Impressive Growth

So now that Google+ has been around for a month, users have begun to wrap their head around the new tool. After just 16 days, Google+ had reached the 10 million member mark, much faster than both Twitter and Facebook had (780 days and 852 days respectively.) Today Google+ has surpassed the 20 million member mark, but growth is slowing down.

So how has Google+ been able to gain users at such an impressive rate? I believe the answer is two fold. First, Google is already an extremely well-established and trusted brand on the web. Millions of people worldwide already have Gmail accounts and use Google Search daily. Secondly, Facebook and Twitter have already broken the Social Media mold. Back in the mid 2000′s Social Media was much newer to society. Facebook and Twitter were forced to prove the usefulness of Social Media to the world. Because of their efforts and popularity, Google+ is finding it much easier to break into the market. Furthermore, many people used Facebook and Twitter to share the news about their newest competitor with others. In fact, Hitwise reported that within the first 2 weeks of Google+’s launch, there were almost 2 millions Tweets on the subject.

Who is using Google+?

According to Hitwise, in the early stages Google+ has been dominated by young adults with almost 40% of all visits coming from the 25-34 age bracket. Initially Google+ was primarily male, with over 85% of the visits in the first two weeks coming from men, but that number has since dropped to 57%. Where in the World are these users coming from? Not surprisingly, the United States boasts the most amount of Google+ users as far as countries go with 5.31 million. India comes in second with 2.85 million and the U.K. in third with 0.88 million with Canada (Yes, Canada) slightly behind at 0.87 million. This should not be a surprise as Canadians are among the most engaged and connected individuals in the World.

What Differentiates Google+?

So really, what makes Google+ different from other Social Networks such as Facebook and Twitter? While many people have questioned why Google has entered this extremely saturated and competitive market, Google feels as if they have developed a competitive advantage by learning from others’ mistakes.

Google believes that most Social Networks have failed at making it easy to find friends, whereas Google+’s Circles feature is fun and addictive. Google says that by making Circles visual, personal and video game like, users will enjoy and even crave to find friends on Google+.

Secondly, while other sites have tried to integrate video chat, Google+ has perfected it with Hangouts. This feature was designed to be less formal than traditional one-on-one video chats with the goal of creating a more relaxed environment where friends can literally hang out with each from anywhere around the world. The Google+ team envisions people having virtual parties and playing games over Hangouts, instead of the traditional two-person conversation that so many people engage in.

Over the past few years we have all seen Twitter and Facebook battle with never ending privacy issues. However, Google+ claims that they have privacy settings are second to none. ”We want to appeal to the mainstream user who has a low tolerance for complexity,” Google+ designer Andy Hertzfeld says, “and at the same time we have to respect privacy as strongly as possible. So every feature has privacy implications that we thought out.”

Finally, Google+’s Instant Upload feature allows users to share content with their friends faster than ever before. True to its name, Instant Upload automatically uploads content such as photos literally instantly.

Moving Forward

With the introduction of the Google+ iPhone app last week, Google continues it’s pursuit of Social Media supremacy. The app, which is very clean and intuitive, soared to the top of Apple’s most downloaded list within 24 hours of it’s launch.

But what does all this mean for your business? While Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are used by millions of businesses worldwide, Google+ had asked that businesses refrain from creating profiles – for the time being. Google+ has begun disabling accounts created by businesses while they work on developing a platform that will allow businesses to use Google+ to interact with customers on the Social Network. Google+ product manager Christian Oestlien provided users with this update on business profiles last week.

So for now, businesses must play the waiting game. While this main seem like a pain, here at WebFuel we think it will be worth the wait. Expect for the business profiles to be designed not only aesthetically pleasing, but also with fully integrated analytics and highly sophisticated sharing options. And knowing Google, it will be fully integrated with Search. It promises to be worth the wait.

In the meantime, get yourself a personal profile on Google+. Play around with it – familiarize yourself with the interface, its functionality and features such as Circles, Hangouts and Instant Upload. The more comfortable you become with Google+ now, the easier it will to incorporate your business profile later this fall.

Are you on Google+? What are your initial thoughts? Does it really have what it takes to overtake Facebook and Twitter?

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Google+: Initial Reaction and Moving Forward is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Here at WebFuel we are extremely proud to be Canadian. We also love Social Media. So when a company like Ipsos releases a report that combines two of our passions, we get excited! It’s no secret that Canadians embrace the Internet and technology. For years we have been early adopters and heavy users of a variety of online technologies; including Social Media. According to recent report from Ipsos, Canadians are continuing to embrace Social Media at an increasing rate.

Social Media Use in Canada

Half of Canadians are on Social Networks – and 60% of all Canadians online are there as well. To put that in perspective, that’s over 17 million people across our great nation. While the number of Canadians on Social Networks has only grown by 4% since 2009, the frequency of Social Media use amongst Canadians is on the rise – big time. In 2010, 35% of online Canadians visited a Social Media site at least once a week – that number has now grown to 50%. Furthermore, in 2011 35% of online Canadians visited a Social Networking site everyday; a number that was only 19% a year ago. While 15% of Canadians stated that they use Social Media less than they did a year ago, 35% say that the time spent has increased.

There is a stereotype out there that Social Media is only for male teenagers and young adults. It’s no surprise that the 18-34 year old demographic is by far the heaviest users of Social Media in Canada, with 86% of that age range active on Social Networks. But older age ranges have significantly increased their Social Networking activity in recent years. Almost 2/3 of 35-54 year olds and over 40% of those over the age of 55 in Canada are now actively using Social Media. This isn’t to say that Social Media in Canada is getting “older”, but it is expanding its reach among the entire population.

And sorry guys, but the women take the cake on this one. 37% of online Canadian women say that they visit a Social Media site at least once a day, compared to only 24% of online Canadian men.

Who is the Canadian Social Media King?

There’s no surprise here – for years Facebook has dominated the Social Media game not only in Canada, but all over the world. With over 750 million users worldwide, Facebook continues to be king. In fact, 86% of all Canadians using Social Media are on Facebook. But they are not the only player in the game – we can’t forget about Twitter and LinkedIn, both of which have gained ground on the Social Networking giant. In 2009, less than 1% of Canadians used Twitter. Today that number has grown to almost 20%. Similarly, LinkedIn users in Canada have more than doubled to 14% from 6% in 2009.

And let’s not forget about the newest player in the game, Google+. Only a few weeks old, Google+ has made some serious noise by amassing over 10 million users worldwide. While it is still too early to tell the long term impact of Google+ on the Canadian Social Media landscape, it will definitely be interesting to watch unfold.

How often do you use Social Media? Which sites do you visit most frequently? We’d love to hear what you have to say!

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Canadian Social Media Statistics 2011 is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

You’ve decided that Social Media is right for your business. You’ve determined your goals, developed a strategy and implemented it. You’ve created interesting, creative, and engaging content that gets shared through your Social Media profiles. Stop – you’ve already missed a step. Optimizing. Think of your Social Media Strategy as a party. You’ve decided that the best location for this party is at your friend’s house (Facebook). At your party you are going to have decorations (Photos), a DJ (Videos), an open bar (Events) and snacks (Blog Posts). Everything looks, sounds, and tastes delicious. But oh no…nobody has shown up to your party. No one has had the opportunity to enjoy all of these amazing things that you are offering. Why? Because you forgot one key element – the invitations – you forgot to optimize your Social Media.

You’ve essentially wasted a lot of time, effort and money planning and executing this unbelievable party that no one will get to enjoy because you failed to let them know that it existed and where to find it. How stupid do you feel standing there alone at your own party? See my point? It’s the same way with Social Media. It doesn’t matter how amazing your Facebook Page is, or how beautiful your Flickr photos are, if no one can find you, or even knows that you exist, you will be standing alone feeling stupid.

In order to leverage Social Media and SEO together, you must develop a roadmap with clearly defined goals. Begin by determining who you are going to invite to your “party”. Who is your audience? What do they like? What do they search for? What Social Media platforms are they present on? Deciding who you are going to “invite” is essential in beginning the whole process of integrating Social Media with SEO. There are many tools (free and paid) out there that can help you track, analyze, measure and understand your audience.

Next, determine the location of your party. Is it going to be a backyard BBQ, or a dinner and dance in a ballroom? In other words, are you going to be on Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter? Flickr? You don’t need to limit yourself to just one. It all depends on your business, and your individual goals. There is no one-size-fits-all Social Media solution. Once you have determined which “venue(s)” is right for your business, you can begin to create your content.

“Produce great stuff, and your customers will come to you. Produce great stuff, and your customers will share your story for you. More than ever before: Content is king! Content rules!” – C.C. Chapman, Author of ‘Content Rules’

Chapman is 100% right – Content Rules, and Content is King. We live in an amazing time where we all have the ability to create content, and share it with millions of people with ease. Old-school marketers would advertise their business by interrupting people with full page newspaper ads, TV commercials and telemarketing phone calls during dinner. Today’s marketing world is all about permission marketing. The customer is coming to you and saying “Hey, I like you, I give you permission to talk to me.” So stop interrupting them! Talk to them, engage them, entertain them. This is where content really does rule.

It’s almost party time – but where are your decorations? Your DJ? Your caterer? Your bar? You’re missing the content of your party, the things that really make it worthwhile for people to attend. Write an awesome blog post, post some photos, create a video, record a webinar. But don’t stop there. Entice your audience to share them with their network…and their network’s network. You’d be surprised by the ripple effect it can have. Increased social interactions within your network, and their network will improve your brand’s visibility in a search result. Remember, all of those inbound links provide you with excellent Link Juice.

“Content + Links = Search Engine Success” – Lee Odden, CEO TopRank

Now for the invitations. If anyone is going to attend your party they need to know it exists – where it is and when. Build your networks, establish trust and engage in conversations. Reach out to them. Invite them to your party and to try the food. Listen to the music. Look at the decorations. Make it memorable and valuable enough for them to tell their friends about how awesome my party is! Getting it? And it stretches far beyond your current community. What about all those people not in your network that you want at the party? Let’s say Peter and his friends are searching for a BBQ party in Ottawa playing Classic Rock music and serving mini burgers; will they find your party? You better hope they do.

Developing an online strategy that focuses on your audience’s wants and needs that is keyword optimized and easily shareable will make your party a hit. Track how your content is being shared. Who is consuming it? Who is passing it along? During this process however, don’t lose track of your ultimate goal. If you have a great party, but XYZ isn’t being accomplished, then you need to rethink your strategy. Always keep your goals in the front of your mind, and measure success continually throughout.

By integrating SEO techniques into your Social Media efforts, and vice versa, you will begin to see increased search traffic and interactions with your audience. While Search Engines such as Google have begun integrating social functions into their search results, Social sites such as Facebook have started improving their internal Search functionalities. The two roads are no longer parallel, they are beginning to intersect. Have you optimized your Social Media?

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The Intersection of Social Media Marketing and SEO is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

This time I am joined by WebFuel’s Search Strategist, Helen Faber. We’re both quite excited for the amazing lineup of speakers which included analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, online marketing pioneer Gary Vaynerchuk, venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, brand strategist Jeffrey Hayzlett and Columbia University Business professor Dr. Sheena Iyengar. Over 1200 eager marketers file into the magnificent Metro Toronto Convention Centre, creating a great atmosphere. You can feel the anticipation for the day’s first speaker – Avinash Kaushik.

Avinash Kaushik

To begin with, I love Avinash. He is the only man alive that can make such a boring topic (Analytics) something entertaining, interesting and even funny. His energy and enthusiasm on stage was very well received by the morning crowd. Just as he did in Montreal, Kaushik shouts and rants on stage about “Garbage” and “Puke”! He points out the mistakes that many make, while giving you realistic solutions and advice. Avinash explains that the reason that most websites “suck” is do to the HPPO’s (pronounced “Hippos”). That stands for Highest Paid Person’s Opinon. He elaborates by stating that at most large companies, the highest paid person makes decisions about things that they know nothing about – websites – and 95% of the time it is ugly, and awful. One of the most well-received acronyms in Avinash’s arsenal was HITS: How Idiots Track Success. But, the quote that hit home hardest for me was that “you can’t improve something by 1000%. But you can improve 1000 things by 1%.” Brilliant.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Next up was Gary Veynerchuk. A true entrepreneur, Vaynerchuk is enthusiatic, outgoing and…well…quite vulgar! But amidst the swearing and rants was a great, inspirational message. Gary became well known for Wine Library TV, a video blog that he created to help sell wine for his family’s business. Vaynerchuk truly understands the consumer and the social web. He expressed his hatred for companies that don’t talk to, or even about, their customers. They are the lifeblood of your business. in order to get your customers to love you, you must love them first. Building loyalty should be first and foremost, because a loyal customer is there for life. He left the crowd with an outstanding stat followed by a piece of advice. First off, the stat: There is more original content being created every 48 hours today than there was from the beginning of man kind until 2003. Wow. And finally, his advice was simple. If someone starts to gloat about how many followers they have on Twitter, punch them in the face. Thanks Gary. Needless to say, I will absolutely be reading Gary’s newest book, The Thank You Economy.

Jeffrey Hayzlett

Last up before lunch was Jeffrey Hayzlett, former Kodak CMO. Hayzlett is well known for being a crucial player in Kodak’s legendary branding turnaround in the early 2000′s. As he takes the stage, it is quite evident that Hayzlett is a natural leader and marketer. “A brand is not a logo or a picture. A brand is simply a promise to deliver” he explains. “Kodak doesn’t make a camera or film equipment. They make emotional technology.” He goes on to discuss Social Media and the common desire to create something viral. “Viral is flukey” he claims. “Yes, it may happen, but please don’t waste your time and effort trying to create it. If it happens, it happens. Spend your time building relationships. They are much more valuable.” He is enthusiastic and spontaneous. He likes to take and idea and run with it. Hayzlett’s motto throughout his speech was “Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. No one is going to die.” He explained by telling a story about a marketing campaign that Kodak had launched that encouraged consumers to text a number via their mobile phones to receive coupons. All of the ads were run in movie theatres before the show. Well, the downfall of the campaign is quite evident. What do you do with your phone when you walk into a movie theatre? Turn it off, right? “Well,” Hayzlett says “It was a mistake. My mistake. But don’t worry, no one is going to die. Let’s move on.” It’s this outlook and attitude that makes Hayzlett an amazing marketer. No one is perfect. People make mistakes. It’s how they react and learn from those mistakes that makes a difference.

Dr. Sheena Iyengar

After a much needed lunch, we returned to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to Dr. Sheena Iyengar, expert on consumer behaviour and the psychology of choice. Iyengar was definitely a change of pace. While the other presenters were jumping around from one side of the stage to the next, yelling and screaming passionately, she spoke softly while standing behind her podium for the full hour. But then again, while the others are radical, outgoing marketers, she is a University Professor. Her topic was also quite different. While the others put quite a heavy focus on the online space, Dr. Iyengar discussed the psychological side behind marketing. She examined the art of choice, and how humans make decisions when faced with a variety of different options. The conclusions drawn from her study were quite interesting. She stated that when people are given more choice, often times they take longer to make a decision, they make a worse decision and are ultimately less satisfied with their choice. They second guess themselves and think “Did I make the wrong decision?” She went on the explain that humans are born with the desire to choose, but without the innate skills to actually make a decision. In closing she provided the crowd with an interesting example. She told us that if you give someone the choice between going to an ice cream shop that only offered vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, or a shop that offered over 60 flavours, most people would choose the latter. But, interestingly enough even though they chose the shop with 60 flavours, most people would continue to buy either chocolate, vanilla or strawberry.

Guy Kawasaki
Last, but certainly not least, Guy Kawasaki took the stage to round out the day. He begins by winning over the crowd by praising hockey, Steam Whistle beer and…Justin Bieber. How Canadian, eh? Kawasaki’s message was all about how to be enchanting. A former Apple employee and author of over 10 best selling books, Kawasaki brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the stage. He stressed that trust is key – and that it is a two way street. Earn it, and maintain it. In order to enchant your employees you must give them MAP – Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose. With that they can, and will, succeed. He expressed the need to build relationships, engage, help others and, most of all, to enchant them. Kawasaki advises the crowd to not delay bad news. If something bad happens, tell people right away – don’t let it be a surprise. And always tell them with a solution in mind. Avoiding the inevitable will only make things worse. After a few more comments about how much Guy loves Canada, we move into the final Q&A session of the day. One audience member asks Kawasaki “Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg are all undeniably amazing and successful entrepreneurs. Do you think that they are enchanting?” Guy laughs, takes a sip of water and responds “I hate that question. I’ll say this. You don’t need to be enchanting to be successful.”

The crowd erupts in laughter and applause. Kawasaki gives us one last wave, and the event’s host Ron Tite wraps up The Art of Marketing Toronto – a day filled with excitement, enthusiasm, passion, lessons, ideas and strategies. If you ever get the chance to hear any of these presenters speak, I highly suggest it.

The next big conference that I will be attending will be Search Marketing Expo in Toronto April 28-29th. Will I see you there?

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The Art of Marketing Toronto is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

1. Number of Followers

Many people are obsessed with their number of followers. So much so that they will promise to follow you back if you follow them. This kind of desperate plea is frowned upon by many on Twitter. Yes, it is important to have followers. It is going to be pretty hard to gain trust and credibility on Twitter if you follow 800 people and only have 29 followers. But you don’t need thousands of them. Twitter is more about quality than quantity.

The same goes for who you follow. It is not necessary to follow everybody you come across. Manage who you follow on a weekly basis to avoid getting swamped by Tweets. I will often give people a one week window on Twitter to prove to me that they are worth following. If, by the end of the week their Tweets are irrelevant to me (they may be good, just not relevant) or if they have succeeded in completely annoying me, I will unfollow them. This is quite common on Twitter and helps clear a lot of the clutter.

2. Create Lists

Twitter Lists are used to organize other users into groups. The purpose of lists is to allow you to only read the Tweets of certain people. For example, some of my lists include Hockey, Family, Politicians, News, etc. If I was interested in only Politics on a certain day, I could choose that list and I would only be able to read Tweets from Stephen Harper, Jim Watson, Justin Trudeau, etc. By selecting this list, I have chosen to ignore the other Tweets that may have been distracting me. To learn more about how to create, edit or delete lists, as well as some other features, check out the Twitter Help Center.

3. Use Search

Twitter Search is a great tool for finding people and interesting Tweets. Try it now. Type in a topic of interest to you in the Search box. For example, I typed in “Egypt”. Now I can refine my search by Tweet, Tweet with links, Tweets near you or People.

If I choose “Tweet” I will get a stream of all of the Tweets than contain the word “Egypt”. Since Egypt is in the news quite a bit right now, there are hundreds of Tweets in this stream. But you may notice that some of the Tweets are labeled “Top Tweet”. This means that those Tweets were Retweeted the most of all Tweets containing the word “Egypt”. If I chose “Tweet with links” I will get a stream with Tweets that contain both the word “Egypt” and a link. I usually choose this option when I want to find Tweets containing my keyword accompanied by an article, blog post, photo or video. “Tweets near you” will show you a stream of Tweets written by people in or near your geographical location. Finally, by selecting “People” in a Twitter Search the results will show you Twitter users with your keyword in their Twitter handle, which in this case may (or may not be) irrelevant.

To avoid repeating this task every time you want to see searches on a certain keyword, you can save searches. Many people save search terms for items that they want to keep an eye on, making it quick and easy for them to check back on them. For example, many business owners or entrepreneurs will save searches containing their business name, product keywords, competitors, industry terms, etc.

4. Get Engaged

Participating in a conversation with others on Twitter can make your Twitter experience much more valuable. Many people who are overwhelmed with Twitter are those who are passive listeners – they just sit there for hours a day just reading every single Tweet. Yes, it is important to listen on Twitter, but by engaging with others in conversation you will make the most out of your time by learning, networking and gaining credibility.

5. Notifications

This is one of the best ways to not get bogged down with Twitter, especially on those really busy days. By setting up appropriate notifications, you can receive alerts of your phone, or by email, when some one follows you, sends you a direct message, mentions you in a Tweet with @ or when a specific user Tweets. For example, I get a notification on my iPhone every time someone mentions me in their Tweet with @jason_faber. That way, I can stay up to date with any conversation I am having on Twitter without having to spend 8 hours a day scanning my Twitter feed.

6. Twitter Tools

If you are trying to manage more than one Twitter account, I highly recommend using an external tool or dashboard for Twitter such as Hootsuite, TweetDeck, or TwitJump (just to name a few!). These tools allow you manage more than one Social Media account at once, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. as well as providing you with link shorteners, analytics and post scheduling. I would recommend this to a more experience Twitter user who has the responsibility of managing more than one account. Below is an example of TweetDeck’s interface.

Tweet Deck Interface

Try using these 6 tips to help you get the most out of Twitter, without getting overwhelmed. Do you have any other tips to better manage your time on Twitter? Let us know, we’d love to hear from you!

Follow us on Twitter!

@jason_faber

@helenfaber

@WebFuel_Canada

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6 Tips to Avoid Twitter Overload is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

With that said, which Social Media sites do Canadians visit the most? Facebook took home top prize on last year’s list. Where will they stand this year? Which new sites have emerged? Before we begin I’d like to define what I consider a “Social Media site”. Yes, we all know the usual suspects – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. But this year I’m adding blogging sites. This past September I attended The Art of Marketing in Montreal. During the afternoon session, one of the speakers explained how blogs are inherently social. You share thoughts through your blog, and people respond with comments. It begins, and encourages an open, and social, conversation. So without further adieu, here is our list of the top ten most visited Social Media sites in Canada in 2010.

10. Blogger

Ah, what a way to kick off our list – with a blogging site! Founded in 1999, Blogger is the oldest site on our list. The blogging site took off in 2003 after it’s acquisition by Google, which enabled visitors to use the site for free. Blogger has thrived under Google as they have integrated several simple, yet useful features that enabled users to integrate photos from Flickr, Blogger for Word and AdSense which helps generate revenue from blogs. Blogger saw impressive growth in 2010, doubling it’s user-base. If you’re new to blogging and looking for a quick and easy way to start, check out Blogger!

9. Photobucket

Often overlooked by it’s superior Flickr, Photobucket has gained some attention in recent years. Photobucket is an image, video and slideshow hosting website based out of Seattle. However, after an extremely strong start to 2010, Photobucket’s popularity in Canada continually plummeted throughout the year, leaving it at number 9 on our list. This leaves us to wonder what is has in store for 2011 in the Canadian market? Will it crack the top ten again?

8. MySpace

The original darling of Social Media as still alive – but struggling. The former number one has been slipping year after year. Last year they were number 5 on our list, but have since fallen to number 8. MySpace has slowly been edged out of Social Media dominance by the big guns such as Facebook, forcing the site to rebrand and focus in on a niche market – music. MySpace’s acquisition of music sharing site iMeem in late 2009 was key to keeping them alive. By specializing in music, which has always been their bread and butter, MySpace has given users a reason to stay on board.

7. Flickr

Flickr is the king of photo sharing on the web. Originally founded in Vancouver, Flickr is now home to over 5 billion unique user created images, making it the largest photo sharing site in the world. Now owned by Yahoo!, Flickr has become an outlet for budding photographers to showcase their work. Up and coming photographers aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Flickr’s service. During the United States presidential race in 2008, Barack Obama and his campaign team took full advantage of Flickr by populating Obama’s page with hundreds of amazing photos that brought voters inside the life of the man who would eventually become their leader. Well done Barack.

6. LinkedIn

Okay – enough with the “fun” Social Media sites. Bring on the serious one. The one that helps you brand yourself, showcase your skills and helps you get a job. Yes, it’s true that you can use many, if not most Social Media sites to build and maintain your personal brand. But no site allows you to do so better than the professional networking giant, LinkedIn. And with a global audience of over 80 million, the opportunities are endless. Last year, LinkedIn didn’t make our list, coming in at number 11. My prediction? It will crack the top 5 in 2011.

5. WordPress

With the addition of blogging sites to our list this year, it is no surprise that WordPress is at the number 5 spot. If you’ve never heard of it, climb out from under that rock you’ve been living under and listen up. WordPress is amazing. WordPress is an open source Content Management System used by millions of bloggers and web designers around the World. Sporting a wide variety of engaging themes, incredible widgets and plugins, Trackback and Pingback features and a search engine friendly interface, WordPress has become the go to blogging sites for professionals.

4. Twitter

Twitter jumps from number 7 last year to number 4 this year. Is anybody surprised? As an avid Tweeter, I am quite familiar with Twitter. But outside of the Twitter bubble, people never seem to get it. Twitter’s ability to share information in real time, and eliminating the ability for users to be long winded by confining them to 140 characters per Tweet has made Twitter one of the most popular, and powerful sites on the web. My favourite thing about Twitter is that I get my news as it happens. Check out Twitter’s top trends of 2010. Expect Twitter to remain in the top 5 for next year.

3. Wikipedia

Similar to blogging sites, Wikipedia falls into a grey area when it comes to Social Media. There are over 17 million articles using information submitted by millions of users worldwide. It is collaborative social information sharing at its greatest. Face it, we all use Wikipedia at least from time to time. And, to be honest, most of the time the information is pretty accurate – just make sure you double check with the sources listed at the bottom of every article. Not only is Wikipedia the 3rd most visited social site by Canadians, it comes in at 6th overall. Not too shabby.

2. YouTube

The runner-up once again! Just like last year, YouTube came in at number 2 on our list. YouTube’s immense library of video content serves over 2 billion videos per day. Furthermore, 35 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. Think about that. That’s almost a day and a half of video content uploaded every minute of every day. It’s no wonder that YouTube has become to go to site for video. Here are the top ten most watched videos on YouTube for 2010. Enjoy!

1. Facebook

Surprise, surprise. Facebook is back for the repeat in #1 spot. Not only the #1 spot for Social Media sites, or even for Canada – but this year Facebook surpassed Google for most web traffic worldwide. They even had a movie made about them! And their founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year! Facebook is undoubtedly a celebrity all in it’s own. They hold a press conference, not only do the media show up, but hundreds of thousands users watch it live online to see what changes are coming. With over 500 million users worldwide, Facebook is one of the most popular and powerful entities in the world. And at 26 years old, Mark Zuckerberg and his team of geeks (I call them geniuses) aren’t going anywhere. Expect Facebook to be back in the #1 spot next year.

There you have it folks, our Canadian Social Media Top Ten of 2010. Which of these sites do you use? Do you have any favourites that didn’t make the cut? Let us know!

In closing we invite you watch Google’s 2010 Year in Review. Have a safe and happy holiday season everyone!

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Top Ten Social Media Sites of 2010 (Canadian Version) is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

According to researcher Jakob Nielsen, this rule stems from a theory called “Participation Inequity” which occurs when the majority of people participate very little, and a small percentage of people make up the majority of conversation or content. The 90-9-1 rule of Social Networking can be explained in the following way:

• 90% of participants are “Lurkers” – meaning that they watch and listen…but don’t contribute. Try this: browse through the people you follow on Twitter and I guarantee that you will see a name that is unfamiliar to you. Why? Because that person rarely (or never) Tweets. He or she is a Lurker, and you’re left asking yourself “Why did I start following this person in the first place?” Or that friend who never responds to any Facebook Wall Post or message that you send them.  As frustrating as it may be to be connected to lurkers, don’t worry about it, and don’t waste your time trying to convert them. It is a seemingly impossible task.
• 9% of participants are “Casual Contributors” – meaning that they participate from time to time. Their participation occurs when they are passionate about a particular topic. If it is meaningful enough to them, they will participate. A Casual Contributor will share a terrible experience they had at a restaurant, or congratulate a friend on the birth of their first child. They will often add to content, by commenting or liking – maybe a Retweet – but they rarely create and share anything original.
• 1% of the participants are “Heavy Contributors” - meaning that they are responsible for the vast majority of the original content created and shared on Social Networks. They are always coming up on your news feed, posting links to great videos, checking in on Foursquare everywhere they go and Tweeting the latest news. While this can sometimes be annoying, they are the driving force behind Social Networking. They are the ones beginning the conversation.

The Drawbacks

The major problem with the the 90-9-1 rule is obvious – you are not getting a true representation of the entire social community. 90% of the content being shared, conversation being had, and opinions being expressed is only from 1% of the population. However, while the heavy contributors are creating the majority of the content, the casual contributors and lurkers do have the option of expressing their opinion – a comment, a like, a Rewteet – whatever it is, their voice is still allowed to be heard. No one is forcing them to be silent – it is a choice.

The Solution

Before you get frustrated with the inequity of this “rule” it is important to note that the 90-9-1 rule are not hard numbers – they can fluctuate. Some networks may have a 99-1-0.1 rule while others may have a more balanced 80-16-4 distribution. Here are a few ways that Social Networks have attempted to balance out user participation.

1. Make it easy to contribute
   Nobody likes things to be complicated – especially lurkers. If you want them to contribute, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Interactions on Facebook have greatly increased since the introduction of the “Like” button. And now, you can “Like” others’ comments. Facebook has made it easier for your Lurkers, and Casual Contributors to participate. Clicking “Like” and seeing that thumbs up appear is simple, and satisfying.
2. Subconscious Participation
   The best example of this is the iTunes Music Store. I love finding music on the iTunes Music Store, but I have never once commented on, or rated an album. I am an iTunes Music Store Lurker. Let’s say for example if I go to The Arcade Fire’s page on the iTunes Music Store, iTunes suggests a series of other bands and albums that I may like based on my past purchases, and what other listeners of The Arcade Fire have purchased. I usually end up with a list comprised of bands I already love and bands I’ve never heard of. And chances are, I end up loving those bands I’ve never heard of. I can’t tell you how many times I have found a new artist on iTunes using this feature. It has turned myself, and all of the other iTunes lurkers out there into users that participate – that help others find music that they may like.
3. Rewards/Incentives
   This kind of system has been executed by Foursquare and LinkedIn. When I first joined Foursquare, I wasn’t too interested. But the point system kept me in it, and got me somewhat hooked. When I checked into a new place, I got 1 point for it being my first stop of the day and an addition 5 points for it being my first time at that location. And then I found out I could become mayor if I went there and check-in more than anyone else. These incentives kept me checking in to everywhere I went, and I ultimately shed by lurker status on Foursquare. Similarly, LinkedIn tries to get its users to participate more by showing them the completeness of their profile. There’s something about that blue bar on the right not being 100% complete that that bothers me – and encourages me to give another job description, or recommendation, etc.

So for those of you that are bothered that 90% of your community is made up of Lurkers, remember – it’s not the amount of engagement you get, or the number of people engaging with you – its the quality of those engagements, and the quality of your connections. It is much more useful for you and your brand to be connected with someone important – and industry leader, guru or specialist -  who has insightful, thought provoking, useful things to say, rather than to 25 nobody’s who Tweet about their 7 am bowl of Cheerios. Social Networking is all about quality, not quantity. Take the 90-9-1 rule for what it is, and get the most out of your engagements.



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90-9-1 Rule of Social Networking is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

Here are ten common Social Media mistakes that companies often make.

1. Is Social Media Right for my Business?

Before launching your massive Social Media campaign, take a step back and ask yourself – is Social Media right for my business? Social Media, as amazing and popular as it has become, is like any other new technology – it is not right for everyone. So sit back and really think about if Social Media is right for your business. Why do you want to use Social Media? What goals are you trying to accomplish? Who are you targeting?

2. Don’t Spread Yourself too Thin

If you have decided that Social Media is right for you, the next step is determining which platforms you will use. Chances are, it won’t be all of them…not even close. There are literally hundreds of Social Media sites out there, and as tempting as it may be, avoid spreading yourself too thin by signing yourself up for all of them. Do your research, and understand the functions, user base, pros and cons, differences and similarities of all Social Media platforms. Which platform does your target market use? The 60 year old business man probably isn’t in the same space as his teenage daughter is. Facebook is not Twitter, YouTube is not LinkedIn and Flickr is not Vimeo.  Educate yourself, and your chances of Social Media failure will decrease.

3. Incomplete Profiles

This is one of the worst things you can do – and it’s very easy to slip into this trap! Most Social Media sites are free – meaning that it is easy to sign up. But, since there is no monetary tie to the profile, sometimes they can easily be forgotten, and left incomplete. Think about how unprofessional an incomplete profile looks. Is that the image that you want to convey about your brand? Take the time to learn about all of the features and functions of the Social Media platforms you have chosen and use them all to your advantage.

4. Lack of Fresh Content

Social Media is about engaging with others in a conversation by sharing content. If you want to keep your audience engaged, you must have fresh, interesting, and relevant content. If not, people will get bored of , or even forget about you. This may even lead them to stop liking/following/subscribing/connecting – whatever the action is – with you, which in turn will leave the consumer with a sour taste in their mouth when they think of your brand. Think of your Social Media campaign as a local bakery. If you don’t have a fresh variety of baked goods – bread, baguettes, buns, bagels, croissants, muffins, cakes etc., everyday, customers won’t come back. Who wants a 3 week old loaf of rye? Not me. So don’t let your content go stale. Bake some fresh stuff every day!

5. Information Overload

That being said, don’t bombard your customers with too much information. I have un-liked brands on Facebook and stopped following people on Twitter because of the immense amount of updates and tweets that littered my news feed. Know your audience. Post a manageable amount of content that they will enjoy. While tools like Hootsuite and Twitterfeed give users the convenience of scheduling posts, don’t solely rely on this. People are smart. These posts will come across as impersonal and spammy. One of the most wonderful aspects of Social Media is that it allows brands to become human – so take advantage of it and humanize your brand!

6. Consistency vs. Cloning

This is a tough one. Most companies engage in Social Media to improve and manage their brand on the web. So be sure to keep a consistent image of your brand across your Social Media campaign. Most Social Media sites allow you to customize your page, so be consistent with the use of color branding, terminology, logos, images and slogans. This will help solidify your legitimacy and brand identity online. But beware – avoid cloning! The cookie-cutter approach will not work for Social Media. Again, familiarize yourself with the different platforms, and your audiences. What works on Facebook probably won’t work on Twitter. And yes, there is a significant difference between YouTube and Vimeo. A one-size fits all strategy for your Social Media campaign will seriously hinder your chances for success.

7.  It’s a Conversation, not a Sales Pitch

Let’s face it – Social Media was not made to sell products. It was made to connect people. But through those connections, and the conversations that stem from them, we have been able to manage our brands, communicate with our customers and promote ourselves. While selling on Social Media is possible, and certainly acceptable, you need to go about it the right way. Don’t push your products and services onto people right away. Connect with them, and engage in a conversation. Build a meaningful relationship first. If you jump right into Social Media with sales on your mind, people will notice – and they will boycott you. If you do this, your credibility and legitimacy in Social Media will be lost. Relationships first, sales second.

8. Business vs. Personal

Please don’t fall victim to this one. Combining your personal and business accounts is a big Social Media no-no. The photos and stories about your wild Friday night with your old high school buddies should be kept between you and your friends – not shared with your clients and colleagues. Most Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to create multiple accounts. So do it. One for personal, one for business.

9. Fake Friending

Facebook has over 500 million users. That’s a lot. And as tempting as it is to reach out to as many of them as possible, you shouldn’t dedicate your life towards connecting with all of them. While most people get caught up in the number of Likes their brand has on Facebook, or Followers on Twitter, often times it is the quality of those connections, over the quantity. Following every name you come across on Twitter is the wrong strategy – again, people will notice this, and it will appear spammy. Try to connect with the right people; industry gurus, those with a good reputation, people that others will genuinely listen to. By building real relationships with these powerful people, you increase your own Social Media legitimacy – and who knows, you could become one of those people that others strive to connect with.

10. Failure to Measure and Monitor

This happens way too often in the Social Media space. Companies decide that they need to be there, so they jump in blind, and never look back. First of all, you need to outline your reasoning for using Social Media. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Create buzz? Connect with consumers? Direct traffic to your website? Without clear-cut goals, how do you expect to measure your success? Moreover, are you listening to what is being said about your brand? Did you notice that discussion board on Facebook full of complaints about your poor customer service? Or that your brand name is trending on Twitter due to angry tweeters that are upset with your new return policy? The conversation about your brand is happening on the web, and to address these key issues being discussed, you must listen. And yes, not everything said about your brand online is going to be negative. Much of it may be positive. But the point is that you must listen, and know what is being said. This is essential.

Have you been guilty of committing one, or many of these common Social Media mistakes? Have you noticed any other common Social Media blunders occurring way too frequently? Share them with us!

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10 Common Social Media Mistakes is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

This week we will be looking at Greg Locke, a noteworthy local Artist, Community Volunteer, and (hopeful) Politician. Greg is based out of Schomberg, Ontario, which is about a 45 minute drive north-west of Toronto where he owns and operates Gotham Glassworks, a custom stained glass proprietorship. Greg is also running for Councillor of Ward 4 in King Township. Over the past few years Greg has created and heavily developed his Social Media presence for both his artistic, and his political career endeavours on a wide variety of platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Picasa, YouTube and Blogging.

Greg Locke: Gotham Glassworks

Gotham Glassworks

As an artist, it is important to get as many people to see your work as possible. But, seeing is is only half the battle – you also want people to talk about it. That is where Social Media comes into play for Greg and Gotham Glassworks. Right from the get go on Gotham Glasswork’s website, Greg encourages his visitors to participate by allowing them to comment on and rate his works. From there, he invites them to “get engaged!” with his brand on a variety of platforms. On Twitter and Facebook alike, Greg promotes his art and classes as well as informs his followers of any news or events with Gotham Glassworks and the related industry. Greg also visually displays his beautiful artwork on Flickr and Picasa. “I try to find my fans and potential customers wherever they tend to be, not relying solely on a static web URL”, says Locke. Lastly, on YouTube, Greg has posted fascinating videos that show the process of making his art. As an artist, Greg has done an excellent job in leveraging these platforms to promote his fused glass art and communicate with his target audience.

Greg Locke for Ward 4

Greg has not only used Social Media to promote his personal brand as an artist, but also as a politician. Greg is currently running for Councillor of Ward 4 in King Township.

Greg Locke for Ward 4

“I’m not so much trying to build support for my platform as I’m simply trying to get our community discussing the issues”, says Locke. “The voter turnout for King Township is just over 50% – which seems outstanding compared to nearby municipalities such as Vaughan to the south, having about 30% in comparison.  That doesn’t cut it!  Half of eligible King voters are disengaged from their local government and as a community we need to improve this.”

Using Social Media, Greg is committed to making a difference:  he plans to get King voting by discussing the hot-button issues openly with King residents, whether they side with his platform or not, or reside in Ward 4,  leading up to the October 25th election.

Greg’s blog, “Greg Locke for Ward 4“, not only conveys his message, but encourages the voters to tell him what they want to see. He is constantly listening for fresh ideas, issues and concerns related to his community. Greg also uses Facebook and Twitter to promote his ideas for “Positive Leadership for Ward 4″. He strives to get as much engagement from the public as possible, and takes their opinions to heart. After all, if elected, he will be representing them as a community.

As both an artist and a politician, Greg has effectively and successfully used Social Media to promote himself, his ideas and his work. As opposed to many others who generally post way too much useless and annoying content on one or two platforms, Greg posts relevant and interesting content across a very wide variety of platforms. Congrats Greg, you get an ‘A’ on WebFuel’s Social Media Report Card!

July is Canada Month here at WebFuel. All month we will be sharing Canadian stats, stories, trends and much more! Feel free to share with us anything Canadian related to Social Media and Search!

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Canadian Individuals using Social Media: Greg Locke is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel

As some of you may know, I recently graduated from Bishop’s University. The graduating class of 2010 had the pleasure of having Rick Mercer speak at our convocation ceremony. His speech was short and funny, but with a strong message – get intimate with your country. I could relate to this. I’ve traveled from coast to coast and I’ve got to say – he’s right. Our country is so vast and beautiful – there is so much to see. Our provinces are much bigger than most European countries. I would recommend to anybody to take him up on his recommendation, and go get intimate with Canada.

I am what you would consider a “Proud Canadian” – a strong advocate for this great country of ours. I always wear my maple leaf proud wherever I go, so as you can imagine I’ve heard all of the stereotypes. And no, I don’t own a pet beaver, live in an igloo, or take a canoe to work…and I do in fact have FM radio – but I prefer my iPod.

Many people still believe that Canada is behind the times, when in fact for the most part we are on the leading edge of most technologies and trends. Canadians have truly adopted the internet and Social Media and we can proudly boast that we are among the World leaders in these categories.

WebFuel believes that Canada will only continue to be a search and Social Media pioneer. The conversation about your brand is happening. Are you listening? Are you engaged? Are you building relationships with your consumers? You should be.

We are Canadian. Our clients are Canadian. We specialize in Canadian Search and Social Media.

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Celebrating Canada: Social Media, Eh? is a post from: SEO Ottawa | Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Agency | WebFuel