Learning and sharing... by Zoe Sands

Here’s a list of tools from Google, which you can use to gain insight into your digital activity:

• How can I identify trends in my target market? Try this today: search ‘insights for search’ at www.google.co.uk
• How can I quantify consumer interest in my product or brand? Try this today: search ‘keyword’ at www.google.co.uk
• Where are the best places to reach my audience online? Try this today: search ‘ad planner’ at www.google.co.uk
• Who are my audience and how are they discovering my content? Try this today: log on to YouTube and click on the ‘Insight’ button under Account > My Videos > Insight.
• What keywords are associated with my brand? Try this today: after any search click ‘show options’ in the blue bar below the search box.
• Where can I find out what consumers think of my brand? Try this today: search ‘blog search’ at www.google.co.uk
• What are the latest news and views on my brand? Try this today: search ‘alerts’ at www.google.co.uk

My favourites are;

1. Keywood generator tool - this can be used to help search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) activities.
2. Blog search - for tracking the latest news and blog buzz.
3. Google Alerts - a tool that helps you setup automatic alerts for when content is upload/created on your chosen subject area. And good for keeping tabs on competitor activity.

One of YouTube’s rising stars is due to tour America. Lauren Luke first started her YouTube channel back on 22 July 2007 creating video tutorials on how to apply makeup. In the past 2 years she has now setup her own makeup range and is running a successful business from this popular video community. She has also become a social media goddess and has gained even more success using the following channels:

Facebook - 27,605 fans
Twitter - 23,538 followers
MySpace - 6839 friends
Flickr
Videojug and
YouTube - 313435 subscribers

During January 2010, Lauren will be touring across America promoting her makeup line and throwing parties at local Sephora’s along the way. She will be starting her road trip in Miami, Florida and making her way across America to Los Angeles, California. To view the planned tour, visit.

She owes YouTube and her channel subscribers for much of her success today, as without this free channel she wouldn’t have been able to reach such a wide audience and develop this successful business via social media. A great story on how social media can develop businesses.