Social Networking Reputation Risks and Online Reputation Management

Social networks present enormous branding and marketing opportunities, but they also present significant risks to business reputations.  A company page or business profile on Facebook setup and properly optimized will drive traffic to company websites, products and services.  The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results of this are incredible although companies often neglect to understand the potential risks posed from a 'public' forum.  Facebook, Blogs, Yelp and other interactive websites enable anyone to share experiences  opinions, ideas and feedback which needs to be monitored daily.  The example below is only one of the dozens of 'sales' and new business received from Facebook where people will often post requests for contacting them about a new website, SEO or social marketing.  This referral made late Wednesday evening on Facebook became a new customer early Thursday morning.  In addition to the new customer it adds creditably when others see public recommendations for your company, products or services!

Best case scenario social networking will expand the reach of a brand, product or service though multiple online locations similar to having a billboard on every major highway in the city.  Worst case, if social networking is not managed and monitored properly, a disgruntled customer or former employee may cause harm through negative, false or misleading posts.  No company will make every customer completely happy 100% of the time, mistakes happen, people have bad days and sometimes there are just difficult people who choose to be unhappy no matter what.  The best way to combat this is constant daily management of all social media marketing to immediately address any issues as an opportunity to improve customer satisfaction.

Someone who may have had a bad experience can give you the opportunity to correct that or at least empathize through social networking.  If there was a misunderstanding it can be cleared up quickly similar to a recent experience I had with Aristocrat Motors over my Jaguar service.  I left a review for Aristocrat Motors on www.Yelp.com pertaining to a misdiagnosis of a problem and an unresolved issue with the service center.  A representative from Aristocrat motors monitored the online reviews for the company and contacted me with an offer to resolve the past issues which will bring me back to them as a customer.

Prior to the response from the company online I had shared with anyone who asked the bad experience recommending that nobody I know take a vehicle there.  Now I plan on going back to have the problem resolved and may bring future business back to the company rather than keeping friends, family and associates away.  The # 1 Ranking Algorithm Google Search Engine today is Facebook so any successful Search Engine Optimization (SEO) MUST include social marketing. If you need a BETTER built website, SEO or Social Marketing for your business, product or service contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting today for an expert consultation and results 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Internet & Technology Expert

 www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com - Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions

Pinterest Influences 37% of Men to Purchase & 25% of All Users

Women make up the majority of Pinterest users with estimates varying from 60% to 90% of the user base.  It turns out that men report being more than twice as likely as women to have purchased a product or service after discovering it on the social network according to a recent Compete survey released in June 2012.

A total of 37% of male users said they have purchased a product or service after discovering it on Pinterest, compared to 17% of female users.  A total of 25% combined users on Pinterest said they made a purchase after viewing the product or service on Pinterest.

A Reuters and Ipsos poll released in June 2012 revealed that 1 in 5 American Facebook users say they have ever bought a product or service due to advertising or comments they saw on Facebook.
Both these results differ from recent SteelHouse data, which found that 59% of Pinterest users have purchased an item they saw on the site, compared to 33% of Facebook users who have bought an item they saw on their news feed or a friend’s wall.

Reach More Buyers and Sell More Online - Contact the Social Marketing Experts at www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com to build effective social network marketing!

Social Marketing is about Interactions, Questions, Creating Buzz

Having a Facebook page or Twitter account is not enough to be successful with Social Marketing.  The search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) entered into agreements with the top Social Networking websites and classified sites (Craigslist, eBay) to place content from those sites in the search engine results.  This is why when you search for a company on Google you often find the social networking pages within the top search results (if the company has the social networking setup properly). 

To be successful with Social Marketing consider the main point of being 'Social' just like you would in any offline 'social' interaction.  When you meet a potential customer the first thing you need to do is ask questions, find out what they need, what they are interested in and then share how you can meet or exceed those needs and interests.  Any one-sided conversation online or offline tends to be ignored.  People like to know you are interested in what THEY have to say, that you care enough to find out what they need or want.

Getting users to 'Like' a page on Facebook is easy since most people will 'Like' anything a friend suggests or any product they have used or may be familiar with.  April 2012 survey results show that almost 7 in 10 Millennials who like a brand on Facebook rarely or ever return to the company page.  A February 2012 report revealed that just 1% of Facebook users who like big brands such as Procter & Gamble or Coca-Cola actually interact with those brands.

Marketers looking to boost engagement need to ask the right questions and engage social network users. By asking about personal preferences, appealing to fans’ expertise, and making it aspirational marketers can achieve a positive impact and increase social network visibility.  Instead of posting one sided 'marketing' ask users how they feel about new products, what they need, wish for and be sure to interact with others.  Spend some time adding new 'friends' from Facebook suggestions or mutual connections and be sure to look at their individual or company pages to 'Like' and comment on what they shared. 

The more marketers interact with others the more others tend to interact back.  Recriprical 'Likes' and comments provide three times the results.  The more a company 'page' or account has interaction the higher it ranks within the 'social network algarythms' which determines what posts, updates, photos and information is shared in the 'News Feed' and with Search Engines.  Someone who updates and posts information all the time but has few interactions will not been seen by anyone except the person or company publishing the information. 

Updates, photos and other details posted that have numerous 'Likes' and 'Comments' will be shared with an exponential online audience (the people who interacted with, commented or liked it plus all of the people they are connected with).  This is why Social Marketing experts and companies who specialize in social marketing are able to produce better results than internal staff or a single person trying to market on social networks.  Social Marketing companies will have multiple login's and accounts they can use to 'create' the buzz, interactions and improve reach on social networks that others cannot. 

Keep the 'Social' aspects of Social Marketing first, be sure to interact, engage and entice people to come back and invest the time to do it right.  If you need expert Social Marketing setup, optimization, training or just have a question contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting 816-842-7774.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995

Social Network Security, Privacy and Productivity

Social Networking interacts with nearly every aspect of our lives today.  The average American spends over 16 hours a month on Facebook with 50% of Facebook users logging on every single day.  Social Networks are used at the office and in personal life although it is sometimes best to keep the two separate. 

When our company receives an application or email for employment the first thing we do is look up the individual on Facebook and other social networks to see exactly who they are.  We have brought on interns based upon their wide use of social networks with positive posts while we have also decided not to interview people based upon what they posted on social networks.  Employers, co-workers, friends and family are using social networking though not everything posted online should be shared with all of them.

One thing our company does to ensure our staff is on top of the latest online marketing, social networking and interaction is creation of 'Business' social networking accounts.  Each new team member is setup with a company email address (myname@mycompany.com) which is then used to create a complete set of social networking accounts for each individual.  The accounts are links to our company social marketing pages, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and customer accounts.  The staff is asked to login a few times each week to interact, read, learn and communicate with other staff, industry news and customers.

This ensures that the business has a wider reach online while maintaining a consistent online presence for the staff to interact with clients, potential customers and each other in a professional fashion.  Personal accounts are not tied with the business accounts and there is less of a chance of someone being offended or alienated from a personal event unrelated to the company.  The Business accounts are not 'friends' with personal accounts or non-business related individuals to ensure the privacy of the staff and keep any potential fires from starting. 

A few ideas for maintaining privacy and ensuring there are no issues with Social Networking at the office include:

• Lock down your Personal profilesAvoid friending anyone from work including your co-workers or boss - use your Business profile to communicate and interact with them.  Take advantage of the privacy features within Facebook and create lists keeping unwanted visitors away from private photos, tagged posts and information. 
• Private messages are not private
  When it comes to the workplace and the world of employment law, private messages on social networking sites are discoverable in court.  This means that messages between friends and colleagues on social networks can be used as part of the legal investigation process.  These messages are electronic conversations similar to e-mail and are being treated as such.
• Don’t trust Facebook or other Social NetworksFacebook has been known for their privacy issues in the past, and yet we, as individuals, place blind faith in a company who often holds the very key to our digital life.  Avoid providing very personal information including your date of birth, religious information, or other protected topics that companies can use when making employment decision like hiring, promotions or salary increases in the United States.  This information, known as protected classes (age, sex, religion, disability, pregnancy, race/color, and nation of origin), may not be used by employers to make employment decisions, although this information is easily accessible via personal social media profiles like Facebook. Companies are increasingly using social media as a form of an online background check.
• Read your social media policy
  Companies are adding social media policies to their employee manuals.  Take the time to read the policy and understand the guidelines they have put in place.  Use common sense, if you have an issue with the company you work with, a customer or a co-worker DO NOT publicize that information online where it may come back to haunt you. 
• Not everything you read online is a FACT
  Anyone can post anything on the Internet.  Just because you find a profile or information about someone, a business it may not be a fact.  There are countless cases of people impersonating others such as sports stars, celebrates, business executives and even neighbors to generate traffic, obtain 'friends' or market on the Internet.  Anyone with Internet Access can create a profile using any name and post information so be cautious in what you believe or how you may use information found on the Internet because it may not be true.  Sometimes this is done in fun, for marketing or to slander or harm others so be cautious.

Contact Internet Builder Consulting Social Marketing Experts for a consultation on your company social networking policy, Social Marketing, websites or Search Engine Optimization today at 816-842-7774

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & SEO solutions since 1995

Google+ Social Network Reaches 18 Million Users in the First Month

New statistics from Experian Hitwise shows Google+ is growing fast, thanks to a young demographic and significant traffic from other Google websites and tools.  The internet analytics firm has released its first set of data regarding Google’s new social network. Although the data only extends to July 16, it provides a detailed picture into the numbers that are driving Google+’s growth.

Below are some of the most interesting stats from Experian Hitwise’s report:

• As of July 16, Google+ is the 42nd most-visited social networking site in the US and the 638th most-visited site on the web. These numbers are amazing since the social network is invitation only at this time - Google+ will gain significantly when it opens to the public.
  
• According to Hitwise, Google+ had 1.8 million total visits last week, an increase of 283% from the previous week. Google+ has grown by a whopping 821% from the week ending on July 2, the first week Google+ was available.
  
• 56% of Google+’s upstream traffic came from other Google properties last week, with 34% of that traffic coming from Google.com. And 37% of its upstream traffic coming from search engines and the final 21% of its traffic driven by email.
  
• According to Hitwise, 57% of visits to Google+ were from males for the four weeks ending on July 16
  
• Google+ is dominated by young adults with the  25-34 age group being the largest age group with 38.37% of all visits and the 18-34 age group making up 38.11% of total visitors.
  
• Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco are the most dominant metropolitan areas driving traffic to Google+. Other locations with a higher proportion of visitors to Google+ than the general online population include Bowling Green, KY, Portland, OR and Bend, OR

 Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders teams of experts are busy helping customers setup their Google+ and other social media marketing (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube and more!).  Contact us today for a consultation or have our experts setup, manage and market your company on social networks for as little as $350

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing since 1995
816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

Consumers & Online Buyers Are Tapping Into the 'F-Factor' of Social Networking

Consumers are increasingly tapping into their online social networks of friends, fans, and followers to discover, discuss and purchase goods and services, according to analysis from Trendwatching.com. The consumer trend analysis firm calls this trend the “F-Factor,” with the “F” standing for friends, fans and followers.

Social Sources Become Trusted

As a result of social networking and other online communication technologies, consumers can now use trusted sources they know to obtain information about products and brands, rather than rely on third party advertising or perform extensive first hand research.

Trendwatching.com advises that consumers have always relied on word-of-mouth advice from friends, relatives and associates, but modern technology is greatly accelerating its development as a major influence of purchase decisions.

Facebook Dominates the F-Factor

The F-Factor is currently dominated by Facebook, according to Trendwatching.com. As of April 2011 Facebook has 500 million active users spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the website and every month more than 250 million people engage with Facebook across more than 2.5 million external websites.

2010 Facebook data shows the average user clicks the “Like” button nine times each month and February 2011 Ad Age/Ipsos data shows 3/4 of Facebook users have liked a brand.

Consumers ‘F-Discover’ Best of the Best

Trendwatching.com has broken down five key ways the F-Factor influences consumer purchasing decisions. The first, ‘F-Discovery’ involves consumer desires to own or experience the best of the best and their desire for serendipity, excitement, interaction and community. People are curious and interested in what their friends and contacts think, do, eat, read, listen to, drive in, travel to and buy, because this will often be similar to how they want to think, act and buy.

Thus consumers are embracing communities, tools and apps that allow them to dive into and discover selections from friends, fans, followers, and so on.

Consumers Want ‘F-Rated’ Products

Consumers sometimes enjoy finding the best of the best through discovery; they are increasingly able to access personalized recommendations and reviews on something they know they want to purchase. Research from trendwatching.com shows more and more websites will automatically serve up friends’ recommendations, ratings and reviews next to goods and services that people are researching.

‘F-Feedback’ Makes Recommendations Personal

Anonymous reviews aren’t always what consumers need or want; they can lack relevance and context, and consumers with many options sometimes just want an unambiguous or finite opinion. F-Feedback involves consumers actively disclosing their purchasing intentions and reaching out to their friends and contacts for personalized feedback.

Trendwatching.com further advises that with more and more consumers increasingly viewing their online reputation as something to enhance as well as just protect, the quality of answers on Q&A services is rapidly improving.

F-Together Makes Shopping Social

While group buying platforms such as Groupon are revolutionizing local, consumers typically do not know the other members of the group that they are buying with. So, while consumers get to leverage the power of the web to benefit from better deals, the actual shopping experience frequently lacks the F-Factor. Consumers have strong incentives to share certain purchases, especially for F-Factor-friendly experiences such as buying event tickets where consumers can now automatically invite friends to a concert or movie right after purchasing a ticket.

F-Me Individualizes the F-Factor

Trendwatching.com refers to the trend of personalized products and services based on the activities and output of one’s social network as ‘F-Me’. This includes services that turn a user’s Facebook page into a daily newspaper and a user’s Twitter feed into a published journal.

Look for ‘Twinsumers’ and ‘Social-lites’

Both of these types of online consumers were identified by Trendwatching.com in December 2010 as critical to spreading positive word of mouth recommendations. Twinsumers are consumers with similar consumer patterns, likes and dislikes, and who are valuable sources for recommendations on what to buy and experience while ‘Sociallites’ are consumers who consistently broadcast information to a wide range of associates online.

Social Networking and the integration of social factors with websites, online marketing and eCommerce are imperative in any Internet Initiative today. Contact Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders social networking experts to build a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing solution today at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & Consulting since 1995

Social Media Marketing Assists with Customer Satisfaction & Brand Performance

Retailers and businesses can use social media to turn consumers who have had a negative experience with their brand into brand advocates according to a new report from RightNow and Harris Interactive. Data from “The Retail Consumer Report” indicates 68% of US consumers who posted a complaint or negative review of a holiday shopping experience during the 2010 holiday season were contacted by the retailer. Two thirds (67%) of them wound up taking an action that would be considered positive for the brand.

Out of the 68% that complained and were contacted following a negative social media posting 34% deleted their original negative review, 33% turned around and posted a positive review and 18% became a loyal customer purchasing again. 

These figures show 85% of customers who posted a negative review of a shopping experience and were then contacted by the retailer wound up taking an action that was positive for the retailer. Two thirds (67%) took an action through social media directly removing or improving their original negative posting. 

Excellent Customer Service Improves Online Purchasing

Half of all online buyers shared that great customer service and/or a previous positive experience as influencing their decision to buy from a specific online retailer. After a positive online shopping experience, 31% of consumers purchased again, 21% recommended the seller to their friends, and 13% posted a positive review on a social network.

Effective professional social networking and social marketing will reach more buyers, sell more, improve customer satisfaction and assist with branding.  All business today providing a product or service needs to have professional Social Media Marketing and Social Networking setup and managed every week.  To contact the Internet Builder Consulting Social Marketing Experts call 816-842-7774 or visit us online. 

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet, Social Marketing & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing and Technology Solutions since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Social Networking Dratamically Increases for Older Users - 3/4 of Working Adults Online

Overall social networking use by online American adults has grown from 35% in 2008 to 61% in 2010.  The increase is even more dramatic among older adults, according to new data from the Pew Research Center with the rate of online social networking nearly quadrupled among Older Boomers (from 9% to 43%) and the GI Generation (from 4% to 16%). 

8 Out of 10 Adults Are Online
79% of US adults 18 and older can be classified as “online” in correlation to their much higher social networking rate.  Millennials are the most active online with 95% participation. 
Online rates drop with each higher age bracket with 86% of Gen X and 81% of Younger Boomers are online. Even 76% of Older Boomers are online, meaning a solid majority of working-age adults are online.
Adults in their retirement years are online at lower levels though more than half (58%) of the Silent Generation are online. This figure sharply dips to 30% of the GI Generation (age 74 and older).
 
Social Networking and Social Marketing are EXTREMELY effective tools in reaching more buyers and managaing your online brand.  It is also important to have 'Social Optimization' similar to 'Search Engine Optimization' by a professional such as http://www.internetbuilderconsulting.com/ and our http://www.socialmarketingbuilders.com/ programs. 
 
Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Experts since 1995
816-842-7774

Women Lead Men in Social Networking Usage, Facebook Still # 1

One demographic trend that continued to increase in 2010 was women extending their lead on men in the share of their online time spent on social networking websites. Women spent 16.8% of their online time on social networking sites, up 36.5% from 12.3% of their online time a a year earlier.
By comparison, men spent 12% of their time on social networking sites in December 2010, up 32% from 9.1% a year earlier. The comScore data shows women not only use social networking websites more than men, but they are also accelerating their usage at a faster rate.
 



Of all the social networking websites Facebook continues to lead with an increase of 153.9 Million Users in December 2010 alone (38% increase).  Facebook now has more traffic than the # 1 Search Engine, Google making social marketing equally important to search engine marketing in terms of reach.
 
Contact Internet Builder Consulting and Social Marketing Builders to have an an expert social network marketing campaign built for your business starting at only $350 for professional setup, integration and training.  Visit and connect with our experts on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/InternetExperts
 
Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
816-842-7774 Corporate Office
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Search Engine Optimization & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Brand Management…For YOU!

In the business world there is no shortage of great companies that work everyday to manage their public image: Apple, Sony, Southwest Airlines, & Whole Foods, just to name a few. While each of these companies provide either great products, great service or both, their positive public image did not happen by accident. Between positive interactions with customers, strategic events, online media and marketing, a positive image has molded around these organizations.

Why should your own public image be any different? As more and more companies depend on alternative sources of information through the hiring process, you should be concerned about the image you are portraying, intended or unintended. What message are you sending?

As an educational exercise, search for yourself using the search engine of your choice such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. For common names, you might need to place quotes around your “name” to limit your results or add a location. Look at what the results. You might find an article about you from High School where you participated in sporting events. There might be information on a blog about services you performed a local church or food bank. You might also find pictures from Spring Break where you got a little out-of-hand. There might information available through public record about an arrest or other indiscretion. How will this affect your ability to obtain a job?

There are a few things you should know. Over the last few years, the internet community has expended dramatically. In a structured agreement, Google is now working with Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites to index the items posted and list them on search engines. The more comments and “likes” you receive for a given post increases the likelihood of those items being found through a search. So, the hilarious picture of you in Cabo with your buddies is primed to receive a number of comments and likes and will be more easily found when searched. So, how do you better manage the messages you send?

First, your personal accounts on social media sites should be set to private and use a different email address than what you give to potential employers. This will help prevent some of these pesky images and inappropriate thoughts from finding their way to a potential employer or client. Search through the first few pages of Google results and determine what needs to managed out of those results.

Next, create your online, professional profile for business (see mine here). Who needs a professional profile? Anyone in business or anyone seeking employment in the future should have a professional profile setup separate from their personal profile. Just as you want to create brand awareness for your product, you want to make potential employers aware of your endeavors. Start by creating a new profile on Facebook. Tie the profile to a separate email account and find some new friends. Join up with other professional profiles of your peers, companies, and industry professionals.

Manage the message you send to potential employers by sharing items relevant to your chosen field of employment. Find articles and narratives of interest, share your thoughts on the topic and encourage others to interact on the subject. As you send out resumes, include your professional profile to encourage employers to find this information.

Your goal should be to not only prevent a negative image through online sources, but to create a positive reputation and image for your future.

Expert Social Media Marketing contact Internet Builder Consulting

Kansas City Office 816-842-7774

Article by Steve Bertasso with contributions by Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson

Friends with Benefits

All knowledgeable website and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms include Social Marketing as an intricate part of any website solution.  A website that is not properly Search Engine Optimized is useless and any Search Engine Optimization campaign is incomplete without Social Marketing.  The key aspect of Social Marketing is communicating 'socially' to engage, entice and interact with others rather than simply pushing a message out through a one sided conversation.

Online or offline it is important to connect and make 'friends' with others of similar interests, in the same industries and market to the proper prospective customers.  In either situation a one sided conversation will result in lack of results and likely loss of friends or connections.  The key to success is making 'friends with benefits' who will connect, communicate and produce online success.  Facebook separated the 'News' and 'Most Recent' last year to determine which items are considered important while others are simply 'updates'.  The reason Facebook changed this was to determine what information will be fed to Search Engines and what information is simply shared with only the people directly connected to each other.

Facebook is the # 1 source of referrals on the Internet today with more daily usage than all other websites and search engines including Google.  Search Engines have adopted their criteria and ranking algorithms to include information from social networking websites and online classifieds such as Craigslist in search results in real time.   The way information posted on Facebook is determined to be NEWS or just a Recent Update is determined by a simple hierarchy of criteria with the basic principles being:

1. How many friends or connections you have
2. How much interaction your friends or connections have with what you post
3. How much interaction do your friends or connections have with others
4. Is the post made on a Personal account or properly setup Page
5. The format and content of what was posted is important

This means that no matter how much you post on facebook it will not matter unless your 'friends' interact with what is posted.  If you have one 'friend' who constantly comments or likes your post it will dilute the interaction leading to lack of results thus you must have several 'friends' who interact on a regular basis to see real benefits.  Everything posted must be properly formatted and ideally done through a Page setup for your business, product or service.  Pages receive higher value ratings than personal accounts do and how the Page is setup affects how well it will rank when people search.

Facebook is the # 1 source of referrals today, buyers are using Facebook to connect with sellers but the most important aspect is the effect on Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Content and posts from Facebook will show up on Search Engines when setup and marketed properly providing a double benefit if you have the right friends.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing and Virtual Tours since 1995
816-842-7774 Office

Americans Use Social Networking More than Other Countries

Americans are most likely to use online social networks, according to a new study from the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Among the 22 publics surveyed, Americans most often say they use websites like Facebook and MySpace: 46% use such sites, 36% use the Internet, but do not access these sites, and 18% say they never go online.
The survey finds three countries close behind the US in social network usage. In Poland (43%), Britain (43%) and South Korea (40%), at least four in 10 adults say they use such sites. And at least a third engage in social networking in France (36%), Spain (34%), Russia (33%) and Brazil (33%).
 
Germany and Japan Have High Internet Usage; Low Social Networking Use
Germans and the Japanese stand out among highly connected countries for their comparatively low levels of participation in social networking. While 31% of Germans use these types of sites, 49% go online at least occasionally but choose not to use them. In Japan, 24% are engaged in social networking, while 44% have Internet access but are not engaged.
Among the 22 countries polled, social networking is least prevalent in Indonesia (6%) and Pakistan (3%). In both nations, more than 90% of the population does not use the Internet.
 

Younger Online Users are Most Active on Social Networks
In every nation surveyed, there is a notable age gap relating to social networking. Social networking is extremely popular among people younger than age 30; in 12 of the countries polled, a majority of this age group uses social networking type websites. There are only three countries, Britain, Poland and the US where most 30 to 49 year-olds are involved in social networking.  There is no country where even 1/4 of ages 50 and older are involved.
In 10 countries, a gap of at least 50 percentage points separates the percentage of 18 to 29 year-olds who use social networking sites and the percentage of those ages 50 and older who do so. This includes the US, where the gap is 54 percentage points (77% of 18 to 29 year-olds and 23% of those 50 and older).
The age gap is largest in Germany, where 86% of people younger than age 30 take part in social networking, compared with 36% of 30 to 49 year-olds and just 8% of those ages 50 and older (78 percentage point difference).
While it is true that the young are more likely to go online, these age gaps are not driven solely by Internet usage. Even among Internet users, young people are more likely to participate in social networking.

Women More Likely to Use Social Networking than Men in the United States
There are relatively few gender gaps across the countries surveyed. For the most part, men and women tend to engage in social networking at roughly the same rates. The US is the only country in which women are significantly more likely than men to use social networking. While 52% of American women engage in social networking, just 41% of men do so. This gap is not driven by a difference in access; similar percentages of women (18%) and men (17%) say they do not access the Internet.
Meanwhile, in Turkey, about one-third of men (34%) use social networking, compared with only 19% of women. Similarly, in Japan, 30% of men report that they are involved in social networking, while just 19% of women say the same.

Harris Interactive Study Confirms Younger Americans Favors Social Networking & Facebook
Results from the recent Harris Interactive “YouthPulse 2010″ shows three quarters of 8 to 24 year-olds use a social networking site and about two-thirds (68%) spend time on a social networking site daily. Facebook is the most popular social networking site in this demographic, with 86% of 18 to 24 year-olds using Facebook and 71% of 13 to 17 year-olds doing so. More than one-quarter of 8 to 12 year-olds (28%) use Facebook.
 
Social Media Marketing and the use of Social Networking for business has become the norm for reaching more customers and online brand management today.  Contact Internet Builder Consulting and our Social Marketing Builders today to have a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing campaign setup for your business or product.
 
Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites and Online Marketing since 1995
Social Marketing Builders - Building Effective Social Network Marketing for Business
816-842-7774 Office

Social Networking is the Most Increased Online Activity in 2010

US online adults were most likely to say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks out of a wide variety of online activities during the past year, according to results of a new Harris Poll.
1/3 of Online Users Have Increased Social Network Viewing
About one-third (34%) of online US adults say they have increased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. This was the highest percentage combined response for increasing any of the eight activities presented to respondents (multiple answers were accepted).

Reading newspapers/current events followed at a distant second with a combined 26% saying they have increased this online activity either significantly or somewhat in the past year. However, somewhat mitigating this low rate of increased online activity is an often lower rate of decreased online activity.

For example, only a combined 8% of online adults say they have decreased their viewing of friends’ photos and information on social networks either significantly or somewhat in the past year. A full 23% say this activity is not applicable and 34% say it has not changed.

Results are similar for most other activities, with the not changed rate of many hovering above 50%. Shopping had the highest combined rate of decrease (17%).  Interestingly, a leading 55% of respondents say posting information on their own blogs is not applicable, and 43% say posting or commenting on friends’ blogs is not applicable, reflecting the shrinking popularity of blogs among US online users.


Young, Educated Social Networking Users are More Likely to Increase Online Activity
Almost across the board, social media users, younger and better educated respondents are more likely to say they have increased an online activity in the past year. The difference between social media users and non-social media users is most pronounced in rates of viewing friends’ photos and information on social networks, posting and commenting information on friends’ or own blogs, and posting comments/reviews about brands, products or services.

Conversely, non-social media users were more likely than social media users to have increased reading newspapers/current events, the only online activity where they surpassed social media users.

Blogging, reading newspapers and review posting were the only areas where increase rates were not highest among 18-to-34-year-olds. Posting information on your own blog, reading newspapers and posting comments/reviews had the highest rates of increase among 35-to-44-year-olds, posting/commenting on friends’ blogs had the highest rate of increase among 45-to-54-year-olds.

While there was some variety among what age brackets were the second-most-likely to have increased an online activity, 55-plus respondents had the lowest response rate in any area except shopping, where their increase rate of 22% beat 45-to-54-year-olds (20%) and tied 35-to-44-year-olds.

Meanwhile, respondents with a high school education or less were the least likely to have increased all eight online activities. Those with a college degree or more had higher increase rates than those with some college in every activity except posting comments on friends’

3 in 10 Use Social Netwotks for Product Reviews
Only a combined 28% of online adults say they have used social media to rant or rave about a company, brand or product. However, a combined 80% of respondents agree strongly or somewhat they give up part of their privacy by participating in social media, and a combined 73% agree strongly or somewhat social media only reveals a snapshot, rather than a full portrait, of who they are.

Nearly 60% of Social Networking Users Feel More Connected

Six in 10 (59%) of social network users say they feel more connected to people now than previously, according to another recent Harris Poll. That figure is highest among 18-to-34-year-olds (63%) and females (61%). Similar percentages (58% overall, 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds, 60% of females) say they keep in touch with friends more now than in the past.

Social network users say this even as majorities admit they recently have had less face-to-face contact with friends (55%) and know what’s going on with many of their friends and acquaintances, but don’t interact with them personally or individually (60%). Negative emotional impact of this loss of personal contact appears small, as only 32% of social network users feel lonelier now than previously.

The trends are clear, Social Networking is an effective method of reaching buyers, maintaining your brand and improving Search Engine Optimization for any business, product, service or website.  Contact the Social Network Marketing Experts at Social Marketing Builders today for a consultation or to improve your Social Marketing!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting - Building Better Websites and Online Marketing since 1995
Social Marketing Builders - Building Expert Social Networking Solutions for Business
816-842-7774 Corporate Office

Social Networking Makes Users Feel More Connected Even as They Have Less Face to Face Communications

Social network users feel more connected to friends and family even as their face to face interactions dwindle, according to results of a new Harris Poll.

6 out of 10 Social Networking Users Feel More Connected
Six in 10 (59%) of social network users say they feel more connected to people now than previously. That figure is highest among 18-to-34-year-olds (63%) and females (61%). Similar percentages (58% overall, 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds, 60% of females) say they keep in touch with friends more now than in the past.

Social network users say this even as majorities admit they recently have had less face-to-face contact with friends (55%) and know what’s going on with many of their friends and acquaintances, but don’t interact with them personally or individually (60%). Negative emotional impact of this loss of personal contact appears small, as only 32% of social network users feel lonelier now than previously.

Social Networking Users Value Opinions
One key statistic for marketers to note is that 60% of social network users value the opinions others share on social media. This may explain why a little more than half (53%) would rather to listen to others’ opinions on social media than share their own. In addition, only four in 10 (41%) social network users feel important when giving brand, product and service feedback.

In all cases, 18-to-34-year-old users reply in the positive more than older age groups. Most notably, 68% of the youngest users value the opinions others share on social media and 47% feel important when giving brand, product and service feedback.

Social Networking is a Good Interface for Acquaintances
Forty-four percent of social network users would prefer to interact with acquaintances via social media rather than face-to-face. This percentage drops for interactions with friends (23%) and family (19%).
A substantially higher 59% of 18-to-34-year-old users would prefer to interact with acquaintances via social media rather than face-to-face.

9 out of 10 Online Adults Use Social Media
Nine in 10 (87%) online adults use social media. Overall, the highest percentage (22%) uses social media less than one hour per week. The highest percentage of 18-to-34-year-olds (17%) uses social media six to 10 hours per week.

Most Companies Have Social Media Strategies
Reflecting widespread adult use of social media, about three-quarters (72%) of companies currently have a social media marketing strategy, according to recent data from King Fish Media, Hubspot and Junta 42.
Of the 27% without a social media marketing strategy (1% were undecided), 80% plan to have one within the next 12 months. Furthermore, only 11% of companies without a strategy definitely do not plan to implement one in the next 12 months, with 9% undecided.

Contact Social Network Marketing Builders to Build a Professional Social Networking Marketing Campaign for your business today or call us at 816-842-7774 for a consultation.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet, Website and Social Networking Expert
Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER websites and Internet Solutions since 1995

Businesses Are Starting to See the Importance of Social Marketing

U.S. businesses assign moderate importance to social networking as a technology tool, according to a recent study from Gartner.

Email Trumps SocNets in Current Importance

Asked to rate various technology tools on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 meaning extremely important and 1 not important at all), the average respondent rated social networking tools at slightly more than 4. Social networking only ranked ahead of four other tools, all of which have a social media aspect: wikis, social tagging/bookmarking, web feeds and blogs.

Email was clearly ranked as most important, with an average score near 7. The only other tool to receive an average score of more than 6 was group calendars/scheduling. The top five tools were rounded out by web conferencing, team workspaces, and simple end-user tools.

Social Networks Hold Future Importance
Despite their relatively low rating of the current importance of social networking tools, respondents gave it the second-highest score (more than 5) when asked to rate tools for their likely increase in future importance by 2012. Only team workspaces, with an average score close to 6, were rated higher in terms of likely increase in future importance.

Surprisingly, email was last in terms of its expected change in future importance, scoring about 4.5. This suggests respondents think email will retain its current high level of importance while other tools will become significantly more valuable. No tool is seen as becoming less valuable in the next two years.

Email Completely Deployed Almost Everywhere
Email is ubiquitous with complete deployments at the organizations of 94% of the respondents; while group calendars or meeting scheduling, web conferencing, instant messaging and team workspaces are in full deployment or are being deployed at more than 50% of the organizations surveyed.

Wikis are also adopted quite widely, with more than a fifth of the respondents reporting complete deployments and almost just as many again with deployments under way. The wiki is the most readily adopted newer social software technology with full or production deployments at more than 40% of the organizations surveyed.

Desktop video conferencing, blogs and web feeds are beginning to make inroads in many organizations with about a third of them reporting these technologies as either in full or production deployments. Expertise location, social networking tools, as well as social tagging and bookmarking are less widely deployed, with less than 10% of the organizations surveyed reporting full deployments.

Most Companies Have Social Media Strategies
Three-quarters (72%) of companies currently have a social media marketing strategy, according to a new study from King Fish Media, Hubspot and Junta 42. Of the 27% without a social media marketing strategy (1% were undecided), 80% plan to have one within the next 12 months. Furthermore, only 11% of companies without a strategy definitely do not plan to implement one in the next 12 months, with 9% undecided.

Does your business or organization need expert social networking and social media marketing setup, training or consulting?  Contact the experts at Internet Builder Consulting or visit us online at http://www.socialmarketingbuilders.com/ for examples and inexpensive options to get you going online!

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Social Marketing Expert
816-842-7774 Office