How to Connect Facebook to Twitter for Automatic ‘Tweets’ from Facebook Posts on Profiles and Pages

Managing social networks is time consuming so it’s important to automate as much as you can based around where you are most comfortable.  If you use Facebook and have a Profile or Page for your company, product or service there is a fast, easy way to connect Facebook to Twitter so that whatever you post on Facebook will automatically be fed to your Twitter account.

Step 1: Login to your Facebook account, go to www.Facebook.com/Twitter and you will see every page and profile you manage with an option to ‘Link to Twitter’.

 

Step 2: Selecting the Link to Twitter option requires you to login to the Twitter account you wish to automatically publish Facebook posts to and then authorize the account access.

Step 3: Once you have authorized Facebook to post to your Twitter account you will be returned to Facebook to select which types of updates you want automatically posted to Twitter.

Once you have completed everything the Facebook Link to Twitter system will automatically reformat any post with a short URL that will link users to the Facebook post whenever it may be longer than the 144 characters Twitter permits.

Need Social Networking setup, optimization, marketing and training?  Contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting 816-842-7774 for a free professional consultation and complete packages from only $350!

Robert Dotcom Jackson

Internet & Technology Expert

Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Social Networking Studies in Successful Social Marketing Timing, Posts, Interaction & Reach

Social Networking has been around for years, it transformed from a place to catch up with old friends from college or find a new band to the top online marketing platform in less than 5 years.  There are several recent studies that cover a wide range of statistical data, use and success from all of the social networks.

• Facebook is still King:  As of April 2013 Facebook has had over 120 BILLION Impressions where the longer posts were less read and less interacted with than shorter ones in the 100-119 character range.  Posts with Questions drove interaction up 10-20% as the chart below illustrates (on the left you see the character length and the red is posts with Questions while blue is posts Without Questions).

• Timing is Everything – the KISSMetrics study found that the best time to post on Twitter for ReTweets is 5PM.  The best time to post on Facebook for the most Shares is 1PM.  The best number of times to Tweet on Twitter is 1-2 Tweets per hour while it is best to post an average of once every two days on Facebook.

• A study by Bit.ly and Raka found the best time to post on Twitter for Clicks is 1-3PM while the best overall time for posts on Facebook to receive the most clicks is 3PM.  Forget about Tweeting anything important after 8PM or posting on Facebook after 3PM Friday

• A third study by Argyle Social found the best time to post on both Facebook and Twitter is 9AM-7PM.  Tweets during the Weekday have 14% more interaction than on Weekends.  The last item is the most unusual since the study found posts on Facebook have 32% more interaction on Weekends than Weekdays.  Most other studies conflict with this finding the best times to post on Facebook are during the week.

• 70% of Consumers Trust Recommendations on Brands from Friends:
  This is # 1 reason Facebook GraphSearch engine is going to change the way companies market online.  People like to work with, go where, be with and buy from others that they know and trust.  Facebook has more information about people than any other site on the Internet thus when someone searches for a “Pizza Place’ or ‘Real Estate Agent’ and Facebook shows them a list of pizza places friends like or real estate agents friends work with they are highly likely to use what friends did.

• The average ‘Shelf Life’ of Social Networking Links or Posts is only 3 Hours.  A study by Bit.ly tracked user posts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and direct on Bit.ly showing the most interaction happens within the first 60 minutes of a post.  The chart below shows the density or views/interactions on the left with the time/seconds across the bottom.

• Women Spend 30% more time on Social Networking websites than men.  This study by ComScore is fairly well known although I would say I am the exception to the rule since I am on Social Networks 12+ hours a day!  Some social networking sites like Pinterest have a significantly higher rate of use by women over men while others like Twitter are closer to equal.

Statistically Social Networks are THE place to market no matter what age, gender, race or location you are targeting.  Social networks constitute over 20% of the total online time worldwide with more daily users on Facebook alone than ALL search engines combined.  The key is knowing how to setup, optimize, manage and obtain the most interaction.  If you would like an expert consultation on social networking, social media marketing, search engine optimization or simply have a question Contact the Internet Experts at Internet Builder Consulting  online or Call us at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing Solutions

 

Loyalty is Created and Earned by Doing What is Right

With a challenging economy, high unemployment and an unclear future the value of loyalty has never been higher.  Today most companies have lost sight on the things that should be the MOST important such as service, support, solutions, respect, results and loyalty.  

When the economy tanked dozens of the builders and real estate customers we work with went from having large marketing budgets to barely being able to pay the bills.  The first few calls came in 2007 where someone asked to ‘take down the website’ because they could not afford to pay for the hosting or marketing.  Many companies would simply go ahead and disconnect service but we choose to take a different route.  I personally contacted everyone who called to let them know we appreciate their business, support and loyalty so we were going to return that loyalty and support by paying the bills for the customer until things were better.  

The first few times I did this the lady who handles our accounting nearly had a heart attack.  Not only was I telling her to stop trying to collect money I was explaining that WE were now paying the bills for the customers.  Many of these companies and people were the same ones who helped our small website company get started from my house in 1995 buying websites from ‘that Dotcom guy’ when business was good and few companies felt they really needed a website to sell a home.  As the market and technology changed websites and online marketing became invaluable and when times are tough a website may be the only hope a builder has to reach a buyer…so we keep the websites on.  The decision to do what is right instead of what is most profitable has made cash flow tight from time to time but given the choice to make more or help more we will always choose to help.

Google’s motto is “Don’t Be Evil” while Internet Builder Consulting’s motto is “Do What is Right and Make it Better Because We are Here”.  There are literally thousands of people and companies who offer websites, SEO and online marketing today.  What has made Internet Builder Consulting successful, the Best Place to Work in Kansas City with 91% customer retention are a few key things.

1. Always give more

Go above and beyond to take care of the customer, help find a resolution no matter who is at fault, no matter what time or what day it is.  Under promise and over deliver whenever possible, communicate and make sure the customer and staff knows how much you appreciate them.

2. Be transparent with your business, products and services

Things happen, staff changes from time to time and mistakes or delays are inevitable no matter how good you are or how well run things may be.  When something goes wrong address it, learn from it and make sure the customer knows it will be resolved.  We use social networks to share updates for the company, planned system updates or upgrades and to educate on new technologies since education is ALWAYS better than sales.  Never ever sell something if you do not have that expertise in-house with complete control of the quality, capabilities and results.  Never misrepresent yourself as something you are not, it may help increase sales in the short term but eventually people find out.

3. Build a better relationship on Social Networks

Have everyone in the company join social networks and interact with customers, post updates and ideas on projects and get to know the people we work with.  Customers are on Facebook or Twitter where they may read updates, company news or events and contact you if they need something.  If you really care about the companies and people you work with then get involved with them and learn more about who they are, what they enjoy and causes they support.  Internet Builder Consulting has donated dozens of websites to charities, organizations and worthy causes for customers.

4. Walk the Walk, if you Sell It you should Do It (better than anyone else)!

If you sell websites and website hosting then you better have a crack team of website designers, developers, SEO and Social Marketing experts ON STAFF and have all of that setup properly for your company.  Too often someone sells a service they don’t use or really understand, such as Social Marketing or SEO, simply because it is a ‘hot item’ customers ask for.  Internet Builder Consulting started writing articles, teaching website, online marketing and SEO classes in 1999 and Social Marketing classes in 2007 and all services are practiced every day at the office.  It takes a team of dedicated experts to keep ahead of the technology curve.

5. Be Loyal
No matter what, be loyal to the customers, companies and people you work with.  These are the people and businesses that helped you succeed so when they need help make sure you are there.  This extends past the office, we have customers who support Down Syndrome  diabetes, breast cancer and local charities which we volunteer for and donate websites, marketing, photography or whatever is needed.

Doing what is right is usually not what is easy or most profitable but it is the way we do business and live life.  It’s not about the money, it is about doing what you love with people you want to be around and companies you respect and support.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Founder, Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, SEO and Social Marketing
816-842-7774 Office

The Art of The Facebook Flirt

When I refer to a ‘Facebook Flirt’ it does not involve trying to pick up a date from a social network.  Many forget the social aspects of social networking which often leads to failure.  People buy from people and they will buy more from people they know and like.  There are easy to spot trends on social networks that anyone with any social skills can spot and track.  Consider a new ‘Facebook Friend’ who may be a friend of a friend or associate who suddenly starts ‘Liking’ and ‘Commenting’ on everything you post.

This may simply be that they never knew you existed before today but in most cases this type of interaction shows an increased interest of some kind.  The art of flirting is more than trying to pickup someone, it is the method to engage and interact with someone that entices them to react and respond.  When our firm began marketing on Social Networks we tested several different methods with several of our staff.

One of the interesting things we discovered is that social networking interaction is nearly identical to the social interactions we may encounter out at a bar or dinner with friends.  The more attractive staff instantly had more ‘friends’ online who interacted more with them.  There is a line to walk in terms of ‘flirting’ and interacting which we quickly found when new ‘Facebook Friends’ began asking our social marketing staff out on dates!

The art comes into play in being able to post interesting things that people actually want to read while integrating the company, brand or product.  The flirting aspect comes into play through the interaction, commenting on updates and posts made by others and keeping everyone interested in what YOU have to share.  If you provide the marketing for another company then you must know their product, service or brand as good or better than people who work for that company.  This requires constant research, insight, interaction and discipline to constantly keep things flowing without distraction.

Social Marketing Success depends upon mastering the Art of the Facebook Flirt by creating memorable interactions, unique messages and compelling posts that buyers connect with.  The methods used and formatting of the company pages, individual posts and updates all contribute to the success or failure of the social media marketing campaign.  Be cognizant of not crossing the line since you never know how others may interpret what you share online.  When someone shows interest keep it online and professional, there is no room for mistakes that can harm your reputation and business.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
816-842-7774 Office

www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com – Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Blogger, Twitter, Google+, SEO & Online Marketing

The one question every business owner asks when we meet for a consultation is “What do I need to be doing to rank higher on Search Engines and reach more customers?”.  The answer is a complicated one since there is no one thing that will lead to online success, it requires specific properly setup and optimized ‘Online Building Blocks’ starting with the website. 

No Online Marketing will be successful without a properly built and properly optimized website as the foundation.  The website must be readable by search engines, must contain multiple ‘calls for action’ to entice online suppers to submit a request, question or share information and the format of the website must be user friendly.  A website is “more than Meta Tags” today, the backend code is a requirement (still missed by many bad website companies and Template websites) but dozens of other key elements are required for online success.

This Template Website was produced by a a communications company for the customer and published without META Tags which ranked the website lower and lost the customer sales.  The customer did nothing wrong but noticed months later that old ‘marketing websites’ were ranking higher on search engines than the main company website.

The website IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM for online marketing success.  Make sure the website is built by someone with experience, expertise, focus (they build and market websites as the primary business – not an ad agency or public speaker or other type company that builds websites on the side to make extra money) and longevity.  There are hundreds of  unemployed people starting website, social marketing and graphics design companies.  There are more with expertise in public speaking, mortgages, ad agencies or even print marketing firms with little to no expertise with websites, Search Engine Optimization or Social Media Marketing that now present themselves as ‘website companies’.

The most capable website companies will have a minimum of 10 years experience designing, developing and marketing websites. Any company with less than 5 years experience is still ‘learning’ how to build a website and anyone working from home is someone to be avoided.

Once the website is built properly, optimized and submitted to Search Engines the next step is building awareness of the new website.  The top algorithm used to rank a website is how many other websites (that have value, not link farms) are linking TO a website and what content those websites have on them.  Search Engines track how many links go to websites over periods of time which brings Social Networking into play as an key role in any SEO success.

Facebook is the # 1 location on the Internet, Facebook is the # 1 source of referral links on the Internet and Facebook has more traffic from people who spend more time on Facebook than any other website or search engine.  The importance of Facebook cannot be overlooked, there are millions of potential customers on Facebook every day.  The few people who do not use Facebook can still find information from Facebook on Search Engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing since content from Facebook is fed to Search Engines.  Setting up a business profile and a business page, optimizing the page and creating a successful social media marketing campaign with regular updates, posts and interactions will help rank websites higher and potentially reach millions of people.

Facebook is like High School where popularity and interactions mean everything.  Setting up a profile ad setting up a page has no benefit unless there are multiple people connected to the page who interact, comment and share information or posts.  This is where it may be worth hiring Social Marketing Experts like www.SocialMarketingBuilders.com to create, optimize and CONNECT everything so that Facebook and Search Engines value the content ranking it higher.  At a minimum all companies need to have a Business Profile setup with a Business Page for their company, product or service.  Ideally it is worth hiring a company with teams of Social Marketing Experts to create, optimize and train you for around $350-$550 so time and efforts are not wasted.

Twitter is the text message wonder of the Internet setup with 140 character length messages with the idea that people would ‘Tweet’ updates from cell phones.  Twitter users are loyal and there are millions of them so setting up a Twitter account for business is a requirement.  Setup the Twitter account then link the Facebook account to it (do this in Facebook) so that updates from Facebook are automatically sent to Twitter like we have setup at www.Twitter.com/WebsiteExperts.  Connecting the accounts reduces the amount of time spent with updates and ensures everything is up to date across the online board.

Pinterest is the new top player on the Social Networking playground with a simple visual approach.  (View our article explaining Pinterest earlier this month for setup details)  When we first came across Pinterest it seemed like just another annoying social network to learn.  Once we setup the account and spent time to research what items to ‘Pin’ that would being value to business we started seeing increased traffic on company websites from Pinterest.  The average visit from Pinterest spent nearly 5 minutes looking through the website, 5 times longer than Facebook visitors.  Our company builds websites so the main thing we used on Pinterest was thumbnail images of websites we built with a description of the website.

We then setup another ‘Board’ for Social Marketing and another ‘Board’ for company training classes and speaking events.  We removed the default Boards that came with the account and spent time considering what would showcase what we did, who we are or what we can do for customers to create the most effective Boards for business and a few fun things.

Pinterest requires a few hours to create, setup and then locate enough content to ‘Pin’ so that it is effective.  Spend a few minutes connecting and ‘following’ other people since they tend to follow you back similar to how Twitter users follow people who follow them.  If your company sells homes then Pin photos of homes for sale or floor plans while others can Pin photos of electronics for sale or any item located on the Internet.  Pinterest is not permitted is not permitted to Pin items from Facebook but Google+ users are welcome to Pin any photo from their accounts.

Google was the 800 Pound Gorilla on the Internet for years until Facebook took the # 1 spot away.  Google tried to buy Facebook and when the offer was turned down Google decided to create it’s own Social Network.  Google+ is the result at http://Plus.Google.com with a combination of features from Facebook, Twitter and a few new ideas such as ‘Circles’.  The article on Google+ Setup and Optimization outlines the key features and benefits of Google+ if you are just getting started.  One unique benefit of having a Google+ account is that Google announced that websites are being ranked higher on the Google Search Engine based on usage or interactions from Google+ accounts.

When a company has a Google+ profile setup with the company website listed on Google+ and other users connected who ‘Like’ or ‘+1’ the website then it will rank higher for other users on Google.  In short Google is enticing people and business to use Google+ with the added benefit of ranking higher on the Google Search Engine.  Setup a Google+ account, place contact information, website links and a profile online and spend a few minutes adding people to your circles.  It may not be the top social network yet but Google is spending millions on development so it will only get better.

Google purchased Blogspot and combined it with their other Blog system to create one of the leading online Blog systems today www.Blogger.com.  Setting up a Blog (web log = Blog for short) is free, fast and reaches millions of potential customers online.  If a Blog has enough traffic and the right content it will be republished, shared and even sold online at the Amazon Kindle Store.  A properly written Blog will also help with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), establish creditability for the writers or company and provide fresh content for social networks or websites. 

Creating a Blog is about creating content about your company, services, products or solutions and related information people may be interested in.  There is no wrong way to write a Blog, simply make sure you DO it and always ‘sign’ the Blog with contact information including a phone number and full website address.  Write articles about your area of expertise, industry news or information and your company.  Once a Blog is setup be sure to link it to Facebook so any updates are automatically sent to the Facebook business page and even the company website similar to how Google Blogger feeds scrolling Blog articles to the Internet Builder Consulting website Home Page.

Last is the LinkedIn Social Network typically used for Business to Business connections.  There are no grandmothers sharing recipes or families uploading photo’s of the weekend trip.  LinkedIn is focused on business and company or professional information although it will accept direct feeds from Twitter and Facebook which may contain any sort of content.  The LinkedIn network suggests connections based on mutual places of employment, mutual existing connections and feeds nearly everything on the LinkedIn website to Search Engines.

Setup a LinkedIn profile and then a LinkedIn company page for the best results.  Company Pages and Personal Profiles are both indexed and sent to Search Engines so people may locate you or your business on Google because you have a LinkedIn page.

The list above outlines the very basic requirements for online success today.  Take the time to setup at least the basic profiles with a description, contact information and then practice every week until you are comfortable with each of the social networks.  If your business needs a BETTER built website, Search Engine Optimization or Social Networking setup, training or Social Marketing solutions contact Internet Builder Consulting online or call the experts at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
816-842-7774 Corporate Office
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

Internet Advertising Continues to Grow

Internet advertising in the US has hit new highs reaching $7.88 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2011, a 22% growth from the 3rd quarter of 2010.  Although Internet Advertising has increased significantly and remains the fastest growing segment of advertising it still has a relatively small portion of overall advertising at 15.9%.  The December 2011 report from Zenith Optimedia shows Internet Advertising will increase its share of the global ad market from 15.9% in 2011 to 21.2% in 2014. 

The leading Internet Advertising categories are: search (49%); display related (37%) – including banner ads (23%), digital video (6%), rich media (5%), and sponsorship (3%); classifieds (8%); referrals/lead generation (5%); and email (1%).

Top Internet Advertising Category Leaders

Search Engines

Google is the dominant leader in the search market with 83% of US total Internet Advertising spending and 82% of US pay per click share.  Google has 65.5% of overall US search volumes, according to  a July 2011 report from Marin Software. Data from eMarketer illustrates that Google’s search revenues reached $8.83 billion in the US in 2010, representing a 71.4% share of the $12.37 billion market. Yahoo 10.4%, Microsoft 10.2%, and AOL 2.3% followed, meaning that the top 4 web properties controlled 94.3% of all search advertising revenue in 2010. This year, eMarketer projects search revenue to grow almost 10% and hit $13.59 billion.

Display Ads

Facebook will bypass Yahoo in US display revenues in 2011 to become the largest seller of display ads, with Google remaining in the #3 spot, according to June 2011 analysis from eMarketer, which estimates Facebook’s share of US online display ad revenues to grow to 17.7%, up from 12.2% in 2010. Together, the top 5 ad-selling companies are projected to control almost half of the $12.33 billion display ad market this year, up from 45.1% in 2010 and 38.3% in 2009.

Yahoo had the highest display revenue of all search engine companies in 2009 and 2010, has a small decline in 2011 along with AOL which remained the fifth place. Facebook and Google have both more than doubled their market share since 2009.

Internet Advertising continues to be the #1 source for reaching more customers, expanding or maintaining brands and ‘networking’ with others.  If your company needs expert Social Network Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or websites contact the Internet Builder Consulting team at 816-842-7774.

Internet Builder Consulting – Websites, SEO, Consulting & Social Marketing

Social Marketing Builders – Building BETTER Social Networking & Social Media Marketing

>Google+ Facebook and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

>Since 2010 Facebook has been the #1 referrer on the Internet with more daily users than Google.  Twitter and Myspace have sat on the sideline for the most part as Facebook widened the gap while Google quietly recruited Gmail users to setup Google Profiles.  In 2007 InternetBuilderConsulting.com setup our first Google Profile and began setting up Google Profile pages for customers as part of our Social Marketing packages.

It was clear there was a reason for Google Profiles outside of just having a small page of information hosted on Google.  The Google Profiles were updated this year with a very ‘Facebook’ looking format showing a profile photo top left and a similar layout.  Recently Google began offering Gmail and Google Profile users Google+ and the +1 button to ‘rank’ websites and webpages.  Before getting into Google+ and the +1 button I will cover why it is important to use these and how they will impact Search Engine Rankings.

Google is the # 1 Search Engine yet Facebook has taken a significant amount of traffic away through the built-in search using Microsoft Bing.com to power search results.  Social Marketing is a critical requirement of any effective Search Engine Optimization campaign with Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace and other social networking pages typically showing up in the Top 10 search results on Page 1 of any search engine. 

Search Google for Builder Consulting and several of the Top 10 search results are social networking pages setup to market and promote the business.  Google, Yahoo and Bing publicize the inclusion of social networking links to websites as part of the  algorithm used to determine how high or low to rank websites.  This means that links FROM social networks to websites increase the ranking of the websites when done properly. 

Google already ranks websites higher due to links from Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and other social networks.  Now that Google has their own Google+ and +1 options the websites that are listed, linked and +1 the most often will receive higher placement on the Google search engine.  This is already in process if you are using Google+ since any website that someone within your ‘Circles’ has recommended will already show up with their photo and information directly below the website listing in search results. 

Now that it is clear Google+ and the new +1 feature will affect website rankings we can look at what Google+ and the +1 features are.  Google+ is basically Google’s version of Facebook with the following main features:

• Online profile with a description, contact information, places lived, work details and links
• Photos & Photo Albums(integrated with Picassa) 
• Circles (Groups of Friends and contacts similar to Facebook friends)
• Stream is the same as a News Feed or Recent News on Facebook showing you updates from the people you have added to your Circles
• Hangouts (online meetings using video and chat)
• Sparks (feeds and updates by interest such as sports, autos, movies, etc.)

Join Google+ by invitation only at this time or you can visit the website at  www.Plus.Google.com and request to join.  To join Google+ you should setup a Gmail account since Gmail accounts are receiving premium VIP admission to the system at this time. 

Once you sign up for a Google+ account you can start customizing your profile, adding links, contact information and begin connecting with others. 

What you place on your profile is completely up to you as long as you remember that the LINKS area should include any/all of your websites, Blog’s and associates you would like to promote online.  

Once the basic profile has been setup you can start working on your ‘Circles’.  A Circle on Google+ is unique to all social networks since Google permits anyone to add anyone else to their Circles without permission.  Adding someone such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs will permit you to view what they are sharing publicly.  It does not put your information on their Stream unless they choose to add you to their Circles.  Other social networks require the people you connect with to confirm and permit you to connect while Google has set Circles up with a much wider reach.  

When setting up Circles you can define ANY type of Circle you want and name it anything you want such as Friends, Customers, Prospects, Family permitting you to organize your contacts into logical groups.  Once Circles are setup you can search for and add ANYONE using Google+ to any of your Circles and follow anything that contact choose to share publicly.  If you would like to BLOCK specific contacts from viewing your content or information there is a default Circle for BLOCKED you may add them to which makes you invisible to anyone in that Circle. 

Once the profile, links and circles are setup your ready to start using Google+ and learning how it works as Google continues to develop new features.

Questions, comments or if you would like an expert consultation on Websites, SEO and Social Marketing  be sure to contact us www.InternetBuilderConsulting.com or 816-842-7774

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson

Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, SEO & Social Marketing Solutions since 1995

    

>Consumers & Online Buyers Are Tapping Into the ‘F-Factor’ of Social Networking

>

Consumers are increasingly tapping into their online social networks of friends, fans, and followers to discover, discuss and purchase goods and services, according to analysis from Trendwatching.com. The consumer trend analysis firm calls this trend the “F-Factor,” with the “F” standing for friends, fans and followers.

Social Sources Become Trusted

As a result of social networking and other online communication technologies, consumers can now use trusted sources they know to obtain information about products and brands, rather than rely on third party advertising or perform extensive first hand research.

Trendwatching.com advises that consumers have always relied on word-of-mouth advice from friends, relatives and associates, but modern technology is greatly accelerating its development as a major influence of purchase decisions.

Facebook Dominates the F-Factor

The F-Factor is currently dominated by Facebook, according to Trendwatching.com.  As of April 2011 Facebook has 500 million active users spend more than 700 billion minutes a month on the website and every month more than 250 million people engage with Facebook across more than 2.5 million external websites.

2010 Facebook data shows the average user clicks the “Like” button nine times each month and February 2011 Ad Age/Ipsos data shows 3/4 of Facebook users have liked a brand.

Consumers ‘F-Discover’ Best of the Best

Trendwatching.com has broken down five key ways the F-Factor influences consumer purchasing decisions. The first, ‘F-Discovery’ involves consumer desires to own or experience the best of the best and their desire for serendipity, excitement, interaction and community. People are curious and interested in what their friends and contacts think, do, eat, read, listen to, drive in, travel to and buy, because this will often be similar to how they want to think, act and buy.

Thus consumers are embracing communities, tools and apps that allow them to dive into and discover selections from friends, fans, followers, and so on.

Consumers Want ‘F-Rated’ Products

Consumers sometimes enjoy finding the best of the best through discovery; they are increasingly able to access personalized recommendations and reviews on something they know they want to purchase. Research from trendwatching.com shows more and more websites will automatically serve up friends’ recommendations, ratings and reviews next to goods and services that people are researching.

‘F-Feedback’ Makes Recommendations Personal

Anonymous reviews aren’t always what consumers need or want; they can lack relevance and context, and consumers with many options sometimes just want an unambiguous or finite opinion. F-Feedback involves consumers actively disclosing their purchasing intentions and reaching out to their friends and contacts for personalized feedback.

Trendwatching.com further advises that with more and more consumers increasingly viewing their online reputation as something to enhance as well as just protect, the quality of answers on Q&A services is rapidly improving.

F-Together Makes Shopping Social

While group buying platforms such as Groupon are revolutionizing local, consumers typically do not know the other members of the group that they are buying with. So, while consumers get to leverage the power of the web to benefit from better deals, the actual shopping experience frequently lacks the F-Factor. Consumers have strong incentives to share certain purchases, especially for F-Factor-friendly experiences such as buying event tickets where consumers can now automatically invite friends to a concert or movie right after purchasing a ticket.

F-Me Individualizes the F-Factor

Trendwatching.com refers to the trend of personalized products and services based on the activities and output of one’s social network as ‘F-Me’. This includes services that turn a user’s Facebook page into a daily newspaper and a user’s Twitter feed into a published journal.

Look for ‘Twinsumers’ and ‘Social-lites’

Both of these types of online consumers were identified by Trendwatching.com in December 2010 as critical to spreading positive word of mouth recommendations. Twinsumers are consumers with similar consumer patterns, likes and dislikes, and who are valuable sources for recommendations on what to buy and experience while  ‘Sociallites’ are consumers who consistently broadcast information to a wide range of associates online.

Social Networking and the integration of social factors with websites, online marketing and eCommerce are imperative in any Internet Initiative today.  Contact Internet Builder Consulting and the Social Marketing Builders social networking experts to build a BETTER website or Social Media Marketing solution today at 816-842-7774.

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing & Consulting since 1995

>Facebook Increases It’s Lead, MySpace Still in 2nd Place with Other Social Networks Gain Ground

>Social networking leader Facebook continued its momentum as it added millions of new users and people spent more and more of their time on the site, according to a new white paper from comScore. “The 2010 US Digital Year in Review” illustrates that Facebook accounted for 10% of ALL US page views in 2010, and three out of every 10 (30% ) US Internet sessions included a visit to Facebook. 

In addition to its tremendous increase in users Facebook grew significantly across nearly every performance metric in 2010. Facebook’s US audience grew to 153.9 million in December 2010, an increase of 38%, as it became the fourth-most visited online property, reaching nearly three out of every four US online users each month. Engagement metrics fared even better, with Facebook’s total time spent surging 79% year over year to 49.4 billion minutes and total page views growing 71% to 76.8 billion.

Facebook Increases Both Younger and Older Users While ‘Young Adults’ Decreased Slightly

The comScore analysis of visitors to Facebook and Twitter showed shifting user demographics during the past year. Facebook saw its 35-54 year old share of visitors decline 9% from 39% to 35.4%, while the younger than 18 segment increased 12% from 9.9% to 11.1%, while users 55 and older about 17% from 11.3% to 13.2%.

Twitter.com, meanwhile, saw a roughly 24% gain in the share of 18-34 year olds visiting the site, but those younger than 18 declined 46% from 17.5% to 9.5%. comScore analysis suggests this shifting composition may partially reflect a shift among younger Twitter users towards other communication vehicles and third-party Twitter apps.

In 2010 Facebook saw an significant growth in the number of people using Facebook, visiting more frequently, and viewing more content on each visit.
 

Myspace Continues to Lose Ground but Still Remains the # 2 Social Network

MySpace still maintains its hold on the number two ranking in the social networking category with 50 million visitors in December 2010.  The total audience declined 27% and time spent on the site declined 50% over the previous year. 
The business focused social networking site LinkedIn emerged as the third largest in the category with 26.6 million visitors in December 2010 Meanwhile, number four Twitter climbed to 18% to 23.6 million visitors in December 2010.

A few new social networking sites improved this year, as Tumblr.com surged 168% to 6.7 million monthly visitors and Formspring.me rose in popularity among younger social networkers and grew more than 1,000% in the past 12 months. 
 
Another worthwhile statistic to note indicates that 90% of Online Users visit social networking websites every month.  Social Networking websites accounted for 12% of the TOTAL time spent online in 2010 with the average online user spending more than 4.5 houses on social networking websites each month. 
 
Integration of social media marketing and use of social networking for SEO, online marketing and brand management is imperative for any business today.  Contact Social Marketing Builders today for a no-cost expert consultation on Social Network Marketing, SEO and online marketing at 816-842-7774.
 
Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet, Social Marketing & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites, Social Marketing and SEO Solutions since 1995
816-842-7774 Corporate Offices

>Google is Buying Twitter – Blogger.com Has Twitter Favicon

>There has been quite a bit of speculation and talk about Google buying Twitter although I have not seen anything solid until last week when all of the Google Blogger.com accounts had Twitter Favicon icons on them for two days.  I verified this for customer and internal Blogger accounts from multiple computers then searched online for a formal announcement after verifying the Twitter icons on Google Blogs.

By Monday December 20th the Twitter icons have mysteriously disappeared from the Google Blogger accounts though anyone paying attention to Blogger last week could not have missed the two days that Google displayed Twitter Favicons.  April 2009 the rumor was that Google was intent on buying Twitter no matter what the cost and with Facebook now having more daily traffic than Google it makes sense that Google finally made the move into Social Networking.

We announced in 2008 that Google Profiles appeared to be the first level stages of Social Networking for Google Users with ‘friends’ and ‘Followers’ connected to user profiles, photos, blogs and other items.  Expect Google to announce the purchase of Twitter soon and make sure you let everyone know where you heard it first!

Robert ‘Dot Com’ Jackson
Internet & Technology Expert
Internet Builder Consulting – Building BETTER Websites and Online Solutions since 1995
816-842-7774 Office