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Microblogging vs. Traditional Blogging (Why Social Matters)

There are several reasons for the demise of traditional blogging.

For one thing, writing a blog post takes time, energy and grammar skills. The cycle of sharing of ideas and thoughts, has in many forms, outgrown blogging, or evolved beyond the concept of blogging. The ability to share a recommendation or a vote of confidence for thoughts, interests and predictions within the online marketing industry in a more instantaneous way is more gratifying for some bloggers.

Someone using Twitter can became less interested in the traffic and ad impressions, but more engaged in the conversation.  Does this mean that blogging is not as fun or influential as it once was? No. Blogging is still a powerful medium. But in the same way blogging once complemented established websites and news vehicles, microblogging – or micropublishing – now complements blogging.

Social Media Equals Social Proof

Links no longer need to be uploaded to a server using poor dial up service. Now a link can be shared from a phone in only seconds. What Facebook, Twitter and Google+ do is bring authenticity to content because these social networks are transparent, as user interests, likes, groups and followers all can define the intent and relevancy of the user. When someone shares a link that is associated with a “like” it’s a vote of confidence. By adding a like button to a website or blog post, that same vote of confidence and authenticity is attributed to its source.

Almost anyone can become an influencer on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Google+ and some even have without knowing they have. Incorporating social media metrics into SEO is powerful.

It’s true that the bulk of an SEO algorithm is still very dependent upon a style of linking which has been around for many years and involves publishers. Yet, with social network based Instapublishing, the people who never wanted to blog, and never really were exposed to it, are getting to be almost as influential as publishers.

Are Social Signals Equal to Crowd Sourced SEO?

According to Bing, they look at the social authority of a user and Google confirmed that the sharing of information via retweeting and sharing is influential in organic web search and Google News. These confirmations are heavy reasons to get started utilizing the social web and microblogging as ways to grow your site or business in the eyes of the search engines.

Google & Bing are looking at more than the coded link and on-site content to rank and file web search results. Essentially they are looking at how the microbloggers of the world, share and process information. By embracing and engaging the world of insta-publishing, businesses and publishers can gain an upper hand on their competition.

The link has evolved over the past decade and ultimately search has evolved along with it. We’ve gone from hand coded HTML to blogging to tagging and now tweeting, reblogging and recommending. Push button publishing and voting is now a part of the normal online lifestyle and whether Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr users know it or not, they are part of a publishing migration that the search engines are slowly adapting to.

Apple iPad to Replace Laptop, eReader, Point & Shoot and Game Boy

The iPad is changing the way we spend our time on the couch. According to Google Adwords data, we see a surge in tablet usage (Apple iPad has over 85% market share) between 6pm to 9pm. More importantly, over 90% of those iPads were connecting to WiFi as opposed to WiMax, 3G or even 4G connections. The data suggests that tablet users mainly use their tablets as a couch companion, searching and surfing while they are home.

Another year, another new iPad released. The Digital Life with the new iPad infographic from NextWorth provide insight into the history of the electronic devices that the iPad has ultimately replaced in our daily lives. It’s a true multifunctional device, that create it’s own genre in a crowded electronic space.

Note: The lines are color coded to connect the devices in the timeline which spans for over 30 years (1980 to 2012). The infographic also outline the amount of time spend using the different functionalities that it has for average consumers. It’s a simple design that is clean and easy to follow. We enjoy the graphical feature of the old electronics that make them instantly recognizable.

As with any great infographics created by companies there is a clear call to action to trade in your old and unused electronics to subsidize your new iPad. Overall, it is a very simple and concise design that communicates the brand, data sources, URL, and creative common licensing well.

Interesting Facts about the iPad owners?

  • 70% use them in the bedroom
  • 45% use them in the kitchen
  • 20% can’t part with it in the bathroom
  • Close to 80% use it to access the web
  • Over 60% email with the iPad
  • Approximately 50% play games on their iPad
  • One quarter of iPad owners read books with their device

Adobe Snubs Seattle’s DocuSign, Zillow IPO Soars and Amazon Plan to Stream CBS Shows

DocuSign faces new threat as Adobe inks deal to buy EchoSign GeekWire

Seattle’s DocuSign may have an edge in e-signature science and market share, but Adobe chose Palo Alto rival EchoSign to augment its document exchange service. With its own product upgrade slated for debut, the company co-founded by Tom Gosner sees its rival’s acquisition as confirmation of DocuSign’s methodology and believes focus and platform neutrality can compete against this powerful new alliance.

Winshuttle acquires Calif. software company ShareVis TechFlash

The acquisition of ShareVis by WinShuttle continues the Bothell software developer’s growth trajectory and brings a powerful tool in Microsoft SharePoint. WinShuttle CEO Lewis Carpenter is convinced the two companies are on the same track, while ShareVis will keep its Carlsbad, California operation.

A challenge to Seattle VCs: Back 100 seed-stage startups in 24 months GeekWire

Seattle needs an infusion of seed stage capital in order to foster the next generation of startups and keep venture capital in the Emerald City so investors don’t have to hunt elsewhere for greener pastures. Washington state will continue to trail California, New York and Massachusetts unless investors dare to spread the seed money that will ensure a crop of series A class deals in the seasons ahead and a thriving culture for investors and entrepreneurs.

Concur Makes Strategic Investment in Yapta PR Newswire

Business travelers will reap the benefits of a new partnership between a pair of Seattle-area companies committed to helping clients save on travel costs. An investment in Yapta by Concur brings airline and hotel price tracking technology to its Tripit Pro service, uniting Yapta CEO Tom Romary and Concur chief Rajeev Singh on the same mission.

Add comments to the margins of Web pages or directly in the editorial flow with Highlighter GeekWire

Once limited to WordPress sites, Highlighter is expanding to other content management formats, including Blogger and Tumbler, allowing users to comment within text. Because the Seattle TechStars product enables archiving of text, Highlighter could potentially revolutionize use of digital books, a capability Amazon Kindle cannot boast.

Zillow boosts IPO price as investors bet on tech finesse Seattle Times

With a future tied to the lackluster housing market, Zillow’s IPO launch could seem ill-timed, yet Rich Barton’s company is aiming for the same track taken by Amazon and Expedia instead of HouseValues, another Washington-based real estate data service ultimately derailed by the crash. Shares of the Seattle star startup listed on Nasdaq simply as Z went on sale at a price that far exceeded earlier estimates.

Amazon.com to stream CBS-owned TV shows Seattle Times

Classic CBS programming is now part of the video-streaming lineup offered to Amazon Prime users, while the Seattle e-retailer readies for its tablet debut and vies with rivals Netflix and Google for acquisition of Hulu. Along with its sizable edge in plan members, Netflix boasts greater access to the CBS archives, but Trekkies with Amazon Prime accounts can welcome the news.

MicroVision to bring windshield display technology to mystery automaker GeekWire

The laser display technology created by Redmond-based MicroVision will be featured in an upcoming unnamed automotive model, a first for the company headed by Alexander Tokman. The PicoP windshield projection promises enhanced driver safety by directing focus straight ahead instead of at consoles and instrument panels.

StartUp Northwest Offers Boost to Washington Entrepreneurs Marketwire

Brainchild of Stephen Coles, StartUp Northwest aims to unite entrepreneurs across industries and across the state of Washington to build enduring partnerships between startups and veterans. The social network and web-based resource promises discounts from service providers and perks like free job postings that appeal to bootstrapped new businesses.

The 14 Hot Seattle Startups You Need To Watch Business Insider SAI

From Apptio’s IT cost management in the cloud to Zulily’s family-oriented daily deal site, Seattle is brimming with startups that have the potential to be the next big thing, including Ben Huh’s Cheezburger Network, Swype’s smart screen swipe science and paycheck checker, PayScale. While PopCap makes headlines for its $1.3B snare, the city’s gaming scene also boasts BigFish, new TechStars grad Giant Thinkwell, Wild Tangent and Groundspeak, whose cache owes to the geocaching craze.

Three Signs Your Startup Needs a PR Firm

Many companies try to market themselves on their own. The problem is that expertise in technology can only go so far when it comes to building a brand, creating influence and inspiring the kind of word of mouth that can lead to more sales.

Without an understanding of how the world of print, digital and social media work, marketing efforts can fall flat or become a giant waste of time. These are three possible signs a company may need to enlist the expertise of a public relations firm.

  1. Not enough press. When an industry publication or blogger mentions your company, it’s one thing. When those publications tell a story about your company in a way that inspires readers to find out more or even buy from you, that’s another. Random and casual media coverage will not grow a business.
  2. You’re boring. Companies that create technology are often so close to it, they only see the original problem and solution. This story can’t be the only one a business tells. Publications lose business without interesting news. PR firms can help find interesting stories and know how to develop a media list, research writers and plan editorials.
  3. The CEO isn’t friendly with media. Company founders often can’t imagine why anyone would not be as excited as they are about their company. If a CEO insists that someone look at their product and is too pushy that can start things off on the wrong foot and kill any chance of coverage in the future.

SEOmoz CEO: The Best Online Marketing Tips to Startups

Rand Fishkin, CEO and Co-Founder of SEOmoz, provide tips and marketing insights for startups. In this 10 minute video he explains why you shouldn’t sell, instead make people come to you looking to buy.

Rand also demonstrate why a blog is so effective in connecting your brand or product with the right set of audience and future customers. He touches base on the following in the video:

  • The positive impact of blogging regularly.
  • Look into do a lot of “viral” targeted content.
  • Consider doing an industry guide for your vertical.
  • Industry surveys help establish credibility.
  • Graphic and illustrations usually encourage people to share.
  • Weekly video series are working really in keep people engaged.
  • Research, analysis and data sharing will help people share your content. It is a great way to referrals.
  • SEOmoz also do a lot of site presentations and share them on SlideShare and Scribd.
  • Webinars are a great tool to retain current customers as opposed to getting new customers.

7 SEO tips for Startups and New Tech Companies

Marketing in today’s economy is tough for many startups and new tech companies. They simply don’t have the resources including ad budgets, the staff or the time that many bigger businesses have. Luckily, these things don’t make a difference to search engines. Search engine optimization is one way for smaller businesses to compete with larger competition.

The first step is to add content. The more useful content there is on a website, the more chances consumers have to discover the products and services offered by small companies. Another thing to remember is search engines love unique content.

These are some extra content tips for a new business website.

  • Interviews, conversations, product DVDs, personal opinions and reviews are all content. Record everything and transcribe it all into text.
  • Turn support e-mails into FAQ pages on your site.
  • Turn PDF’s into HTML pages.
  • Create videos of everything.

Startups and new tech companies have a personal voice. Making sure that voice is adequately heard can help build customer trust and eventually help a new business owner successfully market their knowledge of the product they are selling. Consumers use search engines to find recommendations of services and products. So a good idea for a small business owner is to make sure their customers can easily find those recommendations. A business owner can publish recommendations from their customers or create a buyer’s guide with lists or ratings of their own recommendations. Consumers use search engines to research information about local companies. Many startups should also take advantage of local search options.

One problem small businesses may encounter is slow website speed. While it may be one of the last things that owners of new tech companies consider, Google has introduced speed into the ranking algorithm, so it’s a good time to check out how fast a site loads. When a site’s speed is improved, it also improves a customer’s experience and this may make them more likely to revisit a site. Tools like Web Page Analyzer and the Firefox extension YSlow! can help a business owner learn why pages are taking longer to load so they can take steps to fix the problem.

Other things that can help drive traffic on a website are internal links. Sites like Copyblogger can be used to reference older posts in newer articles. This helps customers do their own research and adds to a startups’ SEO success. Remember that happy customers will often times link to your site so it’s a good idea to write content and provide links for people, and not specifically for search engines. The overarching goal is still to get more people to visit the company site.

The owner of a new business shouldn’t stress too much about a nofollow link. If they’re smart, they’ll worry about creating great content. Content can be controlled by a business owner. When a website includes strong content for customers then many aspects of SEO will also fall into place. What makes a site better usually attracts customers and is often good for SEO too.

Microsoft’s Kinect Outpace iPhone Sales, Blekko Bans 1.1M Spammy Domains

Seattle Tech and Online Marketing Roundup

10 Million A Magic Number for Microsoft’s Kinect  CNET

XBox 360 Kinect sales have far exceeded Microsoft’s expectations as well as numbers posted by product rival Playstation Move, generating a buzz that threatens to eclipse the console king, Wii. Kinect motion-gaming sensors are flying off store shelves at an unprecedented pace, according to Guinness World Record officials – surpassing sales of Apple’s ballyhooed iPhone and iPad in the 60 days after launch.

Blekko Bans 1.1 Million Spammy Domains Via New Algorithm  TechCrunch

In its ambitious battle to de-louse the internet, Blekko has already dropped the hammer on over a million domains identified by its spam-busting algorithm. The mighty little search engine headed by Rick Skrenta that earlier blocked content farms from its search results is deploying its AdSpam weapon at keyword-crammed ad/content combinations.

King of the Web: The Next Great Time-Waster, or Just a Waste of Time? GeekWire

Self-promotion and the mania to attain 15 minutes of fame are taken to a silly extreme with the debut of King of the Web, the brainchild of a Seattle duo with solid entrepreneurial resumes. In this ultimate Everyman’s fame game, users compete each month for real rewards along with dubious titles by creating a profile and shamelessly campaigning for votes.

Seattle Startup HomePipe Raises $1.1M, Pathable Makes a Buy

Seattle Tech and Online Marketing Roundup

Seattle Startup HomePipe Networks Raises $1.1 Million Tech Flash

A new round of fund-raising will help HomePipe Networks realize its goal of building brand identity along with partnerships in the industry to grow its customer base. Headed by Chris Hopen, the Seattle apps developer stands out in a crowded field by providing data storage capability without Cloud.

Looking to Make Conferences More Interactive, Pathable Makes a Buy GeekWire

Pathable promises to turn the confusion of events like Austin’s SXSW into connected communities, and with the acquisition of former competitor The Social Collective, it’s expanding that vision. Setting the Seattle company created by Jordan Schwartz apart from the crowd is its arsenal of interactive tools that don’t just help event organizers achieve organized chaos but enhance the experience for attendees.

Cequint to Add Staff in Seattle, CEO Laments Tough Hiring Climate GeekWire

Recently acquired by Transaction Network Services, Seattle’s Cequint is looking ahead instead of back, gearing up for growth by spreading out at its downtown base and seeking new talent. With over a million subscribers already for its City ID tool, the mobile software company headed by Rick Hennessey has plans to launch a follow-up called Name ID.

Amazon’s Hiring Spree, Microsoft Paid Nokia $1B to Feature Mobile OS

Seattle Tech and Online Marketing Roundup

Amazon’s Hiring Spree Will Fill 1.7 Million Square Feet of Office Space in Seattle All Things Digital

With its employee roster growing by nearly 400% just last year, online retailer Amazon literally outgrew its patchwork Seattle base. A new 1.7 million square foot base of operations in South Lake Union should solve the space dilemma, and its newly revitalized neighborhood promises to be a hub for technology companies – offering mega opportunities for tech talent, including a bevy of openings at Amazon.

Microsoft Seeding Windows Phone 7 On Nokia With A Billion Dollars Up Front Mobile CrunchNews of details of the Microsoft-Nokia deal, regarded almost equally as dubious or genius, don’t completely settle the debate of whether it’s a match made in heaven or somewhere further south. It’s now reported that Microsoft beat out Google with a bid in excess of $1B for a 5 year partnership and the chance to get its Windows Phone 7 operating system – and not Android – on Nokia products.

TechFlash Duo, Todd Bishop and John Cook, Quit PSBJ to Start New Site, GeekWire Xconomy

Departing the online Puget Sound Business Journal for a firsthand taste of entrepreneurial adventure, the original TechFlash duo are heading up GeekWire where they’ll continue to cover their respective beats based in the Seattle tech scene while blending cultural topics with wider appeal in a free online format. Reporting on an industry that’s all about innovation, Todd Bishop and John Cook are excited about their own reinvention – and the move won’t spell the end for TechFlash either.

Startups Desperate for Rockstar-Ninja Developers, ShipSweet Challenge FedEx-UPS

Seattle Tech and Online Marketing Roundup

ShipSweet Attempts to Stick It to the FedEx-UPS Duopoly with Cheap Shipping for Small Business Xconomy

Small companies contending with the likes of Amazon may find a solution with Seattle’s ShipSweet, touted as the cheaper shipping alternative. By pooling smaller orders, coordinating with online shopping cart providers and creating a collaborative drop-off site system, the startup hopes to compete with titans FedEx and UPS.

Sustainability and Authenticity, Personified The Huffington Post

Seattle’s Mark Schuster is uniquely qualified to narrate the birth of one of the city’s boldest architectural landmarks and its first condo to earn the coveted LEED Silver certification. In Lofty Pursuits, the developer of Mosler Lofts weaves a tale of family, philanthropy and vision for a sustainable future, making it a must-read in an age when integrity and business don’t always overlap.

Tech companies desperate for “rockstarninja engineers” CNN Money

The explosion of startups in places like Silicon Valley and the unrelenting appetite for mobile apps are fueling a feeding frenzy for tech talent and inspiring hybrid for-hire descriptions like “rockstarninja” developer. With surveys suggesting nearly half of the leading US tech firms expect to pad their personnel rosters this year, poaching is almost par for the course and those with the right resumes are coming out the big winners.

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