Why aren’t you showing up on Google? – The Panda Update
May 7, 2012 in Business Blog
Have a look at how Google penalises thin and unworthy content. If you’re having a problem with Google not ranking your page, perhaps this is why/
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South Africa in Social Media
May 4, 2012 in Business Blog
Can we still afford to not use Social Media Marketing?
There are some fascinating statistics surrounding South Africans on Social Media for 2012. Why not take a look at this video and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Here’s a few highlights for those that don’t want to take a peek:
- An astounding 91% of South African internet users have a Facebook account
- There are over 4.8 million South African Facebook users
- 50% of South African Facebook users use their mobile phones to interact
- The average Facebook user spends 700 minutes a month on Facebook (and you still think you don’t need Social Media for your business?)
- There are 1.1 million Twitter users in South Africa, however, only 405000 users are active
- South African Twitter Users send 470,000 Tweets per month.
- Johannesburg is the city in South Africa that is the most active on Twitter
- There are more than 1.5 million Linkedin users in South Africa – Do you use LinkedIn? If so, what benefit do you find most important?
- Only 29% of South African internet users have a Linkedin Account
- South African YouTube users upload 48 hours of video every minute onto the website.
- Surprisingly, there are already over 460,000 registered South African Google+ users. The majority of these people are technically gifted, artists, authors or journalists.
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SEO & Social Media Marketing
February 27, 2012 in Business Blog
One of the major problems that South African SMMEs (Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises) face is that they haven’t the infrastructure, resources or knowledge to build an effective website.
Many have one page website, with no links to alternative resources, any additional information, some even lack contact details, but the main problem that almost all of them face is that they’re not optimised for search engines (search engine optimisation).
What this means, is that your website was not built with what Google/Bing/Yahoo are looking for. They haven’t the foggiest what your site is about, as the clues they look for aren’t there.
Now, you know that we offer SEO services, which means we look at your website on an individualized way and restructure/rewrite and reformat in the correct way, working with meta-descriptions, robot.txt files and all those complicated aspects, but we know that you may not have the funds to invest in something like this as yet. So, when we came across an extraordinarily cheap book on SEO and Social Media Marketing, we decided we’d have to share it with you.
People are searching for your products and services, but can’t find your website. What this book describes is how to get traffic by either buying it, or attracting it, at next to no cost. Something we can all do, if we just spend a little time on it.
You BUY traffic using pay-per-click (PPC) paid advertising or banners and impression-based ad campaigns. You ATTRACT traffic organically using tactical onsite and off-site search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, and implementing a calculated social networking strategy.
Discover the tactics you’ll need to employ to transform your website into a powerful selling tool and lead generator. Click Here.
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Google+ pages and why they work
November 11, 2011 in Business Blog
So by now we’ve all realised that Google just doesn’t stop launching pretty cool products. Monday showed the latest of innovations as Google+ launched the long awaited Google+ Pages.
I, for one, have been waiting with bated breath for this moment, as Google+ seems like the perfect platform for corporates, after all, it’s a sharing network, not just a social network. As companies, we’re looking less to interact on a personal/individual level, but rather to get our information out there and to reach as many people as possible. With Google+ this finally seems possible.
This is not to say that we should give up on Facebook, Twitter and other SNs, but rather to take advantage of a much simpler medium, which I have little doubt will take the lead on corporate marketing.
For those that are on Google+, take a moment to visit our Google+ Page to see what it’s all about.
One of the things I love about Google+, is that it learns from others’ mistakes and has taken the best of each network and implemented them into one. A few of my favourite being:
Twitter:
- The ability to share and interact with thousands of strangers. Yes, we can do this through other networks, but Twitter magnifies it and makes even the loneliest of souls feel like the popular jock.
- Oh my goodness, we can actually use #hashtags!
Google Wave & Google Buzz:
- They took note of why these networks failed on such a grand scale and created a network whose design rivals every current social network, with it’s clarity and ease of use. It looks pretty, but only because of its simple structure.
Facebook (before trying to mimic Google+):
- They noted how people communicated differently with various groups and how communication was limited when they couldn’t communicate with individual groups, but had to communicate with everyone. Cross-communication led to annoyance and Google+ took advantage of this by creating ‘circles’ – creating an easier way to communicate with friends, colleagues, strangers and whom ever else you please.
- Like vs +1 – They’ve taken FB’s ‘like’ button and maximised it with the +1. Now, not only can you tell your friends you ‘like’ something, but that shows up on Google search and if you want to find out more about someone, you go to their G+ profile and click the +1 tab to see what they ‘like.*’
All networks:
- They’ve amalgamated mentions, private messages, direct messages, inboxing, posting a status, posting links and almost every other form of communication into one box. You want to inbox someone? All you need do is share a ‘status’ with only that person. Chat to everyone? Make that status ‘public’.
I could go on for ages, but I’m sure you follow me. As you’ve seen here, Google+ is as simple as you can get, so I’m not going to walk you through creating a page. Trust me, you can do it yourself.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our Social Media Blog (the
Follow button at the bottom right hand corner) to receive a free Social Media e-book! And check out our Google+ Page to see what it’s all about!
*Bet Facebook wishes they’d thought of that…
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Social media has overtaken pornography as the #1 activity on the web
October 26, 2011 in Business Blog
- 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations.
- Only 14% trust advertisements.
- 93% of marketers use social media for business
- Social media has overtaken pornography as the #1 activity on the web
With statistics like these, how can you afford not to take your business social? People are talking about your brand – make sure they’re reading from your script.
On a side note: how many of you no longer equate the ‘#’ with ‘number’?
To follow posts like this, click the ‘star’ and ‘Follow’ button on the bottom right of this page. Don’t worry, we won’t bombard you with emails!
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Why +1 works
October 12, 2011 in Business Blog
Why do the +1 button and Google+ work?
By now you’ll have seen the integration of the +1 button…well…everywhere.
If you’re not within the techie, social media or artistic world, most of your friends are probably still out of Google+, wondering what 
all the fuss is about, and you can’t understand how companies benefit from having a +1 button on their site, when no one (that you know of) is on Google+.
The answer’s simple: +1 is so beneficial that it could be considered the new Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
I’m not going to bore you with the technical jargon, but in layman’s terms, if a person +1s a page on your website, all the people within their Google+ circles will see that page when they search Google, if they search the relevant terms. This may seem like a long shot, but, remember, people associate with like-minded people, so the chances are relatively strong that if a person likes (or +1s) your page, their friends are searching for similar products/pages.
E.g. You sell piggy banks, 
- You put a +1 button under each product,
- Bob M +1s a particularly well-selling pig, because he really likes it,
- Bob M is followed by Jack P on Google+,
- Jack P is looking for a piggy bank and Googles ‘Piggy bank’
- Your page shows up on Jack P’s search, with a little picture of Bob M underneath, saying Bob M publicly +1′d this page and… Bob’s your uncle
.
See now, why +1 is so important? You may not get 50 +1s a day, but just one +1 could result in 50 people seeing your page in their search.
Try it, you can’t really lose, can you?
What are your thoughts on Google+ and the +1 button? Comment below.
Wondering how to get the +1 button on your pages? Check out Google’s Quick and Easy Guide.
Click the panda at the top of the page to subscribe to our Social Media Marketing posts! (Fear not – you will not be accosted with daily emails, just relevant posts as and when they happen)
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The Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu hang out on Google+
October 10, 2011 in Business Blog
Although thoroughly social media related, I’m not posting this in reverence to the power of social media, but rather because it is a moment in history that we should all take the time to watch and perhaps take something from.
Two religious leaders, on opposite ends of the planet (well, perhaps not exactly opposite), from different cultures understand and respect each other in way that we all can learn from. Take a minute and watch these two, wonderful and mischievous leaders chat on Google+ and turn a negative situation into a positive.
The Dalai Lama & Archbishop Desmond Tutu hang out on Google+
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Facebook Facelift – Friend or Foe?
September 26, 2011 in Business Blog
Will Facebook start charging & what do we think of its makeover?
I have a few choice words to say about Facebook’s new facelift, but that’s due to the fact that I’ve had to spend this weekend redoing my entire Social Media for beginners manual.
We’ve all been inundating with almost everyone moaning about the new Facebook, so I shan’t go on much, except to say that a) Use this blog as a place to release your frustrations – I really want to know what you like and dislike about the layout and features and b) I have three reasons to not like the new Facebook.
- The Timing: Come on, guys, changing it the same day (or was it the next day) that Google+ launches itself to the public? That just screams desperation. It made me pity you, because if you’re that concerned about your standing in social media, perhaps you aren’t the giant we all expected you to be.
- Things don’t work: Don’t tell me all these nifty features are worth the fact that I have to refresh my browser five times before I can see my home page. They’re not. It’s not fun and it wastes my time.
- The poor bitties: All those old ladies joining Facebook have finally just come to terms with it and you change it? Not cool, guys.
Right, so on that note, there’s this lovely rumour that Facebook is going to start charging. This always happens when these little changes upset the daily balance of our lives and someone takes the advantage and tries to send us all into panic. So, will Facebook start charging and lead us all to bankruptcy?
Facebook. Isn’t. Charging. You may relax.
They would be incredibly stupid to do so and may as well close up shop now.
In case you needed proof, Mashable have this lovely article that prove this.
Now that’s cleared up, I’m off to check up Facebook’s Timeline, to see if it’s worth the wait, or yet another pointless feature.
Whilst I search, please let me know your quibs and complaints about the new Facebook format. I really am interested to know. Let’s see if we all butt heads over the same thing.
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The Dos and Don’ts of Social Media Continued
September 26, 2011 in Business Blog
I’ve finally convinced myself to take break, long enough to do the Don’ts part of the Dos and Don’ts of Social Media.
Apologies for the time lapsed since I promised you this interesting tidbit. Again, I refuse to make this too hard. The rules are pretty simple and short, so here goes:
Don’t
- Get all suave and professional: Users spend their day wallowing in corporate material, from proposals to your everyday emails. When they take a break from the humdrum of work-life and enter the personal shell of their social networks, they don’t want to be greeted by ‘Good Day, ABC Company can offer you the most cost-effective service that you’ll never, ever need,” they want a person. Be a person.
- Cuss, insult or offend: This may seem obvious, but once we become ‘people,’ we have a habit of forgetting that our users are people too, with their own ideas, beliefs and morals. People see etiquette differently and you don’t want to risk offending them. Take me, for example, I swear like a trooper – but not on anything remotely connected to my corporate profile. I leave my cussing for my personal blog.
- Be controversial: This links with point 2. People are people, remember that. Your corporate page is not a place for you to vent your opinions on the death penalty, abortion and other horribly controversial subjects. By all means, pound your personal profile with your opinions, speak out (I admire those that do), but do this as an individual, not as your company. This is a sure fire way to lose followers.
- Ignore people: As with the Dos part of the Dos and Don’ts of
Social Media – respond to everyone, even if they’re not always responding to you. If you can help someone with a question they’ve asked to the Twitterverse, then tweet a response, mentioning them. Retweet fascinating bits of information and funny, quirky statements and share a brilliant link on your Facebook page. - Post 5 posts consecutively: One of the most common mistakes we make as companies is forgetting to update our social media, until the last minute, where we frantically post all the bits of information we’ve forgotten to post until now. What this does is flood our users’ home pages (news feeds) with company information, blocking updates from their friends and causing a general nuisance. Space your posts out – if you can, leave an hour or more between them. I’ll go into the best times to post at a later date.
- Get despondent if you lose 5 followers: This will happen. A user can remove themselves from Facebook, or just feel like a general clean-up and you get to be the baby thrown out with the bathwater. Don’t bother yourself with feelings of inadequacy, this is perfectly normal. Start to worry if you lose 10 followers in a day, or people start unfollowing you each day – then you need to find out why (are you posting too much, are you offending people, are you sharing irrelevant/boring information?).
- Let cranky people get to you: As a company, you will most definitely get accused of something, be it spam (even though, by posting on your page, only people who agree to follow you, receive your information), bad service or boring information. Just remember, that these people have nothing else to do, but moan. If they have the time to sit and write and long, rude and insulting message, then they haven’t much to do, which implies they’re not busy and thus broke (so, it’s understandable that they’d like to spread their misery about). Do not let these people get to you. They will come out of the woodwork, whenever you make yourself public.
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Wondering what Google+ is about?
September 22, 2011 in Business Blog
The perfect video to describe why Google+ sets the stage to overtake Facebook…
Facebook’s desperate attempts to mimic Google+, launched on the same day that Google+ became public, do not set it in good stead to compete against the search engine’s influence.
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