With the recession in full swing businesses need to ensure they get the most from their marketing budgets, Webbed Feet UK Salisbury are here to help with our online marketing tips!
Google+
Google+ is the latest big social network on the web, set up as direct competition to Facebook. It has the circles feature which allows you to share an update with one group but not another. For example, you could send pictures to your friends and family, but not any of your work contacts.
There are a few drawbacks in that it is still under development and doesn't integrate with other systems such as Twitter or RSS yet. However, with Google behind it, it is likely to take off and certainly has Facebook worried as they've disabled any apps that allow you to export contacts, to prevent users from importing them into Google+. Facebook can of course copy the circles idea, but then Google are bound to think of something new. Hopefully the battle between them should mean good things for users.
Google +1, Facebook like, & Twitter tweets
Google+ also has a feature called +1. This allows users to vote on a particular web page which will, in turn, improve its ranking in Google. It is very similar to Facebook's like button that is appearing across websites and when clicked will appear on a user's wall..
Reports are showing that the +1 button is already more popular that the Tweet button.
So, are they useful for your website? Well we believe so, these social media buttons can be likened to a real-time referral of a web page. Google has admitted that they are considering social media in their ranking algorithm and the web and online marketing industry as a whole consider these the next big thing!
We have accounts with Google +1, Facebook, Digg, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Delicious and LinkedIn.
Why so much social media?
We believe that in 2011/12 social media is going to boom even more than it has already. Gone are the days of a static website broadcasting a message; these days people don't want a company to talk, they want them to listen and interact. They want continually updated articles, useful information and human interaction.
Dare I say it, but the days of static websites could be limited. The Coca-Cola TV advert no longer advertises www.coca-cola.com but instead www.facebook.com/cocacola, and they're not the only company doing this.
The younger generation don't keep in touch with friends using email, or even the telephone, but with Facebook messages. It's not just for individuals, but also businesses. Like it or not social media is here to stay, and we need to either jump on board, or get left behind in the dark-ages of websites and email.
