Social Media Optimization

Social media and user-generated content were quite the surprise sensation last decade. Very few experts with their fingers to the wind felt its popularity and social impact coming from a distance. There is no argument that the influence of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are widespread. Just ask Greyson Chance, the sixth grader in Edmond, OK who just performed Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” on the piano at his Sixth Grade Festival. He has currently made over 20 million people forget who Justin Bieber is... Justin who?!

Now that social media platforms have proven its effectiveness to businesses and brands in engaging with potential customers, growing brand awareness, and spreading marketing messages strategically across the expanse of the Internet, people with pencils behind their ears are trying to quantify its use. APIs, ROIs, and FYIs are being developed for businesses to justify investing in the most effective platforms, while others are still gun-shy on launching an extension of their traditional marketing initiatives to a digital format.

If you have been reading or following my blog for the last year or so (THANK YOU!) then you’ve noticed I discuss social media optimization quite a bit. Although we do advise our clients on social media benefits and strategic usage, Volacci currently doesn’t offer professional Social Media Optimization (SMO) services. Volacci surely isn’t Mashable, but we do know a thing or two about social media. Join me after the jump for more on the conversation around the definition of “going viral”. Read more »

If you are running a social media optimization campaign, one of your primary objectives is to post and distribute your site’s links via social profiles. Facebook is a wonderful platform for posting links and, after building your profile, you can send links out for exposure in the conversation cloud of the social web. This is an ideal way to increase your blog’s RSS feed, increase your website’s traffic, and, ultimately your brand awareness.


There are many advantages to using Facebook for social link building. Let’s start basic and work our way through it, because no one want’s to pull a mental muscle today (even the vikings understood the importance of stretching). Stimulating brain food after the jump... Read more »

Social media has reached highly competitive heights and everyone wants to be on the top. It is the new, non-traditional platform for strategic messaging where consumers have the control, picking and choosing what marketing they subject themselves to. Do you feel like you are not in control of your social media efforts?

Recent research efforts have found that an overwhelming 86% of businesses will spend more money in 2010 on social media. Brands and businesses now battle with viral videos, sticky websites, and engaging content for the attention of socially optimistic and cautiously conversion-oriented consumers.

The biggest advantage any business running a social campaign can have this year is good old-fashioned data. Does your company’s CEO need definitive evidence for why he is paying a couple of Millennials to surf the web? Data gives you something to hold on to, and if you can start to control the numbers, its a win for everyone.

In terms of web-years, pageview tracking is no longer up to snuff when it comes to social media metrics. With companies like Facebook and Slide spending tons of their budget surpluses on building internal analytical tools, there are improved and evolving measurements that can help your businesses’ social life grow and improve while you take control. Read more »

Have you heard of the 4-month old, Los Angeles startup, Ad.ly? They are an “In-Stream” advertising agency that is “connecting top tier twitterers with top tier brands”. Simply put, they insert paid tweets for brands among the regular tweets of highly-influential tweeters. Ad.ly already has Kim Kardashian, Dr. Drew, and Soulja Boy sending out paid tweets to each of their 2.8 or so million followers.

Many news sites have been successfully leveraging Twitter to distribute their stories and build new audiences, but they aren’t making money from these tweets yet. However, news sites are launching some early exploration into this new and, possibly, lucrative venture. Read more »