Social media site calls for feedback on privacy policy

Facebook has asked users to browse through updates to the social networking site's privacy policy and submit feedback.

Facebook has released a restructured version of its privacy policy and has asked users to submit feedback about the online document.

Elliot Schrage, vice-president of communications and public policy, highlighted a number of updates that have been made, including notes on advertising on the social networking site.

The document also states how long back-up information will be kept for and features notes on the removal of content that has been shared.

Mr Schrage said: "Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points."

He pointed out that earlier this year Facebook became the first company to govern its policy by inviting comments and holding votes with its users for changes in regulations.

This week, the social media service called for people to report any abuse that they receive or notice online and stated that cyber-bullying cannot be tolerated by communities.

30/10/2009

Expert champions SEO work

Search engine optimisation is a valuable service with proven results which must be differentiated from spam, says an industry commentator.

A marketing expert has discussed the positives of hiring a search engine optimisation (SEO) team to work on developing online presence.

James Fairweather, online marketing executive at Coast Digital, noted on his blog noted that the key to good SEO is quality content combined with effective delivery techniques.

He stated that this makes search marketing a completely different ball game to spam, since the content must be fresh and unique otherwise it will not drive traffic.

Mr Fairweather pointed out that a reputable SEO company will be able to prove what their work has achieved through web analytics statistics, so clients can see what they are paying for.

"Realistically, I could do my own accounting, or write my own will - yet many people will pay an accountant or a solicitor because they will do a better job," he commented.

This week, the marketing manager at Canterbury of New Zealand highlighted SEO as a key feature of the company's online strategy.

30/10/2009

Social media presence gives firms "human face"

By creating a point of contact on social networks companies can engage with customers, says an expert.

Businesses should be present on social media networks as it will give them respect from customers, according to an industry insider.

Geoff Galat, vice-president of marketing and product strategy at Tealeaf, claimed that social networking sites are a great way for companies to engage with consumers.

He observed that customers often just want to know there is someone available on a form of social media in case they want to get in touch.

Mr Galat said: "By establishing a contact point on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or even LinkedIn, you put a human face and name on your organisation."

In his view, customers will appreciate it even if there is only one point of contact available and not a firm's whole customer service team.

Online advertising site Marketing Sherpa recently commented that social media can be an effective way of boosting an email marketing campaign, by encouraging users to share content.

30/10/2009

Telecoms companies 'spend big on social media ads'

Social networking websites are getting the most display advertising from telecoms companies, says a new report.

New research has shown that telecommunications companies are investing in more social media advertising than any other sector.

According to the comScore advert matrix, businesses in this area delivered about seven per cent of the display adverts in the category.

International brands in the sector, such as British Telecommunications and Deutsche Telekom, presented just fewer than 950 million display advert impressions.

Behind telecommunications, retail and banking came second and third respectively in the results organised by category.

"While ad delivery skewed somewhat younger than average, all age segments were reached with a notable percentage of display ads," added the website.

The study also showed that social networking sites now account for more than a quarter of all display adverts online, with 13.8 billion appearing in August.

A new social media tool developed by Yahoo! called MeMe has been analysed by a media account manager for CheezeDMG on Netimperative, who claimed that it must evolve and offer some unique USPs to make an impact on the sector.

27/10/2009

Social media users encouraged to share

Users of social networking site Facebook will now be able to see how popular shared content is when they post it on their wall.

Facebook users have been urged to share more content on the social media site, with the popularity of each link set to appear on the screen.

Writing on the official blog, Facebook product manager Mark Kinsey commented that the share tool has been developed so that once a user posts an article or video they can see how many people look at it.

He pointed out that any website can add the share application and users themselves can contact sites and request that they enable the tool.

"The share button enables you to take content from across the web and share it with your friends on Facebook, where it can be re-shared over and over," wrote Mr Kinsey.

This week, the social networking site also launched a new feature in which friends who have passed away can have their profile memorialised.

Facebook claimed this will allow people to share memories of deceased friends with other users.

27/10/2009

SEO 'gives longer-term rewards'

An industry insider has claimed that businesses who want a better return on investment should choose search engine optimisation over paid search.

Using search engine optimisation (SEO) to build up traffic to a website gives a much longer-term reward than paid search campaigns, according to an industry expert.

Sam Tiston, online marketing director of Zoombits.co.uk, claimed that using paid search is similar to "renting the traffic", since companies are paying for all the business they receive.

In comparison, he commented that concentrating on SEO can offer a better return on investment.

Mr Tiston explained: "You're investing up front for a longer term, but after six months or so you're going to have those positions and you're going to get the constant flow of traffic."

He suggested that online retailers will use traffic through the website in order to sell their product and SEO and paid search will be two of the main ways of doing this.

Recently, Econsultancy announced that 45 per cent of companies are planning on increasing their paid search budget in the future.

27/10/2009

New Google social media search tool "an experiment"

Google has launched Social Search but claimed that it is in the experimental stages of development.

Consumers have been advised by Google that the organisation's new social media search tool is not yet a finished product.

Technical lead Maureen Heymans and product manager Murali Viswanathan wrote on the official Google blog that the company's Social Search will allow people to find user generated content online.

However, they added: "This feature is an experiment, but we've been using it at Google and the results have been exciting. We'd love to hear your feedback."

The tool uses information from users' Gmail accounts to help make search results more relevant.

Ms Heymans and Mr Viswanathan stressed that the information that Social Search will collect is already available to see online anyway, but they claimed that the application will allow more relevant results to the individual making the search.

This week, Google also announced that it is launching Convert, Zip and Download as part of Google Docs, which lets users download multiple documents at one time.

27/10/2009

Social media "barely tapped" by online retailers

Industry players need to move their internet stores to where the customers are, it has been suggested.

Online retailers need to take greater advantage of the benefits of social media, an industry expert has said, as consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on pages of sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"E-commerce on social media platforms … is in an early stage," senior analyst at eMarketer Jeffrey Grau remarked, adding that web-based business on such channels "has barely tapped" the potential offered through people conducting more and more of their "regular activities" in these areas.

He went on to say that the leading brands in the e-commerce industry are aware that they cannot wait for users to find them, but instead need to "place their virtual storefronts where their customers congregate".

Mr Grau further commented that this knowledge implies that ecommerce is in a state of evolution, replacing a transactional experience in favour of a social one.

Earlier this month, companies were advised by Rachel Pasqua of iCrossing that social media can be combined with search engine optimisation to give users more information on topics of interest, through the use of iPhone app Say What?.

26/10/2009

Social media 'a necessary element of SEO'

It is becoming increasingly important for companies to use social media within their search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies, it has been suggested.

The important role that social media plays in search engine optimisation (SEO) has been highlighted by one industry analyst.

In an article for web resource SEO Consult, a user known only as James stated that the growth in popularity of social media sites - such as Facebook and MySpace - has altered the SEO landscape.

He said that there is now a real need for organisations to work social media networks into their SEO strategy.

"This kind of optimisation has been coined SMO, or social media optimisation. It involves the placement of items into your site that will appeal to social media users and make it easier for their networks to link to you," James asserted.

He concluded by outlining a number of techniques that can help drive consumers in social media networks to a site, such as creating a list of users who have recently used the site to reward them, as well as ensuring that articles are published regularly to keep the resource fresh and interesting.

In recent weeks, Joan Stewart from 89PressReleaseTips.com said that keywords and phrases are like "magnets" to search engine web crawlers.

26/10/2009

Mobile phones are "essential"

Mobile marketers may welcome comments from one sector commentator at the Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar, More than Talk… The Future of Mobile.

Those involved in mobile marketing may welcome one industry analyst's remarks that handsets have become "essential".

Claire Milne, consultant at Antelope Consulting and chair at the Consumer Forum for Communications, made her comments at the Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar, More than Talk… The Future of Mobile.

She said that in developed countries, mobiles are now "essential" and that they are only going to become more indispensable as technology advances.

"By 'essential', I mean more of its features and requirements will become essential over the next ten years and are going to become so in many other countries[…] Having a mobile phone has become essential," Ms Milne continued.

She concluded by calling for the proliferation of cheap, basic handsets that could be used by people who have poor dexterity and impaired vision, as well as service plans that suit such consumers.

The Westminster eForum Keynote Seminar took place at Over-seas House, London, on October 22nd.

26/10/2009

SEO "like creating a masterpiece"

Undertaking search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies on a website is similar to the creation of a beautiful painting, according to one sector commentator.

Carrying out search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies on a website has a number of similarities with the creation of a masterpiece, one sector commentator has asserted.

In an article for online resource SEO Consult, a user known only as Michael said that an SEO strategy needs a solid foundation upon which to be based, in the same way that a masterpiece painting requires a blank canvas.

"Doing SEO on your website is like creating a masterpiece. If your canvas is moth-eaten and stained, your masterpiece is not going to come out as such. On the contrary, you will end up with a half-cooked job instead," he stated.

As such, he recommended taking SEO into consideration when a site is just a blank canvas and ensuring that it permeates every element of its design and structure.

Earlier this month, Matt McGee, editor at Search Engine Land, told web resource SmallBusinessComputing that SEO is not as complex an idea as some might think.

26/10/2009

Consumers 'advised to avoid email marketing problem'

If people sign up to cashback websites they could be inviting a large amount of email marketing, so they should set up an alternate email address, says an expert.

Consumers should set up a separate email address when they take advantage of some special offers so that they do not get "bombarded" with email marketing, according to an industry expert.

Jasmine Birtles, founder of Moneymagpie.com and television presenter, claimed that when a person signs up to a promotional offer such as a cashback site, there is the chance they will be sent a lot of emails.

"They make their money through traffic and through reselling your data to other companies, which is why it is really important to come up with a separate email address," she explained.

Ms Birtles recommended setting up a free email address using a company such as Hotmail or Yahoo!, since even a website that does not pass on details to other companies will still send out at least one email a week.

Recent research by Kelkoo showed that 40 per cent of people have never used a cashback site before.

23/10/2009

Customers 'can be a source of additional lead generation'

An expert has informed businesses that they can achieve new lead generation by encouraging customers to get involved.

Having people talking about a brand can be the best kind of lead generation, an industry expert has suggested.

Time Jones, a spokesperson for True, questioned why brands do not ally themselves with customers more, as such relationships can allow a company to improve its service and see more people talking about a brand.

He suggested that businesses involve customers in product development and reward them for their input, but it is important not to offer excessive incentives.

"If it starts looking like out and out bribery, your recommendations lose all credibility," explained Mr Jones.

In his view, it is positive to embrace bad feedback and allow customers to leave reviews online, because he claimed it will improve the credibility of a brand if a buyer's views are listened to.

This week, online advertising website Marketing Sherpa suggested that marketers share previously recorded interviews and press publications with consumers as potential lead generation tools.

23/10/2009

Yahoo! identifies possible retail SEO spikes

With the holidays just around the corner, Yahoo! has told marketers to begin their preparations for potential spikes in SEO.

Yahoo! has pointed out several potentially positive windows in retail search engine optimisation (SEO) coming up soon and warned advertisers to prepare well.

Writing on the Yahoo! Search Marketing blog, content quality analyst Noah Belson claimed that the holidays give marketers plenty to cheer about.

He highlighted Black Friday and Cyber Monday either side of Thanksgiving weekend as established shopping days.

Also, the first or second Monday of December has been coined by eBay as Green Monday, which Mr Belson commented is widely accepted as a very popular day for online retail.

"Advertisers need to get started now, to make sure that their campaigns are ready when consumers are," wrote Mr Belson.

He claimed another important day is known as Brown Monday, when retailers offer their biggest discounts and last-minute deals before Christmas.

This week, White Hat Media reported that SEO has been vital in raising online awareness of its client The Gym Group, as it drives web traffic.

23/10/2009

Yahoo! social media application 'may not last'

The new social sharing tool from Yahoo! may need to make changes if it wants to compete with other big players on the market, says a sector commentator.

An industry expert has commented that Yahoo! MeMe will struggle to survive in the social media jungle if it does not evolve.

James Glick, media account manager at CheezeDMG, wrote on Netimperative that MeMe a "polished application" on which he enjoyed sharing pictures and videos.

However, he suggested that it could have greater success if it is integrated with Flickr and Delicious.

Mr Glick remarked that the application could also be improved by allowing users to insert Yahoo! tools onto the display, such as weather, videos, news and music.

"One thing's for sure, unless Yahoo takes a long hard look in the mirror, MeMe won't have the long-term future it wishes it had," he explained to the website.

In his view, the 2,000-character limit for posts may be losing the attractiveness for some users.

A recent article on Marketing Sherpa predicted that social media may become the most usual way of sending quick messages, but is unlikely to take over from email for receiving receipts and other transactional material.

23/10/2009

Monetised side of social media site extended

The number of paid-for gifts available to purchase on Facebook has been increased, with music, officially-branded sports products and charitable causes all now appearing.

Social media site Facebook has extended the range of gifts available on the website that users must pay for.

Will Chen, a Facebook engineer, wrote on the company's official blog that people will now have the chance to buy officially-branded sports products from the US National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer to send to their friends.

He pointed out that users will also be able to buy songs for each other which can be played on their walls or through the company powering this type of gift on the site, LaLa.com.

"With a greater variety of gifts, we hope that you will have even more freedom to express how you feel for every occasion," commented Mr Chen.

And for more charitable gifts, he highlighted the Causes application, which allows people to donate money on behalf of friends and raise awareness of specific charities.

This month, Causes commenced the second annual America Giving Challenge, in which charities will compete for prizes based on how much money they can raise over the course of 30 days.

22/10/2009

Charity 'delighted with video production'

A set of video productions made for an online charity campaign has been well received, according to the organisation's chief executive.

A charity has expressed its happiness with a video production made for the organisation's online advertising campaign.

Andrew Scadding, chief executive of the Thai Children's Trust (TCT), made his comments following the launch of the videos, which will be run alongside standard banners to promote awareness of the charity.

He commented that the videos, created by the TCT with the help of Initiative's LAB department and Adconion, created just the right message and he said it was a pleasure working with them.

The videos feature stories about the TCT's safe houses in Thailand and the plight of many Burmese refugee children, such as Chenu, the subject of one video.

"We wanted to create a campaign that would highlight the plight of Chenu and other children like her, and engage online users in an emotive and interactive manner," explained Mr Scadding.

The TCT was founded more than 30 years ago and is now the largest UK charity that concentrates on work in Thailand.

22/10/2009

'Recycling' your way to lead generation

A marketing website has informed advertisers that it can recycle content from the media or trade publications to promote a brand.

Lead generation does not always have to involve expensive campaigns or for new content to be created, according to an online marketing website.

Marketing Sherpa has recommended that advertisers look at related content that may interest consumers or build up their image of a brand.

An example of content that could be shared with a customer via email would be a video or article with an executive from the company which had previously appeared in the press.

The website said: "Sharing an article you believe prospects would find interesting gives them a break from repeated calls to register for content or provide contact information."

Another source of positive content that Marketing Sherpa highlighted would be by-lined articles that appear in trade magazines.

By using these kinds of promotional techniques, the costs are limited and the number of conversions it takes to cover expenditure would be very low.

Last week, the website reported that the wording of a headline can have a significant effect on lead generation.

22/10/2009

Social media 'will not kill email'

People will still use emails for more official business messages, even if social media is likely to become the normal way of chatting, a marketing website has suggested.

Although social media will reduce the use of email to an extent, it will not make it obsolete, according to a marketing website.

Marketing Sherpa claimed that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter look likely to become the normal way of communicating short messages.

However, it would seem unlikely for social media to take over from email in receiving confirmations of business transactions and other more formal correspondence.

"When we look at media use over the last 15 years, we see a pattern of aggregation and adoption rather than replacement. Some media suffer in the exchange, but none are eliminated," said the website.

In a survey carried out by the website, 78 per cent of people said that they use email to share links with friends or family, while 22 per cent used social media.

This week, Facebook announced that it has developed the design of its groups feature, so that people can collaborate online more easily.

21/10/2009

SEO 'vital to gym advertising campaign'

The marketing specialist at the centre of an advertising campaign for The Gym Group has said that SEO and social media are the key drivers of online awareness.

The marketing company which helped launch a new promotional campaign for a gym has highlighted the importance of search engine optimisation (SEO) in attracting customers.

White Hat Media designed the website and the SEO campaign for The Gym Group, which currently offers budget gym facilities in London, Surrey and Liverpool, but is planning major growth in the near future.

Jeremy Spiller, managing director of White Hat Media, commented that SEO is a key factor in generating web traffic and the online awareness that the organisation is aiming for.

He said: "We are working together on various ongoing online marketing activities to further drive sales and increase brand awareness."

Social media was also used to get the attention of consumers, added Mr Spiller.

This week, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land Danny Sullivan bemoaned the criticism that SEO often receives and claimed that it is different to spam because it is more content-focused.

21/10/2009

Search engine's marketing campaign "very focused"

Google's new advertising campaign looks very effective and should not be considered a scare tactic by the search giant, says an industry insider.

Following the release of a new marketing campaign by Google, an industry insider has commended the search engine.

Ray Jones, head of communications and external affairs for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, dismissed the idea that these latest adverts are a scare tactic to show rivals the extent of their influence and financial muscle.

He suggested that the search engine is just trying to stay ahead of its competitors, as he claimed Google has been "exemplary" in the nature of its advertising in the past.

"For people on increasingly scarce budgets a campaign like this, focusing on the problems people endure every day, makes it seem like a very focused campaign on a clear market," explained Mr Jones.

In its official blog, Google stated that its applications are used across two million businesses in more than 100 countries.

Mr Jones added that there is a huge market for search and display advertising online, so it is likely that the company is trying to extend its influence with this latest advertising campaign.

21/10/2009

YouTube 'delighted with video production sponsorship deal'

A record label has taken over advertising responsibility around its video productions on YouTube in a new deal with the file sharing website.

YouTube has expressed delight after agreeing a deal in which a record label will take over advertising around its video productions on the file sharing website.

PIAS Entertainment Group has agreed to look after sponsorship of all of its videos as well as those of the 200 other labels across the world that it is connected to.

Patrick Walker, director of video partnerships in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for YouTube, commented that it will give a chance for more artists to share their music with fans.

He added: "We're thrilled to be partnering with PIAS to bring its music catalogue to YouTube and to help musicians make money from their work online."

PIAS has a host of international stars in its stable such as Dizzee Rascal and Speech Debelle.

Last week, Channel 4 announced that it had agreed a deal to monetise its content on YouTube, with videos being made available free of charge from early next year.

20/10/2009

Social media groups 'enhanced for user collaboration'

Facebook has improved its Group design in order to develop the way users can collaborate on the social networking service.

Facebook has announced that it has developed its group feature to make it easier for people to communicate and work together on the social media website.

Knot Pipatsrisawat, a software engineering intern writing on the website's official blog, revealed that messages and activities occurring in groups will appear on users' news feed.

He noted that group design now looks very similar to profiles and pages, but that businesses should remember there is a difference between them.

"Groups are for fostering member-to-member collaboration, while Pages remain the best way to broadcast messages to your fans if you are a business, organisation, public figure or other entity," explained Mr Pipatsrisawat.

This new group design will be rolled out over the next few days, he added.

According to Robin Goad, a research director at Hitwise UK, Facebook is "far and away" the most popular social media website, gaining 14 per cent of all page views in September.

20/10/2009

SEO 'not the same as spam'

Search engine optimisation is different to spam and should not be treated as the same sort of content, according to an expert.

An industry commentator has stressed that search engine optimisation (SEO) should not be confused with spam.

Danny Sullivan, editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land, wrote on the website that too often people who complain about SEO are not aware of how it differs to spam content.

He claimed that saying all SEO is spam is like declaring that all advertising and email marketing is spam, when in fact the basis of it is ensuring relevancy to what users are searching for.

Mr Sullivan pointed out that effective SEO will be based on top quality content, with everything else built on top.

"They should have good content. Trust me, a good search engine optimiser would love nothing more than to deal with a site that has outstanding content from the get-go," he wrote on the website.

In his view, the problem is that there is always going to be spam due to the lack of moderation online.

Last week, Marketing Sherpa advised search marketers that keywords which produce the most effective SEO will change over time.

20/10/2009