Calling the blow-hole gods Image by Light Knight
Calling to the blow-holes of Houma..A couple of small spouts can be seen on the right
Some of the most spectacular blowholes in the South Pacific can be found along the terraced coastline of south west Tongatapu. Here you’ll find not one blowhole, but hundreds of them along a four mile stretch of wild windswept coastline, the largest spouts of sea water being thrown almost 30 metres into the air. Best viewed at high tide, the blowholes are accessible a km walk past the inland village of Houma. Buses to Houma from Nuku’alofa take about 30 minutes.
It is reputed that one of the ancient Chiefs of Tonga spend his hours meditating over the blowholes and listening to the whistling of the waves – hence their name – ‘Mapu’a ‘a Vaca’ meaning ‘Chief’s Whistles’.
Hacienda Matapalo Costa Rica Strikes Alliance with N5R and Costa Rica Estates for Marketing Costa Rica Real Estate to …
Officials at Hacienda Matapalo, a 665-acre master planned gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, today announced they have formed a strategic alliance with two premier Canadian marketing and advertising companies to provide Canadians with access to the best selling development in Costa Rica. Read more on PRWeb via Yahoo! News
Local News
Aberdeen’s two fire stations soon will carry signs telling mothers that they should drop their newborn babies off inside the stations rather than dump the baby somewhere else to die. Read more on The Daily World
Rostin Ventures online marketing services include social media marketing, search engine optimization, and online reputation management. Local SEO services of geolocation marketing through social media, provides for higher search engine ranking within local search of business listings. Get listed in local search and found by consumers looking for your product and services at http://www.rostinventures.com
Online marketing works best in partnership with buzz worthy social promotions. The partnership between geolocation and social networking have had a positive impact on online marketing over the last couple years.
As search engines began to realize that a lot of search is local, sites like Google started focusing on local businesses. This has helped local business owners achieve higher rankings in search engines when users are in the same area as those businesses. Now social networks are taking their cue, and are focusing on geolocation, which helps local businesses boost their online marketing even more.
Location-based networks, such as Foursquare and Gowalla, are the leaders in this new online marketing social movement. Users “check in” to a location, telling their friends where they are. Businesses are taking advantage of geolocation by offering rewards programs to first-time visitors and loyal customers. Whether it’s freebies, giveaways, or discounts, the businesses who include geolocation in their online marketing are seeing a payoff.
Geolocation apps like Foursquare use GPS technology that has been built into our smartphones — iPhone, Android, Blackberry — and will allow users to check in to a location just by clicking a button, rather than entering the entire address by hand.
The great thing about geolocation is that it works for the typical customer, on the tool they carry with them everywhere. And as silly as it may seem, customers are eating it up, and enjoying the fun of geolocation. If they think it’s fun, they’ll participate. And if they participate, they’ll participate at your restaurant, store, or location.
Foursquare and Yelp, a restaurant review site, have even upped the ante by giving titles — mayor, duke, duchess — for repeat visitors. People go back to their favorite locations to earn that title. Imagine people coming to your restaurant again and again, just to earn a title someone else created.
Most recently, Facebook got into the act, offering Facebook Places as a tool to compete with Foursquare and Gowalla. Now, the largest social network in the world makes it possible for your customers to tell all their friends where they are, doing your online marketing for you.
Now, for good or bad, your online marketing is being taken out of your hands, and put into the hands of your customers. And because your customers’ friends trust them more than they trust any marketing you could ever do, the friends will want to try the places they keep hearing about — the places your customers keep visiting over and over, in order to win titles and rewards.
The net result of this new online marketing tool is lower marketing costs and higher profits. But only if you take advantage of it. Unique ideas on how you can launch social media marketing strategy for your company can be found here.
Rostin Ventures online marketing services include social media marketing, search engine optimization, and online reputation management. Local SEO services of geolocation marketing through social media, provides for higher search engine ranking within local search of business listings. Get listed in local search and found by consumers looking for your product and services at http://www.rostinventures.com
In this short educational video, Li Evans of SearchMarketingGurus.com and KeyRelevance offers up three social media tips for online marketing about how to turn your friends or contacts into fans and evangelists. From giving up a little control to asking your audience for help, its a great way to engage and include your audience to feel like they are part of something. That “feeling part of something” is at the heart of turning those friends into your greatest fans.
(02:58)
In Chapter 13 of 15, leadership philosopher and bootstrap business expert Bijoy Goswami shares the ying and yang of social capital and market capital. (02:37)
http://www.MintSocial.com On February 11th, Matt O’Brien of Mint Social presented at the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce on using social media marketing to grow your business online. In this segment Matt O’Brien discusses how Mint Social leverages video marketing and Google’s universal search to multiple rankings in Google and drive traffic to your call to action web pages. Success often comes through a viral marketing business model. Learn more at MintSocial.com Distributed by Tubemogul. (02:00)
Jeff Hayzlett, chief marketing officer at Kodak, talks about how social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have deepened Kodak’s relationships with customers. He also explains how Kodak used social media to name its new HD camera. (06:03)
I was a big fan of MW2. With bated breath I waited for the release of this game. What a letdown it was. I could not believe that they managed to up the best selling game of all time.
Do you want to start your own business using an internet based business opportunity, but you don’t know if it is a smart idea? Then you need to be aware of the many reasons why starting a business now is a good idea for anyone, instead of waiting to get it started.
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Ultimately innovation comes from crowds; it doesn’t come from eureka moments like some people believe. Today’s technology lets us see the formulation of those ideas more clearly.
When one particular thinks and talks about the web-site WikiLeaks, the only items that arrive to head is Julian Assange, and the reality that the web site has best secret documents that can be leaked. As a result far, these top rated secret documents have not genuinely harm anything or any individual. They have embarrassed some people and that is ample to have Julian quite possibly disappear 1 day off this planet. But when you rat out strong people, this is the gamble you are taking, w…
In the age of Twitter, URL shortening services have become very popular and we all know the great benefits they can have for SEO and link building, but are there any pitfalls to using them? Read to find out…
Working from home online is a dream that many people have. If you are someone that has this dream, then you need to know that working from the comfort of your own home can be difficult or simple, the choice is yours.
Getting to the prime of a Google search page isn’t an effortless feat. Specially when you determine to do it organically-you choose to rely on good quality subject material rather than technologies to get you there. Natural or ‘white hat’ search engine optimization (SEO) is where you develop or adapt your websites material and high quality to entice the awareness of search engines. Synthetic or ‘black hat’ SEO is the place you rely on technologies and complicated algorithms to ‘trick’ …
Many payroll software packages are written using databases and can put many small business owners off using them due to both the cost and the fear of the unknown complexity of using such a payroll package. Many payroll software packages written on a database provide an excellent solution but have a tendency to be extremely politically correct and cover all potential rules and regulations and consequently become more complex to operate as they can demand at least a minimum knowledge of …
Music Promotions are gaining momentum in promotional marketing. The use of promotional risk coverage allows for promotions budget managers and marketing professionals to run digital promotions without the risk of over redemption. This article provides ideas for use of independent music in music promotions for digital promotion campaigns.
Online reputation management provides resources to measure individual
and online brand reputation. Resources for online reputation
management can be found in this article. They examine specific social media metrics of discussions within
social media about particular brands, products and services. These
online reputation tools allow a marketer to realize the impact of
social media marketing on brand management.
Successful SEO can be narrowed down to three simple rules. Follow them and you will rank quickly online. Ignore them and you will be where you are as long as you are in business. The online business of search engine optimization follows many of the same guidelines you see in traditional business marketing.
Geolocation and social networking have had a positive impact on online marketing and social media marketing over the last couple of years. As search engines realize that search is local, sites like Google started focusing on local businesses. Social networks are making local search engine optimization a priority, and are focusing on geolocation, which helps local businesses boost their online marketing and SEO through social media marketing.
Five SEO consulting firm questions to ask before you hire them. Hiring a SEO consulting firm can be confusing, due to SEO consultant promises of certain things that may be impossible to achieve. Do some homework and ask around to ensure you are getting the best services, not just the cheapest. You want to make sure that your price matches your results and your desires match the value the SEO consulting firm promises.
Holiday events including Christmas decor with a theme for charity outreach will bring a new meaning to both home and corporate holiday parties this year. The trend to give back is in full force. Holiday event themes, supporting community outreach and donations to charity are demonstrated through holiday decorations, corporate gift baskets, and home and office holiday celebrations. Go green with LED holiday lights and give back this year.
Digital music promotions reach active consumers, increase marketing conversions of these consumers, and increase sales. Digital music promotions reach almost every audience. Gen Y is actively responding to music promotions, but other consumers do as well. The love of music spans all generations. If you are looking to reach your customer, boost marketing conversions, and increase sales, deploy digital promotions.
Digital promotions increase customer loyalty through offerings of promotional incentives which your customer appreciates. Happy customers are long term, loyal customers. Loyal customers are the best brand marketing advocates. Word of mouth advertising and communication within social media provide for high quality brand promotion and increased response rates of downloads for digital promotions and promotional marketing campaigns.
Rostin Ventures online marketing services include social media marketing, search engine optimization, and online reputation management. Local SEO services of geolocation marketing through social media, provides for higher search engine ranking within local search of business listings. Get listed in local search and found by consumers looking for your product and services at http://www.rostinventures.com
On Facebook and Twitter, marketing is really clicking
If you tweeted about your excitement about shopping at Target last week, you may have received off your next Target purchase. Read more on Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Skyfire 3.0 with integrated Facebook features now available for Android
Today the Skyfire announced its Skyfire 3.0 browser for Android smartphones. The latest iteration adds Facebook integration on smartphones running Android 2.0 or newer. With a single button you can access your Facebook feed, profile, and Facebook Places. Skyfire also includes the Facebook Like button on all sites that you visit. Other features include Fireplace, a Facebook feed reader, the … Read more on Mobile Burn
The 3 Best Ways to Increase Travel Rewards
Make sure you get bonus points as you travel this holiday season. Read more on US News & World Report
The Top Five Applications on Facebook – Strongest Social Network Marketing Tools
Social network sites have not only become famous for their networking aspects but also for their capability of having had proved to be a very strong tool of social network marketing. The top five applications that can help in Facebook marketing are:
Networked Blogs Application: this application on Facebook updates the profile feed of each person for every new blog post. The blog owners get the opportunity here for building a good reader base too. Once one gets to gather proper web traffic, more features become accessible like being able to send messages to the readers.
Simplaris BolgCast: this application is good for monitoring the blog RSS fees for every update on the part of a small business owner or any business owner who owns a blog and helps one to keep updating the profile feed every time there is a new blog post. The most advantageous part of this application is that it automatically updates one’s status feed. It also places an icon against the feed update which would attract the visitors.
The LinkedIn Profile: the LinkedIn Badge can be put on the Facebook profile info tab. This would help increase number of visitors on your LinkedIn profile by allowing the visitors to click on the LinkedIn badge which would direct them there.
Profile HTML: standard HTML code can be put on the profile or a fan page.
Facebook Video: the default application of video on Facebook. Placing a video on your page automatically increases visitors. This can prove to be one of the most efficient social messaging tools.
Using facebook marketing can be very effective especially since facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites. Facebook business is relatively new but holds great prospects.
Now Pay Close Attention —
Using your Facebook Fan Page to increase your business exposure and revenue is simpler than you’ve been told…
[Problem #1] How To Find Interested Facebook Users
[Problem #2] How To Bring Them To Become Your Fans
Facebook Fan Supply has been solving these two problems for hundreds of satisfied customers. The Facebook Fan Supply System has been tried and tested and known to produce excellent results.
Facebook Fan Supply has a free 25 Facebook Fans Trial so you can try before you buy, so I highly recommend that you test this system first and see some results.
First: Look Around And See That Many Sites Are Selling “Invites” and Not Actual Facebook Fans Stay clear of any sites selling invites as you are not guaranteed ANY results. Facebook Fan Supply always supplies REAL FANS not invites.
Second:Click Here To Visit Facebook Fan Supply This site is chocked-full of information on why you should buy facebook fans and how to effectively use new facebook fans to increase your business revenue. Order the 25 free fans and sit back and let the fans roll in!
With over 500 million users, Facebook is bay far the greatest marketing arena online. But to take advantage of this amazing tool, it is always a good idea to get a head start on your competition and Buy Facebook Fans.
Go to budurl.com to learn more about mobile marketing for your business. Facebook Places is poised to change the way history is recorded, we’re tying memories to locations. AMAZING! Video Rating: 5 / 5
Social Media Marketing And Facebook – Why You Need A Profile
Over the past few years, social networking sites enabled by Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed the way we use the Internet. What was once a one-way connection has transformed into a dynamic connective medium, allowing users to share a wide range of content including blogs, photos, videos, and much more.
Yet how have social networking sites like Facebook changed the way online marketers advertise online? For one, they’ve made our jobs much easier. Facebook is the ideal medium for advertising within an environment that’s viral by nature. These online social directories use an interactive format that allows users to create a personal profile, connect to other users, and share content.
In a sense, these users have already effectively segmented themselves, coming together through like interest groups and connecting through content. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.
Moreover, these social networking sites are growing at an exponential rate, adding more and more users from more diverse backgrounds. Initially, Facebook was created only for college students, but last year, it was opened to anyone with an email address. According to Microsoft, Facebook is the sixth most trafficked site in the U.S., and now has over 73 million registered users in 40,000 different collegiate, high school, work-related, and geographic networks. This represents a 530% growth rate over one year alone.
The tactic through which advertisers communicate with these segmented online audiences is known as Social Media Marketing (SMM). SMM has become a popular tool for search engine optimization (SEO) thanks to its unique ability to improve website visibility, name recognition, and brand awareness among specific online audiences through the acquisition of a network of relevant links.
So what opportunities does Facebook present for targeted online marketing efforts? Among Internet users ages 18-24, Facebook placed first on the list of favorite sites in Youth Trends most recent survey. Over 70% of females ages 17-25 indicated that Facebook was their favorite site in terms of time spent online. For males, this figure was still a powerful 56%. These demographic is clearly technology-driven, thanks to their growing up in a culture that considers time online an integral aspect of daily life. More than half of those surveyed visited Facebook at least once a day, logging an average of 35 minutes on the site.
Furthermore, these users are familiar with online environments and are adept at seeking out and finding specific pieces of content they’re interested in. Thus, social networking sites, especially Facebook, present online marketers with the opportunity to engage users with advertising messages at critical moments of relevance.
So how can we utilize social media marketing to effectively engage these elusive audiences of young adults? Below are several ideas on how to utilize social media marketing on Facebook.
Connect Through Groups: Facebook has an infinite number of shared interest groups which users join for a myriad of reasons. These groups cover an unlimited number of subjects and interests, from marine biology to snowboarding to politics to rap music to Italian food. No matter what your interest or target market, there is a group for you. Take it from me. I’ve been a registered Facebook user, or “Facebooker” since 2003, and I’ve seen a group for everything, literally. Many even have a local focus, like Denver Broncos fan groups or Denver Chinese Students Group. Each of these groups has its own page with a forum, discussion board, photo gallery, etc. This is the best place to position messages meant for specific niche audiences, as you’re almost guaranteed everyone who sees it fits your target profile. In the past, when I was trying to drive traffic to a video site I was working for, I placed descriptive and enticing links to relevant videos on the group’s “wall,” or discussion board. I saw great results as many of the members of this particular group, which was devoted to skiing, followed these links to watch videos about their favorite sport, skiing.
Connect Through Applications: Recently, Facebook has opened up its platform to outside developers who have created innumerable applications, ranging from fantasy stock picking simulators to video games of “beer pong” to world maps marking desired travel destinations. Users can add as many of these applications as they like to their profiles, creating opportunities for marketers and developers alike to subtly integrate marketing messages into these applications and their functions. Many developers have already done so and are not doubt reaping some major benefits, not only through increased brand awareness but through traffic driven from Facebook, which many have bridged to their own sites.
Connect Through Content: Because Facebook allows users to post videos, images, links, photos, and more, advertisers can seamlessly utilize social media marketing strategies to connect with these groups through content. By positioning your content where your target audience is, you can be assured your brand will be right in front of their eyes as they interact with your message. Facebook is a repository for an endless amount of consumer data, what many experts have dubbed “a community in a box.” So why not leverage this data by getting involved? Connect through content.
Connect Through Events: As Facebook has grown, it has added an “Events” section where users can post information about upcoming events and then invite their Facebook friends to attend. The entire section of events is searchable, and users can quickly locate events they’re interested in, find the host’s name, location, time, and even a description of the event. What’s more, Facebook gives each event its own page, where users can RSVP, decline to attend, or even post information on the event page’s public discussion wall, like what to wear, what to bring, etc. This presents social media marketers with a valuable opportunity to post events and then invite people that are most likely interested in attending. In my own experience with this medium, I’ve created events for clients and then posted information and invites within groups that align. For example, when promoting an upcoming reggae concert or college football game, find as many groups related to reggae music, college football, music and sports that you can, and post the event information on their group discussion boards to ensure that anyone who’s interested now knows and attends.
Connect Through Mobile Devices: Just this week, Facebook announced that it has partnered with RIM, or Research In Motion, and their BlackBerry device. In addition to BlackBerrys, Facebook is accessible to a wide range of other mobile devices. This presents valuable opportunities for advertisers to reach potential customers on a local level, positioning their company presence at the moment of relevance.
Still, Facebook’s explosive growth hasn’t been without challenges. In response to criticism from a plethora of groups, Facebook recently added additional security measures in an effort to better protect private information. In addition to assuaging privacy fears, this is sure to encourage more users to join the site and share more information about themselves. Yet this will also force social media marketers to be more innovative and creative when identifying and locating target audiences.
As you can see, Facebook users have taken care of the segmentation process, connecting themselves through content and shared interests. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.
The company I work for, Fusionbox, a Denver Internet marketing company, uses social media marketing to combine the objectives of Internet marketing with the capabilities of social media sites and Web 2.0 technologies. Click here for more information on social media marketing [http://running-with-the-bulls-seo.blogspot.com/2007/09/social-media-marketing-bridging-gap.html].
Essentially, our SMM services create powerful forms of viral marketing that leverage the large audiences and user communities of social media sites. Whether on MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Flickr, or any number of others, SMM revolves around the creation and connection of users to companies through unique content.
For this reason, SMM can be utilized to build a network of links, spread brand messages, increase visibility and awareness, and even manage your company’s reputation online. After all, these social media sites each have millions of registered users, grouped into like-interest communities. Now all you have to do is discern where your target audience is congregating online. What more could a marketer ask for? No other channel allows companies to declare their identity, service offerings, value proposition and location within such a targeted environment.
Our team of experienced and innovative social media marketers will effectively position your website content in a targeted digital space where it will be seen by those you want to see it.
Fusionbox is a leader in applying Web 2.0 technologies to the Internet marketing domain. Our services have been aptly deemed Web Marketing 2.0 because of
Now Pay Close Attention —
On the next page you will take a sneak peak at the upcoming secret system release for driving herds of targeted traffic to any site, affiliate or product and dump wads of cash into your bank account using this hidden facebook secret
So if you want to take a behind the curtain pre-release look at the facebook secret that is about to shake the internet to its core then I strongly recommend you read everything on the next page before it’s too late!
What if I told you to stop working day and night writing articles, posting blogs, setting up PPC campaigns, searching high and low for joint venture partners, creating videos … and all the other back breaking and boring stuff? You don’t need a website. You don’t need Google. You don’t need to create products. You don’t need to fork out on costly advertising. You don’t need any previous experience. Take a peak at the system that is going to cause CHAOS all over the internet… Dumb kids on Facebook make 9,833.57!
Verizon demos an iPad app, Intel buys security and antivirus firm McAfee, and Facebook launches a location check-in service called Places. Video Rating: 4 / 5
Conozca Las Ventajas Y Tipos De Marketing En Internet Para Su Empresa!
A medida de que la evolución de Internet era inevitable, el marketing tampoco se hizo esperar para adoptar nuevas estrategias en esta plataforma mundial.
Cuando se habla de e-marketing (Marketing en Internet o Marketing Electrónico), se reúnen varios aspectos que incluyen desde el Diseño y Desarrollo de Páginas Web hasta sistemas de publicidad online con informes de seguimiento y rendimiento de sus campañas.
Uno de los principales objetivos del e-marketing es generar tráfico altamente cualificado a un sitio web para lograr un llamado a la acción (suscribir a un boletín electrónico, comprar un producto, llamar a un especialista, entre otros).
Pero sin duda surgen preguntas en la mente de muchas personas que apenas se están introduciendo en el tema. ¿Qué ventajas me ofrece el Marketing en Internet? ¿Cómo mido su inversión? ¿Cuáles son los tipos de campañas online para llevar a cabo una estrategia de marketing?
Actualmente el e-marketing es una alternativa cada vez más utilizada por empresas que con sus estrategias logran llegar a un público objetivo y segmentado, para promocionar sus servicios o productos. Una de las razones por la cual optan por utilizar este medio de comunicación es por sus múltiples ventajas que ofrece:
Reducir costos publicitarios en relación con otros medios tradicionales como prensa, radio o audiovisual.
Promocionar constantemente su marca.
Alcanzar una gran audiencia a nivel internacional.
Medir las estadísticas de datos relacionado con el tipo de campaña.
Seguimiento con total exactitud y en tiempo real de los resultados de una campaña en toda su extensión.
Mayor flexibilidad en cuanto a poder realizar modificaciones en cualquier momento a las campañas para obtener mejores resultados con base a informes anteriores.
Sin embargo todas estas ventajas las proporciona diferentes tipos de herramientas para el éxito de una campaña Online, algunas pueden resultar más efectivas que otras dependiendo de cual se ajuste mejor a las necesidades de su empresa. Entre estas encontramos. Email marketing
Esta potente herramienta es ideal para empresas que desean dar a conocer con detallada información las ofertas o promociones de sus servicios de una manera más personalizada y es una de las mejores opciones para mejorar la relación con su público objetivo y fomentar la fidelidad de sus clientes. Tenga en cuenta que estos mensajes promocionales o informativos, primeramente contaron con la autorización de los destinatarios al ingresar sus datos voluntariamente en un formulario de suscripción de Boletín Electrónico.
Pago Por Click (PPC)
En este tipo de campaña se paga cada vez que un usuario hace click en su anuncio, y que luego es dirigido a una página de aterrizaje con el fin de que realice un llamado a la acción específico, ya sea introducir sus datos o realizar una llamada. Una de sus mayores ventajas es su segmentación de público objetivo y, su control absoluto del gasto al indicar cuanto desea pagar por cada click. Uno de los mejores sistemas para ejecutar estas campañas es el de Google AdWords, aunque también existe en redes sociales como la de facebook.
Traducido al español (Optimización en Motores de Búsqueda), este tipo de sistema tiene como objetivo posicionar un sitio web entre los primeros resultados de los motores de búsqueda y obtener mayor ventaja sobre los sitios web de la competencia. Esto es posible gracias a que optimiza el contenido del sitio, usando palabras clave relevantes, publicando enlaces en otros sitios de interés, aprovechando al máximo los Meta Tags del código HTML incorporado en cada página web, entre otros.
Estas y muchas más alternativas ofrece Xzito para llevar a cabo su Estrategia web, y brindar una mayor visibilidad y acción a su negocio a través de internet. En Xzito queremos ayudarle a ejecutar sus campañas de e-marketing para alcanzar el éxito de su empresa o propuesta de negocio.
Y usted ¿Ya tiene su estrategia Online en su sitio web? o ¿Desea iniciar una para su negocio? Llámenos al 401 7094342 o programe su cita en www.Xzito.com y reciba una Consulta Gratis para conocer más acerca de estrategias de marketing Online para alcanzar el éxito de su negocio. Xzito su mejor solución.
trabajo en el área de mercadeo e investigacion de una espectacular empresa de Diseño y Marketing web. publico mis artícuos con el fin de dar a conocer las ventajas de nuestros servicios que se ofrecen a un público online y offline.
este es un tutorial muy bueno de como descargar ares
Why You Need A Facebook “Profile” (If You Don’t Have One Already)
Over the past few years, social networking sites enabled by Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed the way we use the Internet. What was once a one-way connection has transformed into a dynamic connective medium, allowing users to share a wide range of content including blogs, photos, videos, and much more.
Yet how have social networking sites like Facebook changed the way online marketers advertise online? For one, they’ve made our jobs much easier. Facebook is the ideal medium for advertising within an environment that’s viral by nature. These online social directories use an interactive format that allows users to create a personal profile, connect to other users, and share content.
In a sense, these users have already effectively segmented themselves, coming together through like interest groups and connecting through content. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.
Moreover, these social networking sites are growing at an exponential rate, adding more and more users from more diverse backgrounds. Initially, Facebook was created only for college students, but last year, it was opened to anyone with an email address. According to Microsoft, Facebook is the sixth most trafficked site in the U.S., and now has over 73 million registered users in 40,000 different collegiate, high school, work-related, and geographic networks. This represents a 530% growth rate over one year alone.
The tactic through which advertisers communicate with these segmented online audiences is known as Social Media Marketing (SMM). SMM has become a popular tool for search engine optimization (SEO) thanks to its unique ability to improve website visibility, name recognition, and brand awareness among specific online audiences through the acquisition of a network of relevant links.
So what opportunities does Facebook present for targeted online marketing efforts? Among Internet users ages 18-24, Facebook placed first on the list of favorite sites in Youth Trends most recent survey. Over 70% of females ages 17-25 indicated that Facebook was their favorite site in terms of time spent online. For males, this figure was still a powerful 56%. These demographic is clearly technology-driven, thanks to their growing up in a culture that considers time online an integral aspect of daily life. More than half of those surveyed visited Facebook at least once a day, logging an average of 35 minutes on the site.
Furthermore, these users are familiar with online environments and are adept at seeking out and finding specific pieces of content they’re interested in. Thus, social networking sites, especially Facebook, present online marketers with the opportunity to engage users with advertising messages at critical moments of relevance.
So how can we utilize social media marketing to effectively engage these elusive audiences of young adults? Below are several ideas on how to utilize social media marketing on Facebook.
Connect Through Groups:
Facebook has an infinite number of shared interest groups which users join for a myriad of reasons. These groups cover an unlimited number of subjects and interests, from marine biology to snowboarding to politics to rap music to Italian food. No matter what your interest or target market, there is a group for you. Take it from me. I’ve been a registered Facebook user, or “Facebooker” since 2003, and I’ve seen a group for everything, literally. Many even have a local focus, like Denver Broncos fan groups or Denver Chinese Students Group. Each of these groups has its own page with a forum, discussion board, photo gallery, etc. This is the best place to position messages meant for specific niche audiences, as you’re almost guaranteed everyone who sees it fits your target profile. In the past, when I was trying to drive traffic to a video site I was working for, I placed descriptive and enticing links to relevant videos on the group’s “wall,” or discussion board. I saw great results as many of the members of this particular group, which was devoted to skiing, followed these links to watch videos about their favorite sport, skiing.
Connect Through Applications:
Recently, Facebook has opened up its platform to outside developers who have created innumerable applications, ranging from fantasy stock picking simulators to video games of “beer pong” to world maps marking desired travel destinations. Users can add as many of these applications as they like to their profiles, creating opportunities for marketers and developers alike to subtly integrate marketing messages into these applications and their functions. Many developers have already done so and are not doubt reaping some major benefits, not only through increased brand awareness but through traffic driven from Facebook, which many have bridged to their own sites.
Connect Through Content:
Because Facebook allows users to post videos, images, links, photos, and more, advertisers can seamlessly utilize social media marketing strategies to connect with these groups through content. By positioning your content where your target audience is, you can be assured your brand will be right in front of their eyes as they interact with your message. Facebook is a repository for an endless amount of consumer data, what many experts have dubbed “a community in a box.” So why not leverage this data by getting involved? Connect through content.
Connect Through Events:
As Facebook has grown, it has added an “Events” section where users can post information about upcoming events and then invite their Facebook friends to attend. The entire section of events is searchable, and users can quickly locate events they’re interested in, find the host’s name, location, time, and even a description of the event. What’s more, Facebook gives each event its own page, where users can RSVP, decline to attend, or even post information on the event page’s public discussion wall, like what to wear, what to bring, etc. This presents social media marketers with a valuable opportunity to post events and then invite people that are most likely interested in attending. In my own experience with this medium, I’ve created events for clients and then posted information and invites within groups that align. For example, when promoting an upcoming reggae concert or college football game, find as many groups related to reggae music, college football, music and sports that you can, and post the event information on their group discussion boards to ensure that anyone who’s interested now knows and attends.
Connect Through Mobile Devices:
Just this week, Facebook announced that it has partnered with RIM, or Research In Motion, and their BlackBerry device. In addition to BlackBerrys, Facebook is accessible to a wide range of other mobile devices. This presents valuable opportunities for advertisers to reach potential customers on a local level, positioning their company presence at the moment of relevance.
Still, Facebook’s explosive growth hasn’t been without challenges. In response to criticism from a plethora of groups, Facebook recently added additional security measures in an effort to better protect private information. In addition to assuaging privacy fears, this is sure to encourage more users to join the site and share more information about themselves. Yet this will also force social media marketers to be more innovative and creative when identifying and locating target audiences.
As you can see, Facebook users have taken care of the segmentation process, connecting themselves through content and shared interests. These behaviors, which are inherent to social media and enabled by Web 2.0, create valuable networks of targeted and specific demographic groups. Now more than ever, the “Net Generation” is becoming involved in social media and presenting online marketers with the chance to market to predefined segments of online users, positioning branded messages on sites where these users spend time online.
The company I work for, Fusionbox, uses social media marketing to combine the objectives of Internet marketing with the capabilities of social media sites and Web 2.0 technologies. Click here for more information on social media marketing.
Essentially, our SMM services create powerful forms of viral marketing that leverage the large audiences and user communities of social media sites. Whether on MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, Flickr, or any number of others, SMM revolves around the creation and connection of users to companies through unique content.
For this reason, SMM can be utilized to build a network of links, spread brand messages, increase visibility and awareness, and even manage your company’s reputation online. After all, these social media sites each have millions of registered users, grouped into like-interest communities. Now all you have to do is discern where your target audience is congregating online. What more could a marketer ask for? No other channel allows companies to declare their identity, service offerings, value proposition and location within such a targeted environment.
Our team of experienced and innovative social media marketers will effectively position your website content in a targeted digital space where it will be seen by those you want to see it.
Fusionbox is a leader in applying Web 2.0 technologies to the Internet marketing domain. Our services have been aptly deemed Web Marketing 2.0 because of our ability to connect clients to customers by engaging the market and initiating conversations through social media.
Nick Yorchak is an SEO expert and Search Engine Marketing Specialist at Fusionbox, a full-service Denver Internet marketing, web design, and web development company. He can be reached at his Fusionbox email or at (303)952-7490. Click here to check out his expert SEO blog.
