar positions in their company to join Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, then it may be important to understand that on the same study, 86% of respondents rated a CEOs engagement on social media networks to be either important, very important, or mission critical.

Why CEO Engagement is Important

There are a few reasons why CEO engagement on social networks can be beneficial. During the BRANDfog study respondents answers also indicated that 78% of CEO participation on social media networks led to better communication. 71% of them agreed that it can lead to improving brand image, and 64% agreed that it provided more transparency, an element vital to a successful social media marketing campaign. The study has also shown that 82% of respondents listed as employees believe that a company can garner more trust when the CEO or leadership teams communicate via social networks.

Can a CEOs Social Media Presence Influence Purchasing Decisions?

The study says yes. The majority of the study’s participants, 77%, shows that consumers are more likely to buy from a business whose CEO uses social media opportunities to help define their company’s values and leadership principles. 94% of those respondents also agree that the C-list leaders participation in social media can help to enhance a brand’s image.

Author:

Sources:

Improved Facebook Advertising Campaign Performance

April 10, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Image representing Facebook as depicted in Cru... — Image via CrunchBase

Social media marketing, research has shown, is the fastest growing platform for advertisers. With promises of increased customer engagement and low marketing costs, advertisers flocked to this platform in droves. 76% of companies in the US use social media. Over three quarters of marketing officers believe they will increase their ROI this year through social media and plan to increase their budgets. But ROI is not easy to measure with social media. The different metrics will yield different results. Are you doing whatever it takes? Are there some things you don’t know about?

Facebook is the most valuable platform, statistic shoes, with over 15% of the social media marketing business, while rating and reviews, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube are there as well starting at about 10%.

Last month, a company called Techlightenment unveiled its new product called Alchemy 2. The company which is a leading provider of Facebook marketing technologies, helps solve traditional Facebook challenges of scale and performance, and has features that reduce the time spent on manual processes because the platform does it for you so you can focus your attention on higher value decisions.

The company promises that marketers will get 80% higher CTR and 50% lower CPC using their platform compared to the average Facebook campaign. Alchemy 2 allows user to take advantage of what Facebook has to offer; timeline, Sponsored Stories and Custom Action ads.

Here is what this platform includes:

Create a campaign fast and easy. You can create hundreds of ads in a few minutes.

Combine location, target audience with your creativity.
The system allows you to dynamically insert keywords and locations.
Analytics will tell you how many end users you will reach.
Easy re-posting of campaigns in one click.

Optimize and track. About 70% of what used to have to be done manually can be done by alchemy 2.

Optimize by setting up rules based on which actions are taken.
Track multiple conversion points.
Control your budget by targeting groups and locations.
Optimize to CPA with tracking solutions and analytics.

Manage and Report.

Drag and drop the data you have to see how effective the campaign is.
You can easily change the metrics, and have complete control of how the budget is being allocated.
You can see CPA and conversion data at the ad level. The platform will calculate your margin and optimize accordingly.

Image via CrunchBase

Will Ashton, Managing Director of Alchemy 2 at Techlightenment said: “Alchemy was the first Facebook advertising platform to market in 2010. We have redesigned the platform for the release of Alchemy 2 to make it even more sophisticated and agile. As Facebook makes updates to its platform, Alchemy 2 is well positioned to be updated as near to real-time as possible, allowing users to make near immediate use of new features and ad formats.”

Techlightenment was bought by Experian in January 2011.

Author:

Sources:

Customer Engagement for Small Business

April 2, 2012 by Basil Puglisi Leave a Comment

Telling business owners that they need to have some plans for customer engagement is easy. However, once they have absorbed that tidbit of helpful information, many may be lost as to what customer engagement can actually entail. Most likely, there is nothing that you in particular are selling, that can’t be found somewhere else. So what can the small business owner do to show that their product is the right choice for the consumer?

Be a Customer for a Day

Spend a day emulating the actions that your prospective consumers do.

Call your customer service number.
Go through the motions of purchasing your own product.
Fill out your contact forms.

Make sure that your customer experience matches your outlook and ideas.

Build Communication Options

Not everyone uses Facebook and Twitter believe it or not. Make sure you have traditional methods of communication as well as digital ones. List phone numbers and a physical address for your business, even if it is online based.

Exercise and Act on Your Listening Skills

customer-engagement-cycle — c/o www.retailshakennotstirred.com

It isn’t enough to reply to customers questions or request with generic terms. When prospective consumers ask for discounts or other beneficial options, show them you are listening by enacting them. You will get no better word of mouth advertising then having a consumer who can say “I asked for a discount, and they gave me one!” This doesn’t mean you have to offer that discount to everyone who asks, but you should never outright ignore those request.

Show Your Integrity

Since bad news can travel with light speed on the internet, you may need to go out of your way to show your customers that not only are you expert at what you do, but that you back that professionalism with personal integrity. Show your customers that the people behind the brand care.

Let Your Customers Advertise for You

Anything that you can do to get your consumers to share their product or service experiences with the public will provide you with two benefits. Obviously it will give you the valuable advertising you are seeking, but it will also provide you with media that you can post to help build top-notch links for your site. Don’t expect your customers to do this for no reward though. Their time is valuable too. Try to run contest for the best written or video reviews of your project. Reward the winners appropriately for their time spent talking about your products and services.

Above all it is important that any consumers approaching you for your products or services walk away with the sense that you are a brand they can trust and rely on.

Author:

Sources:

Why Twitter is Better Than Facebook for Marketing Yourself as a Freelancer

March 27, 2012 by Basil Puglisi 5 Comments

Working as a freelance writer means a lot of self-promotion. Really, working as a freelance anything means a lot of self-promotion. It is up to yourself to get your name and work out there for the world to see. You are, in a sense, a business. Fortunately, in this day, social media gives you the perfect platform for all the free self-promoting you could ask for. I can’t imagine how hard it was to begin a freelance career before the Internet existed.
As a rule, I would say that I use Facebook more than Twitter for entertainment. When it comes to marketing myself, however, I find that Twitter is a far more valuable asset than Facebook. While it certainly is a matter of opinion, there are a few reasons why I believe this and stand firm in this belief.
One: Facebook is focused around friends and relationships with friends. Twitter is more focused around businesses, magazines, and marketing. I find it is now used more often and successfully as a marketing tool than a social tool. The group of people that you communicate with on Twitter is normally very different than the group of people on Facebook. Sure, there might be some common friends and relatives, but they are the outliers. People and businesses that you do not know can follow your tweets without asking permission, which makes you more accessible to the public; much more so than on Facebook.
Two: Hashtags. Using the most popular hashtags makes you very accessible. When any Twitter user searches for a certain #hashtag, your tweet can show up and gain you another #follower. Therefore, you are in control of how viewable you are by which hashtags you use. Facebook has no such function. You are mainly viewed only by your friends, which tend to be acquaintances and not owners of businesses that could use your freelance abilities.
Three: Twitter keeps you relevant. Rather than seeing a lot of updates about what was eaten for breakfast or how annoying The Bachelor was last night, the updates that are viewed on Twitter tend to be more relevant to professional life. For one, because you are following more businesses, magazines, and blogs that pertain to your field (most likely), you are keeping up-to-date on the news, which makes you more valuable. Second, when you tweet back to certain posts, it helps to build relationships with said tweeter. All in all, you are networking virtually; hence the term “Social Network”.
While I believe that both platforms (as well as many other social media platforms) should be utilized to market yourself, I think Twitter has the leg up in this domain. It makes you more accessible to potential employers, and it is easier to network with said potential employers. When it comes to freelancing, getting your name and work out there is what is important. Once it is out there, opportunities will roll in. Life really is all about connections.
Author:
Megan Campbell has a degree from Clemson University in Graphic Communications, and is currently living in Germany during a Gap Year abroad, working as an au pair and freelance writer. Her degree set her up for a great interest and knowledge of social media. You can find her on her blog, balancewithadashofcrazy, or contact her via email at meganecamp at gmail dot com. You can also find Megan on Twitter @abalancedcrazy
Sources:

The Path Less Taken: Google+

March 26, 2012 by Basil Puglisi 2 Comments

We’ve all heard about Google+; but to be quite honest, Google’s social network seemed to fizzle out after its release. It’s certainly no Facebook or Twitter, but that hasn’t stopped several major marketers from switching gears lately to focus on Google+. But why? Not only is Google+ no Twitter and Facebook, but February reports showed that the average Google+ user spends a total of 3 minutes on the site monthly. This compared to Facebook’s 405 minute average and Pinterest’s and Tumbler’s 100 minute average demonstrates Google+’s deceptive shortcoming . However, the reason marketers are turning their attention to this social networking platform is because Google+ is imperative in the world of social media and SEO, and here’ why.

Social Web Experience

Google+ is so much more than a social network as it gives users something new: a complete social web experience. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Google+ implements all of the services of Google into its social network: we’re talking Google Voice, Google Shopping, location filtered Google Search Engine Results, Google Video, photo sharing, and the list goes on. Google+ isn’t just about connecting with friends, it’s about connecting with the world. And in that connection, users share their personal and commercial experiences with the world, offering market researchers huge opportunities. And because Google+ is more than a social network, it is attractive and convenient to users. According to Google-plus.com, this is evident by the fact that by January 2012 Google+ was boasting 90 million active users worldwide, making it the 4th largest social networking platform in the world; and of course, one must take into account that this success comes only 6 months after the social network’s beta version was released.

Impact on the World of SEO

Two things make Google+ more important in the world of SEO than any other social network. First, because sharing and endorsing commercial items is both convenient and appealing to users, they are driven to participate; they this by utilizing Google+’s “+1” button. Through this utilization, users not only share public endorsement of products, services, websites, and the like on Google+ and websites, but through Google’s search engine; user’s Google+ friend’s +1 recommendations, if relevant, show up in their Google searches. Not to mention that the +1 button has been implemented into all results on Google’s search engine result pages; this is a big deal considering that Google holds more than 66 percent of the search engine market share, according to searchengineland.com.
Second, because everywhere we look features the +1 button, this means something big to SEO. Think about it. Google operates the majority of the search engine market. Millions of people flock to Google to query searches every day. Google+ and Google+1s directly affect SEO. Google owns Google+. Therefore it isn’t a far leap to assume that Google will give Google+ more weight in its algorithms than other social networks. So, put quite bluntly, anyone hoping to utilize SEO is completely and hopelessly dependent on Google and its secret algorithms.
Author:
Amber Paley is a guest post and article writer bringing to us information on why many marketers are turning their attention to Google+. Outraged by the prevalence of elder abuse in the U.S., Amber spends much of her professional life writing educational articles to help those affected by elder abuse find a good nursing home abuse lawyer. Amber’s social profile can be found at http://about.me/amberpaley
Sources: