By Robert Lockard

Is Facebook dying? That’s the topic of an astonishing New York Times article, entitled “Facebook Exodus.” Author Virginia Heffernan starts by pointing out:

The exodus is not evident from the site’s overall numbers. According to comScore, Facebook attracted 87.7 million unique visitors in the United States in July. But while people are still joining Facebook and compulsively visiting the site, a small but noticeable group are fleeing – some of them ostentatiously.

I’ve written about Facebook several times in the eHarbor Blog, usually noting its strength and rapid growth. Along with Twitter, it is leading the social-media revolution – or fad – that could change search engines and other aspects of the Internet or just peter out. This article grabbed my attention and demanded I discuss it.

You should definitely check out the New York Times article because it tells five stories about individuals who left Facebook for a variety of reasons. They are all quite compelling. One felt his privacy was violated by Facebook, and another felt she was wasting too much time on the website.

The feelings of privacy violation are completely understandable, and perhaps even unavoidable. Facebook is a social network so its information is not meant to be completely private. Perhaps people’s concerns are just the result of their own carelessness in posting too much information or not studying the rules to keep it hidden. Or maybe it’s a combination of shifting, hidden or hard-to-understand rules, as well as people’s decisions not to read the fine print.

Heffernan notes, “As Facebook endeavors to be the Web’s headquarters – to compete with Google, in other words, and to make money from the information it gathers – it’s inevitable that some people would come to view it as Big Brother.”

The part of the article that really took my breath away was when a prolific Facebook poster said the site felt dead to her a few months ago, even though it was still experiencing explosive growth. That struck me as incredibly odd. She noted the novelty of finding people on Facebook is wearing off, and I suddenly started looking at Facebook in a whole new light. Maybe Facebook’s services never really had a future, but they were just a fun diversion – a flash in the pan.

The last paragraph in the New York Times article sums it all up nicely:

Is Facebook doomed to someday become an online ghost town, run by zombie users who never update their pages and packs of marketers picking at the corpses of social circles they once hoped to exploit? Sad, if so. Though maybe fated, like the demise of a college clique.

This blog entry is a complete version of the eHarbor Blog post, “Is Facebook Dying?” The photo of the ghost town near Telluride, Colo. is from Flickr, and it is courtesy of Rob Lee.

By Britnee Nguyen

Journalists have always had the responsibility of delivering news that is unbiased and balanced when reporting a story. They make sure their own opinions are left out of the story in order to achieve this which builds up their integrity and their publication’s credibility to the public.

This has been a fairly easy guideline for journalists follow when reporting on stories to the public. They’ve been able to go to work and do their job without expressing opinion and then go home and enjoy their personal life and private opinions.

But in this recent world of utah social media, journalists’ private and public life are beginning to become intertwined. Washington Post just closed down their Managing Editor’s Twitter account because of their expressing views on the health care system. They then sent out new social media guidelines to all of their employees stating what they can and can not do.

They go as far as saying that they can’t post their opinions on utah online marketing Facebook and should delete comments left on their wall by friends that may also state a one-sided opinion. They are basically being told to be Washington Post representatives not only during their work hours, but in their personal lives as well.

To me, this seems to be crossing the line. Journalists should have their personal lives too without work interfering. I think audiences are smart enough to realize that utah online marketing when they see a journalist reporting a story on T.V. that their story is free of their opinions and that if they look at a journalist’s personal Twitter account that it is their personal writings posted there.

Social media has been a great outlet for people to express their voices in ways that have never been available in the past. However, in the journalist industry, the blurred line of social media and unbiased journalism has caused a chilling effect and shuts their voices to the world.

What do you think? Do you think journalists should be allowed to express their opinions on their personal utah social media accounts? Or do their bosses (like Washington Post) have the right to limit their freedom of expression?

Flickr Photo Credit: electricnerve

By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)

Just like any emerging online trend, Twitter has been infiltrated by spammers, many of them making claims like the one you see below:  “Make money with Twitter!”, etc.  While the spammers themselves are incredibly annoying (and their claims  baseless) there is some truth to that statement: Make money with Twitter.  Obviously, this is not to be done the way the bots are suggesting you do it.  Rather, Twitter can be a great tool for e-commerce businesses looking to gain exposure.

The great thing about e-commerce businesses is that they all have the common ability of being social.  That is, social media strategies can be implemented into their business structure.  Having trouble seeing this?  Here are some ideas to making your business more social and using that connection to generate interest, traffic and, ultimately, profits:

1. Publish new items to your Twitter account
2. Announce new blog posts
3. Connect with other professionals
4. Create “Twitter Specials”: coupons that can be used on your site
5. Generate interest with contests and competitions
6. Connect with customers to build a great customer support reputation
7. Announce sales, promotions, holiday specials, etc.
8. Give away free samples
9. Get more first-time buyers and keep them with Twitter support
10. Have exclusive one-day sales

This list of Twitter ideas is purposefully vague.  No matter what category or niche your online business is in, you can apply some or all of these ideas to fit you specifically.

If you’re still having trouble coming up with ways you can apply this to your business, try searching for companies in your niche.  See how they are using Twitter to generate traffic and leads.  This could be a great way to come up with affective social media tactics for your online business!  Remember, the worst mistake you can make here is to do nothing.  No matter what you’re selling, Twitter can work for you!

By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)

Having to manage multiple Twitter accounts, business and personal, I’ve come across my fair share of Twitter applications that allow you to Tweet from somewhere else besides the twitter homepage.  These third-party apps are extremely useful for frequent Tweeters because they come with tons of cool functions that Twitter doesn’t have yet,  such as the option to schedule Tweets ahead of time, view all your Direct Messages, @ Replies and Updates at the same time and the ability to Re-Tweet with just one click.  However, as is always the case with new technological innovations, the industry is constantly bombarded with “new and improved” applications and technologies, so keep checking social media news sites like Mashable to see what’s new!

Here are the best Twitter applications I’ve found:

1.  TweetDeck

TweetDeck is a desktop application that is great for beginning Twitter users.  A few of the nifty features of Tweetdeck include the live search feeds, the ability to customize your API usage and frequency, built-in URL shortening devices and a customizable layout and theme.  You can also use this platform to update your Facebook status and view your home streams.  I used TweetDeck for quite some time, until I discovered the ability of some applications to schedule future Tweets… which TweetDeck does not do.

2.  HootSuite

HootSuite is a web-based application that has recently revamped their system to include some awesome new features.  HootSuite allows you to tweet from multiple accounts, schedule tweets and view “click” statistics from the links you post with their built-in ow.ly URL shortener.  With the customizable layout, you can arrange your HootSuite account to display updates, messages, mentions and other categories from multiple accounts in organizational “tabs.”  This ability has greatly increased HootSuite’s utility and is great for both professional and personal usage.

3.  CoTweet

CoTweet is designed for professional business use and is used by such brands as Ford, Starbucks, Jet Blue and even Twitter itself!  CoTweet allows you to configure multiple Twitter accounts, schedule tweets, organize users and even add “notes” and assign “tasks” to administrators.  With a built-in bit.ly URL shortener, you can track the statistics of your links.  One of the most nifty functions of CoTweet is the ability to select to view your updates, messages, etc from all Twitter accounts or one specified account.

If you’ve just started using Twitter for both personal and business needs, these Twitter clients are a great way to become more organized and efficient.  Because we all have our own personal preferences, you should try out each program to see how it works for you.  Don’t be frightened by the advanced tools on some of these clients!  You can hold off on those until you become more acclimated with the way Twitter works.

In the mean time, follow our updates on Twitter: @submitsolution.  Happy Tweeting!

By Robert Lockard

I read a provocative post from the Blog Bloke a while ago that I’d like to comment on. The post is entitled, “8 Twitter tips to promote your blog.” In it, the author responds to the argument that Twitter and other social media are replacing blogs and that we should drive traffic to Twitter instead of to our blogs and ecommerce websites.

He points out the many flaws with that idea in his blog entry. I would like to focus on two of his most persuasive points.

The first point is, as the Blog Bloke puts it, “If you are a marketer trying to make money, you will want your Twitter followers to visit your blog and click on your ads.”

To quote Lex Luthor, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Companies often post links to deals and special offers on their Twitter accounts, but those links always go to one of their corporate websites or landing pages. Nothing is bought or sold on Twitter, itself. Social media is an excellent part of Internet marketing, but it is not a replacement for the many other available tools, such as paid search, SEO and blogging.

The second important point is, “Ultimately, your blog is where you want the action to be. You want your readers to follow you over to your real blog on your own domain and a site that belongs to YOU.”

As I’ve discussed before, Twitter and other social-media sites do not technically help with SEO. The only way they do is if other Twitter users find links to your blog and link to them on their own blogs. Twitter and Facebook have no-follow tags, which tell search engines to pay no attention to them, but most blogs welcome search engines to pay attention to their links and include them in their ranking algorithms. You can read more about this in my eHarbor Blog entry, “Experts are wrong: Twitter and Facebook help SEO.”

What an interesting discussion. I’ve had a lot of fun writing about this topic. What are your thoughts on this important ecommerce topic?

This blog entry is a complete version of the eHarbor Blog post, “Social media can’t replace blogs.” The comic of the history of blogging is from Flickr, and it is courtesy of stefan2904.

By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)

Social media’s power has been fueled by an intense growth of users and popularity, which has given free speech extraordinary weight in the online community. What does this mean for your business? Anyone who has come into contact with your company is able to voice their satisfaction, or lack thereof, to millions of readers across the world. Every company with an online presence should create a thorough social media marketing plan to control their online reputation and harness the incredible power of social media.

Here are some of the greatest ways to make sure social media doesn’t drag your online reputation under:

Resolve Complaints

1. Ripoff Report: When customers have a terrible experience, they like to vent their frustrations to anyone who will listen. Ripoff Report allows anyone to file complaints against companies who have “ripped them off” and helps warn other customers of poor business operations. Try searching for your company name and see if any complaints have been filed against you. Resolve these issues by posting your rebuttal and explanation of the problem. These issues are usually misunderstandings of some sort and clearing up the problem, while trying to lobby your interests, will help control negative feedback.

2. Get Satisfaction: In a similar manner to Ripoff Report, Get Satisfaction allows you to create a network around your business. Customers can interact with employees of your company, ask questions and post complaints. This is a great way to provide customer service and resolve issues that would otherwise negatively affect your reputation.

Build a Community

3. Twitter: By creating a Twitter account for your brand that you regularly update, you can conveniently connect with your customers and others in the community. One of the greatest resources that Twitter offers is the ability to connect your blogs and forums to individual Twitter accounts. This way, visitors will be able to “sign in” to your site through their existing Twitter account to post their thoughts, answer and ask questions and become generally connected to your community. This is a great way to create a following for your brand!

4. Facebook: Facebook is another great way to create interest in your brand. Through Facebook Connect, you can also allow visitors to “sign in” to your site with their Facebook credentials. This way, your customers will be able to interact with you through their favorite social networking tools. Your visitors will be able to update their status and publish their comments made on your site, giving your brand instant advertising.

Connect with Professionals

5. Industry-Related Networks: Social media is all about connecting with others who have interests similar to yours. When you join a network as a business entity, this still applies! There are many social networks geared towards specific industries, which allows you to become an active voice in your related field. Here are some examples of the industry-specific social networks: Active Rain (for real estate agents) and Sphinn (for marketing and advertising professionals.)

6. Linked In: Linked In is a social network for professionals in all fields. With a Linked In account, you can connect with business contacts, department chairs, professionals in your industry and customers. This account will help build your corporate rapport among professionals just as social media helps build brand awareness among your customer base.

While this is a great overview for beginning social media marketers, the real key to success here is in management. Once your company profiles are created in these networks, they need to be constantly nurtured with frequent updates, interacting with your peers and quick response times to inquiries and issues. This will tell your followers, fans or other readers that your company is well-managed and thorough.

By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)

September 8th, 2009

The extraordinary boom of Twitter’s users, popularity and publicity sparks many interesting questions.  How many now frequent Tweeters knew about Twitter six months ago?  I know I didn’t.  Is there anyone on the Internet now that has not heard about Twitter?  It seems impossible that a moderate Internet user would have been able to avoid the insane amount of conversation going on about the micro-blogging service.  No one is immune to that amount of advertising.  If there are some select individuals who in their daily Internet use have not at least heard the name Twitter in passing, I would like to congratulate them on having an incredibly impermeable personality… and I may even suggest using this gift to fight crime… somehow.

Having said this, I would now like to bring up an interesting corollary: MySpace. MySpace also experienced this crazy popularity surge a few years back. What has become of MySpace now? It has become a network devoid of adults and full of half-famous music groups.  Can you imagine your mother on MySpace? Didn’t think so. MySpace is not a place for mothers.  Why not?  Sadly, MySpace now resembles an Internet dating site: it lacks substance and class.

What does the MySpace case tell us about the future of Twitter? Just like any fad, it will eventually fade away. Just like my favorite orange sandals I wore in elementary school, made of a jelly-like substance and aptly named “Jellies,” Twitter will eventually go out of style.  How ridiculous would I look if I wore Jellies into the office tomorrow?  My coworkers would most likely see my footwear, do a double-take, then whisper conspiratorially behind their hands to each other, “Jellies? Are your serious?! I bet she uses MySpace too.”

How soon will Twitter become a thing of the past?  It’s too soon to tell.  In order to prepare for this post-apocalyptic world of social media, TwiTip suggests making memorable connections with those you meet on Twitter, exchanging information and establishing relationships.  See more tips in their article, “5 Steps To Take To Prepare For A Post Twitter World.”

Stay tuned for more Social Media news, tips and tricks from Submit Solution.

By Alyssa Udall (@udallyss)

September 8th, 2009

The extreme growth of social media users in the past year has prompted the development of a new kind of internet marketing. Instead of emailing stories they like, people are “digging” and “tweeting” them. The importance of websites and blog posts are determined by the votes of readers on Reddit and Delicious. People can follow many of their favorite brands on Twitter and become their fan on Facebook. This intense boom in social media use begs the question, “Where did this all come from?”

The popularity and hype of social media marketing has taken away from the traditional marketing focus on search engine optimization and pay-per-click ads. Utah SEO and utah PPC have fallen into the background while social media shines with all its glamour. Although social media marketing has proven to be useful, it cannot stand alone. All the followers in the world will not generate the amount of traffic that a great Google ranking can! Until search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo! decide to index every tweet in their rankings, SEO must be part of internet marketing. The trick to creating an effective marketing plan for your business is to combine traditional SEO tactics with fresh, new social media methods.

Here are some of the important “can” and “cannot” features of social media:

Social Media can…

Help you engage your customers. Social media allows your company to engage with the public in a casual, conversational way. You can find out so much about your potential clientele through this mode of communication! This is reciprocated as your customers learn more about your company through your conversations.

Help you build a following. Connections with your customers through social media outlets give you more opportunities to build sales through word-of-mouth reviews. It is also a great way to resolve questions and concerns in a way that will build trust with other readers. Social media is great for building awareness for your brand.

Social Media cannot…

Be the sole source of traffic for your site. Relying solely on social media networks to bring traffic to your site is foolish! In a recent presentation by @HubSpot titled “How to Use Social Media for Lead Generation,” they revealed that while three social media sites accounted for about 15% of all traffic to their site, Google alone provided over 22%! This means that while social media is certainly on the rise, search engines still provide the largest source of traffic.

Get your site ranked. Twitter, the fastest growing social media site, is filled with internet marketers promoting their brand. While this is a great method of driving traffic to your site, it is invisible to all outside of the Twitter world. Google do not index activity on Twitter! Therefore, Twitter, and other social media activity, does not help to promote your business through search engines. Most people rely on search engines to bring them to the information they’re seeking. To take part in that, you need to use SEO tactics to give your site a great organic ranking and, therefore, a piece of the pie.

Despite all its glitter and appeal, social media is not a one-stop solution for internet marketing. Search engine optimization and pay-per-click ads may seem outdated amidst all the social hype, but don’t abandon SEO! These traditional methods take advantage of the search engine traffic that social media cannot access. In the dynamic industry of internet marketing, it’s important to stay on top of all the latest trends, so stay tuned for more SEO and social media tips!

By Robert Lockard

Have you heard all about how useful Twitter is in building your business, but you have no idea how to get started “tweeting”? You’re not alone, and Twitter is trying to help you learn the ropes with a new Twitter user guide.

I found out about this new guide in a Houston Business Journal article, entitled “Twitter launches business guide, search widget.” Social Media Marketing apparently Twitter noticed many people and businesses would open Twitter accounts, post for a while and then abandon them because they either weren’t seeing results or they didn’t know what they’re supposed to do to with them. This new guide should hopefully reverse that trend.

If you go to Twitter’s guide you’ll find information on how to get started, new vocabulary terms, best practices and case studies on companies that have successfully used Twitter to increase their revenue.

Twitter also launched a new Twitter search widget to allow people to see who is talking about them right now. As I’ve discussed before, major search engine optimization like Bing and Google can’t keep up with Twitter and Facebook’s fast-updating service. It appears Twitter is trying to remedy this situation, but this tool is still limited in its uses. We’ll have to wait and see what permanent fix they or other entrepreneurs come up with. You can read my discussion of Twitter and search engines in my blog entry, “Google can’t keep up with Twitter.”

Twitter can be an excellent tool for businesses to keep in touch with customers, build new relationships and generate new sales opportunities. But it must be used wisely. I’ve talked a lot in the eHarbor Blog about how Twitter doesn’t directly help your site’s search engine optimization, but it does have many strengths. It should be an important part of your Internet marketing strategies if you’re an ecommerce company.

This blog entry is a complete version of the eHarbor Blog post, “Twitter tutors tweeters.” The photo of the squirrel reaching is from Flickr, and it is courtesy of snappybex.