MySpace, Facebook, Google+

I know I’m showing my age, but I used to be very active on MySpace.  Even though I was actively promoting many websites, especially my music, and I resisted the transition to Facebook.  I had figured out all the nuances of MySpace, and I didn’t want to have to relearn everything.  

But, eventually, I did.  I made the jump, and once I was in with both feet, I never looked back (I get paid extra by the cliche, you know...).  It is true there was a learning curve.  Not so much how to use it, or how to get around in it, but how to USE it.  Effectively USE it to promote my sites, I mean.  

Each social network is a different animal, and it responds to your methods differently.  There are some underlying principles, it’s true, but still, they’re NOT the same, and if you treat them that way, you’re destined to fail.

So, today, I read an article about the ascendence of Google+, and my first thought was, “Oh, no, not again...”  Now I’m going to have to work both Facebook AND Google+ for a while, and I’ll have to learn it and figure it all out.  I wasn’t looking forward to it.

Still, I jumped in.  I’ve had a Google+ account for a long time, I just haven’t been using it.  I spent some time this afternoon tweaking my profile, finding some friends, and joining a few groups.  I’m not being too active just yet, as I want to discover the lay of the land (more cliches) and watch for a bit first.

There are a few things I like, like the circles, and how easy it was to organize my friends into them.  There are some similarities, like the posting feed.  The more I read, the more I’m convinced that the secret to the future of SEO will be tied into how many +1’s you rack up, so the more I learn about it now, the better off I’ll be.  

I don’t like splitting my time between many social networks.  I don’t like posting the same thing, essentially, on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.  I imagine there’s a lot of crossover in my audiences.  For now, however, I don’t see any other way.

Some bonus thoughts:

1 - I thought it was really interesting that by a total saturation percentage, MySpace (such as it still is) actually beats out Pinterest!

2 - Google owns both Google+ AND YouTube, but added together, they're still just under Facebook!



Mark is currently in the curriculum Department of an internet and SEO training company.

Mark also has other sites and blogs, including Mark's Black Pot - Dutch Oven Recipes, MarkHansenMusic.com and his MoBoy blog.

Making More Money Blogging

Everyone wants to make more money, right?  It seems that no matter how much you have, it would always be nice to have a little more.  As I look at all of the blogs I run, it seems to me that with a little effort, they could all be making me more money.

Over at Problogger , Darren Rowse spelled out three things that could make a blog more successful.  Really, these are the same principles that could make ANY website better.  His ideas to make money blogging are:

1. Increase traffic to the site.
2. Increase conversions of first-time visitors into subscribers of an email list.
3. Increase sales conversions.

His point in the article is that even a slight increase in all three of these areas can add up to a significant increase in the bottom line at the end of each month.

Increasing Traffic

There are, of course, a lot of things that can go into this, from SEO, to linking, to use of social networking.  Before deciding what can be done to improve a site, however, I think it’s important to take a look at the analytics and see where you are.  How can you fix things if you don’t know what is broken?  By the same token, if you know what’s working, you can turn it up!

Email List Building

A major part of internet marketing is, of course, the email list.  If there isn’t one already (like most websites), it’s vital to build one.  First time visitors to your site need to be aware that they can sign up, and be aware of a good reason to.  Is there a freebie giveaway for the signup?  There has to be a benefit.

Increasing Sales Conversions

If a higher percentage of visitors become buyers, then you build your income exponentially.  The same number of visitors makes you more money.  It really makes a lot of sense to put effort into your site’s layout.  Streamline the purchase process.  Make the products more prominent.  Make it easier for people to find and buy your products.  Whether your site is eCommerce or affiliate, the principle is the same.

It’s also valuable to spend some time figuring out what your conversion rate is.  Out of all the pageviews your site gets, how many of them do something you want them to do, like buy something, or click through an affiliate ad?  Before you can improve something, you have to measure it.

There are many different ways to accomplish these improvements.  The first step, really, is knowing where you are now, and where you want to be at the end of the year.  That will help make money blogging!





Mark is currently in the curriculum Department of an internet and SEO training company.

Mark also has other sites and blogs, including Mark's Black Pot - Dutch Oven Recipes, MarkHansenMusic.com and his MoBoy blog.