Web semantics and promotion

There is always something new happening in social media, and recently I’ve read a bunch of really-good-news-to-know articles that could affect your social media marketing.

Here’s what’s going on:

Social bots are on the rise

A Social Media Today article reported on the rise of social bots. Web bots, as you probably know, like to pollute the web with all sorts of spam – email, blog post comments, pop-up ads, etc. We’ve all seen this junk. Well, now it looks like they have infiltrated the social web.

They are most prolific on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Foursquare, and dating sites, and thanks to sophisticated algorithms, they can string together realistic-sounding sentences.

How it bots will affect you: Bots create mistrust, and really, what does a brand have other than the trust of its customers? Some bots are identity thefts, masquerading as people or brands, and thus can easily damage your reputation.

The web is changing

As author David Amerland says, it is no longer about just creating content. It’s about,

“… creating content that helps particular online groups enhance their own reputation, fulfill their interests and get excited about a shared sense of values.”

How “the new web” will affect you: Search will increasingly rely on reputation and trustworthiness. Focus on creating a community online and continually engaging with them.

Facebook promotions just got a whole lot easier

• Facebook no longer requires promotions to be administered through 3rd party apps.
• Promotions can be administered on page timelines and in apps on Facebook.
• Businesses can collect entries by having users post on their page, leave a comment, or like a post.
• Businesses can collect entries by having users message the page.
• Likes can now be used as a voting mechanism.
• Promotions CANNOT be administered on personal timelines