I'm a numbers nerd. If you are too, then this post is for you. Below are some stats compiled from the From Search to Discovery, What's the Link Between Search and Social? and PR, Social Media & Search sessions at the 2009 Search Engine Strategies conference in Chicago last week:
66% of people on social sites have asked friends or followers to help them make a decision
40% of all searches are real time "what's going on now?"
88% of links that 14-24 year olds clicked were sent to them by a friend
1 billion links clicked every month on Google is the same as 1 billion bit.ly links clicked on Twitter monthly
25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content on social sites
78% of consumers trust peer recommendations over ads and Google SERPs
24 of the 25 largest newspapers are experiencing record declines in circulation because we no longer search for the news, the news finds us.
Chad Richards
If you don’t have an automatic log-in, you likely noticed the debut of Twitter’s new homepage <www.twitter.com> earlier this week. It’s bright. It’s blue. It’s simple.
And it’s all about the search.
Behind us are the days of explaining Twitter. Enough people know about it now. It’s time to focus on searching, which is what makes Twitter stand out from the pack of social media outlets. It’s all about information in the most efficient way possible, and what better way to accomplish that than by placing a search box and the hottest trend topics on the homepage, categorized by the minute, day and week?
Upon discovering the new homepage, I immediately questioned the reason for the revamp. After a quick comparison of the old and new homepages and reflecting upon social media industry changes over the years, it seems to me Twitter is changing directions. Twitter is no longer aiming to serve as a place to build relationships. (That’s what Facebook is for.) Twitter is for information; to find out what’s being talked about in the world right now.
One of the most common reason I hear for why people haven’t joined the Twitter craze, or have an account and rarely log-on, is that they don’t see the point of constant status updates. Now, you and I know that’s far from the purpose — with the exception of public figures — and Twitter knows it too. So Twitter marketing execs have decided to cater to these confused potential users by pitching Twitter as a search tool, rather than a social networking site, in an effort to get them hooked with the easy-to-use search box and trend topics, then reel them in with the quick and efficient search results that allow users to feel knowledgeable and relevant.
The right move? You tell me.
Alyson (follow me @alyandthecity)
Craig Donato speaks with Duncan Alney about Social Search
Every few years we go through radical shifts in technology and the way people use technology. Social search is emerging as an important way in which people discuss brands, do their research, get validation, and a lot more. I had a chance to hang out with fellow bald man Craig Donato, CEO of Oodle.com, and Chad Richards just happened to be around with his camera. Craig points out how people are commenting and conversing online. He encourages us to get involved – by sparking the conversation, tracking the conversation, and figuring out how to participate into the conversation. This is relevant customer oriented conversation – it's word of mouth. And it's the best and oldest kind of marketing!
Yeah you know what I'm going to say next. I'm Duncan Alney, for Firebelly Marketing in Indianapolis, and its another lovely day for social media marketing here. It's sunny and we're going to see James Morrison in concert shortly.
