For the first time Google has added a social element to its searches. I can add notes to search results which can be seen by other Google users; I can also rank search results and remove results I don’t like.

Although it doesn’t - as far as we can tell - affect the order of the search results, it may become part of the algorithm in time.

This is further evidence of the growth of importance of social media and Web 2.0: for the most visited and successful site on the Internet to add such a visible social feature is a big step. Utimately, the Google search results themselves are becoming a social network. Wow!

Google SearchWiki.

In short, you get paid for placing links in your blog posts to advertisers’ sites. However, we believe it’s one to avoid, despite the prospect of making a little money from your blog:

• It could be viewed as unfair to your readers to send them off to a paid advertisment without it being clearly marked as such.
• Your content will be driven by advertising keywords, not by what your readers what to read.
• By linking to advertisers in your content, you’re effectively endorsing them.
• You might suffer in the Google search rankings: Google usually penalises anyone involved in paid linking schemes.

Stick with a more conventional form of advertising, like Google Adsense, if you want to sell advertising on your blog or, at the very least, make sure advertisments are clearly marked as such.

InLinks.com.

If you’re a Facebook member, sign up and become a fan of 4TM to keep in touch with the latest social media information. If you’re not a Facebook member… well what are you waiting for?

We’ll be adding some useful videos soon, including how to set up your own business page on Facebook.

Find our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/4TM-Social-Media/16627932429

Let us know how you’re using social media to keep your business communicating.

(Or find out more about blogging).

Don’t miss 4TM’s latest workshop which will explain blogging, the business benefits and how to avoid potential pitfalls. Leave the workshop with your own blog and the ability to update and control it.

Blogs are read by the majority of Internet users; they present a huge opportunity to connect with customers or like minded people. But what should you write on a blog? How do you keep control of it? How much does it cost? How can you interact and take advantage of other people’s blogs?

This workshop is business focused, hands-on and in plain English. It is aimed at both business and personal users.

Cost is £85 + VAT and includes lunch, course materials and a certificate.  Monday 24th of November, 10am - 1pm. 4TM Training Centre, Horizon Scotland, Forres IV36 2AB.

[BOOK NOW]

Telephone David Sim on 01309 678100 for more information or contact us.

We can run this course in your own business for a number of participants. Contact us for information.

Microsoft continues to dominate the enterprise computing market supplying everything from operating systems to email systems to databases to mobile phone software. 

In the social media marketplace it has yet to make its presence felt, except perhaps in advertising. Here Microsoft is rivalling Google. In 2007 Microsoft bought a 1.6% stake in Facebook for nearly quarter of a million dollars. This valued Facebook at a less-than-believable $15bn. Analysts were only looking at 

the raw stock though: Microsoft wanted to be the supplier of advertising to Facebook, cementing a pre-existing relationship. As one of the more popular social networking sites, Facebook is key terratory in its battle for market share against Google who, despite owning up to 90% of the online advertising marketplace, is also struggling in the social media space and has yet to develop its own products.

Microsoft has a long history of being late to the party, then turning the business around. Its first operating system, DOS was not an new idea, but only Microsoft recognised it was more important than the hardware. Microsoft shunned the Internet as a passing fad, trying to set up its own online network, but switched direction overnight. Microsoft Internet Explorer remains the pre-eminent web browser despite heavy competition from Mozilla’s Firefox and Google.

That’s why I’m so interested in speaking to Microsoft. Most organisaton use at leasr some of their systems for communication and collaboration whether sharing files on a fileserver, delivering web services to clients using Microsoft IIS or indeed, using something as ubiquitous as Microsoft Exchange email. 

However, social media is building deeper relationships between people than messaging and data sharing. Those with common interests and common goals can gather around information sharing and networking sites and create new things. The power of this within a company is obvious: those with specific knowledge can come together or help others regardless of organisational boundaries or geographic separation. Understanding by members of staff about each others’ roles and aspirations facilitates understanding as to why some processes are important and actions can have consequences elsewhere in the organisation. 

These relationship are not bound by fixed workgroups or organisational charts, which virtually all traditional ICT implemetations are implemented around. They are created by common interest or common need, or  the simply human need to communicate and share.

Followers of Wikinomics will know that the extended enterprise is also critical: feedback from clients and customers, understanding the problems those who sell and support our products face. And it’s more than that; it’s bringing these stakeholders into the culture of our organisation. It’s making customers part of research and development and not just passive viewers of our strategy, or people asked to choose from two or three options, none of which suit. 

It’s rare for traditional ICT to facilitate that, focusing instead on formal processes like invoicing and dispatch.

Microsoft’s Sharepoint plaform seems like an obvious social media contender, designed to share documents, discussions and information in an enterprise. However, its origins are undoubtably traditionally corporate, and it has yet to offer the sponteniety and attractiveness of modern social media. It seems, sometimes, like it’s more about securing than sharing. Why can’t staff microblog questions, gripes and ideas with a couple of clicks? Why can’t the staff directory have more than a photo and a phone number - these are real people, not just “human resources”. 

Microsoft is a dark horse and it may well change the world again. More blogs from the Microsoft campus, right through week commencing 29th September 2008.

The visit is organised and supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

On the 1st of October a workshop will be held to inform the tourism industry how to benefit from being “film crew friendly” and to launch a scheme to put the area at the forefront of the working with film and TV productions in the UK . The scheme will explain to the accommodation sector what film and TV productions require and, if its appropriate, help promote their business.

Trish Shorthouse of SHIFC says “there is a big demand from film crews looking for accommodation that is suitable. Film crews have different requirements compared with the average person or business executive, and they may stay in an area for anything from a few days to several months bringing valuable economic benefit to communities. This is a great chance for businesses in the Highlands to have an advantage over those elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.”

4TM services is to implement the Film Crew Friendly Tourism scheme on behalf of SHIFC using its thirty years of experience working with the film and tourism industries. Rene Looper (who is a known and experienced figure in the Moray/Speyside Tourism industry) and Geoff Wilcock, both founders of 4TM services,  will be responsible for the implementation of this scheme. 
VisitScotland, who started the Film Crew Welcome scheme a few years ago currently don’t have the resources to progress the scheme but are happy to endorse this initiative which will build on the research and development which was carried out.

On the 1st of October, businesses can attend a free half day workshop at Horizon Scotland in Forres. Find out more at www.filmcrewfriendly.com  where the details of the scheme will be explained or phone Horizon Scotland on 01309 678100.

Rene says, “we’re very excited about this unique partnership as we’re also cooperating with other neighbouring area’s which really makes sense. We also have some interesting speakers lined up from the film industry who will give the businesses an insight into this potentially huge market”

Sharon Howitt,  an experienced and knowlegeable Production Co-ordinator of films like  ‘The Jacket’, ‘One Last Chance’ and  ‘Moray’ together with Mick Ratman, President of the Guild of Location Managers will be sharing their experiences and inform us on the opportunities to get involved with this scheme.

The workshop will be held at the Horizon Scotland building on the Enterprise park in Forres.

1st of October from 2 - 5pm

Please register for this free event here.

There will be a free, lunchtime talk on social media and social
networking at Horizon Scotland on Forres Enterprise Park. The event
will run from 12:30 to 1:30pm on Wednesday 8 October 2008, and a
buffet lunch will be provided. The talk is aimed at a broad audience:
individuals, businesses and pubic organisations.

Most people will know social media through sites like YouTube,
Facebook, Blogs and Podcasts. However, it’s not just for teenagers.
Older generations are now heavy users of the internet: catching up
with friends or taking part in discussion. Some businesses are using
social media technology to get closer to their customers, engaging
with them rather than just advertising to them. Larger organisations
are using social media internally to bring their staff closer together
as a team.

Two industry experts, David Sim and Rene Looper will
explain in plain English what the technology is, how it works and how
businesses can use social media to engage with their online customers.

The event also marks the launch of the 4TM Social Media Training
Centre at Horizon Scotland, the first of its kind in the UK.
Participants will have the opportunity to sign up for hands on
workshops on specialist topics like marketing using social media or
the use of social media to promote organisational change.

Examples of hands on workshops offered:

• Setting up a blog
• Creating a Facebook page
• Set up a Google Adwords campaign
• How to manage your online reputation
• How to deal with review web sites like Tripadvisor
• How YouTube can promote your business

Lunch will be provided, free of charge, courtesty of Horizon Scotland.

To book your free place, please contact Reception@horizon-scotland.com
or call 01309 678100.

Facebook users can book a place on that site.

For further information about the event, please
contact David Sim on 01309 678146.

A major difference between Trip Reviews and Trip Advisor is the ability to review a review. This appears to encourage more discussion, and enables unduly critical or glowing reports to be responded to. 

The site covers more than individual establishments - you can also comment on, rate and discuss a destination as a whole. 

A mobile version is planned. 

An exciting development from 4TM’s point of view is the upcoming API (Application Programming Interface). This will enable us to incorporate reviews and ratings from the site directly into listings in our portal for Destination Management Organisations, TouristSite.  We can also incorporate information from the service into the dashboards created for individual tourism businesses, moving us closer to a one-stop-channel for customer feedback. We have incorporated Trip Advisor, but it is challenging and less flexible in the absence of a proper API.

Being new, there’s not a lot of raw data to see, but you can try out the beta. See a review and details of how to take part on the T4 blog.

Don’t forget to tell us what you think!

“S.C. taxpayers will pick up the $100,000 tab for a group of German politicians to visit Grand Strand attractions and party at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort this fall.” 

“When most Germans come to America, they visit places that are advertised over there, like Los Angeles or Florida,” Barfield said. “I’ve been going to Germany for many years, and I’ve never seen one advertisement for Myrtle Beach.”

Source: myrtlebeachonline.com

We’re not in a position to evaluate the benefits of this particular project, but we are delighted to see New Zealand and VisitAviemore.com  (developed by us here at 4TM) are cited as the two examples of great practice in online Word of Mouth Marketing. The warm fuzzy glow may last us all day!

Read their blog.

While London companies are better than most, it seems that outside London most of the industry’s major players - a whopping 86% - still have no online and social media services. Perhaps even more suprisingly, 89% of PR agencies - including those in London - don’t use social media themselves and don’t publish a blog.

Chief Executive of online news distribution company webitpr, Adam Parker, is quoted: “The tide is beginning to turn. But if it is to properly address the challenges and opportunities that new media offers, the industry must invest in relevant services and training at all levels”.

We agree, and it is against this background that 4TM Services will be formally launched in October, offering dedicated social media marketing services across the UK and Ireland. We believe - and feedback suggests we are right - that businesses are keen to take advantage of higher returns from online, word-of-mouth marketing and are looking for specialists in this.  It is not the end of PR in its traditional sense, and we work alongside PR companies, but the marketing mix is getting wider. In the difficult economic climate, measuring and obtaining returns from marketing is more important than ever.

We’re not based in London, but we’re 100% Social Media!

Read more about the research at UTalkMarketing.