Reports on Twitter’s trend topics revealed that internationally, at 11:40am GMT during the address made by the Bishop, all of the top ten trends related to the Royal Wedding; it was also referred to sixty-seven times a second on Twitter posts.  Also dominating the high ranking topics was the ‘royalwedding’ hash tag, (used to add additional information and metadata to tweets), which proved to be a lucrative investment for a certain company who promoted the keyword tag.  While on Facebook, unsurprisingly, the wedding governed status updates, with 74 mentions per second.

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine also saw a flood of traffic hitting sites streaming footage of the ceremony; the BBC bearing the brunt of the increased amount of visitors, with people logging on and eager to watch live video of the event, the site was forced to post an update at 11:15am apologising for the slower speeds experienced by users.

Google reported that at 11:00am GMT, of the top twenty searches performed in the United States, half of them were in relation to the Royal Wedding; throughout April search topics relating to the marriage of Prince William and his bride Kate increased by ninety percent, and according to Yahoo’s data on search topics, ‘Kate Middleton’ is currently being searched more frequently on Yahoo! than Barack Obama.

Further evidence of the role played by social media in relaying the events of the 29th of April is the British Monarchy’s official channel on YouTube; transmitting images, news and a full three hours and thirty seven minutes of the ceremony and proceedings throughout day.  The investment by the Royal family in a channel broadcasting on YouTube, and the sponsorship of popular hash tags on Twitter, demonstrates the influence of social media platforms when it comes to global events; with people interacting online, across the world, through mediums such as Facebook and Twitter, with the global population posting comments, feedback and general opinion, at an unprecedented level.

Related posts:

1. Direct Social Media Marketing demonstrates extensive growth in online mobile and social platforms. The steady increase in tablet PC sales is altering the...
2. Caffeine Explained: The rise of Social Media One of the main changes expected from the Caffeine update...
3. Royal seal of approval for digital media The Queen is not one of the people you immediately...

According to the Guardian, LivingSocial has declined to confirm who is backing them, but the pedigree of their existing investors demonstrates the potential that is perceived from this relatively new approach to target marketing:

“LivingSocial doesn’t say who the new cash is coming from, only saying a “mix of world-class public and private investors, which includes new and existing investors”.  In addition to Amazon, LivingSocial’s existing backers include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Steve Case’s Revolution LLC investment firm, and Grotech Ventures, who together had already put more than $225 million into the company.”

LivingSocial’s rival Groupon secured £580 million in capital earlier this year, following the rejection of a takeover bid from Google for an estimated £4.7 billion; the 18-month old operation is believed to be one of the fastest growing businesses in history.

Had the takeover proved successful, it would have expanded Google’s portfolio with national businesses, and local retailers, while simultaneously expanding the potential for Groupons growth.  Groupons exposure to Google’s existing advertisers, which is in excess of one million globally, would have dramatically extended the possibilities for Groupon’s coupon based product, while providing Google’s advertisers with the opportunity to adopt a new approach to campaigns within target markets.

With their recent cash injection, LivingSocial are planning to meet the competition head on, contending with Groupon for their share of the daily deal market space, as the second largest web-advertising agency of it’s kind.

Rivalry between the two sites has become increasingly fierce, with both organisations gaining the financial backing of large global companies, who see the coupon based web-advertising strategy as key to expanding company turnover, increasing the exposure of a brand, and services, within an ever increasing market (according to Groupon Hong Kong CEO, in Hong Kong alone it is estimated that there are 350,000 daily subscribers).

The daily discounts provided by the two organisations complements the existing socio-economic climate, with subscribers sent a ‘deeply discounted’ deal every day; which can be further exploited, by circulating the offer among friends; if three or more join up to the same deal, following a users recommendation, the service is provided to them for free.  A simple solution for maximising exposure; the user is happy, they have secured a bargain, and the service being provided has tripled it’s audience by simply appealing to one initial subscriber.  The success of the daily deal concept is exemplified by the exponential growth of both companies, amid a period of limited economic development:

“LivingSocial says it now expects to be in 400 markets by the end of the year, up from its current 206, a figure that had already doubled since October (Groupon claims to be in more than 500 right now).”

In Washington DC a LivingSocial app has been launched that gives subscribers access to deals available within a half mile radius of their location, with imminent plans to roll the service out to new markets.

Related posts:

1. Media discusses potential sale of Twitter According to news reports this week, social networking giants Twitter...
2. Google’s You Tube Records Over 20 million Viewers in October According to comScore’s latest Video Metrix study, Google’s You Tube...
3. Daily deals make rich pickings for search engine competition A new report by SEO experts Search Engine Journal has...

Following a similar move in the House of Lords, and changes made to practices in January of this year, the report stipulates that devices can be used, as long as they do not ‘impair decorum’:

“Hand-held electronic devices (not laptops) may be used in the chamber, provided that they are silent, and used in a way that does not impair decorum; members making speeches in the chamber or in committee may refer to electronic devices in place of paper speaking notes.”

In addition to allowing the use of mobile apparatus, the committee has also authorised the use of Twitter from inside the chamber.  Twitter has proved to be a popular platform for a number of politicians to voice their perspectives; allowing them to spin the latest news and opinion from the palm of their hands across a network of followers.

The popularity of Tweeting among political figures is demonstrated by the inception of news sites such as Tweetminster and Blogminster, comprising news and opinion from politicians, civil servants, activists, academics, business analysts and journalists, that are tweeting or blogging about contentious topics and the news of the day.  In the committee’s report they specifically focus on the use of Twitter in the chamber, and stipulate that:

“Whilst tweeting from inside the chamber is clearly a more sensitive matter, we consider that it would be inconsistent to ban this one practice whilst advocating the approach based on decorum rather than activity which we advocate in this report [...] we urge all members to use their good sense and behave with courtesy, particularly in not tweeting messages which would be disorderly if said in the House.”

The committee decided that if they had elected not to allow the use of tablets or social networking sites, it would prove to be an arbitrary move, considering it is currently permitted for politicians to tweet or blog: “about proceedings when watched from outside the chamber”.  Tweeters will be expected to self regulate the content, and the repercussions of inappropriate or discourteous tweets can be serious, as Labour candidate Stuart MacLennan discovered following his impolitic use of Twitter, and subsequent sacking last year.

The move from the commons committee to allow mobile devices in the chamber, comes as the International Data Corporation announce that in Europe alone it is anticipated that 22 million tablet PCs will be purchased this year, demonstrating an exponential leap in sales from the 6 million purchased in 2010.  Tablet PCs are proving to be recession proof; with investments in mobile technology anticipated to outstrip domestic and corporate financing of laptop and desktop hardware over the next two years.

Related posts:

1. Creative Commons SEOs are well used to a fairly adversarial relationship with...
2. Oldest ever user of Twitter passes away this week You may think that the silver surfer generation is just...
3. Google AdWords Enables Advertisers to Target Tablet Devices Google’s online advertising tool AdWords now provides users with the...

Salesforce is an enterprise cloud computing company that provides customer relationship management and collaboration applications over the Internet.  Radian6, a social media monitoring and engagement tool, was designed to give clients: “a complete platform to listen, measure and engage with customers across the entire social web.”

The purchase of Radian6 will provide Salesforce with the opportunity to develop their social media product portfolio.  In a press release published on their site earlier today, Salesforce identified the future development of the companies’ business strategy following the acquisition:

“Radian6 is used by more than half of the FORTUNE 100 and companies like AAA, Dell, GE, Kodak, Molson Coors, Pepsico, and UPS to monitor, analyse and engage in social media conversations.  
Radian6’s unique technology monitors hundreds of millions of conversations every day across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and online communities, delivering insights in real-time.”

Through the provision of professional services for their clients, Radian6 gathers: “up-to-date data on what people are saying online about their business, their brand and even their competition” by tracking a plethora of social media sites, discussion boards, and blogs.

By entering into an agreement with Radian6, Salesforce has demonstrated their recognition of the significant impact that opinions expressed among these online communities can have on the public profile of a company, and its products.  More and more companies are recognising the importance of monitoring online conversations, and are developing strategies to cope with the volume of content published about them on the web.

Radian6 Chief Executive Marcel LeBrun commented that the deal between the two companies is going to provide businesses with the ability to take advantage of Salesforce’s existing far-reaching customer base, and the Radian6 portfolio of services:

“Social media has made every business recognise the value of paying attention to the voice of the customer. Radian6′s technology is built for the new norm of customer engagement: real-time two-way conversations that include social channels”.

Salesforce.com went on to explain how the acquisition will enhance their existing range of products (specifically their private social tool Chatter) from their vantage as a leader in the CRM market space: “[the] combination of salesforce.com and Radian6 will bridge the conversations happening on public social networks and salesforce.com’s private, secure social corporate network, Chatter”

The fact that so many high profile companies are prepared to invest in the services that Radian6 provide, exemplifies the power that social media holds.  The impact that people’s opinions can have on a company’s brand (which it may have taken great pains, and expense to market) can be detrimental.  Pretty much anyone who is so inclined can publish their personal feelings or opinions on any number of the various platforms available to them, facilitating the projection of their views on a broad scale.  The negative effect this might have on a companies reputation, is a concept that Radian6 take seriously, and seek to contain: “the reality [is] that social media monitoring is a dynamic and rapidly evolving space, and [Radian6] strives to provide the tools our customers need for success”.

Related posts:

1. Radian6 Announces Launch of Insights Platform Radian6 a social media monitoring and engagement tool (recently acquired...
2. Google Acquires Social Media Analytics Provider PostRank Google has announced the acquisition of PostRank, a social engagement...
3. Google Announces Acquisition of Motorola Mobilty Google has announced today the acquisition of Motorola Mobility in...

Words on websites will now be monitored, to the extent that Tweets posted on Twitter and Facebook profiles can be watched to ensure that firms do not give out misleading information. The new legislation can be applied to any communication which constitutes a form of marketing, even if the words are not presented as an actual advert online. Prior to the ruling, the ASA only had jurisdiction over published adverts which were paid for on the web.

The changes to the law have come about as a result of the fact that the ASA have received almost five thousand complaints about wording on websites which contravene basic marketing standards since 2008, and yet as they were not related to paid adverts, the governing authority were powerless to take any action to remove them from the public view.

The chief executive of the ASA, Guy Parker commented: “These are claims that are very similar to the claims that [the public] are used to seeing in adverts that appear in media like TV, radio, posters and print. The new powers will help to tackle a growing number of complaints about the way companies sell themselves on the web. Extending the UK advertising code to non paid-for statements means that these, like paid-for adverts, must not harm, mislead or offend.”

However, Vincent-Wayne Mitchell, the professor of consumer marketing at London’s Cass Business School, has commented: “I could have an advert up on the internet for a week or for an hour, cause widespread confusion, get sales from that, and then withdraw it. The only punishment that the ASA has is withdrawal, but I can have that as part of my own marketing strategy.”

Related posts:

1. The AdWords Liquor Rules For ages the advertising of hard liquor using Adwords was...
2. Research shows tobacco industry is using digital media According to a new study, tobacco advertisers are circumnavigating advertising...
3. Paid search spend on the increase SEO news reporters Brafton have announced that a number of...

Facilities such as Bump technologies have recently emerged, enabling people to trade details simply by tapping two handsets together. The tool is available through a simple download on mobile phones. As everyone in a business environment tends to have their mobile or smartphone with them at all times, tools such as Bump are more convenient, cheaper and easier to use than traditional card swapping.

Sadie Bascom, a spokesperson for Bump has commented: “It is an approach that has a number of advantages over the traditional paper card, particularly since nobody goes anywhere without their mobile these days. It’s easy, always on your phone, and you never have to remember to grab a stack of physical cards or worry about them running out.”

“It also gives users the chance to add directly to somebody’s address book – skipping the need to enter those details by hand or saving people the chore of rifling through piles of cards to find the details they are looking for. People’s dependence on their mobile devices to help them manage their lives is increasing. Why take a few minutes to type someone into our phone when you can bump and save their info in a matter of seconds?”

Other advantages of Bump include the ability to swap CV documents, and trade information which a traditional business card would not be able to accommodate. It also enables users to link up through social networking sites including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with a simple tap, and even share photographs.

Related posts:

1. Yahoo looking to launch social-networking applications for mobile phones Yahoo! is looking to launch a social-networking application for smart-phone users...
2. Card Counting iPhone App attracts attention in Vegas The apps available on the App Store are all fairly...
3. Graphics card processors could spell security issues A new survey by technology researchers suggests that the popular...

The congregation gathered in order to offer Obama their ideas and views relating to the provision of technology in the face of poor economic conditions across the US. The primary focus of the discussions were to identify ways in which businesses could invest more funds in to innovative practices, supporting new developments and growth across the sector.

Other people attending the get-together included the founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, the Netflix Chief Executive Officer, Reed Hastings, and John Doerr, of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Dick Costolo, the Chief Executive Officer of Twitter was also present.

The meeting was held primarily to cover a number of initiatives which Obama wished to progress, and the President pledged to invest in tax credits to support the development of technological research and reform the patent system across the US. He also discussed the importance of offering the entire country access to high-speed Wireless internet connections.

Obama made reference to Facebook in his State of the Union address last month, suggesting it was one of the factors which placed the United States at the forefront of invention, innovation and strength. He stated that he was committed to supporting the growth of the site, commenting:”We’re the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices — the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers, of Google and Facebook. In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives. It is how we make our living.”

Related posts:

1. Obama Appoints technology Czar Ever since he took the oath of office there’s been...
2. CNN and Microsoft to Photosynth Obama CNN and Microsoft have decided to team up to try...
3. Twitter sale rumours continue Dick Costolo, the chief executive of Twitter has this week...

In essence, SEO manipulates web content through a series of activities which make the copy appear to be relevant to the most popular keywords, thereby ensuring that users are exposed to the copy when they input the relevant text. However, Randfish has argued that good SEO strategies can make irrelevant material feature prominently, thus potentially wasting the time and resources of the user as they search for their required returns.

However, the article also suggests that making potentially irrelevant content rank highly on user keyword lists is largely a waste of time, as users will not be satisfied with misleading results, and therefore advertisers who manipulate SEO results simply produce unappealing and worthless returns. Randfish comments: “SEO is almost never applied to make non-relevant results rank for unrelated queries. And, I’d go one step further, arguing that if white hat SEO didn’t exist, millions of search results would be far worse, as fewer high quality, relevant results would make their content accessible to search engines and well-targeted toward queries.”

SEO practices are responsible for a major segment of investment finance and marketing energy which is deployed to determine what consumers are looking for, and provide it to them. Companies which deploy outstanding SEO activities are in a position to generate more traffic through the ethical promotion of web content. Without this activity, Randfish argues, our advertising would be compromised as commercials would be less appealing, and less revenue would be spent on attracting visitors and encouraging them to make a purchasing decision.

He concludes: “If SEO is misleading, then so is every other form of influence and marketing (and in many cases, SEO less so than the others). Human beings who were born in the 20th and 21st century recognize marketing and know what it means, how it works and who it serves.”

Related posts:

1. Research shows tobacco industry is using digital media According to a new study, tobacco advertisers are circumnavigating advertising...
2. Search Engine Marketing Tips Search engine marketing is a way for a company to...
3. Is sheer weight of Content critical to Ranking success? We get asked about content an awful lot. People recognise...

One of the topics reported to have been discussed include the checking of iPods to identify pirated materials, when people pass through border controls from country to country. Top blogger Michael Geist has commented that ACTA are reaching a conclusion to their discussions.

ACTA have previously focussed upon the ambition to bring US copyright laws in to global circulation, in order to tighten up worldwide governance surround piracy issues. Many of the internet enforcement chapter clauses have now been finalised, subject to a Canadian right to revisit them later in the process, according to reports.

European MEPs voted earlier this year to make the ACTA negotiations accessible to the public, but this has not yet happened. Different nations hold different opinions on whether it should be released to the public, slowing down any action in this area.

ACTA is focussing upon striking a happy balance between individual rights to freedom of expression, and the infringement of copyright. Their international remit covers a number of issues from pirated software right through to the production of fake handbags. Their new discussions are concentrated upon protecting software manufacturers against illegal downloading, Jailbreaking and piracy. Mixed in to the discussions, ACTA are considering the rights of government officials with various countries regarding the access of internet service provider data relating to customers.

Related posts:

1. WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website wreaks war wrangles WikiLeaks, the controversial website which acts as a multi-jurisdictional public...
2. Google Trash-Talks IE Google has begun suggesting that users of Gmail, the company’s...
3. Lord West calls for tighter control over e-mail privacy According to Lord West, the ex-minister for cyber security, the...

The analysis has concluded that a single print reader is worth four times as much to a service provider as any online reader when it comes to responding to advertising. Despite the fact that printed media costs more to produce and distribute than online services, it seems that marketers are better off using their marketing spend on printed vehicles when it comes to attracting the attention of potential customers.

A Deloitte report also backs up the research by Enders Analysis. The report focussed upon collating data from over two thousand people, asking the respondents to name the most effective advertising vehicles for getting them to make purchasing decisions. While television came out on top of the poll, with over half of respondents naming it as being the most effective, newspapers ran a close second, with magazines and radio taking up the next popularity spots.

The people surveyed named online advertising as being just three percent effective, with iPhone advertisements gaining just one percent of the votes. It seems that despite the efficiency of online advertising, people are not yet ready to be swayed when it comes to making purchasing decisions based upon web advertising. In this digital age, the customer base for each industry is still much more likely to respond to marketing which comes in a printed format, as it is more trusted to promote reliable services and products.

Related posts:

1. UK Companies cut print advertising funds and increase investment in online marketing The world of advertising has undergone the biggest change in...
2. Online news overtaking print in US This has been the way the wind has been blowing...
3. Online Advertising Revenues hit $26 Billion in the US According to the latest Internet Advertising Report, conducted by Price...

The study calls for government agencies to begin regulating the content online to prevent this surge in indirect advertising. Despite the study’s findings, tobacco companies are denying that they are using the web to advertise. The study stated: “Tobacco companies stand to benefit greatly from the marketing potential of Web 2.0, without themselves being at significant risk of being implicated in violating any laws or advertising codes.”

A researcher from anti-smoking group ASH has commented: “The findings of the study are disturbing but fairly typical of tobacco industry activity. As soon as one avenue of promotion is closed, companies will seek out alternative means of promoting their product and will do anything to get round advertising restrictions. It indicates that their key audience is young people. There is a need for much stronger control over what appears on the internet.”

Tobacco companies have denied all claims, saying that it was against their policy to utilise social networking sites to promote tobacco brands, as it would breach advertising laws and international marketing standards.

Tobacco advertising has been banned since 2002. YouTube has stated that it does not accept any advertising from tobacco producers online, globally.

The study analysed twenty pages of content on YouTube with tobacco brand names referenced. They found at least twenty clips which appeared to have been produced to promote the brands.

One of the study’s authors commented: “We can see no functional difference between exposure to tobacco in movies outside the internet, and exposure to video and film material on the internet. Generally, the more tobacco is normalised, the more kids will take it up.”

Related posts:

1. Adobe Launches SocialAnalytics Tool for Digital Media Marketing Adobe has launched it’s latest product SocialAnalytics, a software platform...
2. Facebook release update on Places tool According to a new blog report by social networking giants...
3. Morality of SEO questioned by industry expert A feature writer for online experts SEOMoz has argued that...

The trend is thought to have arisen for a number of reasons, including the fact that mothers who stay at home have sporadic opportunities to access the web at all times. In addition, blogging enables isolated parents to take advantage of social networking fully, engaging other mothers in comments and feedback and setting up chat forums to alleviate the sense of isolation which bringing up a child can create.

Although the ‘Mummy blogger’ is not a particularly new phenomenon, it is rising hugely in popularity as people realise the benefits and rewards of sharing their experiences of childcare and motherhood online. In the United States, the situation has come to the attention of government officials policing advertising on the web, as new legislation has passed forcing ‘Mummy bloggers’ to disclose any affiliations which they may have with organisations, before advertising their products or services.

This move demonstrates the power which people can have when they blog, in influencing other people’s purchasing decisions and actions. The rise of parental blogs, and their popularity among families raising children, is immense.

One woman in the US has been blogging about parenting since 2005, sharing her experiences of raising twins, and taking kids abroad. Linda Jones is enjoying a growing reputation when it comes to reviewing child-friendly holiday destinations, and is now frequently offered complimentary trips by organisations wishing to be reviewed.

A ‘Daddy blogger’ commented to the BBC news: “The lure of making money could be used to encourage positive blogs. Mommies make money, parents make money. They sit at home and they blog and there is definitely a good income stream you can make just from blogging. So, when money is involved there is definitely going to be some type of influence. They don’t pay you to bash their company and say something negative about their product.”

Related posts:

1. Parents find new ways of checking up on their kids With the advent of the silver surfer, more and more...
2. Beyond the Headline: Online Marketing Overtakes TV As anyone who reads the technology blogs will know by...
3. Facebook courts controversy over Holocaust denial Facebook is booking itself in for yet more negative press...

The website for the Swedish Prosecution Authority issued a statement to say that the chief prosecutor had decided that Assange would not face rape charges. There was no further comment given at that point.

The Wikileaks site also issued a statement on Twitter to comment that the rape charges were false. The website commented “The allegation at this moment is deeply disturbing. No-one here has been contacted by Swedish police, and we have been warned to expect dirty tricks. We are deeply concerned about the seriousness of these allegations. We the people behind Wikileaks think highly of Julian and he has our full support”.

39 year-old Mr. Assange has not been available for comment since the charges were revealed. In a statement, the chief prosecutor Eva Finne admitted that there was no reason to think that he had committed rape, and that there would be no further comment.

According to Swedish officials, two separate allegations of molestation made against Assange, both incidents of which were alleged to have taken place in Sweden. The police are still investigating one count of molestation. Mr. Assange has been at the centre of some controversy recently, relating to the publication of Afghan war logs on Wikileaks. The site has recently issued over 75,000 secret military documents relating to the war in Afghanistan, coming under fire by US authorities who suggested that the move placed the lives of US soldiers and informers at risk.

Related posts:

1. WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website wreaks war wrangles WikiLeaks, the controversial website which acts as a multi-jurisdictional public...
2. UK iTunes scam rumbled According to a police statement issued this week, twelve people...
3. Illegal file-sharing company founders to disband Piratbyran, the Swedish company which founded The Pirate Bay file-sharing...

With this shift in public demand for information, it’s not surprising that the written and printed word is going to be impacted. We have already heard how the decline in newspaper sales has led to companies charging for their online news services, and that fewer people than ever before are turning to paper to read information.

Newspapers are a fundamental part of British society, but we are beginning to be aware of much more prudent alternatives, the net is normally a free way of obtaining information, and doesn’t carry the associated cost to the environment which printed material does. At a time when green issues play on our minds, it is understandable that we are turning our back on the printed word.

The Periodical Publishers Association has undertaken research which shows that UK consumer magazine sector is operating well, and yet a closer look at the figures show that it is in a heavier decline than it has been for the past ten years. ABC magazine sales are up by just 0.3 percent from last year’s low of 23.8 million. Since 2005, magazine sales have been dwindling consistently, demonstrating that more and more people are turning on browsers to read the information which they need.

Although magazines are pitching at the new type of audience, used to digital media, by offering 3D HD covers and bookazines, it is apparent that there needs to be a radical shift in thinking if our magazine culture isn’t going to be pushed to the wayside, by more forward-thinking vehicles.

Related posts:

1. Online advertising not as effective as print New research in to the efficacy and impact of online...
2. Magazine Cover created on iPhone Fairly big win for the Apple PR department this week;...
3. How much will you pay for your news? Over the past few months there has been a lot...