Google AdWords - Charging for traffic you already earnt
{Caveat - I’m generally a fan of Google AdWords. Great. Cost-effective. High click-through-rate. But..}
Google AdWords charges companies for traffic that would have reached a company’s website anyway. Want proof? See the following:
I was looking for Berry Bro’s & Rudd (an excellent Wine Merchant - now you know!) online. I typed BBR into Google. Google returned the exact result I wanted but also put the AdWords link to it just above the search results. It is worth noting that the ad is indistinguishable at a glance from the other results:
Without realising it was an ad, I clicked the top result. No problem there, or so you would think.
The problem is that AdWords will have charged BBR for that ‘service’. See the address bar below and the evidence is clear:
The people behind AdWords are smart enough to know when the link in the ad they are providing is the same as the top-returned search result. When this is the case, the ad is providing absolutely no value to either the company/advertiser or the internet user.
That was the website I wanted anyway, why should AdWords charge BBR for me visiting their page?
Facebook - Not the friend we need it to be
Connectors (or ‘Hubs’ in network theory speak) are those people with an exceptional ability to make friends and acquaintances, to occupy different worlds and mix in different circles.
These connectors are our link to diverse experiences, skill-sets and information. Without them, or without us being them, our network might become inbred. The diversity in our network might be hindered by it being populated only with those most like us (self-similarity principle) or that we spend most time with, i.e. our family, neighbours or departmental colleagues (proximity principle).
Connectors can be described as bridging individuals. They bridge the divide between otherwise disconnected social groups.
They are very important and equally rare but appear in all social and information networks. They are ‘people specialists’. Connectors are experts at maintaining effective relationships with acquaintances (weak ties). When we consider how we know anybody in our network, connectors will show up frequently as the people who introduced us.
They perform the role of connector by linking us to new and relevant people or information.
But what effect is there on the role of connector, or how we interact with the connector, when it isn’t human?
Consider Twitter recommending you people to follow, Google deciding which pages to show you or Facebook suggesting friends for you. These services, amongst dozens of others, are playing the role of Connector in our lives, bridging the gap between us and the people or information that we are seeking.
Or are they?
These services monitor our networks, look at our habits, past behaviours and search terms then make assumptions as to what we might want to see.
The beauty of connectors is their ability to bridge previously disconnected networks. To some extent, this applies to the aforementioned services. They suggest friends that we are not yet connected to or information that we may not already have been exposed to.
However, Facebook suggests friends it thinks we might like to be connected to because other friends of ours are connected to them or we move in similar circles. LinkedIn suggests connections because we may have studied or worked with them previously. Twitter suggests people to follow because we may share similar areas of interest and fields of expertise or we follow similar accounts. Google shows us results not only based on the popularity and quality of the information, but also based on our viewing history - It takes into account the tastes we have previously demonstrated.
All of this suggests that these online services that we might perceive as acting as Connectors are not in fact playing that role. The self-similarity principle and proximity principle are clearly in play.
These services might be perpetuating the world view that we currently have by making suggestions based on what is most similar to us, our previous behaviour or beliefs. They are not bridging us to people or information that is significantly different to what we would usually experience.
Do these services, which have so successfully captivated us and to which we entrust responsibility for managing our online networks, have a responsibility to connect us with people or information that will offer us an alternative world view?
If not, is there room in this crowded market for a service that does?
Now the basics are out of the way…
The previous three posts were shared to cover the basics of getting some value from your efforts on LinkedIn, Twitter and your Blog (there’s a bit of pressure on me to follow the advice I’ve shared now so I had better practice what I preach!).
I wanted somewhere public to share them so that I may point friends and colleagues in their direction when they are looking at getting started with Social Media and are feeling a little apprehensive about how to go about it.
It is important to stress that these are steps, behaviours, tips - not strict guidelines to follow. The most important thing is to be yourself and, over time, you will develop your own appreciation of what works best for you and/or your business.
More seasoned ‘Bloggers’, ‘Tweeps’ and ‘LinkedIn Users’ (is there a word for us yet?!) may not agree with the advice given - If this is the case, let me know! I would love to improve the slides with some of your experiences.
Now to move on to some more in-depth work.
Craig Andrew Hughes
7 Steps to Boosting the Value of your Blog
As before, these are best practices shared and demonstrated by key influencers across the industries you care about.
Again, these are fairly obvious (particularly to those of you that are seasoned Social Media users) and relatively simple. But that is the beauty of them.
I must stress that one of the most important things to remember when familiarising yourself with social media is that you must remain true to yourself and your personality. Any of the tips or advice given is shared on the understanding that these are techniques that can help you get the most value from your efforts. You will, of course, develop your own methods over time that work best for you.
The links (blue, underlined) are live on the .ppt slide (below) - Feel free to download and use as you see fit.
7 Steps to Boosting the Value of your LinkedIn Network
As before, these are best practices shared and demonstrated by key influencers across the industries you care about.
I’m happy to hold my hands up and admit that these are fairly obvious (particularly to those of you that are seasoned Social Media users) and relatively simple. But that is the beauty of them.
Like all great advice, it is simple, concise and easy to follow.
Ensure you follow these 7 Steps and you will greatly enhance the value, to you and your business, of your LinkedIn network.
The links (blue, underlined) are live on the .ppt slide (below) - Feel free to download and use as you see fit. Don’t be afraid to credit me if you do though please!
7 Steps to Boosting the Value of your LinkedIn Network (.ppt)
7 Steps to Boosting the Value of your Twitter Network
Having watched the influencers in various industries, there are clear best practices, behaviours they all display, which can help to improve the value of your network.
The links (blue, underlined) are live on the .ppt slide (below) - Feel free to download and use as you see fit. Don’t be afraid to credit me if you do though please!
7 Steps to Boosting the Value of your Twitter Network (.ppt)
My first Tumblr blog - The Value in Social Networks
Why?
There is a great deal for us to learn about how the impact our social networks, social standing, network influence and social capital have on our daily lives is evolving with the proliferation of Online Social Media.
Recently produced a light investigative study with recommendations for IBM:
Defining, Measuring, Improving and Leveraging Value in Online Networks
My Dissertation (currently in Final Year of University, BA Marketing) will tie into this exploratory research and I intend to use this blog to share my research and, hopefully, receive some feedback, thoughts and wisdom from those more knowledgeable than myself!
Please do not hold back - I welcome ANY criticism (although preferably constructive) of the work and thoughts that I share here.
Looking forward to getting going and hope that there is enough interesting and provocative content here to encourage you to return and get stuck in!
Craig Andrew Hughes
p.s. Like the snazzy network visualisation? The image is my current LinkedIn network map as provided by the excellent LinkedIn Labs <- Check yours out
