It seems like the world has gone “socially crazy” with more and more social networks launching every single month.  It can be tough for a business owner to keep up with all the new networks, in fact as internet marketing experts we even find it hard to keep up. 

The time for excuses though is starting to pass, if you’re not on the big 3 social networks then you’re not only missing out on social traffic, but you’re also missing out on search traffic.  You see, recently Google and Bing (the two “real” search engines) have updated their algorithms to incorporate more social results.

In fact Bing is releasing a large-scale update, which is the start of its transition to a “social search” platform.  Something that is certain to ruffle a few feathers at Google and see them taking their updates one step further.

What Does This Shift To Social Search Mean For Every Day Business Owners?

It’s simple, if you’re not currently an active user of Twitter, Facebook And Google+ then you or someone in your business needs to get active.  Content shared via these social networks is now being indexed and used in search engine results.  Not only that but sites which offer actively integrated social content are also getting a boost.

Phrases like “Google It” and “Facebook Me” have now extended with users of your website being asked to “Share It”, “Tweet It” and “Like It”.  These actions are not only helping to extend the reach of your content but also positively impact your search engine rankings.

Simply put, if you’ve avoided Twitter, Facebook and Google+ like the plague, now’s the time to change your stance and start embracing social media, at the very least to help your search engine rankings.  Now I know this may sound daunting to business owners but the reality is social media is getting easier and easier to manage.

In fact now there’s a whole suite of tools available for you to share content, update statuses, build applications and engage customers which means you don’t even need to be “on these social networks” to be “on these social networks”.  We know, it sounds weird, but the reality is most business owners don’t have the time to actually engage on social media, and that’s why tools are needed to make the process easier (watch out for a post on which tools to use shortly).

Let’s face it, with these new changes to Bing and Google making them more “social” the prediction that “social media is a fad” was a long way from the mark.  Social media is here to stay and if you don’t want to be left behind you need to embrace it and start integrating it into your daily marketing.  Not only will you see improved search engine results but you’re also going to see more traffic to your site, you can’t deny the fact that social media generates traffic!

The only question that remains is: When Will Google Announce It’s New “Social Search” Functionality?  Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts…

Today’s Image Comes From PC World

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This is what happens when young men have too much time on their hands to play on the internet!

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Social Proof – What is it all about and how it relates to social media marketing?

A person’s decision to buy or invest in a particular product or service online can be influenced by various factors – among the most significant of which is social proof and how you can leverage your social media marketing efforts with it.  Statistics from Google shows that approximately 70 percent of online consumers check out product reviews prior to actually buying something online.  More than 60 percent of these people purchase products or services from websites that have reviews or ratings by previous consumers or clients. Online reviews and ratings are just one kind of social proof that you can find online in social networks and shows just how much people can be influenced by purchasing decision and experiences of others which clearly demonstrates its power as an online marketing concept and one that business owners need to leverage.

So what exactly is social proof?  Also known as “social influence”, it is the idea that people can be influenced to conform to the purchasing decision of others.  It’s a validation that consumers often need saying that “if other people are buying or investing in it and are finding much satisfaction for doing so, then I trust that I should as well”.  You can use such a validation as a powerful motivator in your online marketing efforts for your business website and various networks life Facebook and Twitter to effectively influencing the purchasing decisions of your prospects and website visitors.

Now social proof as a marketing concept actually isn’t new and it is not only limited to web marketing.  For instance, you’ll find television shows playing recorded laughter and applause for the audience, to better instil the perception that they are worthy of laughter or applause.  You will also find books boasting the thousands of copies a particular title had sold, elevating it’s recommendation it as a worthy read.  The rise of social networks and social media marketing had only made it easier to exploit and leverage as a marketing tool.

Sources of Social Proof

• Users – approval from actual users of a particular product or service in the form of reviews, testimonials and case studies
• Experts – approval from credible and reputable experts
• Celebrities – endorsements from popular and well-known personalities
• Friends
• Group or Crowd wisdom – approval from a group of people or organization

Leveraging social proof for social media marketing

• Mentions via social media networks can be an excellent source for social proof – Monitor social media networks like Facebook and track positive mentions about your business and feature it for all your prospects to see.
• Embedded Tweets – Twitter features embeddable tweets that you can use to leverage social proof.  If you find positive tweets about your business, you can embed such tweets on your business website or case studies to credibility and authority.
• Social plugins –  Plugins for social networks like Facebook presents an excellent way to leverage social proof from friends or groups of people.  Such plugins in the case of Facebook includes the recommendation plugin, Activity Feed and Like Box which you could link to your blog or website which presents your social proof to the forefront.
• User-generated content – Existing customers can be an excellent source of social proof for your business.  Avid fans are often more than happy to do these things for you which means less work on your hands. What’s more is that user generated content is often perceived as more positive and genuine yielding more conversion rates.
• Social Media Follow or Share Features – Follow and share buttons on social networks make it easier for subscribers and fans to share your content.  Make use of it!  Ensure that you have follow/share buttons on all the web content that you create – that means everything from landing pages and eBooks to blog posts.  If it is easier for people to follow and share our content then the more likely it is for them to share it with people greatly improving your reach and spreading social proof that will benefit your business.
• Statistics – What are your business’ most notable statistics?  Do you have an impressive number of blog subscribers?  How long have you been in business?  Is your high customer satisfaction rate something to brag about?  All of these statistics are excellent possible sources of social proof.
• Notable mentions via social media and blogs – Blogs and social media can be an excellent source of expert social proof and it’s something that you shouldn’t overlook.  See to it that you keep on top of things and make it more social media marketing friendly.
• Ratings and Reviews for Products and Services
• Testimonials and Case Studies
• Advertising via Social media networks

Indeed social proof and your marketing efforts via social networks is a crucial resource that no one in the online marketing business should ever overlook.  To improve your chances of success in web marketing, one must do all that they can to leverage it!  Take those great tweets, reviews, case studies and testimonials to the forefront. They are not going to do you any good if people are not able to see it!

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Twitter is one of the most effective social media marketing platforms used by people in the internet marketing business and if it’s your first time being on it for your marketing and advertising needs, like so many others you’ve probably felt like you were stepping into a huge crowd. Tweets are everywhere that you can barely keep up with the stream and it seems everyone is already engaged with one another that it’s impossible to get a hold of anyone.  How can you possibly get prospective customers to notice you and improve your brand’s Twitter visibility? Here are a couple of tips that you can look into to help you do just that.

Tips for Improving your brand and visibility on Twitter

Promoting others on Twitter

Now this may not make any sense to you – you are on Twitter because you wish to use this social media platform to get noticed and now I am saying that it’s actually a good idea to promote others? Although it may not seem apparent, promoting others is actually one of the best ways to improve Twitter visibility. Think about it – humans are social beings and if you take the time to find tweets that are of interest to you and relevant to your niche market and engage them in a sincere and genuine conversation you’ll encourage others to “retweet” you and check what you are actually all about. You may be surprised what these conversations can do for your business.

Twitter Chat Participation

Another great way to improve your social media marketing efforts is through active participation on Twitter Chat. With Twitter Chat, you’ll be able to meet a lot of people interested in the same topic or niche market as you are. It also presents a great opportunity for you to learn more about the subject as well as better understand the needs and expectations of your targeted consumers.

Come up with quality and personalized content

Thousands of people are on Twitter and they all have something to say and posting them. It’s enough to have a few followers on your network to get your twitter streams bustling with activity. If you want to stand out and actually get noticed by your prospects, you’ll have to come up with unique and personalized content that generates as much interest and engagement as possible.

Grab every opportunity for engagement

Opportunities for internet marketing abound in this social media platform in the form of customer engagement. You need to grab every opportunity out there to leverage your business. For one thing, you can thank and check out the profile of users who have retweeted your posts and check out their blogs if they have any to just stay in touch and show your appreciation. If you find people talking about an interesting subject relevant to your niche market, take the opportunity to jump in and discuss it with them.

Make good use of Twitter tools

You can certainly use every help that you can get your hands on in internet marketing or social media marketing, Twitter as a social media platform is certainly no exception. There are tools that you can use with valuable function like tweet auto-schedules which will help you match everything with your editorial schedules. Don’t make the mistake of completely automating everything though because it is important to emphasize the human element on your Twitter visibility. More importantly, don’t forget to keep track of results with analytic tools – after all, you can’t improve something that you are not measuring.

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