Just Being Social: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Google+ Brings Out The Big Guns

A lot is speculated every day about the future of Google+, one of the main topics is how the social network will affect search. By Social Mouths

It's Time To Stop Ignoring LinkedIn Company Pages

LinkedIn Marketing seems to be an afterthought among the other high profile social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+. By SocialFresh

5 Ways to Increase Facebook Engagement Every 5 Hours

Facebook has made recent changes like adding a significant metric such as the “People Talking About This” and launching Facebook Actions through the Open Graph. By Social Media Today

5 Things You Need To Know BEFORE Designing Your Social Media Strategy

Stop looking at social media as an add-on, in order for social marketing to be truly effective you must first work to integrate it into your daily processes. By Social Media Today

How to Fill Out Facebook Timeline Without Annoying Your Friends

Like it or not, you’re about to get the new Facebook Timeline. Sure, change can be a good thing, but it often causes a big backlash on Facebook — get ready for complaints about how the old format was better — and it can also be nerve wracking for those who like to keep a low profile on the site. By Mashable

Thursday, January 26, 2012

17 Creative Ways to Get Users to Sign Up

We’ve all seen signup forms used for email lists, but why stop there? By Wildfire

3 Ways to Boost Interaction With Your Facebook Fans

Are you looking for fresh ideas to engage your Facebook fans?

Do you have a pretty nice fan base, but you’re struggling to come up with ideas to engage them on a daily basis? One proven approach is to help your fans. By Wildfire

HOW TO: Strengthen Your Twitter Brand Strategy in time for the New Twitter Pages

On December 8th, Twitter announced a new version of the network that was designed to make it easier for users to “discover what’s happening now”. You’ve probably already read about the introduction of special pages for brands. By Wildfire

Facebook to Place Sponsored Stories Ads into Users’ Newsfeeds

A big change was announced for Facebook advertisers today: starting in January, Facebook will be featuring “Sponsored Story” ads in users’ news feeds. By Wildfire

2012 in Social Media: The Next Generation of Social Marketing

Summing up social marketing in 2011 and making predictions for the coming year is a daunting task! 2011 saw more industry growth than any other year; we saw the widespread acceptance of social marketing for B2B companies, and we witnessed moments that are likely to echo beyond 2011: the debut of Google+, the introduction of Facebook Timelines, and an amusing concession to social media silliness by the White House, via the now infamous rickroll. By Wildfire

414 421 Measuring the Business Impact of Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

Social media is no longer a stop-and-go investment, but rather a long term strategic channel that, when integrated with other marketing efforts, allows brands to connect with users over time. By Wildfire

9 Tips for Integrating Social Media on Your Website

Are you leveraging the power of social media on your site? Together, social media channels and your website should work seamlessly to promote your online brand. By Social Media Exaimner

3 New Apps to Manage Your Social Networks

Are you looking for a better way to manage all of your social accounts? By Social Media Examiner

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Measuring ROI for Social Media

Forrester Research recommends a balanced marketing scorecard across four perspectives to properly value the impact of social media marketing investments.

Google+ Now Lets You Share Straight From Search Results

Google just beefed up the search capabilities on Google+ to allow users to start conversations directly from search results. The change makes it easier for Plusers to join or start discussions on specific topics. By Mashable

Is it Time for Apple to Get Social?

Over the past decade, many have pondered Apple’s closed-door, top-down culture, and now with the passing of its CEO, Steve Jobs, some speculate whether that culture will continue. By Mashable

Friday, January 13, 2012

Maximizing Your Brand Presence on Google+

Recently, Google+ granted companies the ability to launch brand pages. Its stated goal in doing so was to help users build relationships with any company they "care about." By MarketingProfs

How Google’s Social Search Shift Will Impact Your Brand’s SEO

In what could be hailed as the update that sparked an all-out Internet riot, Google has launched “Search, plus your World,” which pours personal social results into your public search listings. The catch is that it only factors in your Google+ social graph, leaving Facebook and Twitter, arguably the more active social networks, out in the cold. By Mashable

Facebook shows how to monetize the Like button

What's the dollar value that a Facebook "like" generates for your business? If you are unable to translate likes to real business metrics such as sales, leads generated, or revenue, then you are not taking full advantage of the opportunity that Facebook presents for your business. By Ana Lucia

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Impact of Social Media on User Engagement

Point: Social media makes users more engaged because people they know through networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn referred them to the website. Counterpoint: Social media does not make users more engaged with a website because they were directed by a friend, but weren’t necessarily looking for that information. Referrals from organic search results, PPC ads, other non-social channels and banner ads will have higher user engagement metrics because those users were actively looking for that information. By Slingshot SEO

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Are Text Messages Declining Worldwide?

YouTube in 2011: How Its Busy Year Affects You

Image via Wikipedia

Much has changed for YouTube since it launched in 2005. But in 2011, we saw Google’s video-sharing service undergo more tweaks, spit out more new features and reach more major milestones than in previous years. By Mashabe

6 Turnkey Tools for Content Distribution

Today, the scarce resource in the publishing world is not infrastructure; it’s audience. To compete for reader attention, bloggers are finding they not only have to produce better content, they also have to figure out a way to get it in front of people. By Mashable

Need a Kidney? More Are Turning to Facebook

Can Twitter Predict the Iowa Caucus?

Can Twitter predict the outcome of the Iowa Caucus better than national polls? Mashable has partnered with Global Point Research to answer that question. By Mashable

Sunday, January 1, 2012

HOW TO: Get the Most Out of Your Business Facebook Page

So you paid attention to what everyone is saying and you created a Facebook Page for your business. You’ve got your press release links, photos and videos … but no one seems to care. What are you supposed to do now? By Mashable

8 Quick Tips for Developing a Facebook Marketing Strategy

When Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook was “almost guaranteed” to reach 1 billion users, there were few that doubted him. The social network has become a mainstay of the web experience for so many people, and many would argue that it’s second only to Google in its importance to online marketers. By Mashable

7 Tips for Succeeding as a Social Media Strategist

The role of social media is expanding rapidly and many organizations of all types are trying to stay afloat amidst the changes. Meanwhile, a small group of innovators pulls the industry onward. By Mashable

5 Tips for Creating More Efficient Social Media Processes

Creating, executing and evaluating a social media plan takes a healthy amount of time, money and talent — resources that are scarce in today’s business world. By Mashable

Two Compelling Social Media Trends for 2012

A new year is bearing down upon us—YIKES how did it get here so fast? With holiday festivities in full swing, here are two social media trends unfolding with wider breadth in the coming year. By Social Media today

The Social Media Statistics of Today: Facebook (Infographic)

Was 2011 the year of social media? Facebook has added more than 200 million users in the last year. Twitter now boasts 100 million active users. LinkedIn has 64 million users in North America alone, and used this tally to launch a successful IPO back in May. By Social Media Today