Repost......This hits close to home.
Dear Wanna-bes, Your Twitter Stardom is Coming to an End
Written by Marshall Kirkpatrick / June 19, 2009 9:15 AM / 53 Comments
« Prior Post Next Post »
One of the most controversial practices widely used to build up influence on Twitter is now cause for account suspension, according to a message on the Twitter developers email list from a company support team member.
Using third party software to systematically add a large number of social connections each day, then break those connections with anyone who doesn't reciprocate, is a method used by some number of Twitter users to create an appearance of legitimacy for subsequent new connections.
Twitter's Doug Williams said last night that such practices will now risk account suspension. Some users will be unhappy about the policy, many others will probably applaud it. There are valid arguments on both sides of the position.
The issue was raised last night by developer Jesse Stay, one of the most consistently outspoken critics of Twitter policy and creator of the service SocialToo. Twitter's Doug Williams replied simply that "There is no limit to the number of unfollows. Using software to constantly churn followers in a repeated pattern of following and unfollowing will however risk suspension."
Critics have long complained that many people on Twitter have artificially inflated their social network despite producing no meaningful content on the site. The use of friend-inflation software has put unscrupulous marketers in particular in a position to broadcast their messages to a much wider network of people than they have "earned."
It's been effective because a quick glance at the friend-to-followers ratio on someone's Twitter account profile page has been the easiest way to judge the legitimacy of a new social connection. Getting a new connection and evaluating whether it's worth reciprocating costs time and energy - so most users don't appreciate impersonal automated social connections.
Image: SocialMediaDouchebag.net
Combine the ego-boost of having a stranger "follow" you with the fact that lots of other people are already following them back, and new users are often happy to reciprocate a new connection. It must be a good party I've been invited to, you might say, look how many other people are already here. All too often users end up feeling fooled into attending the Web 2.0 equivalent of a multi-level marketing pitch session.
There's a widespread belief that "followers" on Twitter ought to be earned by a user's history of high-value contributions to conversation on the platform. The ability for users to discover other high-value people took a hit last month when Twitter made public replies from one user to another invisible for people not following the user being replied to.
Media hacker Dave Winer argued this morning that Twitter itself is the biggest offender. By sending hundreds of thousands of people to follow accounts on its Suggested User List, Winer contends that the company engages in the same kind of unfair artificial inflation of follower numbers for a select group of accounts that haven't necessarily earned that high profile with high quality content.
Users of automatic friend inflation software seem particularly offensive, though. They are often the most craven attention-seekers on the service, sometimes self-proclaimed "social media experts" who claim general legitimacy based on their large number of followers.
On The Other Hand
Not everyone will be happy with the Twitter policy of suspending accounts that have grown with the help of software. To draw a more favorable analogy, how different is this from automated promotional activities in other media?
No one is forcing people to follow-back accounts that friend them unexpectedly and have a lot of followers already. Shouldn't savvy users be responsible for evaluating an account's content quality themselves? When a social network has tens or hundreds of millions of users, is it not legitimate for businesses to use automatic methods to reach out to them?
A discussion of the policy would seem to be a good idea, instead of an arbitrary suspension of accounts based on Twitter HQ's apparent belief about how the service ought to be used. There is a small cottage industry formed already around "friend acquisition software" for Twitter. On one hand, it's an old-world business person's dream come true - just throw a little money at some software and gain thousands of friends! On the other hand, Twitter is an important new communication platform that represents the democratic and meritocratic hopes of many innovative people. It's also just a nice place to hang out and talk with friends, without someone trying to sell you things. Should we all be left to our own devices for building status, if that's important to us, on Twitter?
You might like following the ReadWriteWeb crew on Twitter. We think you're interesting and many of your friends already follow us! You can find ReadWriteWeb on Twitter, as well as the entire RWW Team: Marshall Kirkpatrick, Bernard Lunn, Alex Iskold, Sarah Perez, Frederic Lardinois, Sean Ammirati, Doug Coleman Dana Oshiro, Steven Walling, Jolie O'Dell and Lidija Davis
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Search Engine Marketing
Repost
SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING
Twitter 101: Tweetable SEO
By P.J. Fusco, ClickZ, Jun 17, 2009
Sponsored by Infusionsoft
Subscribe to newsletters Subscribe to RSS feeds Post a comment (0 posted)
Leveraging social media is one of the ways you can focus on link building, reputation management, online sales, and more, as part of an SEO (define) strategy.
Remember, each social media venue is different with real people thriving in real, albeit virtual, communities. Some social gatherings tend to take their conversations pretty seriously, so they are naturally protective of their communities. Joining a social media community isn't a right -- you have to earn your voice to be heard. Social media is not a set-it-and-forget it environment. It takes an investment in time, thought, and planning. Spend time getting to know all about the environment. As an example, let's look at Twitter.
About Twitter
Twitter was originally built to accommodate updates from phones. The origin of the 140-character limit per post mirrors the 160-character limit for short message services (SMS). But Twitter has grown far beyond its original text-based constructs to include thousands of applications that make users more productive and prolific than ever before.
In its simplest form, Twitter is a micro-blogging forum that allows you to connect with people directly on their cell phones or computers in a non-obtrusive way. The nicest thing about being able to connect with people through Twitter is that fans and followers don't have to give you any private information about themselves. Rather, Twitter allows friends and fans an easy way to follow your tweets because they want to get your updates, alerts, tips, and general messages.
Twitter is all about speed and participating in the conversation. This concept is so important to your success in Twitter that it bears repeating. Twitter is about people, participation, and persuasion. Grasp this one concept and you'll be able to surpass your online rivals to lead your niche in online marketing, brand buzz, and reputation management.
Businesses can form instant direct relationships with customers simply by signing up and using the service regularly. Under the different business models Twitter is beta testing, businesses should soon be able to advertise to the Twitter community as well.
Twitter isn't just a cute way for keeping up with friends on mobile phones anymore. It has ramped up quickly to be the search engine of choice for millions seeking its human driven results. Consequently,
Twitter is a new media revolution that should not be ignored, especially if you are seeking one more way to rank in search results.
Ready, Set, Tweet
Since Twitter has universal appeal, consider starting with a tweet or two -- after you've searched for tweets about your company or your brands, of course. To sign up for Twitter, simply go to Twitter.com and click on "Get Started -- Join!" Fill out the information and voila -- you have your own Twitter account.
I usually recommend setting up at least two accounts; one for your personal name and one for each branded line or business division in your organization. That's where some of the planning comes in. It's also important to grab names for your brands before someone else does, even if you don't plan on using the account for a while.
There are a few things to consider when signing up, starting with selecting the right user name. It's perfectly acceptable to use your full name for a personal account, just don't make your name any longer than it needs to be. Challenges with using your full name arise when it's too long or too difficult for new friends and followers to spell.
Twitter limits your username to 14 characters or less. There are several advantages of using a short brand name, versus your full brand name. Short brand names are easier to remember, spell, and type when using a mobile device to communicate with you. The key is to be remembered, so if you have to shorten your name, at least make it memorable.
Next, set up your profile. Remember, your profile will be the meta description adjoined to your profile name as the title tag for your Twitter page, so make the most of the space you have. Include some pertinent information about yourself or your company since the twittosphere actually wants to know these things. You'll also want to upload a current photo of yourself for your personal Twitter account and upload an image or a logo for your business account.
There are some free Twitter backgrounds you can download for your profile page. You can design your own Twitter skin for better brand identification, but you can do that at a later date after you get started. For now it's easiest to just stick to the ones that Twitter has given you to choose from. You can also change profiles from the "settings" link located under your picture on your profile page on the right sidebar. Be sure to include a link to your Web site, a landing page within your Web site designed just for Twitter users, your blog, or wherever. It's a free link that's naturally part of your profile.
It's important that you Tweet a few things that leave a lasting impact before you start following people or looking for followers. Have at least five to eight Tweets up on your profile to give new visitors coming across your profile page an idea of what type of Tweets they can expect if they choose to follow you.
What can you Tweet about when you first get started? You could Tweet a few cool things about yourself, perhaps industry tips, quotes, or questions. Or you can put anything you might have in a biography or an "about us" in a series of Tweets. Whatever you do, don't just talk about sales or marketing initiatives at first. Instead, talk about who you are and why you're there.
Always remember that Twitter is a public forum. You can't take back a Tweet. Toward that end, it's a good idea to understand a little about Twitter etiquette as you begin finding friends and followers, which we'll talk more about when we next meet.
commenting policy
Post a Comment
@Controls
(Powered by JS-Kit)
Contact P.J. Fusco Articles by P.J. Fusco
Contact ClickZ Editors View print-friendly version
Send
SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING
Twitter 101: Tweetable SEO
By P.J. Fusco, ClickZ, Jun 17, 2009
Sponsored by Infusionsoft
Subscribe to newsletters Subscribe to RSS feeds Post a comment (0 posted)
Leveraging social media is one of the ways you can focus on link building, reputation management, online sales, and more, as part of an SEO (define) strategy.
Remember, each social media venue is different with real people thriving in real, albeit virtual, communities. Some social gatherings tend to take their conversations pretty seriously, so they are naturally protective of their communities. Joining a social media community isn't a right -- you have to earn your voice to be heard. Social media is not a set-it-and-forget it environment. It takes an investment in time, thought, and planning. Spend time getting to know all about the environment. As an example, let's look at Twitter.
About Twitter
Twitter was originally built to accommodate updates from phones. The origin of the 140-character limit per post mirrors the 160-character limit for short message services (SMS). But Twitter has grown far beyond its original text-based constructs to include thousands of applications that make users more productive and prolific than ever before.
In its simplest form, Twitter is a micro-blogging forum that allows you to connect with people directly on their cell phones or computers in a non-obtrusive way. The nicest thing about being able to connect with people through Twitter is that fans and followers don't have to give you any private information about themselves. Rather, Twitter allows friends and fans an easy way to follow your tweets because they want to get your updates, alerts, tips, and general messages.
Twitter is all about speed and participating in the conversation. This concept is so important to your success in Twitter that it bears repeating. Twitter is about people, participation, and persuasion. Grasp this one concept and you'll be able to surpass your online rivals to lead your niche in online marketing, brand buzz, and reputation management.
Businesses can form instant direct relationships with customers simply by signing up and using the service regularly. Under the different business models Twitter is beta testing, businesses should soon be able to advertise to the Twitter community as well.
Twitter isn't just a cute way for keeping up with friends on mobile phones anymore. It has ramped up quickly to be the search engine of choice for millions seeking its human driven results. Consequently,
Twitter is a new media revolution that should not be ignored, especially if you are seeking one more way to rank in search results.
Ready, Set, Tweet
Since Twitter has universal appeal, consider starting with a tweet or two -- after you've searched for tweets about your company or your brands, of course. To sign up for Twitter, simply go to Twitter.com and click on "Get Started -- Join!" Fill out the information and voila -- you have your own Twitter account.
I usually recommend setting up at least two accounts; one for your personal name and one for each branded line or business division in your organization. That's where some of the planning comes in. It's also important to grab names for your brands before someone else does, even if you don't plan on using the account for a while.
There are a few things to consider when signing up, starting with selecting the right user name. It's perfectly acceptable to use your full name for a personal account, just don't make your name any longer than it needs to be. Challenges with using your full name arise when it's too long or too difficult for new friends and followers to spell.
Twitter limits your username to 14 characters or less. There are several advantages of using a short brand name, versus your full brand name. Short brand names are easier to remember, spell, and type when using a mobile device to communicate with you. The key is to be remembered, so if you have to shorten your name, at least make it memorable.
Next, set up your profile. Remember, your profile will be the meta description adjoined to your profile name as the title tag for your Twitter page, so make the most of the space you have. Include some pertinent information about yourself or your company since the twittosphere actually wants to know these things. You'll also want to upload a current photo of yourself for your personal Twitter account and upload an image or a logo for your business account.
There are some free Twitter backgrounds you can download for your profile page. You can design your own Twitter skin for better brand identification, but you can do that at a later date after you get started. For now it's easiest to just stick to the ones that Twitter has given you to choose from. You can also change profiles from the "settings" link located under your picture on your profile page on the right sidebar. Be sure to include a link to your Web site, a landing page within your Web site designed just for Twitter users, your blog, or wherever. It's a free link that's naturally part of your profile.
It's important that you Tweet a few things that leave a lasting impact before you start following people or looking for followers. Have at least five to eight Tweets up on your profile to give new visitors coming across your profile page an idea of what type of Tweets they can expect if they choose to follow you.
What can you Tweet about when you first get started? You could Tweet a few cool things about yourself, perhaps industry tips, quotes, or questions. Or you can put anything you might have in a biography or an "about us" in a series of Tweets. Whatever you do, don't just talk about sales or marketing initiatives at first. Instead, talk about who you are and why you're there.
Always remember that Twitter is a public forum. You can't take back a Tweet. Toward that end, it's a good idea to understand a little about Twitter etiquette as you begin finding friends and followers, which we'll talk more about when we next meet.
commenting policy
Post a Comment
@Controls
(Powered by JS-Kit)
Contact P.J. Fusco Articles by P.J. Fusco
Contact ClickZ Editors View print-friendly version
Send
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Traffic Python Site Review
Traffic Python is a new site that says it guarantees more CONVERTING web visitors and online advertising with very little effort or cost. So I decided to put it to the test...
My first impression was the site looks professional and clean, with an attractive look and feel. It is easy to read and understand. Joining the site was easy and painless--they do offer 2 upgrade options but they are not required to gain the benefits.
The Members Area is very well laid out and intuitive--I could figure out what to do after only a few minutes and was able to get up and running in less than 5 minutes. Inside the site, you create links and ads--the links you simply enter any URL links you use into the generator and it transforms them into "Traffic Python" links. You create ads for anything you want to promote using the Traffic Python Ad Generator, which is very easy to use. You can create as many links and as many ads as you like. And they are organized in a logical way--links are displayed in the order you create them but also your 5 most recent links appear on the main page for quick reference. Also, since the link generator is the tool you'll use most, it is also right at the top of the main page when you login. Very smart!
After you've created at least 1 link and 1 ad you can start to generate traffic. Just use and promote the new Traffic Python link instead of the original source link you had. Every time the Traffic Python link is clicked, the page loads followed by a cool slide-up ad window at the bottom. It displays an ad PLUS an image with your affiliate link that goes back to Traffic Python. So if anyone clicks the Traffic Python image they see the site, and if they signup they become your referral. It's a great viral feature because you can build referrals without even trying to just by using the site.
Now every time the ad window displays (your Traffic Python links get clicked) you earn credits that get YOUR ad displayed in the ad windows when other members' links get clicked. So the more clicks, the more times your ads get displayed.
And this works virally--meaning as you make referrals into Traffic Python (either by promoting it or just using it and visitors click the Traffic Python image on the ad window to join) you also earn ad credits on THEIR link clicks. And this works up to 5 levels deep. So you can create a massive amount of free ad views and web traffic by referring others to Traffic Python also.
I didn't get to test the full effect of a big downline yet (I just got the tool) but I can tell you the rest of the site works exactly as stated--my links got clicked, I earned credits, and my ads got displayed. Traffic Python even tracked my results so I know how many clicks and how many ad displays. That was an impressive unadvertised extra feature.
There is one more benefit and feature which might be the best of them all--downline emailing. You can email your downline with offers, promotions, or whatever you like, and here is where Traffic Python really shines. They took time to make the emailing often enough that it's valuable as a user, but no so often that it's a burden to your downline. But the best part about this feature (and actually the credit earning too) is that it tells you exactly how long until you can mail again. Now THAT's cool.
Overall I have to say I am impressed with Traffic Python. It is simple yet powerful, and delivers on its promises. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to increase traffic and advertising.
See it and join here:
http://trafficpython.com/x/aff/47598
My first impression was the site looks professional and clean, with an attractive look and feel. It is easy to read and understand. Joining the site was easy and painless--they do offer 2 upgrade options but they are not required to gain the benefits.
The Members Area is very well laid out and intuitive--I could figure out what to do after only a few minutes and was able to get up and running in less than 5 minutes. Inside the site, you create links and ads--the links you simply enter any URL links you use into the generator and it transforms them into "Traffic Python" links. You create ads for anything you want to promote using the Traffic Python Ad Generator, which is very easy to use. You can create as many links and as many ads as you like. And they are organized in a logical way--links are displayed in the order you create them but also your 5 most recent links appear on the main page for quick reference. Also, since the link generator is the tool you'll use most, it is also right at the top of the main page when you login. Very smart!
After you've created at least 1 link and 1 ad you can start to generate traffic. Just use and promote the new Traffic Python link instead of the original source link you had. Every time the Traffic Python link is clicked, the page loads followed by a cool slide-up ad window at the bottom. It displays an ad PLUS an image with your affiliate link that goes back to Traffic Python. So if anyone clicks the Traffic Python image they see the site, and if they signup they become your referral. It's a great viral feature because you can build referrals without even trying to just by using the site.
Now every time the ad window displays (your Traffic Python links get clicked) you earn credits that get YOUR ad displayed in the ad windows when other members' links get clicked. So the more clicks, the more times your ads get displayed.
And this works virally--meaning as you make referrals into Traffic Python (either by promoting it or just using it and visitors click the Traffic Python image on the ad window to join) you also earn ad credits on THEIR link clicks. And this works up to 5 levels deep. So you can create a massive amount of free ad views and web traffic by referring others to Traffic Python also.
I didn't get to test the full effect of a big downline yet (I just got the tool) but I can tell you the rest of the site works exactly as stated--my links got clicked, I earned credits, and my ads got displayed. Traffic Python even tracked my results so I know how many clicks and how many ad displays. That was an impressive unadvertised extra feature.
There is one more benefit and feature which might be the best of them all--downline emailing. You can email your downline with offers, promotions, or whatever you like, and here is where Traffic Python really shines. They took time to make the emailing often enough that it's valuable as a user, but no so often that it's a burden to your downline. But the best part about this feature (and actually the credit earning too) is that it tells you exactly how long until you can mail again. Now THAT's cool.
Overall I have to say I am impressed with Traffic Python. It is simple yet powerful, and delivers on its promises. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to increase traffic and advertising.
See it and join here:
http://trafficpython.com/x/aff/47598
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
