WSI Marketing, Surf, Search and Social

What really defines Social Media (Web 2.0)? Is it just the technology or the human side? We usually tend to always talk about the technology that is involved with Web 2.0 such as Blogs, Wikis, RSS, AJAX, Api’s, XML, etc.  Although it is the technology that makes Web 2.0 work, this transformation is really sparked by basic human needs.

Social media/networking is about collaboration, connecting, sharing, interacting and expression. With Web 2.0, the online world is being woven in the social fabric of today’s technology driven lifestyle. Web 1.0 was really more about technology trends and Web 2.0 is about the integration of this technology in the basic needs of our daily business and social lives.

Collaboration

Rather than working all alone, tools like Wiki’s and CMS (Content Management Systems) allows for people to work seamlessly together. Other social media tools allows companies to communicate and develop procedures and policies to collaborate with customers and partners.

Sharing

You don’t have to read a blog, news feed or online magazine alone.  The Web 2.0 web allows for interaction and the sharing of information with others. Sites today allows easy sharing of opinions (blogs), videos, images and even your favourite web links (social bookmarking.

Connecting

The technology tools of social media allows people to interact and connect in their common interests.  Social networking sites allows users to connect and collaborate in real-time.  It’s all about connecting people and developing a network approach to business.

Expressing

Blogging has always been a way for human expression.  People can express their opinions on just about anything.  The web 2.0 spaces such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to name but a few allows for easy expression, representation and participation.

Interacting

People always want human interaction.  Social media has brought in conversational marketing.  Companies now holds a two-way dialogue with their customers through real-time chat, instant messaging and blogs.

Content marketing, much like SEO and social media marketing, is a snap if you have the right tools and techniques to reach your desired audience. Read on for some “gotta have ’em” strategies for content marketing in today’s new media world.

Content Marketing Tools

The tools for content marketing cover a lot of ground, but don’t get flabbergasted. Multiple means of content marketing help your business’ visibility in the crowded content population. E-newsletters, company blogs, social media pages and press releases are some tools to help push your brilliant content to the front of your customers’ conscience. The more places for content to be read, digested and forwarded, the better. Social media is a fast-acting tool that encourages spreading the word. By discussing content with followers on Twitter or fans on Facebook, you can speak directly to your clients while delivering content right to your intended audience. Your company blog can be linked in tweets, while press release information regarding new services and products can be posted on social media pages. Homespun publications like emailed newsletters or e-magazines are another brilliant home for original content — as well as an invaluable tool for new clients.

Content Marketing Techniques

When it comes to techniques, there are dozens. But one of the most effective is ROI (return on investment) tracking. ROI tracking is a technique that allows you to peek in on how well your content marketing is working. Tracking should be implemented into all strategies with early reporting to establish basic baseline metrics (the barometer of how our content plans are performing). After taking a peek at our baseline metrics, we then can determine which content marketing strategies stay and which need to be tossed out.

Why Content Marketing?

All of these tools and techniques, however, are of little use unless we see why content marketing is important to your business’ digital marketing strategy. Content is the bread and butter of the Internet. If you don’t have anything unique or interesting to say, then you won’t gather readers or attract new customer. Likewise, if you don’t market your witty, wonderful, one-of-a-kind content, then it simply goes to waste.

Content marketing is a fun and exciting way to reach readers and, more importantly, buyers. Contact us now for more dish on the latest content marketing tips and techniques.

Have you noticed that Youtube internet marketing in be coming the new big stage for advertising?

Currently, video produces more sales than any other means of advertising or marketing (Could Youtube Be The Missing Tabasco in Your Marketing Bloody Mary, 2010). So, how are you going to use this knowledge to leverage your access to Youtube to support your bottom line?

Although it is a cost-effective marketing option, however, like all avernues of marketing, video marketing must be executed correctly in order to compete and become an asset.

WSI has some tips to help your videos rank higher. The basic peice of information that you should grasp, in terms of ensuring that your video will be found online, is that the more information provided about your video, the better it can be searched (and found!).

Here are 4 steps to a high ranking video:

1) Add a descriptive title to your video
2) Make your descriptive content clear and specific
3) Provide accurate tags
4) Embed your video in your website

Want to learn more about how to boost your video’s ranking? With our expertise in internet marketing SEO services, WSI can go into further detail with you on the steps we provided.  Simply contact us and we’d be happy to speak with you, share our knowledge and answer any questions you may have.

Learn more about the other 4 of the top 5 social portals (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs) on our website, wsi-webdesign.com.

Web 2.0, social networking, blogs, forums, wikis, videos, photo sharing or any other type of social media share common characteristics and elements. The Social Media Marketing (SMM) phenomena is quite different from traditional media marketing and website advertising.

You can find millions of conversations happening every day through various social media channels. This is all done by a highly involved audience that engages and interacts around focused topics.
Why Social Media is important

Conversations

Social Media is all about interactive conversations. Traditional media usually broadcasts a message to hear and not responded to. This has changed drastically from an advertising message to service and product discussions. Consumers today want to respond, discuss and give their own opinions and not just marketed to.

Share information

Social Media is a great way to share information, stories, opinions, videos and photos. This is the norm in Social Media and it should be done with openness. There is easy access to online content where password protected content is the norm. The interactive nature of social media encourages participation, feedback and publishing.

It is active

Social Media Marketing is active and you are no longer just a reader without the authority to participate in the discussion. When people ask for help, other will chime in. “I’m working on a project and I’m stuck at this point…” The separation between reader and writer is gone.

Online communities

Social communities can be found on all sorts of social media forms around common needs and interests. People participate and form these virtual online communities around occupational interests, hobbies, political beliefs or philosophies.

Connections

It is quite easy to build upon or recycle conversations and content. Always link to other websites, people and resources to make the access of information faster.

Build trust

People participate and interact because of the trust level that comes with social media. Open and honest communication is at the core of social media and with this comes trust and confidence in what is being said and broadcasted over the web.

Creativity

Content generated by other users makes it possible for the average person to join and participate. It is really easy to share, publish and create original content and videos. This is quite different from the days of traditional media and marketing where only a few provided what we read and watched.

Social Media in all it’s forms is here to stay for a long time and it’s important that your business takes part in this phenomena. Don’t be left behind when your competitors are already using it to broadcast their message and increase their brand exposure with Social Media.

Pope Benedict XVI says social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace can foster friendships and understanding, but warns they also can isolate people and marginalize others.

Pope Benedict gave serious props to social media sites like Facebook and MySpace in his annual message Friday for the World Day of Communications.

Benedict called them “gifts” new technologies , social networking sites, saying they fuel our “fundamental desire” as people to communicate and belong

But he also warns that “obsessive” virtual socializing can isolate people from real interaction and deepen the digital divide by excluding those already marginalized.

He also urged users and the sites themselves to self police for “goodness” and thwart perverse sexual conduct online.

All this comes as the vatican plans to open it’s own streaming vidop channel online just a few days.