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Posts Tagged ‘Social Networking & Social Media’

Social Media Marriage Occurs as Facebook Agrees to Acquire FriendFeed

The world of social media is a buzz today as social networking giant Facebook announces the acquisition of FriendFeed.  As part of the agreement, all FriendFeed employees will join Facebook and FriendFeed’s four founders will hold senior roles on Facebook’s engineering and product teams.

“Since I first tried FriendFeed, I’ve admired their team for creating such a simple and elegant service for people to share information,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “As this shows, our culture continues to make Facebook a place where the best engineers come to build things quickly that lots of people will use.”

FriendFeed is based in Mountain View, Calif. and has 12 employees. FriendFeed.com will continue to operate normally for the time being as the teams determine the longer term plans for the product.  Financial terms of the acquisition were not released.

This acquisition can only help catapult Facebook further into upper ranks of the web by further solidifying its position and further extending its technology.


Social Networking Users Revolt in Response to Recent DDoD Attacks

Last week was a rough week for the world of social media. Social networking sites from Twitter to Facebook were sluggish or taken down due to a denial of service attach, also know as DDoS. While some may dismiss these short-term issues, others are taking a closer look on the public’s reaction.

While this last week put strain on the social media giants, it was a blessing in disguise for us Internet marketing consultants. As the world reacted to the momentary lose of Facebook and Twitter functions, the world realized just how important these websites have become over the last year. These social media sites have become mainstream and are an integral part of our daily lives. They are no longer just something your tech-savvy teenager talks about. They are now part of your integrated marketing plan and a vital part of your ongoing communication efforts.

Take note of the uprising and know this is just the beginning. The online world is shifting and the world of social networking and social media is shifting right along with it.


The Twitter Confusion

The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article concerning a LinkedIn survey that questioned the general public’s knowledge of Twitter.  Surprisingly enough, most didn’t have a clue what Twitter was or why they would use it.  In fact, the reference to “most” meant 69% of people didn’t know enough to respond or comment on the social media site.

Does this mean you should forget Twitter?  Absolutely not!  Twitter is growing by leaps and bounds.  It can significantly help ranking of keywords and overall Internet marketing efforts.  While not everyone is on the bandwagon, many are and this number is growing daily.  As an Internet marketing consultant I am frequently amazed and also pleased at the growth of this website.

And as I read this article today, it reminded me of a question my mother-in-law asked last night.  She really did and I’m not just making this up to help my blog entry.  In general conversation she asked “What is Twitter and why do I care?”  I provided her with an answer that was long, but targeted towards her.  I will spare you all from reviewing this entire discussion.  What I did do is teach her how Twitter can apply to her life and information she may care about on a day to day basis.

While I can’t promise my mother-in-law or anyone else will be joining Twitter today, I can tell you she is asking about social networking sites more often and is getting much more interested in this area of Internet usage.  And while this is more because she doesn’t want to miss out on anything, it shows she – the general public – is listening to the growing roar of the tweets.


Need Help With Your Tweets?

There are many Twitter applications available, but there is one I highly recommend for those who manage multiple Twitter accounts.

Check out www.hootsuite.com for Twitter assistance and consolidation of accounts.


Making Social Networking Successful with Twittable Tweets on Twitter

I have recently been amazed at all the buzz surrounding Twitter (the latest social media phenomenon). Sure Oprah, CNN, and Demi’s husband have been pulling in millions followers (people who subscribe to your profile and receive updates from you) lately, but does anyone really care? Up until a few weeks ago, I’ll admit, I didn’t. I viewed Twitter as a lack luster version of Facebook. I’ve known about Twitter for some time, but my joining of Twitter was delayed and my Tweets (one line status updates or comments) were limited. I have changed my mind and I admit I’m becoming a Twitterholic.

Twitter does have capacity issues and frequent error messages, but this Web 2.0 tool is powerful. In seconds a person or company can connect will hundreds of other people that would be virtually impossible to reach via normal communication channels. From celebrities to future customers, Twitter offers an endless opportunity to share your marketing message and watch that of your competition.

Social networking (making friends and business associates through the Internet) is not science, but it is a skill. Your tweets need to be readable and either entertaining or informative. They need to draw interest. Your profile needs to grab attention. While this can easily be done by a great profile picture, cool name, or spiffy background – you need something. When you combine it all together, you get a socially cool Twitter profile that is interesting and includes tweets worth following.

Follow me on Twitter @websavvymrkting.