Instagram Reaches Top 10 in Smartphone App Use

Instagram ranked 10th in smartphone apps used from August to October 2013 with a total of 25.5% reach among adult iOS and Android app users according to the latest report from comScore.  Instagram enjoyed larger reach than Twitter’s app  at 21.8% although Facebook’s mobile app reached 75.7% of adult iOS and Android app users.

The closest competitor to Facebook in the smartphone app popularity contest is Google Play, with its 54% which is significantly less. Google Search had 52.2% usage followed by Pandora Radio at 48.2% and YouTube at 48% rounding out the top 5 apps.  Smartphone use continues to rise, up 0.5% points from the previous month to reach 62.5% of the mobile market. At this time last year, use was at 51.9% and the year before 38.5% – underscoring just how fast smartphone use has grown.

Android’s 52.2% share of the smartphone market was up from its 51.8% share during the 3 month average ending in July. Apple’s share also inched up by a hair, adding 0.2% points to 40.6%. With that 40.6% share, Apple maintained its considerable lead over Samsung among equipment manufacturer's, despite the Samsung's 1.3% point increase to 25.4% market share. HTC moved 1.3% points down to 6.7% share.   Instagram continues to see growth and must be incorporated as part of any successful Social Marketing and SEO solution.  

Contact the social marketing experts at Internet Builder Consulting for an expert online marketing package, optimization and training from only $350 online or call 816-842-7774

The SEO Benefits of Social Networking with Facebook and Google+

The best way to rank higher on a Search Engine is to build a BETTER website since SEO is not something you do 'to' a website it is how the website is built.  Strong valid content, proper META, TITLE and ALT Tags, formatting of pages and links all lead to higher rankings.  There are direct benefits from social networking since a key aspect of the Search Engine algorithms has always been 'how many links from other sites go to your website' and what is the value of those other sites.

Facebook is still the leader online with 300 times more daily traffic than Google.  Google is attempting to draw some of the user base back with Google+ social network.  Google+ is built to be Search Engine friendly with the following key attributes:

• Content is crawled nearly instantly (it IS Google) unlike Twitter and Facebook
• Each post has a unique URL (the first 45-50 characters of the post are the title tag)
• Google indexes the text of every post and creates hash tags based on top keywords
• Any links to external websites are indexed and crawled which may lead to higher page rank
• Posts that are shared, interacted with and +1'd are seen as more important

There seems to be a correlation between highly followed and interacted 'Authors' or 'Pages' with higher value for posts made from more popular profiles or pages.  This means that an author (profile) who posts links to external websites with strong well written text that receives multiple interactions is valued higher than posts made by other profiles with little to no interaction.  

The image above shows how Google+ automatically pulls and displays the title of the post or page that was shared.  It also illustrates the 'Likes' and 'shares noted in the numeric values (+20 people and 1 share on the left and +33 people and 4 shares on the right).  Google does not directly follow the links to external URL's (website addresses) from posts but the people using Google+ do so so there is a benefit.  

The key is interaction not just posts, the value comes from connections of the connections creating exponentially vast networks who see your information as each new person '+' or shares your post.  Google owns Google+ so ALL content posted on Google+ is instantly indexed.  One study attributes Google+1's as having a slightly higher value than Facebook interaction although it is .30 for +1's and .27 for Facebook so it is a narrow margin.  

The top factor remains the quality of the web page or web site content which is where SEO is invaluable.  Building a proper website in the proper architecture with the proper content has always been the best way to rank higher on search engines.  The Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting have been teaching the values of Google+ for years and now the proof is in the SEO results!  If your company needs a better built website with SEO and Social Marketing for a complete solution contact the experts at Internet Builder Consulting today 816-842-7774

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

Social Networking Studies in Successful Social Marketing Timing, Posts, Interaction & Reach

Social Networking has been around for years, it transformed from a place to catch up with old friends from college or find a new band to the top online marketing platform in less than 5 years.  There are several recent studies that cover a wide range of statistical data, use and success from all of the social networks.

• Facebook is still King:  As of April 2013 Facebook has had over 120 BILLION Impressions where the longer posts were less read and less interacted with than shorter ones in the 100-119 character range.  Posts with Questions drove interaction up 10-20% as the chart below illustrates (on the left you see the character length and the red is posts with Questions while blue is posts Without Questions).

• Timing is Everything - the KISSMetrics study found that the best time to post on Twitter for ReTweets is 5PM.  The best time to post on Facebook for the most Shares is 1PM.  The best number of times to Tweet on Twitter is 1-2 Tweets per hour while it is best to post an average of once every two days on Facebook.  

• A study by Bit.ly and Raka found the best time to post on Twitter for Clicks is 1-3PM while the best overall time for posts on Facebook to receive the most clicks is 3PM.  Forget about Tweeting anything important after 8PM or posting on Facebook after 3PM Friday

• A third study by Argyle Social found the best time to post on both Facebook and Twitter is 9AM-7PM.  Tweets during the Weekday have 14% more interaction than on Weekends.  The last item is the most unusual since the study found posts on Facebook have 32% more interaction on Weekends than Weekdays.  Most other studies conflict with this finding the best times to post on Facebook are during the week.  

• 70% of Consumers Trust Recommendations on Brands from Friends:
  This is # 1 reason Facebook GraphSearch engine is going to change the way companies market online.  People like to work with, go where, be with and buy from others that they know and trust.  Facebook has more information about people than any other site on the Internet thus when someone searches for a "Pizza Place' or 'Real Estate Agent' and Facebook shows them a list of pizza places friends like or real estate agents friends work with they are highly likely to use what friends did.

• The average 'Shelf Life' of Social Networking Links or Posts is only 3 Hours.  A study by Bit.ly tracked user posts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and direct on Bit.ly showing the most interaction happens within the first 60 minutes of a post.  The chart below shows the density or views/interactions on the left with the time/seconds across the bottom.  

• Women Spend 30% more time on Social Networking websites than men.  This study by ComScore is fairly well known although I would say I am the exception to the rule since I am on Social Networks 12+ hours a day!  Some social networking sites like Pinterest have a significantly higher rate of use by women over men while others like Twitter are closer to equal.  

Statistically Social Networks are THE place to market no matter what age, gender, race or location you are targeting.  Social networks constitute over 20% of the total online time worldwide with more daily users on Facebook alone than ALL search engines combined.  The key is knowing how to setup, optimize, manage and obtain the most interaction.  If you would like an expert consultation on social networking, social media marketing, search engine optimization or simply have a question Contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting  online or Call us at 816-842-7774.

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

Traditional Media Remains Strong, Print Advertising Reduces and Internet Marketing Shows the Highest Increase

Traditional media continue to dominate global advertising spending, and most show no signs of falling off for the time being, according to new data released by Nielsen. TV, which commands the lion’s share of global ad budgets, saw a 4.3% increase in expenditures for the year, reaching $350 billion. Cinema (movie theaters), radio, and outdoor advertising saw growth rate above the 3.2% overall average, up 5.8%, 6.1%, and 7.7%, respectively. Other mediums such as magazines (-1.6%) and newspapers (-0.2%) saw slight declines in spending, they still accounted for more than one-quarter of global spending.

Online ad revenues, recently reported to have increased by 15.2% in the US, predictably was the fastest-growing advertising medium on a global basis, up by 9.9%. Online ad measurement was limited to the display format, though. In the US, display ad revenues grew by 13.4%.

At 62.8% of revenues, TV accounted for easily the largest portion of global advertising spend, followed by newspapers (19.5%) and magazines (8%). Radio (5.2%) and outdoor (2.3%) each also grabbed a higher portion of spend than the internet (1.9%). The internet’s share of the pie seems quite low, and it’s unclear if that’s because it was measured in a smaller subset of markets.

Other Findings:

• At 0.3% of spending, cinema accounted for the smallest share of advertising dollars.
• Display ad spend in Latin America grew by 21.2%, while rising 7.2% in Europe.
• Asia-Pacific (10.3%) and Europe (7.4%) saw above-average increases in cinema advertising.

For an expert online marketing consultation contact Internet Builder Consulting - Building BETTER Websites, SEO, Social Marketing and Online Advertising Solutions since 1995

816-842-7774 Office

Facebook Graph Search 'Search Engine' now Competing with Google for Top Search Results with Social Networking User Data

Google has dominated the search engines for over 10 years now leaving Yahoo, Bing, AskJeeves, AOL and everyone else far behind.  Internet Builder Consulting has been saying it since 2009 when Facebook began showing 'search results' outside of Facebook using Microsoft Bing that it was only a matter of time before Facebook became it's own 'Search Engine'.  The time has come and past and now the Billions of Facebook Users will never have to leave Facebook to search on Google, Yahoo or Bing again.  The first version of Facebook Graph Search works on the most valuable aspect of Facebook, your friends, what they are doing, where they have been and what they like.

People use Facebook because it instantly connects them with like minded individuals, people 'like ME' which is common in society.  Facebook Graph Search provides levels of detail no other search engine can provide enabling you to search for 'friends' who like Pizza or have visited Spain or even locate someone you may have met at a store that helped you and you wanted to thank.

Interesting enough this works quite well since the latest professional to join the Internet Builder Consulting team, Jennifer was found through Facebook after some exceptional service at the pharmacy.  I used Facebook to narrow down a list of people names Jennifer that worked at a pharmacy in Kansas City and ended friends with our latest hard working team member!

The first version of Facebook Graph Search is focused on primarily searching 'friends' and connections   As the system progresses it will include Business Pages and Fan Pages eventually encompassing all aspects and INFORMATION stored on Facebook.  The image below is the new Facebook Graph Search menu with a few 'suggested' search options although you can search for ANYTHING!

No other search engine database has such a deep level of information to search through since Facebook knows who you are, where you live, who you are friends with, where you went on vacation, to lunch, what kinds of cars or hobbies you enjoy and MUCH more.  Facebook claims that only the information you share with friends is going to be searchable (most everything) although the Facebook Terms of Use everyone agrees to when they create an account clearly states Facebook owns all the data and can do whatever they want with it :)  What Graph Search means is companies are going to have to pickup the pace with Social Marketing.  There are more users on Facebook than Google every day and now that Facebook has Graph Search there is little reason to ever leave...


Google has its first real challenger here while Microsoft is going to see a boost in traffic on Bing.  When Graph Search doesn't find the results you are looking for, you will also get a list of Bing web results within Facebook.  This also dramatically increases the value in Social Marketing Optimization (SMO) as part of any effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program.  It is NOT about the 'likes' a Facebook page has, it is about how it is setup, optimized and connected just like SEO is for a website.

Mark Zuckerberg said the main difference is Graph Search's ability to deliver 'answers' rather than 'links to answers' makes it clear that Facebook and Bing are on the same page: The Bing team has long been working on a search solution that eschews "blue links" in favor of a search engine where people are as important as pages.

Bing Director Stefan Weitz recently stated that the majority of people doing research on the internet, for a new product, or a potential vacation, won't rely on search engine page alone. They will turn to friends and experts to get additional input before making a decision. The more Bing enhances its social sidebarwith increasing amounts of social data, the less you are likely to jump around to other sources.


If you would like to know more about how to setup, optimize, market and manage your business, products or services online contact The Experts at Internet Builder Consulting for a consultation 816-842-7774 - we helped create social marketing with 18 years experience building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing solutions.  Having a Facebook page with effective, optimized social marketing, has never been more important for the success of your business.

It's not about the likes, it's about the leads.

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

Frequency of Posts, Unwanted Contact Discourage Likes On Company Pages on Facebook

A recent study by Lab42 found social media users who don’t like brands on Facebook are primarily deterred by newsfeed clutter (47%), while many don’t want to be contacted (36%) or are concerned about their privacy (30%). A total of 73% of users unliked Facebook Pages that posted too frequently since it 'filled up their news feed'.  March 2012 survey results from Chadwick Martin Bailey (CMB) and Constanct Contact similarly found that over communication was a leading turnoff for Facebook users.

Deals Drive Likes More Than Loyalty

Overall, the Lab42 study finds that 87% of the social media users surveyed like brands on Facebook. When asked their biggest motivator for doing so, these respondents cited promotions and discounts most often (34%), followed by free giveaways (21%). Loyalty and brand trust were cited by 14% and 11% respectively. 77% of respondents who liked brands reported having saved money as a result of their likes.

Still, 46% have liked a brand from which they had no intention of buying. Asked why, 52% of this segment reported having liked the brand for a free item, while 46% said they couldn’t afford the products, and 24% that they liked the brand to help out a friend.

Even so, most social media users appear to truly wish to connect with brands via Facebook. Of those who like brands, 82% believe that Facebook is a good place to interact with those brands. 3 in 4 feel more connected to the brand on Facebook, and 35% feel that the brands listen to them on Facebook. This preference for engagement on Facebook is supported by June results from an Allstate/National Journal survey, which found that 64% of social media users want to see an increase in companies using social media to respond to customer questions and complaints.

Embarrassment Discourages Likes

The Lab42 survey also finds that some product categories discourage likes. 22% of respondents reported having been too embarrassed to like a certain brand, most often in the categories of adult novelties, weight loss products and health and wellness products.

The results reveal that the leading ways by which brands can get users to like them on Facebook are through more giveaways; posting less often; and letting consumers hide the fact that they like the brand.

But, brands may see little value from that engagement, particularly from young social network users. April 2012 survey results from a group of professors showed that almost 7 in 10 Millennials who like a brand on Facebook rarely or ever return to the page, while a February 2012 report from Ehrenberg-Bass Institute revealed that just 1% of Facebook users who like big brands such as Procter & Gamble or Coca-Cola actually engage with those brands.

Social Marketing, engagement and optimization must be done properly to be effective.  Contact the Social Marketing Experts and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultants at Internet Builder Consulting and Social Marketing Builders to build better online marketing for your business 816-842-7774

Sales & Lead Generation Success with Social Marketing, Social Networking

A recent business survey reported 39% of business to business (B2B) marketers are generating leads from Facebook, and 19% generated sales from Facebook.  Business to Consumer (B2C) marketers have higher success with Facebook at 67% generating leads and 39% generating sales.

The numbers reverse on the professional oriented LinkedIn with data from the August “State of Digital Marketing 2012 Report” showing 44% of Business to Business marketers generating leads on LinkedIn and 23% generate sales.  The numbers are lower at 21% of Business to Consumer companies generating leads from LinkedIn and 9% generating sales.

Business to Consumer lead generation on Twitter is a far larger source of leads than LinkedIn with 43%,  Google+ is 15% and Pinterest lead generation is 13%.  In terms of sales the order is the same: Facebook generates 30% of sales, Twitter at 19% followed by LinkedIn at 9%, Google+ at 7% and Pinterest  generated 6% of sales generated.

An aspect of Social Marketing many companies overlook is the engagement with 90% of businesses reporting some type of engagement on social networks.  Engagement is the interaction between potential, current and past customers on social networks.  The higher the engagement rates (people who click LIKE or SHARE or COMMENT on posts) increases rankings for websites, spreads the message, brand or product to a exponentially larger audience and increases the rates of lead and sales generation.

Social Marketing is not going away, companies not activly marketing through social networks are losing out on hundreds of millions of potential buyers, sales and branding.  If your business needs an expert to build the best Social Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or websites contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting 816-842-7774 for a professional consultation.

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com 

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

Pinterest Now # 3 Social Network Behind Facebook & Twitter

The Experian “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report” shows social networking has 91 percent of  adults using social media regularly.   Social networking usage has changed dramatically with Pinterest taking over with the 3rd highest usage numbers ahead of Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace.  Pinterest traffic increased 50% in just January and February of 2012 with an average of 89 minutes per month spent on the website.

Facebook still dominates social networking with an average of 405 minutes spent on the website but Twitter is likely to be overtaken by Pinterest as the # 2 social network.  Pinterest has become a huge place for marketing by large and small companies worldwide due to the simple, visual appeal and ease of use.  We started setting up Pinterest accounts for our company and clients in 2011 and advocate creation of accounts for all businesses, products or services.

Contact our SEO and Social Marketing Experts for a complete Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing campaign at 816-842-7774 or online at www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com 

Robert 'Dot Com' Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting
Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Websites, Online Marketing, SEO, Social Networks, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Blogger & Success

The one question every business owner asks when we meet for a consultation is "What do I need to be doing to rank higher on Search Engines and reach more customers?".  The answer is a complicated one since there is no one thing that will lead to online success, it requires specific properly setup and optimized 'Online Building Blocks' starting with the website. 

No Online Marketing will be successful without a properly built and properly optimized website as the foundation.  The website must be readable by search engines, must contain multiple 'calls for action' to entice online suppers to submit a request, question or share information and the format of the website must be user friendly.  A website is "more than Meta Tags" today, the backend code is a requirement (still missed by many bad website companies and Template websites) but dozens of other key elements are required for online success.

This Template Website was produced by a a communications company for the customer and published without META Tags which ranked the website lower and lost the customer sales.  The customer did nothing wrong but noticed months later that old 'marketing websites' were ranking higher on search engines than the main company website.

The website IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM for online marketing success.  Make sure the website is built by someone with experience, expertise, focus (they build and market websites as the primary business - not an ad agency or public speaker or other type company that builds websites on the side to make extra money) and longevity.  There are hundreds of  unemployed people starting website, social marketing and graphics design companies.  There are more with expertise in public speaking, mortgages, ad agencies or even print marketing firms with little to no expertise with websites, Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing that now present themselves as 'website companies'.

The most capable website companies will have a minimum of 10 years experience designing, developing and marketing websites. Any company with less than 5 years experience is still 'learning' how to build a website and anyone working from home is someone to be avoided.

Once the website is built properly, optimized and submitted to Search Engines the next step is building awareness of the new website.  The top algorithm used to rank a website is how many other websites (that have value, not link farms) are linking TO a website and what content those websites have on them.  Search Engines track how many links go to websites over periods of time which brings Social Networking into play as an key role in any SEO success.

Facebook is the # 1 location on the Internet, Facebook is the # 1 source of referral links on the Internet and Facebook has more traffic from people who spend more time on Facebook than any other website or search engine.  The importance of Facebook cannot be overlooked, there are millions of potential customers on Facebook every day.  The few people who do not use Facebook can still find information from Facebook on Search Engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing since content from Facebook is fed to Search Engines.  Setting up a business profile and a business page, optimizing the page and creating a successful social media marketing campaign with regular updates, posts and interactions will help rank websites higher and potentially reach millions of people.

Facebook is like High School where popularity and interactions mean everything.  Setting up a profile ad setting up a page has no benefit unless there are multiple people connected to the page who interact, comment and share information or posts.  This is where it may be worth hiring Social Marketing Experts like www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com to create, optimize and CONNECT everything so that Facebook and Search Engines value the content ranking it higher.  At a minimum all companies need to have a Business Profile setup with a Business Page for their company, product or service.  Ideally it is worth hiring a company with teams of Social Marketing Experts to create, optimize and train you for around $350-$550 so time and efforts are not wasted.

Twitter is the text message wonder of the Internet setup with 140 character length messages with the idea that people would 'Tweet' updates from cell phones.  Twitter users are loyal and there are millions of them so setting up a Twitter account for business is a requirement.  Setup the Twitter account then link the Facebook account to it (do this in Facebook) so that updates from Facebook are automatically sent to Twitter like we have setup at www.Twitter.com/WebsiteExperts.  Connecting the accounts reduces the amount of time spent with updates and ensures everything is up to date across the online board.

Pinterest is the new top player on the Social Networking playground with a simple visual approach.  (View our article explaining Pinterest earlier this month for setup details)  When we first came across Pinterest it seemed like just another annoying social network to learn.  Once we setup the account and spent time to research what items to 'Pin' that would being value to business we started seeing increased traffic on company websites from Pinterest.  The average visit from Pinterest spent nearly 5 minutes looking through the website, 5 times longer than Facebook visitors.  Our company builds websites so the main thing we used on Pinterest was thumbnail images of websites we built with a description of the website.

We then setup another 'Board' for Social Marketing and another 'Board' for company training classes and speaking events.  We removed the default Boards that came with the account and spent time considering what would showcase what we did, who we are or what we can do for customers to create the most effective Boards for business and a few fun things.

Pinterest requires a few hours to create, setup and then locate enough content to 'Pin' so that it is effective.  Spend a few minutes connecting and 'following' other people since they tend to follow you back similar to how Twitter users follow people who follow them.  If your company sells homes then Pin photos of homes for sale or floor plans while others can Pin photos of electronics for sale or any item located on the Internet.  Pinterest is not permitted is not permitted to Pin items from Facebook but Google+ users are welcome to Pin any photo from their accounts.

Google was the 800 Pound Gorilla on the Internet for years until Facebook took the # 1 spot away.  Google tried to buy Facebook and when the offer was turned down Google decided to create it's own Social Network.  Google+ is the result at http://Plus.Google.com with a combination of features from Facebook, Twitter and a few new ideas such as 'Circles'.  The article on Google+ Setup and Optimization outlines the key features and benefits of Google+ if you are just getting started.  One unique benefit of having a Google+ account is that Google announced that websites are being ranked higher on the Google Search Engine based on usage or interactions from Google+ accounts.

When a company has a Google+ profile setup with the company website listed on Google+ and other users connected who 'Like' or '+1' the website then it will rank higher for other users on Google.  In short Google is enticing people and business to use Google+ with the added benefit of ranking higher on the Google Search Engine.  Setup a Google+ account, place contact information, website links and a profile online and spend a few minutes adding people to your circles.  It may not be the top social network yet but Google is spending millions on development so it will only get better.

Google purchased Blogspot and combined it with their other Blog system to create one of the leading online Blog systems today www.Blogger.com.  Setting up a Blog (web log = Blog for short) is free, fast and reaches millions of potential customers online.  If a Blog has enough traffic and the right content it will be republished, shared and even sold online at the Amazon Kindle Store.  A properly written Blog will also help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), establish creditability for the writers or company and provide fresh content for social networks or websites. 

Creating a Blog is about creating content about your company, services, products or solutions and related information people may be interested in.  There is no wrong way to write a Blog, simply make sure you DO it and always 'sign' the Blog with contact information including a phone number and full website address.  Write articles about your area of expertise, industry news or information and your company.  Once a Blog is setup be sure to link it to Facebook so any updates are automatically sent to the Facebook business page and even the company website similar to how Google Blogger feeds scrolling Blog articles to the Internet Builder Consulting website Home Page.

Last is the LinkedIn Social Network typically used for Business to Business connections.  There are no grandmothers sharing recipes or families uploading photo's of the weekend trip.  LinkedIn is focused on business and company or professional information although it will accept direct feeds from Twitter and Facebook which may contain any sort of content.  The LinkedIn network suggests connections based on mutual places of employment, mutual existing connections and feeds nearly everything on the LinkedIn website to Search Engines.

Setup a LinkedIn profile and then a LinkedIn company page for the best results.  Company Pages and Personal Profiles are both indexed and sent to Search Engines so people may locate you or your business on Google because you have a LinkedIn page.

The list above outlines the very basic requirements for online success today.  Take the time to setup at least the basic profiles with a description, contact information and then practice every week until you are comfortable with each of the social networks.  If your business needs a BETTER built website, Search Engine Optimization or Social Networking setup, training or Social Marketing solutions contact Internet Builder Consulting online or call the experts at 816-842-7774.

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