Social Networks Today

Solid Advice For The New Social Media Marketer. Saturday, 26 May 2012 19:09 Last Updated on Saturday, 26 May 2012 19:09 Written by davidstanleyredfern 0 Comments. Keep your business site interesting and informative by hosting blogs ...

Excerpted from article:

"Qwiki, the start-up known for creating automated multimedia presentations, is launching a new media format that allows publishers, bloggers, web personalities and others to create 60-second video stories that are embedded with other videos, images, maps and links.

It’s like an interactive video slideshow that lets users click on other content throughout a narrated story, so they can choose how deep they want to experience the content.

The service goes into private testing today with some early users and is expected to open to the public in a couple of weeks.

Users can put together a Qwiki by arranging images, videos and maps and other content into six frames. Each frame can be further edited with a caption and embedded with more images, Tweets, maps and links taken from sources such as YouTube, Flickr, Google Maps and other sources including their personal content.

When the media content is laid down, a user records a 60-second narration for the story with the option of appearing in a small window throughout the Qwiki. The creator decides when to advance each frame.

Imbruce, Founder and CEO, said:

"there are many more features to be added that could make Qwiki even more attractive to its creators and users.

Right now, creators can only tell a 60-second story. But with the ability to add more content, it could really be the starting point for a bigger story. I think over time, Qwiki might be better served by allowing people the option to make videos a little longer.

New online tools, such as Pinterest, are already showing us that self-expression and curation are now very popular. I think it’s logical that a simple tool for mixing video, images and online content could also attract an audience..."

Read full article: 
http://gigaom.com/2012/05/23/qwiki-launches-interactive-story-telling-platform-with-abc-news/

Check out it: http://www.qwiki.com

A study on Facebook learned that photos are the best type of content to draw the highest-level of engagement while links draw the least

SEO for blogs, bloggers, blogging, make money online, income reports, social media marketing, Internet marketing and more.

Excerpt from the article:

"The question is…is your site prepared to convert one percent of those visitors? Five percent? Ten percent?

For each trait you use in your landing page plan, you’ll have the opportunity to increase conversions by at least one percent…and at least 10 percent if you use all 10. 

1. Create an ultra-convincing byline with this 3-sentence formula:

To create a compelling byline use the 3-sentence formula. Each sentence answers the following questions:

*Who are you?
*What do you do and for who?
*What’s the call to action?

2. Create a landing page specific to that audience...

3. Write a truly killer headline with the 4 U’s:

The best method I’ve ever found for writing killer headlines is to use the 4 U’s approach:

- Unique...

- Urgent...

- Ultra-Specific...

- Useful...

4. Write killer copy using the PAS formula:

*PAIN – Identify a real problem that your target audience has.

*AGITATE – think in terms of the consequence they could suffer if they don’t act to fix their pain.

* SOLVE – Once you’ve satisfactorily agitated your prospect…offer your product as the solution.

5. Put call to action above the fold:

Just make sure the CTA is above the fold because most people will make a decision about what to do within the first 4 seconds of being on your landing page.

6. Put a short video on the landing page:

What this does is puts a human face onto the landing page, builds instant credibility and engages those visitors who are power skimmers.

7. Request only the absolute bare minimum:

High conversion rates on your landing page will only come when you make the requirements for subscribing very low. In fact, for every additional piece of information…and every additional field you add…you could be losing conversion points.

8. Add social proof:

You can tell visitors of your successes quickly and easily in a variety of ways:

#Subscriber count – Announce how many people already subscribe to your blog or email newsletter list.
#Social media followers – Show people how many people are connected to you via social media.
#Logos – Display the logos of reputable companies who’ve endorsed you.

9. Use killer design:

The killer design communicates professionalism, trust and security.

10. Test:

The truth is that everything can be tested…and that you should get in a habit of testing to learn more about your visitors and prospects. The more you learn the better you will get!"

Read full article here: http://j.mp/JlMUa4

This post will give you plenty of ideas to implement that will make your marketing more solution-oriented. That way, your prospects see you as a helpful problem solver they actually like and trust ... not just a peddler of your product or service!

1) Create how-to blog content:

As most inbound marketers know, success starts with content; so begin by writing blog posts that solve peoples' problems! If you'll allow me to get meta for a minute, this very blog post about how to be a problem solver is, well, solving a problem.

2) Create lead gen offers that make people's lives easier:

You need to convert that blog traffic into leads, and if you've written some amazing content, your readers will probably want to learn more from you. Create lead gen content that will help your readers be more successful.

3) Source problems to feed your content:

Ask all employees to document these questions and problems and send them your way to feed your solution-oriented content.

4) Leverage the brainpower of your community:

Look, nobody knows everything. You're surrounded by people that have data, research, insights, and experiences from which your audience would benefit. Tap into that brainpower, and be the one to share it with the rest of your community!

5) Monitor and respond to social media inquiries: Speaking of social media, your active presence on social sites can contribute to your reputation as a thought leader, problem solver, and all around awesome business.

6) Optimize for long-tail search:

Long-tail search is a critical component of any well-rounded SEO and content strategy, and it provides tremendous opportunity for marketers that are looking to be more solution-oriented with their content. That's because many long-tail keywords are centered around interrogative queries, like "what makes a good blog post," or "where should I host my blog," or "how to start a blog."

7) Nurture leads with emails based on their problems:

Consider segmenting your lists and creating lead nurturing tracks that address specific buyer problems. You can identify the problems right in your landing page forms.

8) Create apps and tools that help solve a problem:

When you enter your website into the free tool, you get a comprehensive report that tells you not just an arbitrary grade, but also actionable advice on exactly what areas of your marketing need improvement, and how you can do it.

Read full article here: http://j.mp/L4qPhT

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I selected this piece written by Steve Rosenbaum for BBC Internet Blog because it's inspiring for those of us who are already curating to watch the evolution of curation and see these words from a man who knows.

"Digital Overload and information epidemic is sweeping the planet"

**The information ecosystem is flooded with voices, sources, rumors, facts, data, digits, images and check-ins

I love the way Steve describes the curators:

"To seperate signal from noise, an emerging class of information superheros called Content Curators have emerged"

He describes curators as -

"Journalists who've climbed into a time machine and been transported to the future, where there are more sources, and more tools, and stunning and sometimes reckless speed"

(He spoke at the 3rd BBC Online Briefing this past Friday, May 3rd and discussed curation and what it means for big media players like the BBC)

**It may be that what the web needs most are focused, topic oriented editorial specialists. Individuals who can gather information on a related topic.

**A new brand of journalist that can bring a distinct editorial voice to a curated content environment

Digital Overload is both a problem and an opportunity.

**One thing is for certain, the growth in digital content isn't going to slow down

**How we manage it - and who we trust to curate the information we need is the next big question on the web

Curated by Jan Gordon covering "Content Curation, Social Business and Beyond"

Read full article here: [http://bbc.in/ID9DNJ]