Business Social Media Marketing & Social Networking & Website Builders

Pinterest Now # 3 Social Network Behind Facebook & Twitter

2012-04-06T14:56:00.004-07:00

The Experian “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report” shows social networking has 91 percent of adults using social media regularly. Social networking usage has changed dramatically with Pinterest taking over with the 3rd highest usage numbers ahead of Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace. Pinterest traffic increased 50% in just January and February of 2012 with an average of 89 minutes per month spent on the website.

Facebook still dominates social networking with an average of 405 minutes spent on the website but Twitter is likely to be overtaken by Pinterest as the # 2 social network. Pinterest has become a huge place for marketing by large and small companies worldwide due to the simple, visual appeal and ease of use. We started setting up Pinterest accounts for our company and clients in 2011 and advocate creation of accounts for all businesses, products or services.

Contact our SEO and Social Marketing Experts for a complete Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing campaign at 816-842-7774 or online at www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting
Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Websites, Online Marketing, SEO, Social Networks, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Blogger & Success

2012-04-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

The one question every business owner asks when we meet for a consultation is "What do I need to be doing to rank higher on Search Engines and reach more customers?". The answer is a complicated one since there is no one thing that will lead to online success, it requires specific properly setup and optimized 'Online Building Blocks' starting with the website.

No Online Marketing will be successful without a properly built and properly optimized website as the foundation. The website must be readable by search engines, must contain multiple 'calls for action' to entice online suppers to submit a request, question or share information and the format of the website must be user friendly. A website is "more than Meta Tags" today, the backend code is a requirement (still missed by many bad website companies and Template websites) but dozens of other key elements are required for online success.


This Template Website was produced by a a communications company for the customer and published without META Tags which ranked the website lower and lost the customer sales. The customer did nothing wrong but noticed months later that old 'marketing websites' were ranking higher on search engines than the main company website.

The website IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM for online marketing success. Make sure the website is built by someone with experience, expertise, focus (they build and market websites as the primary business - not an ad agency or public speaker or other type company that builds websites on the side to make extra money) and longevity. There are hundreds of unemployed people starting website, social marketing and graphics design companies. There are more with expertise in public speaking, mortgages, ad agencies or even print marketing firms with little to no expertise with websites, Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing that now present themselves as 'website companies'.

The most capable website companies will have a minimum of 10 years experience designing, developing and marketing websites. Any company with less than 5 years experience is still 'learning' how to build a website and anyone working from home is someone to be avoided.

Once the website is built properly, optimized and submitted to Search Engines the next step is building awareness of the new website. The top algorithm used to rank a website is how many other websites (that have value, not link farms) are linking TO a website and what content those websites have on them. Search Engines track how many links go to websites over periods of time which brings Social Networking into play as an key role in any SEO success.

Facebook is the # 1 location on the Internet, Facebook is the # 1 source of referral links on the Internet and Facebook has more traffic from people who spend more time on Facebook than any other website or search engine. The importance of Facebook cannot be overlooked, there are millions of potential customers on Facebook every day. The few people who do not use Facebook can still find information from Facebook on Search Engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing since content from Facebook is fed to Search Engines. Setting up a business profile and a business page, optimizing the page and creating a successful social media marketing campaign with regular updates, posts and interactions will help rank websites higher and potentially reach millions of people.

Facebook is like High School where popularity and interactions mean everything. Setting up a profile ad setting up a page has no benefit unless there are multiple people connected to the page who interact, comment and share information or posts. This is where it may be worth hiring Social Marketing Experts like www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com to create, optimize and CONNECT everything so that Facebook and Search Engines value the content ranking it higher. At a minimum all companies need to have a Business Profile setup with a Business Page for their company, product or service. Ideally it is worth hiring a company with teams of Social Marketing Experts to create, optimize and train you for around $350-$550 so time and efforts are not wasted.

Twitter is the text message wonder of the Internet setup with 140 character length messages with the idea that people would 'Tweet' updates from cell phones. Twitter users are loyal and there are millions of them so setting up a Twitter account for business is a requirement. Setup the Twitter account then link the Facebook account to it (do this in Facebook) so that updates from Facebook are automatically sent to Twitter like we have setup at www.Twitter.com/WebsiteExperts. Connecting the accounts reduces the amount of time spent with updates and ensures everything is up to date across the online board.

Pinterest is the new top player on the Social Networking playground with a simple visual approach. (View our article explaining Pinterest earlier this month for setup details) When we first came across Pinterest it seemed like just another annoying social network to learn. Once we setup the account and spent time to research what items to 'Pin' that would being value to business we started seeing increased traffic on company websites from Pinterest. The average visit from Pinterest spent nearly 5 minutes looking through the website, 5 times longer than Facebook visitors. Our company builds websites so the main thing we used on Pinterest was thumbnail images of websites we built with a description of the website.

We then setup another 'Board' for Social Marketing and another 'Board' for company training classes and speaking events. We removed the default Boards that came with the account and spent time considering what would showcase what we did, who we are or what we can do for customers to create the most effective Boards for business and a few fun things.

Pinterest requires a few hours to create, setup and then locate enough content to 'Pin' so that it is effective. Spend a few minutes connecting and 'following' other people since they tend to follow you back similar to how Twitter users follow people who follow them. If your company sells homes then Pin photos of homes for sale or floor plans while others can Pin photos of electronics for sale or any item located on the Internet. Pinterest is not permitted is not permitted to Pin items from Facebook but Google+ users are welcome to Pin any photo from their accounts.

Google was the 800 Pound Gorilla on the Internet for years until Facebook took the # 1 spot away. Google tried to buy Facebook and when the offer was turned down Google decided to create it's own Social Network. Google+ is the result at http://Plus.Google.com with a combination of features from Facebook, Twitter and a few new ideas such as 'Circles'. The article on Google+ Setup and Optimization outlines the key features and benefits of Google+ if you are just getting started. One unique benefit of having a Google+ account is that Google announced that websites are being ranked higher on the Google Search Engine based on usage or interactions from Google+ accounts.

When a company has a Google+ profile setup with the company website listed on Google+ and other users connected who 'Like' or '+1' the website then it will rank higher for other users on Google. In short Google is enticing people and business to use Google+ with the added benefit of ranking higher on the Google Search Engine. Setup a Google+ account, place contact information, website links and a profile online and spend a few minutes adding people to your circles. It may not be the top social network yet but Google is spending millions on development so it will only get better.

Google purchased Blogspot and combined it with their other Blog system to create one of the leading online Blog systems today www.Blogger.com. Setting up a Blog (web log = Blog for short) is free, fast and reaches millions of potential customers online. If a Blog has enough traffic and the right content it will be republished, shared and even sold online at the Amazon Kindle Store. A properly written Blog will also help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), establish creditability for the writers or company and provide fresh content for social networks or websites.

Creating a Blog is about creating content about your company, services, products or solutions and related information people may be interested in. There is no wrong way to write a Blog, simply make sure you DO it and always 'sign' the Blog with contact information including a phone number and full website address. Write articles about your area of expertise, industry news or information and your company. Once a Blog is setup be sure to link it to Facebook so any updates are automatically sent to the Facebook business page and even the company website similar to how Google Blogger feeds scrolling Blog articles to the Internet Builder Consulting website Home Page.

Last is the LinkedIn Social Network typically used for Business to Business connections. There are no grandmothers sharing recipes or families uploading photo's of the weekend trip. LinkedIn is focused on business and company or professional information although it will accept direct feeds from Twitter and Facebook which may contain any sort of content. The LinkedIn network suggests connections based on mutual places of employment, mutual existing connections and feeds nearly everything on the LinkedIn website to Search Engines.

Setup a LinkedIn profile and then a LinkedIn company page for the best results. Company Pages and Personal Profiles are both indexed and sent to Search Engines so people may locate you or your business on Google because you have a LinkedIn page.

The list above outlines the very basic requirements for online success today. Take the time to setup at least the basic profiles with a description, contact information and then practice every week until you are comfortable with each of the social networks. If your business needs a BETTER built website, Search Engine Optimization or Social Networking setup, training or Social Marketing solutions contact Internet Builder Consulting online or call the experts at 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
816-842-7774 Corporate Office
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Social Network Security, Privacy and Productivity

2012-01-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

Social Networking interacts with nearly every aspect of our lives today. The average American spends over 16 hours a month on Facebook with 50% of Facebook users logging on every single day. Social Networks are used at the office and in personal life although it is sometimes best to keep the two separate.

When our company receives an application or email for employment the first thing we do is look up the individual on Facebook and other social networks to see exactly who they are. We have brought on interns based upon their wide use of social networks with positive posts while we have also decided not to interview people based upon what they posted on social networks. Employers, co-workers, friends and family are using social networking though not everything posted online should be shared with all of them.

One thing our company does to ensure our staff is on top of the latest online marketing, social networking and interaction is creation of 'Business' social networking accounts. Each new team member is setup with a company email address (myname@mycompany.com) which is then used to create a complete set of social networking accounts for each individual. The accounts are links to our company social marketing pages, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and customer accounts. The staff is asked to login a few times each week to interact, read, learn and communicate with other staff, industry news and customers.

This ensures that the business has a wider reach online while maintaining a consistent online presence for the staff to interact with clients, potential customers and each other in a professional fashion. Personal accounts are not tied with the business accounts and there is less of a chance of someone being offended or alienated from a personal event unrelated to the company. The Business accounts are not 'friends' with personal accounts or non-business related individuals to ensure the privacy of the staff and keep any potential fires from starting.

A few ideas for maintaining privacy and ensuring there are no issues with Social Networking at the office include:

Lock down your Personal profilesAvoid friending anyone from work including your co-workers or boss - use your Business profile to communicate and interact with them. Take advantage of the privacy features within Facebook and create lists keeping unwanted visitors away from private photos, tagged posts and information.
Private messages are not private
When it comes to the workplace and the world of employment law, private messages on social networking sites are discoverable in court. This means that messages between friends and colleagues on social networks can be used as part of the legal investigation process. These messages are electronic conversations similar to e-mail and are being treated as such.
Don’t trust Facebook or other Social NetworksFacebook has been known for their privacy issues in the past, and yet we, as individuals, place blind faith in a company who often holds the very key to our digital life. Avoid providing very personal information including your date of birth, religious information, or other protected topics that companies can use when making employment decision like hiring, promotions or salary increases in the United States. This information, known as protected classes (age, sex, religion, disability, pregnancy, race/color, and nation of origin), may not be used by employers to make employment decisions, although this information is easily accessible via personal social media profiles like Facebook. Companies are increasingly using social media as a form of an online background check.
Read your social media policy
Companies are adding social media policies to their employee manuals. Take the time to read the policy and understand the guidelines they have put in place. Use common sense, if you have an issue with the company you work with, a customer or a co-worker DO NOT publicize that information online where it may come back to haunt you.
Not everything you read online is a FACT
Anyone can post anything on the Internet. Just because you find a profile or information about someone, a business it may not be a fact. There are countless cases of people impersonating others such as sports stars, celebrates, business executives and even neighbors to generate traffic, obtain 'friends' or market on the Internet. Anyone with Internet Access can create a profile using any name and post information so be cautious in what you believe or how you may use information found on the Internet because it may not be true. Sometimes this is done in fun, for marketing or to slander or harm others so be cautious.

Contact Internet Builder Consulting Social Marketing Experts for a consultation on your company social networking policy, Social Marketing, websites or Search Engine Optimization today at 816-842-7774

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & SEO solutions since 1995

Google+ Social Network Reaches 18 Million Users in the First Month

2011-07-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

New statistics from Experian Hitwise shows Google+ is growing fast, thanks to a young demographic and significant traffic from other Google websites and tools. The internet analytics firm has released its first set of data regarding Google’s new social network. Although the data only extends to July 16, it provides a detailed picture into the numbers that are driving Google+’s growth.

Below are some of the most interesting stats from Experian Hitwise’s report:

As of July 16, Google+ is the 42nd most-visited social networking site in the US and the 638th most-visited site on the web. These numbers are amazing since the social network is invitation only at this time - Google+ will gain significantly when it opens to the public.
According to Hitwise, Google+ had 1.8 million total visits last week, an increase of 283% from the previous week. Google+ has grown by a whopping 821% from the week ending on July 2, the first week Google+ was available.
56% of Google+’s upstream traffic came from other Google properties last week, with 34% of that traffic coming from Google.com. And 37% of its upstream traffic coming from search engines and the final 21% of its traffic driven by email.
According to Hitwise, 57% of visits to Google+ were from males for the four weeks ending on July 16
Google+ is dominated by young adults with the 25-34 age group being the largest age group with 38.37% of all visits and the 18-34 age group making up 38.11% of total visitors.
Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco are the most dominant metropolitan areas driving traffic to Google+. Other locations with a higher proportion of visitors to Google+ than the general online population include Bowling Green, KY, Portland, OR and Bend, OR

Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders teams of experts are busy helping customers setup their Google+ and other social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube and more!). Contact us today for a consultation or have our experts setup, manage and market your company on social networks for as little as $350

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995
816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

Consumers & Online Buyers Are Tapping Into the 'F-Factor' of Social Networking

2011-05-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Consumers are increasingly tapping into their online social networks of friends, fans, and followers to discover, discuss and purchase goods and services, according to analysis from Trendwatching.com. The consumer trend analysis firm calls this trend the “F-Factor,” with the “F” standing for friends, fans and followers.

Social Sources Become Trusted

As a result of social networking and other online communication technologies, consumers can now use trusted sources they know to obtain information about products and brands, rather than rely on third party advertising or perform extensive first hand research.

Trendwatching.com advises that consumers have always relied on word-of-mouth advice from friends, relatives and associates, but modern technology is greatly accelerating its development as a major influence of purchase decisions.

Facebook Dominates the F-Factor

The F-Factor is currently dominated by Facebook, according to Trendwatching.com. As of April 2011 Facebook has 500 million active users spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the website and every month more than 250 million people engage with Facebook across more than 2.5 million external websites.

2010 Facebook data shows the average user clicks the “Like” button nine times each month and February 2011 Ad Age/Ipsos data shows 3/4 of Facebook users have liked a brand.

Consumers ‘F-Discover’ Best of the Best

Trendwatching.com has broken down five key ways the F-Factor influences consumer purchasing decisions. The first, ‘F-Discovery’ involves consumer desires to own or experience the best of the best and their desire for serendipity, excitement, interaction and community. People are curious and interested in what their friends and contacts think, do, eat, read, listen to, drive in, travel to and buy, because this will often be similar to how they want to think, act and buy.

Thus consumers are embracing communities, tools and apps that allow them to dive into and discover selections from friends, fans, followers, and so on.

Consumers Want ‘F-Rated’ Products

Consumers sometimes enjoy finding the best of the best through discovery; they are increasingly able to access personalized recommendations and reviews on something they know they want to purchase. Research from trendwatching.com shows more and more websites will automatically serve up friends’ recommendations, ratings and reviews next to goods and services that people are researching.

‘F-Feedback’ Makes Recommendations Personal

Anonymous reviews aren’t always what consumers need or want; they can lack relevance and context, and consumers with many options sometimes just want an unambiguous or finite opinion. F-Feedback involves consumers actively disclosing their purchasing intentions and reaching out to their friends and contacts for personalized feedback.

Trendwatching.com further advises that with more and more consumers increasingly viewing their online reputation as something to enhance as well as just protect, the quality of answers on Q&A services is rapidly improving.

F-Together Makes Shopping Social

While group buying platforms such as Groupon are revolutionizing local, consumers typically do not know the other members of the group that they are buying with. So, while consumers get to leverage the power of the web to benefit from better deals, the actual shopping experience frequently lacks the F-Factor. Consumers have strong incentives to share certain purchases, especially for F-Factor-friendly experiences such as buying event tickets where consumers can now automatically invite friends to a concert or movie right after purchasing a ticket.

F-Me Individualizes the F-Factor

Trendwatching.com refers to the trend of personalized products and services based on the activities and output of one’s social network as ‘F-Me’. This includes services that turn a user’s Facebook page into a daily newspaper and a user’s Twitter feed into a published journal.

Look for ‘Twinsumers’ and ‘Social-lites’

Both of these types of online consumers were identified by Trendwatching.com in December 2010 as critical to spreading positive word of mouth recommendations. Twinsumers are consumers with similar consumer patterns, likes and dislikes, and who are valuable sources for recommendations on what to buy and experience while ‘Sociallites’ are consumers who consistently broadcast information to a wide range of associates online.

Social Networking and the integration of social factors with websites, online marketing and eCommerce are imperative in any Internet Initiative today. Contact Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders social networking experts to build a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing solution today at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & Consulting since 1995

Social Media Marketing Assists with Customer Satisfaction & Brand Performance

2011-03-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Retailers and businesses can use social media to turn consumers who have had a negative experience with their brand into brand advocates according to a new report from RightNow and Harris Interactive. Data from “The Retail Consumer Report” indicates 68% of US consumers who posted a complaint or negative review of a holiday shopping experience during the 2010 holiday season were contacted by the retailer. Two thirds (67%) of them wound up taking an action that would be considered positive for the brand.

Out of the 68% that complained and were contacted following a negative social media posting 34% deleted their original negative review, 33% turned around and posted a positive review and 18% became a loyal customer purchasing again.

These figures show 85% of customers who posted a negative review of a shopping experience and were then contacted by the retailer wound up taking an action that was positive for the retailer. Two thirds (67%) took an action through social media directly removing or improving their original negative posting.

Excellent Customer Service Improves Online Purchasing

Half of all online buyers shared that great customer service and/or a previous positive experience as influencing their decision to buy from a specific online retailer. After a positive online shopping experience, 31% of consumers purchased again, 21% recommended the seller to their friends, and 13% posted a positive review on a social network.

Effective professional social networking and social marketing will reach more buyers, sell more, improve customer satisfaction and assist with branding. All business today providing a product or service needs to have professional Social Media Marketing and Social Networking setup and managed every week. To contact the Internet Builder Consulting Social Marketing Experts call 816-842-7774 or visit us online.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet, Social Marketing & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing and Technology Solutions since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Social Networking Dratamically Increases for Older Users - 3/4 of Working Adults Online

2011-03-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

Overall social networking use by online American adults has grown from 35% in 2008 to 61% in 2010. The increase is even more dramatic among older adults, according to new data from the Pew Research Center with the rate of online social networking nearly quadrupled among Older Boomers (from 9% to 43%) and the GI Generation (from 4% to 16%).

8 Out of 10 Adults Are Online
79% of US adults 18 and older can be classified as “online” in correlation to their much higher social networking rate. Millennials are the most active online with 95% participation.
Online rates drop with each higher age bracket with 86% of Gen X and 81% of Younger Boomers are online. Even 76% of Older Boomers are online, meaning a solid majority of working-age adults are online.
Adults in their retirement years are online at lower levels though more than half (58%) of the Silent Generation are online. This figure sharply dips to 30% of the GI Generation (age 74 and older).

Social Networking and Social Marketing are EXTREMELY effective tools in reaching more buyers and managaing your online brand. It is also important to have 'Social Optimization' similar to 'Search Engine Optimization' by a professional such as http://www.internetbuilderconsulting.com/ and our http://www.socialmarketingbuilders.com/ programs.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Experts since 1995
816-842-7774

Use of Social Networking on Mobile Devices Grows Significantly

2011-03-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Social networking is among the fastest growing US mobile categories by total audience, according to a new report from comScore. Information from “The 2010 Mobile Year in Review” indicates social networking reached 57.9 million US mobile users in December 2010, an increase of 56% from a less than 40 million users in December 2009.
This growth rate compares favorably with the growth rates of other leading mobile categories such as classifieds (55%), mobile retail (53%) and general reference (47%). It is also worth noting that social networking had the third largest audience of leading mobile categories in December 2010, slightly behind weather and approximately 10% less than personal email, which had an audience of more than 60 million and a 39% growth rate.

The growth of social networking via mobile devices is primarily driven by Facebook which reached 90% of US social media users and 85% of European users growing more than 120% during the past year in both regions. YouTube and Twitter hold second and third position in the US as well as Europe although European market shows much stronger growth. In Europe YouTube grew 95% between December 2009 and December 2010 and the number of mobile Twitter users grew 195%.

Reach Social Networking users and prospective customers through expert Social Media Marketing solutions provided by Internet Builder Consulting SEO & Social Networking and our Social Marketing Builders. Contact us online or call the corporate offices to setup a professional consultation with packages starting as low as $350.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995

816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

Women Lead Men in Social Networking Usage, Facebook Still # 1

2011-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

One demographic trend that continued to increase in 2010 was women extending their lead on men in the share of their online time spent on social networking websites. Women spent 16.8% of their online time on social networking sites, up 36.5% from 12.3% of their online time a a year earlier.
By comparison, men spent 12% of their time on social networking sites in December 2010, up 32% from 9.1% a year earlier. The comScore data shows women not only use social networking websites more than men, but they are also accelerating their usage at a faster rate.

Of all the social networking websites Facebook continues to lead with an increase of 153.9 Million Users in December 2010 alone (38% increase). Facebook now has more traffic than the # 1 Search Engine, Google making social marketing equally important to search engine marketing in terms of reach.

Contact Internet Builder Consulting and Social Marketing Builders to have an an expert social network marketing campaign built for your business starting at only $350 for professional setup, integration and training. Visit and connect with our experts on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/InternetExperts

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
816-842-7774 Corporate Office
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Search Engine Optimization & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Brand Management…For YOU!

2011-01-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

In the business world there is no shortage of great companies that work everyday to manage their public image: Apple, Sony, Southwest Airlines, & Whole Foods, just to name a few. While each of these companies provide either great products, great service or both, their positive public image did not happen by accident. Between positive interactions with customers, strategic events, online media and marketing, a positive image has molded around these organizations.

Why should your own public image be any different? As more and more companies depend on alternative sources of information through the hiring process, you should be concerned about the image you are portraying, intended or unintended. What message are you sending?

As an educational exercise, search for yourself using the search engine of your choice such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. For common names, you might need to place quotes around your “name” to limit your results or add a location. Look at what the results. You might find an article about you from High School where you participated in sporting events. There might be information on a blog about services you performed a local church or food bank. You might also find pictures from Spring Break where you got a little out-of-hand. There might information available through public record about an arrest or other indiscretion. How will this affect your ability to obtain a job?

There are a few things you should know. Over the last few years, the internet community has expended dramatically. In a structured agreement, Google is now working with Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites to index the items posted and list them on search engines. The more comments and “likes” you receive for a given post increases the likelihood of those items being found through a search. So, the hilarious picture of you in Cabo with your buddies is primed to receive a number of comments and likes and will be more easily found when searched. So, how do you better manage the messages you send?

First, your personal accounts on social media sites should be set to private and use a different email address than what you give to potential employers. This will help prevent some of these pesky images and inappropriate thoughts from finding their way to a potential employer or client. Search through the first few pages of Google results and determine what needs to managed out of those results.

Next, create your online, professional profile for business (see mine here). Who needs a professional profile? Anyone in business or anyone seeking employment in the future should have a professional profile setup separate from their personal profile. Just as you want to create brand awareness for your product, you want to make potential employers aware of your endeavors. Start by creating a new profile on Facebook. Tie the profile to a separate email account and find some new friends. Join up with other professional profiles of your peers, companies, and industry professionals.

Manage the message you send to potential employers by sharing items relevant to your chosen field of employment. Find articles and narratives of interest, share your thoughts on the topic and encourage others to interact on the subject. As you send out resumes, include your professional profile to encourage employers to find this information.

Your goal should be to not only prevent a negative image through online sources, but to create a positive reputation and image for your future.

Expert Social Media Marketing contact Internet Builder Consulting

Kansas City Office 816-842-7774

Article by Steve Bertasso with contributions by Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Friends with Benefits

2011-01-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

All knowledgeable website and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms include Social Marketing as an intricate part of any website solution. A website that is not properly Search Engine Optimized is useless and any Search Engine Optimization campaign is incomplete without Social Marketing. The key aspect of Social Marketing is communicating 'socially' to engage, entice and interact with others rather than simply pushing a message out through a one sided conversation.

Online or offline it is important to connect and make 'friends' with others of similar interests, in the same industries and market to the proper prospective customers. In either situation a one sided conversation will result in lack of results and likely loss of friends or connections. The key to success is making 'friends with benefits' who will connect, communicate and produce online success. Facebook separated the 'News' and 'Most Recent' last year to determine which items are considered important while others are simply 'updates'. The reason Facebook changed this was to determine what information will be fed to Search Engines and what information is simply shared with only the people directly connected to each other.

Facebook is the # 1 source of referrals on the Internet today with more daily usage than all other websites and search engines including Google. Search Engines have adopted their criteria and ranking algorithms to include information from social networking websites and online classifieds such as Craigslist in search results in real time. The way information posted on Facebook is determined to be NEWS or just a Recent Update is determined by a simple hierarchy of criteria with the basic principles being:

1. How many friends or connections you have
2. How much interaction your friends or connections have with what you post
3. How much interaction do your friends or connections have with others
4. Is the post made on a Personal account or properly setup Page
5. The format and content of what was posted is important

This means that no matter how much you post on facebook it will not matter unless your 'friends' interact with what is posted. If you have one 'friend' who constantly comments or likes your post it will dilute the interaction leading to lack of results thus you must have several 'friends' who interact on a regular basis to see real benefits. Everything posted must be properly formatted and ideally done through a Page setup for your business, product or service. Pages receive higher value ratings than personal accounts do and how the Page is setup affects how well it will rank when people search.

Facebook is the # 1 source of referrals today, buyers are using Facebook to connect with sellers but the most important aspect is the effect on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Content and posts from Facebook will show up on Search Engines when setup and marketed properly providing a double benefit if you have the right friends.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing and Virtual Tours since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Americans Use Social Networking More than Other Countries

2010-12-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Americans are most likely to use online social networks, according to a new study from the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Among the 22 publics surveyed, Americans most often say they use websites like Facebook and MySpace: 46% use such sites, 36% use the Internet, but do not access these sites, and 18% say they never go online.
The survey finds three countries close behind the US in social network usage. In Poland (43%), Britain (43%) and South Korea (40%), at least four in 10 adults say they use such sites. And at least a third engage in social networking in France (36%), Spain (34%), Russia (33%) and Brazil (33%).

Germany and Japan Have High Internet Usage; Low Social Networking Use
Germans and the Japanese stand out among highly connected countries for their comparatively low levels of participation in social networking. While 31% of Germans use these types of sites, 49% go online at least occasionally but choose not to use them. In Japan, 24% are engaged in social networking, while 44% have Internet access but are not engaged.
Among the 22 countries polled, social networking is least prevalent in Indonesia (6%) and Pakistan (3%). In both nations, more than 90% of the population does not use the Internet.

Younger Online Users are Most Active on Social Networks
In every nation surveyed, there is a notable age gap relating to social networking. Social networking is extremely popular among people younger than age 30; in 12 of the countries polled, a majority of this age group uses social networking type websites. There are only three countries, Britain, Poland and the US where most 30 to 49 year-olds are involved in social networking. There is no country where even 1/4 of ages 50 and older are involved.
In 10 countries, a gap of at least 50 percentage points separates the percentage of 18 to 29 year-olds who use social networking sites and the percentage of those ages 50 and older who do so. This includes the US, where the gap is 54 percentage points (77% of 18 to 29 year-olds and 23% of those 50 and older).
The age gap is largest in Germany, where 86% of people younger than age 30 take part in social networking, compared with 36% of 30 to 49 year-olds and just 8% of those ages 50 and older (78 percentage point difference).
While it is true that the young are more likely to go online, these age gaps are not driven solely by Internet usage. Even among Internet users, young people are more likely to participate in social networking.

Women More Likely to Use Social Networking than Men in the United States
There are relatively few gender gaps across the countries surveyed. For the most part, men and women tend to engage in social networking at roughly the same rates. The US is the only country in which women are significantly more likely than men to use social networking. While 52% of American women engage in social networking, just 41% of men do so. This gap is not driven by a difference in access; similar percentages of women (18%) and men (17%) say they do not access the Internet.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, about one-third of men (34%) use social networking, compared with only 19% of women. Similarly, in Japan, 30% of men report that they are involved in social networking, while just 19% of women say the same.

Harris Interactive Study Confirms Younger Americans Favors Social Networking & Facebook
Results from the recent Harris Interactive “YouthPulse 2010″ shows three quarters of 8 to 24 year-olds use a social networking site and about two-thirds (68%) spend time on a social networking site daily. Facebook is the most popular social networking site in this demographic, with 86% of 18 to 24 year-olds using Facebook and 71% of 13 to 17 year-olds doing so. More than one-quarter of 8 to 12 year-olds (28%) use Facebook.

Social Media Marketing and the use of Social Networking for business has become the norm for reaching more customers and online brand management today. Contact Internet Builder Consulting and our Social Marketing Builders today to have a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing campaign setup for your business or product.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites and Online Marketing since 1995
Social Marketing Builders - Building Effective Social Network Marketing for Business
816-842-7774 Office

Marketers Are Watching Social Networks & Reading Your Posts!

2010-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Tech Savvy marketers are using Social Networking for targeted advertising. With Facebook you can target ads for Facebook users based on job, income, location, hobbies and a wide range of other criteria for the Pay Per Click ad campaigns. Another unique 'feature' we found some marketing companies use is a 'sniffer' that automatically browses facebook posts for specific keywords or phrases to include users who match the criteria in targeted marketing campaigns.

This only works if the Facebook user has privacy settings shared for their email address and 'wall posts' otherwise there is no way an automated program could capture the proper information. To verify our suspicions we had two of our website experts login to separate Facebook accounts to post status updates about interest in seeing the new TRON movie released December 17th 2010. Both accounts are setup to share contact information, wall posts and interests and both accounts ended up receiving direct emails (via email, not through Facebook) from the same company advertising TRON movie night tickets.

The advertisement on the left was from a theater in 'East Taunton, MA' that sent direct emails to BOTH Facebook user's email addresses listed on the individual accounts after they posted interest in the TRON movie within 1 day of the post. It would have been a genius method of targeted marketing had the additional qualifier of LOCATION been added to the mix since neither website developer in Kansas City plans on flying out to Massachusetts to see the movie!

What this illustrates is the power of targeted marketing using Social Networking and the Internet in general. No other advertising medium provides the same potential and nowhere but the Internet do users share such a wide range of personal (and purchase) information. Any company providing Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and Pay Per Click Marketing should be studying trends, algorithms, interactions and usage to properly plan and implement solutions for customers.

The SEO, SEM and Social Marketing Experts at Internet Builder Consulting have led the way innovating and teaching online marketing since 1999 with constant research to keep our customers ahead of the competition!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing and Online Solutions since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Social Networking is the Most Increased Online Activity in 2010

2010-11-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

US online adults were most likely to say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks out of a wide variety of online activities during the past year, according to results of a new Harris Poll.
1/3 of Online Users Have Increased Social Network Viewing
About one-third (34%) of online US adults say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. This was the highest percentage combined response for increasing any of the eight activities presented to respondents (multiple answers were accepted).

Reading newspapers/current events followed at a distant second with a combined 26% saying they have increased this online activity either significantly or somewhat in the past year. However, somewhat mitigating this low rate of increased online activity is an often lower rate of decreased online activity.

For example, only a combined 8% of online adults say they have decreased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. A full 23% say this activity is not applicable and 34% say it has not changed.

Results are similar for most other activities, with the not changed rate of many hovering above 50%. Shopping had the highest combined rate of decrease (17%). Interestingly, a leading 55% of respondents say posting information on their own blogs is not applicable, and 43% say posting or commenting on friends’ blogs is not applicable, reflecting the shrinking popularity of blogs among US online users.

Young, Educated Social Networking Users are More Likely to Increase Online Activity
Almost across the board, social media users, younger and better educated respondents are more likely to say they have increased an online activity in the past year. The difference between social media users and non-social media users is most pronounced in rates of viewing friends’ photos and information on social networks, posting and commenting information on friends’ or own blogs, and posting comments/reviews about brands, products or services.

Conversely, non-social media users were more likely than social media users to have increased reading newspapers/current events, the only online activity where they surpassed social media users.

Blogging, reading newspapers and review posting were the only areas where increase rates were not highest among 18-to-34-year-olds. Posting information on your own blog, reading newspapers and posting comments/reviews had the highest rates of increase among 35-to-44-year-olds, posting/commenting on friends’ blogs had the highest rate of increase among 45-to-54-year-olds.

While there was some variety among what age brackets were the second-most-likely to have increased an online activity, 55-plus respondents had the lowest response rate in any area except shopping, where their increase rate of 22% beat 45-to-54-year-olds (20%) and tied 35-to-44-year-olds.

Meanwhile, respondents with a high school education or less were the least likely to have increased all eight online activities. Those with a college degree or more had higher increase rates than those with some college in every activity except posting comments on friends’

3 in 10 Use Social Netwotks for Product Reviews
Only a combined 28% of online adults say they have used social media to rant or rave about a company, brand or product. However, a combined 80% of respondents agree strongly or somewhat they give up part of their privacy by participating in social media, and a combined 73% agree strongly or somewhat social media only reveals a snapshot, rather than a full portrait, of who they are.

Nearly 60% of Social Networking Users Feel More Connected

Six in 10 (59%) of social network users say they feel more connected to people now than previously, according to another recent Harris Poll. That figure is highest among 18-to-34-year-olds (63%) and females (61%). Similar percentages (58% overall, 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds, 60% of females) say they keep in touch with friends more now than in the past.

Social network users say this even as majorities admit they recently have had less face-to-face contact with friends (55%) and know what’s going on with many of their friends and acquaintances, but don’t interact with them personally or individually (60%). Negative emotional impact of this loss of personal contact appears small, as only 32% of social network users feel lonelier now than previously.

The trends are clear, Social Networking is an effective method of reaching buyers, maintaining your brand and improving Search Engine Optimization for any business, product, service or website. Contact the Social Network Marketing Experts at Social Marketing Builders today for a consultation or to improve your Social Marketing!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building Better Websites and Online Marketing since 1995
Social Marketing Builders - Building Expert Social Networking Solutions for Business
816-842-7774 Corporate Office

Social Networking Makes Users Feel More Connected Even as They Have Less Face to Face Communications

2010-10-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Social network users feel more connected to friends and family even as their face to face interactions dwindle, according to results of a new Harris Poll.

6 out of 10 Social Networking Users Feel More Connected
Six in 10 (59%) of social network users say they feel more connected to people now than previously. That figure is highest among 18-to-34-year-olds (63%) and females (61%). Similar percentages (58% overall, 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds, 60% of females) say they keep in touch with friends more now than in the past.

Social network users say this even as majorities admit they recently have had less face-to-face contact with friends (55%) and know what’s going on with many of their friends and acquaintances, but don’t interact with them personally or individually (60%). Negative emotional impact of this loss of personal contact appears small, as only 32% of social network users feel lonelier now than previously.

Social Networking Users Value Opinions
One key statistic for marketers to note is that 60% of social network users value the opinions others share on social media. This may explain why a little more than half (53%) would rather to listen to others’ opinions on social media than share their own. In addition, only four in 10 (41%) social network users feel important when giving brand, product and service feedback.

In all cases, 18-to-34-year-old users reply in the positive more than older age groups. Most notably, 68% of the youngest users value the opinions others share on social media and 47% feel important when giving brand, product and service feedback.

Social Networking is a Good Interface for Acquaintances
Forty-four percent of social network users would prefer to interact with acquaintances via social media rather than face-to-face. This percentage drops for interactions with friends (23%) and family (19%).
A substantially higher 59% of 18-to-34-year-old users would prefer to interact with acquaintances via social media rather than face-to-face.

9 out of 10 Online Adults Use Social Media
Nine in 10 (87%) online adults use social media. Overall, the highest percentage (22%) uses social media less than one hour per week. The highest percentage of 18-to-34-year-olds (17%) uses social media six to 10 hours per week.

Most Companies Have Social Media Strategies
Reflecting widespread adult use of social media, about three-quarters (72%) of companies currently have a social media marketing strategy, according to recent data from King Fish Media, Hubspot and Junta 42.
Of the 27% without a social media marketing strategy (1% were undecided), 80% plan to have one within the next 12 months. Furthermore, only 11% of companies without a strategy definitely do not plan to implement one in the next 12 months, with 9% undecided.

Contact Social Network Marketing Builders to Build a Professional Social Networking Marketing Campaign for your business today or call us at 816-842-7774 for a consultation.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet, Website and Social Networking Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER websites and Internet Solutions since 1995

Businesses Are Starting to See the Importance of Social Marketing

2010-10-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

U.S. businesses assign moderate importance to social networking as a technology tool, according to a recent study from Gartner.

Email Trumps SocNets in Current Importance

Asked to rate various technology tools on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 meaning extremely important and 1 not important at all), the average respondent rated social networking tools at slightly more than 4. Social networking only ranked ahead of four other tools, all of which have a social media aspect: wikis, social tagging/bookmarking, web feeds and blogs.

Email was clearly ranked as most important, with an average score near 7. The only other tool to receive an average score of more than 6 was group calendars/scheduling. The top five tools were rounded out by web conferencing, team workspaces, and simple end-user tools.

Social Networks Hold Future Importance
Despite their relatively low rating of the current importance of social networking tools, respondents gave it the second-highest score (more than 5) when asked to rate tools for their likely increase in future importance by 2012. Only team workspaces, with an average score close to 6, were rated higher in terms of likely increase in future importance.

Surprisingly, email was last in terms of its expected change in future importance, scoring about 4.5. This suggests respondents think email will retain its current high level of importance while other tools will become significantly more valuable. No tool is seen as becoming less valuable in the next two years.

Email Completely Deployed Almost Everywhere
Email is ubiquitous with complete deployments at the organizations of 94% of the respondents; while group calendars or meeting scheduling, web conferencing, instant messaging and team workspaces are in full deployment or are being deployed at more than 50% of the organizations surveyed.

Wikis are also adopted quite widely, with more than a fifth of the respondents reporting complete deployments and almost just as many again with deployments under way. The wiki is the most readily adopted newer social software technology with full or production deployments at more than 40% of the organizations surveyed.

Desktop video conferencing, blogs and web feeds are beginning to make inroads in many organizations with about a third of them reporting these technologies as either in full or production deployments. Expertise location, social networking tools, as well as social tagging and bookmarking are less widely deployed, with less than 10% of the organizations surveyed reporting full deployments.

Most Companies Have Social Media Strategies
Three-quarters (72%) of companies currently have a social media marketing strategy, according to a new study from King Fish Media, Hubspot and Junta 42. Of the 27% without a social media marketing strategy (1% were undecided), 80% plan to have one within the next 12 months. Furthermore, only 11% of companies without a strategy definitely do not plan to implement one in the next 12 months, with 9% undecided.

Does your business or organization need expert social networking and social media marketing setup, training or consulting? Contact the experts at Internet Builder Consulting or visit us online at http://www.socialmarketingbuilders.com/ for examples and inexpensive options to get you going online!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Social Marketing Expert
816-842-7774 Office

The Best Time to Post on Facebook is Friday Morning with an Image

2010-09-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

A recent study found that Facebook posts with images posted on a Friday morning offer marketers maximum effectiveness, according to a new white paper from social media management company Vitrue.

Image Attachments More Effective than Video, Text

Comparing posts with image attachments to those with video and text attachments, “The Anatomy of a Facebook Post” found that image posts received 22% more engagement than video posts and 54% more engagement than text posts. Video posts received 27% more engagement than text posts.

While image and video being more engaging than text in Facebook posts is fairly intuitive, Vitrue analysts found image beating video in terms of effectiveness somewhat surprising. To explain this discrepancy, they cited image being easier and less time-consuming than video for the consumer to view and manipulate, as well as the difficulty of creating a high-quality video and problems many mobile Facebook users have viewing video.

TGIF

While most salaried professionals are happy to see Friday arrive, Facebook marketers should be even happier than most. Friday is the best day of the week to launch a Facebook marketing post.

Friday Facebook posts produce 64% more shares, likes and comments than posts made on Sunday, the day of the week with the lowest engagement. Friday posts are also 13% more engaging than Saturday posts, 7% more engaging than Monday posts and 3% more engaging than Tuesday and Thursday posts.

High Noon Marks Drop in Post Effectiveness

Dividing the day into 12-hour time blocks, posts made in the morning (the first 12 hours of the day) get 65% more engagement than posts made in the afternoon, or second 12 hours of the day. Vitrue suggests this correlates with the theory that people check Facebook first thing in the morning before the day gets busy.

Consumers Like Facebook Discounts
The prospect of receiving discounts is the number one driver for consumers to like a brand on Facebook, according to a new study from ExactTarget and CoTweet. Data from “Facebook X-Factors” shows that the highest percentage of consumers (40%) is motivated to like a brand on Facebook by discounts and promotions.
Almost the same percentage (39%) is motivated by showing support for the brand. However, two other popular reasons – getting free samples or coupons (36%) and updates on upcoming sales (30%) tie into the discount/promotion motivation. Other popular drivers include staying informed about the activities of a company (34%), getting updates on future products (33%), and fun or entertainment (29%).
Education and interaction (13%) are the least-popular reasons to like a brand by a substantial margin.

Contact Social Marketing Builders to build your expert Social Network Marketing and expand your reach online or call the main office at 816-842-7774

Social Networking Usage Doubles for Older Adults & 86% of 18-29 Use Social Networking

2010-08-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Older Adults Double SocNet (Social Networking) Use

US adults 50 and older have increased their social networking use from 22% to 42% in the past year, according to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Half of Adults 50-64 Use SocNets

Half (47%) of internet users ages 50-64 and one in four (26%) users age 65 and older now use social networking sites.
Young adult internet users ages 18-29 continue to be the heaviest users of social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, with 86% saying they use the sites.
Adults 65 and Up Double SocNet Adoption

During the past year, the growth of social networking adoption among internet users ages 18-29 paled in comparison with the gains made by older users. Between April 2009 and May 2010, internet users ages 50-64 who said they use a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn grew 88%, and those ages 65 and older grew 100% in their adoption of the sites; compared with a growth rate of 13% for those ages 18-29.
Older Adults Increasingly Share Daily Updates

The use of Twitter and other services to share status updates has also grown among older users, most notably among those ages 50-64. While just 5% of users ages 50-64 had used Twitter or another status update service in 2009, 11% now say they use these tools. On a typical day, 6% of online adults ages 50-64 make Twitter a part of their routine, up from the 1% who did so in 2009.
One in five (20%) adults ages 50-64 say they use social networking sites on a typical day, up from 10% one year ago. Likewise, 13% of online adults ages 65 and older log on to social networking sites, compared with just 4% who did so in 2009.
Older Adults Maintain Interest in Email, Online News

Overall, 92% of those ages 50-64 and 89% of those ages 65 and older send or read email and more than half of each group exchanges email messages on a typical day. Online news gathering also ranks highly in the daily media habits of older adults; 76% of internet users ages 50-64 get news online, and 42% do so on a typical day. Among internet users ages 65 and older, 62% look for news online and 34% do so on a typical day.
Americans Get News on Multiple Platforms

The overwhelming majority of Americans (92%) use multiple platforms to get news on a typical day, according to other recent findings from the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Americans get their news from a combination of on- and offline sources, including national TV, local TV, the internet, local newspapers, radio, and national newspapers. Six in ten Americans (59%) get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day, and the internet is now the third most popular news platform, behind local television news and national television news.

To start Social Network Marketing for your business contact Internet Builder Consulting today at 816-842-7774 or visit the Social Marketing Builders website

The Internet's Top Sources of Referral Traffic (links to your website that improve rankings)

2010-07-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

Social Networking is about MORE than just connecting with others online. As Internet Builder Consulting has said for years (NAHB IBS 2006, 2007 and Bob Schultz Training 2007, 2008 & 2009) an important key to online marketing is link weight and referral traffic. A recent study we found posted on ReadWriteWeb.com showed the importance of Social Media Marketing with Facebook listed as the # 1 source of referral traffic online.

Recently the wife of a client who is now in charge of his marketing demanded all of the Social Networking accounts and Social Media Marketing be turned off and because she believed it was "worthless" even after the value of referral links was explained. Just because someone does not understand or appreciate something does not mean it is worthless - read the article below and decide for yourself on Social Media Marketing!

Top Referrers of Traffic

For the purposes of this analysis, referrers have been segmented into different categories in order to more easily compare traffic. For example, there is no use in comparing Google to Flickr since they are not categorically related. If we're making a determination which search engine to focus on, Flickr would not be in the mix - and if we're looking for a photo hosting site, Google would not be in the mix. The four main referral categories that drive virtually all traffic are: Search Engines, Media, Social Bookmarks and Social Networks.

Social Network Referrers

Perhaps the one result that was the most surprising is the Social Networking category. Although Twitter seem to be the talk of the town, Facebook is the 900 pound gorilla when it comes to actually driving website traffic, sending nearly 7 in 10 visitors from the Social Network category. LinkedIn comes in a distant yet still respectable third place.

There is one giant unknown in this area, however. Many Twitter users access the service through applications instead of via Twitter's website. These applications do not report http-referrer data to Web servers, which makes it impossible to tell where the clicks originate. The same can be said about traffic driven by mobile apps (including Facebook).

All of the other players in the Social Networking category cumulatively amount to less than 3% of inbound website traffic.

Social Bookmark Referrers

Social bookmarking sites are also extremely sought after sources of traffic, with the highest profile member of the group being Digg. Interestingly, this is another case where a smaller source seems to receive a disproportionate amount of attention, since StumbleUpon drives nearly double the traffic to websites.

Another surprising standout in the Social Bookmark category is YCombinator's Hacker News site, which drives 12% of the traffic in this category. Reddit and Del.icio.us drive 5% and 2%, respectively. Interestingly, SlashDot (the grandaddy of them all) drives close to 0% of traffic to the sites Woopra measures - although webmasters still call the rush of traffic that can take down a website a "Slashdotting".

Search Referrers

In the Search Engine space, perhaps the only surprise is the absolute dominance of Google when it comes to actually driving traffic to websites. For example, Experian's Hitwise published a press release setting Google's share of the search market at 72% in May 2010. However, Woopra is seeing 92% of search visitors originating from Google.

This begs the question: Where does the discrepancy lie?

Is the Hitwise data set more representative of the whole?
Are there more searches taking place on other search engines that don't result in click-throughs to websites?
StatCounter's Global Stats seem to closely mirror Woopra's data.

Regardless of the reason, what we do know is that focusing attention on optimizing for Google search is absolutely the right thing to do. (Here's the official Google SEO starter guide.)

Media Referrers

The media referrer category is reserved for sites that focus on various forms of multimedia, including images, video and audio. These sites are often overlooked as a source of traffic because they are destination sites; however, media sites can also drive large volumes of traffic.
As an example, world-famous HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff posts travel photos on Flickr, and includes a simple link back to his site in the description of each image he posts.

This technique generated nearly 13,000 pageviews on StuckInCustoms.com in April alone.

What's more notable is that Flickr is not the dominant referrer in the Media category. YouTube drives 900% more traffic to websites than Flickr. This is accomplished the same way, via links in the description of the video.

Amazingly, 99% of referrer traffic in the Media category comes from only four providers: YouTube, Flickr, Last.FM and Vimeo.

Lessons Learned

The only question we are trying to answer with this analysis is where it makes sense to focus resources and attention in order to drive traffic. So here's what we know:

Search engine optimization specifically targeting Google's index is key. Working hard to satisfy other search providers probably won't pay off as much as spending the time elsewhere - like Facebook and Twitter promotion.
If multimedia isn't part of a site's strategy to drive traffic, it should be. Adding photos to Flickr and videos to YouTube will not only pay off in terms of adding content for your brand, but will also drive eyeballs to your site.
Sites that are not seeing traffic from Facebook, Twitter, or both, are missing out on a major traffic-generation source. Additionally, if the balance is not in Facebook's favor, you are likely under-utilizing this channel.
Don't waste time promoting your site on any Social Media network other than Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Your time is better spent elsewhere (like YouTube or Flickr for example).
By all means, submit articles to Digg in the hopes of making it to the homepage, but more importantly make sure articles work their way into StumbleUpon, which can bring a larger, more sustained and less server-crash-creating stream of traffic.
For those looking to more accurately track Twitter click-throughs, some service providers such as Bit.ly enable tracking of short links. The bad news is that the tracking is not aggregated into existing Web analytics provider data.
This analysis doesn't take into consideration back-links (which Web authors should pursue whenever possible) because on the aggregate they do not drive global traffic. However, links from related or high-traffic sites can not only dramatically increase site traffic, they can positively impact search result listings.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER websites and Online Marketing since 1995
Social Marketing Experts and Social Networking Builders for business
816-842-7774 Office

How Consumers Interact with Brands on Social Networks - It Works!

2010-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

Consumers DO Want Relationships according to the eMarketer.com recent study.

The social networking audience in the US has reached critical mass. eMarketer estimates that 57.5% of all US Internet users, or 127 million people, will use a social network at least once a month in 2010. By 2014, nearly two-thirds of Internet users will be on board. Marketers have been chasing this audience for several years, but the question remains: Do consumers notice, or care?

“Those who still think that social network users are too busy engaging with friends to notice marketers must change their viewpoint,” said Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report “Brand Interactions on Social Networks.” “Brand interactions are real, valuable and growing. “
According to a February 2010 survey by Chadwick Martin Bailey, a market research firm, 33% of Facebook users have become fans of brands on the network.

Another survey, by Edison Research, found that 16% of social network users had friended brands there. And half (51%) had done so on Twitter.

Coupons remain a leading driver of brand interactions in social networks. Learning about sales and new products is also a strong motivator for people to interact with companies in social media. Beyond the tangibles, such as coupons, consumers do gain positive feelings about a brand as a result of their interactions.
Still, social networks are not seen as primary research sources when consumers are looking to buy. Although people are very inclined to take advice from friends and family about products they are interested in, they are not nearly as likely to seek out their social network friends when they are researching online.
According to a study by PowerReviews and the e-tailing group, only 3% of online buyers said they sought recommendations from social network friends first, compared with 57% who started with search engines.

“More than half of all Internet users now use social networks, and the percentage of social network users who talk about companies, either in organic conversations or on branded company pages, is growing,” said Ms. Williamson. “Consumers do pay attention and they do value positive interactions with companies.
“But while people trust their friends for advice and use social networks as part of their research process, social networks are long way from replacing search, if they ever will, as a source of information leading to a purchase.”

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building Better Social Media Marketing, Websites and Online Solutions since 1995

Call today for an expert consultation or to setup your Social Media Marketing 816-842-7774

Facebook Changes Feeds for Users & Search Engines

2009-11-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

October 2009 facebook entered into agreements with search engines to provide content from user posts (information users submit on profiles, groups or pages) which coincided with changes to seperate what facebook considers NEWS from users LIVE FEED. The Live Feed contains all information or posts from all connected members, groups or pages while NEWS FEED is filtered by what facebook considers to be 'news worthy' information.

The NEWS feeds are sent to search engines while LIVE Feeds are only seen by connected parties on facebook. There is no guarantee that NEWS feeds will be listed on a search engine (it depends on how relevant the post is considered by each search engine). Facebook shares the following information as to the new change between NEWS and LIVE Feeds:

What is the difference between News Feed and Live Feed?
News Feed aggregates the most interesting content that your friends are posting, while Live Feed shows you all the actions your friends are making in real-time.

How does News Feed determine which content is most interesting?
The News Feed algorithm bases this on a few factors: how many friends are commenting on a certain piece of content, who posted the content, and what type of content it is (e.g. photo, video, or status update).

The most effective way to ensure posts are included in NEWS feeds (facebook also set the default view for all user home pages to NEWS Feed) is to post the most relevant engaging information, images or content. This means the people or companies who simply throw anything on social networking website just to have content will be excluded from NEWS Feeds for the most part. Others who share interesting viable information that engages other users will see much better results.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com - Building Better Websites and Online Marketing Solutions since 1995
BuilderSocialMedia.com - Building Social Media Marketing Solutions for Business
913-814-8844 Office

Social Media Marketing is Now More Than Links - Posts to Show in Search Results

2009-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Google and Microsoft have signed deals with Twitter and Microsoft has also signed an agreement with Facebook to integrate Twitter and Facebook updates into Bing search results. Google will be integrating tweets in search results.
Google's Marissa Mayer says, " We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data, and we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months. That way, the next time you search for something that can be aided by a real-time observation, say, snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you'll find tweets from other users who are there and sharing the latest and greatest information."

I expect that Google will be making a similar deal with Facebook to integrate Facebook posts in search results similar to the new deal signed with Twitter. This means that social media marketing is more than simply adding 'link weight' to websites, Tweets and posts will be shown in real time to users on Google.com and Bing.com search engines.

Contact Builder Social Media by Builder Consulting for expert social media marketing and website solutions for your business.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com - Building Better Websites and Social Media Marketing Solutions
913-814-8844

Almost 20 Percent of Internet Users Update Status on Other Social Networking Sites With Twitter according to PEW Research

2009-10-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Already widely reported from yesterday the Pew Internet & American Life almost 20 percent of US Internet users are on Twitter or updating their status with another social network: LinkedIn, MySpace or Facebook. According to the report:

Some 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others. This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11% of internet users said they use a status-update service.

Three groups of internet users are mainly responsible for driving the growth of this activity: social network website users, those who connect to the internet via mobile devices, and younger internet users: those under age 44.

Below is the chart showing Pew’s demographic breakdown:

According to the report, parsing by network:

The median age of a Twitter user is 31, which has remained stable over the past year. The median age for MySpace is now 26, down from 27 in May 2008, and the median age for LinkedIn is now 39, down from 40. Facebook, however, is graying a bit: the median age for this social network site is now 33, up from 26 in May 2008.
The Pew report paints a slightly different and younger picture of Twitter users than earlier studies:

Another age distribution report from PEW:

Contact Builder Social Media by Builder Consulting for all your Social Media Marketing needs at 913-814-8844.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Builder Consulting - Building Better Websites & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Twitter Statistics and Growth Rate

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Millions of people are using Twitter daily though the top social media website has a large 'drop rate' above all other social media marketing. The latest Twitter Statistics available from May 2009 show the following information:

* 60% Abandonment Rate

There was some recent news about Twitter having a whopping 60% abandonment rate. This means that for every 5 people using twitter, 3 people decide not to continue using it. This makes sense as Twitter perks curiosity but not many people can maintain or want to maintain a continual feed of “tweets”. This is the same reason there are millions of blogs that are never updated.

* 17 Million Unique US Visitors in April

However despite a large abandonment rate, ComScore released Twitter Statistics for April and it showed Twitter reaching 17 million unique visitors in the United States. That is a whopping 83 percent increase from March! In March 2009 Twitter had already doubled it’s user base from the month before.

Twitter going Mainstream: Broad Uses

Twitter is gaining popularity not only for personal uses but for businesses. Businesses use Twitter as a way of keeping their loyal users in touch with what is going on with a particular product or service. It is a tool to humanize the corporation and to build a community. Celebrities and other prominent figures use twitter to speak to their fans or supporters.

Tweets are frequently used to do quick news updates during large conferences or events. People can follow the play-by-play commentary just as they were listening to the radio. TV shows like Nightline has used twitter as a way for users to give immediate feedback during their shows. It also allows people to keep in tabs with what is going on with their friends, family or the unlucky people they are stalking.

Recently the public received the first twitter tweets from outer space:

I’m going to put my spacesuit on, next stop: Earth Orbit!!

From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!

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* Visitors Spend 7.9 Minutes a Day on Twitter
* Twice as much time is spent on Twitter today over December 2007
* Pagesviews: 428 Million in April 2009 (219 Million in March 2009)

A comical explanation of Twitter and it's use may be found through YouTube...

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com
BuilderSocialMedia.com
913-814-8844 Office

Social Networking Top Users Age 35-49 followed by 50-64 Year Olds

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Also it is common knowledge in the online marketing world that social media reach has long grown beyond the younger demographic. As social networks become more popular and mainstream the audience has become broader and older.

Facebook originally started as a college only social network, but now boasts the greatest membership growth rate from 35-49 year olds at 24 million new members from Dec 2007 to Dec 2008. Facebook also is adding twice as many 50-64 year olds at 13.6 million than those under 18. Their current base is one-thirds 35-49 years of age and one-quarter over 50 years old. The way social networks are used is being continually defined by the changing demographics.

Build your social networking with the experts at Builder Consulting and view examples online at www.BuilderSocialMedia.com

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
BuilderConsulting.com - Building Successful Solutions Online since 1995
913-814-8844 Office