It’s not a tool for schedule Tweets like Buffer App or Hootsuite. It’s more focused on analytics statuses and topic trends, hashtags and so on. All in one. So it’s very useful to seek niches in which you want to place your message and engage with people who has your same interests. it’s usage is very intuitive, no needs of professional knowledge and you can install trough Google Chrome Apps, if not there is an app to download and install into your desktop.

It allows you to go deeply into twitter statistics, including how many people you follow are following you back, users without recent participation, inactive users, users classified by number of tweets per day, trending topics, hashtag’s usage and quantity and quality of followers from your followers. Big enough, isnt’t?

I am using this tool primarily for my company Twitter account, @alfilcom. I have recently no time to dedicate to promote myself online, so it’s time to get back to work on my own brand. It’s true that I was attempting to engage my followers and despite my community in twitter is not big enough, they are really interesting persons who I follow (and it’s reciprocate) and we are really engaged. So, there is some wisdom in that phrase: it does not matter how many follow you, what really matters is if your followers really appreciate your message and what you are trying to communicate. Well, despite my community is not so big yet, those who I follow and me are building and strong feeling. In fact, being online is the same of being in the real world, just that you express yourself trough a computer screen and binary codes.
 
Last but not least, here you have an infographic on the Story of Twitter. Enjoy it! See ya!

Richardgv

Browse more infographics.

In the Information Technology age, the message has evolved into the content. In online marketing, this is the clue to achieve our business’ success, as it was in previous decades, when the offline communication invaded our mind thanked to advertising: TV commercials, billboards and so on.

In short, content marketing is the best way to let your target audience know who you are, what is your message, what you want from them and what kind of services you provide which could benefit them. Internet has allowed companies to be closer to their clients, and they have now the opportunity to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction concerning their purchase.

Nowadays content is king – even more, quality content is king- as it drives all online interactions. If you are able to produce engaging content, then you have the 90 percent of your online work done, as it is the cornerstone of everything that happens in the Internet.

Content serves thought leadership

Every business want to become a leader in its field. There are many online resources provide them with various methods to succeed in achieving this leadership. Depending on the type of content you want to promote (and your business and sector) you can use blogs, whitepapers, case studies guides, infographics, videos, and so on. It does not matter how you spread your message, what it matters is that you give value content to all your customers with to satisfy any inquiry. Quality content will showcase your expertise.

Content improves visibility

Quality and engaging content have more chances to become viral than information lacking of accuracy and interest. If your customers really find your message useful, they will not hesitate on sharing it. And, if we talk about Internet, this process just need less than a couple of seconds. As it would be a synapsis. In fact, It’s the time you delay to make a ‘clic’ in your computer screen.

Content boosts word-of-mouth recommendations

If your post, picture, song or video really engage your audience, they will prompt thousands of reactions in less than a minute. And, when I say ‘reactions’ I mean sharing, comments and debates concerning your message.

A growing proportion of consumers are heading online to spread the word about brands they have dealings with. These are good news for business seeking to increase their incomes.

Around 60% of Twitter and Facebook users are more likely to recommend brands they follow, so small business should focus on building their fanbase via quality content.

Quality content gives wider reach

Websites which has a blog are more likely to be indexed by online search engines: it means they will be rewarded by Google. A brand posting everyday and owning a dinamic site will have on average 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links than others. Rather than they would be better ranked in Google search results, they will provide to their clients with valuable content which deserves to be spread.

More work leads to more money

Search engine optimized custom content is the top source of leads and succeed in Social Media. The logic is simple: the more leads that are converted, the more work there is to do and the more money a business will make.

Content does the marketing legwork for you

If you give to your clients quality content that really engage them, you don’t need to spend much more money in marketing strategies or resources. A valuable content spreads itself because your fans and followers will assume the rol of evangelists of your brand, and they will convey it throughout their entire community, online and offline.

That is the reason you must keep all your social channels updated and invest time, resources and effort to maintain your fans’ expectation and engagement. A person who says that social media marketing does not require any effort probably is doing wrong.

Content give your online marketing a solid footing

Publish valuable content that is tailored to your intended audience is the best way to succeed. But this is a titanic task that must be carried out. Investing in social media maybe could not return your investment immediately, but it will increase your brand visibility instead and it will drive awesome incomes in the future. If you want to evolve, you need to understand the field you are about to going into and be patience. Nothing is achieved without effort and ceaseless work.

Monetate Marketing Infographics

Linkedin is one of them. It’s true that “In” is an online community focused on the worldwide job market and we could not consider it as social as facebook is. But its power lays down on its segmentation and categorization: both features make easy for us to find our best work niche and contact new partners, patrons and colleagues who share our same interests.

Furthermore, Linkedin has become the best online community to find a job. In fact, I found my current job by using it. So, we have to recall there are plenty of online social communities to participate in beyond the kingdom of FB.

Do you want to reinvent yourself in linkedin? Some advice!

As far as I have  been exploring into Linkedin I have find out some ways people do to get more visibility to give companies more resources to see their resumé. Here you have what I found:

Focus: it’s true that in the major places or niches you are, you will acquire more visibility and employers will see your resume. But this method is it convenient for you to achieve the job of your dreams? It’s up to you, man, and, of course, it depends on the way you are managing your strategy.

For example, that’s not convenient for my job search if I don’t have an accurate description of myself and my job skills in my Linkedin profile. Apart from this, I need to focus on niches in which my resumé meets the requirements of the sector I am interested in, and not to spread it everywhere in Linkedin’s places.

I recommend to ask a few trusted friends to see your Linkedin profile for 60 seconds each. After that minute has passed, ask each of them to describe yourself as a person and worker as best as they can. If you don’t like what you hear then you have a problem with your resumé.

But, maybe you ask yourself “But..Am I not pretending to show to employers that I have a lot of skills and I am able to suit any position they offer? I consider this thought a mistake. Because as a general rule, human resources’ staff are looking for certainty and accuracy. For instance, if your Linkedin profile says you are interested in a job as a nonprofit fundraiser or a public relations coordinator, you’ll likely be less appealing to employers in each industry than those candidates who are passionately focused on just that field.

Rewrite: Most people, even those who have a ver focused profile, are lacking of the capability to describe themselves and promote their talents. So, if you are promoting yourself, one of the best ways to reinvent yourself is by changing the way you are exposing your skills. Start with your trusted friends again: tell them to rewrite your resumé the way they would like to see it, adding what they perceive from you as a worker and human being. You don’t have to take into account all what they say, but after this little exercise you can realize what you were forgetting to highlight in your Linkedin profile.  Even better, maybe you could ride of some information you don’t need to expose: perhaps it’s not important for an employer if you know how to use Microsoft Word or open an Internet Explorer window.

You would be doing a good reinvention of yourself by searching in the profiles of the people are already working in the sector you like to enter. Follow some good examples could be the best way to succeed in your field.

Give!: Yes, you read well. A lot of us are used to logging into Linkedin to search opportunities, check if how many users have landed in to your profile and how many views your resumé had in the last 15 days. Maybe you need to change the way you interact with your Linkedin’s community. If you want to expose your resume, the best way to acquire this objective is by giving the others the opportunity to demonstrate what you know by updating your status, sharing interesting links and information in the groups you have joined and encouraging other people to interact in your community. Recall you are participating in a community and Linkedin is not a Job – hunter that just need your resumé to spread it to its contacts.

1. JarvieDigital Photography

Scott Jarvie is a photographer, specialized in weddings and nature. As a part of his professional development, he has also trained other work-fellows on his art and, even further, he has created his own method: The Jarvie Window.

As a photographer, you expect to find awesome pictures in his site, And he does, but it was not enough to increase his online reputation. As far as he realized that he needed to make more online noise, he started to enter in Social Media. He already had a website to exploit, so he began to share his photos in Facebook and Google+. He did so in order to create personal engagement and, obviously, promote his product and services. More than that, he developed  strategies for each of his social networks.

While Scott is a premium photographer and trainer, he demonstrates his expertise and generosity to photographers worldwide throug sharing resources on his website and trough his social sites.

Hints:

• Differentiate your social strategies on your personal profile from your business pages.
• Freely share resources with your fans as a way to achieve more engagement among your fans and show your expertise.

2. The prospecting expert: A consultant

I like this one because it does not apply an usual strategy: his social media engagement is based on Video and Podcast (I once read that Podcast has no future in Internet… well, it depends on what you pursue…)

The Prospecting Expert is a B2B consulting firm founded by Steve Kloyda. What do they do? It’s simple: it’s purpose is to help salespeople with their prospecting skills.

Steve understood one important thing that his business should do in order to success: branding. And one plus: he developed an app for Iphone to distribute its content. Despite the fact that create an app could cost from hundred to thousands of dollars, first of all he thought on the benefits of his investment.

Hints:

• Start a podcast or video show for delivering your content.
• Keep your branding consistent across all of your social platforms.
• Develop an app (It depends on your own, but in the most cases is an effective plus) for delivering content to your mobile customers.

3. An ice cream company that sweteened Social Media

Coconut Bliss is an organic dessert company whose products have become widely known in Social Media (at least in USA) due to its strategy and constancy.

How did they do? They applied an effective and old action to approach to their customers: pics. Funny pics showing their own clients enjoying a delicious Ice Cream. Aparently , they read Technorati 2011 State of The Bloghospere Report , in which the ‘truth was reveladed’: bloggers are more likely to use photos in their post than videos or other media aids.

Coconut Bliss engaged its fans by making an effective use of promotions…and pictures.

Hints:

• Invest in a decent camera and learn how to make captivating pictures
• Integrate photos across all your social media platforms.
• Make strategic use of contest and partnerships to grow your fans database.

4. An online music Channel: JamaicansMusic

Strategy depends on what kind of product you sell. Music is very attractive if you know how to spread it trouhgout all channels you want it to be displayed. JamaicansMusic knew this and they were able to get 1.5 million new fans in 4 months!

Of course they applied an strategy is worth emulating. When you visit their website you realize that you are in a social environment, but its virality depends on a good strategy and perseverance.

By providing free music, games, contests and other resources to their public, they gave them reasons to visit their Facebook fan page again. And tell their friends about it…

Hints:

• Give your fans multiple reasons for returning to your site.
• Give visitors lot of opportunities to connect socially.

5. The Most Famous Carpenter in Social Media

Ana White has created a massive following by displaying her best product: herself. She is a carpenter who call herself a “homemaker”, and she shows what she , and how, makes her carpentry projects. This attitude has drawn the attention of thousands of womens who follow her in Social Media.

In a way, she empower women to display her best (even among her public there are  a few men) an be themselves. Apart from that, her website has become a wall where the most of the opinions come from her followers. Ver smart! and the best way of advertising: leave the others say good things about you!

Her website make the job for her in Social Media. She does not post so often, but she just need to write one or two comments and their fans do the rest by commenting and replying.

Hints

• Create a community where users can talk about themselves.
• Empower your fans to share their experiences.
• Have clear strategies for your blog and Facebook

Source: Social Media Examiner.

 It appears to be easy, but it’s not. Despite the fact that many people create websites based on niches, ideas, or specific types of information they’d like to share, it’s not niches or thoughts that the search engine results pages (I mean, Google) display. What they do is to show the most relevant results based on keywords.

 For that reason, finding the right keywords to pursue your own goals requires an intense and detailed tracking. Making mistakes at this critical juncture could set you up for failure. Then, what we should do?

 Conducting a good keyword research means that you first need to establish what are your final objectives, what kind of information you are about to share and how you want to be seen in the online world. This is just the first step.

 Failing to see the Big Picture

 There are plenty of websites telling readers how to conduct its online success. But none of them have the magic key to make your website attractive to Google’s algorithm. In fact, all of them give you clues that should be applied in to your site. But, what are the right ones? It would depend on what you want to position.

 For example, a site might proclaim that readers should only target keyword phrases with a monthly exact match search volume of at least 2000, but not more than 10000 and fewer than 50000 exact match competing pages.    

 These numbers are useful, but they are not an entire strategy. They shall not determine whether or nor a keyword is worth pursuing, because they alone don’t provide enough information to make well decisions concerning the viability of the phrase.

 Suppose that, based on this information, I write the keywords “Community Manager” and “Social Media Strategist” into my website code, and use them to bid into Google Ad-words, without doing any research of what the top-10 websites positioned with this keywords are doing. Or what strategy they are applying. Or what type of content they share. What would happen if some of them are PR5 pages with thousands of backlinks pointed back at them? So, I will be in a deep trouble.

 This is the result when I type “Community Manager” in Google:

 None of them refers to a person or an expert in social media (unless you are connected to your Google+ profile…and even so). In fact, your research results are filled with some pages explaining what a Community Manager is, or what their work consists in (included Wikipedia point of view). But they don’t mention a product I am looking for: an expert in online marketing. So, are these words suitable for my purposes? Believe it or not, they appear not to be. So, one of my first steps will be to go into a Guru of Social Media Site and gossip what strategy he is applying, what he is doing or whatever he does to be well ranked in search engines! If I can visit a lot of them, it would be the best. But don’t be upset: all the time recall what Spencer Haws says concerning Niche pursuits:

For some reason, people still type their keyword into Google and look at the number of competing pages to judge how difficult a keyword is to rank for. If you are doing this, please stop now – as this will tell you nothing about how hard it is to get where you want to be – which is on the first page of Google. I don’t care if there are 300 trillion competing websites for my keyword, if the first page of Google is filled with weak websites, I will go after it!

Analyzing the competition

So, what should we have in mind at the moment of look into the competition rank? I will give you some hints:

• Their Content: I am not meaning the code; I mean what they are spreading to the web. Do their content have the keyword we are pursuing? Is The Content relevant and coherent with this keyword?
• Optimized Title: Does the keyword appears in its title?
• Targeted Content: Is the entire site about your chosen keyword? Or just the page mention it?
• Page links: How many links are there to the ranking page?
•  Site Links: How many of them links to the root of the site?
•  Site Links: Do they come from .edu, .gov domines or Yahoo directory links?
•  Root Domain: Is the ranking page a root domain or a subpage?
•  Site age: very important! What is the age of the site?
• What kind of site is?: If the PR5 is full of weak sites like article directories, forums, yahoo answers, etc. then you can make an advantage of it.

 The importance of relevant content

As you might be realized, the firs 3 ranking factors I previously mentioned are about the content. It’s quite important to determine if the site is actually targeting your keyword or it is just mentioned. Why do we should know that? Because if the competition page you are gossiping into is targeting your chosen keyword, you will have a big deal to surpass its position. On the contrary, if the page just mention it, you will easily outrank it with a good SEO strategy.

 Re – defining your SEO strategy

Once you have made a good research on your competition websites, what they are doing and why they are well ranked in search engines, you are ready to join the battle.

• Re-define the keywords to progressive scale in Google ranking. It does not mean that you must forget your favourite one, but define other keywords that could help its positioning.
• Establish an strategy in Social Media according to that keyword (Did I mention that Social Media Pages are good to position your brand?…well I guessed you knew that…)
• Write relevant content according to that keyword and add relevant information that could complete what your competition don’t mention.
• Don’t be in a hurry. Google algorithm change constantly (each three months approximately) and achieving a good position in Google results requires time and patience.
• Of course, never give it up!

According to Facebook, they believe that “the PROTECT IP Act (or PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which are currently being considered by Congress, are not the right solution to this problem, because of the collateral damage they would cause to the Internet.”

In its statement, Facebook also declares that, if the law is passed, they would be directly affected. “PROTECT IP and SOPA could create very real problems for Internet companies like ours that are a primary driver of innovation, growth, and job creation in the 21st century economy. “, Facebook said.

For further information, click into this link. 

++ Click Image to Enlarge ++

Source: The Importance Of A Fan Base Infographic

Do you agree? If you thought “yes”, then one of the best ways to improve your social engagement is to use apps in your new FB fan page. there are thousand of them, but depending on your strategy and aims you intend to achieve, they will be useful or not. However, I recommend to start with these apps that can easily be adapted in order to make your first steps in Social Media. Once you are deep involved into this world, you may find some new gems to try out. 

1. Fan of the Week for Pages 

Let’s be honest. Who does not like to be recognized? I like, as – I bet it – you also do so… so your fans will feel very confortable if you mention them in your FB fan page giving them a positive recognition. Furthermore, you can ‘award’ them with some products or online gifts. Don’t worry, it’s not so expensive: you don’t need to hire a developer to codify an exclusive app, because others have made the hard work for you: you just need to install the Fan of the Week for Pages app, available in Facebook. 

Once you have accept the request asked by the app, you need to install it as one of your tabs in your FB page. Then adjusts its features and… it’s done! The app will automatically post to your page wall at the same time every week. Make sure you add the app to your page at the exact time you would like it to post. 

2. Booshaka 

It’s an app quite similar than Fan of the Week. It highlight those fans who are often participating in your wall activities trough comments, shares and likes. The installation process is not complicated and follow the same way that other apps: once you accept its requests, it automatically adds a tab into your fan page. How it rank your fans? Easy way: they receive points for each comment, likes and posting. If you want to try Booshaka, just go to its website www.booshaka.com and click the blue install button.  

3. Networked Blogs

I assume that as a part of your online strategy you administrate your corporative blog or manage your own one instead. Despite the fact that is true that posting manually in FB is always best for engagement and EdgeRank purposes, sometimes there is needed some automatization. Networked Blogs just do that: read your blog’s rss and publish into your FB page when you post a new blog article. You can use it to post your personal profile, your FB page and Twitter accounts. The app will pull in the title of the blog post, the first picture (or a screenshot of your entire blog if there is no pic) and the first few lines of your content. When someone clicks on it, there are Share buttons at the top of the post to allow readers to easily share it with their networks. If you want to use this app, go this link in Facebook and follow the instructions.

4. Post Planner 

If you don’t have enough time to post into your FB page you have two options: hire a Community Manager or syndicate your posting. Post planner allows you to avoid the first option by giving the opportunity of scheduling your posts. There is just one inconvenient: it’s a paid app ($ 4.95 per month) but it is worth. Post Planner also has a White Label version so you can customize the app name and send people who click on it to your website instead of to an application. The easiest way to install Post Planner is to go to its website: www.postplanner.com. 

5. Youtube 

Do you have a youtube channel? Then you need this app. It’s highly recommended to integrate all social media channels you own into your FB page (as well as your website, of course) and, in this specific case, people who come to your fans page will easily access your videos. There are many Youtube applications, but I prefer “youtube for pages”. I have used it for some clients and they are happy with it. Its advantages: easy to install, a nice layout and it offers easy sharing. 

The most recent video uploaded in your channel is automatically displayed as the largest or introductory. Find out more about this app in this link: www.facebook.com/YouTubeApp. 

6. Livestream 

If you are a well known consultant or you are going to broadcast an important event concerning your business, this app will be quite useful for you. It brings live video events to your FB fan page and, as a part of its offer, they give your clients, fans and customer to chat and discuss about the event you are promoting online and in real time. Furthermore, you can record the events for later viewing. Do you want to check it out? Click here and find out more!

7. Contact me 

I ever recommend my clients to highlight their contact information and contact form. You are a businessmen or women, and if you want to improve and engage with your customers and clients, you should give them easiest methods to contact you in any space you launch in The Internet. Social Media is not the exception, and it’s not enough to write your contact info as a part of your description in your FB page. More ways to contact you, more ways to listen and engage your fans. 

This tab allows you to easily install a contact form in your FB page. Besides the common functionalities belonging a contact form, if you opt to use this app you can customize different fields and the form to suit your needs. Find it here.

8. Constant Contact

Many people wonder how to add a newsletter signup to their page. There are a lots of ways that include IFrame apps and design. But, why to make things complicated? If you have an app that can do all for you. Constant Contact is very easy to use. You can add text to talk about your newsletter and even pictures. If you are afraid of code and much customization, this app will make your life easier. Find it here. 

9. Scridb for pages 

Don’t you know Scribd? It is a document-sharing service quite useful for those who constantly write articles, PPT presentations, PDFs documents, etc. Well, if you have an account in Scribd, you can easily syndicate it with your FB page. The Scribd app allows people to view the document in your FB page (once you have installed the app, it will make its own tab) and download at their wish. Involver has developed this app and you can find it following this link www.involver.com. 

10. ECWID

And finally, last but no least, if you want to open a store front that operates within Facebook, add Ecwid to your page. It integrates with PayPal, Google Checkout, Authorize.net and several other payment processing options. 

Setting up a store is a little more involved than the other apps listed in this post, but can easily draw attention to your products and services. 

Do you want to get started? Then go and follow Ecwid instructions here.

Chinese Social Media is pretty similar than Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, etc. In fact, they copied each of them in order to develop their own communities. Why? The main problem is the tight control the Communist Party exercises over its population. Then, when Social Media boom exploded in western countries, the government opted to ban their presence in the mainland (What is called “The Great firewall”). Freedom in the Internet is not an option for Hu Jintao and his political comrades, despite the fact that we can not call China a “Communist country” (This is an issue I don’t want to talk about…) and chinese people is struggling to achieve more social and political liberties.

Concerning Chinese Social Media, in this first post I want to make a brief description of QQ, the first chinese social community I opened an account in. In the next posts I will be talking about Renren, Weibo and Tudou (the last one is about videos).

QQ: the most famous penguin in mainland China

QQ first appearance in the online world was in 1999, like an Instant Messaging Computer System similar than Hotmail Messenger. Since then, its growth has been awesome: currently it has more than 388 million registered users ( QQ began to expand its services in USA in 2009, like a system which provides chinamen the opportunity to find american online friends to learn english. In fact, when I chat with some chinese friends, I write mandarin and they use english…) who enjoy many services like their own blog, chats, apps and online games, as Facebook does. In fact, its functionality  is quite similar but QQ has some different values: you are connected with online free music streaming (you select your music and make your own album from the available songs, the most of them are from chinese Singers, I highly recommend to listen Cristal Liu, or 刘一非， a beautiful chinese singer and actress), you can choose your own design and customize it the way you want, and so on.

QQ is running by Tencent INC, the company in charge of developing this platform and spread it worldwide. When they realized that QQ will switch into more than an Instant Messaging Service, QQ Zone was created. This made good profits for the company, but in 2009 there was an intent to open more social communities which could be linked with QQ users. Then, Tencent developers launched Xiaoyou (校友 or “school friends”) in order to compete with renren (人人，what would mean “person to person”) and kaixing (开兴, or “happy”…yes, I agree, chineses are not worried about ‘creatives’ and ‘inspiring’ names…). But it did not work and was replaced with pengyou.com (朋友，its meaning is “friends”), an online website which give you a profile if you already own a QQ account. In fact, its software read your QQzone feed and update your new online space with the information (pictures, name, birthday, etc.) provided by your QQ.

There is also a renewed version of QQ website called webQQ2, with a new design and features that makes the usage of the site funnier and sophisticated. You can connect with your profile, chat, and all the apps provided by the service (music, online radio, movies, weather, etc…). It appears to be an Ipad in your screen.

Then, will you try QQ? It’s not so difficult as it looks….