Posts Tagged ‘ facebook ’

Google+ Pages Yay or Nay?

November 10, 2011

As announced on Monday Google have opened up their Google+ pages to businesses of all sizes, brands and celebrities in the hope to trump the already existing social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Their aim is to help build deeper relationships between any kind of businesses and their clients by allowing them to share their thoughts, links, photos and promotions.

 

Much like Facebook, Google Plus pages allows commercial names to interact with their fans and critics as well as being able to broadcast recent news, there is even the chance to get live, face-to-face feedback from customers by holding video chats!

 

In order to help you get started Google have formed an online guide to show you how to create a page, promote it and then evaluate its success. It covers how to publish posts, launch hangouts and manage circles. 

 

One important factor is that Google have now integrated Plus into its search engine. This means that searches can insert a ‘+’ symbol before their enquiry and be directed straight to the business’s Google+ page. For example type “+YouTube” in the search box and you will be taken straight to YouTube’s Plus page.

 

To many people Google+ pages is just Google’s own version of Facebook, but once you get started you will soon see there is a lot more to the story.

To discuss your social media optimisation further contact studio8search on 01865 842525

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Facebook Places service has now finished

August 30, 2011

Facebook has removed Facebook Places, an app for location-based offers, almost one year after it was released, due to the fact that the service was not being used as much as Facebook had originally expected. On the other hand, now Facebook is re-focusing its efforts on the Check-in service.

Facebook is currently upgrading its “check in” tool; this will mean that you will be directed to your status, where adding content is possible. With this upgrade, Facebook’s intentions are to add more user content and relevant discussions, letting its users to be more socially interactive instead of only informing where they are.

Although Facebook Places and Facebook Deals has ended, businesses will still be allowed to offer deals (coupons and discounts) through the “Check In” tool.

To learn more about how Social Media and Facebook can help your business contact Studio8Search on 01865 842525.

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Facebook removes Daily Facebook Deals

August 30, 2011

Facebook Deals were released in April 2011 as a trial programme. Facebook’s main objective was to offer online discounts and coupons from local business across five American cities: Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco (and recently Charlotte, Minneapolis and St. Louis were added).

After testing Facebook Deals for four months, it was announced last week that Facebook will not be continuing to offer this service. Earlier in the same week another setback was announced: the killing of Facebook Places.

A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “We think there is a lot of power in a social approach to driving people into local businesses. We remain committed to building products to help local businesses connect with people, like Ads, Pages, Sponsored Stories, and Check-in Deals. We’ve learned a lot from our test and we’ll continue to evaluate how to best serve local businesses”.

To other online discount industry leaders such as Groupon and LivingSocial this has come as good news as it reduces significantly the extra pressure the social network giant was putting in their business.

Daily Facebook Deals should not be confused with Check-in Deals, which are, at least for now, alive, although changed to survive to the removal of Facebook places. Announced in November 2010 to work with Facebook Places it allowed you to find and check-in from bars, coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets through an app in exchange of free items, coupons and discounts etc.

To learn more about how Social Media and Facebook can help your business contact Studio8Search on 01865 842525.

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Facebook Aims to Replace Texting!

August 16, 2011

The world’s largest social media site, Facebook has released an instant messaging application for iPhone and Android service that permits users to exchange messages with a single friend or even a group, and has the option to send the message via SMS. The app also offers the option to send location information. So far Facebook’s mobile messenger is only available in the United States, but it is expected to eventually roll out in other countries.

This app comes just about a month before Apple release a similar product, built-in the Apple’s new iOS 5.

However, the advantage of this app is that unlike Apple’s new feature that is only available on products such as the iPhone to iPhone and BlackBerry to BlackBerry, the Facebook app be created for other mobile operational systems, like Google’s Android.

Now we just have to wait for a Google+ messaging app and you can be sure that soon or later it will comes too!

To discuss your website and how to improve the amount of traffic and sales you gain through it, talk to Studio8Search. We focus on Social Media, SEO, PPC and more. Call us today on 01865 842525.

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Google: a giant monster that never stops growing

August 16, 2011

When Microsoft released Bing, Google accused them of stealing Google’s search results. This week’s attacks have come after Google complained that Microsoft, Oracle and Apple were ganging up on it to stop Android through the use of “bogus” patents, which those companies apparently overpaid for, in Google’s esteemed wisdom.

There has been a huge criticism on Google’s power to continuously copy, expand and dominate someone’s business. Just observe the recently created Google+ and how it is attracting millions of users, some people say copying Facebook’s “Like” button, or Google’s coupon tool similar to Groupon offers.

What saves Google is that really, it isn’t too different of other companies. There were mp3 players before iPod, as well as touch screen mobile phones before iPhone or Internet Explorer before Firefox, Chrome and Safari. This is going to be a continuous battle which we are sure we haven’t heard the last of!

To find out more on how you can grow your business online and get yourself found in Google talk to Studio8Search. Call us today on 01865 842525.

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Google+ Users Soar Amid Social Network Clash

July 19, 2011

The battle for social network users is heating up with research estimating the number of Google Plus users is rocketing.

A study released this year found that the new service could have almost five million users in the US alone – up from 1.7 million users a week ago.

Google is currently limiting the number of people who can use the service, as it tries to fix any bugs within the system.

The search engine’s product allows users to limit which friends information and updates are shared by allowing you to group your friends in “Circles”.

However, Google has a great deal of catching up to do if it is to match Facebook, which last week revealed it had reached 750 million active users.

To discuss your own social media strategies contact Studio8 today on 01865 842525.

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The Times Newspaper writes an article on why Online Marketing is key to businesses

May 10, 2011

How to give Google a run for its money

Last week the Times newspaper published an article about SEO and why businesses should look to invest in their Online Marketing. To read more on this article visit their site. write an article on SEO and Online Marketing

It seems that SEO and Online Marketing strategies are becoming more and more popular and are a must for small to medium sized businesses nowadays.

You can create a great website with great products but if no one can find it then there is no point!

Statistical analysis shows that websites that appear in the top three places of a search engine’s results attract 98% of all traffic on the web.

But how exactly can you increase traffic to your site through the art of SEO/Online Marketing? Studio8Search can talk you through the key areas you should focus on and can provide you with a no obligation audit on your site to get you started.

We are currently working with a range of customers to optimise their sites, increase rankings in the search results and ultimately improve sales and traffic.

To discuss your requirements with Studio8Search call 01865 842525

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We’ve got to be more like Apple, Facebook, Google…..

April 6, 2011

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Online advertising breaks through £4bn barrier

March 29, 2011

One in every British pound spent now is now spent on Online marketing! According to figures, the internet now accounts for a quarter of all advertising spending in the UK.

The figures show that the value of online advertising grew by 12.8% in 2010, breaking through the £4bn barrier.

A study by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the accountants PwC found that online advertising spending grew three times as rapidly as in 2009.

It also outpaced the rest of the advertising market, which has recovered after dipping during the recession.

Guy Phillipson, the chief executive of the IAB, said: “Major brands restored their advertising budgets in 2010 and online was a big winner.”

The main growth area was display advertising on social networks such as Facebook, which grew by nearly 200%.

Facebook has made big advances in the last year in persuading advertisers to see social networks as a place to promote their wares.

With figures showing that UK internet users spend 25% of their online time on social networks, advertisers are keen to tap into this audience.

Online video advertising also nearly doubled in 2010, with £54m spent on adverts that appeared before, during or after video clips.

Mobile advertising raced ahead too, with finance, telecoms and consumer brands trying to reach audiences on the move.

Search advertising, still dominated by Google, remains the biggest earner, although growth in this more mature business was just 8%.

Ian Barber of the Advertising Association says there is one clear attraction which is boosting online spending: “It’s targeted, it makes it easier for brands to work out who they’re advertising to.”

Other areas of advertising recovered last year, with television spending bouncing back after a steep decline.

But much of the Press is still suffering, with magazines and regional newspapers seeing revenues continue to fall. Classified advertising, once a key element in regional newspaper revenues, has now nearly all migrated online.

But Lynne Anderson of the Newspaper Society says local newspapers are capturing some of that online advertising spending on their own websites: “They are getting pretty savvy at capturing audiences in new ways.”

She added: “Regional newspapers – print and online – are resilient, innovative and well-placed to benefit when wider market conditions improve.”

The IAB expects online spending to continue to grow, as faster broadband makes new formats increasingly attractive.

This information was provided by the BBC

To discuss your Online Marketing strategies contact us on 01865 842525

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Japan’s earthquake shows the power of social media in times of crisis.

March 14, 2011
In the UK, we can only imagine the devastation which occurred in Japan, and the concerning high number of deaths and more people missing. One of the scariest factors many don’t consider when an event like this occurs is how the avenues of communication shut down.

Telephone lines are reported to be down for most of Japan, and reaching a loved one is an extremely difficult task to undertake. As reports surface, messages from Facebook and Twitter provide the latest news. Doing a bit of research shows how the human spirit can be found within the social media platforms.

During this distressing time, Social Media has proven to be one of the most reliable ways to find information. Why? This tweet from the US State Department says it all: “Telephone lines disrupted; try contacting loved ones.. Via social media.”

To keep up to date with the latest news on what’s happening in Japan visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

To help locate a missing loved one or add information on someone visit: http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/?lang=en

To donate to the Red Cross appeal visit: http://www.redcross.org.uk/japantsunami/?approachcode=68816_googlePAD11JpTs&gclid=CM6Dx9_zzacCFYFB4QodyGRvBg

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