Google has launched real-time search on their search engine result pages. In addition to typical search results, users now running a search will be exposed to real-time results from sources such as Twitter, Facebook, identi.ca, Jaiku, and MySpace. Some users already see this implemented, while most others will notice real-time results in the coming days, including mobile users!

The Inevitable is Available

Most people are saying this was an inevitable milestone. I agree. I just have a few questions and concerns.

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Summary Analysis for search on "Jay Cutler" using Social Mention

I like to think of myself as someone who is always up to speed with the latest and greatest technologies. If it’s new, I’m interested. If it’s cool, I have to have it. I’m an early adopter so to speak. With this in mind, it may come as a surprise that I was among the few to resist the call to Web 2.0. As communication became more casual, less formal, I understood each step along the way: bulletin boards (BBS for you old timers), chat rooms, forums, email, instant messaging and text messaging. I even understood blogging. Try as I might, I just couldn’t understand Web 2.0.

Limitations

Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters. Even text messages have a 160 character limit. I was being told I couldn’t do more with a QWERTY keyboard than I could with a standard phone dial pad! It was maddening!

Facebook was a completely different animal. Suddenly everyone had an account. 300+ million of them now. Friend requests were being made and it was a race to see who had more friends. What was the social etiquette for turning down unwanted friend requests? Is it OK to de-friend someone? Why am I getting all of these pointless comments?

Reality

I was looking at it all wrong. 300+ million. Think about that number for a minute. What I wasn’t seeing was right in front of me. Facebook, Twitter, and their counterparts had become a virtual water cooler. Friends were keeping up with each other from across the world in quick, easily digestible tidbits. And all of it is publicly available.

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Personalization is a topic often discussed when it’s time to rebuild a website. What is it? What does it do? Should our website do it? How can we be like Amazon? That last one is a good one. I hear it frequently.

Historically, personalization has been divided into two categories: explicit and implicit. I say historically because this is shifting. I don’t know what to call the new category just yet, but more on that later. First, let me start by giving you a quick overview of personalization to date.

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If you run a company that offers products, services or has any type of brand and are not monitoring the conversation on blogs, microblogs, forums, Web sites or anything around the online social space – you are not listening to your customers and have no idea how you are being perceived (or in reality if customers like you).

The days of customers just calling or emailing you to tell you what they think are declining. Today, due to growth in social spaces likes Twitter, Facebook and even blogs; people are now conversing about products, companies, events and ideas online more than ever. This could mean hundreds or even thousands mentions of your company may be happening, each and every day, without your knowledge – both good and bad. It used to be if someone had an experience, either good or bad, with a company, service or product, they would tell their handful of friends of the experience. Nowadays, they may tell their 300 Facebook Friends and 500 followers on Twitter instead. The average person’s reach is much further thanks to the power of social media. As a result, it is important that you and your company are online monitoring and managing your reputation.

What does it mean to monitor the conversation and manage my reputation? Simply put you need to:

• monitor and read what is being said online
• reward the positive
• work to turn the negative into a positive

How do I do this? It is actually very easy. All you need to do is come up with a list of terms related to your company, such as company name or product names and enter them into one or more of these free online tools that will show you what is being posted as content online.
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Recently, a client asked me whether his company should be blogging?  I asked him what was he trying to accomplish by having a blog and he said he did not know.  He said that it seemed like every other company was doing it, so he thought maybe his company should, too.  I told him that if his only reason was everyone else was doing it, then the answer was easy – no, don’t start a blog.  Does that mean I do not think blogging is useful or beneficial?  Of course, not.  I am a big fan of blogging, as I have a personal blog and you are reading my company’s blog right now.  However, if you are a business or a person planning to start blogging, I think it is important to understand why.  What do you plan to accomplish with your blog?

Oddly, my personal blog started by accident and with no strategy, so I will admit I did not practice what I am about to preach.  However, I did learn from it.  I created my blog as a way to share Halloween pictures after a Halloween party I hosted in October 2007.  Almost two years and 2,250 posts later (yes, I know that is an average of 3 posts per day. Like I said, I am a big fan of blogging) it is still alive and kicking.  So why do I blog and what am I trying to accomplish with my blog?  For me, it is where I think, plan and reflect.  It is a place where I can express myself without censorship.  It is a way for me to share with the world what I find interesting. It even allows me a forum to vent from time to time.  In many ways, it is my little corner of the world.  Some of my posts are very generic and just recap a day, so at times it is my journal.  Other posts are quite personal and almost like therapy. Sometimes I find the best way to release something, is to put it out there in writing.

I doubt you are going to start a blog for your business as a way to post Halloween photos or as a place for your own personal therapy, right?  Correct.  Although, I do love Halloween and would love to see any great costumes you have done in the past.  No?  Okay.  That does not mean your business does not need a blog.  So why should a company have a blog?  I can think of several reasons:

Reason #1 – blogs are an ideal way to communicate with your customers.
Unlike a Web site or a contact us form, a blog allows comments and gives your customers a way to participate in a conversation with you.  They can offer suggestions, feedback and even ideas to help your company grow.  It also allows your customers and even postential customers, to see what other customers are saying.  I know what you are already thinking.  That means my blog may become a place where someone could say bad things about my company. Yes!  But, wouldn’t you rather get feedback, even bad feedback and deal with it to become a better company than pretend it does not exist?  As I see it, a negative comment on your company blog may be an opportunity to change an unhappy customer to a happy, loyal customer.  We all want happy, loyal customers.

Reason #2 – it is instant content in the blogosphere about your company.
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I don’t know of anyone who gets more than 24 hours in their day. Most days it’s tough enough to do your job, take care of administrative items (email, meetings, kickoffs, proposals), eat your three meals, see your family/friends, and get sufficient sleep. Maybe you have a book on your night stand at home. Are you sure it’s still relevant to your field?

Today, new ideas surface faster than ever; if you want to stay ahead of your competitors, you need to be tuned in at all times. If you want to stay stagnant and see others pass by, then this post won’t be for you. These suggestions will help you cut your time.

Here’s how I keep up:

Use a feed aggregator – scan many headlines at once

Most blogs and news sites utilize web feeds. A feed (aka RSS) syndicates website content. Using an aggregator like Google Reader, Bloglines, or NetNewsWire allows you to subscribe to your favorite sites’ content – think of it like a newspaper subscription. I recently converted from Bloglines to Google Reader. Here’s a small shot of my subscriptions.

Use stripped down Twitter tools

Twitter grew 752% in 2008 and is picking up quickly, especially in marketing circles. Businesses are using it to communicate with their clients and prospects. Did you hear about how Comcast created a lot of positive buzz using Twitter? Millions of users blurt out messages (limited to 140 characters) of whatever they feel like. It’s similar to Facebook’s status updates, but it’s more important as it’s all searchable. Find an answer to a development question, research positive experiences with online print companies, or maybe you’re wondering what someone is saying about the seminar you’re at. Businesses, Twitter is another excellent way to communicate with your clients. 

Right now, I’m following about 170 people on Twitter who all have interesting things to say. I’ve subscribed to a “Bridgeline Digital” search result to monitor what people are saying about Bridgeline, similar to Google Alerts. I recommend you do the same for your own company/name. Follow me on twitter if you’d like.

I use TwitterFox instead of the website, which embeds my stream into my Firefox status bar . If you become a twitter power user, check out Tweetdeck.

Attend seminars and meet-ups

Remember human contact? Each month I try to make it to a web meetup on the north shore called Build Guild. Last summer, I attended Mashable’s Summermash Boston and met developers, designers, SEOs, project managers, and marketers. Since then, I’ve stayed connected with them on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, and StumbleUpon. Make a point to try out 3-4 meetups this year.

Sometimes Google isn’t the answer

Google’s search results are continually getting better, but consider using some other resources to find the best answers. Don’t discount:

• Delicious – search people’s bookmarks
• LinkedIn Answers
• Google blog search
• Twitter search

Written by Marcel Moreau