Use The Latest Social Media Marketing Techniques In 2013

A few years ago, social media sites emerged as mediums for sharing special events with friends and family and helped people to stay in touch with each other. In those days, these sites were more like personal sites. But now, the social media sites have undergone a transformation and they have established themselves as the most powerful strategy online business.

The social media sites are constantly expanding with already 850 million users of Facebook per month and 500 million users of Google+. We have reached the last quarter of 2013 now and saw several significant changes in the social media marketing strategies. In the process of trying to keep up with these changes, we have learnt a number of effective social media marketing techniques.

Here are enlisted some of the most effective techniques for social media marketing which should be used in 2013.

• Visual Marketing: Marketing as a whole is heading towards becoming visual increasingly, and you need to incorporate visual elements in your social media marketing techniques. While posting relevant pictures and graphics, make sure that you embed the text as well as your business information. The most widely used way of posting in social sites like Facebook, is pictures. Facebook has around 350 million picture uploads each day. When others are sharing your pictures, you have an opportunity to show them your link of website and other relevant information.
  
  
• Usage of Your Analytics: Your analytics need to be reviewed regularly to check out whether something is working or not. You can also find out if the followers are visiting a particular site greater than the others. You can discover the exact time when your pages get maximum visitors. Observe the results carefully and try to find the reasons behind such phenomena. Utilize the knowledge you gain to get the desired results.
  
  
• Usage of Slideshare: Slideshare is a social site that has been predicted as the fastest growing site in 2013. This site allows you the sharing of your professional presentations with huge number of people irrespective of their industry or location. You can even share videos, PDFs and documents. If you have a hunger for knowledge, visit this site and get inspired from the works of people around the world.
  
  
• Usage of Google+: This year, businesses should be present in Google+. In 2013, Google+ rose above Twitter and became the second largest social network having 343 million users. In spite of the fact that the site lacks a few powers of some other social sites, Google+ is Google's central part and from the perspective of SEO, you should become a part of this site.
  
  
• Usage of Fewer Social Sites: Using more social sites does not always bring the desired results in case of social media marketing. Take some time to research and find out which particular social sites are proper for your company, business or brand. It is always better to focus your efforts of marketing to a few numbers of good social sites. This would result in your message being spread more effectively as compared to when you use too many social sites. Take time to prepare yourself well and then participate successfully in those few social sites. It is vital to create a strong presence on those specific sites that deliver, instead of wasting time while trying to dominate all the sites.

Conclusion

Social media marketing grows with each year. You need to cope with the changing trends to keep up your business with the changes. The year 2013 has seen the above mentioned trends in social media marketing strategies. Following these techniques would help your business to be ahead of your competitors.

Summary: Social media marketing strategies are subjected to many changes with the changing time. It is important for businesses to follow the updated techniques to stand out of the crowd.


About The Author: Myke Thomas is a proficient writer. His articles are highly informative and useful for the readers.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let Myke and myself know by leaving us your valued comments in the comments section below.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

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5 Tips On Reaching Out To More Social Media Users
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Social Media Marketing: Are You Effective Or Obnoxious?
Engaging Consumers Through Social Media
Social Media Day Meet-ups: How Can They Work For You
5 Do's And 5 Don'ts In Social Media
Building Your Business With Social Media
The 10 Basic Rules Of Social Media Marketing
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How To Use Facebook For Your Small Business
9 Tips For More Effective Facebook Marketing

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Until my next post on Monday on online security for the small business, have a fabulous weekend! See you back here on Monday!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Has Facebook Acted Too Late In 'Hate Speech' Row?

After a considerable amount of pressure from campaigners and advertisers, Facebook has finally admitted it will reassess how it reacts to "controversial, harmful and hateful" content that is posted on the social networking site.

In an open letter, several feminist groups called upon Mark Zuckerberg and his company to do more to ban pages that they claim promoted violence, particularly towards women. Although it reacted to this letter in just over a week, several commentators have argued that Facebook may have already suffered irreparable damage to its reputation.

The Everyday Sexism Project has utilised social media - particularly Twitter - to highlight instances of what it deems as casual sexism, both in the media and the wider public domain. It was one of several groups that called on advertisers to boycott Facebook, informing several major companies that their ads were appearing alongside pages containing images of violence towards women that were "shared, boasted and joked about".

One petition demanding the social network remove such pages obtained more than 225,000 signatures. Yet, it was created in September 2011, which serves to show how long these pages have been permitted to exist on the site. However, the company's admission in a blog post dated May 28th 2013 that "we need to do better - and we will" has been welcomed by the campaign groups.

Marne Levine, vice president of global public policy at Facebook, stated: "In some cases, content is not being removed as quickly as we want. In other cases, content that should be removed has not been or has been evaluated using outdated criteria."

"We have been working over the past several months to improve our systems to respond to reports of violations, but the guidelines used by these systems have failed to capture all the content that violates our standards," she added.

Following the controversy, Ms Levine pledged that the company will now consult both lawyers and interest groups as it looks to update its guidelines, with particular reference to how to deal with hate speech. In addition, staff training is to be improved, with employees set to receive specialist coaching where appropriate. Facebook also insisted that it will do more to ensure posters of offensive material can be held accountable, forcing them to "stand behind the content they create".

Despite the positives, a large number of users criticised the length of time it took for the social network to take action, with many suggesting it has only chosen to do so since advertisers began to cancel their contracts as a result.

In recent months, Facebook has become embroiled in a number of arguments regarding content on its site. At the beginning of May it was forced to go back on its original decision not to remove a video that showed a beheading. It had first argued that the clip was not in breach of its policies.

A survey in March revealed that 87 per cent of people who reported they had experienced cyber-bullying said that it occurred on Facebook. In an effort to limit the number of people who are experiencing bullying at work or school through the social network, the site as said it will take a zero tolerance stance. It launched a Be Bold Stop Bullying campaign in Australia and Canada in late 2012, but is yet to reveal how it plans to prevent what is clearly a global phenomenon.

Some of the site's staff are expected to face investigations in the coming weeks after it was revealed that a 14-year-old girl committed suicide in Italy after a video of her was posted on the site and shared among users. In what is a European first, the Italian Parent's Association has filed a criminal complaint against Facebook.


About The Author: This is a guest post from Chris Stevenson, marketing manager at Slater Gordon.

Do you think Facebook acted too late and if so, has its reputation suffered as a result? Did the cancelling of advertising contracts cause Facebook to finally take action? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments.

Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Friday with a guide to affiliate marketing, enjoy the rest of the week!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Is Your Website Blocked By Facebook?

Has your website been blocked by Facebook? If the answer to this question is yes, then read on.

Time and time again I hear about websites being blocked by Facebook and given the amount of search engine traffic that I receive daily on a previous blog post on this very subject (Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?), it's quite a large majority of people that are being affected.

It's not just Facebook that is blocking websites, Google+ also has a system in place whereby your website or latest blog post will not show up in communities unless it's approved by the moderator. So why does this happen?

Apart from your website or blog being in breach of content policy, I see many website and blog owners spamming the system, even if it's unintentional. What I mean by this is people posting the same link to numerous Facebook groups or Google+ communities (even pages) within a short time span. There was a case the other day where I noticed one blogger who had posted his latest blog post continuously to over 20 Facebook groups and then did the same on Google+. Now that's just asking for trouble and hence the reason for this blog post.

Now let me be clear! Marketing on social media has huge benefits but you must promote responsibly. Posting your website or latest blog post in succession to various groups or communities is not the way to do it. My rule has always been to allow an hour between each post. Yes, it might take longer for you to get the word out about your latest deal, product or blog post for example, but it's far better than risking getting your website blocked.

Another thing you shouldn't do is post to groups or communities that have different interests to what you are promoting. For example, don't go posting a technology blog post on say the latest Smartphone to a Fashion group or community. What will inevitably happen is that the members or the administrator/moderator of that group or community will report/mark it as spam, sending a notification to Facebook or Google+.

Yes, there are cases where some websites have unduly been blocked but there are others which have been blocked for good reason, probably due to the actions as mentioned above. Don't forget that if your website does get blocked, it can take weeks if not months for the block to be removed. Facebook do have an appeal form available if you think your website has mistakenly been blocked, but given the stories that I've heard over the past couple of years in regards to response time (or the lack thereof), it may just take months before the block is removed.

Update March 2018: The appeal form is no longer available. You will now need to use the Facebook Sharing Debugger to see the information that is used when your website content is shared on Facebook, Messenger and other places.

Social media is a powerful marketing platform, so don't take risks! Promote responsibly and you will have far less chance of your website being blocked by the top social media sites.

Has your website been blocked by Facebook? Did you successfully get your website unblocked after submitting a report? Please let me know by using the comments section below.

Related articles and helpful links:
Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?
Facebook Blocked From Adding Content Appeal Form (no longer available)
Facebook Page Block Appeal Form (Zero Reach Issue)
Facebook Disabled Account Appeal Form
Facebook Sharing Debugger
Google+ User Content and Conduct Policy
Facebook Community Standards


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Until my next post on Monday listing top tools and tips for blogger outreach, have a fabulous weekend!

© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

5 Tips You Should Know About Google+ Pages

With the launch of Google+ pages for brands on Monday and with me doing a post on the subject, here's 5 tips from the Google+ Team which I thought I would share with you.

If you have yet to create a page for your business or blog, you can do so here. Don't forget to also add my new blog page to your circles so you can keep up to date with my latest blog posts...


1. You Can +1 a Page to Show Support or Add Them to Your Circles

We know you love some brands and businesses. Others you may want to show a quick note of support, but not see all their updates. So just drop a little +1 and keep going, or add a page to any circle you want. You're in control.


2. No Google+ Page Can Follow You Until You Follow Them

We want Google+ to be a place you love to share. Pages cannot circle you until you follow them first. Of course, if you are in their circles, they can share great deals, exclusive coupons, product tips and hangouts, but the relationship is yours to start.


3. In Fact, Google+ Pages Can't Even Mention You Unless You're Connected

That's right. The Google+ page can't even say your name unless you're following. No +mention spam.


4. Google+ Pages Automatically Unfollow You If You Unfollow Them

If you remove a Google+ Page from your circles, you are automatically removed from their circles. You always are in charge.


5. You Can Find Google+ Pages In Google Search

With a new feature we call Direct Connect, just type + followed by the brand name in Google Search, and you can see pages automatically display. Type +Pepsi to see Pepsi, and +Dell for Dell. It's that easy.


You can read more about Google+ pages plus FAQs on their help page at:
http://www.google.com/support/plus/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=1710599&p=pages

Have you created a Google+ page? If so, what do you think of the new pages? Are these pages better than Facebook pages? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments.

Addendum: With today being Armistice Day (Remembrance Day or Veterans Day in the US) and Remembrance Sunday in two days time here in the UK, may we honour our Veterans and pay tribute to those who died. May we always remember and never forget those who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Related articles:
Google+ Launches Pages For Brands

Using Google+? Add Derek's Home and Business Blog to your circles and stay up to date with the latest blog posts, news and resources.

If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776

Until my next post, have a fabulous weekend! Article posted at 11:11:11am on the 11/11/11 :)

Google+ Launches Pages For Brands

Google announced on Monday the introduction of Google+ Pages and a collection of other tools to help businesses and brands to grow their audience.

According to Google, these pages are aimed to bring you closer to your audience, allowing you to have real conversations with the right people, connecting you face-to-face with your site's visitors and allowing current fans to recommend new ones. Giving your business a home on Google+ lets you directly interact with your users while giving them more chances to share your content with their friends.

As reported in one of my recent posts, major advertisers already use Facebook and Twitter to reach large audiences on those services. With this announcement and with more than 40 million users so far using Google+, you can now have a presence on the new social network and another platform to promote your products and/or services and to connect with your customers.

Similar to Google+ profile pages, these new pages include Hangouts, a tool that allows you to have high-quality video chats with your customers and Circles which allows you to group followers of your page into smaller audiences, ideal for sharing specific messages with specific groups of people. All pages will have access to analytics tools and support for multiple administrators in the near future.

These pages are not just limited to businesses and brands. If you're a blog owner for example, you can create a page and use it to announce your latest blog posts and to have discussions with your followers. Unlike Facebook pages, the new Google+ pages are simple to create and to setup. Within minutes of pressing the create a page link, your page is up and running and you're ready to start promoting it.

To help your users find your page and start sharing, there are two buttons you can add to your site: the Google+ icon which is available now and the badge, which will be available in the next few days. This badge lets people add your page to their circles without leaving your site and allows them to get updates from your site via Google+. You can get the icon and badge (when available) by visiting the Google+ badge configuration tool.

With the launch of the new brand pages, Google have extended the power of the +1 and brought out a new experimental feature called Google+ Direct Connect which is currently only available to a small group of publishers.

In a statement on their blog post: If you've linked your page to your site and you qualify, when someone searches for your website's name with the "+" sign before it, Direct Connect will send them directly to your page. For example, try searching for "+YouTube" on Google. Users will also be prompted to automatically add pages they find through Direct Connect to their circles.

The extension of the +1 certainly looks an exciting feature as all your +1s (from your page, your website and on search results) will get combined and appear as a single total. These totals will then be visible on your page, your website and on search results and reach all the people who use Google, including the 40 million Google+ users. For the +1 extension to work, you need to link your site to your page using the Google+ badge configuration tool.

Given this new tool, I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new Google+ page for Derek's Home and Business Blog. Similar to my blog's Facebook page, I'll be using this new page to announce my latest blog posts, post any news concerning the blog and for discussions with my followers. Now you can follow my blog on Google+ and well as on Facebook. You can access the new page by visiting: https://plus.google.com/114686242826423169197

I've also updated the blog to include the new Google+ icon that directly links to this new page. You can find the new (red G+) icon at the top of sidebar with the rest of the social icons. Note: With last month's announcement of the shut down of Google Buzz in a few weeks, I've now removed this icon from the blog and replaced it with the new icon.

With the launch of the new brand pages, I feel Google+ can now seriously compete against Facebook and as businesses and brands come to use this new online marketing tool, only time will tell how successful it will become or if it's too little, too late.

What do you think of the new pages? Do you think they will have a bigger marketing impact for your business than Facebook pages? I would love to read your thoughts on this.

Related articles:
Google+ To Accommodate Pseudonyms
The End Draws Near For Google Buzz

Using Google+? Add Derek's Home and Business Blog to your circles and stay up to date with the latest blog posts, news and resources.

If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776

Until my next post, enjoy the rest of the week!

Facebook Gestures And The Dislike Button

I was reading an interesting post today on Mashable which asked should the new Facebook Gestures allow a "dislike" button? In my opinion, no, but there are arguments for why it should be allowed.

As you've probably heard, Facebook will soon be rolling out "Watched," "Listened" and "Read" buttons and at last month's f8 conference, the company are giving developers the power to create their own actions called Gestures. These actions are the next step in integrating Facebook with every part of the web.

Peter VanRysdam who posted the article on Mashable raises some interesting points, which looks at both the positives and negatives of allowing such a feature.

One of the positives Peter has suggested is that the "dislike" button may come in useful if for instance, you don't feel comfortable "liking" a status update about a friend's dog being put to sleep, but you may want to click a "dislike" button in order to be alerted of other comments on that post. This is a good argument and one where a "dislike" button would indeed come in useful.

The negatives however, could simply outweigh the positives.

For instance, the "unlike" button as Peter suggested, may be used to "dislike" your wedding photos or the announcement of your new nephew. Although this may not be nice if you're on the receiving end, it could also lead to worse things such as cyber-bullying of which you have no control.

There are also implications for businesses in which the "dislike" button could have a negative impact. Peter says rather than encouraging people to "like" its own page, a company could promote the link to "dislike" its competition. He goes on to say that although there is nothing illegal about this, it's not exactly business friendly. With advertisers funding Facebook, this kind of activity could have serious financial implications for the social network.

Facebook have already blocked developers from using the word "dislike" during the Open Graph development process. As Peter mentioned in his article, words like "loathe" and "doesn't like" are not on the blocked list, leading to speculation that "dislike" was specifically excluded, presumably along with a long list of profanities.

Although the "thumbs up/down" are employed on many blogs and sites such as YouTube, for Facebook, it comes down to money Peter thinks. He says "The site has built a platform that is without a doubt the most targeted marketing tool for brands of all sizes. Where else can you target potential customers down to their specific interests, age, sex and zip code? Sure, dissatisfied users can post negative comments on a brand's page, but that company has complete control to moderate and address those issues."

From this perspective, you have to agree that Facebook have indeed created a solid platform for advertisers but it's also correct in saying that they're also thinking about their revenue and the implications if such feature was allowed.

So there you have it, a handful of positives and negatives regarding the Facebook "dislike" button. Given the above arguments, will Facebook ever allow this feature or give developers the opportunity to create one? I don't think so but what do you think?


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day) or by subscribing to our blog feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a wonderful day and a fabulous weekend!

Blogger Introduces Google+ Integration

Further to my post yesterday, Blogger Buzz have just announced the integration of Google+ on their testing platform, Blogger in Draft. The option to use a Google+ profile on the normal blogging platform (www.blogger.com) will be available in the coming weeks.

The announcement came not long after it was found that the "Edit User Profile" section on Blogger's profile settings showed a message and links to connect Blogger to Google+. Although the links were redundant, this message caused quite a stir and incited speculation on what the integration might mean for users of it's platform. This message and links were later removed and the announcement posted shortly after on Blogger Buzz.

The integration is exciting news and by logging into Blogger in Draft, you are now able to replace your Blogger profile with your Google+ profile by clicking on the "Get started" promotional message that will appear at the top of the screen or alternatively, by using this link.

Although the switch is seamless, Blogger have suggested that you backup your original profile information as it will not be transferred to your Google+ profile. If for some reason you want to switch back, you can do so within 30 days by using this link. If you don't switch back during this period, your Blogger profile will be permanently deleted from their system once the 30 days is up. Once you switch to the new profile, blog comments that use your original profile will be automatically redirected to your new Google+ profile.

The integration certainly has a lot of benefits. For one, you don't need to maintain two separate profiles and as announced on Blogger Buzz, you will be giving your readers a more robust and familiar sense of who you are and your social connections will see your posts in their Google search results with an annotation that you've shared the post.

Blogger have indicated that blog owners who switch to the new profile, will automatically get access to the new Google+ integrations as and when they are rolled out. One of these new integrations could see the replacement of the old (and probably soon to be discontinued) Google Friend Connect widget with a Google+ widget which will give blogs and their owners a wider social connection.

With Google's latest announcement that they will soon accommodate pseudonyms (see post: Google+ To Accommodate Pseudonyms), it will not be mandatory to associate your blog with your real name. However and when pseudonyms are finally allowed on the social network, it is recommended that the switch should only be done by those who want to associate their real-world identity with their blogs.

As yet and probably because the integration is still in draft, new blog comments made using the new profiles are only viewable on the blog and not on Google+. It shouldn't be long however, when full integration between the two platforms is evident. This will probably happen when the switch is widely available on the normal blogging platform in the coming weeks.

As I mentioned above, this is exciting news and I personally cannot wait to see what the new integrations will bring. If you have yet to switch your profile, you can do so by visiting Blogger in Draft or find out more information by visiting the FAQs page or the Blogger Help Forum.

Have you tried the new Google+ profile integration on Blogger Draft? Do you think the new integration will improve the blogging platform? Please let me know by leaving a comment.

Related articles:
Blogger And Google+ To Integrate
Google+ To Accommodate Pseudonyms


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day) or by subscribing to our blog feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a fabulous Tuesday!

Blogger And Google+ To Integrate

As reported today by Sarah Perez at TechCrunch, Google+ will soon be integrated with Blogger providing additional social features to the popular blogging platform.

This news comes after the "Edit User Profile" section on Blogger's profile settings is now showing the message: "Connect Blogger to Google+ : Use your Google profile and get access to upcoming Google+ features on Blogger," and includes links to "Learn more" and "Get Started." Both of these links are currently redundant (broken) but it shouldn't be long before they become active and you are able to connect your Google+ profile with Blogger.

With Google Friend Connect slowly being discontinued, given the shutdown of the Friend Connect Discussion Group and the closure of the Google Friend Connect Help Forum, it's not surprising that Google are taking steps to integrate it's new social network platform with Blogger.

Once the integration is complete and according to Alex Chitu at Google Operating System, Blogger profiles will be discontinued and replaced by Google Profiles. This integration will also be used to introduce additional social features that have been provided in the past by Google Friend Connect.

If the discontinuation of Blogger profiles is correct, the integration could also mean major changes to Blogger's current commenting system. This would mean blog comments would be made using Google+ profiles with the comments posted simultaneously and viewable on the blog itself and also on Google+. This is similar to blogs that use the Facebook commenting system.

As this is mere speculation at the moment, we will just have to wait and see what Google has planned. Whatever it is, the integration can only improve Blogger and make the blogs that are hosted on it more social friendly.


UPDATE: As of publishing this post, the message to connect Blogger to Google+ has now been removed. It looks as though Google have decided to remove this message until work has been completed. If I hear any more news on this integration, I'll keep you informed by updating this post.

UPDATE 11:30pm: Blogger Buzz have just announced that you can now replace your Blogger profile with your Google+ profile using their testing ground, Blogger in Draft. The option to use your Google+ profile on the normal blogging platform (www.blogger.com) will be available in the coming weeks. For more details on this announcement, see our new post: Blogger Introduces Google+ Integration


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day) or by subscribing to our blog feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a wonderful week!

Google+ To Accommodate Pseudonyms

At the San Francisco's Web 2.0 Summit on Wednesday, Google announced that they will soon accommodate pseudonyms, support Google Apps users, roll out pages for brands and be launching a developer platform for Google+.

With pseudonyms being one of the major criticisms of the new social network, Google's Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra addressed this issue by asking for a little time to figure out a way to use nicknames and handles without dramatically changing the atmosphere of Google+. "It's complicated to get this right." Gundotra said.

Google's policy to force users to go by their real names has been hit by controversy over the past few weeks. With this in mind, Google is now working on a way to allow people to sign-up under pseudonyms on Google+.

Support for Google Apps users should be coming in a matter of days, according to Gundotra with tools for brands taking a little bit longer. A developer platform is also on it's way but you might have to wait until next Spring, possibly at Google's I/O developer event before it becomes available. "We don't want to do anything haphazard to change the platform after developers come to depend on it" says Gundotra.

Gundotra also said Google+ would roll out pages for brands. Major advertisers already use Facebook and Twitter to reach large audiences on those services. This is good news for advertisers and it's indicated that this new feature should be available before the end of the year.

Although Google+ has increased it's momentum with more than 40 million users (which is up from 10 million from three months ago according to Co-founder and Chief Executive Larry Page), it still has stiff competition and some catching up to do with Facebook, which has more than 800 million users around the globe. When asked how Google could compete against the world's most popular social network, Gundotra said: "We're going to play a different game. It may take some period of time."

It certainly looks as though Google are working hard to improve Google+, but it's also very clear that they are also learning from their recent mistakes, especially with a policy reversal to accommodate pseudonyms.

Do you think Google was wrong not to allow pseudonyms in the beginning? Are you looking forward to these new features? Please let me know by leaving your comments.

Other News: In the next week, Google's Reader tool will get a revamp to add a social layer and connections to Google+. The refresh will see Google retire many of the Reader's existing social features, such as friending, following and shared-link blogs. "We think it's important to clean things up a bit," says Google's Software Engineer Alan Green in a blog post yesterday. You can read more on this story on The Official Google Reader Blog.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day) or by subscribing to our blog feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a fabulous weekend!

The End Draws Near For Google Buzz

Google announced on Friday that it's going to shut down Google Buzz in a few weeks and focus instead on Google+. Other Google services are also being shelved including Code Search, a tool for finding open-source code on the Web and Jaiku, a Twitter-like microblogging service that Google acquired in 2007.

In a recent post on The Official Google Blog, Vice President of Product Bradley Horowitz wrote: "We aspire to build great products that really change people's lives, products they use two or three times a day. To succeed you need real focus and thought - thought about what you work on and, just as important, what you don't work on. It's why we recently decided to shut down some products, and turn others into features of existing products."

He continues to say: "Changing the world takes focus on the future, and honesty about the past. We learned a lot from products like Buzz, and are putting that learning to work every day in our vision for products like Google+. Our users expect great things from us; today's announcements let us focus even more on giving them something truly awesome."

As of writing this post, the Google Labs site has already been shut down and in a previously announcement, Boutiques.com and the former Like.com websites will be replaced by Google Product Search.

Google launched Buzz, it's social media offering back in February 2010 and was initially seen as a threat to Twitter and Facebook. However, controversy hit when Gmail users discovered that the network's default settings automatically set members to follow their most e-mailed contacts and then posted those contacts publicly after a user "buzzed" about something. This default setting was reversed by Google two days later but the damage had already been done which later resulted in a class-action lawsuit and a settlement deal with the Federal Trade Commission.

Even though Buzz is being shelved, Google have said that while you won't be able to create new posts after Google Buzz has been shut down, you will be able to view your existing content on your Google Profile and download it using their export tool, Google Takeout.

Although seen as a flop by many, I personally use Google Buzz along with many other services to announce my latest blog posts to my subscribers and followers. However, I have found that in recent months, Buzz has lost most of it's appeal, especially since the launch of Google+. I do think now is the right time to shut down this failing service and for Google to concentrate on it's new offering.

Do you use Google Buzz and if so, how will this news effect you? Do you think Google are making the right decision to shelve this service? I would love to read your thoughts on this.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day) or by subscribing to our blog feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, enjoy the rest of the week!

Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Google Plus One & Other News

The past week has been a busy week on the news front, what with the resignation of Apple CEO Steve Jobs for example. Here's a quick rundown of some of the topics that has hit the news recently...


Apple CEO Steve Jobs Resigns

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs resigned last Wednesday as chief executive of the technology giant and will be replaced by chief operating officer Tim Cook. Mr Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant following pancreatic cancer, said he could no longer meet his chief executive's duties and expectations.

The 56-year-old has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since January. In a short letter to the board of Apple, Mr Jobs wrote: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as chief executive of Apple."

He continued "I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role."

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in the 1970s with Steve Wozniak, and thanks to innovative and hugely popular products such as the iPod, the iPhone and more recently the iPad, Apple has become one of the most sought after brands in the world. His extraordinary vision and leadership has guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company.

Although no longer CEO, Steve Jobs will still play a vital role in Apple's future with Tim Cook at the helm.

Do you think Apple will be as successful without the former CEO? I would love to read your thoughts on this.


Google +1 Button New Features

Internet search giant Google have added two new features to the +1 button, including the ability to directly share a webpage to Google+.

In a recent post on the Official Google Blog, Senior Vice President of Engineering Vic Gundotra announced: "Beginning today, we're making it easy for Google+ users to share webpages with their circles, directly from the +1 button. Just +1 a page as usual and look for the new 'Share on Google+' option. From there you can comment, choose a circle and share."

The second new feature added to the button is the +snippets. The +snippets feature will automatically include a link, an image and a description of the webpage you've shared using the +1 button. These +snippets are a great way to jumpstart conversations with people in your circles.

To encourage more sharing of content on the Google+ social network, Google have made is easy for publishers to customise their +snippets. More details on this can be found on the Google Webmaster blog.

Since it's launch in June, the +1 button has gathered momentum and is now installed on more than 1 million websites with over 4 billion daily views, according to Google. These numbers are very impressive and only time will tell how successful the +1 button will become.

Note: If you're on Google+, you can add me to your circles by visiting my profile at: https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776

Do you like these new features? Please let me know.


Bing Webmaster Tools Now Includes Yahoo! Data

The Bing Webmaster team have recently announced on the Webmaster Central blog the integration of Yahoo! traffic data into Bing Webmaster Tools reports. Bing Webmaster Tools will now be showing integrated data from Yahoo! within certain areas and reports.

The areas you will notice the changes are on the Traffic Tab. The "Traffic Summary" and "Page Traffic" reports will be impacted with Impressions, Clicks and Click Through Rates (CTR) increasing based on combined data numbers across both search engines.

As a visual reminder that data is now combined, you will see both the Bing and Yahoo! logos directly above the graphs shown on these pages. At this time, the data will be combined and not selectable with September being the first full month of combined data. The data will also update in any market where Bing is powering Yahoo! search.


Facebook New Sharing Improvements

Facebook announced last week a bunch of new improvements that makes it easier to share posts, photos, tags and other content with exactly the people you want.

According to Facebook, the main change is moving most of your controls from a settings page to being inline, right next to the posts, photos and tags they affect. There are several other updates that will make it easier to understand who can see your content (or your friends') in any context.

Here's a quick rundown of the improvements (courtesy of AllFacebook.com):

• The privacy settings are moving toward individual post windows and profiles.
• Users are gaining the ability to approve tags of themselves in others' posts and photos.
• All tags will include an attribution of the person who did the tagging.
• Places no longer require physical check-ins, so people can add locations to posts, even from the desktop.
• You don't need to be friends with someone to tag them in a post or photo.
• You don't have to like a brand to tag it in a post or photo.
• Facebook has changed the word "everyone" to "public" in privacy settings, for clarity.
• You can customize privacy, or visibility of information, on a post-by-post basis.
• Users can edit the visibility of individual bits of content anytime after they post.
• The changes don't affect mobile users, at least not for now.

These changes, according to Facebook, have already started to be rolled out across their system. Once your account has been updated, you'll see a prompt for a tour that walks you through these new features from your homepage. You can read more about these changes from the links that are available on the Facebook blog.

Do you like these new improvements? Do you think Facebook is copying Google+ by changing the word "everyone" to "public" in the privacy settings. I would love to read your thoughts on this.


Google Translate For Google+

Ever wanted to read posts and comments written in another language on Google+? Well now you can.

As of writing this post, Google have just released a Chrome Extension, Google Translate for Google+ that translates posts and comments into more than 50 languages.

In an update on Google+, Josh Estelle (Leading frontend and mobile development for Google Translate) writes "We've heard from a lot of Google+ users wanting an easier way to understand posts written in other languages. I'm an engineer on Google Translate and thought we could do something about that. That's why I'm happy to announce our Chrome extension, Google Translate for Google+, that using the power of Google Translate, can automatically translate any post or comment into more than 50 languages.

Once you've installed the extension, refresh Google+ and you'll see Translate links next to posts and comments. Click the links to instantly see translations."

Although still in the experimental stage, this is a very helpful extension and one that I'll be using quite regularly. You can get the extension by visiting:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jfppgkomfopklagggkjiaddgndkgopgl


HootSuite Adds Friendly Facebook Features

HootSuite (the popular social media management system) has today added new Facebook features to it's dashboard. The social media dashboard is now equipped with even fuller Facebook functionality which means you can do even more in the dashboard than ever before.

Now you can manage your Facebook Groups and Events, along with your Profiles and Pages from within HootSuite streams. You can also attach and upload photos directly to Facebook, search all public updates for brand mentions and even geo-locate your campaigns.

All these new features are now readily available the next time you login to HootSuite.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on Facebook or subscribe to our feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a wonderful week!

We've Been Featured On Bloggers.com

I am pleased to announce that Derek's Home and Business Blog has today been featured on Bloggers.com

My blog including my public profile has been showcased on the home page of Bloggers.com under "Editors' Picks of The Day". I've also been awarded with a featured bloggers badge on my public profile. You can view my blog (for the next 24hrs) on their home page at: http://bloggers.com

If you're a blog author, Bloggers.com is a large, dedicated blog directory plus a social network and online community for blog authors. They envision their site like a big cafe where authors can meet each other, send private messages and invite friends and relatives. If you haven't joined Bloggers.com, may I suggest you do so as they will not only bring traffic to your blog, but you'll be able to network with other fellow bloggers from around the world.

I'm so honoured to have my blog featured on such a well respected and dedicated blogging site and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the editors for their consideration in featuring my blog.

Right, I'm off to celebrate :)


As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on Facebook or subscribe to our feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509 and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Have a great week!

Has Facebook Blocked Your Website?

In addition to being the Founder and Administrator of Bloggers Network, I'm also a member of six other blogging groups on Facebook. This process helps me to get my posts seen by the blogging community for essential feedback etc.

On Friday, 18th February and after doing a new post on my blog, I decided to post links to this new post on all the groups I belong to. As a result and because (I assume) I posted in succession, my website has now been blocked on Facebook without warning or explanation.

I have contacted Facebook concerning this and hopefully, the block will be lifted soon. If you find your website has mistakenly been blocked by Facebook, use the following form to contact them: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/244560538958131

Update March 2018: The appeal form is no longer available. You will now need to use the Facebook Sharing Debugger to see the information that is used when your website content is shared on Facebook, Messenger and other places.

The most annoying part about this, is that not only has all the direct links to my website been removed from Facebook including the Bloggers Network that I administer, but all the Facebook "likes" on each post on my blog has now been reset to zero. Furthermore, no blog visitor such as yourself can "like" my blog or any post until the block has been removed. Will these Facebook "like" numbers be reinstated when the block is lifted? I certainly hope so!

I understand Facebook must have safe-guards in place to prevent spammers from spamming their system, but being blocked after posting 6 links in approximately 15 minutes is somewhat "over the top" in my view. If I had known such action would have blocked my website, I wouldn't have posted the links.

As you may or may not know, Facebook do not make it entirely clear (see below) as to what is and what is not acceptable when posting links. I don't want them to give away their algorithm secrets, but some guidelines/clarification (and a warning) would be most helpful to prevent honest users of their system like myself having their website blocked.

This is the only information Facebook provides regarding the above: "Unfortunately, Facebook cannot provide any specifics on the rate limits that are enforced. Please know that the threshold at which you are warned is not a specific number, but rather determined by different factors, such as speed, time, and quantity."

Just be warned that if you decide to post your link in multiple groups in succession on Facebook, you too could have your website blocked. I don't want you going through the same problems I'm currently experiencing.

On a brighter side, at least most of my posts on my blog Facebook Page haven't been removed. This is because any new posts I publish on my blog, the service NetworkedBlogs automatically use a shortened URL and not a direct link to post the new content on my page. If these had been removed, well, I dread to think how I would feel.

One thing is for certain, I won't make the same mistake twice as we're clearly at the mercy of Facebook and NOT the other way around!

Has your website been blocked by Facebook? Please let us know.


UPDATE 31st May 2013: Given the amount of search engine traffic that I receive daily on this blog post, I've just published a new post on how to avoid your website from being blocked by Facebook: Is Your Website Blocked By Facebook?

UPDATE 11th July 2011: Google has blocked all .co.cc websites from its search results because the domain has been found to be too "spammy". For more information on this, see article: Google Plus, Facebook Chat & Blog News

UPDATE 6th March 2011: It has been discovered that posting in succession was not the reason for the block. The reason is that all .co.cc domains have been blocked by Facebook. For more details on this and how this situation was resolved, read these update articles (newest first):

- Move To The New Domain Now Complete
- Derek's Home & Business Blog Is Moving
- Facebook Website Blocking Update


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar on the left-side of the screen or by using the "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow on Facebook and Google+, via Email or by subscribing to our blog feed.

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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https://www.google.com/+DerekJonesUK

Be careful in your social marketing efforts!

© 2011. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.

Top 14 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing

There's a lot of fuss surrounding social media these days. If you still haven't jumped on the bandwagon and aren't sure why so many people are making such a big deal about it, here are 14 benefits of social media for your business and you from Success magazine.

For Business:

Establish a Brand and Raise Awareness

Since the majority of the population is already visiting social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, getting your brand name all over those networks can help let people know that you're around. If you have yet to create a company image online, social networks are the place to do it.

Create a fun YouTube video that entertains and informs. Funny videos tend to make their way around the Internet a lot faster than any other kind, so when making a video, keep in mind that you want it to be interesting enough for your target audience to want to share. Using Facebook and Twitter to create a fun online community that your customers will want to visit will boost brand loyalty and drive traffic to your Website, allowing you the chance to make more online sales.


Spy on the Competition

Follow your competitors on Twitter and Facebook and you'll be able to see what they have up their sleeve. Just make sure to provide a better deal than whatever they have going on.


Pitch Products in a More Human, Interactive Way

Since people visit social media sites to get personal rather than be bombarded with ads, discuss your business in a fun way and engage your customers with questions. Ask their opinions and entice them to respond back. This way you're making a valuable connection that will help grow your number of return customers.


Bring Attention to Your Products

Featuring a product on a social media site is one of the fastest ways to bring attention to it. Offer a promotion along with it for your online community members and watch your sales skyrocket.


Increase Customer Loyalty And Trust

Speaking to your customers in a personal way will make them feel like they are talking to a friend, not a company. This will help build their trust in you, which will make them do business with you rather than your competition. It will also improve the chances of customer recommendations.


Listen to Your Customer's Opinion

Social media sites are an awesome way to see what your target audience is saying about your company or your products. Take their constructive criticism and use it to enhance your product to better meet their needs.


Conduct Market Research

Listen to what your customers say about your products and track what links they click on and you'll begin to see what your customers like and respond to. People love to express their opinions on social media sites, which will allow you to hear the truth. Then you can use your new-found information to tweak your product or service to please them as well as continue to post more information and links that they will enjoy.


Strengthen Customer Service

Social media networks allow your company to answer your customers' questions and concerns directly in a timely manner. This will improve customer satisfaction and also save you money on long distance customer service phone calls.


For You:

Build Your Personal Reputation

Social networks allow you to get your name out to the world and talk about things that matter to you. This will help you build a good online reputation, which is critical nowadays if you're looking for a job or even a new business contact.


Display Your Resume

LinkedIn allows you to display your full resume online for any future employers or recruiters to see. This will help bring you new opportunities that never would have existed otherwise.


Find a Job

Jobs are posted every minute on social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter along with the links or information you need to apply for them.


Showcase Your Talents And Establish Yourself as an Expert

If you're passionate about a certain subject, whether it's work-related or a hobby, the Internet is a great place to show off your knowledge. Soon people will be coming to you for the breaking information on that topic, and talking about you to friends.


Enhance Your Business Contacts and Enhance Personal Relationships

Through professional sites like LinkedIn, you can build your number of business contacts and enhance your reputation as an expert in your industry. You can also connect with those long-lost high school and college classmates, old colleagues, and out-of-town family members.


Share Information with Like-Minded People

Connect with other professionals in your field to share information. Where else would you be able to connect with industry professionals across the globe to swap stories and advice?



About The Author: Wendy Suto, President and CEO of Search Circus, specializes in search engine optimization and search engine marketing including social media marketing for over 10 years. Certified in SEO, Wendy Suto only follows natural and organic search engine optimization guidelines with proven results.

Latest Blog Changes And Tools

I've made some changes to the blog over the past few days. One of these changes include a Contact Tab where you can contact me to ask questions, post your feedback, or to submit your articles for review to be included on the blog.

Another noticeable change is a new widget at the bottom of your browser which has a selection of tools that allows you to access my new Facebook fan page, my tweets plus other tools to allow you to like, tweet, share, translate and search my latest blog posts.

I'm currently experimenting with this new widget to bring you the best tools possible, so that you can easily interact with my blog and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, MySpace, LinkedIn, Google Buzz etc.

As mentioned above, I've also setup a new Facebook fan page where you can view the latest blog posts, have discussions with other members, plus keep up to date with the latest blog news and developments. You can access the page by visiting: http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

More exciting changes are on the way. I'll keep you posted on the Facebook fan page when they become available. To get these announcements on your News Feed, don't forget to "like" the fan page.

If you haven't already done so, may I suggest you read my recent article: Does Google Consider Your Site Safe? This article explains the problems my blog was experiencing with regards to Google and how it could effect you because of your outbound links. This article has also been posted on SiteProNews as an exclusive.

Finally, don't forget to claim your 5 free ebooks as there's only a few copies left. More information on these free ebooks and how to claim them can be found on the post: Get Blog Updates On Facebook.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on Facebook or subscribe to our feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509 and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
http://www.facebook.com/DereksHomeandBusinessBlog

Until my next post, have a great weekend!

Facebook Offers Tips On Being Popular

Want to be the most popular person on Facebook? All you have to do is write longer status updates, talk about music and sports, don't be overly emotional, don't talk about your family, don't refer to time and use the word "you" a lot. That's according to a recent Facebook study that took a look at the way people write and react to status updates.

Facebook analyzed the word usage for about one million status updates from its US English speakers. The social network said all identifiable information was stripped from the status updates before they were analyzed, and Facebook team members did not read your status updates for the purposes of this study.

Once the updates were anonymized, the words were organized into 68 different word categories based on the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) -- a text analysis software program created by James W. Pennebaker, Roger J. Booth, and Martha E. Francis. Some examples of word categories used in the study include past tense verbs, prepositions, religion and positive feelings.

Here's a look at some of the study's findings.


Angry Youth

Facebook youth are an angry, foul-mouthed, selfish bunch, according to the Facebook study. The company found that young people express more negative emotions than their elders, swear more and use personal pronouns such as "I" and "Me" more often.

Older Facebook folk, meanwhile, write longer prose in their updates, talk about others more often and pepper their language with more prepositions (to, in, at) and articles (a, the, some).


Morning People

Turns out, most folks on Facebook are morning people. The study found that status updates expressing positive emotions were highest in the morning, and became increasingly negative as the day wore on. So basically, we Facebook users--at least the U.S. English speakers, anyway--start the day in a good mood, but as the day goes on and the coffee wears off we become increasingly demoralized. How cliched can you get?


The Blogger's Secret

Facebook's study also confirms something that bloggers and Fox News have known for years: negative comments produce more online activity. Sure, Facebook users might click the like button more often on updates expressing positive emotion. But Facebook found you can't beat negativity for user engagement, as dismal status updates garnered more comments than positive ones.

People are also less likely to comment on religious status updates, and rarely comment or like status updates referring to sleep. Confirming that it's best to avoid religious topics when in polite company, and that no one else you know is ever awake when you are dealing with a bout of insomnia.

You can find out more about Facebook's status update study here, including the revelation that you and your friend's tend to talk about the same stuff. Confirming that, while addictive, Facebook can sometimes get a little boring.


Many thanks to Ian Paul, contributing editor of PCWorld for the content of this article. If you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar) or subscribe to our feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509 and on Facebook at:
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Happy Holidays!