Things the ASA already covers include things like banner ads, paid-for search terms and pop-ups. But from the 1st March 2011, the new ASA rules will cover actual content hosted by businesses themselves, such as marketing communications on their own websites or through other non-paid-for space under their control, such as social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Some material will remain outside the remit of the ASA. This includes press releases and PR material, classified adverts, political adverts, editorial content and corporate reports.

The changes won’t come into effect until next year to give the ASA time to educate and inform businesses throughout the UK about the new and extended regulations.

Why are the ASA doing this? Well, it claims its online extension has the “protection of children and consumers at its heart”. And the new rules are in response to more than 4,500 complaints of online ads since 2008, which the ASA had been unable to deal with because they fell outside its remit.

But what does all this mean to your business? Well, it’s set to be one of the world’s most ambitious attempts to police online marketing and messages on your own company website and social media services will be subject to the same rules as TV and newspaper ads.

It just means the watchdog will be coming down heavy on any online marketing communications that don’t adhere to its regulations. And that’s something you’ve got to bear in mind when conducting any communications online whether that’s paid-for advertising or non-paid-for, such as social media marketing.

You can read the full story here.

I suppose one can always predict that technology will play a huge part in defining our lives. Look at what happened following the Industrial Revolution! And now it’s happening all over again with the Internet and social media. Of course, I expected flying cars and hover boards by now but computers have revolutionised our lives more than anything else.

When I started university, I was lucky enough to have access to the Internet in my own Halls of Residence room – something quite new and exciting at the time. I also had a mobile phone that was black, ugly and plastic. I’d never have guessed that just 14 years later, I would have a touch-screen iPhone that gave me fast instant access to the Internet anywhere and everywhere, at any time and in the palm of my hand.

Technology has defined our personal and working lives, completely transforming how we shop, find love, do business and communicate.

In terms of PR and marketing, where does that leave us? With a whole new focus, that’s where. And that focus is online. Journalists, PR professionals and marketers are all having to learn new skills and adapt to keep up with the impact that technology has had all around us.

That’s why newspaper sales are down as more people go to find their news online. Advertisers are following suit and PR and marketing professionals are also having to learn a whole new ball game. A game that now includes search engine marketing, SEO, social media optimisation, digital copywriting..etc, etc. It’s a whole new world that has come about from the introduction of new technology.

It will be interesting to see how the next 10 years shape up and where PR and marketing agencies will be in 2022 when I’ll be.. 42! Arggh! But that can wait.

Well, it’s a tough one. But think of it like this. The business world is transforming because of the Internet and social media. A whole generation of people grew up with it and, because of their online experiences, they now expect the brands and businesses that they associate themselves with to be open, friendly and transparent. How do you achieve this tone? Through using social media.

But don’t just have a social media presence. There’s a lot more to it than adding a Twitter badge to your website’s home page. Treat social media with the attention it deserves! Engage with people rather than broadcast and build up a solid community. Talk directly to your customers and get them excited about your brand. Build relationships and you’ll be flying high.

And when you’re talking to your customers online, remember to keep the tone friendly yet professional. Don’t swear, try to remain positive, don’t bitch about other brands and respect other people at all times. Most importantly, never drink and tweet!

What’s more, give your brand a personality. Attach it to the MD if you can. Tweet about what you’re up to, make friends on Twitter or LinkedIn and become someone that people like to follow. By doing all of this, you’ll strike just the right chord online.

Finally, I’d advise sticking to Twitter and LinkedIn for your professional social media profiles. And Facebook should be kept for friends only… unless your business calls for that additional social media presence. Double check your privacy settings and check them on a regular basis to ensure you’re protected and you can’t go wrong.

Wrong! Digital marketing is a crucial component of your marketing full stop. It conveniently brings all your requirements together, almost in a perfect harmonious circle, to achieve exactly what you need.

Want to appear higher in the search engine results pages? Digital marketing can help you achieve it.

Keen to protect your brand, attract new customers and raise your profile across the web? Digital marketing is where you should be at.

Digital marketing encompasses important components such as search engine optimisation, interactive public relations, social media, blogging, online advertising – which together, all work beautifully to maintain, protect and boost your company’s profile across the web. It’s a circle of marketing harmony.

Ok, so I’m sounding a little daft but it’s true. Digital PR and marketing is cost-effective because it brings you so many results. For example, by investing in online PR, you’re also simultaneously adding to your SEO efforts. The same applies with social media… The more you blog, the more web traffic you’ll drive to your site and the more you’ll please the search engines.

Every aspect of digital marketing all goes together hand-in-hand. It’s a wonderful thing and one that you shouldn’t be missing out on.

Even better, many businesses haven’t yet fully embraced digital marketing, so think of the head start you’ll get! After all, Google prefers older websites, so the more effort you put in now, the more you’ll benefit in the long run. And who doesn’t want to be leaps ahead of their competition? Exactly. It’s time to give digital marketing another look.

It comes as no surprise to know that many PR agencies who claim they can provide digital communications might not be providing the best service. Because some might be trying to apply the same old traditional marketing techniques to new online media. And that just doesn’t work.

So how do you spot these dinosaurs? How can you choose the right PR agency for your own digital focus? Here’s our top tips on how to pick an agency that will offer you the best digital communications for your business.

Do your Research
The beauty of the Internet is that you can really do your research on anything and anyone. Type any PR agency’s name into Google or Bing and see how many times they appear in the results. If they’re everywhere and on various forums, social media profiles, message boards and online communities – then it’s safe to say, they know their stuff. Also do a simple link query in Google, e.g. ‘link:www.boomerangpr.com’ and you’ll be shown the number of links pointing to that url. If there are a lot of quality links, then you’re on the right track.

Check out their own Social Media Accounts
Next, look at their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. This is a real key point. If the PR agency is only broadcasting about themselves and not engaging in any online conversation, then run away fast! This is a traditional PR agency that is clearly not web savvy. However, if the PR agency clearly has a strong following and understands that social media is about interaction, then you’re on the right path. Look at how often they update; consider who and what they’re following and who’s following them; make sure they are engaging rather than selfishly self-broadcasting and see whether they understand social media optimisation. The dinosaurs are pretty easy to spot, so you can’t go wrong.

Consider their own SEO
Think of the PR agency’s keywords… For example, ‘PR Agency Cheshire‘ or ‘PR Agency Stoke-on-Trent‘ and type it into Google. Where do they appear? If they’re number one, it’s a pretty good indication that they know their stuff when it comes to SEO. Because PR is the new SEO. It essentially goes hand-in-hand with online public relations and forms part of your off-page SEO efforts. If the PR agency you’re researching is nowhere to be found for simple keywords, then it’s a very clear indication that they’re not digitally savvy. If they do appear on the first page for those local search terms, do some further digging. See where they come for more competitive search terms like ‘PR Agency’. If they’re on the first three pages, then that’s a very good thing indeed.

Ask about their online PR focus
A press release is a presentation of facts and something that is sent to journalists in the hope that they will use that information to publish a story. These days, press releases are sent to both offline and online media. But watch out! Because a PR agency that is digitally savvy will draft two versions of the same press release, knowing that the online version should be written specifically with search engines in mind. Ask the question and see what they say. If there’s no mention of writing SEO-friendly press releases, then they clearly don’t know what they’re doing.

Consider their Work in Action
Look at the PR agency’s clients and see which Twitter or Facebook accounts they’re looking after. If they’re using the same self-broadcasting and selfish one-way communication – something that’s associated with traditional PR and marketing – then it’s likely they’ll do the same for your business. And that’s not what you want or need.

Look at their Social Media Focus
If you meet a potential PR agency and they claim they’ll be able to get you thousands of followers on Twitter or ‘likes’ on Facebook, then walk away fast. This shouldn’t be what’s important! Social media is about building a community, engaging with customers and interacting. It might be that your business doesn’t need to be on social media. A true digital PR agency will advise you on what’s best for your needs.

What about Blogging and Web Copy?
PR agencies who are on the ball will have SEO trained copywriters on their team. PR agencies who truly understand digital communications will know exactly how to draft copy suitable for your blog, website or even your social media accounts. It’s about writing copy with both humans and search engines in mind. Ask the PR agency if they have SEO trained people on their team.

Ask to see Live Examples
Finally, ask for some clear live examples of where their digital communications have achieved measured and successful results. It’s important to choose an agency that is completely comfortable with its online achievements. There’s nowhere to hide in the online world so you’ll be able to quickly and easily see where their influence has resulted in success for their clients.

Keeping in mind all of the above, Boomerang is an agency that has:

• plenty of connections across the web as well as quality links to its home page
• a strong social media following in which it interacts with daily
• first positioning in Google for the terms ‘PR Agency Cheshire’ and ‘PR Agency Stoke’ as well as second page positioning for the extremely competitive keyword ‘PR Agency’, beating some of the globe’s leading PR agencies
• a team of inhouse digital copywriters who are fully trained in SEO and understand how to write copy for online media, blogs and websites
• a popular creative industries e-zine called Creative Boom which attracts over 1,000 visitors per day and is supported by The Guardian, Carbonmade and Vimeo, to name but a few
• a range of digital services on offer, including online PR, social media marketing, SEO and web design and development – helping you to make the most of the web and all things online.

What’s more, we were established in 1998 as a web and software development firm, so we’re technically savvy and have since incorporated a PR agency to provide comprehensive digital communications. If you want expert digital marketing support, just give us a call! We won’t bite!

And if we don’t think we’re right for you, we’d be happy to point you in the direction of other agencies whom we can strongly recommend. After all, it’s your business that counts the most.

Realising the power of social media, I tweeted via my iPhone something like “I hate BT! I hate them!!! They’re Internet service is utterly the shambles!! Grrr Grrr Grrr! Pulling hair out! Jumping up and down! Grrrrr!”. And sat back to wait for the inevitable response.

Sure enough, within three hours @BTCare – BT’s own Twitter account – mentioned me and said the following “@Katy_Boomerang Hi, I can help with any broadband problems you are having, what seems to be wrong”.

Pretty good huh? Now this is an excellent example of why social media is perfect for managing customer relations while enhancing and protecting your reputation online.

Because initially I was angry with BT. They had let me down and I wanted to rant about it to my friends and followers on Twitter. This can be very damaging to a brand as word-of-mouth is very powerful. But because BT listened and responded to my tweet, they’ve redeemed themselves and turned something negative into a positive.

They have turned their big ugly corporate persona into a friendly and approachable brand. I even calmed down and my rational side came out, realising BT is a huge organisation and that one has to expect that things can go wrong sometimes. Plus, the fact that BT has approached me directly – considering how large they are – makes me feel special and important. If they’re lucky, I might tweet something nice about them.

Ok, so I’m going a little over the top here. But you get the gist of what I’m trying to say. If people are talking negatively about your products and services online, BT should be your inspiration. It does no harm to approach people via social media and ask if you can resolve their situation. It does more than protect your reputation, it builds a customer base who see you as transparent, friendly and – most importantly – trustworthy. And that’s worth its weight in gold.

Here’s a little of what Spencer said: “I admit to having ridden the social media bandwagon from the start — mainly because I had to see how things would play out — but I’ve always been skeptical about its impact. Is anyone reading what you have to say? Do they even care? With so much information flowing, how can anything be absorbed? The same goes for social features accompanying products. Does friending and following add value to your product or is it a distraction? Value to me is measured in dollar signs — not pageviews and certainly not friend requests or follow count.”

He then goes on to say how businesses shouldn’t hire dedicated social media people or that social media marketing can’t be measured effectively. I don’t completely agree with these statements. Because social media is really about people. Social media is another communication platform and one that is easily targetable for businesses and brands.

I agree you shouldn’t hire dedicated social media people inhouse. If you’ve got a marketing manager or PR department, then they should have their fingers on the pulse and be able to tweet and blog anyway. If not, why not? It might be time to offer training or encourage your staff to pull their socks up.

Or if you’ve already got a PR agency supporting you then social media should be part of their services. After all, social media is the new media and just another channel in which to market your products and services while building on your solid reputation.

Where I completely agree with Spencer, is that firms shouldn’t focus on building followers and fan bases. They should instead concentrate on having a social media presence, monitor what people are saying about their products and services and be available to talk directly to their customers wherever necessary.

Success with social media marketing is measured through online PR, managing and boosting your reputation across the web. If a business isn’t online, then it begs the question ‘are they really modern and as open and friendly as I’d like?’.

Because our generation is a generation of people who grew up with the Internet and therefore demand transparency and openness from the brands it associates with. If a business isn’t online, we do wonder whether we can trust them.

You see, social media is very powerful and allows you to have a bigger influence these days. If you only focus on building numbers and self-broadcast, that’s where you’ll certainly be jumping on the old bandwagon and joining thousands of others making the same mistakes.

We encourage you to be forward-thinking and see social media as a positive platform in which to manage and raise your profile. Then you really can’t go wrong.

‘Places‘ was launched earlier this month, starting in the United States where about 30 percent of the social network’s 500 million active members are based.

Similar to location-based services like Gowalla and Foursquare, Places allows members to ‘check in’ when they visit a shop, cinema, business or restaurant for their Facebook friends to see. They can then tag the names of other Facebook users who are at the same location and see who might be nearby.

Facebook officials claim Places brings online social networking into the real world, encouraging more sharing and communication while allowing ’serendipitous’ meetings between friends.

At this stage, it’s not clear how Facebook will use this information but it’s likely advertisers will jump onboard and make the most of this geo-location application by offering discounts and relevant benefits to their customers. Take Go Ape, for example. The tree-swinging obstacle course phenomenon is encouraging people to ‘check in’ via Foursquare at a number of its locations across the UK, offering a discount when they next visit.

Looking at privacy, Facebook has this time been praised for the controls it has installed on Places. The company is obviously taking no risks following the recent backlash it encountered when it introduced Facebook Connections and its Open Graph API earlier this year.

The great thing about Places is that our privacy controls give us the option to only share our location with friends. Even better, if a member tries to ‘check-in’ a friend at a location, we will still be notified of said action and will be given the option to allow or disallow, thus avoiding any privacy issues. Fantastic! It will certainly be interesting to see how Places evolves when it’s rolled out across the rest of the globe this year.

Mashable
Founded in 2005 by Pete Cashmore, Mashable is the top source for news in social and digital media, technology and web culture. With more than 30 million monthly pageviews, Mashable is the most prolific news site reporting breaking web news, providing analysis of trends, reviewing new Web sites and services, and offering social media resources and guides. Mashable’s audience includes early adopters, social media enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, influencers, brands and corporations, marketing, PR and advertising agencies, Web 2.0 aficionados and technology journalists. Mashable is also popular with bloggers, Twitter and Facebook users — an increasingly influential demographic.

Chris Brogan
Chris Brogan is an eleven year veteran of using social media and both web and mobile technologies to build digital relationships for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Chris speaks, blogs, writes articles, and makes media of all kinds at [chrisbrogan.com], a blog in the top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150, and in the top 100 on Technorati. He is co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Trust Agents, and the recently released Social Media 101.

The Social Times
Originally known as RotorBlog, Social Times brings you all the latest social media news, digital developments and tips & tricks on everything online. It also includes a Jobs Board and a fun section on social games. Great for daily inspiration!

The Social Media Marketing Blog
Scott Monty is the head of social media for Ford Motor Company. This is his own personal blog, where he shares his perspectives on social media – the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web – for marketers, agencies, the enterprise and the individual. A really great read and good for social media marketing tips and tricks.

Steve Rubel
Steve Rubel is SVP, Director of Insights for Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman – the world’s largest independent PR firm. He is charged with helping clients identify emerging technologies and trends that can be applied in marketing communications programs. Rubel also explores these topics on his site and in monthly columns for Forbes.com and Advertising Age. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook as well. Follow his blog for some great social media marketing advice.

Dosh Dosh
Dosh Dosh is a blog offering internet marketing and blogging tips, alongside social media strategies. Best consumed by bloggers, entrepreneurs, web publishers, marketers, freelancers and small business owners. ‘Maki’ is the writer who’s responsible for all blog material. Apart from managing Dosh Dosh, Maki is also currently a Philosophy student in Toronto, Canada. A really fantastic resource for social media.

Britopian.com
This is a social media blog by Michael Brito who considers himself a student of social media and community building. He has worked for major brands in Silicon Valley (HP, Yahoo! and Intel) and was instrumental in driving social media programs and campaigns emphasizing authenticity and long-term relationship building. He believes that marketing can be evil at times; but if done right, it can drive customer loyalty and brand advocacy. Follow his blog to get a real insight into the world of social media!

Viper Chill
Glenn Allsopp is the person behind ViperChill, a blog that was started in 2006 when he was just sixteen. After working as a Social Media Manager for some of the biggest companies in the world, Allsopp uses his blog to talk about his personal experiences, offering helpful advice to others who are trying to make the best of the Web.

SocialMedia.Biz
Socialmedia.biz aims to help businesses and organisations achieve maximum impact with their social media strategy or campaigns. To highlight news, trends, tools and resources around social media, social networks and Web 2.0. In 2007 Socialmedia.biz was named the number one site covering the social web. A solid resource for advice on social media.

Instigator Blog
Ben Yoskovitz started blogging in 2006 and is the person behind Instigator Blog – a blog about social media, entrepreneurship, small business, marketing and technology, offering help and support to business startups and entrepreneurs. Great for daily inspiration!

The answer is – no, I’m sure we couldn’t. Even if we spent every single waking hour chasing and chasing that goal. It’s not possible. Unless of course, you’re a huge high street retailer or something that people are naturally going to ‘like’ on their Facebook accounts.

But numbers are just numbers. They really don’t count in the world of social media. What matters is having a community. Your goal shouldn’t be to have a certain amount of followers by a specific date. Instead, you should be concentrating your efforts on growing a quality community.

Because social media isn’t like traditional marketing. It shouldn’t be seen as marketing full stop. Instead, you should understand that social media is just people. You can’t spam, self-broadcast and advertise to a community that is savvy and knows the score. It just won’t wash.

People these days demand friendly, open and transparent relationships online and that includes their connections with businesses or brands. For example, if you just go on Twitter to try and get as many followers as possible while shouting and shouting about your own products and services, i.e. ‘buy us, buy us, buy us!’, then you’ll only do the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve and that’s push people away.

You have to build a community and actually care about the people who are following you and those you are following. By doing so, you’ll be marketing in a less aggressive manner by instead building trust and relationships which ultimately could lead to more customers.

So how do you build a community? How do you go about building a friendly and trustworthy brand via social media without coming across as spam-like or self-broadcasting marketing whores? Simple. You talk and engage with people. You drop the old, pompous, traditional marketing hat and you embrace a new way of communication.

But you have to do so with sincerity and with the ultimate goal of meeting new people and engaging. Otherwise, you’ll just be another business throwing your weight around in a world that just doesn’t welcome your type anymore. And types like that will just get left behind.