SEO and Google Authorship Explained

With social media being at the forefront of mainstream acceptability and awareness, many niche bloggers and website owners are quick to adopt a variety of such platforms. Utilising social media networks and applications can certainly help grow connections and engagement. However, the average content creator is frequently found to be uneducated with knowledge of additional strategies. Whilst a wealth of Content Management Systems contain plugins to increase SERP rankings, there is a whole universe of untapped resources at your fingertips.

In order to gain a wider online presence, it is valuable to become educated in the world of digital marketing. Within itself, digital marketing has many fields and subfields, each comprising of dedicated, specialised knowledge and skills. One such field is Search Engine Optimization. The world of SEO is vast, sprawling plain that encompasses a multitude of techniques and methods. Many individuals who are serious about their blogging often employ the services of an SEO agency. However, if you feel this is a step too far right now, there are plenty of SEO-based practices that beginners can undertake. One such tool that every blogger and website owner should utilise is Google Authorship. Please note that this article does not detail the steps needed to take in order to setup Google Authorship.

Rich Snippets

The most aesthetic of the SEO differences when utilising Authorship is the appearance of the rich snippet. For those in the dark, rich snippets are an advanced version of the description found underneath hyperlinks in a search engine results page. Whilst there are many forms of rich snippets, such as stars for reviews or calendar dates for events, Authorship employs its version. By connecting to your Google+ profile, Authorship utilises your profile name, photo and number of circles you are in amongst the rich snippet. It has been found that the mere appearance of a rich snippet can increase your click through rate dramatically, setting it apart from other standard results. Let’s say that a translations and voice over agency has a low CTR on organic search results: a surefire way to improve click through rate would be to add the author attribute or a rich snippet with reviews from clients.

Plagiarism

As the title suggests, any content you create is attributes you as the author. This greatly impairs chances of your work being plagiarised. Additionally, if your work is plagiarised, Google recognises that you are the creator and thus ranks your page higher than those who have copied you. Also, Google can impose penalties and decrease traffic to duplicate sites.

Indexing

As you post content, your associated social media profiles are updated in real time. However, indexing doesn't work in such a timely manner. The best way to quicken this process is to utilise Authorship. By having your content indexed quicker, you allow for the chance of higher rankings due to a stronger SEO effort.

AuthorRank

Despite not being officially confirmed as to directly affect higher search rankings, AuthorRank is generally seen as to play a large role in future SEO practices. Verified Authorship profiles have been officially noted to directly affect posts to rank higher. However, AuthorRank is more of an enigma. Based around the singular, AuthorRank essentially provides a ranking to an individual. Whilst it isn't entirely known what metrics are at play, it has been seen that the more circles you are in, number of +1s, shares and comments, level of interactivity and communities you follow seemingly impact AuthorRank. Those with a higher AuthorRank are deemed to have a stronger authoritative role, thus increasing their posts attached to Authorship in search engine results rankings.

It has been mentioned and debated by Mozblog that besides Page Authority, Google +1's are potentially correlated to higher search rankings. Whilst this topic is still controversial, having someone +1 your post frequently means that is also shared amongst Google+. Such actions are seen to definitely impact your SEO as shared links are backlinks, essentially producing organic link building.

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Is Facebook really falling?

Every time we speak about social media, two sites are ubiquitously mentioned: Facebook and Twitter. The runner up is, hands down, Google Plus, but it is still way behind the first two. Every online marketing plan includes interaction on Facebook and Twitter, and it is not rare to see heads banging when Facebook makes a move and, say, changes the image sizes of the social network. Community managers usually growl for a while when that happens.

If you have worked at a digital agency for a while, you know it.

What would you say, however, if I told you that, based on a suggestion by George Aguayo, one of the SEO guys at InTechCenter, Facebook glorious days might be counted? Yes, I am serious. See for yourself.

Despite the fact the picture is from Google Trends, which is not an official web counter for Facebook, the giant social media site appears to be showing a decline in its use. As you know many users do not type www.facebook.com on their web browsers directly. They prefer to open up Google and search for Facebook so they can just click through to their site. The graph might not be too inaccurate.

Why is this happening? Thisarticle on Time gives some more light about the phenomenon and why it could be happening. The extremely short version, for those who won't click-through and read, is that Facebook is a fashion, and, like every fashion, it will eventually fade away.

Yet what affects users will eventually affect us, marketers, too. Have you asked yourself what would you do if suddenly Facebook stops being the social media vehicle you could use for marketing your site or business? If you haven't, then maybe it is time to start building your plan B.

Some companies and blogs seem to begin taking measures about this situation. LifeHackeris already on Diaspora*, for example. There is also an evident raise on the use of Google Plus company pages.

It is too soon to tell yet, but, as George commented, it could be a great idea to start diversifying your social media locomotives.

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The dos and don'ts of social media for businesses

If you want to promote your company and ensure that it gains online visibility then you can consider social media contests that are not only an effective medium but free as well. Similarly there are several other social media strategies that you can use to get more traffic, generate leads and sales while there are a few things that you have to avoid to get maximum benefits.

Have a plan

If you have a goal in life then you need to have a plan so that you can work towards it. The same applies for social media strategies for small businesses. Of course there are some merits to random acts of kindness, but remember that random is not a word that you can associate with social media today.

Set boundaries

It’s important to have your rules set in place; from age limits to location specifications, entry period etc. You should also make this information easily visible to your contestants so that they won’t miss it. This will make sure that there is no misunderstanding and confusion throughout the contest. That’s the reason setting boundaries is critical right at the onset and you should also make it a point to stick to the rules you have set.

Add value

Social media should be looked at as an additional medium of communication. It’s important to add value to your content so that you make a mark with your clients, users and fans alike. If you are trying to cater to the fans then think of ways and content that will make them sit up and take notice. Once that’s done your users will keep checking on things to see what else you have to say. Bear in mind that your social media pages are not to express your personal interests but should be tailor made for your customers.

Stay authentic

If you want to maintain your business identity and make your mark then it’s important to stay authentic at all times. Let your online presence express your true beliefs. It often gets tricky but think of it from your audiences’ point of view. Once they find you they need to know what they should expect. That’s why authenticity and consistency is the key.

Build your network

The big idea of social media is to set up a network with your audience. It can be a grave mistake to set up a Twitter or Facebook page, add some press releases and forget all about it. The good thing about social media is that you have access to your present and potential customers. Make the most out of it by starting forums and groups with a community manager who constantly interacts with them. You are also well served by following industry experts and joining groups with common interests.

Ask questions

Do you want to get hundreds of comments on your posts? Then there’s only one way to go about it; ask them direct questions. Keep the questions relevant, simple and conversational. Don’t make them about your own opinions and use visual imagery wherever you can so that users will pay attention and want to engage.

Avoid multiple profiles

It can get very tricky to manage multiple profiles, no matter how hard you try. But it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing philosophy where you live out your life on social media. However if you have chosen to be on a particular platform then you should take the effort to understand security settings. It will help you keep tabs on things you want to post privately and publicly.

Avoid spamming

Spam is a put off, be it with emails or social media. Don’t overdo things because posting the same content over and over again can get you reported and your page runs the risk of being shut down. You can also turn your fan base away from you.

Negative feedback should be taken on the chin

If you are on social media there’s bound to be some kind of negative comments. It’s tempting to filter them out so that you protect your brand’s reputation. But that will not be taken kindly by consumers who like to know that all types of voices are heard. Hence it’s a good idea to listen to the negative comments rather than just deleting them. You can try and understand why you are getting this negative feedback in the first place and respond politely. It can actually help you address the issues people have and it will lend you credibility.

Use more than one network

If you have found a good article or piece of content, you can share it on different platforms you are on. It shouldn’t be exclusive to any particular medium. That’s the way it works with social media today. But you have to remember that the content shared on Facebook might have to be dressed up differently to be shared on LinkedIn. The tone of every network has to be kept in mind when doing that.

Don’t get into promotional overdrive

Brand accounts are followed because people like to build a relationship with them. They are looking for an experience with a brand and don’t want to be bombarded with advertising every given opportunity. Your content on social media cannot be just about your brand; it can include things from your site or other sites, which might have similar interests. It will be an interesting mix of things for your users.

Don’t hide behind your logo

This is the time to come out from the shadow of your logo, and share personalities behind the brand. Your users find it easier to relate to people behind the brand as they can relate to them and it builds invaluable trust too.

Don’t be robots; share your voice

You might be using social media to promote your brand but you will find that bringing in some personality into it will add to the success of your campaign. You can easily do it by offering your expertise on a relevant subject or just thanking them for re-tweets. You can also share some personal details and build a level of familiarity with users. Of course have an opinion, but try and stay a human voice rather than sounding like a robot. 

Author bio:

I am Ramya Raju a freelance web design writer with 8 yrs of extensive blogging experience on a variety of online publishing and social-media platforms. I generally write high-quality articles on travel, photography, SEO, Web design, English courses, and generic topics too. I’m also an extrovert with a passion for photography, anthropology and travelling to different countries to learn the culture and living of the local inhabitants. Website: http://www.colorcharacter.com/uk/services

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An Overview of Email Marketing for Startups

The United States sees countless new startups launch every day. Such new companies must contend with a wide variety of issues. Typically, a startup's handling of these issues directly affects its chances of success. Most of these companies operate online, and online startups must engage their customers. Engagement occurs through various marketing tactics, of which there are many. For the best results, startups need to utilize multiple options at their disposal without going over budget.

Effective Marketing Wins; Ineffective Marketing Dooms

A company that engages its customers effectively will see results. Otherwise, those that don't could fail to attract customers from the start. Ineffective marketing can doom even the best products and services online. Too many companies figure this fact out the hard way. Therefore, effective marketing is required, so startups need to utilize the best methods. They must walk the line between cost-effectiveness and great marketing, though. Finding the middle ground here isn't always easy.

Email Marketing Benefits For Brand New Startups

Without a doubt, startups need to use email marketing in order to target potential customers. Engaging customers through this method couldn't be any easier. A new company still needs email marketing tips to avoid making mistakes. However, the benefits of such marketing tactics speak for themselves. Emails cost pennies on the dollar to send, and thousands of emails can be sent at once. Potential customers are reachable around the world without requiring tons of time.

How does email marketing work?

Email marketing is commonly performed by utilizing mailing lists. These lists contain the email addresses of thousands of consumers and potential customers. Sometimes, companies acquire these lists from advertising services. They might even compile their own list from users that sign up for regular emails. Either way, a startup must know how to utilize these lists in order to succeed. The idea that mass-sending emails leads to success is a slightly misguided notion these days.

Quality Beats Quantity For Email Marketing Today

Startup companies need to send quality emails to potential customers to see results. A consumer won't respond well to an automatic message filled with advertisements. Likewise, they don't like being spammed with countless messages per month. A company needs to strategically craft these emails and send them out on occasion for maximum effectiveness. It doesn't make sense to customize each email for a recipient. Then again, emails should make customers feel like they were singled out.

Most companies find email marketing relatively simple and straightforward. Plus, these startups often see great success with this method. It's a low-cost, high-return investment that's proven useful time and time again. New companies should heed email marketing tips from the professionals to avoid issues. Like other tactics, there are wrong ways to handle this situation. No startup wants to purposefully doom itself before it can build a large customer base for its future success.

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Hire a social media manager

Do you still doubt if to hire a social media manager for your business? In such case you lag behind the time too much. I can convince you, that it is just necessary if your goal is to reach better results and to support the level, which you are on. Social media manager not only saves your money and time, but helps to develop and to make your business competitive as well. The world technologies update with the speed of the wind, and it means that you must constantly get new knowledge, track the changes, and so on. In order to master all these things you must work in this field every day, but it will greatly distract your attention from your basic work and as a result your business will fail. Besides, are you sure, that you are able and have enough time to attract customers, visitors, if you are business owner? I am sure you are not. That is why don't spare money for professional social media manager, it will be much cheaper for you than to do it by your own or to hire some unreliable manager. Hire only professional and reliable person.

So what are the main reasons to hire a social media manager? Here is the list of the most important reasons.

Your manager will work out the appropriate business strategy, plan, which will guide your actions in right way. With the help of it you can have an excellent, actual and valuable content, which will attract many readers, who are your potential customers and clients. Manager knows for sure what to add, to delete or to change in your content in order to satisfy public interests and demands.

Hire a person, who perfectly knows the appropriate and necessary platforms for your business, because social media is always in the process of development and almost every day some innovations appear in this field. You will gain good profits from such professional. You will become more competitive in comparison with other businessmen. Your social presence will much increase.

Social media manager will work out the brilliant content strategy. He will make your content engaging, interesting. People will join you with pleasure if your content is worth it and if they feel comfortable while reading.

Manager knows how to take the most out of social media, using different techniques, methods, tools, etc. These tools will help you to grow the business and to save money as well.

He will boost SEO optimization, because he knows much about search engines and what content is appropriate for them. Thanks to it you will drive traffic, create a popular and good reputation of your site.

Responsibility is the main aspect too in business. If many employees have an access to the same account, it is almost impossible to find out who sent the message and so on.  However, when you have one social media manager, he is totally responsible for his actions. So the level of the work quality gets better.

I hope you now see it is necessary to hire a professional manager in order to grow your business constantly. I wish you good luck.

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Twitter is a marketing platform - but avoid some scheming things

No doubt, Twitter became one of the most popular social media site. Thousands of people daily visit it, and about 50 million tweets are sent per day. This micro-blogging service has a large audience, so there are many possibilities to develop your own business, to drive traffic and advertise your products here.  Twitter has been a marketing platform for a long time. And it is not a surprise for anybody, that this website is constantly used by many internet businessmen for commercial purposes. Anyway, day after day, we face to many difficulties in such kind of marketing, but often ignore them. There’re some moments on Twitter, which we should avoid, in order to save and develop our business activity. These details seem not very important, but actually the whole success depends on them. So let’s look through some of them.

Don't send the auto direct message to the users, whom you want to attract to the purchase of your product. It spurns your potential customers, especially if you've hardly got acquainted.  These users are new for you, and your task is to hold down them, not to lose them. That’s why do it gradually, finding out their interests and preferences at first. Then you can indicate a link to some interesting article in the message to you future customer. Remember the main conditions: your actions shouldn't be annoying; your slight suggestion must suit your followers' interests; distribution of your messages mustn't be automatic.

Don’t be excessively active in self-promotion. It looks not very good, when you speak only about yourself and your products. Twitter is a place, where you constantly interact with people, so you must not only speak, but listen as well. When you find out, what your follower is interested in, you can satisfy his needs by way of involving a piece of the necessary information for him into your blog. In such way you will really insensibly attract the follower’s attention to your goods.

Don’t hide the background of your business. Be more personal in relations with your customers, but don't overdo with it. You can show in pictures or in some article your working process, development. You even can allow acquaintance with your employees. Such actions will merit trust and define profits from your potential customers. Be honest and open with people.

Don’t use jargons and cuss words. Some users try to use such methods in the marketing, but actually it looks not good and pushes off the customers. In such case it is better to use official language rather than the dissolute one. However, remember, that your language must be maximally available to the audience.

Don’t tweet too often. Active position is welcomed in marketing on Twitter, but it shouldn't look like spam. If you write a message, make it consistent and targeted for the audience. Provide it with the individual valuable information. Don’t send the same message to the different people. It is a sign of a bad tone.

Don’t forget about Twitter etiquette. Don’t show a great desire to make a profit from people. Don’t be annoying. Don’t thank them constantly for their activity. Don’t point out everywhere only the link to your website. It looks suspicious and persistent.

Follow these tips and you will have good results.

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Google+ Marketing: Five (5) Reasons Why Your Business Should Be On Google+

The search giant launched its own social network on 2011. Its intent is simple: to make online sharing better and introduce a new way to connect with people that matter most. However, with Facebook and Twitter topping the charts in the social networking industry already, what makes Google+ different?

Why Should Your Business Be On Google+

Learn why you should consider Google+ in your digital marketing strategy. Here are five (5) reasons how it can greatly benefit your business.

1.  Better SEO Rankings. One important feature of Google+ is that Google, the search engine, will treat your posts the same way as it will do so on regular webpages. So if you post content to Google+, it will rank higher in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) as opposed to doing the exact same thing to another platform like Facebook. It will stay there longer as well which makes it a perfect avenue to promote your brand regardless if you are a digitalmarketing agency in the Philippines or a telecommunication firm in India.

2.   Higher Brand Visibility. It is a perfect opportunity to introduce and promote your company. For instance, try typing “Starbucks” on the Google search bar. You can easily see on the right side of the SERP a link to Starbucks’ Google+ page as it shows the number of its current followers, profile image and its recent Google+ post activity. Its hashtag feature (type “#starbucks”) is magnified too as you can quickly identify which users are talking about Starbucks’ products and services.

3.   GoogleAuthorship. Authorship is the driving force behind Author Rank which is one of the 200 ranking signals that Google uses. Its birth roots back to Google’s goal to eliminate spam and duplicate content. As your business utilizes this feature, it will build your credibility more as it allows you to link your Google+ profile or page to the content you create thus letting the search giant know that the article actually originated from you.

4.   Deeper Engagement. Engagement is a necessary metric in online marketing as it can very well dictate how effective your brand is to your customers. Google+ has Hangouts and Communities that will help your business engage with your followers on a more personal level. You can broadcast conferences and webinars with the former and host rich conversations and shared interests with the latter.

Integration to Youtube. With Youtube being the best video site to date and its comments now powered by Google+, your reach can be guaranteed to multiply massively. 

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How to Build a Career in Digital Marketing

Digital marketing involves making marketing efforts via various electronic devices like computers, tablets, smartphones and gaming consoles. It makes use of new technologies and digital platforms like e-mail, websites, social networks and apps (both web-based and mobile). The dynamic and ever-growing realm of digital marketing is expanding to create new opportunities for beginners as well as traditional marketers who wish to venture into this domain. But what does one need to become a digital marketer? This question will be answered through the following article which aims to enlighten aspirants about what it takes to build a career in digital marketing.

Do your Research

It is highly important to know what you are getting into. Begin by finding out the roles and responsibilities of a digital marketer.  Like any other industry, the skills you possess must be aligned to the requirements of the position. There are many aspirants who do not fully understand how far the professionals need to go to in order to create compelling marketing strategies using creative ideas, unique copy and development.

The following are some essential traits that an aspiring digital marketer must possess to be successful in this field –

• Analytical – You should be able to analyze the numbers, understand their relevance and take corrective actions.
• Technical Proficiency – you must have the keenness and capability to learn latest software and adapt to new technology.
• Spreadsheet Expertise – You certainly need to know how to make spreadsheets like Excel. These help you in report making.
• Know-how of Social Media – Even if you are not an innovator when it comes to emerging media, you still need to be a quick learner and adopter.
• Curious Mind – All professionals in this sphere need to have a thirst to learn more to grow. You should be curious to know the processes, how things happen, why certain demographics convert better, etc. Asking questions will only help you learn more.

Seek the Right Education

Even though degree courses are useful, a true marketer only gains the paramount knowledge through a combination of sources beyond the classroom. You can imbibe the right knowledge through –

• Industry Blogs – This industry is highly dynamic and introduces new updates at lightning speed, so books may become obsolete but blogs will remain a nimble source for literature, expertise, insider insights and trends. Make it a routine to read some of the top blogs related to digital marketing.
• Google Analytics – Web analytics are the lifeline of digital marketing and Google Analytics is a widely used platform. Your aim should be to successfully pass the Google Analytics IQ exam. You can even take lessons before taking the exam.

Create Networks and Stay Connected

The best way to stay updated and keep an edge in the rapidly evolving sector of digital marketing is to stay connected with industry allies. Here‘s how to go about it –

• Internship-Bound – If you are in college and wish to aim for a digital marketing job in the future, you can start early by forming associations while still in college. Find yourself a mentor and get yourself a relevant internship where again you can build contacts and gain experience.
• Use LinkedIn – You can join digital marketing groups on the social networking website and then shoot questions that you wish to find answers to. The vast pool of knowledge and expertise available on LinkedIn makes it a great resource.

Get Started with the Real Thing

Once you have understood this field, gained education and experience and formed a network, it is finally time to get serious and find your dream job.

• Get Professional Certification – The Google Analytics IQ test is highly recommended. Another certification by the search giant is the Google AdWords Certification. Even if you do not hold relevant work experience but have one of these to your credit, you will be given a preference when you appear for an interview. The certificates are a representation of your dedication and interest towards internet marketing.
• Set up your Web Presence – This will help you look more credible and will simultaneously allow you to gain hands-on experience by practicing Google Analytics tracking on your own site and driving traffic through different channels. You can start your blog on a subject related to your hobby or passionate.

The above steps will help you get acquainted with the innovative space of digital marketing and help you shine out from the crowd of aspirants.

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Social Media for Professionals

There’s no hiding from it anymore: social media has become one of the most important weapons in the marketing arsenal. It doesn’t matter if your blog is the most authoritative on a given subject, if no one is reading it. You need to spread the word!

Spending time on social media needn’t mean wasting time. There are many advantages to using these technologies, including, but not restricted to, the following:

• Put yourself / your blog forward
• Show off your skills
• Keep up to date on your area of interest/expertise
• Take part in conversations with fellow bloggers

Of course, as with all things, you get out what you put in with social media. It is very easy to be sucked into the worlds of Facebook or Twitter and emerge bleary eyed hours later, realising that you haven’t done much of value for your site. So, how to avoid falling into the black hole of time wasting? Have a plan!

Your social media attack plan should work towards the aims you have for your blog. Keeping in mind your aims will help you focus as you dive into forums or the blogoverse, as well as help you in developing different tactics to hit those aims. To this end, social media can be used for three purposes:

• Marketing
• Socialising
• Learning

Your plan should mix and match the three on the various platforms to maximise your time and effort.  For example, Twitter could be used to promote your newest article, LinkedIn can be used to find and connect with similar companies or experts, whilst forums can be a veritable storehouse of how-tos, help and advice. Bearing in mind the variety of social media sites out there and the multitude of different ways to use them, your action plan should definitely not only be focused on one site. You also need to make sure not to spread yourself thin trying to be active on ALL the sites. This is nigh on impossible and will only lead to burnout.

For your plan to work you need to have an allotted amount of time each day for your social media management strategy (and it does need to be every day, the online world evolves very quickly).  Setting aside this time, keeping in mind your aims for each of your social media sites, lets you work through your strategy quickly and efficiently, and makes for a very productive hour or two.

When used correctly and responsibly, social media has so many opportunities and advantages specially for language professionals; I met a large number of professionals offering translation services in UK that took advantage of Social Media to promote themselves

.

Most importantly, it connects you to a wider audience with opinions, knowledge and stories waiting to be shared, all of which can be useful to you and your website. Whether you use the available information to learn more about your craft or to inspire a whole series of articles, it’s all up to you.

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Main Problems in Digital Marketing

Electronic commerce

Due to low prices and great assortment of goods and of course to convenience of online shopping consumer expenditures have risen to high levels. According to data for the last 12 months in the USA people spent on online buys more than 304 billion dollars. Among them 100 billion was spent on travelling and other 110 billion on retail purchases.

Companies which work only with online retail (as eBay, Amazon) were able to make real business empires due to electronic commerce. For example, Amazon has 110 millions unique visitors per month. But such triumphal march of electronic commerce means that a regular offline shop is under the threat. In other words, retailers which can’t hold their market part now will have more and more difficulties in future.

Different products categories move to online with different speed, and that makes new difficulties for retailers who work with different categories, for example, big supermarkets. Nowadays about 30% of electronics are sold thought the Internet and only 1% of everyday goods.

Moving of whole channels to the online world can have some influence upon prices and it can promote lowing of them. Internet allows finding the necessary goods on the lowest price.

Social media

ComScore data show us that part of social media according to the time which user spend in the web is higher than part of web-portals. Last year in November in the USA Facebook attracted 150 million unique users. It had 10% part from the whole number of minutes, which users spent in the Internet. But social networks are not only Facebook. The same month LinkedIn had 41 million users, Twitter – 40 million, Google+ had 29 million and Instagram and Pinterest – more than 25 million. 

Users’ activity rise in social networks puts market members before new challenge: how to use new channels in order to communicate with consumer. People often expect from social networks a word of mouth effect. But there are a lot of questions. For example, how much does “a fan” of goods or brand cost? What is better: paid popularity in social networks or the earned popularity? How is it possible to calculate the profit which was received from investments to social media? Today they do a lot of studies in order to have answers to such questions.

ComScore offers a special service which is called “Social Essentials”, it helps to measure quantitatively productivity of marketing efforts in social networks, based on the demographic and behavioral composition of the audience of one or another brand in social media. Such tool also shows coverage and frequency of advertising views in social media. These options give a chance to companies to link their actions in social media with the desired consumer behavior, including brand involvement and buying activity. They also allow measuring the productivity of the current campaign.

But social media can be not only a promotional platform, market researchers think about how to make them a data source about the consumers’ minds. Some of them even believe that in the next five years social networks will completely replace the buyers’ surveys.

Increased cost of digital advertising

Spending on advertising is rapidly flowing to the Internet. According to the IAB data, in the third quarter of 2012 online advertising increased by 18% compared with the previous year. In the first three quarters of 2012 the growth was 15% it is more than 3.8% of the general increase of advertising costs during the same period in all media, in which the research was conducted. The IAB report points to significant growth in different formats, especially in the mobile Internet (+92%), video (+18%), search (+17%) and banners (+12%). The only exception is the multimedia advertising (here we see the recession in 34%)

There is a hypothesis that the high cost of such advertising leads to the rejection from this format in favor of others, especially video, which allows you to transform 30-second video into 15-second easily and inexpensively. At the same time, advertisers and agencies are more and more concerned with the limitation of available advertising space and time. Many say that price for thousand shows of the video often exceeds the price for ads on TV.

It is clear, however, that the more exact the targeting will be the more consumers will be involved and the faster the video rate in the Internet will live behind the price for ads on TV.

Audience targeting or specific publications

The availability of strange platforms and exchanging them in real time helped to the spreading of such phenomena as buying audience through the computer via cookies. According to some rates, about 20% of all display ads views are buying with the help of auctions in real time. This figure will continue growing. The advantages of methods of buying the audience are well documented.

But there is a negative side too: publishers are anxious about the trend towards lowering the prices for ads. This, in turn, led to the creation of private SSP which make possible the acquisition of specific audiences on web sites with the help of program. There is a hope that it will help publishers to protect their premium prices, but giving the opportunity to advertisers to enjoy some advantages of buying audience at the same time.

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4 Incredible Tools to Host a Contest On Your Facebook

Social media in general and Facebook in particular have come a long way in terms of reach, importance and its effect on brand and business popularity. Today, Facebook not only offers profile and fan pages but allows embedding of third party applications which enhances its functionality. These applications are entrenched within the Facebook fan page via code, widget or tab making the task of engaging, managing, measuring and converting the four social media metrics a breeze.  

One of the popular applications which can be synched with Facebook fan page is "Contest". The contest app creates instant buzz and coerces users to participate, and thereby increase brand value and customer loyalty.

Mentioned below are some of the trendy contests.

1. Photo contest by far is the most popular. As an administrator, you can ask users to submit a photo, vote for others and "like" company page; a prerequisite to participate. The idea is to engage users through voting. It is easy to set up and the images offer a visually soothing experience.
2. The second most popular way of engaging users via contest is "Scratch & Win". Instead of using a physical tool such as a coin to scratch, users simply scratch online, with the help of mouse to view result.  Timer can be set up so that a participant can enter only once in 24 hours.
3. Creating an interesting timeline contest is the next on this list. However, it does have limitations and may not be the right way to analyse page metrics. This type of contest will not generate leads because of its inherent workings.
4. Caption contest is a great way to engage users and generate user content. Businesses can set up this type of contest by uploading the image which could be a product or advertisement, and ask users to express their views.

Listed below are four incredible tools to host a contest on Facebook.

1. Agorapulse

This versatile, intuitive and easy to use marketing and CRM suite is one of the favourite tools of many administrators and marketers. The reasons for its popularity are many.

So what makes it the choice of community managers? Here are the reasons.

• It helps gain more fans through a gamut of apps such as quiz, instant prizes, contests, coupons and sweepstakes.
• Using these apps translates into efficient people engagement which in turn means more fans.
• On the other hand a contest application generates amazing number of opt-in leads.

Although, Agorapulse is an enterprise class tool, it can also be used by mid and small-sized businesses, non-profit entities and even NGO's. A free trial is available for a limited period. However, the basic price structure starts at $29. Agorapulse apps, especially contest, help marketers turn fans into customers. With this tool managing information whether email submissions or polls is a breeze. It can be synched with CRM and email software very easily.

2. Woobox

Woobox is another amazing Facebook tool which allows administrators and marketers to built instant buzz with contest application. Create innumerable intelligent and intriguing contests. Let your creativity go wild. Mentioned below are some of the "contests" which can be created with Woobox.

• Photo contests, where users can participate and vote for the best media.
• Audio/video contests - If you are a marketer or a community manager for a company this type of engagement can instantly catapult a brand to dizzying heights.
• Article, poem, short story contests are some of the other options which every administrator should exploit.

Some of the important features of Woobox are:

• Sweepstakes - An interesting app which allows community managers to collect entries and pick winners in the most transparent way. 
• Coupons - They are simply compelling. It forces users to interact. Coupons have a randomly generated code, offered during seasonal sales, festivals and entry to exclusive shows.
• HTML Fangate
• Poll - This application promises unbiased fan/user inputs whether it is about a brand or service
• Instagram and Pinterest tabs offer a quick way to post images of new products and get instant feedback in the form of followers.

3. Votigo

Votigo is an all in one marketing tool for Facebook page. It offers comprehensive features with maximum customization in terms of look, feel and back end storage of information collected from the fans. It can be used as an application or tab. In either case the user information is stored in a separate database. Some of the engagement tools that it offers are: user or self generated contests such as photo, video and essay. It also offers other routine apps like sweepstakes, polls, input forms and a host of other interesting ways to generate fan page likes.

Salient features of Votigo -

• Better conversion and more Facebook likes.
• It offers compelling apps for Facebook.
• Apps typically translate into high profile viral branding.
• High conversion factor leads to significant increase in customers.

4. Social Prize 

Social Prize is yet another tool which is simply brilliant in terms of engaging with fans, building trust, creating brand hype. A must have tool for every marketer. One of its interesting features is the "cash giveaways", a kind of contest which can be setup in minutes and offers instant brand recognition.

Social Prize offers a two prong strategy.

SHARE TO WIN -

The contest app can be easily embedded as a widget. Administrators need to simply copy paste the code. However, its simplicity doesn't make it less effective. On the contrary it offers an array of tools to monitor the success of contest through online statistics. It also offers several interesting features such as downloading and building leads, creating user generated content and customization of contests, prominent among them the feature which recognizes a single winner each day.

GROW YOUR BASE -

Email lists, content created by fans/users through social engagement like contest app makes sure the company never runs short of customers. In other words, a fan base which grows consistently. 

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How to include media in social posts to attract more attention

Online Buyers have become habituated to being ready with common posts from businesses on social media. Businesses wanting show up from the community require including visual content such as images and videos (media) into their content marketing tactic. Including media is a superior way to boost your social media approach. Posts that include media on the globally most well-liked social networking sites are being paid more interest and engagement.

Use this reality to your leads by centering your content on related photos and even video. Your followers will be more eager to share these types of posts with their contacts or friends as well. They are good conversant that their followers will like it rather than just only a plain text post. But acquire creative with your photos! Keep them multi-colored, rich, attractive and efficiently so users will really desire to share it and engage. Add an intellectual sentence to go with it, a link for more information, and you are sound on your manner.

Once you have created your own videos, you will wish for to put them where it will get the most views and bring you back the more visits. The emperor of all the video sharing sites is YouTube. That is where you will wish for all your videos to be put in. Confirm that you are creating a good looking channel with your information so visitors can locate more of your videos when they visit again. Also, be ensuring to have your website address listed on your YouTube channel page. When your video is uploaded in YouTube, create a description post including your landing page link or update on your other social media pages telling users about the video and provide the link to it.

It's no doubt media posts gain more attention from social media users! This means that you should be creating an aware attempt to use high-quality, engaging photos/videos in the content you end up sharing on all social networking sites, together with good content, landing pages, etc.

Here are few causes to publish media for your business marketing strategy.

• Post with suitable media acquires 90% more entire traffic.
• Including media in a press release or blog post boost views by over 50%.
• 50% of clients are more expected to think or contact a business when a media shows up in local search results.
• In an online store sites, 70% of customers speak the quality of a goods picture is “very important” in picking and baying a manufactured goods.

At the end of the day, marketers heed more about how their social media usage is reaching particular business goals, such as drive more website traffic. So, can visuals be used to amplify website traffic as well, even if the link appurtenant a media only lives in the media description. This shows that social media experts who are using attractive photos/videos to their lead can raise traffic to their websites, just as long as they keep in mind to put links in content! You have improved the quantity of visual content you post on all social networks. You are observed that you’re nearly all visual content performs superior than other kinds of social updates.

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