Does SMO Overtake SEO ?

You would have heard an idea that SEO is dead or dying. Even typing “SEO is” in Google shows SEO is dead, dying, joke and more and as well few weeks ago in "theguardian", SEO has been described as “flawed concept” which is now dying. If this is the case, what is the result of SEO?
Today, most of the businesses concentrate on social media’s rather than search engine optimization. Let’s go broad; SEO is the one which now concentrate more on optimizing the website, content and performing off page techniques and mow most of the SEO services tend to follow the tactics of digital marketing. Because of being social, most of the traditional marketing tactics and PR are going down. It doesn’t mean SEO is dead, it indicates that social media’s are going up. Obviously, the growth of internet has limited the traffic blown to the website as the access of net has been diversified through various devices and as well most of the social discoveries are through mobile.

Social media grabbed customer’s attention

The experts whoever works in digital marketing field would have known that social media had already grabbed the attention of people all over the world. It had almost transformed all types of advertisement. The use of social media all around the world has been increased to a frantic pace. Almost 67% of the Internet users prefer social networking sites when compared to other ordinary websites as social media sites are often considered as trusted source, consistent, entertaining and informative.

Issues regarding SEO

For the past few years, SEO has been considered as a worst thing as most of the search engine analysts are being the black hatters and are effectively spamming the Internet. But the internet is growing smarter and makes the search engine to get rid from spam links and poor content. This indicates that SEO experts can do their work even more professional with less faulty works. Even today, most of the SEO firms are going behind social presence instead of SEO.

Social traffic to brand a product

Martin Macdonald in Expedia Affiliate Network has stated that social traffic works excellently in product discovery but it doesn’t target the people about what they want to purchase. Yes of course, it seems to be a true one.

It’s the one which balance the relationship between companies and customers. It easily makes your business website to follow and engage with regulars, help to keep track of social relationships, generate brand awareness if the content is appealing, help in getting the positive or negative feedback directly from the customers and as well help in knowing the interest of customers.

I hope, this would have clearly indicated you that SEO isn’t dead, it’s just overtaken by Social networking sites. But just keep this in mind, it can partakes most of the contribution however it doesn’t takes the whole part in making the website to be available on the top of the search engine.
Also see this infographic called social vs search.

What You Should Post Or Not To Post

Study shows that 54 percent of users unsubscribe their newsletters because they received too many emails bombard with content, and 73% of social media users "un-follow" companies that post too frequently. So how do you decide what you should be posting, and when? Experts suggest several best practices, but ultimately it comes down to where you see the best results. Take a look at the infographic by EasyeMerge team called "to post or not to post".

Facebook Is Still King Of Social Media

Social media marketing has been a widely debated topic in the marketing sphere since it's onset. Because of its dynamic nature and the democratizing effect that it has on the marketplace. Marketers are being forced to constantly adapt and change with it. This infographic (by ciceron) will provide some insight into where social marketing is headed.

Unique PC visitors in the US:

 Facebook 51 percent, Twitter 12 percent, LinkedIn 10%, Pinterest 9% Google+ 9% and Tumblr 9%. While Facebook is still the most visited social media sites, it was also the only site to decline in unique visitors by 4% from 2011 to 2012.

FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and blogging were the top 5 platforms used by marketers, with Facebook leading the pack.

Most important platform for marketers: 

Nearly half of marketers chose Facebook as their most important platform.

Facebook is still king in social media kingdom :

Accounts for 5 of every 6 minutes spent in the social networking category.


Other facts: 

29% of B2B (business-to-business) marketers select LinkedIn as their number one choice. While 29% also listed Facebook as their number one choice.

67 of B2C (business-to-consumer) marketers select Facebook as their number one choice.  In the Future 69% of marketers plan to increase their use of YouTube.

Increase Traffic With Social Media

Social Media is not just another channel for push messages, it's about meaningful conversations to develop mutually beneficial relationships with your audience. Have a look at below infographic called building your audience with Social media Social media marketing is one of the best ways to increase blog traffic and grow your audience of blog readers. The tools of social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more give you a broader reach to get your content in front of more people. The best part is that most social media marketing can be done for free. 

1. Feed Your Blog Content to Your Social Media Profiles

2. Add 'Follow Me' Social Media Icons to Your Blog

3. Link to Your Blog from Your Social Media Profiles

4. Include the URL to Your Blog in Forum Post Signatures

5. Automate Cross-Profile Publishing

6. Syndicate Your Blog Content

7. Use Widgets and Social Tools Offered by Social Media Sites.

8. Publish Comments on Other Blogs with Your Blog URL

9. Hold a Blog Contest and Promote It Through Your Social Media Profiles

10. Include Sharing Links on Your Blog Posts

Social Media Rules 2014

In the digital ages, social media gives everyone the freedom to explore; the power to share and connect with the outside-world.
So it is important to know - "Are we using it the right way". To help you out, Jeremy Waite has written 80 best rules and tips, that every social savvy should know.

Overall Social Media Usage : Teens Vs Adults

As this infographic reveals 67% of adults, and 94 percent of teens actively use Facebook. Teens seem to determine the traditional social networks like Facebook and Twitter, while adults use instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest more than teens.

The pew research center recently released a study about how adults use social media, which made us wonder how teens and adults stack up when it comes to social media use. teenagers today grew up in a digital world, so it is no surprise that they are Pretty Savvy when it comes to all things online and technology. Surprisingly, though when it comes to early adoption of newer social mediums like Pinterest and Instagram, adults seem to have teens beat, if only slightly. Here's a breakdown of how both teens and adults use social media including over all social media usage.

Creative Social Resume Techniques

There's no doubt the role that social networking sites (like LinkedIn and Facebook) can play in helping you to find the right candidate for a position or your next ideal job. This infographic will show how employers and job seekers are connecting each other in social  media, with some key development including that 89 percent of recruiters have hired through LinkedIn.

Why YouTube Will Revolutionize Your Marketing Efforts

Marketers and advertisers need YouTube, as every month, 1 billion unique visitYouTube, searching for entertaining, interesting, and compiling video content. Brands can provide this content, yet many foolishly overlook this powerful platform and its enormous captive audience. It's time for brands to join the YouTube world and reach consumers in this popular online environment. See this infographic by MDG advertising that take you into why advertisers should include YouTube in their business strategies.

Treat Social Media Like A Friend

Treat Social Media Like A Friend

 I and those around me have been using social media platforms such as Facebook for years to connect with one another and share updates. For those yet to grasp the concept of leveraging social media to enhance their business the disconnect has come when migrating their attention from using social media for pleasure to social media for business. Quite simply, they just cannot understand how using these platforms can make for credible relationship builders and open doors to opportunities and relevant information.

The challenge that I have found has been finding the best way of explaining the benefits and the psychology behind the execution that does not overwhelm someone but can leave them buzzing with the prospects it could hold.
I, myself got how social media could serve me from day one; I understood how I could learn from it and how to connect with the right people to grow my business. In fact, I got it so much that I built my entire network and business organically from it and feel totally passionate about helping others to do the same.

Anyone can learn how to tweet, add a photo album or record a winning Youtube video but the thought behind the action is where you will find the real value once understood. Understanding your audience and landscape while going in with a purpose of why you are there not just what you are going to say will set you apart from the casual explores and be able to maximize your efforts.
Knowing the simple math behind the social facade should help you to be more productive and in a nutshell help you get and give more value.

An example that I have used for some time now that seems to help people turn a corner and start thinking differently is the mindset of treating social media like a friend.

What makes a good friend?

A good friend to me is someone who is always there when you need them, is fun, interesting, share common interests and aspirations, like minded with the same moral values, supportive, trustworthy and loyal. Building relationships with people whether that is for business or not always starts with sharing these attributes, interests and expertise. Once you know and like someone or a brand who encompasses all the qualities that you see as important and you learn and like them or their business not only will you be more likely to buy from them when the time is right but also become an evangelist for them within your own network.

Take Twitter; you start following someone as they seem to be a real expert in an area that you care about. They share great content but only post every now and again and also don’t like to share anything else about the person/company behind the account. This is the same as if you had a friend who you had lots in common with but never seem to really be around or committed to your friendship and also is very guarded about telling you who they really are.

How would you feel about that friend?

When it comes to organizing that BBQ in the summer that might not be the friend that you think of straight away to invite, if at all, as you will be too busy inviting your fun, like minded and open friends who add value to your life.

You see when nurturing a friendship or a business relationship on or offline it is just the same yet social media now gives us the platform to be able to do this in real time and has improved the process and experience.You can, listen, learn, network, engage, share and grow using these platforms personally and as a business by creating an environment where people will be interested in what you communicate on a platform where they can respond and share with their network.

Most people are visiting these networks every day, you must Identify your audience then understand how they would like to be spoken to and also who you would like to learn from.

Once you know this your communication will improve and your network will become stronger. It’s only then that you will start seeing real results for your business but acquiring brand evangelists, new prospects and smart business connections for future collaborations.

10 Tools To Manage Your Twitter Account

The facts that the world of today is so dominated by the use of internet and that social networking sites have become an integral part of business expansions and management, it is a good idea to keep abreast of the best and latest applications that will assist you to manage your accounts on these networking sites.

There are no two ways about the fact that Twitter has emerged as one of the most appreciated and loved website in the social media arena and it definitely deserves your time and attention in order to gain maximum profit out of it for your business. To help busy marketers, here are 10 apps to manage your twitter accounts for those who have little time to do so:

• TweetDeck

This is a desktop twitter management tool. It can create columns to enable you organize your activities on twitter as well as send long messages using the deck.lyservice which generates a shortened URL that guides followers to the rest of the tweet beyond 140 characters. However if you use multiple computers, it is advised to use a browser based application.

• Twitoria

This application is regarded as one of the most useful apps as it allows Twitter users to sort out following and get rid of the followers who have been inactive for some time. It also assists in keeping the network updated.

• Tweepi

This application has a number of buttons that accomplish a variety of tasks to manage the account. The "Flush" button allows you to identify users who are not following you back. At the same time, the "reciprocate" button allows the user to rank the users whohe or she no longer needs to follow back. The third and most important button is the "Cleanup" option that enables a user to unfollow any follower who he/she does not want to follow anymore.

It also enables you follow lists and other users depending on the users they follow. You can also come to know who your friends are following. The way Tweepi displays all the information mentioned above is also very helpful and easy to comprehend. It organizes the data into a number of columns displaying their names, locations, number of followers, number of tweets, bios, dates of last tweet, klout scores, number of users they follow and many more data.

• Twitterfeed

It allows the user to add RSS feeds to be automatically shared through twitter each time they have an update. Tweets can be customized to display the title of the post, shortened link etc. It is a great tool to select and organize content automatically for the audience, however you need to be careful about the quality of the blogs whose feeds you choose to publish.

• Twuffer

This app allows the user to schedule tweets at different times and sort a list of tweets for the future as well. It can rightly qualify to be called the "Twitter buffer". With this app a user can compose future tweets and schedule the date and time of their release. This app is for everyone who needs to do any of the following:

• Run a time-based scavenger hunt
• Appointment/milestone reminders
• Tweet pre-written announcements
• Appear to be awake always

• TwitWipe

This app allows you the freedom of deleting or wiping all your tweets in one go that will result in a clean account without the need of having a new account that simultaneously keeps your favorite tweets, followers, and users that you follow. All that you need is TwitWipe access to your account on Twitter. That sounds great, doesn't it?

• FriendorFollow

This app will let you have relevant and quality followers and thus maintain a clean twitter profile. It consists of three tabs: following, fans and friends. The following tab gives out the ones who you follow, but who do not follow you back, Fans displays those who are following you but you are not reciprocating and friends lists your twitter friends.

• CoTweet

This an excellent twitter marketing tool for enterprises that desire to engage, track and analyzing what people talk about their brand or product. The free version of the tool enables you to track the number of clicks, schedule tweets, record a history of conversations for past 30 days and team up with multiple users.

•  SocialOomph

Is also a great social media tool for marketers to boost their productivity on Twitter.

• Backtweets

This tool allows you to find all old tweets that link back to your web page.

Author Bio: 

This guest post is written by Jason Smith. He loves to blog about online marketing strategies that are related to Content, SEO, PPC & Lead generation. He also works as an online manager for Athreon

LinkedIn: A Guide to Best Practices

LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network. With 225 million plus members worldwide, it provides a saturated market perfect for recruiters, marketers and businesses alike. This social network also provides the opportunity for businesses to connect and engage with consumers and business decision makers with similar professional interests.

LinkedIn is an essential tool for the B2B marketers who want to invest in social media. Read this expert guide called - LinkedIn best practices - to learn, how to grow your business on LinkedIn and how to find your targeted audience.

• • 
    
  When should you post?

Given the nature of LinkedIn, posting a status or sharing content at noon is a good way to catch professionals on lunch break. Thursday and Friday evenings tend to perform particularly well. Early evenings also perform well, as professionals may check LinkedIn when they commute or return home from work. All in all, posting consistent and relevant content is a good way to keep your connections engaged.

What should you post?

Posting articles, blog posts, recent speaking engagements, status updates and conferences attended/spoken at are all relevant content for your profile, and are sure to keep your connections engaged. For company pages, post services offered and career opportunities. Curate content: provide value to your connections by re-posting articles and news related to your industry. Check the Answers section to see currentlyopen questions that people have asked, and respond to whatever you can. If your answer is rated as the “best answer” this will show up on your profile – strengthening your reputation and credibility.

Tools to help

Swarm LinkedIn Labs app is a visualization of currently searched company’s on LinkedIn that you can click and explore. See if your company or competitors have enough hype to be in Swarm.

LinkedIn Outlook Toolbar is a plugin that assists in growing your LinkedIn network. For example, it allows you to see when people you e-mail are not yet in your network.

Box.net is a free storage app on LinkedIn that allows the upload of files to a profile for others to download (for your company page, think whitepapers or case studies to show your expertise!)

Tips for success

• Having a completed profile provides you with a greater chance for networking success. Ensure you complete your company overview, careers, and products & services pages with plenty of content, images, and rich media.

• When you share an update, selecting the twitter box will link your Twitter account with your LinkedIn profile, so you can share your company’s tweets in your LinkedIn status.

• Add links on your profile to all of your company’s social platforms.

• Set a custom public profile vanity URL to make it easier for people to find you.

• Join industry groups and other companies’ pages to stay in-the-know, increase your connections and visibility, and see what your competitors are doing.

How To Increase Traffic To Your Website

How do get more traffic on your blog or website, here are some working strategies that 

help to increase traffic on your website.

• SOCIAL BUTTONS

Several large websites reported drastic traffic increases to their websites after adding Social Buttons to their content

• GOOGLE WEBMASTER GUIDELINES

Understanding and abiding by Google's Webmaster Guidelines is essential if you wish to increase your site's search traffic. We asked 50 random Webmasters if they have read these guidelines, here are the results of our study.

• REGULARLY PUBLISH CONTENT

Make sure you have a blog. Content should be related to your niche (expertise). Content should be original. Content should be well-written

• OPTIMIZE WEBSITE FOR SEARCH ENGINES

Directly follow Google Webmaster Guidelines. Use accurate descriptive titles for your pages articles. Only add tags to posts that clearly describe the content. Have a clean permalink structure. Improve website speed performance

• INCORPORATE SOCIAL TOOLS

Utilize plugins and tools that allow visitors to easily effortlessly share your content or site on popular social networking sites, (example, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Linkedin). Embed rich snippets that improve search results appearance (authorship, reviews, music, events, etc.)

• START A NEWSLETTER MAKING LIST

Include links and captions from your best content. Email newsletter monthly or quarterly. Use catchy subject titles for E-mails.

• UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA

Create and maintain a strong presence on social networking sites (Examples, Facebook, Twitter, Google-, Instagram, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Linkedin). Grow your fan base on these networks (Host contests invite friends interact with others, etc). Regularly share content from your webmaster on all the networks and ask for feedback.

• GAIN STRONG LINKS FROM EXTERNAL SITES

The best links come naturally from those who enjoy share your content. Gain links from authority sites in your niche. Do not buy links, avoid links from spammy sites.

• UTILIZE FREE PRESS RELEASE SERVICE

PrLog.org, Newsvine.com, PitchEngine.com

• CREATING AND SHARING QUALITY VIDEOS TO YOUTUBE

Create interesting and informative pertaining to your niche. In the video and video description reference your website. Videos help demonstrate your expertise and build Brand Awareness.

Today's Social Landscape Can Offer Small Business In Future

The summer is a great time for RnR, but it's also a great time for small business to take advantage of what is often a slower season to get ready for a busier fall. We've taken a look at how small business are using social media and how they can grow their presence today to drive social media marketting success tomorrow. I am sharing an informative infographic below please have a look into it.

Source : Constant contact»