Professional SEO | Internet Marketing

David Beckham was one of the first, along with Britney Spears and Donald Trump. Even companies like McDonald's and Puma jumped on the bandwagon.

They all were among the nearly 6 million Facebook users who registered a vanity URL with the social-networking Web site over the weekend.

At the stroke of midnight Saturday, Facebook allowed its members to sign up for unique names for their profiles on a first-come, firstserved basis.

Half a million people signed on within the first 15 minutes, and 5.75 million user names were taken by the end of Sunday, Facebook spokesman Larry Yu said, adding that the technical staff was prepared for the flood of traffic.

"It's rewarding to see the level of excitement about getting a Facebook user name. It goes to show just how connected Facebook has become to people's sense of identity," he said.

According to the company's blog, the purpose is to make it easier to find and remember users' profiles. With the feature, users can exchange the lengthy
string of numbers in their URLs for simpler, catchier terms. For example, now you can visit President Obama's Facebook profile at facebook.com/barackobama.

UC Berkeley Assistant Professor Coye Cheshire, who researches social-exchange environments, wasn't surprised by the rush to compete for a piece of virtual real estate.

"If Facebook continues to be the premier social-networking utility, then vanity URLs very well could be as important for individuals as domain names are for organizations and companies," he said.

Celebrities and athletes like Ashton Kutcher (facebook.com/Ashton) and Kobe Bryant (facebook.com/Kobe) already have registered their online profiles, but others also were quick to take on the names of the famous.

For example, a Philadelphia woman registered as TimLincecum, after the San Francisco Giants pitcher, while a San Francisco man took aplusk, Ashton Kutcher's well-known Twitter handle.

In an effort to prevent cyber squatters, the company allows users to fill out forms to bar others from registering their trademarks. Members also can contest registered user names through an intellectual property infringement form. Yu stressed that the company owns every user name and "can assign or restrict them as we see fit."

"We're carefully working through the submissions we received and will share more details in the near future. Regardless, the structure currently in place is designed to discourage squatting since user names are not transferable and only one user name can be assigned to a given page or user profile," Yu said.

After the weekend rush to the new service, the demand for the vanity URLs has quieted down.

Thomas Ralston, 26, a cook in San Francisco, said he had heard of the feature but was in no hurry to register.

"I haven't cared enough to go, 'Oh man, I've got to do this immediately,' but I'm sure I'll get around to it," he said.

via http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/16/BU5Q187SL0.DTL

What trends should internet marketers look for in 2009? I've decided to list some of my thoughts on changes in the industry for the coming year, what to expect and emerging marketing opportunities.

Social Media Tools - Just as social media marketing has become more popular over the last few years, so has the need for tools to help marketers manage this space. I expect more analytical and management tools for marketers to help make business sense of social media.

Closed Networks - Google will continue to be the major player in search, but do not underestimate closed networks (LinkedIn) and smaller players that fit a niche. Closed networks will continue to grow and may offer more opportunity to reach your target audience.

Internet TV - I have been hyping online TV services like Joost and Hulu for the past year. This will be the year for internet TV in my opinion. Services have jumped through some technical hurdles and now offer respectable performance over a broadband connection. Entertainment is becoming more personalized, so it only makes sense to watch what you want when you want.

Mobile Marketing - Now that we have more advanced mobile networks and devices (iPhone 3G and G2), companies are beginning to invest in mobile applications that compliment their online experience. Many of these applications will enable real time interaction with product and services. What was cocktail conversation a couple years ago will now become a reality for many mobile consumers.

What trends do you think will be the big movers in 2009?

via Sean Hecking, Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States, blog.interactivecleveland.com

While I can hardly believe it’s nearly 2009, I’m prepping for a fabulous year - and I hope you are too!

My plans have much to do with a few trends that I see as becoming even more prevalent in the coming year, and I wanted to share them with you. So, with no further delay - my 2009 Internet Marketing Predictions!

MAKE MONEY ONLINE GETS BIGGER

The idea of making money online or earning some extra money from the internet will only become more appealing to the masses in 2009. The economy is down - whether you believe it is or not is irrelevant, that’s what’s being reported on the news and that’s the belief system with which people are living their lives. They might be afraid, they might want a leg up “just in case” they experience the financial problems their neighbors and friends have.

All this uncertainty and fear will only bring MORE folks online looking to learn how to create a side income. If you’re in the business of teaching internet marketing, 2009 will present many opportunities for you. If you’ve not yet started a blog focused on your IM efforts or a Twitter account for the same, you’re missing out!

(Sidenote: You don’t have to be an expert or a “guru” to talk about your own experiences in internet marketing and/or recommend a product as an affiliate that really worked for you. Integrity is important; I’m not suggesting you lie! But there is already and will be even more people who will appreciate learning from someone who’s just like them, learning the ropes and sharing their trials. I started my first blog when I was about 2 months in!)

DATA PORTABILITY

Data portability is the idea that the information you give to social sites belongs to YOU, not the site, and you should be able to move it from one site to another simply, without having to fill out all the “Profile” forms again and again for every site you join. Leaving MySpace for Facebook? With advances in data portability you’ll be able to move not only your profile, but your friends, comments, pictures, etc. with just a click or two.

We’re starting to see this with the introduction of services like Google Friend Connect (which was added here recently, check the footer and join to see how it works) and Facebook Connect. One “bucket” in which you can put all your comments, friends, favorite sites, etc.

The OpenID standard is also a part of Data Portability - one common login for all the sites you visit.

Like any new technology, data portability requires both websites and users to adopt the standards for it to work. In 2009, we’ll see more and more of this.

VIDEO NO LONGER AN OPTION

Within internet marketing and more tech savvy niches, video as part of your sales process will no longer be an option. Whether it’s a product demo or a straight pitch from you, face to face with your visitor, video will become a necessity.

If you took a look at Frank Kern’s most recent launch (Infomillionaire) you may have noticed there was no written sales copy. The pre-launch was all video, which has become common in product launches these days. But when the site went live, the salespage was actually just Frank in video again, talking about the offer and encouraging folks to buy. Expect to see more of this.

If you’re a marketer who thinks video won’t work in your niche, check out these YouTube videos. They’re excellent examples of selling with video online, both as a product owner and as an affiliate.

FOCUS IN SOCIAL MEDIA

In 2009, the most popular social media and Web 2.0 applications will do one thing and do it well, rather then trying to be a “one size fits all” destination. Twitter is the current prime example of this strategy and we’ll see more sites approach their apps this way.

Similarly, more people will tone down the time spent on social networking and will devote what time they have to 2-3 sites that they truly get value from rather then hopping from network to network.

IMMEDIACY & BEING LIVE

Being available immediately will become the norm rather than the exception. We’ve watched Ryan Deiss and Ed Dale launch products live on Ustream, while Frank Kern and Trey Smith twittered their way through the recent Infomillionaire launch. Customers are turning to Twitter for support.

Why?

Because they want immediate, live responses.

In 2009, as a product owner or a niche leader you’ll be expected to be available, responding and engaging with your “tribe” more often than not. Those that can keep up the pace will thrive.

OTHER 2009 PREDICTIONS

Paul Colligan, Ed Dale, Lynn Terry and I discussed our 2009 Internet Marketing predictions on the most recent “Internet Marketing This Week” broadcast. Download it now to hear the discussion (and take notes as Ed inadvertently spills his Facebook PPC secrets too!)

What do you think 2009 will bring to internet marketing, and the web as a whole? Contribute your thoughts in the comments.

read for more