Leadpile's Blog» Facebook

More People Visited Facebook Than Google?

Mari Holt — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:44:31 +0000

No really? The social networking site Facebook has hit it BIG because it passed Google in the number of visitors coming to their site. Information Week stated, “For the week ending March 13, Facebook accounted for 7.07% of all U.S. Internet visits, while Google accounted for 7.03%, according to Hitwise. It was the first time Facebook had held the No. 1 spot for a week.” This is great news for Facebook, because this sort of ranking could potentially help them out financially. So, who will benefit besides Facebook themselves on this sort of increased ranking?
In the lead generation space I wish there was maybe some additional opportunity for this mega social networking site to be able to truly produce some great lead generation results. I have yet so see a publisher we work with at Leadpile that is effectively using Facebook to generate leads. What needs to happen in order for Affiliate Marketing to truly be able to capitalize on this site, or are there publishers that are showing success with monetizing Facebook traffic? I would like to speak with them if it is happening!
Great job Facebook… keep doing what you are doing, because it’s working!

Facebook Says Goodbye To Microsoft Banner Ads

Mari Holt — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:14:50 +0000

Facebook is saying goodbye to banner ads supplied by Microsoft, and HELLO to more targeted ads. Internews.com reports, “Facebook, which counts nearly 400 million users, said its own display ads feature interactive aspects and can target viewers based on their personal information, making them better suited to its social networking service than Microsoft’s standard Web banner ads. Ad formats that feature social actions perform better and provide a better user experience since they are more consistent with the look and feel of Facebook,” the company said in a statement. This combination of targeting and social relevance is the primary driver behind the shift in strategy.”
This change will probably not affect Microcsoft, but it brings up a good question on taking control over your page and what the user experiences. Facebook is obviously concerned with the experience the consumer goes through, versus a deal they have with Microsoft. Is this something of the future where companies really pay attention to the consumer experience versus making the most money on the ads they choose to display? Leadpile has an ability to supply banner ads for it’s publishers, however a website owner caring about the consumer experience is something we are very much concerned with also. Consumer experience or make more money????? What is the answer you believe is right?

Take A Pope’s Advice: Use Social Media

Mari Holt — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:01:28 +0000

The last person I would have imagined who would be an advocate of social media is the Pope. I have to say hearing this on the news briefly made me want to know more. After searching the net, it seems this story is in fact true. The Pope thinks that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is a great way to spread a message. If you are maybe a company where there is some resistance to joining the social media buzz, you might want to reevaluate that decision. PCW Magazine is saying that in the Pope’s “message”, he acknowledges the new technologies our world is having available, so one must use these resources to spread the word. I guess religious or not, you might want to take the Pope’s advice, and that is utilize social media to spread “your” word.

China Possibly Blocking Another Website????

Mari Holt — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:48:14 +0000

In the last year or so we have talked about the controversy over China blocking certain websites from being viewed by the Chinese residents. Unfortunately, it seems there might be another website “victim” being added to this now long list – Wired.com. There doesn’t seem to be any common factor involved in the websites that this country continues to block, except for the fact that these sites are too dangerous. Currently, the sites blocked are: YouTube, Facebook, the BBC, Wikipedia, Google and a movie information site called IMBD. So does this sort of restriction prevent affiliate marketing from happening in China? Many use some of the banned sites as a source for traffic and some are even working with Leadpile……and WHAT is so “dangerous” about Google? I don’t get it! What will be next?

Social Networks Helping Students

Natasha Aronov — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:09:14 +0000

95 percent of college students between the age of 18-24 use some form of social networking. That is defiantly not a surprising statistic. What is more surprising is that the students who are involved in using social networking tools, which includes texting and instant messaging, are more apt to learn. This is because many of the students are using the different social networking tools to network with their teachers/classmates for academic help. It makes for a quick and easy way to get the answers or information that a student needs. This could help increase the performance of the students because they have all their resources right at their fingertips.
I know when I was in college a few years ago, I found texting and social networking tools such as Facebook, to be a huge help. Not only with talking to my teachers on chat, but talking to other students as well. It was a great way to get informed on a class that I may have missed, so that I did not fall behind. It was also extremely helpful for online classes because you can get into chats and discuss as a group what is going on in the class and hear different perceptions on a single topic.
Online classes and community college is also a great way to advance yourself. Everyday LeadPile matches people who are interested in advancing their degree with the right college program. By taking online classes and using some forms of social media, being involved in your studies may be much more beneficial than you may have thought.

Facebook & Google Selling Music?????

Mari Holt — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:33:30 +0000

Believe it or not, Apple iTunes might have some competition coming from some new/old players in town!
In recent news, rumors are rumbling about Google possibly getting into the music service business. Potentially, with search results there could be an opportunity to purchase music from your favorite artist. This is big for Google and possibly something Apple will need to worry about.
If it wasn’t enough having recent news about Google and music services, Facebook is now in the news for it’s interest in music sales too! This is no rumor because Facebook has already started selling music in it’s online gift store. This is great news with the idea of how innovative online companies are trying to be, however possibly a little nerve racking for the online music mogul- Apple iTunes. May the music race BEGIN!!!!

Social Media Trends Turning?

Natasha Aronov — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:18 +0000

With Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and LinkedIn it is hard to keep up with the growing social media trends. Over the past couple of years there has been a steady incline in social media users that until recently did not appear to have any end in site.
According to Mashable “The Social Media Guide” Twitter and Facebook appear to be flattening while LinkedIn saw an increase in traffic of 5.68% for the month of September. LinkedIn also announced today that they have now reached over 50 million users. LinkedIn states that 50% of its user are currently based in the US, while 50% are international.
While Twitter and Facebook are expanding their focus and going off in many different directions to attract as many users as possible, LinkedIn has always had the same focus – to connect professionals to each other.
Personally, I have two Twitter accounts, a Facebook and a LinkedIn account…Each for a different purpose. For me, LinkedIn has become a way to stay in touch with former colleagues as well as connect with people who I would not necessarily want introduced into my personal life through pictures or comments on my Facebook or Twitter accounts.
It is all changing so quickly, and hard to keep up with! As soon as I grasp how to connect on one site, it seems like everyone has moved on to the next. Staying “trendy” with social media is a full time job, however Leadpile promises to keep up with the trends!

New Shake, On An Old Favorite!

Natasha Aronov — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:39:03 +0000

Grand Marnier a liquor that has always been presented with class, is launching a new advertising campaign in October revitalizing it’s image and hoping to attract a younger demographic. French images with a more of a modern twist than seen in previous campaigns, will be intertwined with social media and consumer involvement. According to Adweek , Grand Marnier who is new to the social media world will be hoping to attract attention from new and existing buyers through banner ad placements on Facebook.
In addition to the more commonly placed banner ads, using one of the more “on top of the trends” approaches Grand Marnier has developed two iPhone applications that will promote consumer involvement. A game that consumers are able to pour drinks with a simulated shaker, and e-cards that feature animation will encourage people to connect with the efforts to revamp the brand.
Does consumer involvement attract additional dollars? I know that given the opportunity to have a fun new application on my phone would entice me to possibly bring up the brand name in conversation. Heightening awareness of the product…however, does not change my likes or dislikes, suddenly developing a taste for Grand Marnier will probably not happen even though I do like the look and feel of the new campaign.

Facebook Trying To Copycat Twitter?

Natasha Aronov — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:43:29 +0000

Facebook is the largest social networking site out there. Whether you are looking so see what your friends are doing, finding old classmates, or just trying to stay connected, Facebook seems to have it all. All except Twitter that is.
When Facebook failed to acquire Twitter.com in the fall of 2008 they decided to do the next best thing and try to be more like them. Within the past week Facebook launched Facebook Lite, which essentially works in the same manner as Twitter. Facebook Lite took out all the frills so a user can only post their status updates. This is a great way to get more people to the site who are looking for a simple way to follow what their friends or favorite businesses are doing.
Facebook has also made it so people who already have Facebook can simply “Tag” a friend and then begin to follow them. This will eliminate the need to juggle between two Facebook accounts. Facebook really did their homework when they decided to start to have some of the same features as Twitter. They even decided to copy the “@” that one puts in front of a name when someone “Tweets” to someone else. So it looks like Facebook didn’t do their homework, but just copy off the person next to them.

Want To Pay for Facebook Friends?

Mari Holt — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Believe it or not there is a network out there promising if you pay, they can increase your Facebook friends. Does more friends really = something worth paying money for? With today’s use of social networking, I might have to say yes. According to Adage.com, as we all know Twitter and Facebook are effective marketing tools, so maybe the idea of companies really getting into this and helping others build their “friends” list, could be an effective idea. If “friends” = more money then this is certainly something I could see other marketing companies looking into doing. Nothing is free and who has time to try and generate 5000 new friends like this company says they can help you do? Great idea.. hope it works out for this company! At the present time, Leadpile will continue to build our “friends” list and Twitter “followers” little by little.