Bevelwise Blog

Both Google and Bing (with Yahoo SERP going to be powered by Bing they will really be one in the same) plan to begin indexing Twitter tweets in 2010. That will allow them to show the the tweets within the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). This will more than likely be the first test for real time, non-paid, content to be indexed and shown on SERPs. That means you should position your Brand for more in depth, relevant, and timely tweeting because you will be able to move the bar on the search engines more quickly.

This will also help move Twitter from the social space into the main stream for business purposes because this will make it relevant on so many levels. Effecting real time search results? That is power. I would see Blogs getting the real time priority next(especially those using Blogger if you are Google) as they already help immensely with index-able content on a site. One would have to think that Facebook posts would be on the short list as well to go real-time

Labels: Bing, blogging, Facebook, Google, online marketing, SEO, SERP, social media, Twitter

There are several sites out there that people use for sharing information and more social media aspects that you should consider registering your name. Even if you don't plan to use Facebook or Twitter, we would advise you at least lock up your name so someone else cannot steal it - which is known as "squatting". Besides, just because you don't plan to use either of them does not mean there isn't the next hottest one around the corner that you should lock up.

This happened with domain names in the mid 90's as websites were coming into popularity. Several Fortune 500 companies ended up in court trying to get their trademarked names back. There has not been any precedence set for Social Media and if and how companies can get control of their Brand once it has been registered by someone else who is not them. As reference, here is an article from Adage that shows you some of the big Brands that don't own their Twitter identity.

You can see if anyone has squatted you out and potentially avoid that by visiting UserNameCheck.com . There are 68 different sites that someone could "squat" you on. Some of them you have never heard of, several are familiar and you can find all the different sites people could squat your identity on. You never know what might be the next big fad or emerge so it is best to lock them up and as new "fads" come out, register those as well, even if you don't ever use them - you can at least know you are protecting your Brand when it comes to Internet & Web Marketing and Social Media.

Labels: better marketing, Bevelwise, Branding, Facebook, Internet Marketing, link building strategies, Marketing Trends, social media, social media optimization, squatting, Twitter, web marketing

Social media optimization is a set of methods for generating publicity & conversations through social media and online communities. Social media optimization is related to search engine marketing, but differs in several ways, primarily the focus on driving traffic from sources other than search engines, though improved search ranking is also a benefit. Search Engines also "love" this type of content because it is updated often, and seen as new and fresh.

A social media campaign means developing a great message and then reaching out to people, while giving them an incentive/reason to pass it on to other people. Social media optimization is a kind of viral marketing, where word of mouth is created through the businesses and people connecting and having 2-way conversations online.

For Business Social Media to work well, you need constant updates and make them interesting!! Also, you need fans who care enough about your message to pass it on to their friends. This is how something (good or bad) can get spread extremely quickly. If people like something and find it useful, they will link to it and tell their friends. Like anything else online - understanding the motivations and culture of the audience is key to making social media work.

Social media software applications include:

• Social Networks: Facebook, LinkedIn & Naymz (for professionals), Ning, NowPublic, Plaxo, MySpace, Avatars United, Bebo, Skyrock
  

• Blogs: (update very often) Blog.com, Blogger, Livejournal, Posterous, Tumblr, Typepad, Wordpress, Vox


• Blog Directories: Blogapedia, Blogarama, BlogCatalog, Blogdirs, Blog Flux, Bloghub, Blog Listing, Blogtoplist, Technorati


• Bookmarks: Delicious, Digg, Mixx, MyBlogLog, Newsvine, Propeller, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Yahoo! Buzz



• Free Directory Listings: (some may take time to get listed) Bateekh, BizHWY, Cardboard, CrunchBase, DMOZ, GetFreeListing, Google Local, Jayde, Jigsaw, Librarians' Internet Index, Little Web Directory, Manta, MerchantCircle, Simple Directory, SuperPages, Tradevibes, TurnPike, WebBuyersGuide, Web World, Yahoo! Local, Yellow Pages


• Name Checks: (don't let someone take your name) Namechk, Usernamecheck


• Post Presentations: AuthorSTREAM, Slideshare


• Post Videos: Vimeo, YouTube


• Press Releases: i-Newswire, PR.com, PressReleasePoint, PRLog.org


• Publish Articles: ArticleDashboard, Articles FACTORY, Ezinearticles, IdeaMarketers, Yahoo Articles Group


• Wikis: Pbwiki, Wetpaint, Wikipedia


• Social Aggregation Tools: Bloglines, Delicious, FriendFeed, YouBundle


• Events: Yahoo Upcoming, Eventful (concerts), meetup
  


• Twitter Tools: Grader, Ping, TweetDeck, TweetLater, HootSuite


• URL Shorteners: bit.ly, memurl, TinyURL, owl.ly, tr.im.com
  

Social media should be in your marketing mix, but it needs to be done right! Make it work for your specific target audience. Develop a great message and reach out to people...then hope they pass it on! Social Media is about connections, so make it a 2-way conversation.

Please contact Bevelwise if you would like to add Social Media to your company's marketing mix and need some help.

Many other sources have assembled lists of social media sites. Relevant Social Media helpful spots:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
http://www.prelovac.com/vladimir/top-list-of-social-media-sites
http://nextmark.typepad.com/blog/2009/07/top-100-b2b-social-media-cheat-sheet.html
http://www.chrisbrogan.com/my-best-advice-about-social-media/
http://www.mintblogger.com/2008/02/definitive-list-of-30-popular-social.html

Labels: Bevelwise, blogging, Google, HowTo, Marketing Trends, SEO, social media, social media optimization, Twitter, web marketing, web strategy

Twitter is a good idea for your business if you believe in Social Media as a way for humans to connect and engage in conversation. Twitter can bring great minds together, and gives you daily opportunities to learn and grow as a company. Twitter is like blogging except you only have 140 short characters to communicate your message. It is like instant messaging except it is public and can attract traffic to your website. A Tweet is not directed to just one person because it is visible to anyone.


Twitter is a way to drive real traffic to your site. The way to use it is to build a network of "followers" and people/companies you are "following." Following people shows that you are not just talking about yourself but also listening to what your potential customers and industry leaders are saying. By interacting with others you are giving people reason to listen to you as well. Think of Twitter as an intercom, not a megaphone.


When setting up your company's Twitter profile, create your company image that lets your brand stand out. Put up a picture... make it your company logo. Make sure you fill out your profile bio/info. This authenticates your Twitter profile.


Follow your brand and industry in Twitter conversations. Use Twitter Search to look for conversations about topics that are of interest to your company. Look for conversations about your brand, competitors, and words about your industry. This is a great way to build and improve your network. Engage with your potential customers. Try talking about their interest too, not just yourself... you need to show that you are a human. If you are going to bother Tweeting, it means that you want humans to connect.


When sharing content, it is very important to only share information that is useful/fun/interesting. Otherwise, you might sound like you are "preaching" a sales pitch about your company or products to people and they might tune you out. Twitter is not a one-way conversation.

Share content that spreads rapidly such as:

• New Content/data
• Links to cool/relevant sites
• Industry articles
• Interesting blog posts
• Videos (funny ones get spread the most)
• Slides and presentations
• News releases
• Podcasts

Information that rarely gets shared:

• Product info
• Free trials

After you have wrote some "tweets," added profiles to follow, and gained followers, you can check out how your profile ranks. Here is a cool free tool to grade your Twitter account: www.twitter.grader.com.


Tips to make Tweeting easier:

• Use tools like "TwitterFox," "TweetDeck," or "Twhirl" to make managing Twitter easier and faster
• Use services like Twitter Search to make sure you see if someone's talking about your company. Try to participate where it makes sense.
• Use tools like TinyURL http://www.tiny.cc/ or http://bit.ly/ to shorten long URLs (because you only get 140 characters)

Twitter can be a great way to attract customers, network, and interact with your current customers, but you have to understand the Twitter culture or you could actually turn these people away. Time to Tweet! Feel free to contact us at Bevelwise if you have questions or need some help.



References:

http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-webinars
http://www.chrisbrogan.com/50-ideas-on-using-twitter-for-business/
http://mashable.com/2009/01/21/best-twitter-brands/

Labels: better marketing, Bevelwise, Conversion, Google, HowTo, marketing, Marketing Trends, Twitter