How the Facebook Like Feature Increases Inbound Traffic and Leads
June 16, 2010
When Facebook unveiled the ability for web content creators to embed their “Like” feature in third-party websites in April, it had the potential to be a game changer practically overnight. The concept of directly leveraging Facebook’s user-base to drive traffic to one’s blog was huge. But would it actually work?
Since in the world of analytics we like to see hard data, this week Mashable reported that after users of blog platform TypePad installed the Facbook “Like” capability on their blogs, traffic to their blogs increased by 50%. Since most modern CMS’ like Joomla and Drupal (let alone WordPress) are essentially blogs on steroids, it is reasonable to deduce that the same benefit can be seen when implementing the Facebook “Like” feature on a CMS-built website. Just make sure that the content your are linking via the “Like” feature provides value, entertainment or both….otherwise you will loose trust and harm your online reputation.
Social Media for Realtors
March 16, 2009
Its no news that realtors are looking for innovative ways to generate leads these days. What is different is how they’re able to efficiently leverage technology to achieve their goals and set themselves apart from the competition. As we’ve discussed in the past, merely having a website is hardly enough to make a difference. Furthermore, most realtor websites are merely sub-accounts on their parent-organization’s main site. From a SEO (search engine optimization) perspective, this is troubling in that the individual agents aren’t fully in control of their own site content and are therefore unable to effectively leverage SEO best-practices. In most cases, establishing a web presence outside of the parent organization is crucial to distinguish yourself from the pack.
While plenty of SEO and social media experts will tell you that you need a blog to attract search engines to your content, the reality is that most people do not have the time nor the resources to properly maintain a quality blog that would attract search engine attention. Luckily, there is a simpler solution. Micro-blogging websites such a Twitter are ideal places for realtors to talk about their listings and easily publish links to photos and MLS information. This capability is further extended through the use of mobile devices that can post content on the fly to Twitter (especially with plugin apps for the iPhone, Blackberry and other PDA’s). Once you combine this with the fact that Twitter is FREE and can be automatically linked with a Facebook account, the amount of reach to potential clients expands dramatically.
Another effective, albeit expensive, option is PPC or pay-per-click advertising. Sure Google AdWords can be very effective. The issue comes down to advertising budget. Especially in saturated markets such as the north east, the cost of entry can be prohibitive for individuals. In cases such as these, it may be more effective to pool money in a co-op or through the parent organization as opposed to individually created advertising campaigns.
The future of public relations
January 14, 2009
With the growing number of public relations agencies delving into digital & social media, the misunderstanding and misuse of these new technologies and capabilities appears to be the standard rather than the exception. David Henderson addresses this point beautifully in his post about The Changing Face of PR Leadership. If these major agencies are to survive, they need to evolve their strategies around these new capabilities rather than cramming their old sqaure tactics through the round hole of digital marketing and social media.
Why Obama Shouldn’t Give Up His Blackberry
November 17, 2008
This morning I happened upon this AP story from CNN.com where the author suggested President-Elect Obama may have to give up his Blackberry handheld because his emails could be subpoenaed and made public, not to mention the fact that consumer cell devices are rather easily tracked. As a technology expert and enthusiast, I have to take issue this this arguement.
The rule of thumb for corporate America is simple: do not put anything in a work email that you wouldn’t want to appear on the front page of The New York Times. The same should hold true for any public official utilizing “official” equipment. While there are matters of national security to take into consideration, but most electronics manufacturers (let alone contractors to the Department of Defense) offer secure encrypted versions of their regular products for official use. Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the popular Blackberry handheld offers a secure version of their product.
In the end, it really comes down to judgement. People should not be afraid to use these technologies They just need to include common sense with their execution. It would be a shame fore the President-Elect to cease using his productivity-boosting devices. His campaign was revolutionary in its communications methods to its supporters, leveraging the best in social media (Twitter & Facebook) and email marketing. This is a key ingredient in this day and age if his administration whishes to contiune the transparency they’ve touted throughout the campaign.
One key security issue I will agree with is cell signal triangulation. However, one would think that the military would have figured out ways around that. After all, that’s their job.
How to Improve Traffic with Micro-blogging
July 24, 2008
One of the most popular off-shoots of the Web 2.0 space has been the advent of micro-blogging. This capability enables users to post short “updates” (usually no more than 140 characters long) in lieu of lengthy blog posts and has means to share this information within a specific community or the internet at large. While this can be as simple as status updates on the popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, there’s more to it than just that. Micro-blogging sites such as Twitter, Pownce and Plurk take things further and enable users to embed url’s and rich media items (pictures, music, video, etc).
However, just because you have these new capabilities doesn’t mean you’re going to generate SEO gold. You have to know how to author your content properly.
When promoting url’s via micro-blogging, its important to give the link context as concisely as possible without coming across has being spammy. Use these resources to share things that you think others will find useful or entertaining. If you’re promoting a product or service, position the link so that it comes accross as being useful or entertaining to others.
So if you’re going to mention that you really like the content of a particular site, be sure to mention “why” so that your post has context so that Google, Yahoo and the other search engines have something they can sink their crawler’s “teeth” into.
Is Social Networking Right For You?
May 19, 2008
With booming sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, etc., many of my clients have asked for my help in the social networking space. Many are surprised when I suggest that they shouldn’t do anything at all. Sure, its a very powerful area to participate in, and has far-reaching capabilities. The ability to build online communities and manage them from central locations is truly something marvelous. However, to truly take advantage of the benefits that these sites and services offer, it takes time. More specifically, its not enough to just create a MySpace or Facebook profile and say you’re an active participant in the social networking world. Quite simply, you have to live in it and make it a part of your daily routines in order to see the benefit of that space. Nobody wants to see an abandoned MySpace or Facebook profile. No one is going to follow you on Twitter if you never post. No one is going to subscribe to your RSS feeds if you don’t have anything to say. So before you take that leap into the social networking space, consider for a moment if you’re willing to shift the way you work and communicate.
Phaseous Phact: If you want to dive into social networking, designate one person in your company to monitor the pages daily. This is an ideal task for interns!
Building Your Own Content Cloud
May 5, 2008
Today I judge a new website or platform by its ability to extend beyond itself. I don’t want to have 10 different sites just so folks can learn about me. However, sites like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, LinkedIn, Plaxo, etc, do offer some really great services. The key is leveraging the capabilities of these sites all in one place. Whether its through the use of RSS feeds, javascript applications or other means, each of the aforementioned sites provide ways in which I can highlight the content that I have in each of these different places in one centralized location. So whether its your own personal blog or a Facebook profile, each of these sites provide highly effective ways in which to build your own content cloud across the internet and drive traffic to your website.
Phaseous Phact: It might seem like a lot of clubs to join, but consider getting an account with all the aforementioned websites to further your content cloud. Then streamline all of them!
Why You Need Your Own Website
April 28, 2008
Some might wonder what’s the point in having your own webiste, when there are so many free options out there. With all the benefits that Facebook, MySpace and the rest of the social networking sphere have brought to the internet, keep in mind you’re using a free service and you don’t really own what you’re working with. To that point, you don’t have complete control to steer your messaging and influence whatever discussion you’re participating in. This is why I suggest all my clients that want to participate in the social networking space first and foremost establish their own personal websites with professional branding and design. We’re not talking about the glorified online corporate brochures of yesteryear. Rather, this is your platform for begining and controlling the discussion you wish to have. Add all of the SEO benefits of a personal blog site or the like and you’re well on your way to steering the discussion your way. Just be sure you properly optimize your content.
Phaseous Phact: Get your own brand and website first. Then hit the social networks to further enhance your web presence.
