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Posts Tagged ‘Social Networking Sites’

Top 5 SWARM tips for new businesses embarking on social media

Posted Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Top 5 SWARM tips for new businesses embarking on the social media mission

Olly will be talking on BayFm on Monday about why social media is so powerful for businesses and gives his top 5 tips. Tune in to Bay FM to hear what Olly recommends to get the best from immersing your company on the social networking sites and further explanation on his tips.

Here’s a sneak preview of those top tips:

1. Strategy- why have you put your company on the social networking sites and what are your objectives?

Don’t just dive into social media without any kind of plan otherwise you’ll soon be wondering what you’re doing and why you’re even there! Create some realistic objectives- make sure you are working towards something whether it be increased web traffic or the amount of likes/followers. If you don’t you wont know whether it’s a successful campaign or if you’re achieving the ROI you hoped for.

2. Don’t just follow people on Twitter

it’s not a numbers game! If you have 1000 followers and no interaction then you’ve eliminated the ‘social’ aspect of social media! Follow people who would be interested in your business and say hello, comment of the weather or strike up conversation.

3. Incentives

There are a growing number of businesses getting involved in social media but very few are doing it correctly. Make sure you’re different to everyone else and particularly you’re competition.  Create incentives and treat your followers as an elite group- tell your community breaking news before you release the information to anyone else.

4. Mix up your updates

Don’t use the social media as a broadcasting mechanism. Make sure you add some personality to your updates, it’s social after all! Upload industry news, pictures, office news, is one of the company employees raising money for charity and wish people a good day!

5. Don’t give up and have fun

A lot of companies give up too quickly because they haven’t followed the previous steps. Keep at it and you’ll discover the rewards and whilst you’re doing it, have fun!

Say Hello: Follow SWARM on Twitter or send olly@swarmbuzz.co.uk an email

 


Social Media: ROI…..ROI….ROI

Posted Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Now that the top UK brands are acknowledging the importance and power of social media, the emphasis of their involvement is beginning to change. Initially, those that first immersed their brand on the social networking platforms did so because they had the vision to appreciate it was where their customers were communicating with each other. They appreciated the benefits that Facebook and Twitter and YouTube could offer and rather than evaluate the tangible cash return they’d witness, they instead understood that deep involvement would reap rewards that traditional forms of marketing and advertising could not claim.

However, with the mass entrance of brands of all shapes and sizes, the concept of vision and genuine belief in the sites has been replaced by the ancient business ethos of ‘what will I get back from the money I’ve put in?’ Understandable from a business mindset but consequently, social media is changing. The most frequent topic of articles on social media in recent months has been on ROI, as companies are frantically trying to understand why they’re investing in social media, why they’re competitors are throwing large budgets at it and other than a Facebook page with 10,000 likes, what they’re actually getting back from it.

What has been difficult for most brands is that they cannot find a tangible ROI for social media. But it can be argued that traditional advertising, ie a TV advert, a page in the newspaper or magazine or a billboard ad are harder to determine the ROI. Social media can be tracked; the traffic referred to the brand’s website, better search ranking, levels of feedback on various campaigns, assessing customer’s thoughts on changes to the brand or suggestions for the future. How else could these factors be assessed or even posed to their customers before the arrival of social media? If you want ROI, don’t enter social media to sell a product or service, treat it as the most effective, beneficial and unique opportunity to achieve results nothing else can currently offer.


How Social Search Will Transform the SEO Industry

Posted Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

Facebook and Bing announced last week an agreement that would allow Microsoft’s search engine to return results based on the FacebookLikes” of the searcher’s friends. Additionally, Google recently began including Twitter updates in its search returns. It’s a natural innovation that fits into the business models of both companies and takes the trend of individualized search results to its next logical level: results tailored to the searcher’s existing social footprint.

SEO insiders have wondered whether this new search innovation would affect placement strategies. And the simple answer is: yes. Yes, there will be changes to the way SEO professionals run their clients’ campaigns. Yes, this will affect the industry as a whole. And yes, we believe SEO professionals will have to adapt to meet ever-evolving needs.

Changing the Method, Not the Mission

But to think that this development is rocking the SEO world is to misunderstand the realities of the industry. In its roughly 15 years of existence, SEO has grown from being a small wildcat operation run by webmasters and content services to being one of the most dynamic, fast-growing sectors of the tech market. The reason for this rapid growth is because — not in spite –- of the constantly evolving nature of search engines.

Of course, as with any complex question about a dynamically evolving industry, there is a caveat. While the Bing-Facebook agreement and the recent updates to Google will change elements of how we do our business, the fundamentals will remain the same. As much as innovation shapes the day-to-day processes of optimization, the core foundations of the industry remain unchanged. The goal was — and still is — putting clients at the top of results pages, whether this is through organic search, paid search or social media.

Social media is nothing new in the world of online marketing. Facebook alone has 500 million users. We have already seen certain Twitter feeds included in Google search results. Before long, results may integrate other social networking sites, like Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite and myriad other sites that haven’t even been developed yet. For SEO professionals, this change highlights the need to integrate social networking if they haven’t already.

The Bing-Facebook agreement is indicative of the many changes that have taken SEO from a small-time game to a major, innovative industry. SEO is not about counter-punching, and it’s not about simply reacting to the changing search-engine landscape. Instead, it is about growing alongside search engines. It is about evolving with them to ensure that searchers get the results they need.

SEO Firms Must Become Digital Media Agencies

For years now, successful SEO firms have not been focusing their efforts strictly on organic search results. They’ve been steadily evolving along with changes in search engines: new Google algorithms, the emergence of Bing, the development of Google Local, instant searches, paid search, and searchable Twitter feeds. At mycompany, we believe that to be successful, SEO firms need to become something more advanced: Digital Media Agencies.

A modern DMA resembles an SEO firm from 2002 in the way that a Ferrari resembles a Model T. The basic elements remain the same, but sophistication and complexity have resulted in a better product. DMAs are about handling the many online representation needs of their clients. While top search engine placement remains the major goal, it is just one aspect of what they seek to do. A DMA also seeks to manage a client’s online reputation, create and maintain their social presence, and handle the many other aspects of a client’s online brand.

Will SEO professionals have to change their strategy in reaction to a new social media paradigm? The answer is yes. Their evolution into full-fledged Digital Media Agencies is imperative. And as the social and search industries continue to change, so too will DMAs need to innovate.


Advertisers to Spend $1.7 Billion on Social Networks in 2010

Posted Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Mashable, 17th August 2010

The latest numbers from eMarketer project that advertisers will spend nearly $1.7 billion in the U.S. on social networking sites in 2010. Worldwide, spending will hit $3.3 billion according to the report.

The numbers represent a significant bump up from estimates published by the research firm at the end of last year, when it projected $1.3 billion would be spent on the space in the U.S.

Not surprisingly, eMarketer sees about half of that money (in the U.S.) going to Facebook, with MySpace continuing to see a smaller share of the pie. Separately, the firm estimated that Facebook’s 2010 revenue would hit $1.2 billion in a report published last week.

Earlier this month, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that some of the social network’s biggest advertisers had boosted ad spending by 10x this year; a trend that’s apparent in the eMarketer report.

Check the site for chart: http://mashable.com/2010/08/16/social-networking-ad-spend-2010/


Adults flock to social networking sites

Posted Friday, October 16th, 2009

The Independent, 15 October 2009

The number of adults using social networking sites has nearly doubled in two years, research suggested today.

Women are more likely than men to use the sites – and nine out of ten users say they have a profile on Facebook.

Ofcom‘s UK Adults’ Media Literacy interim report also found the number of internet users aged 65 and over had increased sharply since 2007, from 26 per cent to 41 per cent.

The study found internet users with a profile on a social networking site had jumped from 22 per cent to 38 per cent since 2007. Some 41 per cent visit the sites daily, compared to 30 per cent two years ago. But while the popularity has increased, more people are selective about who can view their profile.

The study showed 76 per cent restrict access to family and friends – up from 48 per cent in 2007. The research showed 42 per cent of women were likely to have a social networking site profile, compared to 34 per cent of men. And 39 per cent of women used the internet at least weekly for social networking, compared to 28 per cent of men.
Facebook was the most popular site among social networkers, with 89 per cent adding their profile to it, up from 62 per cent in 2007.
Just under half (49 per cent) of men surveyed said they used the internet for news, while 35 per cent used it for sports updates and 39 per cent to pass time. In comparison, 30 per cent of women used it for news, 6 per cent for sports news and 30 per cent to pass time.

One in three adults (29 per cent) who use the internet watched online or downloaded television programmes or films, with 25 to 34-year-olds most likely to do this.

As well as increasing usage in older age groups, 51 per cent of people from low income households now use the web, up from 35 per cent in 2007.

But the level remains lower than the overall figure for adults using the internet, which stands at 73 per cent.

The growing influence of the internet was also reflected in an increase in the number of people who selected it as the media form they would miss the most. While most people (51 per cent) nominated television, more adults listed the internet, up from 12 per cent in 2007 to 15 per cent.

Other themes revealed in the report showed take-up of digital televisions now stood at 89 per cent, up from 82 per cent in 2007, and personal mobile phone usage had risen from 85 per cent to 91 per cent.

* The survey involved 812 in-home interviews with adults aged 16 and over from April to May.


 
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