Twitter Logo from http://www.twitter.com, Nov 2011
Twitter tools and tips

Twitter Tools and Tips

Managing a professional or company Twitter account is a lot different than managing a personal one, mainly because you are not as lax with your company page as you are with your personal account. A business Twitter page should be all about offering industry, consumer, and company information while an individual page is more often used for social communications with friends and family. It becomes much easier to manage the two if you avoid mixing your personal and professional Tweets.

When to follow someone on Twitter:

• If they keep you informed.
• If they entertain you.
• If they make things easier on you.
• If they are already an active member of your network.
• If they are someone you’d like to get to know.

When Not to Follow Someone on Twitter:

• If the user is not industry related or only use their account for personal tweets.
• If the user still has the default Easter egg avatar or if they use a provocative female as their avatar when it is clearly a man or corporation tweeting.
• If the user doesn’t list anything in their bio. (No website, no location)
• If the user only uses this medium to try to sell something and doesn’t offer actual content.
• If the user follows a lot

… Read the rest

The foundation of Google’s social network feels similar to other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. From the looks of it, Google + appears to incorporate the basics of social networking that we have grown comfortable with and even manages to offer a few unique and innovative features. Users can expect the following features to be included on the Google + Social Networking website following the trial testing period.

 

from http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/learnmore/, June 2011

+ Profile:

Creating a Google + Profile is similar to a Facebook profile. The profile enables users to fill in a bio, contact info, interests, upload photos, and link to other sites that they have created. This profile lets users remain in control by specifying who has access to their information and how much of their information is visible.  The post tab located on the profile page also contains a record of all the posts made by the users. It’s important to mention that changing a Google + profile name will also change the name associated with your Google account and other Google services.

+ Circles:

Sharing on social networking should be more selective. In most cases the things you tell people depend on the type of relationship. It’s unlikely that you would share the same information with your friends and family as you would with co-workers or associates. The way a person communicates with different individuals often contributes more meaning to their relationships and this aspect shouldn’t change while communicating online. With… Read the rest

Exactly one week ago on June 1, 2011 Google announced that they are now offering the +1 button to website developers to place on their own content. On the day of the announcement the +1 buttons started appearing on major websites like Bestbuy.com, TheHuffingtonPost.com, and Nordstrom.com. After only a week the button now appears on large and small websites all across the Internet. Websites can display the button and enable people to recommend their website, blog or even individual products. Already the Google +1 feature seems to have a solid foundation but it continues to work towards being as widely used as its Facebook counterpart. From what we can tell here at Internet Beacon, the Google +1 button is being used frequently on the search results page but doesn’t quite yet have the exposure necessary to properly compete with the Facebook and Twitter sharing buttons that are on individual websites. In time this could change drastically, after all the button is only a week old.

It makes sense that Google would eventually assign some sort of values to this feature where the more plus ones a website has would equal a rank better, however it is still unclear how this development will affect SEO and the Google website ranking algorithm. Google could determine that sites who utilize their social media metric are more trustworthy or valuable sources, or perhaps they will maintain the plus one feature strictly as a social device… Read the rest

 

From http://www.Facebook.com, May 2011

The following are the top 4 Facebook scams that continue to plague user experience. These examples show that although Facebook is proactively implementing security precautions, flaws in their security remain. Once problems are identified Facebook should place a greater effort on expressing their concerns and warnings to the users rather than letting their users discover the problem first hand. Even though many users may have heard of these scams it was probably not directly from Facebook but instead from other websites blogs or from other users. For those of you that are hearing about them for the first time due to Facebook’s inability to properly educate the following 4 are the most prominent scams on Facebook today.

Click Hijacking:

For some, these messages may immediately appear to be scams but sometimes the offer is too enticing to refuse. Clickjacking calls for a user to copy and paste text into their browser search bar which infects the computer with malicious code. After a user unintentionally infects their computer the Clickjacker can use that account to distribute spam. Instead of Facebook identifying these types of messages and sending out a notice to users they leave it to the user to find out about it first-hand.

One example of Clickjacking is when a user receives a post from their friend saying “OMG OMG OMG This Really Works- See who has been looking at your Facebook Profile”. When a user clicks on that message… Read the rest

Public relations firm Burson-Marstellar who has been representing corporate clients for 58 years was hired to encourage various media outlets to examine Google’s privacy practices. It was unbeknownst that Facebook was the one behind the secret smear campaign with many users initially thinking that it was Microsoft or Apple who was responsible. Once the secret campaign went public it was discovered that Facebook had been the one pulling the strings. This discovery was not only damaging to Facebook but to the integrity of the PR firm Burson-Marstellar as well.

Why did Facebook resort to this desperate attempt to smear Google’s name? It basically comes down to money and although Facebook would seem to be at the top of their game, Google is following closely. Before going awry, Facebook was trying to gain a larger lead against Google. The failed attempt has left both Facebook and BM frantic and eager to regain their ground. Some individuals may expect these kinds of dirty tactics as a regular part of business competition but for a company that emphasizes trusts and privacy like Facebook this backfire is greatly damaging to their reputation. Whisper campaigns like this take place all the time in business and political cases but most the time they do not end with the desperate company becoming the headline. This occurrence has left both Facebook and the PR firm Burson-Marstellar with diminished trust amongst their industries and customers.

Facebook maintains that it was not their intention to smear the competition but rather try to get users to closer examine Google’s privacy policies. Facebook made the following statements

“We engaged Burson-Marsteller to… Read the rest

The first of the three features that Facebook released was a New Suite of Safety Tools. The new security provides users with additional information for user and family safety. In addition to the existing safety content the new resources include articles and videos on Facebook security and privacy. Along with the new safety content users will now be able to use social reporting tools to express to the community what items they do not like or find offensive. Another part of the new security features is two factor authentications. Two factor authentications are used to further prevent unauthorized users from accessing other user accounts. This protection procedure requires a secondary code when logging in from an unrecognized device or location. The last announced security update for Facebook is the option for users to access Facebook using a secure connection over HTTPS. However, because some apps do not accommodate HTTPS Facebook will need to automatically switch between HTTP and HTTPS given the user’s authorization.

Following the implementation of their new security, Facebook also launched Deals on Facebook. Deals on Facebook is currently being tested and is only offered in certain areas like Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, San Diego, San Francisco (many more to follow shortly). This feature lets Facebook users locate deals from local businesses, share, and coordinate plans with other Facebook users. Deals on Facebook will work similar to Groupon and Living Social but are now built right into the social network, which is convenient for both customers and businesses who utilize Facebook.

The latest addition made to Facebook is the “Send” button. This new button is very similar to the “like” button which was introduced last year. The new send feature works in rhythm with the Share with a Group feature that lets users categorize… Read the rest

Why should our Online Business Activity be any different?

If you own a business there are certain basic recommendations for daily online activity that could help generate more clients.  The Internet is a powerful resource for any business and neglecting to utilize all that it offers is silly.  Every business can be conducting some kind of daily activity online.  Not sure how to fully utilize the Internet for your business? The following are minimal suggestions for your company’s daily Internet practices.

1. Visit Some Social Networking Websites:

Submit some postings to multiple sites and gain a following in the online community.  Use this online activity to share some knowledge and build a reputation for your business.  By improving the brand of your business on Facebook, you’re able to market your company and have the opportunity to acquire profitable insights from others. It’s free, except for your time, so take advantage of the free advertising that websites like Facebook and Twitter offer.  In addition using these social networking sites gives you another medium to allow you to be more accessible to your customers and gain valuable feedback. See more information about how Twitter Can Benefit Your Business.

2. Write a Blog:

Establishing a blog for your business is a great way to branch out and grow your web presence.  A blog is another way to obtain customer interaction as well as communicating important messages to your clients.  Additionally, mention your blog articles on Social Media websites like Twitter and Facebook and have more potential clients visit your website. For more on how blogs can help a business check out Having a Blog Helps!

3. Check The Analytics Of Your Website:

It is important to understand how visitors use your website.  Before you can successfully solve any problems and market your site. You should have a good understanding of what’s going on, who is visiting it, how often, how they are getting there, as well as the tons of other website statistics

… Read the rest

hypothetical Google plus one logo

Hey everyone it Dustin again and thank you for visiting our Blog.

By now most of us are using or are familiar with Twitter and Facebook but have yet to hear about Google’s new social network venture. The question is can another social network establish itself amongst the ranks of Facebook, Twitter, others? These social network giants leave little to no room for any new entries but that isn’t stopping nor discouraging Google.  The talk is that Google has once again been working on its very own social networking site for some time now.  They had previously announced it as code named Emerald Sea however they seem to now be playing with the title Google Plus One or Google+1.

Google’s previous attempts to enter social networking include Google Me and Google Buzz.  These setbacks however have done little in the way to dishearten Google.  Scarce details are available. On top of that hose details out there is mainly in the blogosphere and aren’t exactly concrete.   But if anyone can find a home in the social network market it would be Google which is already a giant in its own right.  I’m actually kind of surprised Google hasn’t successfully created a social media network already.

Some details speculate that the Google plus one would be like Twitters Retweet Button or could be as simple as a toolbar. Social media and networking sites are huge undertakings which need to be managed constantly to take on a life of their own.  In my opinion a toolbar would be the wrong way to go.  If Google is going to compete against twitter and Facebook then it’s going to take more than a tool bar across Google’s existing applications.   It’s hard to get a clear picture so far but I’m sure users don’t need any more toolbars, plus a toolbar would do little to distinguish Google from the existing social networking sites.  I just don’t see a toolbar standing up against the full fledged competitors. What do you think? Would you be willing to give another network a try or are you sticking with twitter, Facebook or one of your other favorite social… Read the rest