Business Social Networking

A New Twitter Competitor

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Sina Weibo is a Twitter-like service that is currently available only in China. In China it is huge and the plan is to move the service into English speaking venues with Sina English. Budweiser is already on board and one of the few differences between Sina and Twitter is geared to marketing. One of those differences is Sina content is also linked to its portal, so links to longer content can still create exposure for advertisements. The main marketing advantage is the layout. Videos and pictures are displayed below the tweet-like message, Sina also operates on 140 characters messages, so viewing the content is easier.

Photo: PennOlsen.com

Even though this service will make itself more of a marketing platform, digital agencies should remain cautious. Consumers are notoriously cautious about gumming up their processors with another app that offers a redundant service. To answer the redundancy question, Sina supporters point to the explosive growth Sina has had in China. However, Chinese affords more communicative potential in 140 characters than English does, and the inline display advantage is also mitigated by using apps instead of visiting the web page. The good news Sina does offer the digital agency is competition. Twitter will now have external pressures to develop, especially the in the realm of the pro-marketing differences that Sina offers.

The Wall: Can Twitter still be beaten? Chinese rival to launch in the US

Tags: Business Networking, China, digital agency, Digital Marketing, Ingenex Digital, Internet Marketing, iphone, New Media, Sina, Sina Weibo, social media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, SocialHarbor, Twitter
Posted in Business Social Networking, Mobile, Mobile applications, Twitter, social media | No Comments »

Google’s +1 Button Now Everywhere

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

FaceBook may have invented the ‘Like’ button and the placement of that button everywhere, but now Google has a similar tool. Google’s ‘+1’ button had existed only on its search results until Wednesday. Now publishers will be able to put the ‘+1’ on their pages allowing Google to obtain more data about other spaces on the internet.

Photo: thefastertimes.com

Google searches will improve dramatically as a result of this. Until now Google searches would only benefit if people had clicked on +1 on the search page. Now people will see the button on many regular pages. Google also collects, just as FaceBook does, data every time a page with +1 loads on it. Even if a viewer does not click the button Google obtains some data, and even the viewer’s non-selection of ‘+1’ tells Google something. That in itself is a huge amount of data that will help refine Google searches. And increase the power of targeted advertisements.

Mashable: Google’s +1 Button Challenges Facebook’s Like Across the Web

Tags: Connect, google, Ingenex, Ingenex Digital, Internet Marketing, New Media, SEO, Social Harbor, SocialHarbor
Posted in Business Social Networking, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Cord Cutting May Not Reduce Number of Ad

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

Hulu is in negotiations with News Corporation, owner of the Fox networks, to increase the numbers of ads delivered by Fox during Hulu content. Currently, Hulu delivers most of the ads during an episode, however, the networks providing the content are allowed to deliver some of the ads. News Corp wants to deliver more of those ads.

Making the content available online causes a share drop on TV ratings and that causes a revenue drop. Networks would like to be able to carry over some of the same advertisers so those revenues do not drop as significantly. Hulu benefits from carrying networked content because that is what draws the crowds.

Photo: Houston Press Blogs

The bellwether came from the CW Network’s online offerings. In 2010 the CW Network’s online advertising reached almost the same load as the broadcast advertising load. While many would expect this to drop viewership, it actually rose by 55% and 94% of the ads were watched to completion.

Many digital agencies may have felt stymied about advertising on TV content providers. The CW Network’s experiment, however, turns the conventional wisdom about viewers being allergic to ads on its ear. This will probably result in a rise in the amount of ad space available as well as a drop in those prices. This can be expected until certain levels of viewers have cut the cord and then viewership will become allergic to those advertisements. For now, however, we are not at that tipping point.

Ad Age Mediaworks: News Corp.’s Hulu Hope: To Add More Commercials

Tags: AdAge, Ann Arbor, Business Review, digital agency, Digital Marketing, Hulu, Ingenex Digital, Linkedin, New Media, SocialHarbor
Posted in Business Social Networking, Hulu, Mobile, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Twitter is Still An Attractive Advertising Platform

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

There are two types of advertising that reach Twitter users. Twitter offers some advertising within a user’s feed, but these promoted tweets are infrequent and usually cater to large firms with deep pockets. Then there are the advertisements users see on the app delivering the Twitter stream, whether it be an app or on the Twitter.com website.

It’s the apps which has caused the latest noise. Tweetdeck is arguably the most popular Twitter client and Twitter just purchased it. Tweetdeck had been in negotiation with other potential buyers, but Twitter won out. Tweetdeck can account for creation of 5.5% of all Tweets generated. In March Tweetdeck users were generating 1 billion tweets each week. That is a lot of exposure. Now digital agencies can tap into that exposure when making an advertising deal with Twitter. The reason Twitter bought the app is because when users use Tweetdeck they are not exposed to the ads on twitter.com. That division has been solved by this acquisition. Advertising with twitter will now be even more profitable.
Tweetdeck and Twitter

Tags: advertising, Digital Marketing, tweetdeck, Twitter
Posted in Business Social Networking, social media | No Comments »

LightFair 2011

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

LightFair 2011 is in full swing. And the Ingenex Digital Agency Team is here along with LED Light maker OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. This year OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is giving away an iPad 2, actually they are giving away two of them. You can sign up on the LightFair 2011 virtual tradeshow page - http://ledlight.osram-os.com/lightfair2011. Take a moment and sign up to win an new iPad - why not! And please tell a friend.

Tags: LightFair2011, OSRAM
Posted in Business Social Networking, LightFair | No Comments »

Facebook Insights for Small Business

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Facebook Insights is a great tool for any company to use when evaluating their social media strategy. Ensure that you are making the most of your business Page while using both your successes and failures to craft a solid presence on Facebook.

David Hartstein wrote a detailed post on Mashable outlining how you can get the most out of Facebook Insights for small business.

A Facebook Insights link automatically appears in the left sidebar of you Facebook Page when it reaches 30 “Likes”

The Insights dashboard offers two graphs, “Users” and “Interactions” with detailed metrics:

Users: monthly active users, daily new “likes,” total “likes,” new “likes/unlikes,” “like” sources, demographics, page views, tab views, external referrers, media consumption

Interactions: daily post views, daily post feedback, daily story feedback, most recent posts, daily page activity

As David suggests in his post, businesses need to look beyond just the number of “Likes” they can attain. Focus more on the “Daily active users” and “Daily page activity” numbers to get a more accurate assessment of how your Facebook Page is being received by your audience.

From these “Users” and “Interactions” graphs, Facebook Page administrators can also evaluate their users’ media consumption. These graphs can be used to see which posts and tabs attract the most impressions and views, allowing you to adjust your content to what your users prefer.

Another useful metric on the “Users” graph called “External Referrers” lets you see which external web sites are sending the most people to your Facebook Page. Then check the “Like Sources” also on the “Users” graph to get a good sense of where your Facebook fans are really converting from.

Since Facebook collects personal information from users, Insights can provide some useful demographics information for you. The “Users” graph allows you to see who “likes” your page according to age and gender. You can also see what countries and cities your followers come from as well as the languages they speak.

Are you reaching your target demographic?

Read David’s full post on Mashable here. And contact Ingenex Digital Marketing for full internet marketing solutions including social media marketing.

Tags: Facebook, Facebook Page, Insights, Mashable
Posted in Business Social Networking, Facebook | No Comments »

Internet Marketing Michigan

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Internet marketing in Michigan has never been better. Michigan companies are utilizing Internet marketing, digital marketing, SEO and SEM to strengthen their online presence and brand themselves more effectively.

One agency that specializes in “Internet marketing” is Ingenex Digital Marketing located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ingenex is taking Internet marketing to the next level through the use of social media marketing, web site design, digital public relations, pay-per-click advertising, and search engine optimization.

Since it was founded in 2006 Ingenex Digital has helped dozens of clients increase their web site traffic, gain more followers on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and enhance their online presence.

An example of a great digital web site created by Ingenex is the Inforum Michigan web site. Inforum Michigan is one of the largest women’s business organizations in the Midwest. Since the organization is so large they were having trouble connecting with members through their old site and they recognized they needed a new web presence to make themselves more visible and easier to access. Ingenex launched Inforum’s new site in February 2010. The new site is designed to be easily updated, easy to find through the use of search engine optimization, and includes valuable information for anyone who views the site.

In addition to increasing companies digital presence and making their websites easy to access, Ingenex also hosts an Internet marketing blog that helps companies learn more about digital marketing. Through this blog companies and professionals will learn to understand social media marketing, online communities, digital marketing, search engine marketing, and search engine optimization. Michigan companies have been using Internet marketing to enhance growth and these blog posts give tips on how to do just that. With focus on how to attain measurable results, increasing audience reach, learning to use new public relations, monitoring and tracking conversation, and engaging audience in conversation, these blog posts teach companies effective ways to use digital marketing.

Another way Internet marketing is growing in Michigan is through Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing, a weekly lunch meeting that allows marketing professionals and people interested in marketing topics to exchange ideas and get to know each other in a relaxed environment. Each week a marketing professional will speak on topics ranging from new media, digital marketing, social media, web design, and traditional marketing.

Digital marketing expert and CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing, Derek Mehraban, states, “Internet marketing strategy is crucial to marketers and business owners. The demand for digital is growing exponentially and this fall LA2M will challenge Ann Arbor to think digitally and utilize the online space to connect with customers.”

The topics discussed are helpful to those interested in digital marketing, social media buffs, and business owners.

Watch Tiffany Risner, Interactive Marketing Coordinator of Ingenex Digital Marketing, discuss how to integrate digital public relations into your marketing mix.

Tags: Ingenex, Internet Marketing, Lunch Ann Arbor Marketing, Michigan Internet Marketing, The Digital Bus
Posted in Business Social Networking, social media | No Comments »

Are Facebook Comments Protected by Free Speech?

Friday, November 12th, 2010

If an employee posts something negative about their employers or coworkers these posts are now legally protected speech, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

A lawsuit trying to enforce social media laws will most likely not pass. Dawnmarie Souza is a perfect example of this case. She used inappropriate language on her Facebook regarding her boss and an incident that had happened at work. Many of her coworkers continued the conversation by posting even more negative comments regarding the boss and the situation. Souza was fired but according to the NLRB, company social media policies are in violation of labor laws that protect employees right to talk about work outside of the work place.

Photo Credit: Sync Blog

Facebook comments can lose rights depending on where the discussion is held, the subject matter, and whether the comments were provoked by unfair labor practices.

Should companies have the right to monitor what their employees are saying or should employees have the right to free speech? Maybe people should keep their work opinions to themselves instead of posting them on a public Internet page.View For Employees, Facebook Counts as Free Speech for more information.

Tags: Facebook, free speech, legal, social media
Posted in Business Social Networking, Facebook, social media | No Comments »

Calculation Suggests Linkedin is Now Worth Over $2 Billion

Friday, July 30th, 2010

A recent calculation by Bloomberg suggests that Linkedin has now reached the $2 billion mark. With over 60 million members and tools like “LinkedIn Reasearch Network” for market researchers and investors, the LinkedIn brand has made it to one the top 3 social media networking sites worldwide.

Mashable released an article breaking down the math:

Hedge fund Tiger Global Management spent $20 million to acquire approximately a 1% stake in the business social network. The hedge fund specifically paid $21.50 per share.

…According to SharesPost, an online marketplace for privately held companies, LinkedIn has 105 million shares outstanding. Multiply that by the $21.50 Tiger Global Management spent, and you arrive at a valuation of $2.26 billion.

Via Mashable

How can you tap into the success of social networking sites like Social Harbor, AboutUs and LinkedIn? If you don’t know how to optimally utilize these sites for success, your business or personal brand can get lost in pages of search results. Search Engine Optimization is crutial; SEO is the spigot that controls the amount of exposure your brand will receive. Our service at Social Harbor targets valuable keywords that make sense to your unique company and implement those words frequently into your profiles. The result is a consistent, highly professional image for you, portrayed through effective online content that best represents you and your company.

Tags: Business Social Networking, Connect, Digital Marketing, Linkedin, Tiffany Risner
Posted in Business Social Networking, Linkedin | No Comments »

Integrating Search Engine Marketing with Social Media

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

A problem many marketers have is how to merge their Paid Search Engine Advertising with their Social Media presence. These two channels work differently and need completely different strategies. Matt Lawson, director of marketing for Marin Software, wrote a great How-To article on Mashable about this subject.

The first thing you need to realize is that Paid Search and Social Media should be used together, not as separate channels that do not communicate. Both have different strengths and weaknesses, so you must leverage each one’s strengths to optimize your marketing campaign. Most marketers agree that the main goal of social media is to build an online presence, communicate with customers, and build brand value. The main goal of Paid Search is to drive sales.

Lawson gives a few tips to optimize the usage of your Paid Search Advertising and Social Media:

Make your Social Media Campaigns Search Friendly. Your social media programs, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc, need to be properly tagged and the metadata for your pages include your top keywords. Along with your natural and paid search results, you also want people to find your social media easily.

Experiment With Keyword Advertising on Social Media Sites. Facebook and YouTube both offer keyword advertising programs that are vastly different from Google. Facebook allows you to target users through the preferences and items they put on their profile. YouTube allows you to target search queries. Although, unlike Google, YouTube’s search queries do not usually include a specifc product but rather general content. Make sure you target your ads correctly.

Create Social Media-Influenced Paid Search Campaigns. Take what you learn from your social media, through conversations with your customers and general discussions that are happening around your campaigns, and bid on keywords that reflect this information on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Remember to measure the performance of your ads and capitalize on keywords that are more effective.

By integrating your social media and paid search campaigns correctly you will not only build a better brand presence, but you will improve the effectiveness of both campaigns.

Tags: AdWords, CPC, Marketing Campaigns, Online Campaigns, Paid Search, social media
Posted in Business Social Networking | 1 Comment »

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