Smartphones are quickly taking over the mobile communications market, with more and more customers adopting high end phones. Nowadays, smart phones allow users to access the web, as well as take photos and videos and effortlessly share them with others. As more users adopt smartphones, companies are also taking note of this shift by adjusting their marketing campaigns. In order to effectively market to this changing audience, it is important that businesses utilize smartphones to its full potential.

5 Ways to Connect Smartphones and Marketing

Marketing to smartphone users has taken a number of different methods, oftentimes in unique and creative ways. The following examples are ways in which companies have made the connection between smartphones and marketing:

1) Online Searches

More than ever, customers are relying on local, online search in order to find and review the best product for them. As a result, customers are incredibly likely to make a purchasing decision before they actually see the product. In order to stay ahead of this trend, many companies are using utilizing the power of smart phones in order to market their products. For example, businesses create mobile-friendly ads and websites optimized for smartphones, in order to stay relevant in local search.

2) QR Codes

QR codes are a barcode image that can be embedded with a variety of information, ranging from URLs, videos and other content. In order to read a QR, the user needs to utilize a smartphone that can scan and analyze the data. Many businesses are using QR codes for their marketing endeavors, ranging from retail stores, museums and restaurants. QR codes are used in a variety of ways, including scavenger hunts and giveaways, allowing businesses to engage and interact with their audience.

3) Social Media

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a social network that is not optimized for smartphones. Furthermore, there are a number of social network platforms that completely rely on smartphone use, such as Foursquare. Foursquare allows users to “check-in” in a variety of locations, allowing them to score badges based on how often they register at a venue. It is vitally important that businesses understand which social networks have the most potential for their smartphone customers.

4) Emails

A common activity among many smartphone users is to check their email. Given this trend, it is critical that businesses tailor their emails specifically for their smartphone audience. Aside from the practice of optimizing emails for smartphones, there are a number of creative ways in which businesses can utilize email marketing. One way is to use coupons that do not require any printing, instead simply requiring the users to present the coupon in-store.

5) Advertising

With the increasing number of smartphone users, it naturally stands to sense that advertising would follow the similar trend. Mobile advertising appears in a variety of different forms, such as video ads and banner ads in mobile games. According to a Google infographic, roughly 82% of smartphone users take notice of mobile ads. Businesses would do well to take advantage of the high impression rate and utilize mobile advertising.

Many businesses, especially small, local businesses, may be skeptical of the potential of mobile marketing. However, it would be foolish to ignore the increasing numbers of users who are purchasing smartphones every day. Stay abreast of competitors and gain an edge in the market, by using the connection between smartphones and marketing.

Author Bio: Rachel Hyun Kim is a writer on topics ranging from electronic medical billing software to payroll services. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including telemarketing services for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.

The Social Media market is already fraught with different social networking websites. So, how can Google Plus even be able to compete with the networking websites like Facebook and Twitter. But, it seems that with the introduction of the Google’s announcement of Search Plus Your World, a revised search experience, it may be able to gain a place with millions of users. So, it would be better for most of the website owners to get social bookmarking done so that they get increased number of visitors to their website with Google’s search Plus.

What is Google Plus About?

The Google Plus world has brought in almost a phenomenal change in the social marketing industry. This is advantageous for the both the researchers and users and the website owners. The Google Plus can help you gain good ranking of your website. In fact, Google Plus is seen to be growing at a phenomenal rate of 625,000 users per day. So, Google’s claim to reach to at least 400 million users by the end of this year (2012) seems to be quite a real possibility.

If compared with Facebook, Facebook had not even been able to get 400 million users within January, 2008 though it had been operating for three years at a stretch. However, after so many years of popularization, it has now reached the benchmark of 800 million users all over the world.

According to many entrepreneurs and SEO analysts, if Google continues to bring in such changes as is the case with Google Plus, it will be able to bring in better content quality and relevancy. According to them this is a watershed – Google Plus is going to show up on most of search engines throughout the world while Facebook Like shows up only on people’s personally owned pages.

So, these characteristics may be able to help most of the business owners to connect easily with others – other business owners, clients, the market and so on. This is going to make social media sharing easier and beneficial for the companies.

Then, Google Plus has Circles, which is another great aspect about the same. This allows you to have a proper control on the things and events or items that you share – where and with whom. In addition, Google Plus has also added the other Google products onto this, like the contacts, the photos from Picassa Web Album, search results. These have all been listed in the Sparks and thus through this Google Plus has been able to achieve the height of an all en-compassing hub that helps the people online – individuals and corporations.

Other than this, Google Plus also provides better privacy than other social networking websites. In addition, it also provides a better platform for discussion. You can have the option to view the conversations in a totally different way; for you will no more be required to watch the conversations in a linear way. You will be able to view the same on a prioritized basis.

In an era of technological innovations, many businesses are embracing the trend of online marketing as a tool to augment their business model. That is all well and good but there are many common misconceptions businesses hold about online marketing.

Apart from the understanding that online marketing requires creativity and technological expertise, time, effort and money need to be devoted to the cause. Search engine optimisation is also integral to the success of an online marketing strategy. Here are five various misconceptions businesses hold about online marketing and myths that may be stopping them from achieving success in the cyber arena.

This will take no time at all

Success does not come overnight – ask Steve Jobs or any successful entrepreneur. The same principle applies to online marketing. It is not a quick method to make large amounts of money. There are many a people enjoying hefty profits and reaping the rewards of online marketing but it is important to note that they had a long term plan and followed it strictly.

You may have to spend several hours each week or employ a designated person to manage your website and your internet marketing campaign. Good SEO, an attractive yet functional website and consistency throughout your website are good starting points and will give you the solid foundation you need to position yourself highly in search engine results and entice visitors.

I am a market leader, my product will sell

You may be the industry leader in your field but to establish a strong online presence, it is crucial that viewers find you in search engines. Word-of-mouth advertising is not sufficient in this day and age and search engine optimization is vital. To increase your site’s chances of success in the online realm, you should have a concise yet descriptive website title that aptly describes what services your site provides. The title appears in a search engine’s result page. Content of the website has to be relevant and has to repeat specific keywords throughout for SEO purposes.

Avoid Flash as generally HTML increases search engine optimization. As Flash sites often take a longer time to load, the lack of speed may also deter certain customers. Internal lining within the website is a great way to get your website noticed by search engines and to increase the ranking of internal pages.

My site looks great therefore it’ll be profitable

Your website may have an aesthetically pleasing homepage and funky graphics that would captivate visitors but all count for naught if your website is not being clicked on. Websites do not sell themselves and if they are nonexistent on search engines, they won’t generate traffic and your products and services will not be known to anyone. Invest in proper search engine optimization to ensure this is not the case.

Social media is a fad

Many people talk about SEO, rankings and traffics when they discuss online marketing campaigns. The phenomenon of social media however beckons forth its integration into online marketing campaigns, despite naysayers who insist it is a trend.

There are many opportunities for business to tap into the emerging trend and use it to augment their business. If used properly, social media has limitless opportunities for customer growth, it is cost-effective and it is one of the most effective ways to promote marketing campaigns to a target demographic.

I’m successful, I can stop now

Never be content with what you have. Your site may be getting plenty of clicks and unique visitors, it may be selling product and services at an escalating rate everyday but always remember – competitor companies are not far behind and you can never rest on your laurels.

Constantly keep your website relevant, fresh and up-to-date because online marketing is all about perseverance, commitment and diligence. Businesses suffer when they start to neglect their websites as new concepts enter the online realm every day. It is your job to stay up-to-date with these developments.

When social media took flight in the days of Myspace, nobody expected it to be the way it is now. MySpace introduced the world to a new way of communication that seemed to change the life of every person. Then Facebook came along using the basics of MySpace while adding new features to enhance the social media experience.

As Facebook rose to the top, many new companies came along searching for a piece of the pie. Those who were loyal to MySpace kept their profile but Facebook gave them so much to get familiar with. As they seemed to forget about MySpace the increased competition sent MySpace to the grave and led to the rise of Twitter and LinkedIn. As Twitter stepped on the scene with its 140 characters and unique look, people who frequently communicate on Facebook, created a Twitter account to see what it was all about. The birth of these new websites still couldn’t slow down Facebook but Google + was in the background with a secret of their own.

Facebook continued to shows its hand and unveil new products not knowing that Google was working on Google+. While Facebook spent most of its time trying to keep it users happy, platforms like Google+ continuously look for ways to generate new users. People love options but the generic friendships on Google+ do not seem to have the same appeal and sustainability when compared to Facebook. With over 800 million users it is safe to say the 40 million Google+ users are more than likely already on Facebook. Many celebrities like Britney Spears and Pit Bull are fan favorites on Google+ but there is not any real communication. It is actually more of a promotional page that seems to be ran by publicist.

Google entered the social media scene and tried to control the amount of users who could sign up by making it invite only. That actually had a negative effect because it took away the interest for those who wanted to sign up right away. While Google built its social media brand to overthrow Facebook it looks like it will be many years before the search engine giant will reach the number one spot. The buzz surrounding Google+ and its hangout feature was supposed to be big selling point but it has not worked as a way to excite social media users.

Mobile device security should be a major concern for those who own and use smartphones. When you obtain a new phone, a few preliminary security steps should be taken to ensure that your data is secure and your phone is safe. The folks at Veracode have put together an infographic called “So You Got A Smartphone for Christmas,” that is complete with some essential security steps that a smartphone user MUST perform to protect the phone from hackers and other prying eyes. Though the steps on the Veracode site primarily address Android and Apple iOS phone operating systems, these steps are great advice for any brand of smartphone. New smartphones are not set up with these security precautions when they are shipped from the factory. You must actively perform a few actions to make sure your personal data and your device are protected and secure.

1.) Immediately change (or set) the password on the phone, as well as for your voicemail account before using the device. The phone password will either be set to a factory default password, or the device will not have a password configured. Most phones will walk you through setting the device password through the initial setup application. The voicemail password will be set when you initially configure your voicemail account for first use. Be sure to perform this step even before making your first call.

2.) When you set your phone and voicemail passwords, be sure to use a PIN or password that is difficult for hackers to guess. Do not use your birthdate or any other information that might be easy for others to discover and use to access your phone.

3.) Disable wireless connections, such as Bluetooth, if you do not use them. Open wireless connections may provide a hacker with open access to your phone and data. Only set up and save WiFi connections that you use.

4.) Configure the time-out settings on the phone so that the device is password protected after five minutes of inactivity. Even though you will need to enter the password each time you use the phone after it has set for several minutes, your data and phone will be much more secure by implementing this step.

5.) Do not install apps from sources that you do not know and trust. Be careful when installing freeware or trialware to your phone. You may be installing a backdoor access mode for a hacker along with the application. It is a good idea to read reviews about apps before your install them just to make sure that others have had positive experiences with the apps. Apple reviews and approves iOS apps for access through iTunes. Occasionally, Apple will disapprove a previously-approved app if the app does not perform well or is questionable in any way. Through this process, Apple is able to further protect their iOS operating system users from harmful and buggy apps.

6.) Immediately install mobile security software to protect your device. Veracode suggests a security application such as Lookout for smartphone protection.

7.) Mobile device management software is necessary for not only managing data on the phone, but to access additional security features, as well. For example, Apple’s iOS management software will enable geolocation for your phone in case the phone is lost or stolen. Also, if you phone is lost or stolen, you are able to wipe all of your personal data from the device using the management software.

8.) Be sure to back up your phone to another storage location on a regular basis. Should your media card or phone hard drive become corrupted, you do not want to lose all of your valuable photos, music and files.

9.) Whenever using a public WiFi connection, never log into your bank account or access any other personal data. Hackers may easily access sensitive data when sent over a public WiFi connection.

10.) Update the firmware on your device as soon as upgrades are available. Often, firmware is upgraded to close security holes and fix flaws in previous versions.

By taking these steps as soon as you get a new smartphone, you will make your device much more secure and inaccessible to hackers and others who seek to obtain your personal information.

Author Bio: Stacy Gianakura writes for Brainloop, a company specializing in on-the-road secure document compliance solutions that travels with you.

In this era of digital technology, shared information and social media you can not go a day without hearing somebody claiming they have been hacked. Athletes, celebrities, politicians and average citizens are the target of hackers who make a living by making our lives miserable. We could blame this on the hackers and those who educated them but some of the responsibility lies with us.

The skill of so-called hackers has reached new levels with the expansion of technology and the use of online websites to pay bills and store priceless information. Online passwords are used to secure emails, social media accounts, information at work, bank accounts and access to online medical records. People who frequent the internet and use many different websites typically use the same password for all accounts. This may seem convenient but you are taking the same risk as somebody who has a list of passwords written on a piece of paper sitting next to their computer.

In 2010 Justin Bieber complained of a fan hacking into his Twitter account and releasing the teen idol’s phone number to the public. Bieber responded to this not-so-serious threat by releasing the hackers phone number to all of his Twitter followers. Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York tried to blame hackers for releasing explicit pictures from his Twitter account. His use of the blame game did not go over very well and consequentially led to his resignation. The most recent and notable situation involving hackers was the group LulzSec who used their expertise as a way to breach the cyber security of AT&T, PBS, the CIA and many others. This malicious attack led to the release of 62,000 emails addresses, passwords and documents of those who represent these major companies.

Some of these attacks by hackers can pose a threat to a whole community and sometimes it is nothing serious at all. Most people believe they have a secure password that only they can figure out. Hackers look at these people as a challenge they are willing to face. There are simple things you can do to protect yourself from these threats. Instead of using the same password for every website, pick a password that has a direct correlation to the website. Another way to secure your passwords are by changing them every couple of months. If you need to write the passwords down, make sure you have them in a safe place where you keep other important documents.

What works for one business might not work for another, and Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter each have their pros and cons. As a result, many businesses create pages on all three sites, thinking that “more is better”. However, I don’t think that’s always advisable, especially for small businesses. This is primarily because many businesses tend to create and then abandon their social media profiles. Google Local finds information about local businesses based on their social networking information.

This means that if you have an abandoned social media profile, or one that has conflicting information with another profile, then you could show up local on Google Local business searches. This will hurt many local businesses a lot more than failing to reach out to the few people who are still on Google Plus or MySpace but not on Facebook. It’s fine to have multiple profiles if you maintain all, but remember that each social media site is different so content that works for one might not work for others. Social media is great for connecting with users, but it’s not really a broadcast medium. I’m reviewing Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter from a small business perspective so that you can figure out which one to use your business.

Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social media site and Facebook users are easy to target with ads. Small businesses can make pages for free and They can also have ads which are very easy to target. For example, your business can make an ad aimed only at people who “Like” a certain page. There are pages for companies, interests, and even individual movies and sports teams. Furthermore, ads can be tailored based on people’s browsing history, since Facebook uses cookies to track websites that people go to while they’re logged onto Facebook. These features are standard on most social networks but Facebook’s main draw is that everybody’s already using it, so they don’t have to go through an extra step of setting up an account to see your ads or be exposed to your company’s page.

Google Plus

Google Plus is similar to Facebook, but unfortunately it’s held back by low usership. Plus, Google’s tied it into other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Search, which prevents it from presenting a Google Plus brand to potential new users so it’s unlikely to ever become widespread among ordinary people. On top of that, Google Plus may violate anti-trust laws because Google yesterday announced that it will include things that people “+1” (Google’s version of Facebook’s “Like” feature) in their Google search results. If Google loses an anti-trust lawsuit over this tie-in, it might be forced to remove other tie-ins that are beneficial to small businesses, such as using people’s Google searches to tailor ads toward them in Google Plus.

Twitter

Twitter is a microblogging broadcast service, whereby users subscribe to other users and can send and receive blog posts of up to 140 characters long. This means it’s a great outlet for giving quick updates. However, it’s limited by the 140 character limit and there’s a large overlap with Facebook, since tweets are very similar toward Status Updates in that both are broadcast and seen by people who like your company’s page or are subscribed to your company’s Twitter account. The short post length makes it hard to reach out to subscribers with useful content, so many subscribers could become “blind” to your company’s Twitter account because they’ll see your Tweets as spam.

It is, however, a completely different type of social network than Facebook and Google Plus, and it has some advantages. People can talk about the same subject by using metatags and see what everybody else who’s using these metatags is saying (Facebook has a similar feature but it’s not ubiquitous yet). This means that you can use Twitter to create buzz about a product launch or whatnot, and then control the dialogue and reach out to many highly targeted users at minimal cost.

This is a guest post by Steve Sims. Steve does PR, marketing, and writing work for Influence People. Influence People is an online marketing and blogger outreach consulting firm in San Francisco. Influence People writers write on many topics, such as INTENTclick.

Social media has exploded in recent years due to sites such as YouTube, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, and thousands of other social marketing websites. What really stared the trend was in 2004 at a web conference the term “Web 2.0” was coined by Tim O’ Rilley. Web 2.0 is a way for internet users to directly interact with other internet users on the web via social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, social media sites, blogs, etc. When internet marketers realized the potential of these social media sites is as a way to gather customer information they began to join social and actively participate in these networks. There is a goldmine of information that customers share on social media websites.

All these new means on communication created new jobs in the internet marketing field. There are now companies desperately seeking out designers, programmers, internet marketers, and social media gurus to maintain and grow the company’s presence on the web. Businesses even have entire departments devoted to social media marketing specialists that spend all day interacting with others on the web. This has become a full time job and if your business is not participating in social media marketing strategies then they are falling behind and losing customers to their competitors.

What does all this mean for you? It means there are many job opportunities available in the field of social media marketing due to the influence of the internet and the trillions of websites that have emerged. All these websites are potential employers and many of these businesses are very lucrative; while the majority is unfortunately failing. This is where internet marketing, specifically search engine optimization and social media marketing techniques come into play. If you are looking to get a job involving social media there are endless opportunities out there; from start ups looking to make a name for themselves to established businesses that are looking to boost their presence on the web.

Most social media jobs do not require formal schooling or college degrees, but rather prefer to see that you have had hands on training and experience in the field of social media. You have to love internet marketing and always stay up on the latest trends and topics because what works today may no longer work tomorrow. The internet evolves at a rapid pace so formal education does not play a role in the hiring process; although it is always a good idea to get a college degree in Business Marketing. If you are looking for upper level positions you may want to inquire a MBA program in your local area.

MySpace was once the largest haven for marketers, musicians, and people to visit. That lasted for a few years and then Facebook emerged. Facebook changed the game completely with the live stream, chat features, image and video tagging, and many other innovative features. A few years later Twitter emerged as a micro-blogging platform and has become a favorite site for most internet users. And do not forget about YouTube, which is the second most popular site on the web. All these changes happened so quickly and unexpectedly that to be a successful internet marketer you need to always be reading social media news.

Many job boards have emerged in recent years such as Monster, Indeed, Career Builder, Craig’s List, and many others. These are like social networking websites that allow employers to post jobs and employees to seek out jobs related to their expertise. Another useful way to find a job I to go to the website and search for employment opportunities or a contact us page. This will lead you on your way to finding out who is hiring and how the selection process works.

The of landscape of social media has changed in many ways since the days of MySpace. While many people do not like change there are millions who embrace it with open arms. The swing in social media has come at a time when users continuously want is the newest thing. Those who were fortunate enough to take part in the tech boom have been found a way to stay involved and give users what they want. Sean Parker of Napster fame is one of these people and you can be sure he will not slow down anytime soon.

A new breed of programmers have teamed up with those who were around in the very beginning. Sean Parker is well known for his role as Napster Creator. His knowledge and expertise of what people want is the main reason he has managed to keep his place in social media. Everybody thought they had heard the last of Sean Parker when he lost his courtroom battle with Metallica and the music industry. That was until he found out about Facebook and used his name to befriend Mark Zuckerberg. His cool guy persona and technology expertise led to him becoming one of the initial Facebook investors. When he stepped down from his position at Facebook, the social media world should have known it would not be the last they hear from Sean Parker.

The tech boom has opened the door for new ideas and made a way for programmers to become millionaires. The competition has led to the creation of powerful partnerships similar to that of old mafia families. As new programmers work to build their brand, advice and financing from social media legends is well invited. When Sean Parker signed a check to become an investor in Spotify it definitely put a smile on the face of Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Sean Parkers ability to predict what social media users want was put on display in the blockbuster movie Social Media. It was only a matter of time before he used his knowledge and contacts to boost the Spotify appeal.

When Facebook held its annual developers conference Sean Parker was on hand with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. The buzz surrounding Spotify just might be the reason they were able to generate 100 million dollars in funding during the month of June. The new partnership with Facebook is sure to bring Spotify new users and more money. To celebrate the success of Spotify Sean Parker decided to host a lavish event that will never be forgotten by the millionaires and billionaires who were invited.

Time flies on wings and it is time that has made everything around us transitory. In our walk of life we meet people and then tend to lose being in touch with them.  We can’t really blame anyone given to the cause that life has now become quite hectic. Everyone seems to be in a rush and with the technological advancements; we have sort of given ourselves an online existence. Our social life has now become all the social networking sites where our profiles make us what we are to the world. We now interact with our long lost friends, colleagues and distant relatives through the social networking sites. Nothing is bad about it though as social networking sites like Facebook has given us enough space to pour ourselves out on its pages. It has given us apps, the power to create groups, be a part of communities, like and comment posts, the freedom to share our thoughts, upload pictures and videos and what not. With new features being introduced to keep its 800+ million users contented, Facebook Timeline is a new feather added to the cap.

However, despite its popularity it has been noticed that the Facebook Timeline is yet to make their appearance across all the profiles in Facebook. It is upto the users to enable the feature and publish it, many users are still sticking to their older profiles. This might be so because many of us are yet to realize the importance of it, both in personal and professional terms. It is therefore important that one first knows what the Timeline is all about. To put in simple terms, the Facebook Timeline is a medium to document your life in a digital format right from the time you create the profile till date through posts, photos and events.

When we are saying that the Facebook Timeline presents a slice of the user’s life, then it is true. A slice as it has got privacy settings to display just as much as you want to the other followers. Your profile is your private space and how much public you want to make it is dependant on you. The Facebook Timeline can be easily added just buy using the button ‘Get Timeline’. Once the user has enabled the feature, he or she can now wait to ‘Publish It’ to the profile. Until and unless it is published, no one else can view it.

The Facebook Timeline is divided in certain parts. The beginning allows the user a cover. It’s like the first step- a book cover- it is a picture that represents you and the first thing that the visitors can see. Next comes the ‘Your Stories’ section where as the user one can write down the posts, upload pictures and note down events to be shared with friends and family members. Use the ‘Apps’ to talk about your interests as in music, movies and any other hobby.

Shifting to the professional perspective and recent reviews have brought this to the limelight that a Facebook Timeline can very well be an online resume. That is what employers are treating it to be. This is a better way to know applicants, they say. The chronological description of your life’s events tells a lot about who you are. With the Timeline chalking out the details according to specific time frames, navigating through the user’s profile is easy (a fast Internet service by the internet service providers is good for quick loading of the pages). You get to know what you just want to know rather than doing unnecessary amount of searching. It is however upto the user to see that any prospective employer is viewing the right details related to your career. An organized list is what can make things easier.

For businesses also, the Facebook Timeline can do wonders. It can capture mass attention and a good number of followers, go for good brand promotion and create value through this social media platform. An interesting page with the company’s achievements over the years can score more over a static website.

Facebook Timeline is therefore like a picture album which chronologically lays out your important events and memories. It can be termed as a social scrapbook through which the users can flip through the pages and take a journey backwards in time.

About the Author: Adriana Jones is a Freelance and Staff writer who writes informative articles on internet service providers in different areas. She is an expert on topics related to cables internet providers, broadband services, telecom etc.