AOL Adds Facebook To AIM

AOL has integrated Facebook Connect with its Instant Messenger to allow users to chat with their Facebook friends directly from AIM.

AOL said in a blog post it is adding its Lifestream application to AIM allowing users to receive updates from social networking sites including Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.

AOL is betting its latest move will considerably expand its AIM user base beyond its current total of 17 million users. The move by AOL also backs up Gartner's prediction that email and social networks will continue to become increasingly tightly integrated.

"The rigid distinction between e-mail and social networks will erode. E-mail will take on many social attributes, such as contact brokering while social networks will develop richer e-mail capabilities," said Matt Cain, research vice president at Gartner.

 

"While e-mail is already almost fully penetrated in the corporate space, we expect to see steep growth rates for sales of premises- and cloud-based social networking services."
 

 

Have You Read This?

> Is Google Launching a Competitor for Facebook/Twitter?

> Google's Facebook/Twitter Competitor Could Open Up Big Possibilities

> Reasons to Have a Facebook Page and Ways to Make it Better

 

Novell Tries To Ride On Google Wave

When Google Wave was first released, it impressed a lot of people from a technical standpoint.  The trouble was, no one could figure out a practical use for it.  Now, Novell has decided to take a shot, announcing a service known as Pulse.

Novell explained on its website, "With Novell Pulse, people continents apart can work together in real-time, sharing and co-browsing information or creating or editing a document.  Individuals can also manage content overload by choosing people and topics to follow and stashing files - both native and office type - along with their related groups and conversations."

Then here's the Google-y part (although anyone who paid attention will note that Pulse already sounds a lot like Mountain View's AIM-on-steroids offering): Pulse "will also work seamlessly with Google Wave so you and anyone you want to work with can . . . get down to business."

As for availability, there's good news and bad news.  The bad: Pulse isn't supposed to launch until 2010, so it'll be a while before anyone can evaluate it.  The good: everyone should be able to evaluate it, because Novell has promised that there'll be a free version.

A lot is riding on Pulse because, as Zee M Kane observed, Novell's the first major corporation to embrace Google Wave.  What happens here could help determine if it catches on.

Have You Read This?

> Will Google Wave Shape The Future Of Online Communication?

> Google Wave Simplified: How It Basically Works

> Google Wave Invitations Roll Out

Tips for AdSense for feeds

AdSense for feeds is currently in beta testing phase and the content publishers are just waiting for the flood gates to open in order to start earning revenue through the AdSense Ads in their feeds. Here are the top 3 tips that will help you fully capitalize on this revenue earning opportunity:

Content quality: You will earn Google AdSense revenue only if people subscribe to your feed. The more subscriptions you get, the better are your chances of success with AdSense for feeds. Since most people would be looking for quality content, you need to make sure that your feed contains up-to-date quality information that is presented to the users in an easy-to-understand language. Besides that, the feeds should be free from grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Content quantity: Include as much content in your feeds as you possibly can. Again, the aim is prove that the feed is useful and comprehensive (so that more users subscribe to it). If you feel that the complete article cannot go into the feed, include a good summary of the article.

Limit the ad units: If the users find that your feeds contain too much Ads, they might not subscribe to your feeds at all (and the whole purpose of feeds would get defeated). In order to ensure that you get good subscription to your feeds, you should limit the ad units to one per feed. Another good way of ensuring that your feeds don’t look like an advertising medium is to place the Ads either at the end of article or after having sufficiently discussed the topic.

So, get ready for enhancing your ‘AdSense for feeds’ revenue with these tips. Your wait may soon be over. Keep the tempo going and keep checking Google’s AdSense blog for updates about the launch of AdSense for feeds.

Making the AdSense Ads suit your website – Part 1 (shape and size)

Google AdSense program can reap even richer dividends for you if you are able to attract more visitors to your website and if you are able to prompt them to take action (i.e. click on the AdSense Ads). Google disallows statements that ask the visitors to click on the AdSense Ads. In fact, Google AdSense Ads are to be marked in some way as advertisements. However, there are other authentic ways of getting the clicks on your AdSense Ads.

Besides the copy and quality content, you can also improve the performance of your AdSense Ads by either making them blend with your website or making them standout. The aim is to make the AdSense Ads more attractive/ appealing to your website visitors and to make them look in-place (not out of place). Google too recognizes this need and hence it provides you with customization options for making the Ads look the way you want them to.

You can make the AdSense Ads suit your website by controlling the shape, size, color and positioning of the Ads. Let’s have a brief look at the first two properties i.e. shape and size:

1.    Shape of your AdSense Ads: This is one of the most important customizations options that you have at your disposable. You can make your selection from a number of Ad formats that Google makes available to you. These include skyscrapers, single ad blocks and banners. Just check the suitability of the shape with respect to the webpage where you wish to include the AdSense Ad.

2.    Size of your AdSense Ads: Again, you can use AdSense Ads of various sizes. The size is important not only for making the Ads look suited to your website but also for determining the number of Ads that can be displayed on the webpage by the Google AdSense program. A large size generally means that more Ads can be displayed on the page (and hence presents the opportunity for earning more revenue with increased impressions).