Facebook advertising a serious contender?? you betcha!

With its demographic targeting superior to virtually any other website, plus immense numbers of daily and repeat visitors, Facebook is becoming a serious contender for sponsored advertising.   Already making significant inroads and increasing in numbers every day, it could even trouble the guys at Google AdWords for the coveted B2C marketplace!

When you think about it, visitor statistics and browsing patterns can be a rather grey area. Google addresses this in many ways via its excellent Analytics service, but there’s no denying that these stats are essentially the result of historic and ‘anonymous’ computer usage, albeit based on IP addresses and well-tracked click activity. 

Facebook would argue that it too knows exactly what people are clicking on and when, but crucially it also knows who. Not only who, but many personal attributes of that surfer such as their age, address, preferences – even hobbies and of course friends! These can prove pretty powerful nuggets of information for the marketer who wants to target a particular sector and avoid ‘wasted’ exposure. Look at this real-life example of a successful Facebook campaign for a Wedding Photographer, attracted by just such targeting parameters.

See what I mean? Powerful stuff.  Of course, through Google you can choose your geographic area and in an ideal world, people who are not 'obviously' interested in your ads won’t click on them anyway. But that is a different scenario, because Facebook’s offering is all about who is seeing the ads in the first place, not wasting impressions - and knowing you will hit your audience. There are also some demographic targeting options within the AdWords system, but it’s fair to say that these are not only far less accurate, they are real ‘under the bonnet’ work on a campaign set-up missed by many, as apposed to a standard feature. The launch of iGoogle does offer some voluntary information that can be used in targeting, but I just don't think it's got the numbers Facebook, let alone the fan devotion!

Traffic versus Visitors – the ultimate ‘Time Sink’

It’s also fair to say that Google is the ultimate ‘springboard’ website, quickly encouraging you to ping-away from their super-fast search results and onto your target destination. That means although visitor numbers to Google may be huge, but they are often gone in an instant.

But recent numbers released by research company Nielsen confirm Facebook is the web’s number-one ‘time sink’. Perhaps more interesting, is just how much more time we spend on the world’s largest social network today than we did six months ago!   Back in June 2009, Nielsen estimated that the average user spent four hours and 39 minutes on Facebook per month. That’s about 9.3 minutes per day in a 30-day month. In August, that number rose to five hours and 46 minutes, or 11.5 minutes per day.

In January 2010, though, the amount of time the average person spent on Facebook jumped to more than seven hours. Each Facebook user spent an average of 421 minutes on Facebook per month, which amounts to more than 14 minutes per day.

Even if you lump together the time spent on Google (1:23hrs), Yahoo (2:09hrs), YouTube (1:02 hrs), Microsoft/Bing (1:35 hrs) Wikipedia (0:15 hrs) and Amazon (0:22 hrs) it still doesn’t beat Facebook!

What This Means

There is a one big ‘but’ in Google’s favour. Google’s jewel in the crown is that it still retains over 90% of the Internet users search traffic, and would naturally argue that its monster market-share captures more direct surfer enquiries than any other website - and by a massive and seemingly unbeatable margin.  And as I write this in May 2010, Facebook enjoys nothing like the search-based advertising revenue from Google.

However, cross selling, incidental exposure, targeted advertising – all these things combine to produce massive numbers of online sales and this is where Facebook could win. Just think how appealing it is when buying on Amazon, and it says ‘you may like this’ and you think ‘yeah, I do like that actually!’ and go on to buy it.  We’ve all done it!  Could this familiarity and increasingly personal-based advertising prove to be Facebook’s ace in the hole?  One thing is for sure, it certainly cannot be dismissed as just a platform for virtual friendships.

Facebook and the Future – Open Graph

We hear a lot about Google’s domination, but take a quick gasp at some Facebook numbers. There are now more than 400 million people on Facebook, four times as many as there were a year or so ago. And it took just a year for Facebook Connect to have 100 million users on both mobile devices and Websites. And now it seems the trend will only increase...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at the company's F8 developer conference in April 2010 to unveil what he said is "the most transformative thing we've ever done for the Web." It's called the Open Graph.

Open Graph intends to pioneer ‘social plug-ins’, linking feeds, news, content and user experiences from major sites and resources all over the world.  Facebook plans to connect disparate corners of the Web that other social sites are building. "Yelp is mapping out the part of the graph that relates to small businesses. Pandora is mapping out the part of the graph that relates to music," Zuckerberg said. "If we can take these separate maps of the graph and pull them all together, then we can create a Web that's smarter, more social, more personalised, and more semantically aware."

"These connections aren't just happening on Facebook, they're happening all over the Web, and today with the Open Graph we're bringing all these things together," Zuckerberg said.

"We're going to make it possible to make those connections," Zuckerberg said. For example, a "news feed" item about a Yelp review of a restaurant could bring up more information about the restaurant and which of a user's Facebook friends have been there.  “We're going to connect all of those different graphs together to form the Open Graph, and when we connect all of those graphs together, the Web is going to get a whole lot better!"

So one thing is clear, Facebook intends to build on its ‘powerhouse’ status.   My advice is basically ‘be there, or be square’. It seems that if you’re not part of the revolution, you could quickly fall into obscurity…

Why not talk to us about your presence on the Internet, and about using social advertising and media to your immediate advantage!? - you'll be glad you did...

Frankly, without a Company Blog you can only go so far in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Used properly, they are absolutely first-class in getting fast, effective SEO rankings.

Unlike websites that wait to be found and read, Blogs 'broadcast' their content, and Google loves them. We are very well-versed in Blogs, and offer our own custom Blog system as well as documentation and full training on how to get the best out of your company Blog.

Read our Why You Need a Blog entry to find out more, or contact us for a chat on 0845 226 1033.

There's nothing more intoxicating than curiosity.

And whenever you see a still of a video on an interesting web page, the little >Play button just HAS to be pressed, no? There's a voyeur in us all, and that's part of what makes Video such a magnetic media choice.  It's also easily syndicated as people share it with others, and with Google owning YouTube, it can be immensely powerful as an SEO tool. Whenever video runs on a web page, almost 80% of people stop to watch it - that's a huge percentage!

It's not as expensive or difficult as you may think, and Dynamics Media offer full design, along with pre & post-production and editing, right from a small feature to a full advert, viral-campaign or full-on TV style production.

See our showreel here: http://www.dynamicsmedia.co.uk/video/index.htm

More website hits does NOT necessarily mean more customers!

Are you wasting your very valuable time learning search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to get clicks, but missing the whole point in the process?

From the feedback I have received, and seminars observed, there seems to be a new but rather misplaced priority for business owners. The trend seems to be about learning SEO, in the hope of attracting many new visitors to their websites. But could this be an almost complete waste of time?

This thing about learning SEO is only one-third of the story, yet people are getting right into the thought of it. They are eagerly learning like it's the be-all-&-end-all of their business strategy. But how many of you started a business in say, engineering, but did so with the intention of becoming an SEO expert!?  I assume none.  And don't be fooled into thinking this is the natural evolution of the modern business-owner, and/or that your sense of responsibility, professional diligence or basic opportunity-seeking means you must learn all there is to know about SEO!

More web traffic is just not enough!

I have encountered many business owners and entrepreneurs ranting on about SEO, and their latest nugget of information, gleaned in one of many wasted hours of research. Offices and events are filled with people browsing sites and online resources to get the latest tidbit (even though most don't even know how to implement their findings).  I have also seen some of the websites they are trying to attract surfers to...oh man!  They are spending a disproportionate amount of time on this subject that could, should, be better spent in a dozen other places with better results.  One chap I spoke with has attended no less than five seminars, and spent 'almost two-weeks solid' learning about SEO! Their area of expertise? exhibition displays (not SEO notably).

I asked him, could he estimate what he could have achieved with that same time and outlay, by pro-actively contacting his existing clients, a good mail-shot, perhaps some well placed marketing or PR, re-visiting previous enquiries that were not converted to sales, exploring joint-ventures and other opportunities etc.  The salesman in him could not help but admit he could have 'probably racked up a load of business'. Instead, he has spent weeks - and will waste even more - getting the engines to review and rank a website (on some rather questionable criteria and advice, I might add) that even if surfers chose to visit it, would probably not make contact anyway because it's basically very poor. (No I won't be revealing the URL and no we didn't write the site!).

More web traffic is just not enough!

SEO is really all focused on new (potential?) customer Attainment. But I would venture it's essentially pointless unless you can Convert , and then Retain these customers. What's the point of someone clicking on and off your website that you'll never know about, or hear from?  And if you retain your clients well, you won't be out there constantly looking for new ones.  New customers are expensive to get, harder work to converts, more risky to deliver for - and always more time-consuming.

SEO is a strategic decision, and as such should be approached at a company-wide level. In fact, it should be the LAST step in getting your house in order, getting your sales process ready, preparing your staff, focusing your services or product offerings, and based on on proper research. Best say that again - PROPER research (not what you think a competitor is doing, because that may not be working either). Then make sure your website is the best, most accurate, client-focused representation of who you are and what you are offering your visitors and potential clients in relation to that research. Then, and only then, get professional help to perform your SEO.

Whilst that's being done, get on with your job! Don't rely on Google or any single resource to give you your customers. If Google stopped tomorrow, how would you get clients? How did you attract, convert and retain your clients before SEO or the Internet? Do those things!!  Don't sit on courses all day or browse SEO websites. Don't abandon the common principles being in business and serving your clients. Then, if your SEO delivers a stream of new enquiries, that's a fantastic bonus you can happily enjoy. But if if doesn't, or in the meantime, you are maintaining and developing a solid customer base. 

I mean, someone has to pay for the SEO work don't they!

So that's why clicks are just not enough! You have to Convert and then Retain to make it even worth starting with SEO. Metaphorically speaking, no matter how enticing your campaign to get people to your 'shop window', if the store is badly laid out, unrealistically priced, out of date, boring, missing the point or just generally not addressing the immediate need of the visitor - they will still walk.

You have been warned!

Is this a rant, or just a more honest viewpoint that you won't hear very often?

Hmm, standard SEO (non-sponsered), it may be the ultimate debate? Well, what I do know is that there is an enormous amount of piffle being peddled out there, and passed off as expertise or advice. Don't be fooled. If I hear another word about how absolutely crucial the correct use of META Tags is for Google SEO - you know who you are! - I may do something questionable with a deer-rifle. First off, Google doesn't even take much notice of them; and certainly not in the way you may have been told.

Thing is, there are fundamentals you should do within your site.  The correct use of certain tags (specifically formatted lines of code), keywords and other content in your website IS kind of important, it's just not THAT important, you know! Of course we recommend - insist really - that these fundamentals are addressed as part of your site's core structure etc. but to think that will do anything remarkable is, shall we say, monumentally unrealistic. It can make a difference to your SEO performance, by perhaps placing your site 5,000 or so in the results of a search as apposed to 6,000!  But it certainly won't catapult you onto Google's first-page at any point in your lifetime or mine. Other things are way, and I do mean WAY more important; and badly coded sites - some with no tags or keywords at all - are still first-page performers because of everything else they do.

So, first set realistic expectations for your SEO and don't ever - ever - use automated submission systems. SEO is not something you can fake, and frankly Google is smarter than 99% of us. Do you really believe that some computer, left randomly submitting your site to 2000 search-engines (is there that many? I only know about five of any use), will do anything other than piss everyone off?  It will get you at best, badly penalised and at worst, blacklisted.

SEO is like anything, do it half-heartedly or circle around it, and you'll get almost nothing as a result. Do not try and do it yourselves unless youhave considerable time, expertise and an office punch-bag - 'cos I can already confirm it will not work otherwise (plus did you get into your business in order to become an SEO geek?). So if you are serious, get serious about it. Remember the real fundamentals are these...

• It takes TIME  - some Google updates take weeks to even be read, let alone start climbing the rankings
• An hour or so every now and then, will get you basically nowhere
• It's specialist - leave it to people who know the game and don't waste good productive work-time 'learning about SEO'
• They're constantly changing and updating the rules, so even if you do know stuff now, it could be out of date by the time you've finished reading this!
• Concentrate efforts on increasing your page rank, not endlessly-debating and guessing at 'key words' and the like
• Take action - longer you leave it, the more people you will be up against

It's perfectly OK not to know or understand SEO, or just to hate it altogether. But the opposite of hate is not love, it is indifference, so just don't ignore it and instead forever whinge about not being 'up there'. Decide how important good SEO is to your business - its not crucial for all - and allocate some time and a proper budget to getting it underway. Some of your competitors -the ones stealing all the orders and enquires from under your nose - are almost certainly and happily spending thousands a year on SEO. It may not take that, but shouldn't you know what you are up against?

Get good natural rankings and the rewards a significant. Other than the obvious, having a high page-rank and SEO performance can - all by itself - add many thousands of pounds to the value of your business. Buying (or selling) a business that has its SEO nailed is very appealing to most investors or would-be entrepreneurs.

OK, that's enough, I'm boring myself now. We know our stuff, and have dedicated Natural and Sponsored SEO services for those that want real-world advice and results. Want to chat more? you know where we are...

Watch out! There's been fundamental changes in Google's Adwords (Pay per Click) system! 

Because at a rudimentary level, almost anyone couldcan use Google's AdWords Pay per Click (PPC) system to get adverts appearing on top of the search results, the ability to misuse the facility was inherent.  This led to an explosion of bad adverts, some pointing to awful or irrelevant websites. Or worse still, ads leading to money-making schemes or affiliate-marketing links designed only to move traffic around the Internet at the cost of the surfer. Crucially for Google though, it meant it was possible to use its searches and easily turn up rubbish results for the surfer: not a good strategy (despite the money it must make them!!).  But I think Google will sacrifice revenue for relevane.  that was SEO is all about.  Their whole reason for being, like any other search-engine, is to deliver accurate & relevent results, and people were corrupting this great reputation. So looks like Google stepped in, in a big way!   

Google introduced a raft of terms, conditions, guidelines, tools and facilities specifically aimed at weeding out the bad advertisers. This was known (unoficially of course) as the Google Slap, and in a very short period it began cleansing the system of stupid advertisers, trash content pages, amateurs and crooks (no bad thing).  I suspect it also destroyed thousands of online businesses - and unfortunately totally confused millions of legitimate advertisers. As a result, it means that now would-be advertisers are 'forced' create only the kinds of adverts and campaigns that Google wants or 'approves' of; and only these campaigns are rewarded with better placements and click rates.

To you as an AdWords user, it means unless you know  - and I mean really know - what you are doing and how it works, the more amateur or less-professionally structured campaigns are now literally punished by heavily-increased click prices (sometimes 50% more expensive!) along with poor placements and higher minimum bids.  So now may be the time to seriously re-think your online marketing strategy!

Google AdWords is still the king of the Internet advertisers by a massive margin, so you can either spend weeks learning the new technologies and guidelines, or you could consider hand your PPC management over to the professionals.  We can make far more of your PPC budget, and we fully understand the new parameters as well as what works from the original system.  For example, we have been able to HALVE a client's existing click-spend, and still produce better results…!

Google itself does supply a raft of info and guidelines within it's system; it's largely there if you want it and know how to interpret it.  Just ask yourself how your time and money is best spent though!  I think Google actively encourages work from people that figure this sort of thing out, and sort of 'get' or respect their ethos.  This is what we do!

Hope this was interesting.  At least you now know what a Google Slap was - and why Dynamics Media should be handling your Pay per Click marketing! 

 :-)