When NOT to delete a customer’s Facebook post

For several months, I had been looking forward to a trip to my favorite place in the world: Colorado. Accommodations booked and recreation planned, all I had left to do was drop off my dog at the boarder’s the evening before my 6:30 A.M. flight.

On the drive to my dog’s “hotel,” I chatted with a ride-along friend about why I enjoy this particular dog-sitter. They let the dogs run free all day, a far leap from the jittery cabin fever he experiences when emerging from other boarders. Plus, the doggie hotel is extremely connected with social media. I can make reservations on their Facebook page and often interact with the staff while I am away to check on my furry friend. They made such an impression on me, I had voted for them in our city newspaper’s “Best of…” small business contest.

My dog at the Prizm office

We arrived, and my dog ran to the door, excited to be at his weekend play place.

Unfortunately, we arrived to a “Closed” sign. Lights out. Dogs in pens. No creature with a key or opposable thumbs in sight.

Google’s social search: Future for businesses?

Google search just came out with a new feature this week when they integrated Google+ updates into relevant Google searches. They are calling the feature “social search” and it has been getting quite a bit of press. (You can learn more about the service from Google’s promotional video.)

As for myself – having tried it for a week – I have to say, I am impressed with the functionality but more so the strategy it suggests Google+ will take and how it will help businesses profit from social media.

Facebook vs. Google+

Part of how I am forecasting social searches and Google+’s future success is in how I see where Google+ and Facebook differ, which is in the philosophy upon which they were built.

A testament to the power of social media

It’s amazing how quickly social media has taken hold of the world.  Why, just a short three years ago, I was completely clueless as to what the term “social media” even referred to.  And then when I did finally gain some grain of understanding, I flatly refused to be a part of it for months!  And now, as you can see, I am immersed as deeply as the rest of you crazy cool people. 

Although, there are days that I wonder what will become of everyone.  After all, like everything else in life, moderation is the key.  With all of the different games and fictional societies that seem to be flourishing on the internet, it really could be quite easy to become so fully immersed that one’s days would waste away until there was nothing of reality left to experience and appreciate.

Thankfully, there are many facets to the social media revolution, or perhaps I should say evolution, and it is a great one that I sing the praises of today.  Last year, I lost my beautiful cousin Joy to a very long battle with cancer.  I won’t go into the sad details, because this story is all about greatness precipitated by social networking.  You see, Joy’s children wanted to help her achieve her biggest goals and dreams before she left us, so they asked for a “Bucket List” of things she wanted to accomplish.  It wasn’t a very long list, and really, there were three items that I would consider the least bit challenging:  Go on a cruise;  Swim with the dolphins;  Be a part of the audience at a taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Facebook’s Comments Box Now Indexed by Google

Posts made via Facebook’s Comments Box are now being read and indexed by Google’s search bots. This is highly significant, as this added data will affect search engine optimization (SEO), therefore adding value to every discussion, both inside and outside of Facebook.

What is Comments Box?

A common discussion thread on Facebook using Comments Box

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Inside Facebook: At its core, Comments Box is what allows for discussion threads on Facebook itself. The ability to comment on Wall Posts, Status Updates, and so forth is made possible by Comments Box.

Video on Website Improves Brand

Why do you need video on your website?

As a video production and web design hybrid company, we are asked this question a lot. And while the answer may seem straightforward to us, many businesses are still miffed about what they can gain from online media.

Video is a Large Part of Google+

Last week, Google introduced its latest attempt at social networking with Google+, a direct competitor to Facebook. Bloggers and tech geeks everywhere are quick to draw parallels and note plenty of differences between the two. Our own Creative Director, Doug Johnston, scored an invitation and has since been testing the waters.

One of our favorite differences (which may be a short-lived differentiator, according to this announcement by Facebook) is Hangouts, or group video chat.

Social Media and SEO

Many of our clients are confused about social media. Is it just a fad? Doesn’t it represent a casual or unprofessional environment? How will this help our business?

Many social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, flickr, MySpace, Last.FM, blogs, SlideShare, digg, and more exist in the corporate world.

Allow me to tackle just one facet of the many benefits of corporate social media pages: Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Measuring your social media’s ROI

A common question between businesses and marketers alike is “How do I measure the ROI of my social media campaign?” Well, folks, I have the answer:

You don’t.

A common myth about social media is that it can be the end-all solution for advertising. Plus, it’s free — perfect, right? Wrong. While social media can be part of your marketing campaign, it cannot carry the ship.

How much do keywords matter?

My husband and I have always been sticklers for doing research before making any kind of major purchase.  From cars to appliances to electronics, it is important to know that you will be getting the most for your money before committing to spending it.  While it hasn’t been that long ago that we had to go to our local library to peruse the latest copies of Consumer Reports for information, now one has to go only as far as the closest computer with an internet connection to learn everything pertinent to making an informed buying decision.

A while back, I thought I had done my due diligence before making a major purchase – so much that even Dave Ramsey would have been proud!  I actually spent 4 months doing research in my spare time, before making the final choice, which was based on my research.  Here’s where it gets interesting:  I have had quite a lot of trouble with this product, even though everything I read raved about the item in question.  Did I get a “lemon”?  Or was all of my research bogus?  What did I do wrong?!

I continued to contemplate these questions, until it finally occurred to me that every time I did a new search for information, I always used “reviews” in my search.  So, I decided to try an experiment. 

Social Media: Don’t rest on your laurels

I was on LinkedIn dialoguing with colleagues around the world about who considers themselves an expert at social media.  Mind you, these are wise and seasoned marketers themselves.  The wisdom that came from thediscussion focused on a couple of repetitive themes.