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Facebook Introduces New Send Button, Small Businesses’ Recovery Efforts After Google’s Algorithm Changes
This week in our blogosphere recap we’ll examine four blog posts from last week that explain Facebook’s new ‘Send Button’ and Daily Deals, describe small businesses’ recovery efforts following Google’s algorithm switch, and denote the importance of organic search for brand trust. Below are some of the highlights from these articles:
- With the launch of Facebook’s new Send Button, many are speculating this may be the social networking giant’s attempt to usurp email.
- Sales down 40%, traffic down 64% – Small businesses strategize to regain ground after Google’s algorithm change.
- Two Forrester research studies indicate consumers trust organic search more than other marketing channels.
- Facebook enters the raging hot market of Daily Deals.
Facebook Launches ‘Send’ Button for More Selective Sharing, Announces ‘50 Million’ Groups
Tech Crunch | Jason Kincaid | 4-25-11
In what many are saying is an attempt to divert the masses away from email, Facebook, in partnership with 50 sites (more likely to follow) now has a ‘send’ widget. Click on it, and easily send a page link from the participating site to one Facebook friend, your friends’ email addresses, or a designated Facebook Group. In the past, browsers had to revert to email to share a link with select friends or else share it with everyone via their newsfeed – neither of which was ideal.
Additional Information:
- Facebook has added, and will probably continue to add, other email-like features to make sharing amongst Facebook Groups (50 million to-date) more relevant.
- New Group features include: settings for administrative oversight for new member access, secured viewing and sharing of photo albums and integration of Facebook Questions.
Sites Retool for Google Effect
The Wall Street Journal | Sarah E. Needleman | 4-20-11
Many small businesses have been adversely affected by Google’s recent algorithm shift and are scrambling to regain lost traffic and revenue. Designed to punish sites using content farms, Google’s changes have impacted 14% of their U.S. based queries. Several of the e-tailers cited in the article, were not using content farms, but they still find themselves at a loss and needing to experiment in order to find solutions.
Key Takeaways:
- For some, this is an opportunity to re-haul their marketing tactics, online content and customer experience.
- Useful recovery tactics include: hiring outside consultants for a full SEO audit; hiring freelance writers to create original product descriptions; adding canonical tags, video and detailed content to websites; soliciting onsite customer reviews; and increasing offline marketing activities.
Trusting the Brand Through Search
SearchBlog | Laurie Sullivan | 4-21-11
Per Forrester Research results, organic search is substantially interwoven with brand trust. In a study released last week, only 12% of the 3,750 respondents trusted search engine ads as a source of information, whereas 28% trusted a brand’s site and 30% trusted a company’s website. The majority polled, trust recommendations from friends. A Forrester study from earlier this year reported, “more consumers trust natural search results than TV, company email updates, and social network profiles.”
Key Takeaways:
- Marketers would be well served to view organic search as a crucial branding channel.
- Given the trust associated with them, social recommendations will continue to play an increasing role in search results.
Facebook Launches Daily Deals
Last week Facebook introduced its own version of LivingSocial and Groupon. Named “Deals on Facebook,” the company has partnered with about a dozen companies including OpenTable and Tippr to deliver daily deals in five starter cities with the likelihood of expansion.
Additional Information:
- Facebook is targeting deals on social activities such as dance lessons, concerts etc. which can be done with friends.
- Facebook is the latest company to join the daily deal party. The New York Times and Google both recently launched deal programs.
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