The concept of cloud computing is nothing new, but its adoption by businesses as their sole method of operations is an idea that’s still greeted with trepidation.

There’s a definite paradox in place when it comes to Facebook developments. Whilst the site’s features, usability and indeed popularity have continued to expand over the past four years, each progression has been met by the same predictable user backlash lamenting profiles of old.

Social media brand pages have long been an alluring prospect for marketers, the direct access into people’s online worlds allowing for increasingly targeted advertising.

The new update which allows Facebook comments, posted via Facebook Commenting Plugins on websites, to be indexed by Google, has been met with a very mixed response.

The relationship between mobile and social is one that is getting stronger according to comScore, which is interesting as we approach Christmas.

The words of Google CEO Larry Page. This though seems like he is over-egging it a little but he did say that their third bash at a social platform now has 40 million members.

In something of a change of tact, Facebook’s latest attempt to get us sharing our inner-most thoughts with an ever-wider audience is an opt-in Subscribe tool.

It’s been a mere three months since Google’s latest attempt at Social Media landed, in which time it’s G+ platform has had to face a seemingly constant barrage of pessimism.

Whilst many of us wax lyrical about the many merits of embracing a social media campaign

A couple of weeks ago we saw the launch of Google+, the web giants latest attempt at cornering the Social Media market

We have so far seen two failed attempts (we use the term ‘failed’ based on the fact that both platforms bowed out with little more than a whimper) from Google to take on Facebook’s superiority in the social sphere.

This week saw the launch of Twitter for Newsrooms, a How To guide for journalists sourcing information from Twitter.

When web intelligence experts Hitwise say something the industry generally listens.

Is Facebook becoming one of the most powerful influences on modern society and how we conduct our interactions, share information and get answers?

It’s “going to be the technology of 2011” according to David Burke of Google's mobile division

“This is not an email killer” the words of Mark Zuckerburg.

Let’s take a look at this shall we. A recent announcement has linked Facebook likes with improved performance in search results.

According to new information from comScore, mobile video is on the up.

It’s not often that, when talking about social media and the many platforms that exist, we mention Flickr.

As the Crowded House song might sound if it was about Facebook. Well, you certainly can’t accuse Facebook of sitting still.

After introducing Facebook Questions recently, Facebook has entered another area of search/social as it looks to expand its services.

Recent research by Facebook’s rival, Google, has shed some light on why we follow (or “like” as the new terminology would have us say) brands on the social giant.

Only a year ago Google were getting their PR machine in a frenzy ahead of the launch of Wave, a product they ambitiously announced would replace email and transform the way people communicate.

History is defined by anecdotes, quotes and phrases that shaped a nation, policy or regime but is this the latest iconic quote to go down in the annals of time?

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head whilst pondering an answer to a troublesome query?,/p>

Is there any end to Facebook’s growth? It doesn’t appear so after Wednesday (21 July 2010) saw them pass the 500 million users mark. That is the equivalent of 8% of the world’s population!

First there was the ‘twittern’ pioneered by Pizza Hut and now we are set for the first ‘TJ’ – Twitter Jockey.

People who spend a lot of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter are more likely to spend more money online than those that aren’t as in-tune with the social sphere.

This is a move that will allow users of both to more easily manage their accounts, with a single update being shared across both platforms.

Last week the Library of Congress announced that they will archive every single public tweet made – yes every single one! Many have heralded this as an interesting study that could form a vital part of our recent history, particularly as we continue to develop an ever more digital world. However, for some, this might be a cringe-worthy announcement.

We all know about tweeting and re-tweeting but now there are promoted tweets, however, you’ll need to have a bit of cash to send one of these.

With blogs about businesses not using social networks properly or maximizing their marketing potential appearing more frequently than Google product updates there may now be a single answer to all of these ‘top tips’, ‘things you should know’  type of blogs – fish!

Having a social media presence can say a lot about a brand both directly and indirectly and, according to new research, it can considerably improve sales. At a time when Facebook has knocked Google off the top of most visited sites in the US, cultivating a social presence is becoming increasingly vital.

Google have once again managed to create a, err, buzz about their latest product...

So by now you have set up your Twitter account, you’re tweeting away with friends and following people you’re interested in. But what is all this jargon being thrown at you? Re-tweet this, hashtag that, check out this meme! We have put together a list to help you.

In some ways Twitter is like a popularity contest but unlike Facebook you have to earn your followers. As you may or may not be aware, on Facebook, if you request someone as a friend and they accept, or vice-versa, you will immediately follow each other’s profile. It isn’t quite the same on Twitter!

If I had a pound for every blog post I have read about how to make the most of Twitter, I’d be able to retire. Yet for all the collective wisdom out there prescribing best practice lists, there are very few guides on how to understand Twitter. This got me thinking, are companies failing to make the most of the social network because they simply don’t understand it?

There is a consensus that Google might have been a little hasty in rolling out real-time search and this could lead to its impact declining in 2010.

In part two of, the 12 Rules of SMO, we continue our look at some of the key factors that you should consider when approaching an SMO campaign. Part one focussed on planning your strategy and ensuring your content is clear and offers value to visitors. These last six festive offerings will hopefully also add some value to your SMO campaign.

Okay, so this isn’t a definitive guide or Holy Grail of Social Media Optimisation (SMO) best practice. Instead, think of it as a timely look at some of the key things you should consider for an SMO campaign this Christmas and into the New Year.

Hot on the heels of Google’s announcement to roll-out personalised search to everyone with an Internet connection, they delivered their second wave of innovations – real-time search results. This will usher in the brave new world of SMO and SEO search results.

The must attend conference in the world of search is once again returning to the UK in 2010. Search Marketing Expo (SMX) is a two day conference featuring sessions led by industry experts on SEO, PPC, organic search, mobile search and many more.

Leading search marketing specialist, home james, has been appointed by Leeds University Business School to raise the profile of the school, following on from the re-launch of the new Business School brand.

Good Social Media Optimisation (SMO) should be about personalised content and meaningful interaction.

Tweet this, tweet that, poke me, follow me, be my friend, be my fan, addthis, addthat, digg it, dug it, sphinn it, spun it.  What on earth have we stumbled upon!

Social Media Optimisation (SMO) has become even more important over the last 18 months and the announcement last week that Google will launch its social search means this landscape will change at an even faster pace over the next 12 months.

Social Media Optimisation (SMO) is the new buzz topic in the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) field and companies considering a campaign utilising this shouldn’t stop at just using Twitter and Facebook.

The advent of social media marketing through Facebook and Twitter has cast a lifeline to many small businesses trying to stay afloat in the turbulent recession waters.

Targeting social media, and in particular twitter, has fast become this season’s must-have accessory.  Evidence of this can be found across the social networks which now play host to a graveyard of corporate Facebook & twitter pages, pages that were once in vogue, left to fallow.  Why is this happening?

Search is not just about keeping up with algorithms, it’s about keeping up with customers. The customer is, after all, the most important part of the process. Provide customers with what they want, and serve it to them in a fresh and engaging way, and you gain loyalty, trust and authority.

There’s a lot of noise in the marketplace about Twitter. Could this be used by businesses to extend their online reach?

For those not in the know, Twitter is a micro-blogging platform. In its simplest form it allows users to tell the world, in no less than 140 characters, what they’re up to (tweets), similar to the status update on Facebook. You can however append things such as images, or links to other sites, to support whatever it is you’re ranting about at that moment in time.

There’s a recession looming, in case you didn’t know, it’s changing how we think and hitwise have been sharing some of their insights with us.

Fast moving search terms for September include Hadron Collider, HBoS, Sarah Palin, Sex on Fire, Elbow, Ryder Cup & Google Chrome, amongst others.

Interestingly, the rate of growth in the Social Networking & Forums category has slowed quite a bit, whilst blogs & personal websites have seen a decrease in popularity year on year – this could be our last post!

Following our recent post ‘Fannie Mae Get Help, But Will the Crunch Affect Online’, it seems marketing folk are making the shift to online in readiness for what may be a more difficult year ahead.