Social Media for Business - Be Part of the Conversation

In today’s world of social media people are going to talk about your business online – so why not be part of that conversation?

 

 

© Shotshop GmbH / Alamy

 

 

In less than a decade social media has become part of the fabric of everyday communication. More than a billion people now have Facebook accounts, and well over a quarter of a million use Twitter. These tools offer businesses new opportunities to connect with customers and employees, usually at very little cost. And while it is not essential for companies to maintain a presence on all social networks, ignoring them altogether would seem somewhat out of touch to many customers and employees.

 

Being active on Twitter, Yammer, LinkedIn or Facebook can make a business seem more ‘human’ and approachable. It can also keep it informed of the latest trends and customer desires, and establish it as an expert on important issues. What is more, social networks can provide businesses with a vast amount of information on how they and their rivals are perceived by customers, suppliers and staff. This allows them to fine-tune their communication strategies, target certain groups or broaden their appeal.

 

 

 © Yammer

 

 

Secure, private social networks such as Yammer are breaking down hierarchies and internal silos, giving every employee a voice and ensuring that worthwhile ideas and opinions receive a fair hearing. More than 400,000 companies worldwide (including 85 per cent of the Fortune 500) have already adopted Yammer, so that everyone within the company can share their insights, ask questions, create polls and contribute to projects. That means frontline staff with valuable customer insights can share these with the rest of the business immediately, rather than pushing them up the chain through long-winded reporting processes. Feedback from colleagues can be in real time – right up to senior management level.

 

Twitter’s real strength lies in its ability to allow both existing and potential customers to communicate with a business on a more personal level. Businesses can draw attention to important campaigns and special offers, and deal with customer enquiries – including complaints – in a quick, satisfying manner. Praise for what the business has done right can be tracked and shared, helping to build its reputation as a reliable, open and trustworthy brand. Regular updates and photos detailing life behind the public façade often strengthen bonds with both customers and suppliers.

 

Social media gives businesses the chance to share expert opinions and insights with staff and customers. A company might tweet a link to an article on its website or blog, or help people solve everyday problems. Both LinkedIn and Facebook allow businesses to set up a company or fan page, which acts as a hub for sharing images, video, text, blogs, updates and product information with online communities. LinkedIn’s analytical tools allow businesses to track engagement with their posts, their follower growth and other key trends. Similar data is available on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, allowing you to refine the content you share and build a strong online following.

 

http://conferencemarathon.uk.msn.com/Articles/Article/social-media-for-business

 

 

BT Claims 1Gb Fibre Broadband Speed Boost

BT is claiming to have made a "big breakthrough" with fibre broadband, which could see homes and businesses see speeds rise to 1Gbps (gigabit per second).

The technology is being tested at BT's labs in Ipswich

A trial of so-called G-Fast technology has managed download speeds of 800Mbps (megabits) and upload speeds of 200Mbps.

 

The trial is significant because it utilises existing technology.

 

BT has been criticised for its continued use of copper lines.

 

So-called Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), which uses a combination of fibre and copper lines, is BT's preferred technology for broadband rollout.

 

It is significantly slower than Fibre to the Premises technology (FTTP) but is much cheaper to deploy.

 

FTTC also gets slower over distance because it relies on copper for the last part of the connection.

 

It means homes that are further away from BT's green street cabinets will have slower speeds.

 

BT claims that the new technology can achieve good speeds over longer lines of 66m (216ft), which it said encompasses 80% of connections.

 

G-Fast technology has been tested at BT's research laboratory at Adastral Park in Ipswich. It is due to open a new ultrafast broadband lab where it will continue to test its potential.
 

BT said commercial equipment could be available from manufacturers by December 2015, but the company has made no decisions about rolling the technology out yet.

 

The new technology could also be useful to businesses which currently rely on dedicated lines that run on ethernet.

 

"We see G-Fast as a very promising technology with significant potential," said Dr Tim Whitley, managing director of research at BT.

 

"BT has a long history of pushing the boundaries in telecommunications, from the earliest days of the electric telegraph to today's global fibre networks, and it's crucial that we stay ahead of the curve for the benefit of our customers and shareholders."
 

Rival Virgin Media is also experimenting with new ways to boost speed - including a trial in a Cambridgeshire village, using narrow-trenching.

 

The method means engineers can lay the cable faster and the trial to 100 houses in the area achieved 1Gb speeds.

Need for speed

Ovum analyst Matthew Howett thinks the technology could be beneficial to both consumers and businesses.

"Given the huge costs involved in a full fibre solution, and the challenging economic environment, it's important to make the most of, and extend the life of technologies already deployed - in the most cost effective way," he said.
 

"This should result in quicker wins for consumers and businesses at a favourable price."

 

The debate about how much speed consumers and businesses need has grown louder in recent months.
 

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) recently said that the government's target to have superfast speeds of at least 24Mbps in 90% of homes by 2017 lacked ambition and needed a rethink.

 

It called for a minimum of 100Mbps by 2030.

 

Labour has also jumped on the speed bandwagon and pledged to increase broadband speeds if it wins the next election.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29360758

 

6 Simple Ways to Increase Your Website Traffic

As of March 2012, there were 644 million active websites. That’s more than half a billion - in other words, a lot. In this sea of content, images, videos, and social media, it’s easy, as someone with a struggling website, to feel overwhelmed. That said, there is no greater tool your business or brand can have than a website that both promotes your product or service while adding value to your readers’ experience. By generating awesome content and engaging traffic tools to expand your reach, you can boost website traffic while simultaneously establishing yourself as a trustworthy member of the digital community.

 

Here are 6 quick, creative, DIY ways to improve your website traffic.
 

1. Optimize your content for search engines

 

To increase the visibility of your website and boost traffic, incorporate content-rich search words that will earn your site more play in popular search engines. Since much website traffic comes from search engines like Google - especially when a user is discovering your site for the first time - you want to make sure you’re employing simple on-page SEO techniques, like consistently stellar website performance, keyword-rich text and titles, frequent content updates, etc. When incorporated organically, these are great ways to increase your presence in search results and bring more traffic to your site.
 

2. Improve your social media presence

 

Your social media outlets should function as an extension of your website. Maintain fun and active Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts that don’t only promote your content, but serve to build up your personality and profile. Become active in social communities that are relevant to your content. In addition, make sure your content is easily shareable by implementing social plugins on your website (Like, +1, and Tweet buttons) in order to increase your site’s visibility on social networks.
 

3. Get grabby

 

When sharing your content on social media or in link trades, think about creating titles for your posts and pages that will be more interesting to readers. Check out sites like Upworthy and Buzzfeed - they are experts at titles that are creative, honest, and engaging without being sensationalist. We’ve researched and collected some best practices on title length and word choices to determine what kinds of titles generate the most clicks. Think about ways you can implement these best practices to make the content you’re sharing more clickable.
 

4. Paid traffic

 

In order to generate high traffic, many websites rely on the pay per click (PPC) model, a form of internet advertising in which the advertiser pays for clicks on their ads, only paying for actual traffic driven to their website. Depending on your budget and industry, this might be a good option for you. If you do want to take your site to this level of visibility, paid content discovery platforms like Google Adwords, Facebook’s PPC platform, and Outbrain Amplify can radically extend your website’s reach and increase your traffic. These content discovery platforms can help extend your reach and bring you a whole new audience that otherwise might not have been looking for you.
 

5. Find your community

 

One of the best ways to increase website traffic is to become a hub for your industry. By connecting with other writers, bloggers, and thought-leaders in your field, and forming a virtual community, you will be positioning yourself as a trusted go-to. One way to form real and lasting connections is by prioritizing giving back - i.e. employing the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” mentality. Participate in link trades with other related site owners. And don’t only wait for others to notice you: drive traffic to other websites you respect and trust, and be sure to participate in conversations in forums or on social media to establish yourself and your site as a dynamic community member.
 

6. Provide real value

 

While all the above techniques may help you to gain new readers, you also need to think about keeping the ones you have - and how to inspire those readers to tell their friends and share your content. Create useful, unique, and timely content that your readers will organically want to share with their friends, and that will inspire those who are site owners or bloggers to link to your content. These links are a great organic way to improve your SEO. Use videos and images when appropriate to provide a more dynamic reader experience. Proof your content for grammar and spelling, and reveal your unique voice, point of view, and expertise. Word-of-mouth is still one of the most trusted ways to boost website traffic, and to generate this level of engagement, your website needs to focus on providing real value - both entertainment and educational - to your audience.

bit.ly/1pn1opA
 

Gmail Details Leaked, Are You Safe?

Gmail users are being advised to update their security details after a database containing both usernames and passwords was hacked and exposed on a Russian website.

 

Just under 5 million Gmail accounts were exposed on a Russian Bitcoin Forum by a user under the alias “tvskit”.

 

The user posted an archived file on the Bitcoin security forum btcsec.com, claiming that over 60 percent of usernames and credentials were valid.

 

The database mainly lists Russian accounts, however some English and Spanish-speaking members are reported to be on the list.

 

Though the forum manager has already removed the file containing 4,930,000 emails and passwords, the text file was in the public domain long enough to have been copied and read. The resulting leak has led to many Google account users changing their details abruptly.

 

It is still unclear how the btcsec user obtained the vast collection of usernames and passwords. Google have confirmed its servers were not breached, so a third party malware infected computer or database is the most likely suspect.

 

The list appears to house a collection of previously hacked passwords so it could simply be a collaboration of older data.

 

3rd Party Websites

 

Users concerned that their details may be listed on the text file are advised to not use third party website, which claim to check if accounts are compromised. This can be another elaborate gateway for cybercriminals to find working emails and initiate a cyber-attack

 

Password change and 2 Step verification

 

Google is warning affected users to take further steps to protect the security of their Gmail accounts.

 

The company recommend users should create a new password and consider using the additional two-step verification.

 

 

2-Step Verification adds an extra layer of security to a Google Account. The process works by having unique ID code sent to a separate device when your account is being accessed from an unknown source.

 

Whenever you sign in to Google you’ll enter your username and password as usual.

 

A code is then sent to your phone, unique to that login via call, text or app.

 

You’ll then be asked to enter the code on the original login.

 

Two step Verification drastically reduces the chances of having your personal information stolen from an account, as the hacker would need both username and password and the two devices. To break into an account with 2-Step Verification, bad guys would not only have to know your username and password, they’d also have to get a hold of your phone.

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/blog/2014/09/gmail-detail-leaked-are-you-safe/

 

 

Facebook Experiments with Vanishing Posts

Facebook has been attempting to rival Snapchat by releasing photo-messaging apps with automatic deletion

Facebook is following in the footsteps of messaging app Snapchat by testing a feature that allows users to schedule the automatic deletion of their posts.

The social network said the option, which offers expiration settings ranging from one hour to seven days, was "a small pilot" for its iOS app.

Facebook often tests new capabilities.

It faced criticism in June for one experiment that "manipulated" the content of nearly 700,000 users' news feeds, to gauge emotional responses.

The BBC understands that the expiration option was introduced after Facebook users expressed an interest in automatically deleting posts which are only relevant for a limited amount of time.

Posts for which an expiration time is chosen cannot be subsequently shared by other users.

The option is currently limited to users in New Zealand, where Facebook and other tech companies have tested products and services in the past.

Chasing Snapchat

Snapchat, the popular ephemeral messaging app that Facebook reportedly tried to buy for $3bn (£1.8bn), has mushroomed in the three years since its founding in 2011 - a growth rate that has sent its rivals clamouring for similar success.

Time-limited messaging is increasingly popular among teenagers, the very demographic coveted by many large tech firms.

In June, Facebook unveiled Slingshot, a photo-messaging app in which images received from friends must be unlocked by "slinging" a different photo back to the original sender.

All messages are deleted once sent and users can scribble or type over their photos.

One month later, the Facebook-owned Instagram also revealed an app that allows users to send photos which are deleted after being viewed by the recipient.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29156436

Facebook to Introduce YouTube-like Video Counter in Next Update

Facebook is planning to take on YouTube with a new feature within its next update that features a counter for public videos.

Through a blog post, the social media network boasted about having over 1 billion videos viewed a day with more than 65 per cent on mobiles. It's likely the autoplay feature that the Facebook app now has as standard has helped, as well as the recent Ice Bucket Challenge videos, but it still sounds like a pretty large number.

The next Facebook update will bring new "views" figures that will be displayed on public videos from people and Pages, which should help you find new and popular videos within the app.

Additionally, Facebook announced another video feature that was in testing which will play related content following the video you are watching.

Video publishers can now also add a call to action like a link to a website once the video ends - another YouTube-like feature that should encourage more professionally published videos.

The update with the new video views feature is expected to land this week.

http://tech.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=261925304

Twitter Starts E-commerce Push with 'Buy' Button

Micro-blogging service Twitter will soon start testing a "buy" button as it seeks to generate more cash from users.

 

 

Fashion firm Burberry is one of the partners for the Twitter buy button tests

 

The button will sit inside a tweet and allow people to click to buy an item directly from that message.
 

Tests with a "small percentage of US users" and a limited number of commercial partners are due to begin shortly, it said.
 

The trials marks a more serious attempt by Twitter to generate revenue by means other than advertising.
 

Before now, it has been possible to buy via Twitter but this has revolved around users sending public messages with a special hashtag in them to confirm purchase of an item.
 

By contrast, the buy button would be used alongside messages pushing a particular product or service, said Twitter in a blogpost.
 

Once users have clicked, they will be prompted to enter payment and shipping details. If a user is already known and registered with a service or merchant, they will be asked to tap the button again to confirm purchase.
 

Twitter said 19 partners had signed up to the tests, including pop singer Rihanna, non-profit group Nature Conservancy and fashion brand Burberry.
 

The first items to be sold via the button were likely to be time-limited, such as event tickets or other limited edition goods, said Nathan Hubbard, Twitter's ecommerce boss in an interview with the New York Times.
 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29112880