How Can Facebook Get On The "Search" Wagon

The great social network has been busy lately; filing for IPO, introducing Timeline for pages, new ad units, Premium on Facebook, Reach Generator, Facebook Offers, etc. 

You can imagine, a network with this size (expected to hit a billion members this year) has to constantly to develop and improve. 

One area that Facebook hasn't been giving enough attention to is Search. Here's what I think Facebook should be doing to get on the "search" wagon. 

SAVE THE INTERNET !

Please help stop SOPA and Protect IP bills from happening. If those bills pass, the internet as we know it will be drastically changed! 

Watch the video below to understand what's this all about.

   


Take an action below.



SPREAD THE WORD!

How To Use Twitter For Your Personal Branding

I’m sure most of you have been using Twitter for a while now, to follow your favorite celebrities, tweet about stuff that you do throughout the day, or simply answer Twitter’s call “what’s happening?”

But there is a very lucrative side of Twitter if you look at it from a personal branding perspective, be it business related or whatever online persona you’re trying to build.

I will outline some of the guidelines and will be using my experience with Twitter as an example for using the platform in a purely personal branding fashion.

Let’s do this! 

The Future of Amazon?

What do you know about Amazon? I used to think they were simply a retailer, but I was wrong. Amazon is much bigger than that, it involves a much broader range of services. Do you know what Amazon Fresh is? It’s a delivery service of almost everything you want to buy from fresh products, meat, and seafood to diapers, DVDs, and toys – currently in the States. Do you know what Amazon Instant Video is? It’s a place where you can watch over 90,000 movies and TV shows online. I bet you didn’t know about Amazon Cloud Player that lets you play your music from the cloud on any Android device, PC, or Mac. 

Amazon has built an eco-system that cements its place in the world of digital and physical goods. I believe their business model is to become a one-stop shop and the only place for people to buy and consume anything online and offline on multiple touch points. In this article, I will outline some of the future opportunities that either correlate with market trends or provide potential opportunities and commercial benefit for Amazon. 

Data - The Holy Grail of Online Retail

Data rules the digital world. It helps in identifying problems, creating new value propositions, and discovering unique use cases that customers show by their queries or questions. Without data, moving would require guess work and success is impossible to measure. The biggest advantage that digital offers for retailers is measurement, and data is the key element to effective measurement. 

SEO in a Nutshell

I am writing this post for those who are entering the world of SEO. This should give you a brief framework and some key tactics to consider for a successful SEO strategy.

Remember it's not an overnight process, it requires consistency to reap the fruits. 

Before we get into the details, you need to keep an eye on some major changes happening in the search marketing industry now. This article talks about Google's new algorithm changes and how it affected search engine results. 

Alright, lets do this! Basically there are two sides of SEO; On-site (stuff you do on your website) and off-site (stuff you do off your website, in other words "link building"). I will highlight some main points and tactics in each section.  

Key Elements of a Successful Content Strategy

Having a strong content strategy, whether it is a blog, a newsletter, whitepapers, webinars or podcasts, is central to your online presence. Content is one of the good business growth strategies (it helps to increase awareness and brand equity) and if executed correctly, it can help with creating competitive advantage.

So, what are the elements of a successful content strategy? I have outlined some of the tactics you should consider when it comes to content.

7 Channels Consumers Are Using To Access Digital Information

I’m sure you would agree with me if I said that the way you consume information has drastically changed. We’re not any more concerned about getting the newspaper in the morning (unless you’re on your way to work and don’t have a smartphone). 

Traditional sources of information are now continuously replaced by digital channels. As bloggers, publishers, producers or people working in media, we need to understand how consumers are accessing information in the digital age. How are people accessing the things we write? What is their path and method to get there? How can we make it easier for them to access our information? 

I will discuss some of the most prominent channels that online readers are using to consume content and how to approach them for your benefit.

Case Study: Levi's Social Media Strategy Analysis

Now more than ever, retail brands are engaging consumers on social networks to offer deals, allow users to socialize around purchases, and more. Levi’s Jeans was one of the brands that used Facebook as a tool for sales and marketing initiatives and has launched a number of compelling campaigns using Facebook. I will analyze Levi’s strategies, tools, and activities undertaken by the company to leverage social media on a variety of channels.

Six Controversial Pricing Models For Digital Publishers

Users are now more used to receiving “free” content due to the immense amount of free information available online, and of course piracy. Unfortunately, this is bad news for publishers who are trying to monetize their digital content. 

I have compiled six pricing models and trends that I think provide lucrative opportunities as revenue streams for publishers in the digital space. 

Niche Social Networks - The True Facebook Rivals?

We all know how dominant Facebook is. Good thing for us as users to have a place online we call “home” but kind of frustrating for rival networks as it is now almost impossible for them to create a network as big and powerful as Facebook. 

My Daily Media Consumption [infographic]

I thought I'd share with you my daily media consumption. It is mostly free online media, as you will notice from the infographic I don't consume much offline. I included the media channels I use the most ranging from social to blogs to RSS and email. 

Creative Advertising Concept for H&M [video]

Last month me and my friend Suraj, took part in Future Lions advertising contest. The brief was to advertise a product from a global brand in a way that could not have been done five years ago, to an audience of our choosing. We had around 3 days of intense brainstorming and finally ended up with an idea for H&M. 

Have a look at the video... 

The Evolution of Digital Publishing

Publishing will experience a transformation in structure of the industry as well as in the consumption behavior of consumers. The publishing industry is now concerned with questions like what types of information and from which sources, really produce value for the individual in his/her social environment. 

Case Study: Ziff Davis Digital Publishing

Continuing my digital publishing blogging frenzy, I have decided to develop a brief case study for Ziff Davis.

Ziff Davis, Inc. is one of the world’s best-known publishers of leading technology-based digital content products. Brands within the Network include ExtremeTech, Gearlog, Appscout, Smart Device Central, GoodCleanTech, DL.TV, Cranky Geeks, and PCMag. The Network’s content is delivered worldwide to readers across a multiple platform of Web sites, e-newsletters, Webcasts, broadband video, software downloads and RSS feeds to users in more than 20 countries. 

Publishing Redefined

Two days ago, I came across an interesting article by John Battelle redefining publishing and talking about how brands should become publishers in today’s digital media. John discussed the impact of new conversational media on the way brands interact with consumers. I agree with most of the points highlighted in this article especially the notion that brands are shaped by what people say about it online. In an earlier post, I mentioned that today consumers are offered with so many tools and platforms that provide easy ways for them to express and share their thoughts about anything, which includes brands. 

You Are Controlling The Future of Digital Media

Much of the web experience, particularly in the way we consume content, is becoming social and personalized. The public re-use of stories and the ability of consumers to share content online allows for the piece of content to be read by hundreds of other consumers.

Clay Shirky notes that the aggregation of news sources has gone to the consumer side. The decision about what information to receive and bring together into a bundle is now made by the consumer, not the publisher. People now don’t go to the New York Times homepage but they go to the story because someone has tweeted it or put it on Facebook or emailed it. People are now assembled by other consumers, not the news source. 

How Can Old Media Survive In The Digital Space?

Social media has penetrated nearly every aspect of our public and private lives, from the White House providing access to its official photostream to a coffee shop that takes orders via Twitter. Because the digital space allows for social media commentary and easy social sharing of content, making the content more engaging and participatory, media is being created and consumed more than ever before. That is why it is an exciting time for content owners and distributors. With this drastic change in the eco-system, traditional media companies might not be able to stick to their old forms of media. They will have to embrace the new eco system, which I think has got many opportunities for them.  

Five Digital Media Disruptions That Have Knocked Down Traditional Media

Digital media is evolving at a rapid pace. Traditional media is being (to certain extent) replaced by new social tools like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and many others. Over the past decade, we have witnessed a growing shift in readership and advertising from traditional media (print, radio, and TV) to digital. I have outlined five of the most notable digital media disruptions that reflect the shift from traditional to digital. 

Master of Digital Marketing at Hult [video]

I'm pursuing a Master of Digital Marketing degree at Hult International Business School in London. During my application phase I took part in a video contest to show "creatively" how this degree will benefit my CV and career. 
I was fortunate enough to win and got myself a free round-trip ticket to London!

Check out the video!