While some changes are kept under lock and key to prevent spammers and unethical SEO practices degrading the quality of search results, other tweaks are allowed to create something of a stir.

Google’s most recent announcement regarding its inclusion of social media results in SERPs was one such change that – quite appropriately – caused sites like Twitter to get all in a flutter.

Working by aggregating content from social networking sites such as YouTube, Twitter and MySpace, the move is yet another step towards a bold blend of search and social; all under one roof.

Commenting on Google’s decision to make its search results richer in social media-related content, a spokesperson for SEO experts QueryClick [http://uk.queryclick.com/] said:

“QueryClick’s SEO predictions for 2011 contained a big focus on the move to mobile search as well as a greater emphasis on social media so it’s not surprising that Google have taken the step to introduce more social media-specific content in their SERPs.   In terms of the benefits of this change for search engine optimisation [http://uk.queryclick.com/en/search-engine-optimisation-seo/], there’s now improved opportunities for sites which are under performing or in highly competitive verticals, jumping onto the first page – albeit temporarily – if their social media output relates to search terms.”

While Google have taken a significant step towards fusing social and search, it is Microsoft-owned competitor Bing, who have developed an exclusive partnership with Facebook.

The ‘Bing Bar’ – a simple tool bar function – allows users to access their Facebook news feed, friend requests and notifications directly from the search engine.

Furthermore, the Bing Bar collates data over time to create a more bespoke and personalised search experience; another feature that is likely to become more and more familiar across a number of search engines in the coming year.

In the meantime, however, only time will tell how quickly the demand for social search takes off across the board.

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The social network Facebook has actually been built into a range of new SIM cards which means you no longer need a smart phone to access it. Instead, you can now use facebook on a regular phone with one of these SIMs plugged into it and share your thoughts and update your status throughout the day via text message.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the digital security company Gemalto has announced the new ‘Facebook for SIM’ which actually embeds Facebook directly onto the SIM card. This simple but innovative solution means that even people who have old mobile phones that aren’t web enabled and don’t have ‘aps’ can become part of the Facebook on the move phenomenon.

Gemalto explain it thus:

The innovative solution provides mobile subscribers with simple and convenient access to core Facebook features such as friend requests, status updates, wall posts or messages. It also offers unique functions: people can sign up for this service and log in directly from the SIM application. Interactive Facebook messages pop-up on the phone’s screen so people can always share up-to-the-minute posts and events. One can also automatically search their SIM phonebook for other friends and send them requests.

Despite the fact that the sales of smart phones are increasing, the majority of the worlds’s 5 billion mobile phone users have ordinary old fashioned feature mobile phones. Every single one of them will now have the potential to immerse themselves in news feeds, likes and dislikes, and so on. It also means that for the less developed parts of the world where mobile phones are far more common and plentiful than computers, the social network will become far more accessible.

According to On Device Research, at the moment, more than 50% of Asian and African mobile internet users and around 20% of users in developed countries such as the US and UK don’t access the internet on a computer.

More than 200 million of the active users on Facebook, access through their mobile device rather than their computers, and these people tend to be around twice as active on facebook as the non mobile phone users.

A free trial period is currently underway, but when this is ended, Gemalto’s SIM will be available by subscription.

Other companies such as HTC, ChaCha and Salsa also unveiled phones at the MWC that will give the mobile phone user network a deeper social integration.

http://pressrelease101.co.uk/technology/sim-card-nfc-payment-system-to-go-live-this-summer/21101/
http://freesimcardsuk.org.uk/

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ASAP Ventures Ltd allows consumers throughout the UK to explore information regarding many different issues. For example, as the company now owns Gas.org.uk, consumers and homeowners can explore a vast array of information surrounding energy including, how much their gas bills should be, and much more.

There is also much more information to be found within the network of sites besides energy, especially now the company has acquired Slogan.co.uk. The site is brilliant for those who are thinking of starting a new business and even those who already have a business, as it contains information about marketing and how to create business slogan.

ASAP Ventures also contains a number of tourism and travel agency websites for consumers, and they have recently added another specialist site to their ever expanding network, which is named Travel-Agency.co.uk. The site is aimed at UK travellers and tourists and is going to be a great resource for them to use.

Antony Fallman is the designated spokesperson of ASAP Ventures Ltd, and he said, “One of the reasons why ASAP Ventures commits itself to acquiring new sites is so consumers always have access to vital information, and as they have bought a range of new sites this goal can be achieved and continued. Information such as travel, energy and business marking is extremely popular with both web users and consumers.”

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The platform allows individuals and organisations – including jobbing professionals, industry experts, companies, charities, partnerships, Government bodies and others with valuable knowledge – to easily share their know-how and opinions with an audience that is searching for answers to life’s everyday questions. Videojug Pages will create communities of knowledgeable and expert enthusiasts grouped around shared interests, all producing high-quality, factual and informative content for which they are financially rewarded. It will appeal to experts in a wide range of specialist fields: from professional stylists offering their beauty tips, to foodies sharing their favourite recipes and home cooking know-how.

For brands, Videojug Pages offers commercial opportunities to target and interact with these communities through both branded content hubs and display and video advertising. Panasonic is the first brand to have signed up to the platform, providing expert photography content and advice.

Videojug Pages will place video and display ads from its exisiting network of partners on these high quality pages, splitting the revenue 50:50 with the content creators. Contributors can also run Google AdSense and Amazon ads on their pages. Because of the search engine power of Videojug.com, the new Videojug Pages platform will enable content creators to attract traffic straight off the bat – a valuable benefit for expert, niche bloggers whose valuable views are not generating the traffic they would have hoped for on randomly organised blogging platforms.

The key features of Videojug Pages are:

• Free and easy-to-use editing tools allow content creators to publish content in a professional format, using video as well as text and images for enhanced user engagement.

• Videojug Pages custom built community tools, such as ‘mini-forums’ enable content creators to quickly build a community around their specialist knowledge and content.

• Hierarchical structure of the site groups similar content together making it easier to browse; this encourages more page and video views, driving greater revenues for content creators.

• Collaborative publishing tools allow likeminded people to pool their knowledge and collaborate on the same piece of content and to share equally in the revenue from that content.

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At the moment, there are currently 100 million unique game players a month on Facebook, most of these are playing casual games.  With the addition of a dedicated games department the numbers of gamers on Facebook is likely increase, as hard-core games may find their way onto the social network, attracting even larger audiences.

Facebook has proved  the ideal playground for casual gamers, as most don’t have time to play for long periods nor do they want to spend much or any money. Applications found on Facebook are generally free but it has also implemented a credit system where users can earn Facebook currency to spend within games.

Ben Padley, Head of Digital and CRM for Sony Ericsson, says: “Facebook’s gaming community looks set to grow, which is very exciting for small and large game developers alike. Brands can quite easily offer people what many Facebook users seem to desire when visiting the site – quick to play, fun social games.

“Sony Ericsson incorporated the computer pinball game, Emusicon Pinball, on its global community page to give the fans of the brand a bit of fun competition by playing a well recognised, classic arcade game against their friends.”

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The over 50s are becoming an increasingly large group who are becoming more confident in using the internet for shopping and general use.  With internet use on such an increase, especially within a group which was commonly associated with being low users of the internet, it is important for businesses not to ignore the potential business growth possibilities.  People aged 50 + now account for 30% of all British online users, and with this in mind businesses need to ensure they make use of the potential on offer with this new consumer market.

Source:  www.punchcomms.com

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In order to register your website you need to sign up at GVN. After completing the registration form, someone from the goviral network team will send you an email confirming your account as well as getting started information. Once you have set up an account you can view the latest videos, customize the player code and view the performance and remaining budgets of the content you publish. For publishers there are two types of video player – the Stand Alone Player and the Syndicated Player. The Stand Alone Player only ever displays one video – ideal for editorial placements and for publishers who regularly update their sites. The other option is a Syndicated Player. The Syndicated Player feeds in a selection of goviral’s latest campaigns at random, meaning there is a constant flow of fresh video on a site. Once a campaign expires, the video is replaced with a new one. This is a great solution for publishers who need a zero management advertising solution. The Syndicated Player is also geo-targeted meaning that the videos are displayed according to a visitor’s country. If a French visitor lands on an English site, they will see a French video, ensuring all non-UK traffic is monetised.

According to leading research by Dynamic Logic, video is superior to all other traditional online formats in driving awareness, brand favourability and purchase intent. Video is historically the most powerful narrative format for building brands, the internet adds a further wealth of interactive opportunities to that equation. Since the birth of YouTube, online users have grown hungry for online video. To match this switch in behaviour brands are increasingly turning to online video advertising to spread their messages and users are looking for fresh new content to watch.

Why not register at goviral today and see for yourself how viral videos can help your site.

For further information please consult the goviral user manual – or check out our latest campaigns at the goviral blog.

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Press releases are something that most of us have heard of, and seen regularly, but when you’re running a small business, how do you know if a press release is the right thing for you, and even more confusing, how does it all work?

The press release has long been part of many PR campaigns and it’s still a really good powerful tool. There are loads of services online where you can place your press release when you’ve written it, some of them are free, some you will need to pay for, and both will help your campaign.

One good free UK based site that you can use very easily is www.pressrelease101.co.uk; you’ll need to register, but once this is done, you can just log in, publish your press release and once it’s been approved it will go live on the site.

The irony about free vs paid press release website is that in some cases you get just as much exposure on a free site as you do a paid website, it is simply down to the fact that someone is willing to pay a fee to be on a paid PR site. A large number of free PR sites will help with SEO as well as appear in Google news.

Obviously, writing a good press release will help, and including keywords throughout your press release that people use when doing a search is very important. Some keywords and phrases are searched for more often than others, and you want to distribute your keywords through the release using one in the headline, one in the first paragraph and then several through the body of the text. Don’t stack it so full that it doesn’t read well however, and make sure that the keywords do actually relate to your business or they won’t be helpful in getting you customers.

A good place to start when looking for keywords to use is Google’s free keyword tool just type into it some keywords that you think will be useful, and Google will tell you which of them are most searched for, and then suggest others that you could use as well or instead.

If you haven’t thought about online pr before it is definitely something you should consider as part of your marketing mix!

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The guide is written byMatt McNeill, who has over 12 years of email marketing experience and is the founder and CEO of Sign-Up.to.  Amongst the company’s clients are Seal, Kia, Tourism Thailand, Hawes & Curtis, Prezzo and The Economist, and the company has won a host of awards including the National Business Award for Customer Focus, South East (2007) and clients include: .

As well as explaining how statistics are captured and what they mean, this guide shows how to:

•Identify your best prospects to prioritise your sales efforts
•Find the optimum time to send your campaigns for maximum results
•Fine-tune your subject lines to boost your open rates
•Maximise sales by studying goal data

The ebook is available for download here:
http://www.sign-up.to/knowledge/emailanalysis/

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Bigmouthmedia analysts believe that an evolving search landscape, the continued rise of social media and advances in mobile technology will combine to make the next year one of the most eventful in the sector’s history. With these and other factors blurring the boundaries between PR, marketing and customer care, the company also predicts that the shape of the search business itself will begin to change.

“Digital marketing has always been a dynamic industry, but the introduction of real time search, the continued convergence of devices and the apparently unstoppable rise of social media have all come together at the same time, and we expect this to have a major impact upon the search landscape in 2010,” said Andrew Girdwood, bigmouthmedia’s Head of Search.

“The industry has matured, and already we are seeing some of the more prehistoric SEO business models out there beginning to fail. Major clients increasingly require partners with international scale, and as the downwards pressure on costs continues, small-scale agencies are going to struggle to cope in what is likely to become an environment dominated by a handful of major players.”

Bigmouthmedia’s sector-by-sector predictions for the year ahead indicate that the digital marketing business could be facing one of the most challenging years in its history.

Retailers are expected to continue investing in social media strategies designed to monetise direct marketing channels like Twitter and Facebook while simultaneously expanding their mobile marketing activities.

In the travel business, operators seeking to offset a fall in revenues caused by the global recession will increasingly look online. Some 57% of travel marketing budgets will be spent online in 2010, while the majority of companies are also predicted to increase spend on Social Media & Online PR and Search engine optimisation as they attempt to come to terms with this evolving channel.

In the world of finance, the advent of the widely predicted new supermarket banking services look set to dominate the sector’s year. A scramble has already begun, meanwhile, to win over the significant increase in consumers expected to return online and begin shopping for services again in 2010.

“The search marketing business has weathered the economic downturn better than most, but there is no room for complacency. For every one of the opportunities these new developments bring there are technical and logistical challenges to be overcome,” said Girdwood.

2010: The Year Ahead in Digital Marketing is available for download from bigmouthmedia

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