Personal Influence As An Online Marketing Tool

By Gregory Smyth

Google's method of ranking web pages has become one of the most commonly used products in the world, if not the product with the greatest penetration of any - Google is certainly up there with Coke and McDonalds. While not foolproof, a knowledge of Google's systems and processes has become essential for internet marketing services, viral marketing agents and search engine optimization services. Now Google has a new tool for social network marketing - a patent pending method of harnessing the power of the clique. We explain its impact, and how it relates to the basics of social network internet marketing.

The new Google viral marketing tool will essentially produce a number that gives you a rank according to your influence with your peers on social networking sites. The number is an algorithm determined by factors such as how many friends you have, how often you interact with each other's pages, how many friends your friends have, how frequently you and your friends post things on each other's pages, and what your click-through rate is (ie, how many of your friends click on a link you provide or watch a video you post). This allows much more specifically targeted web marketing strategies.

Companies are likely to pay a much higher price for a greater 'guarantee' that their content will be viewed, their link will be clicked on, or their application will be used. Ordinary internet marketing methods like PPC campaigns, distributing press releases, article marketing and contextual ads have a low cost per click because clicks aren't necessarily likely to translate into sales. However, for content that is placed using Google personal influence ranking algorithm, it is much more targeted, and if it is forwarded, it is much more likely to be viewed again. This means that prices of viral marketing ad space could go up, or the use of Google internet marketing tool will be able to be charged at a premium price.

Internet Marketing campaigns on social networks have had the same recommendations for the years since they first gained mass popularity. Your internet marketing services company would try to ensure your advertising met your business objective, encourage interaction from the group's members, utilized media like video and interactive games, and included ways for the information to spread (share links, etc). However, the most critical element in these viral marketing campaigns was ensuring the advertising fit the needs of the community. Google's influence ranking internet marketing tool helps ensure that, by not only indexing the subjects of content that people access, but determining the best way for it to spread.

However, if you want to begin a viral marketing campaign as part of a web marketing strategy, there are some guidelines that focus on good old-fashioned quality, and do not depend on technology. You still need to provide long term value with your social media marketing campaign - create an application that is useful (but also ties into your business). Your marketing product should also enhance the value of the community, meaning that their interaction with each other can be added to by your product. Contests, voting and games are all good examples, and an expert internet marketing services company can help you develop them.