Remember those days long, long ago (or, you know, about five years back), when friends and loved ones used to pay each other personal visits, write each other letters and even chat on the (corded!) telephone? These seemingly antiquated rituals used to be treasured quality time with family and loved ones, and sadly, they are becoming all but extinct in the face of lightening fast technology and computer hardware. With the advent of snazzy social networks that instantly link strangers from across the globe, it’s difficult to imagine an old fashioned chat on the phone with an uncle or grandparent on a lazy weekend afternoon these days. In fact, people today rarely have any lazy or free time to spare, because everyone is constantly plugged into new technology and enamored with advances in computer hardware like BlackBerrys, iphones, and tiny notebook laptops.

If there’s only technical advancement that’s taken a stronghold on our entire society, it’s the social network. What began as a neat way to share photos with long distance loved ones has become a multibillion dollar a year industry and a hub for advertising, business connections and a force behind a global, 24/7 economy and news cycle. Not too long ago, MySpace and Facebook were mere infants, and few people even used the tools. Those who did, engaged with friends, tried to make a love connection – or listened to music on their own personal time, from their clunky desktop computers. These days, companies are hiring “Social Media Managers” and are employing entire teams to manage their social networking among clients and customers.

If a college graduate includes social media experience and success on a resume, the job is likely theirs for the taking. Just a few years ago, students would never dream of including such things on their list of credentials – but with the boom of social sites, those skills are now coveted in the workforce, and in fact make a job candidate a hot commodity. To boot, anyone can conduct business or engage customers anywhere, as long as they have computer hardware in their pockets!

It does not seem too long ago when communicating via a computer seemed outlandish – science fiction.  Back then, there was this notion called Telnet, where a computer user could log-in to a local internet hub, usually through that of a nearby university, for free.  That’s right.  And there weren’t cable or DSL lines connecting to the internet.  There were only phone lines and dial-up.
Telnet was a communications application used during the inception of internet use between universities and government agencies for communicating with another computer user at a remote location via what we now term as instant messaging.  Additionally, there weren’t web browsers or even windows application for internet connectivity.  There was only the DOS prompt.  It was through the infamous black screen that computer "experts" would type in DOS commands to dial into their universities internet hub, for example, access Telnet, then PING or "call" another internet user and hope they answer, assuming they too are logged-in to Telnet and waiting your call.
This was messaging at its origins.  Eventually, Netscape was developed, windows applications for internet browsing introduced and non-technical internet access was born.  You didn’t have to know DOS or wish to browse for internet data via a black screen and numbered listings.  Now there was point and click capabilities, images and intuitive design.  E-mail seemed to have been the first major technological break-through in terms of mass popularity for communications via computers.  Though messaging had already long ago been born, it wasn’t until much later that applications such as Microsoft’s Instant Messenger and AOL’s messaging capabilities slowly introduced this method of "instant email" to a broader audience.
Today, the most recent fad in terms of instant text messaging has come via mobile phones.   Even "dumb" phones are now capable of transmitting text messages from one mobile phone user to the next.

It’s safe to say that the traditional printed phone book is dead, as consumers now scour the Web to explore ideas and find certain products and services. With a click of the mouse, millions of consumers are readily primed for a company’s message, be it on their favorite sites or as they are simply browsing. Internet marketing is not only inexpensive, but it opens the door to new creative outlets while reaching specific demographics. But, with everyone a player, how does your company stand out from the noise? You have to optimize your digital footprints.

As search engines dominate the way the public finds information, it’s important to be at the top of the ladder. Search engine optimization marketing techniques put a company prominently in the results when a consumer searches for keywords that are principal to the company’s image. In relation, these key words can also be optimized in advertising, a technique formally known as pay-per-click advertising, bringing consumers to you as your company’s website links to the results.

Consumers today are accustomed to, and value, interaction. Social media is the preferred outlet, presenting a great marketing opportunity to directly interact with consumers, and their friends and business associates. Plus, it works as an efficient sharing device, such as passing around viral videos, which are another optimal opportunity for your company to creatively spread its message.

Unfortunately, these methods can require considerable time and manpower. Instead of trying to juggle all of these initiatives in-house, it would be ideal to retain the services of a reputable SEO company. Trained in Internet marketing, their reach is far and wide and they are more experienced in new digital applications. In addition, they have the capability to analyze results to see what is or isn’t working, and what changes need to be made. Hiring an SEO company is a sure way to optimize your company’s digital footprints.