by Kristen Nicole on February 5, 2010
Search is where it’s at on Facebook. Moving even further away from display ads, Microsoft has announced it will no longer be selling them on the Facebook site at all. The move was accompanied by the announcement that Microsoft will also be using Bing as the default for web search on Facebook on a global scale, pushing beyond the current U.S. restrictions outlined by their existing partnership.
Microsoft has said in a blog post that the decision to stop selling display ads on Facebook was a mutual decision, and that Microsoft would like to focus on the aspects of Facebook advertising that make sense. As Microsoft has already shared its plans to expand its current Bing offering on Facebook, it appars as though search may have a lot to do with the monetization of Facebook and related advertising options.
Right now Microsoft Bing is still rolling out new features on a regular basis, seeking additional adoption from web users and mobile users alike. Upon launch, Bing was already rather inclusive as far as features go, with a multimedia approach to search that also leveraged the social web more directly than Google. Incorporating Twitter and Facebook into their long term search plans indicates Microsoft’s hopes around the social web as they pertain to its own investment in Facebook.
Bing’s search results on Facebook, however, are pretty dismal. Going along with Facebook’s simple format for displaying information, it’s difficult to even tell that it’s a Bing search. Unlike the vibrancy of Bing’s main search portal, Bing results on Facebook are merely a series of links. That’s archaic compared to most search engine’s increasing ability to better contextualize search data. This is particularly notable as far as Bing is concerned, as its move towards contextual search results is one way in which Microsoft could be looking to out-do Google.
This process of contextualizing search data has been an ideal attached to the potential of social networking platforms, with Facebook leading the race. As Facebook continues to open up its platform towards more default public sharing, Microsoft’s Bing is leveraging that publicly-shared information to provide more relative search results in some cases. Tying search into more aspects of our actual Facebook experience can be another way in which an improved Bing presence on the social network could be used to Microsoft’s advantage.
The old tactic of becoming a default tool across as many partnering services as possible is one that Microsoft is now able to better employ on web-related platforms, particularly Facebook. With the social network claiming over 375 million users now, accessing those users on such a large scale could be a major benefit for Microsoft Bing.
by Kristen Nicole on February 4, 2010
WeeWorld gets more mobile with a new iPhone app. It lets you customize your WeeMee on the go. You can then use your new avatar for caller ID purposes, even on other people’s iPhones (your friends, of course–who else would have your phone number?). From there, you can also use your avatar for social networks like Facebook, where WeeWorld also has an app. As far as other social media outlets go, you’ve pretty much always been able to use your WeeWorld avatar for the likes of AIM chat. The same goes for the new mobile avatar creation app.
With the new iPhone app, WeeWorld is taking its virtual environments one step closer to the mobile realm. Having incorporated itself into a wider-range virtual world and porting that to other platforms such as Facebook, WeeWorld has been rather calculated in its strategy towards expansion. Having a greater mobile presence indicates that WeeWorld is seeking better engagement and interactivity with new and existing users. I, for one, would love to see more ways in which to interact with my virtual environments through my mobile device.
While there aren’t many direct ways in which the new WeeWorld avatar creator can interact with the WeeWorld’s online virtual world, the new iPhone app is certainly a step in the right direction. Given the growing presence virtual environments have on our every day social interactions, even something less involved such as an avatar can have a great impact on the mobile and associated web-based markets.
Virtual goods, for one, present an opportunity for WeeWorld to increase visibility and revenue by offering an iPhone app such as this, especially if the economy around purchasing accessories for an avatar grows through WeeWorld’s mobile presence. Tying this in with other socially-driven platforms and marketplaces is a good way for WeeWorld to segment and re-aggregate a good portion of its existing and upcoming options around its virtual environments.
Especially with the upcoming release of the Apple iPad, WeeWorld could have even more chances to combine its mobile and web-based efforts. As the iPad will have a greater focus on web activity and mobile browsers, the opportunity for Facebook apps to increase their mobile options may be achieved with the iPad and similar devices. For those, such as WeWorld, that already have iPhone apps, the potential behind the iPad is even greater for mobile access and interfacing options with its users.
by Kristen Nicole on February 3, 2010
Search optimization is pretty important stuff for web publishers. Especially as the market moves more towards the web. As far as advertising and brand engagement, it’s increasingly necessary for publishers to keep tabs on the behavior of their web sites. Yield Software’s search optimization service addresses these needs, and now it’s doing so for free.
A new option from Yield Software gives you a taste of what the company can provide to help with your website behavior needs. Features include content recommendations and inbound link building and outbound link repair. Also included is info on URL structure and content, as as well as data on page accessibility and performance.
With these features you can see a range of options that Yield Software has with its premium service, which combines several aspects of web page monitoring and analysis. Yield Software tracks all the metrics, lets you set up various actions to be run automatically, and also recommends what areas can be improved for optimizing your web page. Creating a central hub for managing all of this is where Yield Software aims to stand out from the rest.
Having raised $6 million in funding from Draper Fisher Jurveston and launching its flagship product about a year ago, Yield Software has also spent the last few months building out the options around its service. In creating a central operations tool for website publishers, Yield Software is now looking to improve upon its own products and services to become more prevalent in its space. Yield Software has been hailed as a pretty powerful tool for what it does, and the automation of its services is a main focus of its overall goals.
As we push towards a web-based market for things like content-sharing, marketing, advertising, brand engagement, research and education, the amount of content to be published and searched for on the web will only continue to increase. While Google, Bing and other search engines look to compile all of that shared information in order to make it easier for you to find, Yield Software appeals to publishers and small businesses to make it easier for you to leverage those search tools in order to increase your visibility.
The move towards contextual search has also raised the bar for services like Yield Build, as they must also seek ways in which to provide publishers with the tools necessary for becoming a highly trafficked web resource. Search engines are looking to provide direct answers instead of mere links that reroute us all across the web. That means the very nature of the content will change, pulling its context out and shifting the way in which we consume and interact with our search results. Staying on top of the continuously changing face of search marketing is a tough task. Preserving your productivity and your sanity almost requires a tool like Yield Software.
by Kenneth Yeung on February 2, 2010
Yesterday, Social Media Week officially kicked off around the world. From London to New York to San Francisco, events devoted to promoting and furthering the education of social media took place. Here in San Francisco, things got off to a great start with Social Media Camp at the Presdio Officer’s Club.
This day-long unconference was hosted by the Social Media Club and offered a standard program while offering attendees the chance to have their own agenda by suggesting topics they wanted to share or hear from. With 10 unconference panels and five traditional sessions, the attendees were treated to a variety of viewpoints and perspectives that they could take away.
Social Media Camp opened up with three keynotes along the lines of how to frame your conversation. From Khris Loux (Echo) to Kevin Marks (Ribbit/BT) and Cathy Brooks (Social Media Hour/Other Than This), lessons on building a conversation by understanding the synaptic web and coming to terms on being comfortable with what we do were cleverly given before moving on to focusing on more social media marketing principles. Other panels covered measurement in social media, social media & marketing, how customer service is the big thing in 2010, understanding collaboration, and the reality of the real-time web.
Here are some photos from the event:
Chris Heuer kicks off the Social Media Camp.
Echo founder, Khris Loux, gives his opening keynote on the synaptic web.
Kevin Marks talking about the art of tummeling.
Cathy Brooks gives her spin on the art of storytelling.
Maria Ogneva from Biz360 moderates a talk on social media metrics.
Chris Pitre (Idea) moderates a panel featuring Kristie Wells (Ribbit), Bliss Dake (Mighty Leaf Tea) and Thor Muller (GetSatisfaction).
Brian Zisk (Collecta), Jeremy Toeman (Stage Two) and Jolie O’Dell (ReadWriteWeb)
You can view more photos from this event by clicking here.
Spam on Twitter is an ever-growing problem. While Twitter has addressed in in one way or another these past few months, the spam is still an issue. StopTweet is a new service that aims to fill in the gaps that Twitter has left behind, seeking out bot accounts and providing you with the option to report and block those users.