Posted by: Micah Pratt

With the World Cup just a day away, I would like to share an article from mashable.com about how the World Cup is taking the Web by storm.

Web Goes Wild for World Cup [STATS]

The World Cup doesn’t start for another 10 days, but it’s already blowing up the Web, particularly in the UK.

According to the trend-watching analysts at Hitwise, at least 20% of all searches in the UK last week contained the words “world cup.” Altogether, the World Cup was the subject of around 25,000 individual search terms.

In web search terms, this interest from searchers is nothing short of explosive.

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Posted by: Micah Pratt

Here is an article from mashable.com about the “Write the Future” ad, which set the record for most views of a viral video.

Nike’s “Write the Future” Ad Sets Viral Record [VIDEO]

Nike’s three-minute “Write the Future” epic, starring soccer superstars Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, set a new record for most views of a viral video ad in its debut week, according to web video analytics company Visible Measures.

It beat the previous record holder, another Nike ad called “Earl and Tiger” featuring golfer Tiger Woods after his heavily publicized return to the sport.

Ad agency Wieden+Kennedy produced the ad, which was directed by illustrious Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, who is best known for the critically-acclaimed film Babel. Nike VP Trevor Edwards was quoted in Advertising Age saying the ad is “among the best we’ve ever done.”

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“Write the Future”

Posted by: Anna Nelson

Mike Dobbs, group director of SEO at 360i, posted his top 10 search engine optimization (SEO) tips on Mashable.com. Twitter pages and individual tweets now appear in Google search results.

Dobbs says now is the time to optimize your Twitter presence. Here’s a preview of his tips:

1. Choose a good handle

   Be sure to pick an optimal handle that’s relevant to your brand or campaign and easy to remember. Your handle (also known as your Username) then becomes part of your customized Twitter URL such as twitter.com/yoursite or twitter.com/yourtopic. Doing this creates a static address for future search indexing, which also helps usability for other cross-channel promotions. So choose wisely! The fun challenge…

2. Select an account name wisely

   Optimize the Twitter account name to best reflect your brand. Your name is what appears next to your profile, which can be different than your handle/URL. You obviously want an account name that promotes yourself, your company or your brand…

(Read more)

By Jerid Gunter

Not only do they perform and entertain on their respective playing fields, but professional and high-profile collegiate athletes are also entertaining online. Yes, multi-million dollar athletes are frequenting social media sites like Twitter and Facebook just like you and I, if not more frequently. With every 140 characters, they share to the world what’s going on in their own world and their fans are entertained yet again. While this is a great way for athletes to connect with their fans, it can also be another trap door for players to fall into trouble.

It doesn’t take long for word to spread when it’s posted on the Internet, especially when you’re a big name athlete. Former Kansas City Chiefs running back, Larry Johnson, knows this from personal experience. Mid-way through the 2009 NFL season, Johnson posted a negative comment on Twitter, laced with derogatory language and slamming his new head coach. Piled on top of the already mounting off-field trouble, it didn’t take long for Johnson to find himself suspended by the league and later cut from the Chiefs roster.

At the University of Kansas, basketball player Tyshawn Taylor has found himself in trouble on a couple of occasions due to questionable comments he posted on Facebook. In the fall of 2009, Taylor involved himself in the widely publicized campus fight that took place between the Jayhawks football and basketball teams and proceeded to inform everyone on Facebook that he dislocated his thumb because he punched someone. More recently, Taylor posted a comment on Facebook alluding to the idea that he may transfer to another school because of his limited playing time at Kansas. Taylor no longer has his Facebook account.

While there are disaster stories of athletes and social media, there are certainly some who know how to use it to their benefit. Cincinnati Bengals’ star wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco, has jumped into the world of social media head first and is making quite a splash. What started as a Twitter account has turned into what Ochocinco now calls OCNN: Ochocinco News Network. In addition to replying to followers’ tweets and posting his own personal tweets, Ochocinco is pursuing a side job of being a part of the media via Twitter and other mediums. This past week, Ochocinco has been in Miami covering Super Bowl XLIV with a team of three other current NFL players for OCNN. In addition, Ochocinco and OCNN have gone as far as having sponsorships from Motorola Blur and Degree for Men featured on the Twitter page. It looks like Twitter has created an additional career path for Ochocinco.

Social media is a wonderful way to stay connected with friends, family, fans, clients and customers. However, it’s critical that one is careful on what they post for the cyberworld to see, especially for those in the world’s spotlight. For everyone else, what we post can certainly be under scrutiny also. For those who are in search of careers or who have careers working with or in front of the public, employers and potential employers are watching. One questionable post and we may be in the same boat Johnson found himself in with (or without) the Chiefs.