Bing Out Of “Betaphase” In Germany, Claims 10 Million Users
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Bing is reportedly now out of betaphase in Deutschland. According to Microsoft, Bing has 10 million users or 20 percent of active internet users in Germany: Mittlerweile benutzen fast 10 Millionen Nutzer in Deutschland regelmäßig Bing, das sind 20 Prozent der aktiven Internetnutzer hierzulande.... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Tags: Google: Outside US > Microsoft: adCenter > Microsoft: Outside US > Microsoft: Partnerships > Stats: Popularity > Stats: Size > Yahoo: Outside US > Yahoo: Partnerships > Yahoo: Search Ads
‘Tweets Still Must Flow’. . .Except When Twitter Stops Them
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Free speech is one of those topics that always sends people in a tizzy. Most would agree that censorship is a bad thing, but at the same time, it’s not right to yell “fire” in a crowded theater. Unless, of course, the theater really is on fire.
This idea is tricky enough when you’re talking about books and speeches and what people say on TV. Social media, makes it even trickier. Take Twitter. It’s a public forum where people can feel free to say whatever they want — to a point. Twitter doesn’t allow excessive spam or threats and they don’t allow you to print the contact information for your ex-girlfriend. Common sense stuff.
But what happens when people want to Tweet about controversial issues? What happens when they come down on the pro side of an issue most people would say no to? Should Twitter step in and delete offending posts?
I can hear you all shouting, “no way.” And that was Twitter’s stance last year. This year, they’re singing a slightly different tune.
Twitter has announced their ability and intention to block selected content by country. As an example, they refer to the ban on pro-Nazi content in France and Germany. Sounds like a big job. Still, they say they can do it and they’ll even notify the Tweeter with information on why they were cut off.
Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.
I’m sure, some people will get upset about this type of censorship, but not me. Even if you bypass the rules of decent human interaction (which many do), it’s Twitter’s playground. They allow us all to come and play on their swings, but in the end, it’s their place and they can do what they want.
For the sake of doing business, Twitter does try to please all of the people all of the time. That’s obviously why they’ve decided to make this wishy-washy statement about how they “might” take down content that offends a whole nation.
I wish Twitter would take an even stronger stance and delete Tweets with inappropriate sexual content, foul language and abusive language. If people want to communicate like that in private, go for it — in an email — but I don’t see why it’s okay to put it on a public forum where everyone can see it.
What do you think? Should Twitter have the right to delete posts as they see fit? Or is this just the first step toward wholesale censorship?
Social Sign-Ons Help Marketers Discover the Real You
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Xander: “Sure he says he’s a high school student, but I can say I’m a high school student.”
Buffy: “You are.”
Xander: “Okay, but I can also say that I’m an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who’s to say I’m not if I’m in the elderly Dutch chat room?”
Xander makes a good point. The one cool and also creepy thing about communicating over the internet, is you can be anyone you want to be; a high school student, an elderly Dutch woman or Snow White.
People create alternate personas in order to be better than who they are or to fit in with the crowd on a particular site. People also hide their real identity to prevent embarrassment or for a more nefarious reason. They also do it to stop websites from using their data.
eMarketer reports that 88% of people surveyed have intentionally left website registration information blank or inserted false information. That would lead us to believe that they don’t want their information out there. But maybe filling out all those forms is simply too tiresome.
The easy way around that? The social sign-in. Sign in now using Facebook or Twitter! It’s one button (or close to it) and in Facebook’s case, it means you can’t mask who you are. That’s good for marketers. It also appears to be good for consumers since 77% of online buyers said they think sites should offer social signups.
Marketing Pilgrim’s Social Channel is proudly sponsored by Full Sail University, where you can earn your Masters of Science Degree in Internet Marketing in less than 2 years. Visit FullSail.edu for more information.
Up until recently, I resisted the urge to go with the social signup, knowing that it would give sites the full 411 on me. But I’ve come to find that the social signup is the way to go. No more passwords, no more forms, it’s easy, not just when registering but on every visit after.
The smart companies are the ones who give out a bonus to encourage Facebook sign-ups. I work with one that offers a reward point bonus, another gives Facebook friends a discount at their webstore. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to wipe out any doubts folks have about giving you their real identity.
How do you feel about social sign-ups?
SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 27, 2012
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: Search In Pics: David Beckham At Google, Google’s Moscow Office & Bing Bar In this week’s Search In Pictures, here are the latest images culled... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Mobile Search: The Agency Opportunity – SMN Tuesday, Jan. 31
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Search Marketing Now will present “Mobile Search: The Agency Opportunity,” on Tuesday, January 31 at 1 PM EST. The free webcast features Steven Schuler and Patrick Peters, both from Yahoo!’s mobile division. They’ll give an overview of the current mobile landscape, then... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article.
Daily Search Forum Recap: January 27, 2012
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web...
Tips on How to Help Uninteresting Pages Rank Better
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
The following video was done by Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz. He has some fantastic tips on how you can help the boring pages of your site rank better. Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournalFollow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal
Industry Discussion: The True Nature of Social Media ROI
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
There is a common misconception about the return on investment (ROI) via social media. For reasons most of us do not understand, Social Media has been classified primarily as a marketing tool by many. Because of this misconception at the foundation of a social media strategy, calculating actual ROI can be a circuitous and inexact [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal
Want More Clicks on Twitter?
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
The following infographic is by Dan Zarrella of HubSpot. This IG a lot of great recommendations if you are looking to increase your clicks on Twitter. I especially liked the suggestions on using words correctly and the use of action words. I guess I will be tweeting more on the weekends too. To find out [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal
Want More Clicks on Twitter?
Posted on | January 27, 2012 | No Comments
The following infographic is by Dan Zarrella of HubSpot. This IG a lot of great recommendations if you are looking to increase your clicks on Twitter. I especially liked the suggestions on using words correctly and the use of action words. I guess I will be tweeting more on the weekends too. To find out [...]Follow SEJ on Twitter @sejournal
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