Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Is the world ready for Google Buzz ?
Google launched their new social networking tool Buzz on February 9Th through their Gmail feature as an answer to the popularity of sites like Twitter. Now when a member logs into their Gmail account, they can chat with other members on their email list.
By incorporating Buzz into Gmail, they are allowing users to be connected easier,but it is this simplicity that may be turning off users. By including members already on your Email list, Google is assuming that you want to be connected to these individuals. It is because Emailing is the most popular form of communicating on the web that people what some type of separation. With a site like Twitter, members seek out people to follow and people who will be their followers. Google has assumed that everyone on my Gmail list are people I actually want to be connected with,but in fact many people on my list are those connected through work or business and don't need to know my every action. And what about those people who are not on my Gmail list? the popularity of a site like Twitter stems from the fact that everyday people can follow celebrities, but not be intrusive. Will these same celebrities be willing to give me their Emails so we can "Buzz" each other? I think this may be too intrusive.
So while Buzz may be convenient for some of my relationships, it is still too early to tell if I can build up the same type of following as I can on a site like Twitter. Google's efforts to keep members on site longer through Gmail, Google Wave and now Buzz remains to be seen if they are biting off more than they can chew.....
By incorporating Buzz into Gmail, they are allowing users to be connected easier,but it is this simplicity that may be turning off users. By including members already on your Email list, Google is assuming that you want to be connected to these individuals. It is because Emailing is the most popular form of communicating on the web that people what some type of separation. With a site like Twitter, members seek out people to follow and people who will be their followers. Google has assumed that everyone on my Gmail list are people I actually want to be connected with,but in fact many people on my list are those connected through work or business and don't need to know my every action. And what about those people who are not on my Gmail list? the popularity of a site like Twitter stems from the fact that everyday people can follow celebrities, but not be intrusive. Will these same celebrities be willing to give me their Emails so we can "Buzz" each other? I think this may be too intrusive.
So while Buzz may be convenient for some of my relationships, it is still too early to tell if I can build up the same type of following as I can on a site like Twitter. Google's efforts to keep members on site longer through Gmail, Google Wave and now Buzz remains to be seen if they are biting off more than they can chew.....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Twitter Do's and Don'ts
So you have made the decision for your business to start participating in the Social media market. This is a wise and cost effective choice since Social media is the fastest growing Internet marketing segment. Before you begin, we have compiled a few general rules for you to keep in mind to get your campaign started effectively.
To Do:
01)Make sure you cross promote your Social sites on your Home page: You are likely to find willing and eager followers from those people who are visiting your website.
02)Register using your brand name: remember you are building and marketing your brand name so stay away from personal ids or nicknames.
03)Keep your identity safe: just like anything else keep your passwords and log ins to yourself while online.
04)Do invite your friends, family and customers to join your list: Remember the phone company MCI, they created a customer base by network marketing to individuals who in turn marketed to their circles of influence. Send out email notifications to customers , friends and families. Your family and friends are your most loyal supporters and they will network you to their friends and families.
05)Use the search tools on Twitter to find relevant groups to link to: You want to get your brand in front of the proper groups so spend some time inviting those members in your niche.
06)Link your accounts together: With the growth of Social media, businesses can have accounts set up on several sites so of the most popular such as Face book and Twitter allow you to link up your sites so that you can post one article to many sites at the same time.
07)Be concise with your posts: Twitter allows you to micro blog, which means you have a limited amount of characters available when posting so you have to get right to the point.
08)Be engaging with your posts: People are following you because they are interested in what your company is doing so fill them in.
09)Follow those sites relevant to you: Make sure you are following sites, Twitter is based largely on reciprocity if I follow you I would hope you would follow me. If you don't make an effort to follow other sites they will unsubscribe to you.
10)Give yourself time: Building a following doesn't happen overnight it takes time to build a following so work on it consistently and before you know it you will see real growth.
What not to do:
01)Don't approve every follower: Twitter has different follower approval options, you can either monitor them yourself or allow public access. You want to choose the option of approving them yourself or you will end up with a lot of irrelevant followers who can post to your site.
02)Don't try to follow large sites with out being relevant: Some users get starstruck when they see Tweeters with large followings, if these sites are not relevant to your business don't follow them since you will just clutter your page. You want qualified traffic not just traffic for the sake of numbers.
03)Don't oversell: People who follow you on Twitter are interested in your products and want to know about specials and sales, but don't oversell. The basic rule is 70% - 30%. 70% of your posts should be content related and engaging while no more than 30% should be about selling products. Spamming is still Spamming weather it is in an Email or on a Social site.
For more information or help getting started with your campaign visit us at IMM..
To Do:
01)Make sure you cross promote your Social sites on your Home page: You are likely to find willing and eager followers from those people who are visiting your website.
02)Register using your brand name: remember you are building and marketing your brand name so stay away from personal ids or nicknames.
03)Keep your identity safe: just like anything else keep your passwords and log ins to yourself while online.
04)Do invite your friends, family and customers to join your list: Remember the phone company MCI, they created a customer base by network marketing to individuals who in turn marketed to their circles of influence. Send out email notifications to customers , friends and families. Your family and friends are your most loyal supporters and they will network you to their friends and families.
05)Use the search tools on Twitter to find relevant groups to link to: You want to get your brand in front of the proper groups so spend some time inviting those members in your niche.
06)Link your accounts together: With the growth of Social media, businesses can have accounts set up on several sites so of the most popular such as Face book and Twitter allow you to link up your sites so that you can post one article to many sites at the same time.
07)Be concise with your posts: Twitter allows you to micro blog, which means you have a limited amount of characters available when posting so you have to get right to the point.
08)Be engaging with your posts: People are following you because they are interested in what your company is doing so fill them in.
09)Follow those sites relevant to you: Make sure you are following sites, Twitter is based largely on reciprocity if I follow you I would hope you would follow me. If you don't make an effort to follow other sites they will unsubscribe to you.
10)Give yourself time: Building a following doesn't happen overnight it takes time to build a following so work on it consistently and before you know it you will see real growth.
What not to do:
01)Don't approve every follower: Twitter has different follower approval options, you can either monitor them yourself or allow public access. You want to choose the option of approving them yourself or you will end up with a lot of irrelevant followers who can post to your site.
02)Don't try to follow large sites with out being relevant: Some users get starstruck when they see Tweeters with large followings, if these sites are not relevant to your business don't follow them since you will just clutter your page. You want qualified traffic not just traffic for the sake of numbers.
03)Don't oversell: People who follow you on Twitter are interested in your products and want to know about specials and sales, but don't oversell. The basic rule is 70% - 30%. 70% of your posts should be content related and engaging while no more than 30% should be about selling products. Spamming is still Spamming weather it is in an Email or on a Social site.
For more information or help getting started with your campaign visit us at IMM..
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Americans Look to Print for Savings
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Younger, better-educated segment positive about Web deals
The recession has inspired a thriftiness in consumers that some believe will outlast the economic downturn. Bargain-hunting Internet users have turned to price comparison hubs and coupon sites in increasing numbers, but according to data from Adweek and Harris Poll, Americans think the best places to look for deals are still offline.
Overall, nearly one-quarter of US adults reported that newspaper and magazine ads were the most helpful types of advertising when they were searching for a bargain, compared with 18% who indicated online ads were best.
Among younger respondents, however, the trend was reversed. Adults ages 18 to 44 preferred online ads for bargain hunting by a margin of at least 5 percentage points. The oldest respondents were the most likely to favor print, though they still thought Web ads were better for deal-seeking than direct mail or TV.
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Younger, better-educated segment positive about Web deals
The recession has inspired a thriftiness in consumers that some believe will outlast the economic downturn. Bargain-hunting Internet users have turned to price comparison hubs and coupon sites in increasing numbers, but according to data from Adweek and Harris Poll, Americans think the best places to look for deals are still offline.
Overall, nearly one-quarter of US adults reported that newspaper and magazine ads were the most helpful types of advertising when they were searching for a bargain, compared with 18% who indicated online ads were best.
Among younger respondents, however, the trend was reversed. Adults ages 18 to 44 preferred online ads for bargain hunting by a margin of at least 5 percentage points. The oldest respondents were the most likely to favor print, though they still thought Web ads were better for deal-seeking than direct mail or TV.
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