Search giant Google has yet again taken a controversial step with the introduction of ‘Search plus your World’, a new feature that integrates search results with Google+ social networking. This new feature has highlighted the progression of the internet as it gives a search engine the ability to combine social elements with everyday search, theoretically providing search results that are tailored to fit your interests and needs. Google is importing content from its six month old Plus service into its regular searches, a clear shot across the broadsides of Facebook and Twitter.

The Good
Features of the approach include recommending additional companies and people to follow on Plus, based on your search results. It will bring up the profiles of other Google+ users and celebrity Google+ accounts depending on your interests, according to Google. This will make searching much more efficient for many users who want to find relevant information quickly and Google can almost guess what their customers are looking for, bringing up the most useful information. This is taking searching to a whole new level on the internet by providing an integrated service. However in the world of social networking and search giants; we can always find flaws …

The Bad
Many internet users may enjoy having a broad access to the internet, for purposes of work and research they may not want their search engine to define their searches to bring up things that they are only interested in. If they want to search across their interests they may already be signed up to other browser add-ons such as StumbleUpon which does exactly that. However Google has responded to this possibility and you can turn off the new feature by adjusting your search settings. The search engine will also not present results from rival social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, therefore creating controversy and possibly unfair competition by leveraging their separate search facilities to boost the decidedly unpopular Plus.

The Ugly
The question on many critics’ lips was whether Google are unfairly exploiting their online dominance of internet searches to promote their own social network. They are prioritising Google+ data and the social network is having a very easy ride on the back of the dominant search engine. It can be understood from Twitter’s point of view when they lashed out against the new feature, arguing that it is going to be harder to use Google to find Twitter posts about breaking news, like protesters writing tweets from countries like Syria and Egypt. Facebook has not yet responded to the recent announcement by Google, but as they have had a recent privacy deal, Facebook could not let Google index all of their information which users think is going to stay private not really giving them an argument against the Google giants.

In regards to Google’s defence it seems that any company should have the right to push its own products before anyone else’s and in fact use their success to promote its other features. Facebook is now coming up to its 8th birthday and has over 800 million active users; in reality would it really affect them a great deal if Google were to push Google+? Although it does rival Facebook and Twitter, social networking is one of the biggest growing ways of communication, and the landscape is expected to shift over time. Overall the success of the new Google feature is yet to be seen, and with the Twitter backlash and Facebook yet to speak up, anything could happen as the social networking titans collide; watch this space.

Search engine optimisation has become essential for any business. Every single company out there now has a website and without improving its ranking on the major search engines it might as well not exist. Putting in keywords, linking to relevant sites and trying to be the logical option for crawlers is what everyone had to consider, again in the ever changing industry there is now another big player that demands consideration, social media. Social media networking sites have become the biggest deciders when it comes to the popularity of different brands, it needs to be a top priority that the companies keep in touch with their customer base via Facebook and Twitter and now Google+ in order to keep rapport going and as a way of feeding them information. It is a way of guaranteeing customers will see the content, unlike sending out millions of emails or flyers, it is a fact that the information is going to flash up on their news feeds or Twitter accounts and they are going to be interested because that individual has ‘liked’ or ‘followed’ that company or interest.

Search engines are indexing more and more social data every minute, they are considering all of that information while they are crawling making social media a very important factor within SEO. The search engines react to the most relevant signals and the next logical development in order to get the most accurate data to the user, and this is how they identify and rank content. Looking at social signals and the content that users discuss and share is a great way for the search engines to identify the relevance of the information. Therefore implementing social media activity in to SEO is a very valuable way of increasing the rankings. The way that social networking sites are used, with individuals tweeting, blogging and commenting all has an impact on the content that they are talking about, the sites are engaging with their customers, and potential clients and interacting with the public, social media is not just about links it is about trying to get valuable content which is appreciated by search engines.

It is important that you drive traffic to your website and get your brand image known; the more relevant links that point to your website and then interesting content, the more rankings will improve. With this valuable information potential customers then link to it and share it with friends and other internet users in order to gain those essential relevant links that help to improve rankings and that hold high value within SEO; this then means that links are created to your social networking site and therefore your original website. It is this kind of social media marketing that gets something out in to the world quickly and is now one of the main players in marketing your brand. It is important to integrate a social media campaign in to your SEO strategy and to seriously consider the importance of the social media sites.

There is no doubt that television has proven itself to be an invention that has plenty of staying power. We have grown accustomed to the presence of television, with a vast variety and extended schedule of programmes now available to us. It seems we still need television in our lives, but with the honeymoon phase long over and a constant release of new technology to distract us, other forms of entertainment tend to supplement our television rituals.

Gathering around a TV as a family to concentrate all our energies into one screen, seems somewhat of an unrealistic proposition. It is now more likely that our attention will be divided between multiple screens, which are to hand, such as mobile phones, iPads or laptops. Gone are the days when Saturday night shows captivated us, our eyes glued to the TV set, with little else able to drag us away. Television used to dominate a living room as a prime source of entertainment in most households, a revolutionary concept that at the time of its inception seemed to exist as an unbeatable format.

However, television on its own isn’t enough anymore. A survey from marketing agency, ‘Digital Clarity’ found that 80% of under-25s used a second screen to communicate with friends while watching television. Because we are not restricted to a desktop computer anymore and mobile phones are more than just a tool to dial a number; a generation that readily indulges in digital multi-tasking has been born, changing the way our leisure time is spent. Social networking and surfing the internet have become second nature; without a constant supply of various technology mediums at our finger tips, we quickly become restless and bored. It seems that our minds and bodies have been reprogrammed to crave constant streams of digital information.

New Zealand is one of the first countries to launch a new channel aimed specifically at a generation of Facebookers. The programme’s format provides an engaging, interactive experience that takes advantage of an audience already keen on the use of multiple screens. Other programmes, including chat shows and the news, display incoming tweets, emails and texts from viewers which roll along the bottom of the screen. This reveals how closely connected communication now is, due to the use of multiple media.

Real time communication at our fingertips means that we can catch up on a TV programme we missed via the internet, tweet about it using our mobile phones, while watching a music channel on the television in the background.

With the 5th birthday of Twitter, celebrated on the 21st of March, five years on, it seems that the way we spend time and communicate has transformed. Privacy has slackened and the confines of our living room walls are no longer transcended solely by the escapism of a drama or comedy show but by our own broadcasts via Twitter.

The gap between different technologies is closing; faster connection speeds, flatter screens and higher definition pictures are all elements that drive the evolving character of 21st century technology. It remains to be seen if television will wane, although it may have more competition these days, it seems that different forms of technology are actually working together to complement each other’s strengths.

Tweets, subjects and people who are trended on Twitter are at the centre of attention of over 190 million newsfeeds. It is not surprising then that, Twitter is sometimes the place where most people find out news, events or tragedies. You could say Twitter has evolved from a micro-blogging site used to share thoughts, to become a service collectively bringing together news and reactions to some of the world’s biggest stories.

Not only do you get the news filtering through as searches are refreshed and updated, but also the initial reactions of twitter users. News can be received instantly due to the ease of access to Twitter from portable computers, mobile phones and anything connected to the internet. A trend is a popular topic with a large number of tweets relating to it, and an interesting story or breaking news article could in reality go round the world in minutes. The advantage of trending has also seen promoted tweets featured in the trend section, allowing brands to advertise through Twitter.

There are some disadvantages with the speed in which Twitter releases their information, in that there are bound to be mistakes and incorrect details. The news stories can even appear on Twitter before journalists have even had the opportunity to write articles. However with only 140 characters, surely Twitter should be used as a base to find out the full in-depth story when more facts have been found. Some false stories and rumours have been known to circulate the online world quickly and spiral out of control. There is no barrier against posting falsities or rumours which could lead to major confusion.

Twitter has grown beyond a simple social media site, for friends to see what others are doing, follow their favourite celebrities and sports stars and has in essence become a go-to place for the latest news and in essence online ‘gossip’. With all this attention on Twitter and increasing volume of users, what is next for the brand, and what direction could it go?

Twitter could expand their brand even further, similar to Facebook with games and the ‘online chat’ function and Myspace with their integrated music player. Twitter could incorporate associated websites ‘twit-pic’ and ‘twit-vid’ into its website as having the ability to post pictures and videos without going to external websites gives users a well-rounded online experience. If Twitter keeps growing, it could include different sections to the site, news and sport, music or even a ‘gossip column’ section; however this could take away the simplicity to the website which is instituted in the 140 character limit. Twitter has grown rapidly with the boom of interest in social media, which has proven that ‘microblogging’ is not a craze and that is here to stay.

When faced with budget cuts, and with politicians thinking there are too many hours allocated for the workload, the Greater Manchester Police have turned to Twitter to inform the world just how big their workload is.  Every 999 call they receive is being posted onto several of their Twitter pages to show the vast amount and variation in calls they receive on a daily basis, not just criminal calls but also social problems.

Using Twitter to show the large numbers of calls they receive, over a thousand before 12.30pm, gives the topic plenty of media buzz around the site. Twitter can snowball causes and trends, creating massive media stir and attention on an individual topic, therefore it is no surprise that the stunt has attracted thousands of followers, with the draw of reading severe or comical calls sparking curiosity.

In essence the stunt by Greater Manchester Police is to raise general interest of the complexity of the incredible number of the calls received and hoping this will persuade politicians against cuts to the budget.  So is social media now the primary choice to voice concerns?  Facebook groups and pages are created when people feel aggrieved, sometimes even receiving media recognition.  Greater Manchester Police had to create 3 Twitter accounts with their first ‘jailed’ for excessive tweeting; they are creating a big noise in the media environment.

Only time will tell whether the Greater Manchester Police were successful in their attempts to block budget cuts, but they have certainly shown there is a high level of interest in the phone calls and enquiries they have to deal with continuously throughout the day.  Social media is expanding and evolving day to day, and Greater Manchester Police have used this to their advantage to show the volume of calls received and also gain nationwide interest in what they are trying to achieve.

Social media has emerged as a platform for consumers to air their opinions on companies and products, broadcasting, re-tweeting and posting their views for millions of online users to see.  A YouTube video by folk singer Dave Carroll, slamming United Airlines for their mistreatment of his $3500 guitar reached 9.2 million views in just 4 months.  The video sparked an increase of complaints by other unimpressed customers and snowballed into mass criticism of the company.  After nine months of several failed attempts to gain compensation and being rudely spoken to and treated by staff, Carroll decided enough was enough and made a sequence of three songs slating the company.  As well as self promoting himself and his music, this is an extreme way of publicly criticising a company.  The review is available to everyone and when it’s broadcasting such a negative message about the company, it can definitely be seen as an example that social media reviews should be held at the highest regard by companies.

Social media and networking could be seen as a mood ring for companies to look at, and instantly get an idea of their public brand image.  They can also check how many people are receiving their message and more importantly digesting the information and using it.  This real-time feedback allows companies to assess and act quicker, hopefully saving any damaging effects, or making decisions to better their status.  Twitter has found that it can predict the films it believes will perform best in the box office by those films that are trended and mentioned most in the weeks leading up to the release of a new film.

Therefore, it is important for a company to have a strong presence on social networking sites, to reassure customers about their values and ethos.  A marketing or branding strategy which didn’t have some focus on social media could be considered flawed.  However, a social media image for some companies is sometimes seen as a too public or open to customers.  It could be argued that an open image makes a company more appealing to the consumer, with no secrets or hidden messages it makes it considerably easier to trust a company who presents an uncompromised brand image.

With companies now very active on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, the message they portray is important and must represent the company values.  Starbucks for example has 14 million fans and if they were to begin receiving material which may be unsuitable, then it is a vast consumer base to offend.  It is very important to come across as natural sticking to the core values of the company not changing your style for social media, but portraying the core values of the company appropriately through the media vehicle.  If used effectively, social media is an important factor in modern marketing, resulting in new subtle techniques to gain a prolonged interest in a company and their activities.

Twitter and other social media sites are renowned for their ability to connect a wide variety of people through shared information. As a recreational tool, it provides insights into the thoughts and actions of others, while commercially it advertises the worth of companies through regular tweets that display a progressive approach.

The uses for Twitter vary, with new ideas emerging daily. Recently, it has been recognised as an effective means in which to tackle the specific and ongoing problem and reverberations caused by pharmaceutical robberies. Purdue Pharma, a private pharmaceutical company, founded by physicians has pioneered the scheme, in which pharmacy staff, eager to bring justice and prevent further robberies, share vital information on the appearance and whereabouts of a perpetrator that benefit other pharmaceutical companies both locally and nationally.  Pharmaceutical companies take crime prevention into their own hands and act as a digital community.  Twitter.com/rxpatrol also provides followers with tweets that supply safety and security tips for pharmacy staff, as well as reward notices that provide incentives for capture.

Tweets can also attach additional information, such as pictures and videos of suspects that serve to keep followers firmly in the loop. The launch of new features on Twitter, coming soon to all accounts, makes it easier to see embedded photos and videos, which is especially useful when viewing images of suspects. The new Twitter also provides a map of where a geo-tagged tweet was sent from, which is also helpful in pinpointing the specific location of a crime.

As with many things, Twitter and other social networking sites have their share of advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages linked to the sites are as extreme as reports of suicide, as sites have the potential to make people vulnerable to and danger. On the flip side, social media sites are responsible for reuniting relatives, launching moral campaigns and providing a source of emotional support, as well as maintaining the sometimes fragile ties of friendship.

Twitter has also been used as a tool to help save lives, as suicide attempts are shared online via tweets from despairing individuals, as followers attempt to reason with the individual, while others raise the alarm. A recent and well publicised example is that of Demi Moore and one of her followers, who shared her feelings of depression on Twitter. This was noticed by Demi Moore, who quickly commented on her tweet. This then induced Demi Moore’s expansive fan base of followers to intervene and raise the alarm, so that the woman’s feelings of hopelessness were quashed through a torrent of concern, so that her life was effectively saved. Demi Moore’s husband was inspired to comment on his own Twitter page; “Lot of pain in the world…Reach out to someone you don’t usually reach out to and just say hi. They might be lonely”. The story has particular resonance, as a high profile celebrity was able to directly reach an ordinary person and offer help, revealing how the rigid barriers of fame can dissipate through the encompassing nature of technology.

The Iranian elections are an example of Twitter’s pivotal role in shining on a spotlight onto an otherwise forgotten or ignored event, especially when foreign events are not usually prioritised. A whole host of honourable organisations, such as cancer research; http://twitter.com/CR_UKand the Salvation Army; http://twitter.com/salvationarmyuk take advantage of the instant delivery of information, which in turn raises awareness of the people and places in need of help, providing links to make donation easy. It could be said that the essence of community spirit has come alive in digital form, where it seems to be less apparent in the real world.

The ways in which we choose to use social media sites can make a positive or negative impact. If used in the right hands, social media can showcase the powerful effects of charity, through simple messages that cheer up a friend to combat crime by keeping people informed. The potency of words married with an ability to broadcast them serves as an effective combination. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to cease a modern opportunity to spread goodwill.

It has been claimed that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter now hold just as much influence on a teenager’s development as parents, peers or family.  Is this surprising?  A teenager is impressionable, willing to experiment and looking for adventure, and all this could be affected or achieved whilst sitting in front of their computer screen.  At a time when Facebook has just accumulated over 500 million users, will all the people be an appropriate ‘friend’ and should social networking be taking the place of parents and family?

Social Networking is a major sector of the technological world, with businesses, celebrities, and hundreds of millions of users online.  There is certainly a range of cultures, perspectives and information made available to users, and they can then form their own thoughts on this.  Celebrities are a big influence on teenagers and with verified accounts on Twitter, a teenager can ‘follow’ their favoured celebrity, mentioning them in posts and can ‘re-tweet’ anything they find important.  Having this connection with a celebrity is a good thing for an impressionable teenager; however can this go too far? Appreciation groups, fan pages and community pages are ever present on Facebook, and are all of them suitable for a teenager to read or even be a member of? Generally Facebook is good at monitoring these pages, and keep any unsavoury pages offline.  But does this stop them making an impression on the reader?

Is social networking helping or hindering our teenager’s development? A recent UK Strategy and Markets Development study found that teenagers spend a quarter of their time on Facebook or Twitter.  What did a teenager do pre-Facebook or Twitter, keeping people aware of what they were up to via ‘tweets’ or ‘updates’?  Now retailers are using social media to advertise their products or service, teenagers are now more than ever susceptible to online media and marketing and clearly have the time to read and digest it.    There has been an increase in the use of smart phones, which means young people can access the internet on the move, receive emails and post straight from their mobile to sites.

Facebook, Twitter and blogging have exploded in popularity surpassing Myspace, and teenagers could be seen at the centre of this.  Facebook originally created for university students has become a global phenomenon, with one of the first questions when meeting new people is no longer for a phone number but ‘Are you on Facebook?’  With such a vast network, it wouldn’t be smart for companies to ignore this.  Restaurants can put reviews up, smaller shops can try and get recognition and big companies can announce launches of new products or services.  Social media should be an integral part of any online marketing campaign as companies begin to realize the possibility of tapping into this lucrative market.

Many companies have a hard time understanding how best to use social media to promote their business online. It’s not that the principles of Facebook, Twitter and the others are difficult to grasp – they’re not – but, the real business potential can be a lot harder to fathom out. Since social media marketing works differently between businesses depending on what their aims are, there are no guarantees that what works for one will work for another.

That’s the beauty of social media, it’s flexible enough to accommodate an incredibly varied range of marketing approaches and still deliver success. It’s not a strict medium.

An uncomfortable fact of today’s commercial world is that people no longer trust messages from companies, on the whole. This makes marketing an increasingly precision process where even the most meticulously crafted promotions risk failure.

What people do trust is word-of-mouth recommendations, and this has always been the case. These recommendations come from fellow customers (or potential customers) and they come with an inherent credibility that companies can rarely match in their own communications. Social media is the biggest opportunity for word-of-mouth recommendations, well, ever. It has a worldwide span, it’s instantly accessible to anyone from anywhere, it’s permanently available, it’s accumulative and it all leads back to your door.

Word-of-mouth has grown from local to global, and it’s going on right now in tweets, Facebook posts, blogs and forums. Failure, refusal or just a straight-forward inability to get into social media for business marketing is tantamount to ignoring the latest incarnation of the most effective form of advertising of all-time. Is that something your business can afford to do?