Archives for posts with tag: trends

Make or Break Time for Twitter

January 8, 2009 //
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The next few months is potentially the make or break period for micro blogging social media application Twitter.  Users of the tool have increased significantly in recent weeks as publicity has grown and awareness of the tool has increased accordingly.

Reports of Twitters use during the Mumbai terror attacks and a recent derogatory article by the mail online caused a major spike in Google searches for twitter and today its infrastructure creaked and crumbled under the strain as its users experienced down due to technical difficulties at twitter HQ.  Twitter doesn’t make any money so there is minimal investment in infrastructure from its founder Evan Williams (creator of blogger which was sold to Google in 2003).

twitter-searches-spike-after-mail-online-article

Twitter is due for even more increased exposure and coming weeks as it is set to be discussed by Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry on the return of The Jonathan Ross Show on Jan 23rd.  Fry and Ross are users of the social application and are set to discuss other celebrity users.

This is likely to increase Twitter’s users and website traffic significantly in a short period of time and considering they are having issues with current levels I hope they are investing in new servers as we speak!

I current trends continue and further awareness can be gained Williams and his fellow board must be hoping for a quick sale to one of the big players with the ability to harness and monetise the Twitter traffic effectively or potentially tie Twitter in with existing social media tools.

But in order to do so Twitter will need to prove its stability over the next 1-3 months or it could be game over and a party like Google may just decide to build its own solution to take its place.

Its going to be a very interesting and important for Twitter and as a fan, I hope it survives and finds its buyer.

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Categories Social Media

Search Volumes Show the Credit Crunch Taking Hold

January 2, 2009 //
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The volume of searches being performed on particular topics can tell you a lot about the world. From seasonality of markets, the latest trendy gadget to who is going to win an election (or at least who is making the headlines!).

In this example which can see the harsh reality of the infamous credit crunch taking hold through the use of Google trends.   Earlier in 2008 term credit crunch as the US sub-prime market fell to pieces and the UK promptly followed suit. The term credit crunch became increasingly popular but now as the affects of it are beginning to really take hold the depressing sight from Google trends shows that searches for redundancy are on the rise in Q4 as businesses feel the pinch.

Don’t be surprised if the next high flying search term in Q1 2009 is recession, a depressing tale told through search volumes!

search engine volumes for redundancy and credit crunch show the extent of the problem

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Categories Search Engine Marketing

Where will you be on Christmas day?

December 24, 2008 //
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I know where Ill be.  Sat in front of the television after consuming far too much turkey with all the trimmings, beer in hand, contemplating which variations of chocolate to consume next!  After all, that’s what everyone does on Christmas Day isn’t it?

Well, apparently, this year will be different.  If the news stories are to be believed millions of people will be logging on to their computers in an attempt to grab a pre-sales bargain ahead of the shop doors opening on December 26th.  Reports on the Sky news website claim 5 million of us will be logging on in between mince pies and spending as much as £100 million.  In the past I can vouch for the fact that Christmas day and Boxing day are notoriously slow days online.  Search volumes and website traffic are down as people spend time with families and sleep off hangovers.  But maybe this year will be different, and December 25th will turn out to be one of the bigger spending days as opposed to the lowest.

I have to say it sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the retailers to me, who have brought forward January sales online to try and cash in before the recession really takes hold.  But maybe I am wrong, and times are changing, Ill certainly be having a look at search and click volumes when I’m back after my Christmas break.  But for now, its back to the sofa and the mince pies!  Merry Christmas!

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Categories Social Media