I really enjoy using Facebook.
If you’re one of my friends, you already know this.
I’ve used it to post my very random thoughts and share the crazy stuff I’ve spotted on television or found on the tubes. Sometimes, I actually do think twice before hitting the “Share” button because I know some of my friends might not be able to handle all of the magical stuff I post. But I often decide to let it ride and see what happens. People still talk to me, so I guess I haven’t offended anyone – yet.
Well Facebook has decided to make things a little easier for people like me. Yesterday Facebook unveiled a brand-new version of its Groups application. The new version of Groups gives users the ability to keep up with close friends and share things with them in a private space. In this space, you can post photos, make plans and group chat with friends who are online. You also have the capability to use each of your groups as an email list so you can quickly share things even when you’re not on Facebook. What’s great about this is the default setting for groups is “Closed,” meaning only members can see what’s going on within the group.
Facebook also announced its new Download Your Information function. This allows you to download stuff that you posted on Facebook to your computer. This includes messages, Wall posts, photos, status updates and profile information. You can only access this info after confirming your password and answering security questions. You can find this feature in your account settings.
Facebook now has a new dashboard that lets you see how applications use your information to personalize your experience. You can view this by going to “Privacy Settings” and then clicking on “Applications and Websites.” You can find out when the applications last accessed your data, and you have the option to make less information available or remove it altogether.
I’m going to have to hit the “Like” button on these. I can share my magical gems in private, see how my information is being used and download great posts right to my computer. Now if I could only get rid of all of those Farmville posts from other people, I would be golden!
Videos courtesy of Facebook.
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Earlier this week, Google showed us how they plan to transform the way we’ll watch television by unveiling the features of the upcoming Google TV. You can check out the new Google TV website, but briefly, some of the product's coolest features include:
• YouTube perfected for TV – Double rainbows never looked so good! Google TV will optimize any YouTube video for your 50-inch plasma.
• Simultaneous television and Internet – Watch the Oscars and tweet your snide remarks on the same screen.
• Smartphone remote control – As if your iPhone didn’t already do enough, you can now use it as a remote control for GoogleTV.
• Online Web surfing – Access the Web from your couch using an easy-to-use interface.
• Apps galore – Google TV comes preloaded with apps like Netflix, Pandora, Amazon Video on Demand and Gallery. Starting early next year, apps from the Android marketplace will work on Google TV.
Google TV sounds pretty awesome for your living room, but can it really revolutionize the way you think in the board room? Can you expect your online videos to immediately see a 300% increase in views? Will families start gathering around the television to watch the product demo you’ve posted on YouTube?
Probably not.
While Google TV won’t instantly transform the way we think about video, it is one more piece of evidence that should show companies with a weak online video presence that they are quickly falling behind. Just five years ago, it was easy to discount the need for online video when the only place to put your videos was one lonely page on your website. Even as YouTube started exploding in popularity, it was easy to pass off video as something that other industries should be concerned about.
With Internet video on every smartphone and now making its way into the living room, it is impossible to deny that online video makes a difference. Just like even the loudest naysayers ran out of ammunition for shooting down the need for a website, it is getting harder and harder to defend a lack of online video.
If you’re one of the many companies with a weak online video presence, it’s not too late to get into the game. You can start by finding out what your target audience wants to see. If you create videos that have real value to your audience, you’ll be amazed at how much exposure your content will get. You may even make it onto the big screen.
Get into the game with online video. Find out how Fathom can help you create an Internet video marketing campaign that will get you noticed on the Web.
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Many people put strong emphasis on optimizing web pages for the search engines, but they often forget about optimizing their blog posts. That is a huge mistake because potential readers often use search engines to find blogs that relate to their interests. If your blog posts aren’t optimized, you could be missing out on new readers or even business opportunities.
In a recent article for Mashable Business entitled 4 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts , Samuel Axon offers some helpful tips for bloggers to keep in mind when writing content.
The first - always use search terms in the title of your blog post. Reason being is when Google reads a website to index it, it reads the code directly. With the way most blogging platforms are set up, the titles of your blog posts will be among the first things that Google sees. So when you are developing titles for your blog posts, weave in crucial keywords. Just make sure they sound natural and not spammy.
Second, link important words to earlier blog posts. Search engines consider linked blog posts more authoritative than those that aren’t. They also recognize the exact words that are linked to the post. To gain credibility and search rank, link important keywords to other pages or previous blog posts. Just don’t overdo it. Readers don’t like it and neither does Google.
Third, be sure to add pertinent tags to your blog posts. Tags help organize your blog. They also make it easier for people and search engines to find what they’re looking for. But don’t go overboard when you are tagging your blog posts. Google and other search engines are leery of sites that do this. If you use an excessive amount of tags, the web indexing bots might suspect that you are trying to associate your content with irrelevant topics in order to gain more traffic. If this happens, you might be penalized in the search rankings. A good rule of thumb is to use five to ten pertinent tags for your posts.
And last but not least, if you are struggling to find the right keywords, Google Insights can help you find solid search terms. Google Insights allows you to compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties. You can then find out which terms are popular and weave those terms naturally into your blog posts.
Need help with your blog posts? Find out how our SERV process can help increase the visibility of your blog.
Image provided by Nanagyei on Flickr
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Go Daddy is the #1 registrar in the world and manages more than 35 million domains. Known for its purposefully outrageous and successful ads, Go Daddy controls over 30% registrar market share. The company also offers better rates than most of its competitors, along with superb customer service. With all this success in the online world, one has to wonder why its website still provides a notoriously unpleasant user experience.
Besides pestering its customers with add-ons during the checkout process, the website suffers from other serious forms of “friction.” In regards to website usability, friction is considered anything that creates annoyance in the mind of the person interacting with your presentation or your Website.
Here’s the story of my interaction with the “Phone” field during the Go Daddy checkout process.
Step 1 of the Go Daddy checkout is to edit my domain registration information:
Pretty straight forward, or so I initially thought.
During my first attempt to correctly input our company phone number, I entered “2163692220.”
I was greeted with the following error message and a “Phone” field highlighted in red:
Now the game was on to figure out exactly what I needed to do to correctly input my company phone number.
I started trying numerous format variations.
I tried spaces:
I tried dashes:
I tried a combination of parentheses, a space and a dash:
No luck – “Phone” number fail.
Now frustrated, I was running out of ideas. Then, it struck me. What if I added “1” in front of the area code? I have never once had to do this during any other checkout process and I shop online pretty regularly. I had no other options… I had to try a “1”.
A “1” before the area code and 3 dashes:
I added the “1” and then clicked “Next”. OMG, it worked! Finally… after all the frustration, a “1” allowed the field to validate. I couldn’t believe it!
As a savvy Internet user, I felt like I had just solved the Rubik’s Cube.
Now, the question has become why is this the first time I have ever had to enter a “1” during a checkout process? Why was the “1” needed in order for the field to validate?
My Guess: Go Daddy does business globally through its website. The United States country code happens to be “1” so that must be the reason it needs to be entered in front of the phone number.
My Response: There is a “Country” dropdown utilized in the registration process. Could they not use the country selection to match a country code to the phone number behind the scenes?
At any rate, the Go Daddy phone number validation experience is awful. It doesn’t get much vaguer than “Invalid Input in Phone Field.” Throw a user a bone, please!
At Fathom, it is part of our best practices to recommend a tooltip or explanatory inline validation for the “Phone” field: “Must include your country code” or, depending on the country selected, “Must include a 1 before the area code and number.” These proposed additions would reduce friction and move Go Daddy one step closer to offering a better user experience.
*Photo courtesy of websitedomainfree.com
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You've heard about Facebook, you've heard about Twitter, and you've definitely heard about email, but what do these channels mean to your marketing strategy and who are these subscribers, followers and fans? In a recent study conducted by digital direct marketing firm Exact Target, the effectiveness of email, Facebook and Twitter marketing were compared.
Part of the findings of this study showed that these channels each offer different strengths and weaknesses. Email, the most broadly used communication channel of the three, is likely to drive increased purchase intent among the largest number of consumers. Facebook is the least effective channel to drive increased purchase behavior; however, the value of your Facebook fans is that they make great endorsers of your brand. Twitter is the channel most likely to drive increased purchase and recommendations after a consumer becomes a follower of the brand. That being said, only 3% of U.S. online consumers are actually following at least one brand. With this snapshot of each communication channel, the study came to some conclusions about the values and habits of a brand's subscribers, followers and fans.
The major findings of the study include:
- Who is participating? 93% of U.S. online consumers subscribe to email marketing messages, 38% are fans of brands on Facebook and 3% follow brands on Twitter.
- Who is likely to purchase? 27% of email subscribers, 17% of Facebook fans and 37% of Twitter followers are likely to purchase from a brand after engaging with the brand via their chosen channel.
- Who is likely to recommend your brand? 24% of email subscribers, 21% of Facebook fans and 33% of Twitter followers are likely to recommend a brand after engaging with them through their chosen communication channel.
- Why do they subscribe, follow or become a fan? 39% of Facebook users become fans of brands to publicly display their brand affiliation to friends, 22% follow brands on Twitter and 11% subscribe to email communications for the same reason.
- How do they want to receive discounts & promotions? 67% of consumers subscribe to emails for discounts and promotions, 40% become a fan of the brand on Facebook and 31% follow a brand on Twitter for discounts and promotions.
The conclusions of this study all boil down to how you intend to use each communication channel for your brand. It's important to remember that consumers don't isolate themselves to just email, Facebook or Twitter. They rely on each communication channel to provide unique information about the brand. Your marketing strategy should combine the strengths of each communication channel in order to market your brand effectively.
Learn more about how social media marketing and email marketing can improve your brand.
*Photo courtesy of Webtreats through Flickr.
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