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However, with these opportunities comes complexity, and traditional one-way brand communications strategy is simply not effective online. Rather, a strategic approach is required that is cognisant of interactivity, dialogue, and user-generated content as well as brand-generated content.

The social web means digital communication is always occuring, not just during campaign windows as with traditional media. This is something not covered in a standard cross-channel strategic communications plan.

A digital strategy provides an ongoing blueprint which allows us to make sense of this complexity and develop coordinated digital campaigns to achieve brand and business objectives.

So, yes businesses do need a digital strategy. The debate on why the world doesn’t need a digital strategist rages on, but you can rest assured that if your not getting your digital planning hat on, your in a spot of bother.

For decades western governments have tried to influence the region with peace talks, diplomacy, wars, sanctions, or financial investment. All attempts have largely failed. As Mr Khanfar puts it “connectivity has created new mindsets..that have continued to be faithful to the soil and to the land that it emerged from.” In other words, this new form of connectivity has given a voice to the “people” for the very first time. For communities to empower themselves to make change that previously was thought not possible. Despite their own Government’s attempts to shut down the country’s Internet connectivity, people were able to use the Internet and social media to communicate. To tell their story, and to stand up for change.

This is what I love about social media. It’s about bringing people together. It’s about forming communities. It’s about giving people a voice. In doing so it’s giving them power over their own destiny, and as seen in Egypt – making history in the process.

Social media for social good. This is what inspires me.

As this graphic indicates, organic search results (and in particular the top handful of results) attract peoples attention the most. When it comes to paid search (SEM), it’s arguably quite critical that you aim for the top sponsored links that appear above organic listings. Although this will often come at a premium to listings appearing on the right side of the page, these top spots undoubtedly grab peoples attention.

When it came to Google Vs Bing, the other findings from the study were:

• Google’s Top Sponsored Results Get More Attention than Bing’s
• No Difference in Attention on Sponsored Results on the Right
• Users Spend More Time Viewing Google’s Organic Search Results
• Bing’s Left Pane Looked at Longer than Google’s