Orkut Counter-Attacking Facebook?

It was only 3 to 4 years back when Orkut was the dominating social networking site in Brazil and India. No doubt, it still maintains the lead in these two regions, however the growing popularity of Facebook has forced it to put the thinking cap on to maintain its leader’s position. Not surprisingly, Google-owned Orkut has decided to refurbish its interface and design, which would be rolled out in few days. 

Users switching to Facebook from Orkut permanently would now have a reason to stay back due to the latest developments planned by the site. To start with, the new site has fewer pages and quicker browsing to help people connect with each other through multiple activities like chatting, watching videos, browsing and searching within full friends and communities lists on the same page. Secondly, it has reorganized the most important activities on the site for easier navigation and usage with a clean, simple interface.

Unilever Ambitious About Asian Market, Adopts Social Media

Looking at the rate at which social media is growing amongst small businesses across the world, corporate giants are making sure not to be left behind in experimenting the latest marketing medium. We’ve already seen companies like Ford, General Motors, Coca Cola, Southwest Airlines, etc. embrace social media and using it effectively to create a strong online presence. Now, its time for FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies to set the gear high and ride its benefits! According to Advertising Age, FMCG mogul Unilever is all set to whirl the social media wand in the Asian market.

Apparently, Asia is the biggest market for the FMCG companies to market their products, with demand escalating from fast-developing nations like China and India. Being aware of the growing competition, Unilever has decided to promote three of its popular brands, Pond’s, Lux and Comfort through social media. The aim is to target specific regions and engage users via certain social media platforms like blogs, video-sharing sites, etc.

One Year Enough for Facebook to Triple its US Market Share

They say change is the only thing that is constant. While year 2009 has been fabulous for Facebook as it became the leading social network worldwide, MySpace has struggled to sustain its strong position that it enjoyed last year. The US market has embraced Facebook and distanced from MySpace ever since the former gained acceptance and adulation from the global social networking audience.

The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company grabbed a 59% market share in US according to online research firm Hitwise. On the contrary, MySpace managed to grab only 30% of the visits in September this year. If you still think that 30% is not bad, you are bound to get shocked after comparing MySpace’s performance during the same period last year.

Social Media Expands Horizon for Travel and Hotel Companies

There’s an explosion of social media sites that are ready to assist the travel and hospitality industry reach out to both, their existing as well as potential customers. As users increasingly use forums, review sites and social networking sites to share their experience, seek answers to their queries and assist others in need, the popularity of these social media platforms is certainly on the rise.

While Facebook and Twitter are still the favourites for most of the travel and hotel companies, other niche sites like WAYN, LonelyPlanet, Virtual Tourist, etc. are making their presence felt as well. They are soon becoming an online destination for users to share their travel pictures, likes and dislikes, views and knowledge about a particular place, etc.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Gear Up for Social Media Promotion

Though social media promotions are common in countries like the US and the UK, emerging economies like India too are accelerating into the new world of marketing. Not only businesses and the entertainment industry, but also the sports industry has started taking social media seriously – particularly Cricket, which is considered as a “religion” in India by many.

The Indian Premier League (IPL), a Twenty20 version of cricket, has earned tremendous popularity in India and several other cricketing nations. The format, which currently includes eight franchises in form of teams, comprises of professional players from different International cricket teams to compete for the tournament. Though these teams invest huge amount of money in offline promotions, some have turned up to online media since the last year after realizing its potential in connecting with the Cricket fans.

Bollywood Celebs Become a Victim of Twitter

Businesses, average citizens, Hollywood superstars, sportsmen, and now Bollywood celebrities; the Twitter phenomenon is experiencing rapid growth amongst the top-notch personalities across the world. It has just been over a month, and Priyanka Chopra – a prominent celebrity from the Indian film industry – has become the latest sensation on Twitter.

With over 22,000 followers already, Priyanka Chopra has managed to use the micro-bogging site effectively to stay connected to her fans and friends, which include Mallika Sherawat and Gul Panag (also famous actresses from the Indian film industry).

How Search Engines are Relevant to Social Media Success

Social media is being given a lot of importance in the modern business world. Marketers from across the world are slowly becoming aware of the benefits of social media, thereby investing considerable amount of money and time to use it for marketing purposes. However, in the wake of this, most of them seem to be forgetting the significance of search engines.

Several platforms such as social networking, social bookmarking, video and photo sharing sharing, discussion forums, blogs and microblogs together form social media.

How Users Tried to Popularize Jeff Hardy on Twitter

Twitter is considered as one of the most important social media sites today. Its use has been different for different user categories like individuals, businesses, celebrities, etc. Moreover, what has been surprising is the manner in which Twitter is used for promotional purposes.

For those who use Twitter, you would have come across ‘Trending Topics’ section at the right hand side of the site once you log in to your account. This section displays the most popular topics discussed by the ‘Twitterers’. The benefit of this is that the topic appears in front of millions of Twitteres all across the world. One such topic that was intentionally trying to be pushed lately was WWE star ‘Jeff Hardy’.

Twitter can be Dangerous to your Brand … Sometimes

Twitter has become a very important site for businesses today. As companies realize the power of Twitter in helping them connect with their present and potential customers, the micro-blogging service has created a strategic business position across the globe. There are already thousands of brands leveraging it as part of their social media activity, along with several others keen to use it for the first time.

However, like every coin has two sides, so does Twitter. Though it is beneficial in nature, it can also prove to be dangerous if not monitored and used effectively.

Barely 3 Months, and 50 Million Users Added

Facebook has become a synonym for social networking, which is not suprising at all especially due to its phenomenal influence on the global audience. After reaching a landmark of 200 million worldwide users just 3 months ago, the social networking mogul has crossed yet another milestone by reaching a whopping 250 million subscriber-base.

Facebook mastermind Mark Zuckerberg expressed delight on the official blog, stating 250 million users not just an impressive number, but also a mark of how many personal connections all the members have made.