Social preference optimization

As of February 2011, Google has updated its social search options. in their Social Media Marketing plans.
History
Ever since the advent of social media, it has been evolving and has now become an integrated and indistinguishable part of our lives, both personal and professional. It has led to the development of various strategies that allow us to optimize its potential for building a channel between the business and the consumer. A major change that it has brought about is that a person is now both producer and consumer of information. For example, we not only download and watch movies online but also upload its reviews on blogs and on Facebook for the benefit of friends and family. Thus, businesses have to sit up and take notice, lest they be left behind. With constant evolution of social media, businesses are kept on their toes to realize client preferences and cater to them. Social Preference Optimization is thus a natural evolution of social media. Let us see how:
A Natural Evolution of Social Media
With the first email of 1971, the era of social networking had begun. Of course, no one at the time had thought possible such radical, real time interactions that are commonplace today. All the same, the definition of social media as a two way street still held. Then, data sharing clients such as Bulletin Boards were introduced and eventually real time conversations on chat clients became possible by the 1990s. After that, a whirlwind of services has swept across the online medium for the common consumer and the accomplished businessman. Real time interactions on the internet have become commonplace, with websites like theglobe.com (1995), sixdegrees.com (1997), friendster.com (2002) it was now possible to create profiles and link with other people also participating in the world wide web. A plethora of such websites was launched one after the other. Today, these websites host more users than the total population of some countries of the world. The potential of all these users as a marketplace is being optimized by businesses.

People turn to the internet for all their needs, be it something as personal as finding a date or as mundane as a repairman for their air conditioner. People mostly turn to search engines to search for goods and services that they require. Hence, businesses have to plan such that they are made available to the consumer on such mediums. Of course, one must be careful to target the correct niche audience or else the media message is of no use. Customers also tweet, comment, vote, rate, like, dislike, discuss and upload posts about the products and services they use everyday. This means that the users of social networking websites can be targeted as potential customers without the use of expensive advertising. This is where Social Media Marketing finds its place and also where Search Engine Optimization and Social Preference Optimization are required.
Social Preference Optimization (SPO)
First coined by Dennis Stemmle, the phrase Social Preference Optimization has come to denote adaptation to the new social search method of Google. Google now not only provides the user with keyword rich content but also customizes it according to their preferences. The SEO landscape is changing as the search will now be customized to show results that are unique to the user. By studying the preferences, businesses can tap into the consumer’s search results. Search result providers don’t just have to base the results on a proxy anymore, they have access to actual preferences and that is why this needs to be tapped. It is a huge resource, which can help businesses customize their products and services according to the target audience as well as cater to them better when they have access to individual data. Such focused results will reduce the scope for manipulation of content and make available better quality articles for the user.

When Google taps into your networking profile, it has access to information such as your age, location, gender, place of employment, relationship status, and your taste in books, music, movies, as well as your activities. Not just that, it has access to who you interact with, what your spouse does and a lot of information we may consider trivial while making our profile but when put to use, can help carve out a target audience for various products and services. It involves the integration of user social preferences, relevance, strength of connections, and other highly personal and relevant data points into the search experience. With careful study of the audience and discovery of potential preference related keywords, following the fans of your fan pages, businesses can optimize their visibility to suit the future of search engines.
What is Social Media
Interactive media that is either web based or mobile based is grouped under the broader term, Social Media. All media, such as email, blogs, texts, forums, social networking websites, crowd-sourcing, music sharing, voice over IP and basically any technology that can help in the creation and exchange of user-generated information fall under this category.
SEO vs. SPO
Social Preference Optimization is an evolution of the practices of Search Engine Optimization and aims to fill up the gaps between proxies and targeted results. Right now, SEO’s aim is to reach page 1 of the Google search results page, but soon that will be redundant, as each person’s search result will be unique.
For Businesses
SPO requires the business to learn directly from customers and find out exactly what they want. This helps them save on the costs of advertising and market research. It also helps them know their final consumer intimately, so that they can market their products and services accordingly.

It helps the business reach the relevant audience and make a sure sale instead of spending time, effort and money on audience that will not appreciate the media messages coming their way and do not need those services.
For Consumers
It offers more control to the customer to select appropriately, according to individual needs. More personalised and comprehensive notes are now available so that consumers can check reviews and blogs about the products and services they are about to invest in.

It allows for an immediate link to a relevant product or service, helping to save time and effort, as one scours the results to find the one useful to them.
About Dennis Stemmle
Born in Brooklyn, NY, on 06/06/1964, Dennis Stemmle holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Science from the University of South Carolina. He has over 20 years of business experience that ranges from co-founding a technology company that became part of the Oracles Angel fund to running software companies for a Fortune 500 firm. He is a Certified Internal Auditor (C.I.A.).
Mr. Stemmle is an entrepreneur and a social media expert. He is an avid contributor to online article bases and has authored various articles related to increasing the online exposure of businesses. Currently, he is President of OnDemandSocial.com, an emerging social media marketing services firm located in Chicago, IL. He has closely followed the advent of social media and has coined the term Social Preference Optimization.

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