Consider using Facebook as a marketing tool

It'll be surprising to learn that a recent survey, carried out by Hitwise, admitted that Facebook had accrued more hits than Google Search in October this year. So, with that in mind, should more of us be thinking about honing in on the power of Facebook and using it as a key marketing tool. An additional way to generate awareness of our brands, products and services?

Think about setting up a Fan Page for your organisation. Make it a clear path to your orgnanisation, make sure the Page title is clear and describes who you are. Include a strong logo, or visual representation of your organisation.

Your 'Fan Information Page' is like creating a landing page within a Facebook tab. You can choose this page as the tab that people first access on visiting your page. It's essential to include as much information on here about your organisation as possible. The more relevant information you include, the more likely that people will find you whilst searching.

Also take full advantage of the small 'About Us' box on the left-hand side of main Fan, to succintly describe your services and organisation. Include keywords and phrases that people will use to find you in the search.

Key to the prominency of your Fan page, is getting as many people as possible to 'Like' you. As in standard SEO practices, links to your Fan page are 'votes' for your page. The more votes, the more points for your page. So you'll also need to advertise your Facebook page from your website and promote it as much as possible.

Facebook allows you to create a 'Find Us on Facebook' badge, or embed a 'Like' Box on your website for maximum visibility.

If you need some help with harnessing the marketing potential of Facebook, then please do get in contact with us at Oxford Web SEO. We can review your current website marketing plan and advise on ways you can include social media optimisation into your strategy.

Can FB really sell 'Facebook Messages' on the back of a sentimental trip?

I've just watched the new video for 'Facebook Messages'. It's some how trying to convince me that this new feature is like having a nostalgic 'Box of Love Letters' like my Grandma and Grandad shared in the War.

I hardly think think that keeping messages about 'what do you want for dinner from Tesco's tonight?', or 'what time can you pick the kids up from school', constitutes a romantic love letter? To be honest, I'm not sure that I'd want to keep a running commentary of my everyday life online. I don't do that with text, chat or email messages now, so why would I bother in 'Facebook Messages'?

Surely not everyone wants to keep every minute detail of their everyday life saved for prosperity?

Whilst it's a nice concept that we can choose to contact people by messaging, SMS, or email from one interface. Essentially it's still using the premise of an 'Email Address'. So it is email?

Well to be honest looking at the BETA screens it's just an inflated version of the current messaging system. Yes, it's uses an '@facebook.com' address, but let's face it it's not 'GMAIL'. I think it's competing much more with the likes of 'Blackberry Messaging' and 'WhatsApp', rather than an email client.

Facebook says - "Ignore that a given friend or family member prefers SMS or email or chat—just send the message your way and he or she will receive it their way."

To send a text, your friend needs to have text messaging enabled. You can now archive 'Conversations' and the layout of 'Replies' functions seems much more intuitive. The new feature is also invite only, so to start using it you have to have a friend 'invite' you!

I'm still not convinced that this new feature is the replacement for old love letters, but it's certainly an enhanced way within Facebook to facilitate friendships and communications.

Take a look at the video:

What drives our motivation?

As a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), I am privileged to be party to some of the most inspiring and innovative talks.

The following talk in the 'RSA Animate' series explores what drives our motivation. It
asks why people give to charities? Volunteer? Write blogs for free? Generally why do we do the things we do? Do watch it, as it comes to some fascinating conclusions about our behaviour.

"Delete This at Your Peril"

I was a little sceptical when I received this book as a pressie last month, but it's actually very witty.

One man's 'two can play at this game' strategy pays off, as he fights back at spam email; making up more and elaborate counter offers and schemes of his own.

Check it out, it is very amusing.

Is Facebook Turning into a Stalker's Paradise?

Don't get me wrong, I am as much the avid Facebook user as anyone else; in fact you could tell me I have 'FAD' and I wouldn't be offended. I love the good things it stands for; the ability to stay in contact with friends that you don't see everyday; its frequent mundaneness and the way I can make complete strangers lifelong friends.

However, what I don't understand is Facebook's increasing disrespect for Members' privacy and security. I read a great article today on PC Pro about a new Facebook feature that they have just launched "See Friendship".

At first glance this link is a great new addition, allowing friends to see a history of all the posts and comments that they have made between themselves. However, this is where the 'creepy' side comes in, not only can you see everything between yourself and your friends, but also all of the content shared between any two friends via a new search facility. It lets you enter in the names of any two friends to reveal their entire Facebook correspondence with each other — even if the content dates from before you added either as friends.

Does the phrase 'Stalkers Paradise' spring to mind here? Of course you could do this yourself just by rifling through your friends accounts if you really wanted to, but this new facility saves you at least a day! Obviously this being Facebook, all users are automatically opted in and it currently appears that there is no way to turn the feature off.

To read the full article 'Creepy Facebook Adds Friend Stalker Tool' go to the 'PC Pro Blog'.

Are Individual Eureka Moments Really That Rare?

I recently came across a review for this book by Stephen Johnson - 'Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation' and immediately wanted to read it.

The author explores the idea that 'eureka' moments by individuals are extremely rare. He argues that good ideas and innovation are rarely attributable to just one person - rather it's a group or collaborative learning effort.

Looking forward to understanding the 'Stacked Platforms' effect. Look out for my review soon...

Are we moving back to a world of private messaging?

There have been many high profile reports of faux-pas with users of Facebook and Twitter. Many of us may not have been sacked from our jobs by posting inappropriate facts about our boss, but I'm sure at sometime or another we've all had a social networking regret. Whether that's sharing something you wish you hadn't, saying the wrong thing or accepting people as 'friends' because you felt you had to.

It seems that many of us are now looking at more discreet and private ways to share the intimacies of our lives with real friends, rather than our Facebook page or Twitter. So are we looking at a resurgence of the old-school chatrooms? I came across this interesting article on The Next Web, which looks at how people's concerns over privacy are leading them to find apps that allow private chatting with select friends. For example, Blackberry Messenger, Whats App and Foursquare. Even the new Facebook 'Groups' features allows small privately invited groups of people to chat together, share photos and videos that only they can view.

I quite like that idea that people are beginning to return to the 'old fashioned' way of communicating, (well circa the 1990's anyway). Sometimes it's nice to just share a few intimate words with close friends, rather than announce it to your extended Facebook or Twitter family. ‎