Ven-Views

Google has tried to catch up with existing social networks by introducing Google Buzz. This new social networking tool is built directly into Gmail, Google’s email program, and Gchat, the company’s instant messaging program. In other words, rather than starting out as an all new social networking service, Google Buzz automatically sets you up to follow the people you email the most via Gmail or chat with the most on Gchat. Interacting with people you’re already in touch with via email is especially easy when the Google Buzz link is located directly under Gmail users’ inbox,allowing them to post to Buzz and check others’ activity right from within familiar territory.

Fundamentally, Google Buzz is more or less a Twitterlike stream of updates, pictures, links, videos, and more that can be shared privately or publicly. You can “like” these items and you can comment on them as well. Additionally, if you use Flickr, Picasa, Google Reader, or Twitter, you can automatically have those items imported into your stream. Buzz is also available on wireless phones, including Apple’s iPhone and models that use Google’s Android software, with more to come in the near future.

However, things became controversial for Google as Buzz came under instant attack as a threat to Gmail users’ privacy. With that said, when initially using Buzz, your list of followers was public unless you chose to conceal it, or didn’t create a public Google Profile at all. These terms weren’t completely clear to users, and Google didn’t expect that some people might become emotional about a list of their closest Gmail and Gchat acquaintances being openly available to the public. A prominent real world example: A woman with an abusive ex-husband realized that her former spouse could use Buzz to identify who she was in contact with.

The autofollowing and privacy controversy seemed to take Google by surprise, as most of its testing had only been done internally. However, two days after Google revealed Buzz, the social networking service had already been fine-tuned to hide the list of people you were following, as well as permitted users to block any specific person from following their stream on Buzz. When those adjustments didn’t satisfy users, Google terminated the autofollowing process altogether. Instead, it now suggests people from your Gmail contact list, giving you the option to follow all of them, none of them, or pick and choose.

In my opinion, Google’s first mistake was enrolling all Gmail users without permission. How is it right that I can get entered into a social networking database without my knowledge or permission? And not only do I get entered into a hidden social networking database, I also show up on public Google profile pages. Having the list of people I email most made public isn’t that bad for me, personally, but I don’t have to hide from a stalker or an abusive ex-husband like one woman did.

Finally, while Google Buzz got off to a rough start, I am glad to see that Google is attempting to straighten things out by making the default opt-in instead of opt-out. While Buzz could serve as just another social network to check every day for some, it could convenient those people who check their Gmail inbox 10 times a day and spend a great deal of time on Gchat. However, there is still a lot of catching up to do.

Facebook, the world’s biggest social media networking site, is growing in popularity among baby boomers. According to a recent study, 47% of baby boomers actively maintained a profile in 2009, up from 32% in 2008.

Many are saying this growth is due to the fact that older generations are almost forced to join Facebook in order to keep up with the real world. And it makes sense. Business practices now basically require some type of Facebook participation, and this social networking site seems to be a constant topic of conversation that isn’t going away anytime soon.

Additionally, it is believed that baby boomers are turning toward social media in order to create and renew personal connections online. Ultimately, boomers believe that technology will help them live longer and better lives, keeping them connected to family, friends, co-workers, and eventually, health care providers.

By now, most of you have heard about the launch of Google’s real-time search engine technology, which pulls live updates from sites like Twitter and Facebook, allowing their users to receive real-time updates from their social and professional networks. In other words, headlines from blogs and news websites can be viewed just seconds after being published.

In my opinion, Google’s real-time search is a big step forward in illustrating the true impact of social media marketing. With the launch of real-time search, corporate websites need to be more active in social media since any conversations on social networking sites will then have an ongoing effect on search results.

Ultimately, Google’s real-time search has made it easier and simpler for customers to find out what’s going on with your brand right now -good or bad. By capitalizing on this trend, brands are able to expand their impact on search engine results while increasing the speed at which they receive consumer feedback. Therefore, when utilized correctly, consumer feedback can be used to increase the amount of website traffic for a given brand.

Search is simple. As a person who, like millions of others, uses Google as a go-to search engine, most of the time I am able to find exactly what I’m searching for with just a basic query. Simply type whatever comes to mind in the search box, hit enter, and Google will search the web for pages that are relevant to the query.

However, with the availability of dozens of Google search guides, we are now able to make our Google searches more efficient by refining our search techniques. Some are obvious tips that you may use in your every day life, but others aren’t quite so popular -or even known.

After viewing a recent article that provided 20 tips on how to search Google like an expert, I listed below some of the favorite search tips that caught my eye:

1. NOT-
If you don’t want a term or phrase, use the “-” symbol. [-louisville media buying] will return pages that contain “media” and “buying”, but that don’t contain “Louisville”.

2. SIMILAR TERMS-
Use the “~” symbol to return similar terms. [louisville internet ~marketing -marketing] will get you pages that contain “Louisville internet services” and “Louisville internet businesses”, but not “Louisville internet marketing”.

3. WILDCARD-
The “*” symbol is a wildcard. It is used if you are trying to find the lyrics to a song, but can’t remember the exact lyrics you are searching for. [all you need is *] will return the Beatles song you’re searching for. The wildcard is also used for finding stuff only in certain domains, such as educational information: ["louisville media buying" research *.edu]

4. DEFINITIONS-
Use the “define:” operator to get a quick definition. [Define: media buying] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, including links.

5. CALCULATOR-
Google can also be used as a calculator. Type a quick calculation into the search box and you will get the fast answer you need. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation.

6. NUMRANGE-
This rarely-known operator searches the web for a range of numbers. For example, ["best media buying companies 2005..2007"] will return lists of best media buying companies for 2005, 2006, and 2007. It is important to note the two periods between 2005 and 2007.

7. SITE-SPECIFIC-
Use the “site:” operator to search only within a certain website. [site:mediavenue.com seo] will search for the term “seo” online within this site.

8. MOVIES-
Use the “movie:” operator to search for a movie title along with either a zip code or U.S. city and state to get a list of movie theaters in the area, along with show times.

9. MUSIC-
Use the “music:” operator to find content only related to music.

10. CACHED PAGES-
Use the “cached:” operator if you are looking for a version of a page that Google has stored on its own servers. This can help with outdated or updated pages.

For more Google Search tips and to read the article in its entirety, visit 20 Tips For More Efficient Google Searches.

Do you remember the first time you heard the word blog? As with most social media terms, it came on the scene with a very loose definition, and no written rules. Today blogs are a fast-paced news and idea freeway, serving up fresh content by the minute. There are millions of blogs on the World Wide Web today, so should you join the revolution? A recent article on MSN Careers explains several reasons why a blog may be good for your career.

Anthony Balderrama, a blogger himself, interviews Adrienne Waldo about why she jumped into the blogging pool. Adrienne has used her marketing blog as a resume resource, showing potential employers her skills and knowledge of the market. She offers advice for talking up a blog on your resume, adding it in your contact information, or discussing it in your interview. Not only will they get to see a more personal side of you, but future employers will see your following, and what you are passionate about. The ideal time to start a personal blog is while you are already employed, not in desperation for a job, Waldo says. Don’t be afraid you won’t be a good author, and remember you don’t have to write about the specific career you have…or want. “Anyone can be a good blogger with the right dedication and motivation,” Waldo says. “You absolutely do not have to be an expert, but if you’re not, don’t pretend to be. That will get you in trouble. I recommend writing about something you love. It doesn’t have to be career-related. As long as you are passionate about the subject you cover, that will come through in your writing and people will enjoy your blog.”

Read the article in its entirety here. (link to http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1985-Job-Search-Why-Blogging-Is-Good-For-Your-Career/?sc_extcmp=JS_1985_spotlight&SiteId=cbmsnsl41985&ArticleID=1985&gt1=23000&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=0f539ecc7c1947a18df2bb4aa16cc24d-305979578-VJ-4

Okay, Just when I think that the Media World has settled down a little bit. With the exception of the continuous decline in Newspaper readership across the country, Readers Digest announces that they will be seeking to file Chapter 11 and seek Bankruptcy protection. This comes as the latest in a series of debt-laden media companies taken out by the recession and rapidly changing consumer habits. We’re talking about the King of table top publications that peaked three decades ago that sold 18 million copies a month. Circulation is now less than half that.

Under the new plan, Readers Digest will cut it’s debt to about 550,000 million from 2.2 Billion. Ouch. Revenue for many media outlets is dropping fast and pushing newspapers, magazines and Broadcast outlets to seek protection from creditors. The number of ad pages in all consumer magazines slipped nearly 10% between 2006 and 2008, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. Ads also fell at newspaper and TV stations.

Readers Digest was founded in 1922 as a collection of condensed articles from a variety of publications and sources. The pocket sized monthly became a money making behemoth, with dozens of versions published overseas. But over time and especially with the emergence of the Internet, more readers went elsewhere and to magazines targeted to special interests such as sports or entertainment. Readers Digest reacted by making editorial changes, and targeted articles aimed for women and celebrity news. Modernization and coping what other new magazines were not enough to stave off the competition on top of changing consumer appetite for faster sources of entertainment and hunger for news.

It’s a toss up whether Readers Digest can survive and still be able to carve out enough ad revenue to keep it alive. My bet is unfortunately, this wonderful collection of the best of the best is just another victim of our pursuit of faster, quicker sources of what we deem as Entertainment. I will miss it when it goes. It’s just another example of literary life treasures such as this becoming a reading enjoyment milestone in memory.

Facebook is a great place to enter the social networking jungle, offering several advertising and marketing options for your business. One of these is the Facebook ad. A small image and a few lines of text appear on the newsfeed, profile page, and other pages of each Facebook user’s experience. Businesses buy these ads on a pay-per-click or pay-per-impression (view) account, and can target the ad by geographical location, keywords found on the user’s profile, age, gender, and relationship status, among others.

Now Facebook has released three new and exciting ways to target ads; Birthday Targeting, Connection Exclusion Targeting, and Connection Targeting. Below is the Facebook description, in their own words.

Birthday Targeting:
Does your company offer discounts for customers on their birthdays? Try out this new targeting option with customized ad text to reach out to users on this special occasion. For example, you could try text like: “Happy birthday! Visit us this week to receive 10% off at our store!”

Connection Exclusion Targeting
Are you an admin of a Page, Group, Event, or Application? Try creating an ad that targets users who haven’t connected to your content yet. Be sure to include a strong call to action (like “RSVP today!” or “Join our group!”) to guide users in the right direction.

Connection Targeting
Use this option to encourage users to interact with your Facebook content more frequently. For example, if you own a Page, try running an ad targeting your existing fans to get them to post photos or contribute to new discussion topics. Engaged users who interact with your content can help spread the word to their friends about your business.

To learn more about Facebook ads, and their part in your advertising plan, contact us today!

Everyday you walk by a billboard or sign and read it. Can you imagine a sign reading you? That’s what technology may one day bring to advertising. A new technology, recently made in Singapore, allows the billboard screen to identify its audience by gender, possibly age and to know exactly where the audience is looking. This technology will allow the advertiser to determine if they are hitting their target audience by even knowing the brand names that the audience is wearing and carrying. These screens will differentiate between whether the audience merely glances at the advertisement and how many gaze at it for periods of time. This type of technology could be very helpful for advertisers to know whether they should move their message to another location or put up more advertisements in similar locations.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17424-innovation-when-advertising-meets-surveillance.html.

Technology is also now putting billboard posters in 3D. Imagine a huge hand reaching out to you as you drive down the highway. This technology seems like it would catch the eye of the people driving and walking by the ad. It does not require any special glasses to see the images in 3D. It may be that many advertisers want to put a few extra dollars into this type of advertising.

http://adverlab.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

Of course a lot of advertisers have already caught wind of digital advertising on billboards. These huge digital screens change pictures every 8 seconds or so with a few other advertisers. They are on an electronic rotation and the light that emanates from them is very illuminating. Think of the lights you see in Las Vegas. These screens are often brighter and more eye catching than a large movie screen. The benefit for many advertisers is how quickly and easily they can change their message, since it is all done through a computer program.

http://themarketingspot.blogspot.com/2009/05/advertising-trends-digital-billboards.html

With these types of new technology, the competition for one brand to be heard over another only gets harder. That is why it is so important for advertisers to stay up with technology, learn how to use it and to benefit from it. Then there’s the World Wide Web, which is a whole different can of worms.

When you work in an industry that does not offer explicit instructions on how to complete your daily tasks there are bound to be several things that you come across:

1. Difference of opinion
2. Several ways to complete the task(s)
3. Finding your niche within the market

After reading “Link exchanges: The poor man’s SEO” by Tom Krazit and then reading the follow-up discussion of the article, it is clear that there are several opinions on the topic of Link Exchange to sites. In the field of internet marketing, the idea is 1. Follow the guidelines by the search engines and 2. Do what works best for you and your sites. Since there is not an instruction book to the job there is leeway when it comes to ranking your site. Some tactics work great for sites while the same tactics are not great for others.

There is a general consensus of unethical methods. Spamming links to gain ranking is not allowed. There was a comment within the article and discussion, [if you are thinking too much about getting caught then you are doing something to get caught]. Ranking a site takes time and effort. If you are spamming links to get ranking, the initial site ranking might be high, however without monthly maintenance and a highly strategized linking campaign your ranking will soon fall. At that point the spamming was pointless.

The best way to gain ranking for your site, do research. Read about the industry; understand the meaning behind it all. Internet marketing takes time and effort, both of which are something that businesses do not have to spare. When this is the case you hire a SEO agency.

The misconception with hiring an agency is that you do not need to understand internet marketing. Would a construction company hire a contractor without doing just some research? No. When you hire an agency you want to be involved as much as time will allow. Understanding the basics of internet marketing will allow you to answer questions that the agency will have about your products. You will build a powerful relationship with your SEO agency when you both have an understanding of the product and how to market it online.

Recently the world, including Simon Cowell, was completely shocked by the perfect voice from an unlikely star on Britian’s Got Talent. I have watched the video several times, and am continually amazed at how the frowning, judgmental faces melt into sheer joy as she begins her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”. So we have heard good singers before, why is she so infectious? Why is she such a household name? Why are we blogging about her? All the Bloggers out there ask if it isn’t partly because she is like us. She is a normal girl, from a small town, that leads a small life of family and friends, and isn’t gracing the cover of a magazine. We can relate to her, and want to see her rewarded for her beautiful gift!

So why is this a topic we find interesting for advertising and media? If you Google Susan Boyle today, she has over 23,200,000 results. This is proof that what appeals to the people WILL grow in a viral way across the Internet. She gave the people what they wanted, and they responded by blogging about it, sending tweets about it, writing facebook notes about it, the list goes on and on. As you begin to grow your social Internet presence, remember that people respond positively when you give them something they want, something they can relate to. It isn’t all about you, good companies make it about the customer, and create raving…and blogging…fans.