Social Media Optimization for the rest of Us

How To Create a Powerful Knol Profile

Posted by admin in Social Media Tips on 02 25th, 2009 | no responses

Google Knol is a community like any other. Your profile gives you the chance to introduce yourself and tell people why they should pay attention to your words. Think about it. If you take eBay for example, your profile there tells people why they should spend their money buying from you. On Knol, the currency is time, and your profile allows you to grab the attention of your readers.

Here is how to give a good first impression to your users:

Tell them who you are: tell people who you are. You don’t have to talk about your hobbies or interests, but things that show your authority on the topic(s) that you will be writing about. If you have a doctorate in math, tell them. That will help people decide whether your math Knols are worth reading.
Show them you are real: add a picture to your profile to show people you are a real person. I can’t tell you how important it is to have a picture on your profile. A profile without a picture is a driver’s license without a picture. Don’t forget to verify your name. You can do it by phone or e-mail, but it is necessary to show people that you are who you say you are (see image below).
Show them your credentials: going back to the first point, make sure you talk about your studies, the articles you have written, the books you have authored, and your work experience. Once again, it’s all about showing people you know what you are talking about.
Do link to your website: if you have an authority website on the topic you will be writing a Knol on, don’t forget to share that with the community. You can link to it from your profile to give your potential readers a chance to examine your prior work. Remember, it’s all about making a good first impression, so your Spring Break blog does not work here.
Don’t lie on your profile: it’s easy to lie on your profile to make yourself look more impressive, but just don’t do it. It will definitely show once you write a couple of Knols. Do point to your LinkedIn profile if possible to make yourself look more credible.

Writing a profile is not rocket science, but a lot of people just don’t do it. Maybe they are being lazy or shy. By writing an impressive profile today, you can set yourself apart from those who don’t have a profile. Having a good Knol profile alone will not buy you readers, but combined with quality Knols, you can achieve a better standing in the Knol community.

Viral Tweets: Go Viral With Twitter

Posted by admin in Twitter on 02 18th, 2009 | 2 responses

Twitter wasn’t taken too seriously just a year ago. Folks were complaining about how it was a waste of time and not worth the effort. But Twitter has truly revolutionized the way folks network and communicate online. You may have only 140 characters to express yourself, but that is plenty enough. Smart social media marketers have used Twitter to provide value. Not only that, they have integrated Twitter into their everyday business to encourage folks to contact and network with them on Twitter. But the real superstars have used Twitter API to develop solutions that are not only helpful for others but also help them skyrocket their following in this channel.

Viral Tweet is a twitter software solution that allows you to integrate Twitter into your landing pages and go viral fast. Take a look at the below example. Not only these guys have integrated Twitter into their landing page, they have used Viral Tweet to make it easy for folks to spread the word around about their competition.

Now, it does help that these guys are giving something away. But in reality, by making it so simple to share this competition, these guys are going to realize a huge spike of traffic and following on Twitter. Viral Tweets is not the only solution that allows you to go viral on Twitter, but it gives you an idea about what solutions do work best. As long as you are ready to get your hands dirty with Twitter API, you are half way towards making your very own super Twitter application.

Immediate Edge Social Media Training

Posted by admin in SM Training on 02 13th, 2009 | 2 responses

A few months ago, I had a chance to sign up for the Immediate Edge program by Ed Dale and Dan Raine. It was probably the only real social media training service at the time, but it was designed for folks who were somewhat advanced in this field. When folks were talking about how fun myspace was, these guys were covering the gaming changing Social ads and Friendfeed. I have been meaning to write a review on the Immediate Edge but they closed their doors to new members a few months back with no announcement on when they would open their doors again. Fast forward a few month, and the Immediate Edge program is now open to the public again. So let’s see what the program has to offer:

The Immediate Edge: Social Media Training

The immediate Edge program is a set of cutting edge marketing techniques that you can use to start, build up, and eventually sell an online business for profit. I had a chance to get familiar with the immediate edge after finishing up the thirty day challenge. For those of you not familiar with 30 day challenge, the thirty day challenge is a free course that offers training on latest Web 2.0 services such as Twitter, Weebly, Squidoo, and Google technologies.

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Once you sign up for the immediate edge program, you are going to be provided with an introduction video as well as a library of content and tools that you can use to get your social media game to a whole new level. Here are the topics that are covered in this program:

Social Bookmarking and Web 2.0 for Google Ranking: The Immediate Edge covers exactly how you should go about building links with social bookmarking services. You may think that the best way to build links is article marketing or begging other webmasters. But you can build hundreds of links by taking advantage of social bookmarking services.
GTrends: The Immediate Edge program shows you how you should go about taking advantage of services such as Google Trends to build your profitable online business fast.
Advanced SEO: if you already own a website but have no idea how to drive traffic to it with SEO, you are covered with the Immediate Edge. You’ll learn how to use advanced SEO concepts (e.g. LSI) to get the best ranking possible on major search engines.
Facebook Marketing: a lot of folks don’t really know how to get the best out of Facebook. Facebook is more than just playing games and updating your status message with what you have had for lunch. The Immediate Edge shows you the blue-print that you need to follow to succeed on Facebook.
Twitter: Learn how to dominate Twitter and build a profitable following on this revolutionary micro-blogging platform.
Upcoming Web 2.0 Trends: I would love to say that Twitter and Facebook will stay strong for years to come. But the Web 2.0 world is too volatile and things change quickly. The R&D team at the Immediate Edge is constantly on the watch for new developments in this field to help you stay ahead of the field.
How Ed Does Video Video series: Ed has truly mastered the art of building videos and sharing them online. He teaches you through this 7 part series how you can build your own video-cast.
Buying Web Sites for Traffic and PR: you are going to learn how to take short-cuts by buying websites for cheap and selling them for a fortune.
Affiliate Marketing: learn the right way to do affiliate marketing and make real money online.
Case Studies: learn how Ed and Dan launch their projects and how you can learn from their experiences.
Edge Networker: not too excited about all the work you need to put forth to build links? Edge Networker is a link-builder that automatically build links for you without you having to do too much.
Interviews: the Immediate Edge members gain access to interviews with Internet marketing legends such as John Reese and Yanik Silver.
Tools: you’ll gain access to tools that you can use to build your own affiliate program, cloak links, and …

So here are a few things that I learned from the Immediate Edge’s program:

There is such a thing as too much information: When Dan and Ed talked about how the immediate edge program is not for everyone, I literally thought they were using a marketing ploy to raise interest about their program. But once I logged on to the immediate edge for the first time, I realized how much content they have on the side. Whether it’s the whole array of projects or the maximum edge method, there are millions of things to look at, and it’s very easy to get lost unless you know your way around.
There is such as a thing as being over your head: I personally signed up for the immediate edge to get access to latest tricks that I can use to advance my site. Unfortunately, you need to be familiar with a lot of advanced marketing techniques to be able to properly take advantage of the immediate edge teachings.
Being pragmatic does matter: you read all these books that talk about how you can implement advanced marketing techniques. But unless you see them done in practice,the chances are you are not going to master them. The projects section of the immediate edge is where things become pragmatic.
There are better things that outsourcing: The social media marketing process can be very time consuming, but most people outsource their projects to India and China to focus on more important things. With the networker, the script does it all.
You’ve got to know where to cut your losses: the immediate edge was a great place for marketing training. There were courses about viral marketing, Facebook marketing, and …. In addition, Dan and Ed provide a bunch of tools that you will have to pay in thousands for without the program. But what can you do with the immediate edge if you have no time to follow it. The Immediate Edge Program (IEP) can be the best marketing subscription service out there, but if you don’t use it, it’s a waste a money. Realizing when to cut your losses is the key.

Verdict: A-. The Immediate Edge program is a one of a kind social media training package. It’s not cheap, but it’s saves you a lot of time. Ed and Dan literally do your research for you. The only problem with the Immediate Edge program is too much information. If you are dedicated enough to get through all the new materials day in and day out, you are going to get your money’s worth. But if you plan to buy the Immediate Edge program and not use these techniques, there are better ways to spend your money.

Anatomy of a Successful Knol

Posted by admin in Social Media Tips on 02 11th, 2009 | no responses

Google Knol has been around for a while now. Knol junkies have wasted no time by putting excellent articles about various topics on Knol. But what is it exactly that sets apart a successful Knol from other? This post covers he anatomy of a successful Knol based on information gathered about the most popular articles currently hosted on Google Knol.

How To Write a Popular Google Knol Article

1. Content: the quality of content goes a long way towards determining how successful your Knol will be. Essentially, you want to write about a topic that intrigues people (see an example here). You also want to avoid the “quick hit” syndrome. In other words, you don’t want to write a Knol that is only 100 words long and doesn’t truly provide any valuable information to readers. You don’t necessarily have to write an extremely long Knol to be successful. But you want to convey information that is verifiable and leave the door open for your readers to explore your topic more after they are done reading your Knol.

2. Research: the best way to burn a Knol down to the ground is by skipping the research process. If you want to be successful in the Knol community, you need to research your topics rigorously. You don’t have to be an absolute expert in the topic of your choosing. But it is important to be right. Don’t make statements that you are not absolutely sure about or you’ll lose your credibility.

3. Start: your introduction piece is extremely important to your Knol’s success. With your introduction piece, you get the chance to write an elevator speech to help potential readers decide if the would want to invest time reading your Knol.

4. Engage: engage your readers and you are half-way through making your Knol successful. Knol is not a blog post, so I am not suggesting that you should specifically ask your readers for comments, but you can engage them and make them want to comment by setting the right tone for your Knol. If the topic that you choose is controversial or leaves the door open for argument, then you can expect your readers to comment on your work. Engaging your users and getting their feedback not only will help to get votes, it will help you to improve your work in the future.

5. Presentation: everyone likes an article that is brilliantly presented. So don’t forget to cite your work, and add graphics and visual aids to your work to give your audience the chance to better understand and appreciate your work. Tip: use bullet points to drive your point(s) home.

6. Finish: your Knol’s finish is almost as important as your start. Your finale should not only summarize what you have talked about in your Knol but also leave the door open for argument. I am not suggesting that you should have a cliffhanger, but don’t cover your topic from A to Z. Leave some space for your readers to participate and contribute with their comments.

7. Reputation: once you start writing Knols, you are going to get rated by the community. The better your Knols are, the better reputation you will have in the community. If you are a marketer and you have spammed Digg or other sites to push your message, keep in mind that the strategy won’t work on Knol. You will need to provide value to your readers, and if you don’t, your reputation takes a hit. If you drop the ball enough times, your articles may get ignored or even voted down by the community so make sure you behave properly.

Google Knol – A Review – Part I

Posted by admin in Social Media Tips on 02 6th, 2009 | no responses

Knol is Google’s aim to become a one stop shop for people who are searching for authoritative articles on various topics. In essence, you can think of Knol as a user-generated dictionary or encyclopedia that covers everything from health to technology topics. Here is why Knol matters:

Quality Content: Since we are talking about Google essentially challenging Wikipedia here, you can be sure that they will try their hardest to offer the highest quality Knols to their readers. Google mentions that they do not bless any articles on Knol, but authors who are writing on Knol essentially put their reputations on the line which gets us to the second point.
Community Rating: Google Knol allows you to rate other author’s articles. They use a 5 star system which makes it easy for readers to show their approval or lack there of for a Knol. Readers can also review Knols (similar to Amazon reviews) which allows them to express their thoughts with more than just a couple of stars.
Collaboration: Not only you get to share your article with authors, you can allow them to make edits to your article (similar to Wikipedia). If you keep your article open for public, then you can expect other authors to make minor or major changes to your articles. The Community collaboration and feedback system creates a content ecosystem where content gets refined and perfected with the passage of time.
Content Licensing: One cool feature with Knol is the ability to license your articles. The default is creative commons, but an author can reserve all rights on each Knol.
Monetization: Making money writing Knols may not be a big deal to some, but it is something that Wikipedia lacks. In essence, once you write an article, you can edit the HTML code and ad Google adsense advertisement to your articles. While this could be encouraging to authors who provide quality content, there could be a few who take the shortcut and focus on the money than on value to the Knol community. But the Knol community will most definitely punish such authors with negative reviews and feedback.

Few Things You Should Know Before Getting Started With Google Knol:

Identity: You are required to provide your true identity to Knol. While there maybe ways around that, Google Knol strongly encourages users to share their identity with the community to give credibility to their articles and feedback.
Verification: You can verify your account by phone or by credit card. You are not required to do so, but Google strongly suggests you verify your information.
Profile: The first time you log on to Knol, you’ll be presented with the opportunity to write your profile. This page will be the page that people are redirected to when they click on your name. Make sure you don’t write an article in your profile as it could happen easily. You can also change your displayed name, your occupation, and add a photo, or add links to your profile.
Access: You can access Knol using any Google accounts username/password. Google will automatically fill out your name for you if you have it on file in your Google account. If you are using a fake name in your Google account, you may want to change that in your Knol account.

Knol is not really hard to work with. The most important task that you perform on Knol is writing articles and leaving feedback for others. Obviously you want your feedback to be useful for the community so pay extra attention to article that you are reading before leaving a 5 star for it.

Why Should You Use Knol:

You make ask yourself know, “why should I use Knol?” It’s very simple. You should use Knol to:

Share knowledge and learn from the Knol community: If you know something valuable, share it with the community. These days sharing something you know can open doors for you. You can get paid too but that should be secondary. You can also learn a lot from the Knol community members and great article on Knol. And unlike Wikipedia, reading Knol feels like reading a blog and not an encyclopedia.
Network with Knol Members: By sharing and participating in the community activities, you can find people who share the same passions as you do, and you can do a whole lot of networking on Knol. Think of Knol as another FaceBook, but one that you actually do more learning and less playing with Apps.
Establish your Authority on a Topic: You maybe the best diet expert on the planet, but if you don’t promote yourself and people don’t know your work, then there is a good chance that you are not going to get the recognition that you deserve for all your hard work and passion for your subject. Share your great articles with others to show your authority on a topic. Who knows. You may get a blogging/consulting gig out of it.
Help make the Web a better place: The social community is the most important aspect of Knol. Make sure you take time to review and rate articles in order to help the cream rise to the top. If you have used Google, you know how tough it is sometimes to find a good article about what you are searching for. Knol provides all of us with the opportunity to help make Web a better place.

What’s Next:

In the next post, we will get down and dirty with Knol and go over how you can create a profile and start writing and playing with articles on Knol. So stay tuned for the part II of Introduction to Google Knol.