Just when you thought search couldn’t get any crazier, Google comes along and allows searchers to manipulate their product. In a blog post released yesterday, Google announced this initiative, dubbed SearchWiki, that lets searchers vote up or vote down search results while they are logged into their Google account. Searchers are also given the option to make notes or comment on the search results. Since you are already logged into your Google account, Google will track these votes and adjust your search results the net time you search. Google is also allowing you to see how other searchers are voting on given results.

It seems like social media is everywhere, and even if you’re not sure what it is, you’re probably using it in some form or another.  Over the past year Facebook has not only gained viewership and members but has also breached the space of online advertising, trying to successfully mesh the two together. So not only can you communicate with others, you can also find targeted audiences who share your views and could potentially be very valuable consumers of whatever it is you’ve got to sell. This is just a small example of how social media can affect/direct consumers.

(more…)

Recently, the social news site digg has acquired $28.7 million in funding from Highland Capital Partners.  This money will be used to improve infrastructure, expand internationally…

Click Here to Read Full Article

Early Saturday morning, August 23, 2008, the Barack Obama campaign team announced the vice presidential selection as Delaware senator Joe Biden via text message. What has been dubbed “the single largest mobile marketing event ever in the U.S.” by Nielsen has produced mixed reactions among consumers.

Nielsen estimates that 2.9 million mobile subscribers received the 26 word text message, which encouraged supporters to “spread the word.” Supporters signed up to receive this text message via Barack Obama’s official website to be among the first to receive the breaking news. Currently, Nielsen reports that 116 million mobile subscribers in the U.S. utilize text messaging (52% of total U.S. mobile subscribers), making this a new channel for mass marketing efforts.

(more…)

I just recently read a blogpost on Search Engine Land about boring products that “rocked” social media. I found this blogpost very interesting because I find myself thinking about this subject a lot. With the progression of social media optimization I wonder how easy it will be to utilize social media for products or services that are just not that interesting. It’s definitely a difficult thing to do and requires a lot of creativity.      

(more…)