Optimising social media content is "trickier

SEO marketers will soon be turning towards optimising social media content, but it will be a tough challenge for them, says an expert.
A sector commentator has predicted that it going to be hard for advertisers to optimise content on social media websites.
Will Cooper, deputy news editor for New Media Age, made his comments following a statement by Punch Communications, which indicated that the deals struck by Google and Bing with social media companies will have an impact on the reputations of brands.
Mr Cooper claimed that social networks are the next step in terms of search engine optimisation for businesses.
He pointed out that advertisers have been able to optimise videos and images so that they appear high up in search rankings, so the next stage is for social media to be looked at in this way, but he said it will be "trickier".
"I think it puts more emphasis on the content and for sites to create content that's going to get people talking," explained Mr Cooper.
A social media service such as Twitter is loaded with links, making it a challenge for marketers, he continued.

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Expert: Brands must increase presence on social media

Communication with customers can be improved if businesses are willing to engage with consumers on social media, says an expert.
Companies are missing "significant opportunities" by not setting themselves up to interact with customers across social media networks, according to an industry insider.
Research by iCrossing indicated that top brands are not connected enough to their customer base.
The company noted that when greater intimacy is achieved with consumers, the quality of communication can improve too.
Adam Lavelle, chief strategy officer of the digital agency, claimed that companies should have a dialogue with consumers, not just shout at them.
"Brands know they need to connect with consumers across new media channels, but the brutal fact is few are doing it well."
To measure the "connectedness" of brands, the agency looked at engagement on social media networks, how much presence they have on blogs and the standard of their own websites.
This week, a representative from New Media Age suggested that Google could fund its Social Search tool by having sponsored Tweets appear on the right-hand side of the display.

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Sponsored Tweets 'could fund Google social media search'

Having Twitter users paid to write sponsored content has been suggested as a way to fund Google's Social Search tool, according to an industry insider.
An industry commentator has suggested that Google Social Search could be funded by sponsored use of social media service Twitter.
Will Cooper, deputy news editor of New Media Age, pointed out that when new applications are released, people will often focus on monetisation because everything "has to be funded somehow".
He said that this issue has not yet been answered with regard to Social Search, but there have been suggestions that advertisers could pay people to Tweet about products and brands.
"But the thing they've got here is an understanding that people are looking for information on social networks," explained Mr Cooper.
It would be quite a surprise if there are sponsored links on there in future though, he added.
Google Social Search was released last week and allows users to search for content on social media platforms according to preferences and contacts in their Google gmail account.
One of the focuses of the tool is to allow people to search their friends' blogs and social networks for content.

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New social media tool 'aims for meaningful experience'

Twitter users have been urged to create lists of content using a new tool, which the company's co-founder believes will be a new "discovery mechanism".
A new Twitter tool has been developed to help people communicate more information in a cohesive manner, according to the social media site's co-founder.
Biz Stone, writing on Twitter's official blog, commented that any user can curate a list and claimed the feature will become a "discovery mechanism".
He also mentioned how several media companies have already begun making lists using Tweets, such as the Huffington Post during their coverage of the baseball World Series in the US.
"Lists also make it easier to curate tweets into meaningful real-time experiences on your own sites via the Lists API," said Mr Stone.
There are also new applications on offer to help people create lists such as TLISTS, while others provide users with a selection of recommended Tweets of this kind, for instance Listorious.
Last week the social media company announced that it is partnering itself with Google to allow Tweets to appear in the search engine's results pages.

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Social media site calls for feedback on privacy policy

Facebook has asked users to browse through updates to the social networking site's privacy policy and submit feedback.
Facebook has released a restructured version of its privacy policy and has asked users to submit feedback about the online document.
Elliot Schrage, vice-president of communications and public policy, highlighted a number of updates that have been made, including notes on advertising on the social networking site.
The document also states how long back-up information will be kept for and features notes on the removal of content that has been shared.
Mr Schrage said: "Our primary goals remain transparency and readability, which is why we've used plain language and included numerous examples to help illustrate our points."
He pointed out that earlier this year Facebook became the first company to govern its policy by inviting comments and holding votes with its users for changes in regulations.
This week, the social media service called for people to report any abuse that they receive or notice online and stated that cyber-bullying cannot be tolerated by communities.

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Social media presence gives firms "human face"

By creating a point of contact on social networks companies can engage with customers, says an expert.
Businesses should be present on social media networks as it will give them respect from customers, according to an industry insider.
Geoff Galat, vice-president of marketing and product strategy at Tealeaf, claimed that social networking sites are a great way for companies to engage with consumers.
He observed that customers often just want to know there is someone available on a form of social media in case they want to get in touch.
Mr Galat said: "By establishing a contact point on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace or even LinkedIn, you put a human face and name on your organisation."
In his view, customers will appreciate it even if there is only one point of contact available and not a firm's whole customer service team.
Online advertising site Marketing Sherpa recently commented that social media can be an effective way of boosting an email marketing campaign, by encouraging users to share content.

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Social media site 'supports online etiquette'

Cyber-bullies must not be tolerated and people should report them when they encounter any abuse, says Facebook.
Facebook has called for users of the social media website to be civil to each other when they interact online.
Michelle Robinson Boykins, director of communications and marketing at the National Crime Prevention Council, wrote on the official Facebook blog that bullying on social networking sites can happen to people of all ages.
She pointed out that people need to report abuse when it happens, because it ruins the fun of interacting online.
Ms Robinson highlighted the report function on Facebook as a way of ensuring that people do not feel bullied by content being shared on social media.
"This is just one step in discouraging people from behaving poorly online and potentially hurting other people. It's up to you to address cyber-bullying if it occurs to you or people around you," she added.
Facebook recently announced that it will be launching a new feature on its share tool, in which users can see how many people have looked at shared content.

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