Optimizing Twitter for SEO

Posted: July 3rd, 2009 | By: Steve Mullen | Filed under: SEO Tactics, Social Media Tactics | 1 Comment

You had to know it was coming. Twitter is taking over. Now, we have to optimize it to make it happy!

Just kidding, of course. What I’m talking about is making sure your Twitter account is optimized for the search engines. Yes, Virginia, Twitter is indexed by Google. That means you want to make sure you get the most bang for that opportunity. I found a good article at Mashable recently that described the steps you should be taking, including picking the right Twitter name and taking advantage of the space for your bio.

Reviving the Traditional Press Release

Posted: May 19th, 2009 | By: Steve Mullen | Filed under: PR Tactics, Social Media Tactics | No Comments

Brian Solis, a Social Media PR practitioner in California, has written an extremely detailed look at the present and future of the news release. It’s definitely worth carving some time out of your schedule to read it.

From the PR 2.0 Blog: Reviving the Traditional Press Release

Richmond’s Social Media, In One Room

Posted: May 7th, 2009 | By: Steve Mullen | Filed under: Social Media News, Social Media Tactics | No Comments

Richmond, Virginia’s Social Media Club was born tonight … with a roar. The roar wasn’t an exclamation of any sort, but rather the roar of a very large crowd gathering, networking, and Tweeting at Morton’s Steak House.

The SMCRVA held its inaugural event earlier this evening. The event sold out, to the tune of 130 or so people, as you can see from the (admittedly blurry) cell phone picture I took of the sea of humanity. The room was absolutely buzzing. Early indications are that this is going to be a successful and long-lasting group, and I thank the organizers for their hard work in piecing it together.

If you’re interested in reading some of the fun and at times weird Tweets that came out of Morton’s tonight, search #SMCRVA on Twitter. It’s worth it … I promise you!

Tags: richmond, social media

Facebook Bad for Your Health?

Posted: February 19th, 2009 | By: Steve Mullen | Filed under: Social Media News, Social Media Tactics | No Comments

A psychologist in the U.K. says Facebook and other social networking sites are bad for your health:

Dr Aric Sigman says the amount of time we spend with each other has slumped dramatically and in turn is damaging our health.

He says our devotion to such sites could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, and the function of arteries, and influence mental performance.

Levels of hormones such as the “cuddle chemical” oxytocin, which promotes bonding, altered according to whether people were in close contact or not.

This could increase the risk of health problems as serious as cancer, strokes, heart disease, and dementia.

Dr Sigman spells out his warning in the latest issue of Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology, and maintains that social networking sites have played a significant role in people becoming more isolated.

>>Continue reading…

Tags: facebook, social media

Poll: Next Prez Should Use Social Media

Posted: January 5th, 2009 | By: Steve Mullen | Filed under: Social Media News, Social Media Tactics | No Comments

During his campaign for U.S. president, Barack Obama made more and better use of social media and phone texting technology than any previous candidate, and according to a new poll released by Pew Internet, many voters want that trend to continue when he takes office.