Web enters "female century" of lead generation

Women are beginning to overtake men to become the dominant force online, which will soon be reflected in company's marketing strategies and product designs, says an industry analyst.

Online lead generation will begin to be more women-orientated as we are entering the "female century" on the web, according to an industry analyst.

Chris Sanderson, strategy and insight director at The Future Laboratory, pointed out that there are now more women in powerful positions in business and within the family dynamic, which means their use of the web has a greater impact.

He noted that there are now more female users of the internet than male and because they are taking part in more online experiences, it will mean that the marketing and product design will sway to women's tastes.

Mr Sanderson explained: "If the last 150 years - in terms of productivity - were in the hands of men, then the next 150 will be in the hands of women. We are entering the female century."

Research released by IPC Media this year showed that 74 per cent of women access the internet every day and two-thirds cite social networking as one of their regular activities on the web.

29/09/2009

Newspapers 'should embrace social media'

Newspapers need to let their journalists use social media such as Twitter and Facebook even if it does attract a little criticism, says a sector commentator.

Newspapers should be embracing social media sites and encouraging their journalists to use the platform rather than censor what they write, an industry commentator has suggested.

Wendy Davis, writing in MediaPost's Daily Online Examiner blog, made her comments following news that the Washington Post is bringing in new guidelines regarding the use of social media so that they do not affect the public's perception of the publication's objectivity.

She remarked that it is beneficial to have the news expressed through the experiences of a journalist, rather than just reading objective wire copy.

Ms Davis explained: "Allowing reporters and editors to blog and tweet about their opinions might result in some criticism of the paper, but might also spark some more interest in it."

In her opinion, many opinionated journalists are popular and it is outdated to think that their work will damage a newspaper's credibility.

Last week, Ms Davis reported the difficult position newspapers are in at the moment, whereby none of them can try and charge for online content until they all do so, because otherwise people will just resort to wherever news is available for free.

29/09/2009

Email marketing "should not be automatic"

Businesses should be managing their transaction email just like any other part of their promotional campaign, says an industry insider.

Email marketing that is sent out after a transaction takes place "should not be automatic", according to an industry insider.

Shera Shrago, senior manager at Interactive Marketing, told Marketing Sherpa that analysing and redesigning the page can make a difference to how successful the email is in attracting repeat customers.

She suggested adding more graphics and removing unnecessary text to make each part stand out more.

Ms Shrago also claimed that it is important to take a look at the repeat purchase discount offer within a marketing email and make sure it is noticeable and that the customer has to clickthrough to benefit, rather than just write down a promotional code.

"The marketing in there should not be automatic. We needed to manage it as a program, just as we would any promotional campaign," she explained to the website.

With regards to the use of promotional codes, she pointed out that they can be hijacked by users and shared with a lot of people when they are only intended to be for repeat users.

Recently, Michael McCathren told Marketing Sherpa that the key to advertising through emails is to encourage people to interact. 29/09/2009

Viral video production is "easy to consume"

The ease with which users can consume videos and the low cost that is usually involved with sharing make them well suited for viral campaigns.

Video production is central to viral advertising campaigns because it is easy to consume, according to a marketing website.

Marketing Sherpa noted the effectiveness of a viral campaign relative to cost, as it will often involve a small initial spend and then the goal is to see consumers share the resulting marketing product with each other.

It was pointed out the most successful videos over the past year have been fun, informative or a mixture of these two themes.

The website explained: "Most importantly, it's easy to consume. Secondly, social video sites such as YouTube and Metacafe make it free and easy to host and share videos online."

One campaign which is singled out for praise is Disney's What Will You Celebrate?, which involved a video that users were able to customise.

Previous research by Marketing Sherpa indicated that 15 per cent of viral videos cost between $1 (63p) and $100 to make and only one per cent cost $100,000 or more.

28/09/2009

Mobile applications "here to stay"

Following the success that Apple has enjoyed with its App Store, applications look like they are here to stay, says one industry insider.

Mobile phone applications are "here to stay" now that Apple has showed the rest of the sector that there is money to be made from them, according to an industry commentator.

Tom Newton, a spokesperson for Recombu.com, pointed out that Apple has proved that there is plenty of opportunity in app sales and mobile content.

He commented that these applications are the latest way that people can customise their phone, which many years ago would have only involved buying a unique ringtone or a logo on the screen.

"Virtually all of the major networks and mobile manufacturers have launched - or are working on - some form of app store or online music/film/content portal - apps are definitely here to stay," explained Mr Newton.

His comments were made following the launch of Nokia's Calling All Innovators competition, which is inviting people to design an application and try and win £20,000, as well as the chance to become an Ovi Store publisher.

Ovi Store is a mobile content retailer.

28/09/2009

Advertisers social media concerns "have subsided"

Online advertising spend on social networking sites and blogs has seen a significant increase, suggesting marketers previous concerns about social media may have subsided.

Advertisers have shown that their previous concerns about utilising social media have been addressed, according to an industry insider.

Jon Gibs, vice-president of media and agency insights at Nielsen's online division, made his comments following the release of a study which indicated a 119 per cent increase in advertising on social networks and blogs from August 2008 to the same month this year.

He highlighted how advertisers looking to tap into core fan bases are putting particular emphasis on communicating with consumers through social networks.

Mr Gibs said: "In the past, advertisers had significant concerns with social media advertising. The considerable increases we've seen in ad spending over the past year suggest that many of these concerns have subsided."

Sectors which saw huge growth in online ad spend within social networking sites were travel and entertainment, which increased by 364 per cent and 812 per cent respectively.

Last week, Nielsen announced that it is forming a strategic alliance with Facebook, which it hopes will allow the social networking site to better analyse its consumers and market its advertising spaces more effectively.

28/09/2009

User-generated content 'to sit alongside websites'

The launch of a new Google tool called Sidewiki will allow user-generated content and other relevant sources to appear alongside webpages.

A new Google tool will allow user-generated content containing suggestions and recommendations for other internet users to appear on the side of the screen next to any website.

The Google Sidewiki was launched this week in an attempt to harness useful contributions from other web users in order to improve the way people search for information, according to Sundar Pichai and Michal Cierniak, writing on the official Google blog.

Mr Pichai, vice-president of product management, pointed out that the application will be available on Firefox and Internet Explorer initially, but a version for Google Chrome is in development.

The most relevant user-generated content will appear on Sidewiki alongside other related web pages, such as blogs and stories which discuss the same topic.

"Instead of displaying the most recent entries first, we rank Sidewiki entries using an algorithm that promotes the most useful, high-quality entries," he added.

This week, Google released Fast.Forward., which is a business video channel on MySpace offering interviews with media experts and research projects in partnership with the Wharton School from the University of Pennsylvania.

25/09/2009

Social media sites "perfect conduit" for viral advertising

Viral campaigns are enhanced by using social media as they are essentially cost-free conduits for advertising, according to a marketing website.

Social media sites are the "perfect conduit" for viral advertising campaigns, as they already have links in place for sharing, according to an industry analyst.

Marketing Sherpa made these comments after seeing companies utilise social networking sites to spread a message in six of its seven best viral campaigns of the year.

Although a few of the entrants into the website's 'hall of fame' used some pay-per-click adverts, most of them put a lot of time and energy into promotion that was essentially cost-free, such as blogs and social media sites.

The website explained: "Social media sites are the perfect conduit for viral campaigns. Their users are already connected and sharing with friends."

Among the top viral campaigns chosen were Microsoft's I Am Enabled, Disney's What Will You Celebrate and Rita's Italian Ice Mystery Flavour.

Last year, Marketing Sherpa's viral hall of fame championed the use of social media and claimed that advertisers were hearing its message "loud and clear".

25/09/2009

Networks "improving" online lead generation capabilities

Advertising network agencies have had to alter the way they operate for web-based marketing campaigns.

Advertising network agencies are "improving" their ability to deal with online lead generation, according to an industry commentator.

Simon Mansell, managing director of the direct marketing company TBG, made his comments following a Group M study, which indicated that internet advertising will account for 15 per cent of global marketing next year.

He pointed out that it is difficult for larger companies to keep pace with the changing media landscape where online is taking up more of the market, but he felt that these bigger agencies are starting to work out how to deal in web-based adverts.

"It has been a big theme in the UK market that it has not been efficient for network agencies to take digital money, but they are gradually improving their capabilities," explained Mr Mansell.

In his opinion, traditionally, agencies will have only charged a two or three per cent margin for television or radio campaigns, but this has had to change in the digital market.

25/09/2009

Online lead generation 'will succeed in recession'

Online advertising will fare better in the recession than television and radio, according to an industry expert.

Online lead generation will do better during the recession than other forms of advertising, according to an industry insider.

Simon Mansell, managing director of marketing company TBG, claimed that television and radio advertising will struggle more than online marketing, because they are used to build up a brand over time.

He noted that another factor which will help online lead generation is that 25 per cent of the media that people are exposed to is on the internet.

"Online advertising is traditionally used for direct response which doesn't generally diminish during a recession as people still need to bring in customers," added Mr Mansell.

Although he commented that the amount spent by consumers online is not as much as it could be, but he felt that it was only a matter of time before this situation changes.

Because of the amount of time people spend on the internet, he felt more transactions would begin to take place online.

Mr Mansell made his remarks following the release of research by the Advertising Association, which indicated that online revenues remained fairly stable in the second quarter of the year, while newspaper income dropped by 27.6 per cent.

24/09/2009

Online lead generation 'increasingly reliant on ad networks'

Advertising networks are becoming increasingly popular with marketers, according to a new study, with many companies using one of them to place their adverts.

The importance of online advertising networks for lead generation is growing, according to a new report.

A survey carried out by Econsultancy and the Rubicon Project found that 42 per cent of marketers believe that they will increase the amount that they use advertising networks in future.

Jay Stevens, vice president and general manager at the Rubicon Project, pointed out that it is because of the innovations advertising networks offer - such as frequency capping - that their popularity is increasing.

He said: "This data demonstrates how the UK's digital media industry is maturing, with advertisers and agencies increasingly relying on online advertising networks to give them the reach and audience they are looking for."

The survey also found that many companies use more than one network to book in their display ads, with 23 per cent of those polled saying that they use between five and ten.

This week, Google released a product called DoubleClick Ad Exchange which it claims will be a real-time bidding marketplace that will connect marketers and publishers.

24/09/2009

Business video channel will 'keep marketers ahead'

A new business video channel will be appearing on YouTube which will offer marketers insight into the advertising world through interviews with experts and people on the street.

Google and YouTube claim that their new business video channel will offer advice to marketers on how to stay ahead of the game.

Fast.Forward. on YouTube will feature interviews with experts as well as people on the street, which will give advertisers insight into the current media environment, writes Cindy Goodrich in the YouTube Biz Blog.

She pointed out that marketers can learn from industry insiders such as Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt and there will be research projects presented on the channel.

"In addition to the library of videos, the brand channel offers a 'barometer' gauging consumer confidence levels and links to free tools designed to help marketers understand the online world," added Ms Goodrich.

The channel will begin with a resource of 100 videos which have been produced with the help of the Wharton School, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania.

One of the key research projects - Future of Advertising - will be led by the school.

24/09/2009

Social media site 'boosts ability to measure ad success'

Facebook has begun a strategic alliance with the market research company Nielsen, which will start with the release of Nielsen BrandLift.

Social media site Facebook has allied itself with market research company Nielsen, which could improve its ability to monitor the effects of advertising.

John Burbank, chief executive officer of the online division of Nielsen, pointed out that its research will allow the social networking site to gain greater insight into consumer behaviour.

He championed Facebook for its ability to connect consumers with brands and noted that this was an area of growth, too.

"Together we will be able to provide the missing elements to clients seeking better understanding of how web content and online advertising affect consumer behaviour," said Mr Burbank.

The two companies will begin their alliance by launching Nielsen BrandLift, which will measure consumer attitudes to advertising campaigns on Facebook's homepage.

Frank Reed, writing for Marketing Pilgrim, recently complimented Facebook for showing evidence of "solid business practice" by its connection to Nielsen, because the researchers will offer a second opinion on how successful its advertising campaigns are.

23/09/2009

SEO allows businesses to "punch above their weight"

Smaller businesses should be looking at using SEO to compete online as it will allow them to "punch above their weight", according to an expert.

Small businesses have been advised that they will be able to effectively "punch above their weight" if they make effective use of search engine optimisation (SEO), according to an expert.

Nigel Muir, managing director of DBD Media, pointed out that many small companies do not have the money to invest in SEO, even if they can put together a professional-looking website.

But he claimed that by using a larger SEO agency, small businesses can take advantage of their ability to boost web rankings without huge costs.

Mr Muir added: "Strong SEO can allow smaller businesses to effectively punch above their weight online by driving unique, qualified visitors to their websites."

DBD Media has just launched their own SEO Express product which will offer customers the services of consultants in order to improve link building, on-page optimisation, content and indexing.

This week, BT and Latitude also launched what they called an affordable search engine marketing service called BT SearchSmart, with the service starting at £74.99 each month.

23/09/2009

SEO a "key discipline"

Businesses must learn to use search engine optimisation if they want people to be able to find their website, says an industry expert.

The ability utilise search engine optimisation to make a business more visible online is a "key discipline", says an industry expert.

Phil Turnbull, product manager of Hostway, pointed out that it is essential to have an informative website that users can navigate easily, but noted that people must also be able to find the website for it to be of any value.

He noted ranking high in search engine results pages may also allow people to begin generating revenue from their websites either through direct sales or leads to other companies.

"Enabling people to find your website easily in search engines via natural SEO and paid search is also a key discipline," added Mr Turnbull.

His comments were made after the release of a study by Fasthosts which indicated that 34 per cent of website owners have not considered checking how effective or popular their website is.

Mr Turnbull remarked that a successful website need not be a huge income generator, but should be clear about what it offers.

23/09/2009

Social media sites 'will allow synchronising'

MySpace will be getting a little closer to Twitter as a new feature is being brought out that will allow users to synchronise updates between the two services, according to an industry commentator.

MySpace will be unveiling a new option which will allow users to synchronise their updates with those that appear on the social media service Twitter.

To begin with, the feature will not be available outside the US, but that will change over the next few weeks, reports Charlotte McEleny in the New Media Age.

The authentication software to be used to link the two social networking sites will be OAuth.

Sharon Nguyen, senior product manager at MySpace, claimed that the social media site was happy for other networks to be added to its current service.

"We know people explore many different networks and this is a way for us to help them and extend their content beyond their friends on MySpace."

The feature will allow status updates on MySpace to automatically be released as tweets and vice versa.

This week, online media commentator Laurie Sullivan pointed out that a key issue in the popularity of Twitter would be whether or not people continue to release tweets, on a blog on MediaPost.

22/09/2009

SEM 'opened up' to smaller businesses by telecoms giant

BT is launching a search engine marketing product with the help of Latitude, which is aimed at small and medium-sized companies.

Search engine marketing (SEM) services will be offered to small and medium-sized enterprises by BT.

The telecoms company is offering BT SearchSmart in a partnership with Latitude, which will offer businesses a portal where they can monitor keyword activity and other online reports.

Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, pointed out that search engine marketing grew by 26 per cent year on year and it makes sense that smaller companies should be able to use the service.

He said: "We want to make sure that small businesses can participate in this rapidly growing market at a price they can afford and with access to the tools to manage their campaign."

The cost of the service starts at £74.99 per month and will allow business owners to talk to consultants as well as online analytics.

This week, Microsoft announced that it would be enhancing its Bing product by offering companies the chance to make their entry appear more "graphically-rich" on search results pages, according to Media Post.

22/09/2009

Questions raised over financial worth of social media site

A sector commentator has pointed out that in order for Twitter to remain successful, people must continue to tweet and a new report suggests this may not be the case.

Questions have been raised over how much the social media site Twitter is actually worth to advertisers, according to an industry commentator.

Laurie Sullivan, reporting in the Online Media Daily blog on Media Post, found that this uncertainty will be further exacerbated by a study set to be released by Crowd Science this week.

In the report it will indicate that 24 per cent of Twitter users have stopped using the social media service or have never tweeted.

The sector commentator spoke to Dennis Miller, general partner at Spark Capital, who pointed out that there is a lot of pressure on advertising agencies to make the most of the potential offered by social media platforms.

He also commented that he expected that "money will follow the eyeballs", so as long as people stay interested in using such sites there is sure to be commercial viability.

Spark Capital is an investment firm which has a stake in Twitter, as well as in other technology companies such as Novatel Wireless and Aether Systems.

One potential problem that Mr Sullivan highlights is that people must continue tweeting for the social media website to continue its success.

22/09/2009

MySpace set to 'concentrate on video production'

MySpace could be about to focus more on video production with its sister site Hulu, according to an industry commentator

MySpace will be focusing more of its energy on developing video production with the help of Hulu, according to an industry commentator.

Greg Sandoval, writing for CNET News, pointed out that MySpace does already show some Hulu content but that this currently cannot compete with the most popular video platforms such as YouTube.

He claimed that MySpace will begin focusing on showing more music videos, television programmes and movies in order to make waves in the market, according to his unnamed sources.

One of them told Mr Sandoval: "MySpace's intention is to do a much better job of monetising the video area."

The question will now be whether it will make the improved service a subscription-based product or if it will be separate downloads.

Hulu, MySpace's sister site, increased its total number of video streams by 490 per cent year on year in April, according to a study by Nielsen.

22/09/2009

Microsoft will aim for more "graphically rich" SEO

Microsoft is intending to make its Bing searches more "graphically-rich" in order to compete with Google, says an industry commentator.

Microsoft will aim to produce a more "graphically-rich" style of search engine optimisation (SEO) on its Bing program, says an industry insider.

Laurie Sullivan, writing in the Online Media Daily blog on Media Post, commented that it will begin to allow websites to include more graphics in search results pages, rather than just two lines of text.

He pointed out that Microsoft will also try to avoid ambiguity in organic searches by allowing users to specify whether it is a product, service or information that they are looking for.

Kevin Lee, co-founder of Didit, an advertising consultancy, noted: "The general mission to come up with better search formats will become more important over time. Microsoft has talked about allowing advertisers to include mini logos."

Mr Sullivan highlighted that Microsoft is trying to encourage marketers to spend more advertising money specifically on Bing rather than Google with these innovations in its searches.

Google has just launched its DoubleClick Ad Exchange which allows advertisers real-time bidding on online promotional spaces.

21/09/2009

Research 'necessary for improved lead generation'

Marketers need to carry out research before they make decisions about future promotional campaigns, rather than rely on generic testing, says an industry insider.

Research is needed for marketers to maximise lead generation in their direct marketing campaigns, not just generic testing, according to an industry insider.

Robert Keitch, chief of membership and brand of the Direct Marketing Association, pointed out that there is a growing trend to simply look at previous campaign results when making decisions.

He highlighted the need to carry out new research in order to know the most efficient way of reaching a target audience.

"The power of direct marketing lies in its targeted approach and to ensure that this precision is maximised it is vital that direct marketers use all the tools available to them," the DMA representative added.

Mr Keitch suggested using creative testing, price evaluation and tracking studies to keep up to date with customers' point of view.

Last week, a study by comScore indicated that online advertising was better suited to smaller brands as it is cost-effective and allows customers to be targeted more easily.

21/09/2009

Online video production viewings 'on the increase'

The number of videos each user streams online has increased since last year and so has the total number watched, according to a new survey.

The number of online video productions watched by individual viewers has increased year-on-year, according to a new study.

In the report published by the Nielsen Company it was shown that in August there were 81.7 video streams downloaded by each unique viewer, which is 19.6 per cent up from the same time last year.

There was also a 41 per cent increase in the total number of streams for the month, which stood at just over 11.3 million.

In order to improve the accuracy of the survey, any patented videos were attributed to the creators of the file.

The company explained: "For example, if a Saturday Night Live clip from NBC.com is embedded on a personal blog, that video would be attributed to NBC because of the NBC video player."

In terms of popularity, the top online brand for video production is YouTube, which had more than ten times as many unique viewers as second placed Hulu and 15 times as many streams.

This year, a separate study by Nielsen indicated that Hulu had increased its total streams by 490 per cent from April 2008 to the same month this year. 21/09/2009

Google releases online lead generation development

Google has released DoubleClick Ad Exchange which it claims will allow real-time bidding for promotional spaces.

Google may have enhanced lead generation possibilities for marketers with the release of DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

The new program will involve real-time bidding in what it the search engine has described as an open marketplace.

In terms of buying up the advertising space, Google has said that it will be aimed at advertising agencies that will then connect marketers with interested websites.

Google AdSense sites will be available on DoubleClick AdExchange, as well as many major branded sites.

Neal Mohan, vice-president of product management at the search engine, said: "Better technology can help make display advertising work better for all involved. We're focused on growing the display advertising pie for everyone."

The company have stated that this new product will make it easier for marketers to make the most efficient use of their time and money and give publishers the most revenue possible.

Last week, Google released Web Elements, allowing businesses to embed any of the company's products into their websites.

21/09/2009

Video production offers more innovative lead generation

Video adverts provide a more effective form of lead generation and engages with users more, says an industry commentator.

Video production secures much more effective lead generation than online display ads, according to an industry commentator.

Nicholas Carlson, writing for Advertising Age, discussed a post-banner ad era where users are more engaged in adverts.

He cites Hulu's Branded Entertainment Selector unit as an example of the sort of innovative lead generation that works.

In this unit, an ad screen pops up before the user watches their chosen programme online and they are asked whether they want regular advert breaks or if they would prefer to see movie trailers in their place.

"No matter which ad experience the user picks, it's bound to be more engaging and less obnoxious than any banner. The videos are bound to tell a better brand story," Mr Carlson said.

Last week, Ofcom announced that it will begin regulating the content and advertising appearing on video on demand services such as BBC iPlayer and 4OD.

18/09/2009

Mothers join the social media sphere

Mothers use social media sites and blogs more than the average adult and marketers should keep this in mind, claims an industry insider.

Mothers are making waves on the social media circuit and use sites such as Facebook and Twitter more than the average person, according to a new study.

A report for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) by BIGresearch stated that on average 50.2 per cent and 15 per cent of adults use Facebook and Twitter respectively.

On the other hand, 60.3 per cent and 16.5 per cent of mothers are using the two social media sites.

Mike Gatti, executive director of RAMA, pointed out that retailers may not have realised that this customer base exists on social networking websites.

He said: "Twitter, Facebook and blogs are becoming increasingly popular with moms as they search for coupons or deals and keep in touch with loved ones."

The study also showed that 15.3 per cent of mothers have their own blog.

This week, it was predicted on the technology website Pingdom that it is only a matter of time before Twitter takes off in other languages, even though currently it is mostly only popular in English-speaking countries.

18/09/2009

Mothers join the social media sphere

Email marketing should encourage people to interact

Using email marketing to encourage customers to interact rather than just to promote products will boost clickthrough rates, says an industry insider.

Email marketing should encourage people to interact using social media sites rather than just offering discounts, according to an industry insider.

Michael McCathren, a marketer at Chick-fil-A, told advertising website MarketingSherpa that it has led to plenty of success for his team since taking this new approach.

The company reported clickthrough rates of 15 per cent and its subscription email pushed the number of members in a Facebook fan club up to one million in the space of a year.

He puts this success down to the company making its emails less about new product announcements and more of an experience for the consumer.

"We're interested in stirring the pot of conversation online, and giving subscribers something to share, explore, and interact with," added Mr McCathren.

Last week, industry analyst Matt McNeil advised advertisers that it is essential for them to test the live data from their email marketing campaigns in order to measure their success.

18/09/2009

Users invited 'inside the walls of social media site'

The release of Facebook Prototype will allow users to try out experimental applications that have not been launched yet and offer feedback.

Facebook users have been invited to look at new ideas and applications being developed inside the walls of the social media service.

People can access Facebook Prototypes within their application directory and leave feedback on how well they work or offer suggestions on how to improve the programs, according to a post by Lee Byron on the company's blog.

He listed several examples of applications that were never released to the mainstream user base such as Enhanced Events Emails, which allows people to add Facebook Events directly to Microsoft Outlook or Google calendars.

Mr Byron added: "You'll be able to test any of the products and features we launch as Facebook Prototypes and then provide feedback directly to those of us who built them."

Some applications, he pointed out, can be a little esoteric to be given a full-scale launch on the social networking site, but Facebook Prototypes offers developers a chance to tweak their creations from customer suggestions.

This week, the founder of the social networking site Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company now serves 300 million users.

17/09/2009

Social media site hits positive cash flow

Facebook announced that it broke even in the second quarter of this year and that it now has 300 million users globally.

Social media site Facebook has announced that it broke even in the last quarter, which is at least six months ahead of its original target.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the social networking website, stated that the plan had been to achieve a positive cashflow in 2010.

He claimed that this is an important step for the company, because it allows it to stay independent and sustainable in the long term.

As well as reaching this financial milestone, he also commented that the site now serves 300 million users across the world.

Mr Zuckerberg added: "We'll continue building new and better things to make connecting with the people you care about as easy and rewarding as possible."

This week, a spokesperson for Facebook announced that the site had developed the status update feature so people will now be able to tag friends, events and groups within them by writing the @ symbol before their name.

17/09/2009

'Only a matter of time' before social media adopted in other languages

Twitter is currently most popular in English-speaking countries, but this will soon change according to a technology website.

It is only a matter of time before the social media website Twitter becomes popular in languages other than English, predicted a technology website.

Research by Pingdom indicated that nine out of ten of the countries where the micro-blogging platform enjoys the most popularity are at least partially English-speaking.

This should not come as a surprise though, according to the website.

It said: "To get the most out of Twitter and its existing user base, English is a must. On the other hand, it’s probably just a matter of time before other languages take off."

The countries with the most interest in Twitter are the UK, the US and Canada, but the anomaly is Brazil, noted Pingdom, which sees the fourth highest global interest.

This week, eMarketer upwardly revised its estimate of how many users Twitter would have in 2009 from 12.1 million to 18 million and claimed that it is a conservative forecast.

17/09/2009

Improve SEO through new Google product

Google has released Web Elements which allows people to embed the search engine's products within their websites and improve their SEO ranking.

The new Web Elements product can improve a company's search engine optimisation (SEO) results, according to Google.

On the companies Adsense blog, it describes how Web Elements allows you to embed any of the search engine's products such as YouTube videos or Google News, which will then improve the SEO ranking of the website.

Embedding videos has been an option that has been available for some time now, but Web Elements expands this system.

The Adsense blog said: "With the official launch of Web Elements, you can choose to include Web Elements from products like Google Custom Search, Calendar, Docs, Friend Connect and more."

These Web Element additions will add interactivity and increase your Adsense revenue through optimisation, claimed the website.

Google also announced the launch of its Fast Flip service this week, which allows users to flick through bundles of stories in the same way as they would do in a real newspaper, but the articles can come from a variety of news providers.

17/09/2009