'Monitor keywords' for successful SEO

Search engine marketers have been told to pay attention to which keywords are being used by consumers.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) can be improved by keeping an eye out for any changes in the keywords that consumers are using, it has been suggested.
Advice from Marketing Sherpa suggests that marketers can expect to see different keywords gaining in popularity at different times.
The website spoke to SEO expert Eric Ward, president of EricWard.com, who suggested using data from a site's internal search tool to root out which phrases are being used.
As well as making sure the right keywords are present, Mr Ward recommended making navigation around the site easy, as he claimed this can improve natural search results.
"If you let the user experience drive your choices, it gets easier. But you still run into the same challenge, which is what do we show versus what do we not show?" he added.
This week, online media site Stuck On remarked that to achieve effective SEO, it is more important to have quality content than having the right links on the page.

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Testing internal links 'can improve SEO'

Website owners should use testing to decide how many internal links they need on a webpage, says an expert.
It is essential to test and tweak the number and style of internal links on a website, in order to improve search engine optimisation (SEO), an industry insider has suggested.
Eric Ward, president of EricWard.com, spoke to Marketing Sherpa and highlighted the importance of conversion rates during testing, rather than just improvement in Google rankings.
He pointed out that it is difficult to know how many internal links a webpage should have, so the only way of ensuring improvement is to gradually make changes and test for traffic, conversion rates, clickthrough and search rankings.
Mr Ward told the website: "Testing is vitally important because every website and industry is unique. There are no absolute rules that apply to all situations."
Another difficult decision is whether it is a good idea to have more than half of the links on the page containing the same anchor text, he added.
This week, iCrossing claimed that it used the principles of SEO with the content on social media websites to create its latest product - Say What?.

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SEO "a researching and writing skill"

One sector commentator has assured people who are unsure about technical matters that they need not be intimidated by search engine optimisation (SEO).
People who are intimidated by the idea of search engine optimisation (SEO) should not be overly concerned, one sector analyst has asserted.
Nicolette Beard, a marketing expert with 25 years' experience in the marketing sector, explained that some people will think "I'm not a techy-type person" automatically when they hear a phrase such as SEO.
However, she urged users not to be put off.
"While there are technical aspects to SEO, it is really a researching and writing skill, which is good news for corporate and business communications professionals," said Ms Beard, who works at Searchlight Marketing.
Effective SEO strategies can help attract a range of different people to websites, she concluded, noting that these may include journalists who receive news alerts that are based around specific keywords and phrases and consumers who type queries into search engines.
In recent days, Matt McGee, editor at Search Engine Land, told SmallBusinessComputing that implementing effective SEO strategies is not as complicated as some people might think.

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Press release SEO tips offered

One sector commentator has offered hints and tips on how to improve the search engine optimisation (SEO) credentials of press releases.
A number of hints and tips on how to enhance the search engine optimisation (SEO) credentials of press releases have been provided by one industry analyst.
Joan Stewart from 89PressReleaseTips.com explained that failing to include keywords in a press release is one of the most common mistakes she spots while on the web.
She stated that keywords are like "magnets" for search engine web crawlers and are very useful when it comes to ranking higher in results pages, regardless of the products or services being promoted by a particular press release.
Ms Steward noted that a wide range of different users carry out search queries, meaning that press releases with good SEO credentials can effectively reach a variety of distinct audiences.
"Journalists use search engines to find stories. Your customers use search engines to find products and information. An optimised press release sends people to your web site long after the news is stale," she concluded.
Earlier this month, ITPro noted that Microsoft's search engine Bing is "worth optimising for", based on its "healthy" market share.

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Holidays 'provide opportunity for effective SEM'

Search engine marketers have been advised to promote their products in the run-up to Thanksgiving, since conversion rates are high on national holidays, reports an expert.
Search engine marketing (SEM) during national holidays can be more successful, according to advertising experts.
The Yahoo! Networks Insight team wrote on the company's advertising blog that conversion rates were higher during the national holidays around Thanksgiving in the US than they were during the rest of November 2008.
It showed that the day after the holiday - referred to as Black Friday - is now a very popular for consumers to make online purchases.
While conversion rates on Black Friday and Cyber Monday were up 147 per cent and 73 per cent respectively on the average day in November, clickthrough was down by 27 per cent on both days.
The team explained: "Not only is Cyber Monday still a top online shopping day, but the traditional offline shopping day Black Friday also proved to be a significant day for online sales conversions."
In order to profit from this trend, the team recommend raising awareness of products in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is on November 26th this year.

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Yahoo! 'aiming for relevancy in PPC advertising'

Users of Yahoo! will now be able to select a specific provider when they search for a product, according to the company's official search marketing blog.
Yahoo! has announced that it has developed its search engine to allow users to filter results more effectively, which it claims will enhance the use of pay per click (PPC) advertising.
Writing on the official Yahoo! Search Marketing blog, Jeff Hecox stated that a menu on the left-hand side of the screen will add the option of getting search results from only one provider.
The example he used was if somebody were to search for "buy Pink Floyd", then they could also refine the results down to just seeing those products from Amazon, which will be organic and paid links.
Mr Hecox stressed that it would not change the nature of PPC cost, as advertisers will still only have to pay if a user clicks on a sponsored link.
He explained: "The filtering option, along with the other cool features added to Yahoo! Search last month, is designed to increase relevancy and user control of the search experience."
Last week, David Pann, vice-president and general manager of search marketing at the organisation, commented that Yahoo!'s recent advertising campaign is all about attracting more engaged customers to the service.

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Social media expansion 'focuses on people, not technology'

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has announced that he will be encouraging users to help the service translate its website into four other languages.
Social media site Twitter has stated that it is aiming to expand its user base by concentrating on the people using the service over the technology being utilised.
Mr Stone, co-founder of the social networking service, wrote on the organisation's official blog that as part of this philosophy it will be inviting a small team of volunteer translators to gradually make the website available in other languages.
He commented that a new tool has been set up by Twitter so that people can start to make the translations into French, Spanish, Italian and German.
Currently the website is only available in English and Japanese.
Mr Stone wrote: "No matter how sophisticated technology gets, we're reminded daily that it's about people and that's something we've taken to heart regarding translating Twitter."
Last week, the organisation encouraged its users to take part in a charity fundraising activity through DonorsChoose.org, where people follow and support one another's events through Twitter.

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'Plenty of potential' in Google Wave social media service

There are some bugs to fix in the new Google Wave product, but there are plenty of exciting features to look forward to when it is perfected, says an expert.
There is plenty of potential in social media service Google Wave, although there are bugs to fix, according to an industry commentator.
Will Cooper, writing for new media age, reviewed a beta version of the new Google product and initially remarked that it is a glorified instant messaging service, but he saw a lot of positives too.
Although he feels unsure how advertisers will see the platform in terms of engaging with consumers, for users he remarked that it could be successful.
Mr Cooper explained: "The principle of having real-time conversations with others, dragging in content to share, like maps, videos and - maybe one day - ads, is an exciting prospect."
He pointed out that some of these features, such as map sharing, involved a few hitches, but he noted that this is what beta versions of applications are there for - to iron out any faults.
As well as being able to use current Google programs such as Documents and Maps, the company has also developed social gadgets called Wave APIs.

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Occupation 'affects social media usage'

If a person has web access at their place of work they are more likely to use social media websites, according to an expert.
The amount of time that consumers spend using social media can be influenced by the type of work they do, according to an industry commentator.
Ben Camm-Jones, news editor at Web User, remarked that many people do not have internet access at work, which is a time that a lot of users will check their Facebook or MySpace account.
He noted that those who have free use of the web during their employment have more of an opportunity to use social networking services, even if they just visit them during break times.
"How engaged people are with social media depends on a lot of factors, one of the most important of which is their line of work," explained Mr Camm-Jones.
Another significant factor in whether people use social media can be privacy issues, fears that may be intensified by negative reports from the press, he added.
Mr Camm-Jones made his comments following a statement by Dadooda.com founder Neil Stapley, which indicated that social networking sites do not cater for all age groups.

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Special offers 'are key factor in lead generation'

Improved lead generation can be achieved by presenting additional offers on a website, says an industry expert.
Lead generation can be given a significant boost by presenting the right special offers to customers, an industry expert has suggested.
Speaking at a recent Marketing Sherpa summit in Boston, Dave Laverty, vice-president of marketing at IBM Cognos, commented how his company were failing to engage with consumers a few years ago until they worked on new approaches on generating leads.
He noted how his team decided to treat the website as a "demand-generating tool" and experimented by offering a wide variety offers and making sure to get customer details when they sign up for a product.
"We have a lot of people passing by our window, so to speak. What are we doing to encourage those people to come in, browse and engage with us?" Mr Lafferty told the marketing website.
The results of their use of additional offers on their website, combined with other strategies such as analysis of customer data, is that the company has reduced its cost-per-lead by up to 40 per cent.
Last week, Jonathan Attwood from SwapitShop suggested that businesses should not be afraid to let their brand go to improve lead generation in the youth market.

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Social media use in fashion is "huge"

Twitter is being used as a live feed to comment on each model that comes down the runway at fashion shows, says an industry insider.
Social Media service Twitter is taking off in a big way in the fashion world, although the novelty may soon wear off slightly, an industry commentator has suggested.
Kristina Knox, writer of fashion blog The Clothes Whisperer, pointed out that the immediacy of tweeting allows fashion writers to remark on every look they see coming down a runway.
She noted that Twitter was not quite as popular at the recent Chanel show in Paris, but said it was all the rage in New York.
Ms Knox explained: "Tweeting especially has been huge.
"The fashion bloggers haven't even been putting up their blogs, they've just been tweeting from shows. Every look which comes down the runway they will tweet about it."
Looking to the future, Ms Knox predicted that there may be a drop in the volume of tweets at fashion shows when it all becomes more commonplace, but they will not die out.
This week, the Federal Trade Commission announced new guidelines which will restrict celebrity endorsement on social media posts in the US.

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Profitable lead generation 'requires ownership'

In order to improve conversion rates and achieve cheaper lead generation businesses must be willing to employ someone solely to look after this issue, says an expert.
Companies should have someone dedicated to improving conversion rates as it will make lead generation more cost-effective, an industry expert has suggested.
Linus Gregoriadis, research director at Econsultancy, made his comments following research by RedEye and Econsultancy, which indicated that 70 per cent of client-side companies had seen improved conversion rates in the past year.
He highlighted the importance of having someone taking the lead on conversion and was surprised to find that 40 per cent of respondents in the survey do not have anyone in this role.
"If an organisation has someone directly responsible for conversion they are more than twice as likely to have experienced improved conversion rates in the last 12 months," Mr Gregoriadis explained.
RedEye chief executive officer Mark Patron claimed that in terms of cost, improving conversion by ten per cent can be more effective than spending ten per cent more with a search engine such as Google.
This week, industry specialist Dave Laverty told a Marketing Sherpa summit that adding special offers to a website can lift lead generation.

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Social media site gauges mood of the US

Facebook has collated information from status updates over the past few years to find out when users in the US were happiest and when they were saddest.
Social media site Facebook has put together a Gross National Happiness Index to gauge the emotions of the US over the past few years.
By monitoring the positive and negative words used in status updates, the social networking site made a graph of when the country was happiest and saddest on the whole, Facebook data team member Adam Kramer wrote on the official blog.
The unhappiest day recorded was January 22nd 2008, which was the day of the Asian stock market crash and also when young actor Heath Ledger passed away.
"Some of the happiest days include US national holidays like Thanksgiving and fourth of July, social holidays like Halloween and religious holidays including Christmas and Easter," Mr Kramer said.
He stressed that people's privacy was respected during the research and positive and negative words in statuses were picked up by a computer and not by a person scouring private updates.
This week, Web 2.0 practitioner Leon Benjamin claimed that the most valuable asset that social media sites possess is data about their users.

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PPC 'will see increase in clickthrough per conversion'

Pay per click advertisements increased by eight per cent in July and August and an industry expert has predicted that it will continue to rise for the rest of the year.
Pay per click (PPC) advertisements will see more customers clicking through to their offers over the next few months, an industry expert has predicted.
Chief executive officer and founder of NetElixir Udayan Bose made his comments following the release of figures by the organisation which indicated that PPC clickthrough had increased by eight per cent in July and August.
Mr Bose pointed out that this is a growing trend whereby customers now click on more adverts before any conversion takes place.
He explained: "People are clicking more advertiser listings on search engines - gathering information, comparing offers - and then making a purchase."
NetElixir estimated that there will be a year-on-year increase of between three and four per cent in search advertising clicks over the holiday season in the US.
Last week, Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh wrote in Revolution Magazine that the number of people clicking on display adverts had halved in the past two years.

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"Further developments" expected for online video production

Online video production still has a long way to go, but the release of Flash Player 10.1 for smartphones is another step in its evolution, says an industry expert.
There are "further developments to come" in the evolution of online video production, according to an industry insider.
Andrew Laughlin, a spokesperson for Digital Spy, made his comments following the news that Adobe is launching Flash Player 10.1 for smartphones, which should be available on high-end handsets by the end of next year.
Flash Player is currently the standard medium for playing videos on PCs.
He pointed out that there are still too many problems with internet coverage for video use to really take off on mobiles, but he said that it is a step in the right direction.
"Mobile will probably take a while before it becomes a seriously prominent platform. There are plenty of further developments to come in online video, mostly on fixed networks before mobile," he explained.
Mr Laughlin remarked that services such as video on demand and live video streams are still in the early stages, so they have plenty of growth left in them.

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New features on smartphone 'nurturing mobile content'

Google will begin to offer richer media content to advertisers through its AdSense program, which the search engine believes will encourage more mobile content production.
Google has claimed that developing new advertising features for smartphones will encourage the creation of more mobile content.
Danielle Van Dyke, a software engineer writing on the official Google blog, made her comments following the release of AdSense on smartphones such as the iPhone, Palm Pre and all Android-powered mobiles.
She pointed out that if more companies are able to create quality adverts for the mobile internet, then there should be more funding made available to develop mobile-specific sites.
Ms Van Dyke explained: "We're excited to announce a new feature for our AdSense mobile publishers that enables them to serve text and image ads on their sites - specifically on these high-end smartphones."
In her view, it has not been easy for advertisers to reach smartphone users and the release of AdSense will allow this connection to be made.
This week, Meghan Keane wrote on the Econsultancy blog that Google is effectively betting on the future of this new generation of phones by starting to serve up richer media adverts.

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Email marketing 'must compete with social media'

Email marketing will need to compete with social media more over the next 12 months, although the content of emails will still be of greater importance, claims an industry website.
Email marketing campaigns must focus their energies on competing with social media websites for the time of consumers, an online advertising website has suggested.
The results of a survey of email marketers by Marketing Sherpa showed that this challenge has come to the fore over the past year.
Only 23 per cent of people polled said that vying for the attention of online consumers was an important challenge last year, whereas 71 per cent believe that its importance will increase in the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, the content of email marketing campaigns came top of the poll in terms of significance, with 76 per cent stating that it will be key over the next year.
The website explained: "While 'delivering highly relevant email content to recipients' continues to rank at the top, it is declining slightly in importance as email marketers conquer the complexity of this essential tactic."
This week, Marketing Sherpa advised email marketers to try to re-engage inactive subscribers as a way of increasing the number of consumers being reached.

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Email marketing 'boosted by social sharing'

Email marketers can boost the success of their viral productions by making an email which can be shared on social networks, says an industry expert.
Email marketing campaigns should use social sharing to spread a viral production rather than asking customers to forward to a friend, an industry insider has recommended.
Will Schnabel, vice-president and general manager of international markets at Silverpop, made his comments following the release of a study by his organisation, which indicated that social sharing is more than 500 times more effective than forwarding emails.
He pointed out that when consumers use social networks they will on average have up to 200 friends, so if an email is combined with these sharing sites then it will create a very powerful viral tool.
Mr Schnabel explained: "Developing an email that is socially shareworthy can turn messages viral very quickly and reach a new group of customers very similar to the ones you already have."
This week, online advertising website Marketing Sherpa released a study showing that 71 per cent of email marketers believe that they must focus on competing with social media sites for the attention of consumers over the next year.

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Data is most useful social media asset, says expert

In order to create a new revenue stream, social media websites may need to sell data, according to an industry expert.
The most valuable asset that social media sites possess is data about emerging trends, an industry expert has suggested.
Leon Benjamin, a Web 2.0 practitioner, made his remarks following comments by Dadooda founder Neil Stapley that social networking websites will need some sort of new revenue to ensure that they have sustainable business models.
Mr Benjamin claimed that it is generally accepted that one way that companies such as Twitter can make money is to sell the data that it generates.
"The reason why it's important is that it can tell brands, governments, other organisations, about trends and patterns which are emerging in real time," he explained.
It is not just useful for making people aware of products, it can be useful politically too, claimed Mr Benjamin.
He highlighted the reported use of Twitter in Iran as an example of this.
Last month, Twitter received a new set of funding from six companies including Morgan Stanley, Insight Venture Partners and Spark Capital.

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Social media site 'keeps ancient language alive'

Facebook users can now use Latin on the social networking website, which a representative from the organisation has said will be good news for students of the language.
Social media website Facebook has announced that users will now be able to change their language settings to Latin.
Elizabeth Linder, an associate on the organisation's communications team, wrote on the official Facebook blog that she was hugely grateful to all those people who helped translate the website into the "dead" language.
She pointed out that Latin will always be intriguing even if it has long been out of use, with only legal terms, school mottoes and plant names ever really referred to using its classic terms.
"To students of Latin, the availability of the language on Facebook may be just what's needed to narrow the distance between themselves and the venerable language," explained Ms Linder.
There are now more than 70 languages available on the social networking website, from hugely popular tongues such as English and Spanish to less utilised ones like 'Pirate'.
Last week, Facebook encouraged its users to become fans of the organisation's security page in order to stop people falling victim to scams.

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Social media must show "enduring value"

Social media websites will have to find a way to bring in more revenue, because advertising alone will probably not suffice, according to an industry insider
Social media websites will only continue to succeed if they show "enduring value", because otherwise people will not want to pay for them, according to an industry expert.
Neil Stapley, founder of Dadooda.com, pointed out that online companies will find it hard to survive on advertising revenues so there needs to be some other form of income.
He claimed it is fine to establish a brand through free access but eventually it will need to either switch to a paid-for service or sell the whole company to another big firm, which may see potential in acquiring the user list.
Mr Stapley suggested that of all the social networking sites, Twitter may be one which has the ability to start charging for content.
"The key is to have a product which people perceive to have real and enduring value and for which they are therefore prepared to pay," he explained.
Twitter increased its number of unique users from 2,612,058 in August 2008 to 23,579,044 in the same month this year, according to siteanalytics.

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Smaller prizes 'can increase email marketing success'

People may respond better to smaller prizes as they believe there is more chance that they will win, says an industry insider.
When offering prizes as part of an email marketing campaign, it can be beneficial to offer smaller gifts, an industry insider has suggested.
Erin Daly, enterprise marketing program manager at PTC, told Marketing Sherpa that her organisation carried out a study comparing response rates between a campaign offering a $10 gift card and another offering an expensive mattress set.
What she concluded from the experiment is that people will assume that they are not going to win the prize if it is too expensive, because the gift card offer ended up giving a 467 per cent increase in the response rate.
She told the website: "If the incentive is 'You get a $10 Starbucks gift card,' I know I'm getting that gift card and I'm much more likely to respond."
Last week, Shera Sherago, senior manager at Interactive Marketing, suggested to Marketing Sherpa that email advertising needs to be managed just as carefully as any other part of a promotional campaign.

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Google announces new Adobe SEM deal

Google has announced a new partnership with Adobe.
Google has embarked on a new search engine marketing (SEM) relationship with Adobe, it has announced.
In a post on the search company's official blog Bill Coughran, senior vice-president of engineering at Google, explained that the firm has been working with Adobe on a range of different projects "for years".
He explained that Google Chrome, YouTube and Google Android all require close integration with technologies provided by Adobe.
"We're excited to be joining Adobe's Open Screen Project, an initiative established a year and a half ago to help developers more easily design content for the web across multiple screens using the Flash platform," Mr Coughran added.
Concluding, he said that Google is excited to be working with the firm on an open platform as this can allow for "greater innovation" on the internet.
In recent days, Google launched a range of new tools in its Search Options panel, such as an enhanced search history setting to improve efficiency with new queries.

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'Consider SEO' when redesigning websites

Search engine optimisation (SEO) should be taken into consideration when websites are being redesigned, it has been asserted.
When websites are being redesigned and updated, search engine optimisation (SEO) should be taken into consideration, a sector analyst has asserted.
In an article for online resource PromotionWorld, Kabir Bedi explained that the internet is a constantly evolving sphere and that in order for businesses to keep pace with their competitors, they must adapt and evolve to exploit the latest technology.
He noted that redesigning a website is one of the best ways to do this, but urged companies to consider the SEO implications of doing so.
"Run down the last minute check list before launching the new redesigned website. The search engine ranking of your website depends on a variety of factors - including the website structure, the design and layout and the content," Mr Bedi commented.
Meanwhile, an article posted on Write About Property in recent days noted that website titles are the most important SEO elements of any page and urged users to include key words and phrases in these sections where possible.

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Social media site Twitter "could generate revenue today"

Twitter is not focusing on generating a profit at the moment because of its long-term strategy, says an industry insider.
The social media service Twitter could be profitable if that was its current goal, but instead it is trying to ensure its long-term future, an industry insider has suggested.
Alberto Nardelli, co-founder of tweetminster.co.uk and chief executive officer of unltdworld.com, made his comments following the news that Twitter has secured new funding this week, from six different companies including Insight Venture and Benchmark Capital.
Mr Nardelli stated that this showed that the social networking platform is building a lasting business.
He explained: "Twitter could easily generate revenue today if it wanted to, instead and rightly so, they are focusing on creating long-term and durable value."
In terms of traffic, the website is now the fifth most popular social networking service with 1.27 per cent of the market share, according to recent figures by Hitwise.
The study showed Facebook and MySpace have the largest share with 41.75 per cent and 21.5 per cent respectively.

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Social media 'could be bought by telecoms companies'

Telecoms companies could be involved in the ownership of social media websites in the future, according to a web expert.
As social media could be described as communications platforms, it would not be a surprise if telecoms companies ended up buying them, according to an industry expert.
Leon Benjamin, Web 2.0 practitioner and author of Winning by Sharing, pointed out that social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are just another communication channel.
He suggested that in the future, when those companies mature and aim to consolidate, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that telecom firms may be involved.
Mr Benjamin explained: "The most mature market in social media is actually South Korea in terms of its reach, and it had a huge social website – Cyworld- which was actually bought by a Korean telecom company."
Recently PostRank released an online tool, which it claimed will allow companies to monitor the number of people who visit their social media web pages and find contextual information about how they get there.

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'Restrict keyword strings' for effective SEM

Using longer keyword strings can assist SEM, but businesses should be careful not to make them too long as they may not reach as many potential customers, says a marketing website.
To achieve successful search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns, a company's keyword string should not be too long, otherwise it will not be reached by enough consumers, according to an online advertising website.
Although longer strings achieve higher conversion during tests by Marketing Sherpa, it found that it is counterproductive to use more than six words.
This is because it noted that 95 per cent of searches use fewer than seven words, so the question arises whether it is worthwhile to restrict the number of potential customers to five per cent of the total.
The website observed: "Marketers need to identify, understand and speak the same language used by their target audience, and emphasise words that lead to the highest conversion levels.
It advised using site log files to work out what keywords to focus on, as it is something that copywriters already do.
This week, an eMarketer spokesperson predicted that there will be "increasing commitment" to search in the future, because of its proven return on investment.

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"Let your brand go" to get youth market lead generation

Companies must be willing to engage with youngsters and possibly let their brand image slip in order to be successful in the youth market, says an expert
Companies must not be afraid to let their brand image slip when chasing lead generation in the youth market, an industry expert suggested.
Jonathan Attwood, founder and chief executive officer at SwapitShop, commented that young people are "incredibly bright", so the only way of understanding what they like is to ask them and then take note of their responses.
He remarked that there is also a ruthless streak to youngsters, which means that if a company does not give them the right reason to do something, they will not do it.
"You've got to really understand them. If you try and be cool with them, it's probably too late. Don't be afraid to let your brand go," said Mr Attwood.
Recent research by Nielsen Online indicated that young people between the ages of two and 11 accounted for 9.5 per cent of the online population in May 2009.
It also found that boys spent seven per cent more time on the web than girls.

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Web is natural space for 'lead generation of young people'

Young people spend most of their time online which makes it the perfect place to market to them, according to a Nike representative.
The web is the world that young people inhabit, so it is the logical place for successful lead generation, according to sports company Nike.
Ed Elworthy, head of branch connections in UK and Ireland at the organisation, stated that in order to successfully market to youngsters, businesses need to understand the internet and the way that they use it.
He pointed out that many advertisers talk about a split between online and offline marketing, but that young people generally reside on the former rather than the latter.
Mr Elworthy explained: "It's more about approaching them in their space as opposed to dragging them to our space. I think that's a macro trend that's happening."
Last month, Symantec released a study of the top 100 search terms used by young people and it included social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace, although both "sex" and "porn" made it into the top ten.

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Social media users 'must learn to spot scams'

Facebook has advised users to report any suspicious activity to the security team after several people came across the '419 scam'.
Social media site Facebook has told users they should 'become a fan' of the company's security page to help identifier scammers.
The advice from Alok Meghrajani, a software engineer on the site integrity team, writing on Facebook's official blog, comes in response to people falling victim to something known as the 419 scam.
In this situation, he stated that user accounts are hacked and the scammer then asks friends to send money through Western Union because they are stranded in a foreign country.
Mr Meghrajani pointed out that the best way of protecting users of the site from this kind of fraud is for people to become a fan of the Facebook Security Page and report suspicious activity to them.
He added: "While only a small number of people have experienced this type of scam on Facebook, we are committed to constantly improving our systems and implementing additional measures to better respond."
Recently, the social networking site announced that it would be making revisions to its privacy policy following advice from the Canadian privacy commissioner about the nature of information that the company stores.

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Online retail offers 'increased value for money'

The internet has allowed users to get more for less from retailers, because they can now compare the price of products from different providers, says an industry expert
The internet is becoming more important for retailers because it can offer more value for money for their customers, according to an industry expert.
Matthew Cushen, senior manager at Kurt Salmon Associates, pointed out that some online retailers are now attempting cross media optimisation too, such as online grocery retailer Ocado which has its own mobile application in the Apple App Store.
Last week, Ocado announced that purchases through this application account for two per cent of its total sales.
But Mr Cushen highlighted the importance of the web as a conduit for price transparency, as customers can get more for less by comparing the cost of products across a range of providers.
He said: "Price is increasingly important but retailers will need to continue to focus on other factors - that's product quality, shelf life, and timely delivery on their online offers."
People are no longer just comparing individual products on the internet, but entire shopping baskets to see which retailer will offer the best deal, Mr Cushen also noted.

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'Breaking even not as vital' for social media

Social media companies are not as concerned as traditional businesses with breaking even, as their importance lies in how many users they reach, says an expert.
Breaking even is not as important as other factors for social media sites, even during the current economic climate, says an industry insider.
Tim Gibbon, founder of Social Media Portal, pointed out that many people are seeing websites such as Twitter as channels of communication rather than a conventional business opportunity.
He highlighted the way new technology can change the way consumers act and express themselves, as well as allowing businesses to engage with their customer base.
Mr Gibbon explained: "For many Web 2.0 companies the value lies with the number of users, its brand and profile, the market share it may hold and its potential in turning a profit."
Another key factor in the popularity of social networks is how easy it is to set up an account.
Last week, Twitter announced that it had secured new funding from a group of companies including Morgan Stanly, Institutional Venture Partners and Spark Capital.

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'More SEM spending' on the horizon

Search engine marketing has proven return on investment, which is why it has survived the current economic climate and will continue to grow, says an industry expert.
There will be more spending on search engine marketing (SEM) in the future because it is a proven method of marketing, according to an industry expert.
Karin von Abrams, senior analyst at eMarketer, pointed out that there is an evident return on investment when a company uses SEM.
She noted how this form of promotion has done well even in the current economic climate and predicted that it will be the "bedrock" of online marketing for the next two years.
Ms von Abrams explained: "We think that even after the economy and the online economy bounce back, we're still going to see an increasing commitment to search."
However, she commented that this will not stop other forms of advertising, such as rich media and video, from gaining popularity as well.
Recent research by ZenithOptimedia predicted that internet advertising will have a 15.1 per cent share of the global marketing sector in 2011.

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Web enters "female century" of lead generation

Women are beginning to overtake men to become the dominant force online, which will soon be reflected in company's marketing strategies and product designs, says an industry analyst.
Online lead generation will begin to be more women-orientated as we are entering the "female century" on the web, according to an industry analyst.
Chris Sanderson, strategy and insight director at The Future Laboratory, pointed out that there are now more women in powerful positions in business and within the family dynamic, which means their use of the web has a greater impact.
He noted that there are now more female users of the internet than male and because they are taking part in more online experiences, it will mean that the marketing and product design will sway to women's tastes.
Mr Sanderson explained: "If the last 150 years - in terms of productivity - were in the hands of men, then the next 150 will be in the hands of women. We are entering the female century."
Research released by IPC Media this year showed that 74 per cent of women access the internet every day and two-thirds cite social networking as one of their regular activities on the web.

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Newspapers 'should embrace social media'

Newspapers need to let their journalists use social media such as Twitter and Facebook even if it does attract a little criticism, says a sector commentator.
Newspapers should be embracing social media sites and encouraging their journalists to use the platform rather than censor what they write, an industry commentator has suggested.
Wendy Davis, writing in MediaPost's Daily Online Examiner blog, made her comments following news that the Washington Post is bringing in new guidelines regarding the use of social media so that they do not affect the public's perception of the publication's objectivity.
She remarked that it is beneficial to have the news expressed through the experiences of a journalist, rather than just reading objective wire copy.
Ms Davis explained: "Allowing reporters and editors to blog and tweet about their opinions might result in some criticism of the paper, but might also spark some more interest in it."
In her opinion, many opinionated journalists are popular and it is outdated to think that their work will damage a newspaper's credibility.
Last week, Ms Davis reported the difficult position newspapers are in at the moment, whereby none of them can try and charge for online content until they all do so, because otherwise people will just resort to wherever news is available for free.

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Email marketing "should not be automatic"

Businesses should be managing their transaction email just like any other part of their promotional campaign, says an industry insider.
Email marketing that is sent out after a transaction takes place "should not be automatic", according to an industry insider.
Shera Shrago, senior manager at Interactive Marketing, told Marketing Sherpa that analysing and redesigning the page can make a difference to how successful the email is in attracting repeat customers.
She suggested adding more graphics and removing unnecessary text to make each part stand out more.
Ms Shrago also claimed that it is important to take a look at the repeat purchase discount offer within a marketing email and make sure it is noticeable and that the customer has to clickthrough to benefit, rather than just write down a promotional code.
"The marketing in there should not be automatic. We needed to manage it as a program, just as we would any promotional campaign," she explained to the website.
With regards to the use of promotional codes, she pointed out that they can be hijacked by users and shared with a lot of people when they are only intended to be for repeat users.
Recently, Michael McCathren told Marketing Sherpa that the key to advertising through emails is to encourage people to interact.

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Viral video production is "easy to consume"

The ease with which users can consume videos and the low cost that is usually involved with sharing make them well suited for viral campaigns.
Video production is central to viral advertising campaigns because it is easy to consume, according to a marketing website.
Marketing Sherpa noted the effectiveness of a viral campaign relative to cost, as it will often involve a small initial spend and then the goal is to see consumers share the resulting marketing product with each other.
It was pointed out the most successful videos over the past year have been fun, informative or a mixture of these two themes.
The website explained: "Most importantly, it's easy to consume. Secondly, social video sites such as YouTube and Metacafe make it free and easy to host and share videos online."
One campaign which is singled out for praise is Disney's What Will You Celebrate?, which involved a video that users were able to customise.
Previous research by Marketing Sherpa indicated that 15 per cent of viral videos cost between $1 (63p) and $100 to make and only one per cent cost $100,000 or more.

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Mobile applications "here to stay"

Following the success that Apple has enjoyed with its App Store, applications look like they are here to stay, says one industry insider.
Mobile phone applications are "here to stay" now that Apple has showed the rest of the sector that there is money to be made from them, according to an industry commentator.
Tom Newton, a spokesperson for Recombu.com, pointed out that Apple has proved that there is plenty of opportunity in app sales and mobile content.
He commented that these applications are the latest way that people can customise their phone, which many years ago would have only involved buying a unique ringtone or a logo on the screen.
"Virtually all of the major networks and mobile manufacturers have launched - or are working on - some form of app store or online music/film/content portal - apps are definitely here to stay," explained Mr Newton.
His comments were made following the launch of Nokia's Calling All Innovators competition, which is inviting people to design an application and try and win £20,000, as well as the chance to become an Ovi Store publisher.
Ovi Store is a mobile content retailer.

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Advertisers social media concerns "have subsided"

Online advertising spend on social networking sites and blogs has seen a significant increase, suggesting marketers previous concerns about social media may have subsided.
Advertisers have shown that their previous concerns about utilising social media have been addressed, according to an industry insider.
Jon Gibs, vice-president of media and agency insights at Nielsen's online division, made his comments following the release of a study which indicated a 119 per cent increase in advertising on social networks and blogs from August 2008 to the same month this year.
He highlighted how advertisers looking to tap into core fan bases are putting particular emphasis on communicating with consumers through social networks.
Mr Gibs said: "In the past, advertisers had significant concerns with social media advertising. The considerable increases we've seen in ad spending over the past year suggest that many of these concerns have subsided."
Sectors which saw huge growth in online ad spend within social networking sites were travel and entertainment, which increased by 364 per cent and 812 per cent respectively.
Last week, Nielsen announced that it is forming a strategic alliance with Facebook, which it hopes will allow the social networking site to better analyse its consumers and market its advertising spaces more effectively.

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User-generated content 'to sit alongside websites'

The launch of a new Google tool called Sidewiki will allow user-generated content and other relevant sources to appear alongside webpages.
A new Google tool will allow user-generated content containing suggestions and recommendations for other internet users to appear on the side of the screen next to any website.
The Google Sidewiki was launched this week in an attempt to harness useful contributions from other web users in order to improve the way people search for information, according to Sundar Pichai and Michal Cierniak, writing on the official Google blog.
Mr Pichai, vice-president of product management, pointed out that the application will be available on Firefox and Internet Explorer initially, but a version for Google Chrome is in development.
The most relevant user-generated content will appear on Sidewiki alongside other related web pages, such as blogs and stories which discuss the same topic.
"Instead of displaying the most recent entries first, we rank Sidewiki entries using an algorithm that promotes the most useful, high-quality entries," he added.
This week, Google released Fast.Forward., which is a business video channel on MySpace offering interviews with media experts and research projects in partnership with the Wharton School from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Social media sites "perfect conduit" for viral advertising

Viral campaigns are enhanced by using social media as they are essentially cost-free conduits for advertising, according to a marketing website.
Social media sites are the "perfect conduit" for viral advertising campaigns, as they already have links in place for sharing, according to an industry analyst.
Marketing Sherpa made these comments after seeing companies utilise social networking sites to spread a message in six of its seven best viral campaigns of the year.
Although a few of the entrants into the website's 'hall of fame' used some pay-per-click adverts, most of them put a lot of time and energy into promotion that was essentially cost-free, such as blogs and social media sites.
The website explained: "Social media sites are the perfect conduit for viral campaigns. Their users are already connected and sharing with friends."
Among the top viral campaigns chosen were Microsoft's I Am Enabled, Disney's What Will You Celebrate and Rita's Italian Ice Mystery Flavour.
Last year, Marketing Sherpa's viral hall of fame championed the use of social media and claimed that advertisers were hearing its message "loud and clear".

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Networks "improving" online lead generation capabilities

Advertising network agencies have had to alter the way they operate for web-based marketing campaigns.
Advertising network agencies are "improving" their ability to deal with online lead generation, according to an industry commentator.
Simon Mansell, managing director of the direct marketing company TBG, made his comments following a Group M study, which indicated that internet advertising will account for 15 per cent of global marketing next year.
He pointed out that it is difficult for larger companies to keep pace with the changing media landscape where online is taking up more of the market, but he felt that these bigger agencies are starting to work out how to deal in web-based adverts.
"It has been a big theme in the UK market that it has not been efficient for network agencies to take digital money, but they are gradually improving their capabilities," explained Mr Mansell.
In his opinion, traditionally, agencies will have only charged a two or three per cent margin for television or radio campaigns, but this has had to change in the digital market.

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Online lead generation 'will succeed in recession'

Online advertising will fare better in the recession than television and radio, according to an industry expert.
Online lead generation will do better during the recession than other forms of advertising, according to an industry insider.
Simon Mansell, managing director of marketing company TBG, claimed that television and radio advertising will struggle more than online marketing, because they are used to build up a brand over time.
He noted that another factor which will help online lead generation is that 25 per cent of the media that people are exposed to is on the internet.
"Online advertising is traditionally used for direct response which doesn't generally diminish during a recession as people still need to bring in customers," added Mr Mansell.
Although he commented that the amount spent by consumers online is not as much as it could be, but he felt that it was only a matter of time before this situation changes.
Because of the amount of time people spend on the internet, he felt more transactions would begin to take place online.
Mr Mansell made his remarks following the release of research by the Advertising Association, which indicated that online revenues remained fairly stable in the second quarter of the year, while newspaper income dropped by 27.6 per cent.

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Online lead generation 'increasingly reliant on ad networks'

Advertising networks are becoming increasingly popular with marketers, according to a new study, with many companies using one of them to place their adverts.
The importance of online advertising networks for lead generation is growing, according to a new report.
A survey carried out by Econsultancy and the Rubicon Project found that 42 per cent of marketers believe that they will increase the amount that they use advertising networks in future.
Jay Stevens, vice president and general manager at the Rubicon Project, pointed out that it is because of the innovations advertising networks offer - such as frequency capping - that their popularity is increasing.
He said: "This data demonstrates how the UK's digital media industry is maturing, with advertisers and agencies increasingly relying on online advertising networks to give them the reach and audience they are looking for."
The survey also found that many companies use more than one network to book in their display ads, with 23 per cent of those polled saying that they use between five and ten.
This week, Google released a product called DoubleClick Ad Exchange which it claims will be a real-time bidding marketplace that will connect marketers and publishers.

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Business video channel will 'keep marketers ahead'

A new business video channel will be appearing on YouTube which will offer marketers insight into the advertising world through interviews with experts and people on the street.
Google and YouTube claim that their new business video channel will offer advice to marketers on how to stay ahead of the game.
Fast.Forward. on YouTube will feature interviews with experts as well as people on the street, which will give advertisers insight into the current media environment, writes Cindy Goodrich in the YouTube Biz Blog.
She pointed out that marketers can learn from industry insiders such as Google chief executive officer Eric Schmidt and there will be research projects presented on the channel.
"In addition to the library of videos, the brand channel offers a 'barometer' gauging consumer confidence levels and links to free tools designed to help marketers understand the online world," added Ms Goodrich.
The channel will begin with a resource of 100 videos which have been produced with the help of the Wharton School, which is part of the University of Pennsylvania.
One of the key research projects - Future of Advertising - will be led by the school.

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Social media site 'boosts ability to measure ad success'

Facebook has begun a strategic alliance with the market research company Nielsen, which will start with the release of Nielsen BrandLift.
Social media site Facebook has allied itself with market research company Nielsen, which could improve its ability to monitor the effects of advertising.
John Burbank, chief executive officer of the online division of Nielsen, pointed out that its research will allow the social networking site to gain greater insight into consumer behaviour.
He championed Facebook for its ability to connect consumers with brands and noted that this was an area of growth, too.
"Together we will be able to provide the missing elements to clients seeking better understanding of how web content and online advertising affect consumer behaviour," said Mr Burbank.
The two companies will begin their alliance by launching Nielsen BrandLift, which will measure consumer attitudes to advertising campaigns on Facebook's homepage.
Frank Reed, writing for Marketing Pilgrim, recently complimented Facebook for showing evidence of "solid business practice" by its connection to Nielsen, because the researchers will offer a second opinion on how successful its advertising campaigns are.

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SEO allows businesses to "punch above their weight"

Smaller businesses should be looking at using SEO to compete online as it will allow them to "punch above their weight", according to an expert.
Small businesses have been advised that they will be able to effectively "punch above their weight" if they make effective use of search engine optimisation (SEO), according to an expert.
Nigel Muir, managing director of DBD Media, pointed out that many small companies do not have the money to invest in SEO, even if they can put together a professional-looking website.
But he claimed that by using a larger SEO agency, small businesses can take advantage of their ability to boost web rankings without huge costs.
Mr Muir added: "Strong SEO can allow smaller businesses to effectively punch above their weight online by driving unique, qualified visitors to their websites."
DBD Media has just launched their own SEO Express product which will offer customers the services of consultants in order to improve link building, on-page optimisation, content and indexing.
This week, BT and Latitude also launched what they called an affordable search engine marketing service called BT SearchSmart, with the service starting at £74.99 each month.

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SEO a "key discipline"

Businesses must learn to use search engine optimisation if they want people to be able to find their website, says an industry expert.
The ability utilise search engine optimisation to make a business more visible online is a "key discipline", says an industry expert.
Phil Turnbull, product manager of Hostway, pointed out that it is essential to have an informative website that users can navigate easily, but noted that people must also be able to find the website for it to be of any value.
He noted ranking high in search engine results pages may also allow people to begin generating revenue from their websites either through direct sales or leads to other companies.
"Enabling people to find your website easily in search engines via natural SEO and paid search is also a key discipline," added Mr Turnbull.
His comments were made after the release of a study by Fasthosts which indicated that 34 per cent of website owners have not considered checking how effective or popular their website is.
Mr Turnbull remarked that a successful website need not be a huge income generator, but should be clear about what it offers.

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Social media sites 'will allow synchronising'

MySpace will be getting a little closer to Twitter as a new feature is being brought out that will allow users to synchronise updates between the two services, according to an industry commentator.
MySpace will be unveiling a new option which will allow users to synchronise their updates with those that appear on the social media service Twitter.
To begin with, the feature will not be available outside the US, but that will change over the next few weeks, reports Charlotte McEleny in the New Media Age.
The authentication software to be used to link the two social networking sites will be OAuth.
Sharon Nguyen, senior product manager at MySpace, claimed that the social media site was happy for other networks to be added to its current service.
"We know people explore many different networks and this is a way for us to help them and extend their content beyond their friends on MySpace."
The feature will allow status updates on MySpace to automatically be released as tweets and vice versa.
This week, online media commentator Laurie Sullivan pointed out that a key issue in the popularity of Twitter would be whether or not people continue to release tweets, on a blog on MediaPost.

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SEM 'opened up' to smaller businesses by telecoms giant

BT is launching a search engine marketing product with the help of Latitude, which is aimed at small and medium-sized companies.
Search engine marketing (SEM) services will be offered to small and medium-sized enterprises by BT.
The telecoms company is offering BT SearchSmart in a partnership with Latitude, which will offer businesses a portal where they can monitor keyword activity and other online reports.
Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, pointed out that search engine marketing grew by 26 per cent year on year and it makes sense that smaller companies should be able to use the service.
He said: "We want to make sure that small businesses can participate in this rapidly growing market at a price they can afford and with access to the tools to manage their campaign."
The cost of the service starts at £74.99 per month and will allow business owners to talk to consultants as well as online analytics.
This week, Microsoft announced that it would be enhancing its Bing product by offering companies the chance to make their entry appear more "graphically-rich" on search results pages, according to Media Post.

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