Vero, the new social media app is luring social media users.

What Is Vero?

Vero is a new entertaining app for the social media lovers who are fed-up from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and looking for something new. It has gained a lot of popularity and is nearing, three million registered users. The app allows the users to post and share movies, books, places, photos, links, etc. 

What’s Unique About Vero?

The unique thing about the app is, it has no ads & no algorithm. It shows you post in chronological order. Vero aims to provide its users with an uninterrupted experience by making it advertising free. People around the globe are loving this simple approach to social networking.
 
Who Should Try The App? 

You can try Vero, if you want to experience something new. Instagram, Facebook & Twitter use sophisticated algorithms to show you content, whereas, this app simply lets you view content in chronological order. 

Initially, Vero announced that the app is free only for the first one million users. But, due to enormous boost in popularity, they decided to extend the “Free Offer”. But eventually, the company wants to charge a subscription fee. The company says, “We made our business model subscription based, making our users our customers, not advertisers.”
 

2015 brought some of the biggest changes and updates in digital marketing. Be it the launch of mobile friendly algorithm, several Phantom Quality updates, 28th Panda Update in July, death of Google Plus, Google as a subsidiary of Alphabet or the RankBrain, 2015 was jaw dropping from every aspect.

As predicted, Mobile remained the focal area of Google in every facet. Not only has Google declared that a mobile optimized website is essential to rank higher, but it also launched AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) which took their mobile obsession one step further.

Overall we can say that 2016 is shaping up as a year of immense opportunity for website owners. But before we step into the future let’s have a look at what we got right & where we went wrong in 2015.

RECAP OF 2015

1.    Google and HTTPS
Google continues to push site owners to get HTTPS. They are not only displaying “Unsecured Connection Warning” in Chrome but also sending “Google Console Warnings”. Those warnings cover several practice error issues with SSL/TLS. Ignoring this will result into zero HTTPS boost for you.

2.    Facebook Modification 
Facebook worked tirelessly & as predicted they made a direct play for search, unleashed Atlas targeting to a great extent, expanded into Mobile Payments and upgraded their messaging functionality. All these changes resulted into an enormous boost, both in their overall usage numbers & stock price. So far, Facebook played really well & it seems like they are going to shine in 2016 too.

3.    Wearables Becoming Popular
Apple created a lot of Buzz when they launched Apple watch back in 2015. SEO & digital marketers' happiness was different from that of Apple enthusiasts. They were happy because now wearable gadgets are coming in fashion and it will unlock a whole new world of opportunities as they can provide us with real time data. However, the Apple watch wasn't a hit. But at-least they tried!

4.    SEO Code of Ethics
Everyone thought that the SEO code of ethics will formalize in 2014. Then we thought that it will arise in 2015. But it never happened. And that’s good, because it would have done more harm than good. If you'd like to know why? Click here.

5.    Mobile-Optimized Content
Site owners who were quick to react relished immense benefit by optimizing their website for mobiles. Google Mobile-Friendly Update also encouraged Mobile content, which was a win-win for everyone. 

6.    Google Algorithmic Updates
Google owned the stage by launching algorithmic updates back-to-back. They rolled out a brand new Panda update, Mobile-Friendly Update, Multiple Phantom quality updates and is about to launch a penguin update in upcoming days.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT WHAT DOES 2016 HAVE IN STORE

1.    Structured Data will become a Ranking Factor 
Structured data is going to play a big role in 2016. Google will also focus on Rich Snippets, Knowledge Panels & Featured Snippets. They are about to publish guidelines on “How to get Featured Snippets”. Basically, Google is trying to say that we haven’t made structured data a ranking signal yet, but we will do it eventually! So it's better that you get on-board already.

In case you are thinking what type of Structured Data will be good,  you can go with JSON-LD, as Google is really fond of it.

2.    2016 will bring more updates to Local Search
Google revamped Local Search to a great extent. The removal of Google plus from the equation, enabling users to easily set the city location, shrinking the local pack from 7 to 3 results & increased number of ads totally changed the local SEO.  But they are not done yet.

Google will continue to push home services ads & move SMBs to a pay-to-play model. Be ready to witness more of this kind of ads.

3.    Increased focus on User Experience
Providing a great user experience is Google's paramount goal and they are just trying to serve their goal by pushing Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), mobile-friendly content, HTTPS, and page speed. If you want to rank higher in 2016, take a mobile-first design approach.

4.    Improvement in the digital assistant space & wearables
2016 seems to be really good for digital assistant space. While Cortana & Siri are getting better & better, there's one player that will join the game and bring variety to it. And that is none other than Facebook's highly ambitious project “M”. Unlike Cortana & Siri it will be backed by both human/digital assistance making it unique among others.

Also, we can expect to see a lot of wearable gadgets in 2016. Thus, we recommend you should at-least be aware of wearable SEO, so when needed you can employ and reap the benefits of being aware and prepared.

Beacons will become more popular overtime and they will make it easy for you to connect with your existing customers. Also, you can expect new players such as Yext & their Xone beacons to enlarge nationally, as a medium to track offline customers online & then target them with re-marketing ads.

5.    Virtual Reality Monetization
Samsung gear VR was one of the top Christmas items of 2015. It comes at a minimal price of $99, thus making it affordable to masses. Also since we all know that Facebook acquired Oculus Rift, we can expect to see more advancements in the VR space.

It is estimated that the VR revenues will go up to 1 billion dollars in the coming year and will escalate to 4.4 billion dollars by 2019. So the company which will provide the best VR gear will reign supreme and will get to have the biggest piece of the 1 billion dollar cake.

6.    The downfall of Yahoo
Yahoo is still going through hard times and it seems like they will have to sell their search units to someone else. However, they have made deals with Google and Bing, but they are not getting fruitful results and the company is still struggling to survive on various aspects.

Many investors are now losing patience and blaming Marissa Mayer for not having a clear vision. Many experts are predicting that Yahoo may sell their assets to AT&T while some are claiming that Google will be the best bet.

7.    Google will roll out major algorithms which will make site audit tougher
Google will roll out both Panda & Penguin updates in 2016. They can be rolled out at the same time and that will be a major issue for website owners who keep getting hit (negatively) by these algorithms.

Till 2015, it was a bit easy to identify the issues which got you penalized, but since Google's expectations from a website are growing, they are making more complex algorithms. So for SEOs it will be tough to identify the exact cause of penalty in 2016. If you are an SEO expert, it's better to understand how to correctly audit a site & surface all website issues.

Final Takeaway

Your actions, predictions, and preparations will decide whether this year will be great or worse for you. We recommend that you gather as much information as you can and closely monitor any updates thathave the potential to influence the digital marketing space. That way you can achieve your goals in 2016.

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The top 20 updates for local search in 2016

Sharing a link on Facebook mobile isn’t easy. It’s a clumsy process that sends Facebook users to Google, a competitor for mobile advertising dollars. 

Now, Facebook is testing an “Add a Link” button that, according to this article, “gives users fewer reasons to leave the Facebook app, reduces the clicks needed to share content and diminishes the chances that the user will end up at Google. Instead of the four or five steps that might be required to find, copy and paste a link in a post, users can now add links with a single tap. Facebook is betting that the easier it is to share links, the more links a user will open and post and the more the social network will know about that user’s interests.” 

Facebook’s objectives: 1. Take traffic from Google and 2. Learn more about users’ interests, which will help advertisers better target their campaigns. 

Let us know if you’d like more information about advertising on Facebook or other social media platforms. 

Every new social media platform that comes along...Instagram, Google+, Ello...you name it... is invariably the next big thing—the one that’s going to take down Facebook. Hasn’t happened yet!

A Pew Research Center survey, conducted in September 2014, found that: 

• Facebook remains by far the most popular social media site. While its growth has slowed, the level of user engagement with the platform has increased. 
• For the first time, more than half of all online adults 65 and older (56%) use Facebook. This represents 31% of all seniors. 
• Overall, 71% of internet users are on Facebook, a proportion that represents no change from August 2013. 
• 52% of online adults use multiple social media sites. Facebook acts as “home base”—it remains the most popular site for those who only use one, and has significant overlap with other platforms. 

It’s important to note that, according to the survey, “every other social media platform measured saw significant growth between 2013 and 2014.” Click here to read Social Media Update and then get to work on your social media campaigns. Call us if you need help. 

A new Facebook insights product called “Topic Data” will soon be available to a select group of marketers. Topic Data will show marketers what audiences are saying on Facebook about events, brands, subjects and activities. 

According to WSJ: Facebook for the first time is promising insights companies can use to develop products or decide which audiences to target. A business marketing a hair-de-frizzing product might use Topic Data to see demographic information about people discussing humidity’s effects on their hair. The company might use that information to improve marketing campaigns on Facebook or TV, or to identify potential customers they hadn’t previously considered. 

Facebook plans to “Iterate on Topic Data thoughtfully and deliberately, and look to expand its availability at a later date.” 

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In 2009, Google reached a deal with Twitter to include tweets in search results. That deal expired in 2011, right about the time that Google launched its social network, Google+.

Since then, Google+ has pretty much failed as a social network (but it is important for local SEO). And now, Twitter is often first to announce big breaking news stories.

Reportedly, Google will once again have access to Twitter’s firehose—the stream of data generated by Twitter’s 284 million users. Click here to read “Who wins, Who Loses in the Twitter/Google Deal.”

Twitter content indexed in Google search results: Just one more reason for every small business to be active on Twitter. All social media activity helps build your brand and because Google places a premium on authenticity, branding is a factor in rankings.

With about 1.35 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the top social media destination. This month, Instagram, with its 300 million users, moved up to second place. Twitter is now in third place with 284 million users.

This is great news for Facebook because Facebook owns Instagram!

To help users connect and follow people and brands, Instagram announced that it will “verify badges for celebrities, athletes and brands, making it easier for you to connect with the authentic accounts you’re looking for.” Click here for more details.

The sign on your business is in disrepair. Packages delivered to your business are blocking your doorway. What do you do? You repair the sign and you move the boxes. You make sure your business is easy to find.

The same care is required for your local online presence. You won’t rank well if you have conflicting information on any one of the thousands of sites where Google and other search engines gather local listings data. And, consumers are confused when they see discrepancies—they’re likely to go to a competitor whose listings are clean and consistent.

Give us a call and we’ll tell you more about local listings management.

Imagine you're just going about your working day a cashier at Target and next thing you know, you're on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. You're widely recognized! Because of social media, all.

That's what happened to #alexfromtarget. The account of how Alex became famous illustrates the mind-blowing power of social media.

Every interaction and communication you have on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social networking sites builds your business and your brand. You probably won't be a sensation like Alex, but you will be where consumers spend huge amounts of time and share huge amounts of content. The amount of information that is shared every day on Facebook is astounding! Facebook has more than one billion users and every 20 minutes, those users share one million links. Twitter is also remarkable in terms of marketing potential.

If you're not on social networking sites, or you're neglecting what you started, get it going today!

In February 2013, Facebook announced plans to buy Atlas, Microsoft's ad tracking and serving business. When, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that the corporation had "no plans" to create a network to serve Facebook ads on third-party webpages. (Source: Inside Facebook).

Facebook now has a plan for Atlas and it does involve serving PPC ads on third-party web sites.

According to this Wall Street Journal article, "Atlas is aiming squarely at Google's DoubleClick, the dominant ad-serving, management and tracking tool for agencies and advertisers.".

Visit this site to get more information about Atlas and its potential to "connect online campaigns to actual offline sales, ultimately proving the real impact that digital campaigns have in driving incremental reach and new sales.".

Visit here to review Ello, a new-ish social media platform that's being called the "anti-Facebook" given that it's ad-free and doesn't provide user data to third parties.

Social media can be the perfect spot for small business owners to communicate with customers and attract the attention of prospective customers. Click here to read “Nine Small Business Social Media Success Stories.” 

Many small business owners have neither the time nor the inclination to become fluent in the language and etiquette of social media. Even those who do attempt to figure it all out will struggle to design, implement and fine-tune the campaign. 

Outsourcing is certainly a good option, but no one knows your company like you do. When you hire an individual or a firm to manage your social media, keep in mind that you’re an important part of the team—the one who ensures that social media interactions are authentic and represent the essence of your company. 

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I get asked this question alot... "How do I add admins to my Facebook Business Page?" - so, it just made sense to go ahead and produce a video that quickly and easily shows you, step by step, how to do it.

Every March, millions of people fill out a NCAA tournament bracket (or two, or three...), join the office pool, watch the games and track who’s in and who’s out. Workplace productivity takes a big hit during the three weeks of March Madness.

Social media, where people go to get updates on games, celebrate wins and grumble about losses, is now a huge part of the phenomenon that is March Madness.

Twitter reported that during the championship game, there were more than two million Tweets around the world containing terms related to the telecast. And on Facebook, from early buzz and bracket building after Selection Sunday, through the Final Four and championship games, more than 15.3 million U.S. users posted, commented on or “liked” tournament-related content 46 million times.

Consumers are all over social media and every business should be there with them. It’s never too late to get started on a social media marketing campaign!

Many companies use video to promote the brand, products and services. Some are taking it to the extreme, using pretty amazing cameras like the GoPro to demonstrate a product from the user’s point of view.

The GoPro camera was originally invented for surfers, to shoot the view inside the curl of a wave. But that was just the beginning. In the March 2013 edition of Forbes, Ryan Mac wrote: “The cinema-grade, panoramic, point-of-view footage that comes out of a GoPro transforms mere mortals into human highlight reels, without blowing a huge hole in the budget.”

Cameras like the GoPro let you get hugely creative, but a nicely produced video that highlights your company and your brand gives a strong boost to your SEO campaign. Video tends to be more engaging than text. And, video is a great way to add content to your website, attract organic traffic and build up your presence on YouTube.

Twitter’s IPO price was set at $26 per share, valuing the company at $18.34 billion. Trading began on November 7th with the price rising to a high of $50, then closing at $44.90. At the end of the first day of trading, Twitter was valued at $25 billion! Keep in mind, this is a company that has never turned a profit and posted a loss of nearly $65 million for its most recent quarter.

Twitter has become part of the global culture with 230 million users tweeting, retweeting, following and lurking. How often do you hear a respected news anchor report on a tweet from a politician, celebrity, or even the Pope? And the hashtags—some people actually write and speak in hashtags! Whether we actively use the service or not, Twitter affects us.

Mark Mahaney, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets said, “When people use Twitter they are following certain people, they’re searching for specific information. There are powerful marketing signals that are almost Google-esque, something that Facebook doesn’t really have.” Google-esque?? We’ll see if Twitter joins the ranks of Google, in terms of profitability. In an interview with CNBC, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said, “There’s nothing structural about Twitter that prevents us from having the kind of margin profiles of our peer group.” Read the interview for more on Twitter’s plans for the future.

Click here to learn how to use Twitter’s new custom-timeline feature and click here to read about advertising opportunities on Twitter.

Fortune magazine called Amazon.com founder, Jeff Bezos, the ultimate disrupter when he was chosen as its 2012 Businessperson of the Year. Last week, Bezos bought The Washington Post newspaper, a premier brand in the content world, for $250 million. In a memo to Post employees, Bezos wrote that he’s “excited and optimistic about the opportunity for invention.”

There's ALWAYS something new in social media!

Due to Twitter's new restrictions on how third-party developers are permitted to use its API, the LinkedIn/Twitter partnership that began in 2009 is over. In a blog post, Ryan Roslansky, LinkedIn head of content wrote, 'If you had previously synced your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, and selected the option to share Tweets on LinkedIn, those Tweets generated from Twitter will no longer appear on LinkedIn.'

The ongoing patent dispute between Facebook and Yahoo has been resolved and the former enemies are now working toward an advertising and content partnership. Read Facebook Newsroom for more details.

Facebook is reportedly planning to sell mobile ads that will target users based on the apps they've downloaded through its Facebook Connect feature. Read more about the controversial advertising strategy here.

There Are Customers Waiting for You on Social Media!

When Facebook makes any change to its interface, you can expect plenty of complaints from Facebook users. And that’s just what happened a few weeks ago when Facebook introduced:
1. Subscribe Button that gives you a way to follow the content others are posting without actually becoming Facebook friends with them (similar to following somebody on Twitter),
2. Upgraded "Friends" List that allows you to easily organize your friends into groups, and
3. Real-Time News Ticker that feeds content based on the last time you checked in so you won’t miss important status updates and new photos.

These are just a few of the big changes and many more are coming. Yes, people complained, but they’re not really going anywhere. Most users have too much invested in Facebook, and love it or hate it, that’s where their friends are. Nevertheless, Facebook knows that it must stay fresh and continue building an emotional connection with users to hold on to its status as the social media leader.

Many businesses don’t think that their products/services are interesting enough to get a following on social media. How can a small hardware store, for example, get a following on Facebook? The first step is to get conversations going about related topics—offer tips on home improvement, decorating and gardening. Illustrate your postings with photos/videos of your products and services. Your products and services don’t always have to be front and center in the conversation.

If you need help figuring out how to get the social media conversation going for your business and how to generate leads from your social media campaigns, ask us. We can brainstorm ideas and get your campaign up and running. The data from your social media campaigns will be reported on your dashboard, alongside your other search marketing campaigns

Social Media Is Not Just for Kids

Social media sites have a tremendous appeal to teenagers and young adults but what about the older crowd? In 2005, about 5% of U.S. adults were using social media. Last year, that number exploded to 61% and this year, 65%. The largest segment of recent growth is senior citizens. 30% of adults ages 65 and older say they now use social-networking sites.

Many small businesses attempt to attract customers on “free” social media sites but find it costly in terms of time. If you want to see results from a social media campaign, you must have a strategy and goals that will help you measure your return on that investment of time. If you’d like our advice on social media marketing, give us a call.