Social Media Benefits for Search from WebProNews Video

As the interest in social media continues to grow, it’s fascinating to see how it intersects with search. WebProNews recently spoke with Stephan Spencer of Covario who brought up some reflective points about this topic.

More WebProNews Videos

Although most social media sites do not pass PageRank, they are still beneficial in search. As Spencer explains, social media is a way for companies to get publicity and juice from bloggers and journalists. He says social is not a direct benefit for search, but instead, an indirect benefit.

Social media builds relationships and communities. If businesses are actively involved in social media, they have the ability to use intervention and persuasion when they need to.

Incidentally, Covario has a new tool called Social Media Insight that is part of the company’s CMO Dashboard. It not only helps advertising efforts, but it also tracks social networks.

Spencer also co-authored a new book entitled, The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization. Although the book was released last year, Spencer says it is still very relevant to what is happening today in SEO.

How To Stand Out In The Facebook News Feed - MediaPost Publications

MediaPost Publications How To Stand Out In The Facebook News Feed

There are nearly 500 million users on Facebook every month. And, according to Facebook, approximately 25 billion pieces of content are also shared on the site. That's a lot of people and brands generating and sharing a lot of content.

And brands aren't just competing against other brands for attention; they are competing against all content, including posts from family and friends, everyone in a user's social online environment.

And who is spending the most time bogged down in that content? Teens. Of all the demographics, teens spend more time monitoring, reading, creating and sharing content. According to the Pew Research Center, 73% of online teens, ages 12-17, use social media, most notably Facebook. Not only are teens inundated with content but they are also extremely selective about what content/brands they chose to engage.

So what does all this mean for brand marketers trying to reach teens? Now more than ever it requires you to truly cut through the clutter and create real, honest and engaging content; communication that will lead to an ongoing, 24/7 relationship. And if you do that, the results can be tremendous for your brand and your bottom line.

Our platform has more than 72 million Facebook fans worldwide across our client base. This allows us access to an enormous amount of data to extrapolate, analyze and create best practices and strategies for optimal social media communication. It gives us tactics based on proven data and results, not shots-in-the-dark.

Here are some tips based on our aggregated data and insight.

Remember the Power of the News Feed: Why the news feed? It's where users spend the majority of their time and attention on Facebook. Our "Wall Apps" technology, part of Vitrue SRM, shows that brands achieve 110 times greater engagement when they deliver an application through a user's Wall as compared to other elements of their Facebook page, such as a tab. Think about that: 110 times more opportunity for your brand's poll, coupon or quiz to be engaged with and shared -- essentially a brand endorsement. That's ROI.

Read the FULL Story!