OVBlogger: Blogging and SEO

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So, I’ve tried the Facebook ads. They’re pretty cool in terms of placement and presentation, but they produced no results. So, I abandoned them. I’m wondering if any of you have had success. I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think made that happen.

The prediction from eMarketer Daily is that Web 2.0 advertising will rise from $1.175M in 2008 to $1,295M in 2009. Not a huge jump, but it shows how people are getting more excited about placing ads on Web 2.0, but they’re predicting $1.64M in 2013, so a constant rise in advertising in Web 2.0.

But who’s doing it?

On MySpace.com, it’s the big boys. There’s a huge flash ad for the new blockbuster movieTwilight spread across the entire screen. There’s another smaller banner at the bottom for that movie, too. And we have Ashton Kutcher, Don Cheadle, and the World Poker Tour. Not one Internet marketer from our circles. Not one. Inside, we have ads all over the page. I really think that MySpace is getting just the tad spammy, and because it annoys me so, I rarely go back to visit.

I like Facebook 100 times better. The only ads there are the pay-per-click ads and they’re unobtrusive. They don’t smack you in the eyeballs like the MySpace ads do. I mean, it makes you wonder whether you’re at MySpace to socialize or be in a virtual mall lined with nothing but billboards. But MySpace is kind of for the younger generation. Maybe they’re so inured to all of the ads they see day after day that they just don’t notice.

HubPages.com has a couple of banner ads on the front page. Not really annoying because I’m banner blind, I guess. I just don’t see them.  They’re there when you sign in, too, and from companies like AT&T, so I’m guessing that the HubPages owner is making a tidy sum from those banners. I don’t mind. They should be making some money for their service.

Squidoo? No ads at all on the home page. Very classy. We have some advertising on the lenses themselves, but again, not annoying at all. The banners blend in and well… again from big companies. I’d expect nothing less from Seth Godin.

But, what’s the deal with Twitter? I mean, it’s HOT, hot HOT! And they have NO monetization for that service whatsoever. I mean, how many of us could jump right in and give them a pointer or two? Have any of you guru types contacted the people? You’re missing a huge opportunity there!

Anyway, I’m seeing these numbers and they’re looking pretty good, but we’re talking major companies coming in and making money with Web 2.0. I’m really hoping they won’t come in and overwhelm the sites and make a carnival-like atmosphere like they did at MySpace.

Of course, I’m into advertising and all things marketing, but there’s a delicate balance, isn’t there? We all hate email spammers, so there’s a line that we all, marketer and non-marketer alike don’t like crossed.

When the ads come in to pollute the sociability of Web 2.0 — bad news, and the predictions for big ad revenues? Out the window.

I say keep Web 2.0 sociable. Keep too many ads out and people reaching out to people in. That’s the part that makes Web 2.0 special.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Social media is expanding and contracting at quite a rapid rate. And Pownce announced yesterday that it would be closing on 12/15.  I was suprised when I went in to update my account, but also have to admit that I hadn’t been there in weeks.

It’s all about Twitter, after all, isn’t it? I mean, there are apps out the ying-yang for Twitter, Twitter grader, Twitter pix, Twitter this and Twitter that. How could another micro-blogging site co-exist? I know there are others, but am wondering if they won’t suffer the same fate as Pownce.

And what about  all the networking sites? I mean, once MySpace was King, now, it seems it’s Facebook.  But what about Social Marketing Central? Or, Victory Online University, or Sta.rtUp.biz? Or all the gazillion social sites inundating the Internet? Do we have time for all of them… NO!

I mean, social marketing is great, no doubt about it, and it’s a lot of fun. Yet, Powce is one example of how enough is enough. People like Twitter, cool… so do I. People like Facebook, and so do I. And though I really like all these new places, there are just too many. Being the social butterfly is fun, and good for business, but at one crucial tipping point, spending too much time socializing has to give way to real production.

Plus, the more places that spring up, the less and less likely they will be to succeed.

My advice?

Pick the places where you can relate to the people in the group. Hell, build your group in Twitter or Facebook or wherever, and spend time there. You may have time for a few. But when you get right down to the nitty-gritty of it, you’ll get some traffic, but you’ll also lose sight of your prize. Focus on what’s important to you and then, allow social media to fill the gaps.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Wow! I just finished watching a video at StomperNet about Hello.txt by Paul Colligan. What a time saver! If you belong to as many social sites as I do, it totally rocks.

You can post your snippets to Twitter, Pownce, MySpace, Facebook, LinkdIn, Plaxo, and a host of other social sites all at the same time.

So, for example, I’m going to post to these sites about this blog post so that folks can check it out.

In the olden days… like, um, yesterday… I had to tweet at Twitter, then go to Facebook and post there, then go to Pownce, etc. Now, I can just go to Hello.txt and have it posted at all my favorite social sites all at the same time.

Love it!

Web 2.0 is really cool, and a whole lot of fun. I feel that the Web is leaning toward these sites that people want in a very big way. So, how will this affect search?

I’m thinking a LOT. Look at Google. What can you type into the search bar that doesn’t come back with Wikipedia in the first position? Well, I know there are keywords that don’t, but you know what I mean. Wikipedia gets a huge nod from Google, and nothing says that everything IN Wikipedia is 100% fact. I mean, kids are basing term papers on that kind of research, and it kind of scares me because it’s very dangerous to the truth.

No doubt, a big portion of Wikipedia is good, solid information, but as a very experienced researcher, it just isn’t a solid source. I’d never base anything on Wikipedia. I might use it as a quick idea starter, so that I can go to a respected source and get more information, but anyway, my point is, Wikipedia is at the top of Google because people love it. It gets lots of “votes” from people linking to it, good or not-so-factual.

So, what will happen? Do you think that the people-driven sites will take the place of Google? Will we actually be saying, “Hey, Google or whomever, we search in these social sites for news and information instead of yours because we know that other people think highly of them,”? And nothing’s better than good old word-of-mouth recommendation, eh?

I see social sites taking over in a big way, and I’m totally enjoying it, but remember, it just ain’t gospel.

Pass it on.

Popularity: 34% [?]

So, I was over at Sphinn checking to see what’s going on in the world of Web 2.0, and I found a post on Cornwallseo.com about how the world of social media sites is so complicated that people should actually pay a consultant to crack the mystery of getting onto page one.

New media. New Web. New jobs. Interesting.

I never found the social networking sites to be all that complicated, but becoming part of the community definitely takes time. You could spend hours every day just working at Web 2.0., and I can definitely see where a consultant could be beneficial.

Hmm…

Wonder what a “social media consultant” would charge. And then, is this an adjunct of SEO or a whole new world? I’m not sure. I know I find the concept fascinating. Facebook would be easier with a guide, as would MySpace and Squidoo, and people have used those venues to make some serious jing. I mean, think about it, hardly anyone even know what Squidoo was a year ago.

No doubt, if you want to get right to the quick of things, hiring a social media consultant would be a very expedient, and if you’re busy making tons of money, how much time is there to waste?

Wow. I’d like to get that busy. Sure, I’ll hire a social media consultant. Where do I sign up?

I guess until I get so rich and busy I’ll just keep stumbling, digging, plugging, etc. But here’s the thing…

If I’m right about how important these sites will become in the future, it will be very worthwhile to become an expert. Looking for a new career or specialty? Start early.

Popularity: 37% [?]