Tag people in your Blogger posts with a linked Google+ profile

If you still don't have a Google+ profile (and take your brand on social media seriously), you're missing a opportunity here; but let's assume that you have one for now.

Google has made no great secret about the fact that it wants to continue integrating services (and long may it continue) and the ability to tag people on a blogging platform has historically relied on either tagging someone's @Username when posting the link to your blog to Twitter, likewise on Facebook or by including someone's twitter name in the title to a post.

Blogger and Google+ allow you to actually do this in a much smoother way.  When creating a post, there's often times when you mention someone or 'somebrand'; by providing a link to their 'presence' (website, social network etc.) it creates a unidirectional connection for your reader, but it doesn't necessarily let the person tagged know.

By linking your Google+ and Blogger profiles (aside from giving you a very easy way to publish your blog to your Google+ account), allows you to tag people by using the exact same function as you would from inside Google+.

For example, I sometimes write about +The Freecycle Network, a global charity I work with both on their social media strategy and the UK specific charity wing for the organisation.  The exact same process is used whether it's a brand (for example, the creative handmade styles of +Southern Home Hookin') or an individual heads up (+Kelly Head dominates my timeline presently, so I'll use her as an example).  This is now a simple way to engage new conversations.

I simply hit "+" and start typing their name to find them.

This is another step from Google in reinforcing the "social" in social media.  Will other platforms want to follow suit in this type of cross platform cooperation?  Will they even be able to?  Time will tell.

Is Facebook (CPC/CPM) advertising worth it? I use an ad run by @ashadegreener as an example

When A Shade Greener Ltd. showed me this advert on Facebook, I immediately jumped onto their website and entered all the details requested.

Details, which included my postcode.  It then displayed me an interactive map and asked me to 'pin my roof'.  At this stage, there is presumably little doubt as to exactly where I live.  Actually, at the point of showing me the ad, the company must have had a pretty good [albeit rough] idea of where I lived; didn't they?

Facebook advertising allows you to specify your audience by location (in addition to other criteria).  So, if you're sent an advert, is it reasonable to assume the advert was meant for you?

This morning, I received the following email from the company -

"Thanks for your applicationWe’re very sorry but you are based outside the area in which we are installing at the moment.
This decision cannot be reviewed as applications are automatically deleted in the Desktop Survey Department after being processed. Hence, if you would like to question this decision you must either apply again, ensuring that your objection is detailed in the ‘Message’ section of the application, or email enquiries@ashadegreener.co.uk"

I've copied and pasted the exact email [body, minus signature], as received (including the lack of punctuation and salutation).

Alas, I digress; you see this really isn't about me being upset that I can't get free solar panels (for the record, I am), but as someone who works with organisations and companies to explain why social media is a viable platform for advertising, it frustrates me to see it being used badly ineffectively.

I'm not complaining [too much] about the fact that they won't progress my application, after all, they did clearly state of the advert that the CTA was to "Enquire now"; but does this represent an effective use of Facebook advertising?

No, in my opinion, it doesn't.  You see, whatever they've targeted within their advert specifications (the list includes location, age, gender, interest and more), if they're not operating outside a certain geographical area, why would they target their ad at anyone outside of that area?

On a platform that you pay either by the displaying of the advert (CPM) or for each click of the advert (CPC), what's the bottom line?  They've just paid money for my interaction.  Money that could should have been better spent elsewhere.

Advertising is about reaching your target audience.  I wasn't their target; so they failed.

Does this mean though, that advertising on Facebook doesn't work?  Far from it; advertising on [one of] the world's most popular social platforms can yield really positive results.  However, just because someone has a Facebook account, doesn't mean that they should necessarily be responsible for your Facebook marketing campaigns.

I have a television, but I don't create TV ads.

So, in short, yes; Facebook advertising really can work.  If you're interested in maximising your budget and seeing what social media can do for you, speak to someone and ask them how they'll make your money work for you.

CTA: Call to action ~ What are you asking your target to do? For example, do you want them to register on your website, buy something, tell other people etc.?
CPM: Cost Per Mille ~ The cost for each 1,000 impressions (displays) of your advert.
CPC: Cost Per Click ~ The cost for each click on your advert.

Note: because I've used A Shade Greener Ltd. as an example, I'm linking to their website so you can check out their service.  Just to be nice.

Celebrity 'wannabe' spends £300 ($475 USD) to buy Twitter followers: Did he get a good deal?

The Sun today, covered a story of 19 year old, Kieran Miller of South Shields, Tyne and Wear.  The full details can be read on their website.

The shortened version goes a little something like this.

• Miller isn't working right now.
• Miller claims Job Seeker's Allowance ('Unemployment') from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
• Miller will, in his own words, do anything to be[come] famous.
• To this end, he has 'purchased' [nearly] 300,000 followers on popular micro blogging site, Twitter.
• He is quoted as saying “I’m not really looking for work. I put all my efforts into becoming famous.”
• He is attracting quite a lot of negative attention for these actions and comments

Now, I have little interest in commenting, in detail, on Millers apparent flagrant disregard for the agreement he has with the DWP (to be actively seeking work); that is between him, his conscience and his local Jobcentre Plus.

What does interest me, is that he thinks buying followers on Twitter is a useful way to spend £300 (regardless of where/how he got that money).

There's a reason why you're able to get this many accounts to follow you on Twitter, and it's because they're useless, dead, fake, spam and otherwise pointless accounts that will not engage with your account.

Your reach is therefore not going to be increased, so I'm sorry Kieran, but you've just spanked £300 on not a whole lot.

A quick glance at Miller's Klout score will show him at a somewhat average 45.  Certainly not where you'd expect an account with hundred's of thousands of excited followers.

In fact, you know what would have been a more productive way to spend that money?  Book some time with a Social Media consultant who could have given you much better advice on how to build your on-line presence.  Chances are, it would not involved the purchasing of Twitter (or any other network) followers.

I feel for Miller; I mean, who doesn't want to be famous, right?

But, want to be famous for something good.  Do something positive, make a difference, actively seek work and do something creative.  Because honestly, what the world needs right now, is not another 'Big Brother style' celebrity.

MY BIG BROTHER AUDITION - my big brother audition - youtube.com/watch?v=wr8ffw…@daniellestaub @westbrookdanni @laurenotw @amanda_lepore xoxo
— Kieran Miller (@kieranmiller94) December 20, 2012

So, my advice to anyone else thinking about buying a short-cut into highly popular social media is, don't.  There's many ways you can build your presence, make your content reach further and engage more people and I guarantee you that none of these ways include dealing with these shady and 'illegal' (as far as Twitter's T&Cs are concerned) practises.

"Using or promoting third-party sites that claim to get you more followers (such as follower trains, sites promising "more followers fast," or any other site that offers to automatically add followers to your account)" 

The above passage is taken from https://support.twitter.com/articles/18311-the-twitter-rules under the category of "Spam" which heads -

"Spam: You may not use the Twitter service for the purpose of spamming anyone. What constitutes “spamming” will evolve as we respond to new tricks and tactics by spammers. Some of the factors that we take into account when determining what conduct is considered to be spamming are:"

Come have a chat with me, next time Kieran; I'll steer you in the right direction.

Twitter Vs. Facebook Vs. Google Buzz

The battle of the networks continues; the only thing I think we can all agree on is that MySpace never really had a look in.

Now I've been a big fan of Google Buzz from its inception and though I have a great desire to see it succeed, I have a horrible feeling that it's lacking something.  Much the same way as Facebook is fundamentally lacking in its core purpose; social networking.

Perhaps a more apt label would be "Friend Networking"?  Come to think of it, maybe MySpace had it right, maybe these places are exactly that, "a place for friends".

Surely the whole point of Social Networking is to network...socially.  Buzz links you in with your current contacts, friends, family, colleagues etc. Facebook, similarly is a place where you're encouraged to engage with people after answering the question "do you know this person?".

So, are we 'networking', or are we 'staying in touch'?  Are the two even that far apart?

Conversely, Twitter is all about meeting new people.  Anyone who's been on Twitter for a while will be familiar with the #FollowFriday (#FF) concept, a Friday tradition where you have the opportunity to recommend an account (or accounts) that you follow, to your followers.

Of course, you don't have to pay any attention to a recommendation, but if you are looking to broaden your circle, it can be a great way to do so; someone you follow (who presumably you enjoy following) is recommending them, so there's a very good chance that you'll enjoy their ramblings too.

So, are these networks really in competition?  Perhaps in reality, they simply serve different purposes.

For now, I use Google Buzz to stay up to date with folks that are a little more on the forefront of Social Media; but will that really be the case going forward?  How long will it be until a new site is launched (Google Me is just around the corner), will that then become the 'cool corner'?

As time goes on, I lose patience with Facebook; their recent launch of Facebook Places left me yet again arguing with some faceless moron in "Facebook User Operations" explaining that I had in actual fact attached the information they had requested; this to me, really just sums up their attitude towards everything.

If the whole Social Network thing really were a race, where would you place your bet, is there a clear winner, or are you hedging your bets and sticking with them all?