The Top 12 Social Media and Tech Stories This Week

There was a veritable barrage of social media news this week — from various and sundry natural disasters to Steve Jobs’s face-off with Adobe to Conan’s return to TV to Pulitzers to taxes to a whole lotta Twittering.

If you had trouble keeping up with all the latest SM-related news this week, never fear — Mashable has compiled a list of the top stories from the past seven days. Read up before brunch tomorrow and impress your friends/cat with your superior knowledge of all things social media.

1. Meteor in Wisconsin: Images and Video Hit Twitter – Several folks in Wisconsin, Minnesota and various midwestern states got a free light show this week in the form of a large fireball — probably caused by a meteor. Images and video soon made their way onto Twitter.

2. Norway Uses iPad to Run the Government During Icelandic Volcano – Natural phenomena mingled once again with social media after a volcanic eruption in Iceland grounded European flights. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg found himself stuck in the U.S., with only an iPad with which to execute his duties.

3. Google Launches People Finder to Help Victims of Quake in China – A massive quake in northwest China’s Qinghai Province prompted Google to lend a hand.

4. Twitter Promoted Tweets Are Live - Twitter’s new ad platform finally went live, but this was only one of the many innovations the microblogging site announced this week — even more came to light during the Chirpdeveloper conference.

5. Adobe Employee: Go Screw Yourself, Apple - Passions heated up this week around Apple’s recent ban on building iPhone apps via Flash, prompting Adobe Platform Evangelist Lee Brimelow to go on the offensive for seven paragraphs on the company blog.

6. Twitter Acquires Tweetie – After Twitter acquired Tweetie and renamed it Twitter for iPhone, developersbegan to fear for their futures.

7. HTC Incredible’s Specs Sound, Well, Incredible – There’s yet another new Droid on the block. Start saving your pennies in anticipation of its April 29 release date.

8. Tax Procrastinators: You’re Not Alone - This week tax day came and went. Some of us wept. Many of us lost hair. Happy weekend, all.

9. Online Journalists Make Pulitzer History – This is the first time any online-only publication has won the prestigious award for editorial content.

10. Kin: Microsoft Launches Social Networking Phones – Microsoft launched its own Microsoft-branded phones targeted at younger users, “Kin,” also known as Project Pink.

11. Conan O’Brien to Host Late Night Show on TBS – After months of speculation about his future, Conan O’Brien announced on Twitter on Monday that he’ll be starring in a new show on TBS in November.

12. The 14th Annual Webby Awards: Here Are the Nominees – The nominees for the 14th Annual Webby Awards were announced this week, and we’re up for three!

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Five Email Marketing Tips To Help You Build Smoking Relationships With Your List

Found this useful information from Facebook, thus to share with my readers. :-)

"

Email marketing is often not given the attention it deserves which is a bit short sighted considering it’s our primary list building tool.

Opinions about what works and what doesn’t vary greatly when it comes to email and what I’m going to cover is by no means a definitive guide. I suggest you try things out and monitor your percentage of mail opened and the click through rate. When something works don’t change it and when it doesn’t, well duh……

1.Use an auto responder

OK so you’re thinking this is obvious but believe it or not I still come across people out there who do not want to spend money on this tool. I don’t get it. Would a carpenter be without a saw??? Right so you MUST have this tool. It will save you time, help you to manage your email campaigns and track them. In my opinion the best one to use isAweber. The interface is very user friendly and they offer a wide variety of options.

2.Once a day, twice…. more?

I have no idea. Some people love getting emails every day and others hate it and unsubscribe. So what? Personally I think frequent is best so I keep in touch with my list six days a week and sometimes more than once a day. Remember these are people who you want to develop a friendship with. Unless you stay in touch with friends they will go elsewhere. I believe emailing your list frequently is fine as long as you are providing….

3.Value

This means you are not constantly sending out sales letters suggesting they buy the next greatest product you’ve just come across. The principle remains the same - give more than you take! It’s not very difficult to do this. Some easy value emails to send out include invitations to free marketing webinars as well as setting up your auto responder to send out a mail every time you post to your blog.

4.Personalize, Personalize, Personalize

Does the vast majority of email you receive look the same? Boring! If you personalize your mail even in a small way, you will stand out from the crowd and that is something you should be doing with all your marketing. Two simple ways that won’t compromise the integrity of your mail is use a different font, bold a line or two or change the color and add a customized signature like mine on the right. You can do this by signing up for one for free at Wisestamp. You’ll be able to use it for your usual email as well as copy and paste the html to your auto responder emails.

5.Respect your audience

Remember you are writing to real people, busy people who probably get far too much email anyway. Give them what they want. Ensure your content is relevant, brief and interesting. Learn how to use words creatively, naturally and effectively by learning more about copy writing.

It would be great to hear what you have to say about email and what your tips are if you have any to share with us. Leave a comment and please spread the word by clicking the “Bookmark and Share” button below, or by sharing it on Facebook & re-tweeting it on Twitter above.

My goal? Helping you achieve yours.

"

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The truth about Google Pay Day and any Affiliate Marketing Business

I received an email advertising Google Pay Day: knknews.com, which evoked my curiosity. The following is what I found from a thread discussing about it, and answered by an Adword Pro, hope you all find it useful.

" it is not associated with Google or AdWords.

I suspect it is a program about which you have heard that you can very easily earn money through AdWords, by simply 'typing', 'filling in forms', or some other very simple-sounding task. If that is the case, then please read on. I'd like to help set reasonable expectations.

Typically, when you sign up with such a programs you will be asked to create an AdWords account as part of a system in which you become an 'affiliate marketer' or 'affiliate advertiser'. This is actually far more complex than it is made to appear. In reality, you become an affiliate advertiser with all the very hard work and effort that calls for.

As an affiliate advertiser, you advertise on AdWords in order to send traffic to a site you do not own. Please note, however, that the cost of AdWords advertising is paid for by you, as the advertiser. Equally important, AdWords does not pay you to advertise. You would be paid by the owner of the site to which you send traffic by advertising on AdWords.

The reality of affiliate marketing is that it is extremely competitive - and potentially challenging and expensive. Unless you are very familiar with both AdWords and affiliate marketing, it is likely you will spend more money that you make. If you do choose to join such a program, I would advise that you do not expect to start making money right away - if ever - and that you do not expect it to be simple, quick, or easy.

Bottom line, it takes a lot of work, and you may or may not make a profit - depending on the effort you put into it. To be very straightforward about it, those who expect to quickly and easily make money with no work at all, will almost certainly lose money.

AdWordsPro"

"My best advice, to be very straightforward about it, is to not expect to make money at first, and to learn as much as you possibly can about Adwords in particular -- and affiliate marketing in general (which will have to be learned almost entirely outside of this forum and the AdWords Help Center.)

Along these lines I would also advise that you do not start unless you can afford to lose money in the early stages. If you can not afford to spend more than you make at first, please do not use AdWords.

I have included a few resources below to help you come up to speed with the AdWords piece of the puzzle.

AdWordsPro

References:

[1]	What is Google's affiliate auction policy? - AdWords Help(Help Articles) adwords.google.com Query used: affiliate

[2]	What should I know as an affiliate advertiser? - AdWords Help(Help Articles) adwords.google.com Query used: affiliate

[3]	How do I take lessons and navigate through the Learning Center ...(Help Articles) adwords.google.com Query used: learning center

"

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Twitter People Search by Location

There are various ways of searching for people through the social networks. Read about some of the ways of how to locate people on Twitter based on a number of different things.

There are various ways of locating people in social networks. You can carry out a twitter people search by location to find people in specific places. People can be found in different ways in this network. You can search for people by name, by email address, by industry, profession, interest and location. You have the option of searching from within the network when you are logged in.

Using the normal search option you can simple enter the location that you interested in and then search. Alternatively you can access the advanced search option which will allow you to search by location. Again it is a matter of simply entering the name of the place and you interested in and searching. You will be able to get real time information about all the people that are Twittering from that location. That is one way of carrying out a twitter people search by location.

The other option is to use http://www.search.twitter.com. This is a search application that has little trouble locating people based on any criteria that you fill in. A location is quite simple and the results are instant. You can use this application to find where people are and to find Twitter users in a specific area. A twitter people search by location is quite simple as you will notice as you search.

The application can be used to look for people that you share common interests with as well. You can use it to find your friends that are on Facebook. There is even an application that allows you to import all your email contacts.

Others also found this helpful: People Finder Email and also learn to search using a location. Alternatively Go to: People Finder Name. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Syndy_Estell

The Twitter Rules of Engagement

Note I used the word engagement. Not selling, not spamming and definitely not preaching.

What many companies fail to understand is business success on Twitter is secondary to relationship building. Twitter is a two-way conversation. It's about engagement. You have to get out there and comment, compliment, reply and add value. It's your golden opportunity to share your brand personality with the world.

There has never been a more exciting time to be an entrepreneur. The opportunities to build your presence online and attract attention to your brand using Twitter are endless. The important key for entrepreneurs and companies using Twitter is understanding that it's about sharing, NOT selling. Followers want to see real people with real experiences.

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, is an excellent example of someone who is raising the profile of the Zappo's brand by tweeting in a very authentic manner. He uses a great mix of interesting content, business links, personal observations and a very likeable enthusiasm for his life and his business. Tony connects with his followers on a very human level. And emotional connection is the key to building a powerful personal brand.

To build your personal brand on Twitter, you've got to give your followers a snapshot into your life as an entrepreneur. And you've got to be willing to give more than you get - to add value and show support for others' projects and businesses.

Here are my Twitter Rules of Engagement:

1. Only tweet when you have something meaningful, valuable, interesting or humorous to say. I'm not interested in what you had for breakfast for the fifth day in a row.
2. Post regularly (at least several times daily). You can use a free application to schedule tweets (I like Hootsuite) and best manage your social media time.
3. Don't just tweet about yourself and your business (this is for all the narcissists out there). Spamming your business down your followers' throats is the fastest way to get unfollowed. Instead, share knowledge, ideas and resources that will help them.
4. Keep your tweeting balanced. A good rule of thumb is no more than 20% about your business, and the remaining 80% should be personal and added value, such as links to great resources, observations and articles your target market may be interested in. The key is to offer information that helps, entertains and uplifts your followers.
5. Ask questions regularly. Twitter is about a two-way conversation. Listen.
6. If you don't have something nice to say, don't tweet it. If you do, it's out there forever. Remember, tweets are picked up by the search engines.
7. Always remember that deep-down, people want to be acknowledged and recognized for their efforts. Do this every day on Twitter, coupled with creating value for your followers, and you will be well on your way to a powerful presence online.
8. Take time each week to read what others have to say. Reply and compliment someone if you really like something and re-tweet (RT) the most valuable comments and insights. Remember, this is about engagement.
9. Remember to give credit where credit is due. Use the re-tweet symbol (RT) when sharing something someone else has already tweeted.
10. Twitter in the short term does not work. You must be in it for the long haul and be persistent, consistent and committed.

By regularly letting your followers know that they have your attention and your support for their success, you are building the all-important "know, like and trust" factor. As a pleasant side-effect of following the Twitter Rules of Engagement, you may eventually find yourself and your business booked solid.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Dennery_Sanders

Twitter Vs SMS Text Message Marketing

If you ask 100 people whether you should use Twitter for you business, you're likely to get split answers. Twitter is undoubtedly very popular, and it can provide sales and a new level of customer interaction for your business. There are several benefits and weaknesses to using Twitter for your small business, lets take a look at them when compared to SMS text message marketing.

Twitter is part of a larger group of social media web 2.0 sites. Also in this realm are Facebook and LinkedIn which we use but as you will find, it is hard to focus your attention on one and gain maximum benefit. Twitter is free and you probably already have customers and potential customers using it.

Benefits of Using Twitter

1) Allows you to check up on your customers, haters and competition. There are new Twitter search alert tools that allow you to be sent alerts when someone Tweets about your business or competition. This is a great way to stay on the curve. There are several free tools out there that can help you accomplish this.

2) You can Tweet sales, promotions, product advice and discounts. The ROI is only sales against your time as Twitter costs no money directly. People Re-Tweeting your message allows it to have viral potential. To track Twitters effectiveness use special offers that are only on Twitter.

3) Grow your customer base. By using Twitter actively you allow people to find your business who previously didn't know you even existed.

Still Twitter results and time vs. return can be hard to measure. Is it the number of followers you have? The number of Tweets you send? How do you gain the most followers? How many people should you follow? How do you cut through all the proverbial noise on Twitter to get your message across? Do followers actually read your Tweets?

Twitter can be seen as most useful when you incorporate it into an overall marketing strategy and not as a stand alone to an end all be all. Text message marketing that uses SMS based messages picks up where the Twitter shortfalls begin. As a business and advertiser you need to build one on one relationships with your customers. Engaging them in a opt-in campaign allows you to do this and it is much more personal because messages are being sent right to their mobile device.

Benefits of Text Message Marketing vs. Twitter

1) 95% of messages are read by your subscribers in in 15 minutes. You know with text message marketing that your message is being heard. It is almost impossible with Twitter to measure this. Tweets could go days without being seen, if at all. This will not increase your business when you need it most.

2) The text audience is much larger than Twitter. Twitter is estimated to only receive 22 million unique visitors a month and some say it may be showing signs of declining. On the other hand there are over 150 million people a month who actively use text messaging as mobile communication and this number continues to grow at a rapid rate.

3) You can gain new subscribers instantly in your store, through your traditional advertising and through your customers forwarding your offers to a friend. Adding a mobile call to action which is ease and gives your customers a clear benefit is easy with text message marketing, not so much with Twitter.

4) Mobile marketing companies allow you to have text based contests, voting, coupons and offers. There is no easy way to do this on Twitter. The various text campaign types have be proven to be fun to customers, increase loyalty and sales by rewarding your best customers.

As a business owner today, you should embrace all of the new media outlets there are available to reach your customers and increase your sales. You need to build a database of your best customers that have a true relationship with your business. Twitter can be a nice addition to your marketing but will not be able to replace the ROI, increased sales and customer loyalty that text message marketing provides.

Take advantage of Moto Message FREE for an entire month and see how much we can help your business grow. CLICK HERE to sign up, receive 200 text message credits and enjoy the new sales on us. Use text message marketing to build a list of your best customers and then target them with offers and specials that will bring them in the door with an industry average 20% redemption rates. We have also just added a new eBook inside the member's area titled, "Twitter Marketing Made Easy." If you currently use Twitter or have been thinking about it, this guide will help you pick up a few tips to make it worth your time. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_Farrell

Search Engine Rankings Vs Twitter

There are two approaches to promote a new blog. One is you try to improve search engine rankings of your web pages for specific keywords. Another is you try to bring more traffic to your website through twitter and social networking websites. Both approaches are beneficial but the question is which one is more fruitful.

Twitter is a great way to bring more traffic to your site. If you have large number of friends or twitter followers, you can easily bring traffic to your new blog. You may also bring people who want to steal your content. If they have high page rank websites, they will rank better for the same blog post. Some bloggers are constantly looking to steal content from ghost authors. Twitter provides sudden burst of traffic which vanishes after some time. Few of them may like your content and become your loyal visitors.

If you take another approach to improve your search rankings, its a very slow process. Its very important to improve page rank to get traffic through search engines. Link building takes a long time. But, this way you get loyal visitors. People who came to your web page through search engines are more likely to be your permanent visitors as they came to your site because they were looking for you in the first place. Guest posting, blog commenting are slow methods but go a long way in improving search rankings and stable traffic.

Remember, methods which are more difficult and slow are more fruitful in the end. If you succeed in getting search engine rankings, you will start getting twitter followers automatically. So, my advice is strive for search engine rankings.

Amit Sharma I publish a blog where I give wordpress blogging tips. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharma_Amit