Social news platform Digg launched their new look this week; the updated edition has been eagerly anticipated by many a search marketing company and social media marketing firm. Digg v4 includes “drastic changes” according to founder Kevin Rose. The front end and back end of Digg v4 have both been revamped to be faster and more personalised, says Rose. The latest version of Digg is also intended to make the sharing of information easier than ever before.

Below are some of Digg v4 features:

•Users can now sign into Digg v4 via their Twitter or Facebook accounts

•The submission process has been simplified

•The site offers ability to directly import RSS feeds

•Users can follow friends on Digg v4

•Users can follow preferred publishers and news sources, meaning the news they find on Digg v4 will be more relevant to their interests.

If you ever had a mother that was slightly obsessed with manners (which my mother definitely was) there is no doubt that you have been taught a certain degree of etiquette. From saying please and thank you to not putting your elbows on the table, etiquette is expected and respected in a vast majority of social circles. Just as we exercise etiquette amongst our friends and family, so should we exercise a degree of etiquette with our social media strategy as a part of our brand. Do you bring politeness and etiquette into your social media brand strategy or do you prefer to turn your nose up at the need for manners?

Twitter Tales is the latest “stories” site to be launched by a social networking platform with the aim of sharing its users’ personal experiences. All users are encouraged to share their stories on Twitter Tales, whether they use the network to connect with others, inspire their communities or simply to find solace in 140-character self-expression.

This year, the Google marketing department surprised us by airing a TV commercial during the Super Bowl championship. However, this was by no means a sign that Google would be breaking from their traditional advertising methods. The Parisian Love video had been available on Youtube for some time, and heralded the launch of a series of gorgeous Google “Search Stories”. Twitter Tales aims to promote user interaction in the same way, by demonstrating the creative uses of the platform and how the technology integrates with users’ everyday lives. The Twitter Blog describes Twitter Tales as “a growing set of articles that highlights creative individuals and businesses from all corners of the world that help make Twitter awesome”.

If any of you have seen an image online or in a magazine or newspaper that looks like something that is a mix between those optical illusion posters that you used to have stuck to your wall when you were little and an alternative version of Pacman then this rather strange image you are witnessing is no secret code but rather a QR code. The QR (Quick Response) code is making its mark (literally) as a way for brands to entice the public to access their information and ultimately visit their site.

Basically, you take a picture with your smart phone (your iPhone or Blackberry) and your phone will read a code, therefore giving you access to a weblink and content. QR codes are not new and have actually been around since 1994 but only recently have been used for more social media based interaction and are made by using a QR code generator and downloading the QR code image. According to Wikipedia, they are used to store information received from magazines, signs and business cards and were originally designed for car manufacturing tracking, but it seems that QR codes have turned over a new digital leaf.

For some of us, the end of the month means an overall check and analysis of our sites with our trusty analytics tools in hand in order to see what our website is doing right as well as where we are falling short in certain aspects. By understanding and using these tools we can see where traffic is up as well as what we need to work on in order to attract people to our website and hopefully purchase our product or service. Social media is now an integrated and significant component of brand awareness but many are frustrated with the fact that you cannot monitor your social media traffic as such as much as monitor your social media interest and impact.

There have been numerous articles that I have stumbled upon recently that have been dedicated to the art of social media monitoring and measurement, but what exactly do these tools and applications achieve? They are undoubtedly needed and provide us with analysis of a more brand awareness type insight, but do they transfer into analysis of traffic and effect?

Any search marketing agency will emphasise the crucial role social media networking can play in helping their clients establish an online presence and gain recognition. Nowadays it is commonplace to meet industry contacts, business partners and even friends through social media. And of course, Internet dating has drastically altered the way we make romantic connections as well.

Whereas in the past, you might have found your soulmate when your eyes met across a crowded room, these days it’s far more likely that a pretty profile picture will catch your eye in a crowded chat-room or forum. Naturally, Internet dating websites allow you more control over the way you present yourself than a face-to-face social situation, and a growing number of singles looking for love are choosing the safety and anonymity of Internet dating sites over an evening crammed into a noisy, smoky bar or club.

I never really glance to the right of my screen on Twitter to take a quick look at what Twitters trending topics are as I am much more interested in what articles my peers and influencers are tweeting and I feel that if I want information on Inception or Lindsay Lohan I will look at an online review guide or a gossip column. I must admit, some days when I do glance over at the trending topics, I am baffled that I do not know what some of them are about

Indeed there is a need that is being served by having trending topics and it does reflect on the mantra of giving the public what they want and letting them air their views on world topics, politics and celebrities. (I use these three examples because they seem to stand out the most for me)

Search marketing specialists will tell you that the social network has become an incredibly useful and important tool for making and maintaining contacts, or keeping up-to-date with the latest information in your field. Whether you’re looking to boost your profits with social network advertising, get the latest news on world events or simply annoy your friends with random messages, the social network provides the ideal platform for online interaction.

The rise of the social network is set to reach a milestone when social networking platform Facebook announces the joining of their 500 millionth user. With 8 percent of the world’s population now active on Facebook, it’s hardly surprising that a Hollywood producer would want to tell the story of the social network giant. That’s right – David Fincher’s movie The Social Network is in post-production and will be opening the annual New York film Festival in September.

Once thought of as a time waster for young tech savvy and gaming enthusiasts, augmented reality and social media have now been placed in the same bucket of ideas, and this is no coincidence. Augmented reality (using technology to potray a different visual environment)is nothing new and brands are using augmented reality to bring their customers closer to their brand and as we have said before, brand engagement is on the up and up. The question is, can all brands use augmented reality to provide the public with engaging activities that will make them remember what they are eating, wearing or using?

Facebook – there’s no better way to catch up with your friends online and squeeze a few minutes’ Internet gaming into your lunch break. MySpace is so 2006 and who’s even on Friendster these days? Facebook is certainly the most popular social networking platform of our time – but Google search could be changing all that in the near future. The gargantuan Google search engine company may be developing their own social network to compete with sites like Facebook.

There’s no denying that Google web search is huge. The multi-coloured text logo is instantly recognisable around the globe, Google marketing can send a company’s popularity and profits skyrocketing and the Google search engine is so dominant that the verb “Google” has even been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. If you want the low-down on anything, anyone or anywhere… just Google it! Google search tools like Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Product Search are all you need to find comprehensive information online. American company Google Inc. owns 160 domain names internationally, and the search engine remains the go-to search option for Internet users worldwide. And of course… can any of us honestly say we haven’t performed Google searches on ourselves?