Social Media and Twitter | The Ultimate Internet Image

Klout 14 Months Later: Still Unreliable and Erratic

October 27, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The Klout Score Remains Unreliable

Klout Fails to Convince:

Perks, Influencers, K+ are Questionable

Over the past several months I have used Klout, analyzed Klout, scrutinized Klout! I embarked upon a year long study after ripping Klout in August of 2010.

See: Inbound Marketing Week in Review: A Hard Look at Social Media Klout: Inbound Marketing and Social Media Perspective and Review–Introducing Klout, TweetPivot, and Spezify!

Feeling I may have been too harsh, and desiring to be fair, I stepped back, took a deep breath, and then stepped back in.

Boy…did I step in…it!

Of one thing I am absolutely certain, the Klout Score has as much real value as a daily horoscope. It can also be argued, and quite convincingly I might add, that the horoscope is probably right more often…at least relative to your Klout Score.

@Klout can’t have it both ways!

If the old data was BS, the new system reflects that fact. If the data was reliable? Then Klout scores wouldn’t have changed quite so drastically…and overnight!

Significantly, one might be inclined to argue that Klout was either wrong then…or they are wrong now. In fact, I’d argue that it’s not merely a matter of either/or. I suggest that Klout has been consistently wrong!

Once again, Klout defines its lack of integrity, consistency, and value!

A detailed analysis of Klout “Influencers” confirms the pure fiction of the Klout score. In fact, Stephen King would be proud, and perhaps a little jealous given the upcoming launch of 11/22/63.

Influencers?

10 out of 10 people listed as influencing me have had little or no contact with me across any of my many social media profiles.

Dogs and Cats and Monsters…

…Oh my!

Incredibly, Klout has given a number of pets very high Klout scores. I guess the dogs are simply trying to get a leg up on the competition? Well, good for Klout…and good for a few good animals.

BTW, who is influencing Poochie? Or better yet, and perhaps more suggestive of just how ridiculous the whole Klout algorithm is, who is being influenced by Poochie?

Now that’s not silly, it’s sad!

The silliness of the daily Klout score has come full circle from the days when their data was clearly “hinky!”

And now I just don’t see the point!

We might as well read our horoscopes! They have the same grounding in reality…and may indeed be more accurate!

Ultimately, whether or not you follow your Klout score is up to you. Obviously!

I will leave you with this:

If social media is a new religion, the newest manifestation of an opiate for the masses, and the Internet along with it, then the Klout score must be viewed as a perverted attempt to establish a daily record. Ultimately, the Klout score is an indication of just how determined businesses, organizations, and government agencies are to define Internet usage, generally, and social media usage, in particular. The pursuit of metrics to define the value and impact of social media has become a multi-million dollar enterprise. Why? So companies can use the data collected to manipulate and control the buying behavior of the public, those individuals buying into this newest form of religion…social media.

See you on Twitter!

John Zajaros
The Ultimate Internet Image
440-821-7018

NOTE: When I mention religion, I am referring to it in its broadest, most figurative context. However, one can not help but notice the profound impact this new form of worship is having on individuals, groups, businesses, agencies; and yes, governments. Doubt me Thomas? Well, just take a look at what happened across the Middle East in the past year. Then tell me the Internet and social media didn’t have a profound impact on the very existence of governments. In our own backyards? And now across The Pond? The Occupy Wall Street movement has been fueled, in large measure, by the connections made via the Internet, generally; and, via social media, specifically. There is more to follow, much more. I simply hope we are not putting our faith in false gods. Or Klout scores!

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Filed Under: A Hard Look at Social Media Klout, Inbound Marketing Consulting, Klout and Social Media, Social Media and Connections, Social Media and Marketing, Social Media and Twitter, Social Media Monetization, The Failure of Klout, The Ultimate Internet Image, Ultimate Internet Image Tagged With: Klout, Klout 14 Months Later, Klout Confirms the Unreliability of the Klout Score, Klout Fails to Convince

Inbound Marketing Overview and the Central Hub Strategy

August 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Inbound Marketing and Social Media:

A Recipe for Success Online

Inbound marketing is successful when you view it in terms of a combination of permission marketing and search driven marketing. In other words, you want to be where your potential clients are….when your potential clients are searching for your services. If you are not, you will be ineffective and your inbound marketing strategy will fail.

Central Hub: You must view your website in terms of a central hub. The idea is to drive as much traffic as possible to your hub by creating excitement, authority, and, above all, interesting content.

Video: We are in the video generation most online advertising and inbound marketing is driven by video. That is where the lion’s share of your clients will come from. An effective video campaign will send your business soaring, a lackluster video campaign will kill it!

Blogging for Business: Blogging is crucial! In fact, the static website of just a few pages is on its way out…if not dead already! The website that is primarily image-based, particularly when it comes to text, is worthless. You will derive ZERO SEO value from images alone. When a website full of images is crawled, it shows up as blank. A balance of text, images, and video is essential. Blogging also develops interest in your business and provides a line of communication between you and your clients that is invaluable. Blogging is essential for any business trying to grow and relate to their target market long term.

Viral Video and the Rest of the Online Guru Hocus Pocus: Forget about viral! Yes, that’s right…forget about it! If you intentionally set out to create a viral video or make some other sort of online media go viral, it will almost certainly fail! Focus on quality content that will interest your target market and get shared.

Note: I have videos and articles on websites around the world and very few, if any, would be considered viral. But they all get shared and it all translates into backlinks, subscribers, social media connections, clients, and friends.

Yes, friends!

Redirects: Redirects can be useful but if you are hoping to derive any SEO value from a super domain name that you are only using as a redirect to your not-so-great url, you are wasting your time, money…and a quality domain name too boot!

Articles: Articles accomplish several things at once. Articles establish you as an authority in your niche, they deliver backlinks to your main hub (although this is changing), and they drive traffic to your main hub. Even with the new shifts in Google’s algorithm, article marketing is still a crucial component of a solid inbound marketing strategy.

John Jones: Who is your target market? What does he look like? What are his interests? How does he dress? You must be able to SEE John Jones in order to relate to him…or Jane Jones for that matter!

Social Media: Social media is also essential! All of the components of an effective inbound marketing strategy must work together, in concert, if you are going to succeed. This is not an optional strategy, it is imperative if you want to compete in today’s market. Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook (both personal and a fan/business page), YouTube, Dailymotion, Break, Viddler, Foursquare, and others are the key to social media success. Ping.fm is the best way to reach most of the core social media sites in one blast, Hellotxt is another, and XeeSM.com is the third. If you integrate these social media hubs into your overall strategy it will make your job much easier.

Warning: Do not use social media as a vehicle to spam your followers or you will kill any suucess you may have otherwise achieved! Additionally, if you spam, all you will have following you are fellow spammers…and they will eventually unfollow you as well!

Additional Blogs: Google’s Blogger, Squidoo, HubPages, and others are also useful and can be tied directly into your social media hubs for constant updating! These should be included, as they are virtually effortless to maintain and they do end up on page one!

Keyword Research: Most keywords are insignificant. Many businesses beginning to explore inbound marketing focus on keywords that drive ZERO traffic to your website. The key is to know not only what terms are searched for, something Google does well, it is crucial that you know which keywords get the most CLICKS! Click through rate is crucial.

Google Analytics: Metrics are also key! You must know who is visiting your website and where they are coming from if you are to develop and intelligent and effective, long term inbound marketing strategy.

Testing: A/B testing is probably the simplest and most effective, at least when starting out. Long term strategies can be added from there.

Consistency: An inbound marketing strategy must be applied daily if it to work! Social media can be time intensive at first. The longer you do it, the easier it will become. Blogging must be done at least 3 times per week for best results. A video blog with adequate text to introduce and provide a synopsis of the video can make all the difference in terms of SEO value.

SEO: SEO or search engine optimization is a long term strategy! Yes, there are certain tweaks and some people believe Google provides a bit of a nod to new entities on the web…but that is debatable. Google is King Kong on the Internet right now and they are changing their algorithms constantly. The best strategy is one that is keyword rich and delivers superior content.

Video, Article, and Social Media Delivery Software and Memberships: There are several delivery systems in the form of membership sites and software that can be used to make you job easier. It is crucial to use these systems in order to reduce the amount of time you must spend on tedious projects…or get your employees in on it and have them do it. In the long run, your labor costs will kill you. It is best to use the membership sites available to you. We will review many of these as we progress.

Video Creation: There are several video sharing and video creation sites online. Animoto is simple and effective for creating short, interesting videos. Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube, Dailymotion, and several other video sharing sites will allow you to add your own logo and message for a fee. It is well worth it long term. While placing YouTube videos on your blog and website may be cost effective short term, long term you want to create your own identity without relying on YouTube. I have integrated my Flip MinoHD videos through Camtasia to Screencast. Others use Amazon’s video platform and still others Brightcove. Whatever the platform, make sure you learn all the ins and outs, so it remains trouble-free and cost effective!

In the next article I will discuss several sites I recommend you set up profiles on and how to do it for next to nothing and with little effort. Your profile should be keyword rich and your image a professional and/or easily identifiable one. In addition to Google’s Keyword Tool, I sincerely feel that Market Samurai is the class online at this time. Check it out for free & then upgrade if you like it!

I love it!

Discussion: We will discuss any questions or comments you may have and raise here. I hope this helps you as you begin, at once, to create your new and Ultimate Internet Image…or help others to get there!

I look forward to sharing ideas and/or working with you and believe we can position you to do great things in your niche as a brick and mortar business, an online business, or as an Internet, inbound marketing consultancy!

John Zajaros (Jack)
The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
440-821-7018 (cell)
johnzajaros@gmail.com

Note: Just assume links are affiliate links and that way there can be no misunderstandings!

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Filed Under: Blogging for Business, Brick and Mortar Business and Inbound Marketing, Business Blogging, Business Blogs, How to Build an Internet Marketing Business, How to Create an Inbound Marketing Strategy Using the New Media, How to Succeed at Inbound Marketing, Inbound and Internet Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Inbound Marketing and SEO, Inbound Marketing and Social Media, Inbound Marketing and the Central Hub Model, Inbound Marketing and Video, Inbound Marketing Consulting, Inbound Marketing Strategies, Internet and Inbound Marketing Success, Internet Marketing and LinkedIn, Internet Marketing and SEO, Internet Marketing and Social Media, Internet Marketing and the Blog, Keyword Research and Video, New Media and Inbound Marketing, New Media Marketing, Relationship Marketing, Social Media and Business, Social Media and Connections, Social Media and New Media Marketing, Social Media and Twitter, Social Media Blogging and Business, Social Media Relationships and Sales, The Central Hub Model, The Ultimate Internet Image, Ultimate Internet Image, Ultimate Internet Image and Inbound Marketing, Ultimate Internet Image and SEO, Ultimate Internet Image Consultation, Ultimate Internet Image Consulting, Understanding Inbound Marketing, Video Marketing and Social Media, Video Marketing and the New Media, Viral Video Marketing, Web 2.0 and Business Blogging, What is Inbound Marketing?

Understanding Social Media: Is Social Media Really Social?

August 25, 2010 By admin 5 Comments

Social Media, Reciprocity, and Active Engagement

Courtesy and Personality

I am often asked how my Twitter following grew to over 25,000. How I have over 4,000 connections on LinkedIn. Those who know me ask how, across 1600 social media sites online, I was able to add over 50,000 social media friends, contacts, connections, and followers.

How?

What’s your secret?

I have thought about this a lot!

I am a relative unknown. I don’t particularly like socializing and usually stay to myself and people I am familiar with when out. I am slow to wwarm up to people and 2 years ago I didn’t have or know how to set up a website, much less know what Twitter or Facebook or YouTube was. The only reason I knew about MySpace was because my kids were on it and it was talked about in the media all the time.

I was less than a novice, if that is possible, and knew less than nothing!

When I joined Twitter on December 18, 2008 I nursed a grand total of 218 followers into March of the New Year and still had no clue what I was doing when it came to social media and Internet marketing.

Inbound marketing?

Again, less than nothing!

But I am a fast study and I realized several things right off the bat:

The Internet was simply a communication vehicle, albeit an extremely powerful one.
Social media was a communication vehicle within a communication vehicle and also an extremely powerful one.
Social media was a reflection of a need expressed throughout society, a need for connection and meaning.
Video sharing was an extension of social media and just another way to share and connect.
Social media wasn’t about building a huge amount of followers all at once, as many people seemed intent on doing at the time.
Social media was like the Breck commercial, one of the most famous marketing campaigns in the history of marketing. I tell two people…and they tell two people…and so on…and so on…and so on! The root of viral communication, pun intended!
Social media was not about selling stuff online, it was about:
- Making connections
- Building relationships
- Building trust
- Forming bonds
Social media was about converting all of the above into a Win-Win for both parties in the relationship!

But a funny thing happened on the way to meaningful social media interaction…marketing happened.

Bad marketing!

Social media marketing!

The fact is, social media has very little to do with direct marketing, it is almost anathma to what social media is all about:

Connections
Relationships
Trust
Bonds

The challenge is, everyone wants to be Dell and Southwest Airlines.

The fact is, most are not!

Yes, Dell made 3 million with social media. But Dell is Dell and has spent many millions over many years creating brand awareness. Southwest Airlines is Southwest Airlines, arguably one of the most successful customer service companies in history, in any sector, in any line of business!

Southwest and Dell did not start out on the Internet two years ago with zero visibility and no brand awareness and throw up a Facebook Page and a Twitter Page and make millions from day one. They did it the old fashioned way, they earned it over several years, banging it out, one day at a time.

No secret!

No mystery!

Solid marketing that carried over into a new medium.

Enter John Zajaros and The Ultimate Internet Image, Joe Dokes and Joe’s Auto Shop, or Julie Smith and Julie’s Flowers…or whatever.

We enter social media from basically the same space, square one!

For those you us who have little or no brand identity, little or no Internet savvy, and little or no real capital behind our inbound marketing efforts, we must do it the old fashioned way too…we have to go out and earn it.

That means one day at a time, one connection at a time, done over time, and in such a way that it benefits both parties.

In other words, we push each other up!

How?

Spreading each other’s posts, messages, videos, tweets, etc.
Sharing each other’s links.
Reading each others blogs.
Watching each other’s videos.
Following each other back.
Responding to open questions put to the entire commiunity, the social media community.
Responding to each others messages.
And much more…

Finally, and this one is so intuitive and yet is never done…show appreciation!

To say:

“I care!”
“You matter!”
“You’re welcome!”
And the biggest one of all? “Thank you!”

It is incredible how many times a day people fail to say those two magic words, any of them, but especially…

…“Thank you!”

“Please!” and “Thank You!”

Common courtesy!

The secret to building a social media following?

The secret to success at anything in life?

Push others up and show gratitude for the opportunity to connect, to be a part of someone else’s life, to contribute to the “Greater Good!”

Sound naïve?

Sound a bit starry-eyed and utopian?

Not at all!

Common courtesy and reciprocity have been around since we were all running around in tribes.

No, not Seth Godin type tribes…although he is dead on!

It is what makes us human and it is why social media is such a big hit…because people are thirsty for that connection, that sense of oneness, and that sense of being appreciated.

Want to succeed online?

In business?

In life?

Make someone else feel special, make someone else feel important, make someone else feel like you noticed them; and make sure it’s not just for some relationship ROI cr#p but because you really care about people. Do that and you will succeed in every aspect of your life.

If you are focused on where your next 1000 Twitter followers are going to come from…

Good luck!

If you are focused on how you can make a difference in soemone’s life…

You don’t need me!

This has been building up for a while. I thought this a good time to bring it up.

Thank you for reading this and I hope it resonated with you on some level.

If it did? Please leave a comment?

If it didn’t? Please leave a comment!

In any case, please leave a comment!

Thank you!

John Zajaros
The Ultimate Internet Image
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-712-7004

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