Power Point Slide Sharing and SEO
posted by Jeanannv on April 8th, 2009Search engines can be a bit finicky about optimization. Google actually has a guide that describes how webmasters should optimize sites for their spiders…and spamming the heck out of all sites imaginable isn’t in there. Consequently, they tend to devalue (not consider important in search results) certain sites that allow that type of posting, like some article and press release sites. They also like to devalue social media tools used for the same purpose, sites like social bookmarking and some social networking sites. Exactly how they devalue it remains a secret…as we are not allowed behind the curtain to see how their algorithm determines what is relevant and what isn’t.
However, publishing your materials on a variety of sites is an important SEO strategy. And there is one type of site that consistently shows up well in the rankings…social power point (ppt) sites like SlideShare. Social PPT sites are 
simply sites that give users space to upload slides, as well as other file types like pdf’s. Each file can be optimized and linked to a website, then shared with the public. The text of the slides is often summarized on the page, making it indexable by search engine spiders.
There are a couple of reasons why these sites are great for SEO. First, you are in complete control of your content. Many other publishing sites restrict content or format in some way and violating those usage rules will likely result in your account being closed. Second, search engines still like these sites and consistently rank them highly in search engine results. Will this last forever? Who knows? Google is famous for suddenly deciding an entire type of platform is no longer important in search engine land. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Third, they are easy to use. If you can create a Power Point slide show, you can use these sites.
Overall, slide sharing sites are a great way to build search engine rankings. If you are working on establishing your presence or moving to the next level, this is a great strategy for giving you an extra boost. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
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Social Media Metrics: The Struggle Continues, Part II
posted by Jeanannv on March 11th, 2009Yesterday, we started the discussion of social media metrics and the imperfect nature of gathering data and assigning it value. Today,we will take a look at creating a system that will help you more effectively collect relevant information. Tomorrow, we will discuss more about analysis and interpretation.
Since there is no one perfect information gathering system (yet), I have created a hack that allows me to get the most of what’s available. It involves using several types of platforms together to gain the greatest understanding.
Here’s a list of the types of data measuring/information gathering tools I use:
- Alerts: Yes, the standard Google-type alert system. Today, most social media sites offer an RSS feed that can be used to track all kinds of information. These alerts aren’t as real time as others, but often catch conversations that other systems miss. They are particularly helpful for tracking name or brand mentions.
- Pipes: I have talked about my love for Yahoo Pipes as an information aggregator. It is also a great source of information tracking. It is like a “meta alert” in that you ca
n create a giant search and filter process that will scour multiple sources, kick out the unwanted, and provide it all to you in a feed. You can even place it right on your igoogle desktop. - Social Search Engines: There are several search engines that offer results based on trending topics. This is a good place to go to check your level of visibility for certain keywords. I have written about OneRiot and its potential for brand research.
- Social Media Conversation Measuring Sites: There are a ton of these tools. Some are specific to a certain type of social media (Technorati Blog Search), others are more broad (Who’s Talkin’, Social Mention). There are also a number of paid sites (Radian6) that have multiple features combined in one platform.
- Site Specific Metrics: Many social media tools have their own measurements and demographic information that is available for the user. Also, keeping track of followers, conversations, group membership is all helpful in measuring effectiveness.
- Traffic/Demographic Metrics; We have all heard of Google Analytics…which is still a great tool…but there are other sites that take it a step further. Quantcast is my favorite of these. For high traffic sites and sites that install its tracking code, it assesses the demographics and offers market segmentation and profile creation.
- Miscellaneous: Sites like Compete.com, Spyfu.com and Alexa can also be helpful. But, the accuracy of the information is not so great for sites that don’t receive a lot of information. I use these as supplemental support, not as the foundation of my measurement efforts.
This is my list of places I am likely to visit in order to cobble together data. Tomorrow, we will talk about what to do with all of it once it is gathered.
Social Slide and Document Publishing Big in 2009
posted by Jeanannv on December 30th, 2008As more and more non-tech businesses join the social media sphere, it only makes sense that applications that appeal to a more traditional office setting would grow in popularity. Social slide and document publishing sites have expanded dramatically, with content owners setting up shop to share and sell original works, presentations and 
slidecasts.
Though the slidecasts are incredibly engaging, I think it is the social ppt and pdf publishing that will attract thousands of business people. There are a few reasons that we might tune in to these virtual business libraries, and information gathering is certainly one of them. But I think the even more compelling motivation is the peak behind the curtain that it offers.
Slide and document publishing, while most likely not sharing any startling industry secrets, does show the world how you do that magic you do so well. And if you are going to be successful in building community on these sites, the information shared must go beyond standard marketing fare and contribute to the collective knowledge base. Your customers, competitors, curious readers, will learn more about the depth of your company’s abilities and services than they ever would on a static website.
It is simple enough to take a presentation created in Power Point and upload it to a site like SlideShare. Once there, it drives traffic in three ways. One, the site itself is a community. Joining different groups, connecting with like minds, following information streams…all will help you find a network within the site. Two, the presentation can be embedded in any number of social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Generating more traffic to your profile to see your brilliance and nifty application. Three, posts on these sites tend to rank extremely well in search results. Highly targeted traffic sent to your presentation, referring them to your site.
Using social slide and document publishing sites in 2009, is just good business strategy. And, it certainly can’t be any easier than it is…just upload and presto, you’re published!
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Social American Supports St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
posted by Jeanannv on December 18th, 2008At Social American, we believe it is incredibly important to give back to the community. And we have chosen St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as our cause to support. St. Jude’s is well-known for the outstanding medical care offered to their small patients. And one of the things that I find amazing is that all children are treated, regardless of ability to pay. With the cost of health care skyrocketing and families struggling with unemployment, St. Jude’s resources are 
more important than ever.
This American institution was founded by Danny Thomas 45 years ago, founded in his sincere desire to help children in need. Since then, they have served thousands of children, and their families, with cutting edge medical technology and best practice standards of care. St. Jude’s treats children in the greatest need and we simply can’t let these kiddos get lost in the crisis of our economy.
The Thanks and Giving Campaign is a great way to support their cause. And if you haven’t had the opportunity to purchase all of your holiday gifts, this is the perfect idea. Eighty-five cents of every dollar goes directly to research and care. Make a donation to St. Jude’s in honor of a friend or family member and they will send a card letting them know of your gift. Really, you get twice the bang for your buck. Or, go shopping at one of their partner businesses and a portion of the total will be donated to St. Jude.
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Social PPT: Sometimes You Have to Give it Away for Free
posted by Jeanannv on December 17th, 2008Social Power Point (Social PPT) is one of those social media trends just bubbling away, right below the surface. And, as I have said before, if you know what is good for you, you will take advantage of it, pronto.
Now, there are options on sites like SlideShare that will allow you to charge for your uploaded multi-media content. And it seems like such a good idea…can we market our business AND make money on the materials? This is the social media marketer’s nirvana…an opportunity to charge for the countless hours invested in the creation of a high quality, if under-appreciated, product.
But, listen honey, sometimes you have to give it away for free. Yes, despite what your grandmother might have told you about “not buyin’ the cow…” you really do have to share it…or at least some of it.
Case in point: Charlie Houston is a crime writer who has been praised by the likes of Stephen King and The Washington Post. He has an assortment of crime noir books, the first of which was published 4 short years ago.
Haven’t heard of Charlie Huston, you say? Well, check out his Scribd site…where you can read his Hank Thompson trillogy: FOR FREE. Caught Stealing, A Dangerous Man and Six Bad Things. You can either read these in the Scribd reader or just download the whole thing.
See what I mean about giving it away for free? Here’s why this guy (or more likely his agent) is brilliantly posting full length books on a social power point site. Because someone like me comes along, sees that I can download these three books to keep me entertained on a (very) long trip for a holiday homecoming. And that, in and of itself, will likely hook me into buying the rest of his novels. Not to mention, finding and joining the 12 fiction groups on Scribd so I can connect with other readers. But that’s not all…now, @jeanannvk, the Twitteraholic, sends a message to 2,000 of her closest friends about these great, free novels…and writes a blog post about the whole thing…catch my drift?
Sometimes, giving it away for free brings in more word of mouth marketing than you can imagine. And social media’s biggest gift is light speed communication. Put the two together, and you literally have an overnight sensation…websites shutting down from volumes of traffic.
Think creatively about what amazing product/service/knowledge you can contribute free of charge. Sharing something meaningful and useful will build goodwill and generate greater returns than nickel and diming every last offering.
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Social PPT
posted by Laurenc on December 12th, 2008Social PPT
: How to Create a Standout Social Media Presentation.
There are a wealth of social power point platforms available to users today, meaning that there is also a wealth of social media information and content out on the net just waiting to be read. With all the “competition” out there, how do you make your presentation stand out from all the rest? Here are some professional tricks of the trade to get you noticed.
1.) Become a thought leader. Don’t simply create another presentation on “What is Social Media” or “how to Use Social Media,” because you will surely get lost in the shuffle. Instead, focus on developing a niche in the market, and become a thought leader in that niche. Stand out from the crowd!
2.) Build a compelling presentation. Remember, you are uploading this presentation to the web for others to find and read. Your presentation must be edgy, and informative, in order to keep users engaged in your content.
3.) Use keywords, and tags, when you upload your powerpoint to the website, to maximize search-ability.
4.) Keep it visual. Your viewers don’t want to be sitting around reading slide after slide for fifty-two slides. Use graphics whenever possible to convey your message, and try to balance your writing with imagery.
Hopefully these tips will help you develop your own intellectual property for the web. If you would like additional information on social media, check out our whitepaper on slideshare (one of my favorite social ppt sites.)
Social PPT
posted by Jeanannv on December 9th, 2008Social PPT: Social Powerpoint, a look into the the future (present?) of social media.
It only makes sense that social media will continue to grow and adapt, finding new ways of meeting the needs of its users. Of late, we have seen the advent of social power point platforms. These sites allow users to create accounts and upload slides, add music and create a videos. 
This incredible technology gives the user to put their brand in to motion…and on a regular basis. These videos have an incredible potential for becoming viral…and it is largely due to their multi-media mashup. The amount of information that passes by the average user’s screen is overwhelming, to say the least. It takes more than just a great idea in a traditional format to pull market share and build brand awareness.
This concept of social power point or multi-media mashups is a great next step. Through these sites, we can engage the user on multiple levels…and if we plan well, make it extremely easy to share the information. Once the mashup is built, it is easily enough submitted across multiple video platforms and embedded in blogs, social bookmarking sites, microblog hybrids like Twitwall…the possibilities are endless.
But, don’t let the capabilities of this technology scare you away from giving it a try. Your end product can be as simple or complex as it needs to be. Check out one of my favorite sites, Scribd, where we have uploaded a basic social media tutorial.
As social media consumers become more tech savvy, they expect more effective and engaging communication tools. Using social power point or mutil-media mashup sites is a good way to create a multi-dimensional, story-telling tool that can be easily shared with the masses.
