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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

(ArticlesBase SC #3802231)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – What Does Geolocation Social Networking Mean for Online Marketing?

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.

Retrieved from “http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/what-does-geolocation-social-networking-mean-for-online-marketing-3802231.html”

(ArticlesBase SC #3802231)

Julie Ann Ross –
About the Author:

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

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New Version of Loopt Highlights Places of Social Relevance

author: admin category: hot trends

New Version of Loopt Highlights Places of Social Relevance
Loopt is releasing version 4.0 of its location-based iPhone app today. The update comes with a refreshed design and feature set that aims to better help users find friends and places. Most notably, the new Loopt is said to use…
Read more on Mashable

Loopt 4.0: Redesigned, Facebook-Heavy, And Location-Based Texting
Much has already been written about how Loopt was perhaps a bit too early to the location game for their own good. But that doesn’t mean they’re not out there still trying new things to keep their over 4 million users and entice new ones to join. The latest such effort is Loopt 4.0, their latest mobile app. The first thing you’ll notice about Loopt 4.0 is that it has been entirely redesigned …
Read more on TechCrunch

Lexus Captures the Conversation from Inside The New CT 200h Hybrid with ‘Darkcasting
TORRANCE, CA – Introducing “Darkcasting.” It’s part test drive, part late night talk show, part real time feedback. It’s a series hosted by actress and stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings that captures the (nearly) unfiltered conversations of influential personalities who take the new Lexus hybrid for a spin in their home cities.
Read more on Fleet Financials

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06
Dec

Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

author: admin category: hot trends

by osseous

Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

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Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

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Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

By: Siegfried Gursche

About the Author

Long acknowledged as the father of the Canadian health food movement, Siegfried Gursche (founder of alive publishing, Teldon and Alpha Health, Inc.) comes by his vast amount of knowledge about healthy fats and oils, through both first-hand experience and dedicated research. He is passionate about the topic of coconut oil and readily shares his knowledge so that others may change and promote their health in a safe, natural way. Gursche is the Canadian distributor of organic, fair trade coconut oil. www.alphahealth.ca

(ArticlesBase SC #2612453)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Fair Trade Organic Coconut Oil & Social Economic Development

Where the World is Still Healthy

My wife Christel and I spentthree weeks in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific earlier this year.We witnessed first-hand the Third World conditions—the majority of the 860,000 people that inhabit the 300 islands live with a drastically low level of poverty.

Of all island states in Micronesia,Polynesia and Melanesia, the Solomon Islands are the most underdeveloped in the South Pacific. Outside of the capital of Honiara, a town of 80,000, most of the people live off their land or earn some money from fishing. They live without any luxuries and most villages have no electric power or running water. We were shocked at the primitive conditions.

Coconut corruption
Because of the lack of accommodation and even the most simple of comforts or transportation, there is no tourism in this splendidly beautiful place. Instead, production of coconuts is the biggest export sector. Unfortunately,we sawmuch evidence of exploitation by large foreign business corporations, who eroded the forests of valuable tropical trees.

Profit-oriented multinational corporations treat the earth and everything that grows and lives on it with such a low level of respect that it exploits natural resources and plunders the
population without any vision for the future.Nowhere is this more visible than in Third World countries and places like the Solomon Islands. Their population, and weak government, cannot withstand the destructive actions of multinational industries.

Until now nothing substantial has been done to help the Solomon Islands in any positive, significant way on a grand scale. Well intended agreements by local governments and the powerful group of eight leading industrialized nations (G-8), as well as initiatives by charity movements such as Oxfam and World Vision, are just a drop in a bucket or, at best, represent only scanty repair work.

Charities require bigger support to make a bigger impact. Our politicians often fear personal unpopularity by being associated with so-called “radicals” like Greenpeace, who recognize and push for urgent global changes.

You can help
I believe the greatest change starts with us.We, as consumers, can make a significant and positive impact on Third World nations by matching our buying habits to our world knowledge, caring nature, and philosophy. We can do this by supporting Fair Trade, organic and environmentally sustaining products.

When I first heard about the direct micro expelling (DME) coconut oil production project Dr. Dan Etherington was establishing in remote island communities—enabling villagers to
press their own coconut oil and be independent of the slavery of collecting copra from dried coconuts for the big multinationals—I got very excited. The possibility for these native families to sustain themselves while doing environmentally sustaining work touched my heart. When I learned that there was enough raw, organic DME Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to allow for export I got even more excited. I decided to get involved in marketing this excellent product in Canada. The rest is history.

Many conscious consumers, who shop for high quality health products in Canadian health food stores, have recognized the potential and positive impact of a Fair Trade product like DME Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. They’ve responded to the opportunity to support those on the Solomon Islands and they do so with every purchase. With 19 DME production stations, each employing 34 people in two shifts of five hours each, an average of 646 jobs have been created on the Solomon Islands. Along with this comes the building of schools to educate children and running water for the villages.

Visiting a village
Christel and I visited one of these villages. After two bumpy hours by 4-wheel drive through the jungle and an hour by canoe, we received an enormously enthusiastic welcome. We were, as it turned out, their first ever visitors from North America.

They proudly showed us around the DME Coconut Oil production facilities. We spoke with many workers and villagers and sawmany happy faces.The average family has five children, which are happy and healthy. Malaria is widespread and kills many babies and also the very elderly. However, degenerative diseases are practically unknown, except diabetes, which has recently become popular, actually since people began drinking imported sweetened soft drinks and colas.

The village then treated us to a spread of fresh fruit from their gardens, including papaya, bananas, pineapple as ripe and sweet as I’ve ever tasted and, of course, fresh coconut milk. We felt like royalty and proud to represent their high quality coconut oil in Canada.

Hope for the future
In addition to the Solomon Islands, Dr. Etherington’s group, Kokonut Pacific Pty, has set up DME Systems on other islands in the South Pacific, such as Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and also in India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Mozambique. These coconut farmers and oil producers are earning more than three times the amount they were during their copra-making days. This is full and Fair Trade at its best. These native islanders have been empowered—many of them say that for the first time they have hope for their futures.

Retrieved from “http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/fair-trade-organic-coconut-oil-social-economic-development-2612453.html”

(ArticlesBase SC #2612453)

Siegfried Gursche –
About the Author:

Long acknowledged as the father of the Canadian health food movement, Siegfried Gursche (founder of alive publishing, Teldon and Alpha Health, Inc.) comes by his vast amount of knowledge about healthy fats and oils, through both first-hand experience and dedicated research. He is passionate about the topic of coconut oil and readily shares his knowledge so that others may change and promote their health in a safe, natural way. Gursche is the Canadian distributor of organic, fair trade coconut oil. www.alphahealth.ca

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The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

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by Zero-X

The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

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Home Page > Marketing > Viral Marketing > The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

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The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

By: Oscar Lock

About the Author

Author writes regularly on Social Media Expert, social media management service, social media marketing, social media expert, Digital media and marketing company, social media marketing brisbane, Social Media Consultant for more details please visit :- http://socialmediabrisbane.blogspot.com/

(ArticlesBase SC #3485704)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – The evolution of Social Media in Current Business Scenario

Here are a set of six questions asked of me by a Marketing student. I thought I’d share these with the world, because these questions actually provoked answers that would peak the interest of most business owners. Enjoy:

1. How do you think social media is changing the landscape of Australian business? It’s not changing, it has already changed. Our means of communication has evolved beyond traditional methods. Now we can talk/ask/find anyone in the world, at any time. Commercial entities within Australia are already harnessing the opportunities presented by Social Media. There are over 2 billion consumers engaged within the social networks asking each other where they should spend their money. If a business isn’t part of that conversation, they might as well not exist.

2. Are there any risks involved in using social media? As with any marketing, there are always risks. Just like TV, Radio, Newspapers, Billboards – one slip-up and your credibility hangs in the balance. The trick with Social is that you have to mother your potential customers, listen to their concerns and respond with their best interest in mind. Worst-case scenario is going into crisis-management mode, just like BP did with their oil spill… but no risk is bigger than non-involvement – you can choose not to take part in Social Media, but you cannot silence the sentiment of online consumers, whatever way that swings.

3. Do you believe that businesses and organisations are fully harnessing the capabilities of social media? We’re seeing positive growth of Social Media uptake in Australia, but Australia is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to commercialising their online presence. It’s not just about having a Facebook Page, a Twitter account and a Blog – you have to own it. The minute you lose your frequency, you lose your customers. Social is about commitment, and I do believe getting Australian businesses to view Social as an integral part of the food chain is still far off the maintstream horizon.

4. Are there aspects of social media that we haven’t even grasped yet? It’s definitely the cult-like, niched environments that Australian businesses aren’t using. Everyone’s heard of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but not too many are interested in Viral methods like Digg, Delicious and StumbleUpon, or geolocation-based platforms like FourSquare, Facebook Places and Gowalla… In Japan, they’re using QR codes everywhere, and communicating with the public in more interactive ways – these are the things that are still left for Australian businesses to grasp.

5. What does the future hold for social media? If it’s not something that will disappear, will it plateau? Social Media will never disappear. The platforms we know and love might merge, be replaced, or evolve, but they’re here to stay. The power of communicating Socially is something to take seriously. 75% of global newspapers are experiencing a decline in revenue, Yellow Pages are getting thinner, Blockbuster is bankrupt – and all point the finger at Social Media. The trick is not to view Social Media as a necessary evil, but to hold it in the same regard as a mobile phone. Where would you be without yours?

6. What is the importance of social media for a small, medium or large business? Absolutely crucial. There is no other way to engage, interact and generate business faster, with a qualified group of consumers, than Social Media. If a company is spending million per year on traditional marketing, and you took just 5% of that for Social Media use, you would eclipse your traditional marketing exposure within a few months.

Retrieved from “http://www.articlesbase.com/viral-marketing-articles/the-evolution-of-social-media-in-current-business-scenario-3485704.html”

(ArticlesBase SC #3485704)

Oscar Lock –
About the Author:

Author writes regularly on Social Media Expert, social media management service, social media marketing, social media expert, Digital media and marketing company, social media marketing brisbane, Social Media Consultant for more details please visit :- http://socialmediabrisbane.blogspot.com/

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The Top Five Applications on Facebook – Strongest Social Network Marketing Tools

author: admin category: hot trends

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

2

applications, Facebook, Five, Marketing, Network, Social, Strongest, Tools

26
Oct

How the Foursquare Social Network Can Help Promote Your Business

author: admin category: hot trends

by Ben Gertzfield

How the Foursquare Social Network Can Help Promote Your Business

While Facebook may hold the lead in the realm of social media, location-based Foursquare continues to grow and show that it may be a worthy competitor. So what is location-based social media, how are people using it, and how can you use it to promote your business?

Don’t know much about Foursquare? This social media site works with an app on your phone to track businesses and other places you frequent. When you “check-in” to a location via your phone, it shows up in Foursquare and keeps count of how many times you visit certain places. Some businesses will offer specials or discounts to those who frequent their business and check in via Foursquare.

In some ways, Foursquare is like a game. You can earn points by visiting venues, obtain badges, and see how you rank against other customers. Users rank not only against their friends, but also everyone else in the city, creating a competitive aspect. And if you’re a really devoted customer, you might strive for “mayorship.” The mayor of a venue is the person who has visited the most in the past 60 days, and usually gets a freebie for doing so.

This provides a great opportunity for businesses to reach out to local audiences. By promoting your business and offering specials, you can entice new customers to visit your business. Also, users are rewarded with points for being adventurous and visiting new places, and so people who have never visited your establishment might have incentive to do so, even without a special offer. And for those who are already customers, it encourages them to visit more often when you offer special discounts and freebies for frequent visitors.

Customers can also help you promote your business via Foursquare, by creating tips and to-dos. They can tell friends and the general public about information regarding your venue (like nights you offer a special, or a dish or product to try), which will be seen by anyone nearby.

Once you’ve signed up, Foursquare offers tools and services to help you promote your business. You can choose what type of offers you’d like to make available to your customers, and even check real-time stats to see how many visitors you’re getting.

With the success of Foursquare, other similar sites have cropped up and tried to compete. Social media giant Facebook came out with a similar app, Facebook Places, which was hailed as being a “Foursquare killer.” However, instead of killing Foursquare, Facebook Places helped it grow even more. So how did that happen? Mainstream media extensively covered Facebook Places, saying it would rival Foursquare, which many people hadn’t heard of until then. This caused people to look up Foursquare, and many signed up when they learned about what it is and how they could benefit from it.

Facebook also helped to legitimize location-based social media. Those who had heard of Foursquare, but were reluctant to use it for one reason or another, saw that Facebook had a similar service and figured that it must be something worth using.

However, Foursquare is not for every person or business. Since you need an app on your phone to use Foursquare, those who don’t have Internet on their cell phones won’t be able to use this service. Also, by using Foursquare you’re basically announcing where you are at all times. Those who wish to keep their lives more private will likely never use Foursquare. Therefore, there is a significant portion of the general population you won’t reach via Foursquare.

It also will not benefit every business the same. Businesses such as car dealerships, law firms, or funeral homes that people only visit when necessary or infrequently, will probably not find a lot of success. However, businesses with frequent repeat visitors, like restaurants, bars, and coffee shops can benefit greatly from Foursquare. Of course, with other forms of social media marketing, it all depends on how you use it.

Wendy Suto is president and CEO of Search Circus, Inc., an ethical SEO firm specializing in organic search engine optimization, blog marketing, Web site copywriting and article marketing solutions. As a certified search engine optimization consultant, she teaches SEO seminars in Cleveland, Ohio. [email protected]

Facebook Places is a new feature from Facebook, which can tell people where you are, right now. This video tells you what you need to know, so that you can stay safe. Learn about the implications of using Places, and how to change your Facebook settings to control this feature. Free Music from: www.music4yourvids.co.uk Animation created at: www.goanimate.com

Social commerce gives companies better ROI

author: admin category: hot trends

by Ben Gertzfield

Social commerce gives companies better ROI

Social commerce gives companies better ROI

Tapping social networking tools to connect online customers with each other as Dell Inspiron 9400 Battery they shop, can help companies monetize their investment in social networks, according to market observers.

Kim Diamond, Asia managing director of Bazaarvoice, which provides social commerce tools, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail that when “social is placed as near to the purchase decision point as possible”, companies can measure the impact of user-generated content, such as product reviews and recommendations, on their business in terms of sales–both online and offline.

Content contributions from the customer, hence, become the central force of a company’s business strategy for growth and sales, Diamond said.

Paul Marsden, who is a digital ethnographer and editor of social commerce blog Social Commerce Today, said social commerce supports both social interaction and user contribution among the consumers themselves. These two factors assist in the online buying and selling of products and services, he said in an e-mail interview, adding that when user content is shared online socially, customers become better-informed shoppers and online retailers achieve more sales.

Marsden explained that sales volume gets a boost because social commerce makes the company’s own retail site or social media profile, such as Facebook, more attractive since customers can shop and connect with their peers at the same time.

Power in word-of-mouth
Industry analyst Claus Mortensen concurred, noting that word-of-mouth is the “essence of social commerce”.

Mortensen, principal of emerging technology research practice group at IDC Asia-Pacific, explained in an e-mail: “[Social commerce] makes advocates of the key people who will help spread the [organization’s] message.”

He noted that such primary company spokespersons often refer to guidelines Hp Pavilion dv9000 Series Battery discussed in journalist Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point, who wrote that big changes can occur from small-scale activities involving three rules of epidemics, or otherwise known as the three agents of change: connectors, mavens and salesmen.

Connectors are people who know everybody else, while mavens are information specialists that people turn to, and salesmen are the charismatic agents skilled in persuasion, according to Gladwell.

In real life, Mortensen said, connectors, mavens and salesmen are three different, separate individuals. However, on the Internet, some online users can exhibit two or more of these personas, the analyst said.

For instance, they are connectors because they have vast social networks and they are also salesmen in that they are able to persuade those in their social cliques to make purchases, he explained.

Thus, social media tools and social commerce is a “potentially powerful” tool for businesses to harness, Mortensen said.

Marsden noted that it is logical for companies to “fish where the fish are” and launch social commerce services on major social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Businesses can access the audience mass and also leverage the social technology built into these social platforms, he said.

Denim jeans maker Levi Strauss, for instance, incorporated Facebook’s “Like” ACER ASPIRE 4920 battery button in its online Friends Store where customers can indicate the items they like and share the information with their friends on Facebook. The company’s director of digital and social marketing, Megan O’Connor, said in an interview with eMarketer that the integration with Facebook aims to allow consumers to “find and share their experiences with friends”.

Christine Bardwell, senior analyst of retail technology at Ovum, stressed that social commerce is not just about supporting e-commerce transactions over a social networking platform. It is also about “retailer-led social interaction”, she told ZDNet Asia.

IDC’s Mortensen added that a company’s social commerce objective should focus on fostering social togetherness as well as a shared experience, through interactive activities and active discussion.

Better integration to come
Goh Khim Yong, assistant professor at the National University of Singapore’s School of Computing department of information systems, said social commerce is likely to see tighter integration between e-commerce and social media sites, as well as mobile platforms such as tablets and smartphones.

Such marketing and advertising efforts can be deployed to target customers in a location- and time-specific context, Goh explained, pointing to Facebook Places, as an example.

Social commerce has the potential to flourish in Asia, he added, where in the Chinese and Japanese markets, for instance, word-of-mouth recommendations between friends are pivotal and human herding is commonplace.

Bazaarvoice’s Diamond said social commerce is “on the rise all around the globe” Dell Inspiron 8000 Battery even as countries differ in their adoption and the impact social commerce has on their business.

Martha Bennett, practice leader in financial services and retail technology at Ovum, agreed that social commerce is likely to become more pervasive in the future, but stressed that not every Web user dabbles in social media as some may be hesitant to share personal data.

Mortensen added that online consumers, compared to retailers, are generally savvier in using social media technologies.

Ovum’s Bardwell shared a similar view, noting that many retailers have yet to build a social media presence or are still attempting to measure the value of social media on their brand.

Episode 39 /// Facebook Places /// Google / Verizon Tablet may be free /// FiOS Customers may be getting CableTV on their iPads.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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08
Sep

Social Media Marketing And Facebook – Why You Need A Profile

author: admin category: hot trends

by Zero-X

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

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Verizon demos an iPad app, Intel buys security and antivirus firm McAfee, and Facebook launches a location check-in service called Places.
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Social Media Marketing and Facebook

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Social Media Marketing and Facebook

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