The Missing Link?

As the guy who has taken over programming and web design duties for Daily Axioms the last few months, I've had to make decisions about different sharing features, most important of which have been about what sharing buttons to put up on our site.

What was once an easy decision (one Share This/Add This button and you're done) has been expanded to Facebook buttons, TweetMeme buttons, Twitter buttons, Evernote buttons, and scores of others that I can't rattle off the top of my head. 

Now LinkedIn has added to the mix with a sharing button of their own. That in itself isn't necessarily newsworthy, but what it means for the future of LinkedIn is. 

LinkedIn has achieved rare success and become a part of that pantheon of social media elite along with the likes of Facebook and Twitter. It's carved out and dominated its niche as a professionals' network, steady progressing and evolving along the way.

That's why this new button worries me. Yes, there has always been (and will always be) link-sharing with large social networks, including LinkedIn. The issue is that the entire concept of sharing buttons is predicated upon making link-sharing as fast and easy as possible, which is perfect for networks like Twitter and Facebook.

But LinkedIn isn't meant to be a barrage of links. Users, myself included, enjoy LinkedIn because you aren't inundated with links. And while I understand the reason for posting the occasional story to LinkedIn because it pertains to your industry or has some relevance to your professional life, LinkedIn may be opening the flood gates to overwhelming users with pointless links that other users have no interest in.

Of course, all of this depends on web developers actually implementing it into their sites, which has yet to be seen. And maybe I'm off the mark with how LinkedIn users will receive this new sharing button, but I for one don't believe LinkedIn should try to be something it's not and should stick to being the professionals' network that made it successful in the first place.

Black Friday Leads to Green Weekend for Online Retailers

Welcome back, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and successful Black Friday shopping excursion. And yes, I do mean excursion because every mall and shopping center was a madhouse over the biggest shopping weekend of the year.

But even though lines of eager shoppers camped outside stores in anticipation of great deals and specials, Internet retailers enjoyed Black Friday success as well.

There were several Black Friday spending reports that came out in the aftermath of the sales frenzy, with comScore reporting a 9% increase in online spending this past Black Friday versus the same day in 2009. 

Also, a Coremetrics report that came out over the weekend reports a nearly 16% increase in online spending. There may be varying reports, but the general consensus is that online retailers showed marked improvement. That improvement is even more impressive considering another report showed that retailers only saw a 0.3% increase in in-store spending from last year.

The Coremetrics report also highlights a 26.7% jump in the number of people utilizing mobile websites, illustrating the importance of a strong mobile website. If shoppers can't easily access your website on the go, chances are they'll move on.

So as another Black Friday has come and gone, it's a good economic sign that we saw at least a slight increase across the board for retailers. And the significant spike we saw from Internet retailers is an even better sign for mobile and online development in the ongoing holiday shopping season.

Axiom Gives Thanks

A common topic of discussion around the office the last week or so has revolved around the Thanksgiving dinners we all plan to cook and enjoy in a few days. But while most of us will be eating ourselves into a coma (as I plan to do), there are many out there who don't get that luxury.

That's why I'm excited about the opportunity our office is getting to help out some of those in need when we go volunteer at Feed My Starving Children this afternoon. It's incredibly easy to give up a few hours and help out, especially when you consider how much good it can do.

It's also a fitting end to the work day before we close down the office for the week. So I'll be taking a short break from blogging and analyzing the social media universe while the doors are closed, but you can be sure Daily Axioms will be back up and running on Monday.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Scanning TSA's Troubles for Any Signs of Hope

Remember when the worst thing people said about the TSA were jokes about its initials meaning "Thousands Standing Around"?

Boy, have things changed. In the wake of full body scans and pat downs, the TSA has seemingly become more hated than BP in the eyes of the Internet. They've inspired numerous parodies on Twitter and lots of scathing blog posts.

Is the social media hate justified? For the most it is, because many of the things we've all been hearing since these new security procedures have been implemented show egregious lapses in judgment by the individual TSA agents.

But that's the thing; it's been individuals showing the lack of professionalism behind these horror stories.

This is why companies and organizations have (or should have) a solid PR team behind them, because it's the PR team's job to assure the public that the actions and immaturity shown by several of their agents is not indicative of the organization as a whole. More importantly, the TSA PR team needs to let us all know that they are taking steps to solve these issues.

The TSA's response? A Twitter account...that spams links from its TSA blog to users who tweet out negative comments about the new scanners and pat down procedures. A Twitter account can be a useful weapon in the crisis management arsenal if its used effectively, which it isn't in this case.

But this post isn't about full body scanners or pat downs, because I still believe that it's been a lack of professionalism by the TSA's individual agents that the root cause of most of the controversy. However, the oversights made by the TSA on the PR front are making things worse by not taking advantage of social media to influence their image or public perception. 

And until that happens, I'm afraid the TSA may be securing their place at the top of the Internet's no-fly list.

Video Post: Blood is Thicker Than Water

We've covered our blood donations here on Daily Axioms several times in the past, mostly because it is something we really care about. Unfortunately, however, the need for more blood donations is still incredibly high. That's why we decided to show how easy the process is and why it's so important.

Video Post: It's a Blog Eat Blog World

Traditional journalists often criticize bloggers for plagiarizing content from actual news outlets, but that doesn't mean the "old" media isn't immune from taking liberties with the work of others. In fact, cooking magazine Cook Source has been raked over the coals recently for publishing a blog post without the blogger's permission. I look into the controversy and its impact on today's video post.

Making Sense of a Manic Monday

Whenever Facebook unveils a new feature, you can be sure everyone will take notice.

If Google launches a new service, it's going to dominate headlines.

When Apple announces any updates, a frenzy hits the news and blogosphere.

But what about when all three online giants make announcements on the same day? Besides being inundated with updates in my RSS feed, I was left struggling to decide which one to cover in today's post.

So instead of prioritizing, I'll give a brief rundown of what all three companies announced on Monday.

Thinking outside of the (in)box.

Facebook unveiled a revamped version of their messaging system. While rumors flew that this was designed to compete with Gmail, Facebook claims this new messaging system is not an email killer.

The new messaging focuses on being a social inbox with seamless messaging and a conversation history. Users will also receive an @facebook.com address based on their username. Other features include off-site emailing, compatibility with other systems, and integration with SMS and mobile Web apps, all of which will take place on this new message platform.

Turning up the location-based heat.

Google is once again venturing further into the location-based arena with Monday's release of Hotpot, a Yelp-style recommendation engine. Hotpot takes all of their existing Google Places features like reviews and ratings with a friendlier user interface. Hotpot allows users to link and recommend services directly from their account, as opposed to aggregating the data from outside services like Yelp or Gowalla.

Beatles and iTunes come together.

After years of going back and forth, the families of the Beatles have finally agreed to sell the back catalog of songs to iTunes. Rumors had been swirling that the Beatles would finally be landing on the music service, and those rumors were proven true with Apple's announcement Monday. And if you go to iTunes, you'll notice that Beatlemania has taken over iTunes both musically and visually.

So as you can see, it was a very busy day for anyone covering the latest tech and social media news. Hopefully, this gives sheds some light on a very busy Monday.

Video Production Internship

It’s official! Axiom Productions, the video department of Axiom Marketing Communications, is looking for a new video production intern. With the explosive growth of online video, now more than ever we are in need of new talent to help out with the video production process from start to finish.

Responsibilities

The video production internship will encompass all components that go into a professionally produced video. From initial concept creation to on-set directing, this internship offers a variety of opportunities for the up-and-coming video pro. Not only will the intern help produce and edit client works, the video production intern will spearhead the Daily Axiom Vlogs you see here on a weekly basis.

Qualifications

• Must be a college graduate with a degree in mass communication, video production, broadcast journalism, or related field

• Must have experience with video production editing software, specifically Final Cut Pro

• Must be able to multitask and coordinate several video projects simultaneously

• Must be detail oriented and have the ability to work both independently and in a team environment

How to Apply
If you think you’ve got what it takes and are interested in joining the Axiom Productions team, send an email to Creative Director Dave Sniadak with a cover letter, resume and three samples that highlight your video production/editing experience.

To see some of our award winning video work, feel free to check out our YouTube and Vimeo pages. Questions? Let us know below, or find us on Twitter.

The Path of Least Resistance

The big social media news today revolves around the launch of Path, a startup formed and funded by a bunch of big name players in the online development community. But what's most interesting about this new addition to the social sphere is how un-social it really is.

On its surface, Path is a photo-sharing service. The catch, however, is that you are limited to sharing with 50 friends...maximum.

Obviously, this is a very different approach than Twitter, Facebook or Flickr, where there's that race to build up followers and friends. This anti-social network isn't necessarily a deterrent, because I'm sure there is a market for a more personal photo sharing service like this.

And while limiting network size is refreshing, there are a couple of potential obstacles in the path that Path has taken.

1. Photo-sharing standards thrown out the window.

• No ability to comment or like any photos on Path.
• No editing ability or filters, a major draw for current popular photo-sharing apps like Instagram.
• Limited tagging allowed. With Path, there are three categories to tag with each picture (People, Place, and Thing), but you can only create one tag for each category.

2.  Doesn't play nice with others.

• No external social media integration, which means you can't share Path photos to Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Currently only available on iPhone. Sorry Android fans, you'll have to wait a while before trying it out (on your phone at least).

3. Exclusivity is the name of Path's game.

• You can't view someone's Path profile unless you are friends with them.
• You can invite people who aren't on Path to join, but email notification settings can't be adjusting outside of "muting" a friend whose updates you don't want to see.

Path has dubbed itself as "The Personal Network" for your close friends and family. It's good for those of us who share lots of inside jokes or you-should-have-been-there pictures on larger social networks like Facebook and Twitter and are afraid of confusing the rest of our friends/followers with pictures that aren't meant for them.

So yes, Path's limited network can be difficult to wrap your head around, especially if you're used to Twitter and Facebook. But if you're looking for this kind of anti-social network, Path may be worth a look.

However, given the lack of features and integration, I personally won't be taking this particular Path.

Facebook Friday: Gloves Are Off Against Google

I've touched on the Google-Facebook digital arms race before, mostly in reference to the constant changes both companies were making updates to gain as much ground as possible in the online space.

The key phrase there is "arms race" because it was purely a competition for innovation. We didn't see Facebook and Google taking direct shots at each other publicly, instead focusing their energies on new features and products. But that seemingly-good natured race is over, given the feud that's been boiling over the past week.

For those who missed it (or are just confused by the barrage of headlines), here's basically what happened:

• Nov. 4: Google changed their terms of service to prevent Facebook from importing Google contact data without allowing Google to do the same with Facebook's data.

• Nov. 8: Facebook hacked their way around Google's data protection effort, letting them keep their access to Google's data without giving up their own.

• Nov. 9: Google takes a shot at Facebook, in response to Facebook's what's-mine-is-mine-and-what's-yours-is-also-mine approach to data access, saying how "disappointed" they were that Facebook would do something like that.

• Nov. 9: A Facebook engineer shoots back at Google, stating that "[data] openness doesn’t mean being open when it's convenient for you." He went on to claim that Google has flip-flopped on data openness in the past, while Facebook has remained consistent with their policy.

• Nov 10: Google retaliates by sending users trying to import their Google data to Facebook to a jump page warning that Facebook is guilty of data-trapping: 

You have been directed to this page from a site that doesn't allow you to re-export your data to other services, essentially locking up your contact data about your friends. So once you import your data there, you won't be able to get it out.

So there it is, the feud between the two biggest online titans revolves around data portability. And while most people are pondering who won this fight, it's pretty much a split decision. Google has seemingly won the moral high ground, painting Facebook as data-hogging bullies. However, the fact is that Facebook is still the one with all of the data.

That being said, it's hard to tell whether this is a win-win or a lose-lose situation for these two digital giants. What we do know, however, is that their battle for Internet supremacy got a lot more personal.

Video Post: I_Blog Conference Recap

As we mentioned last week, Axiom's own Dave Sniadak spoke at this past weekend's I_Blog Conference in Perry, Iowa. His "Vasics" of Vlogging seminar helped bloggers understand how to incorporate video into their blogs and make those videos the best they can be. And for those of you who couldn't be there, Dave discusses some of the key points from his seminar and his I_Blog Conference experience in today's Daily Axioms video post.

Foursquare's Nip/Tuck

Not content to stop at just adding new badges, Foursquare continues to roll out updates. This time, they've cleaned up their website with what they themselves called "a little nip and tuck."

The emphasis of the update centers on friend management. The home page now features a Twitter-style stream of your friends' recent checkins and accomplishments. There's also a big "Find Friends" button at the top of the page.

This "Find Friends" feature is perhaps the biggest update to the website, and the most needed. This feature allows you to pull contacts from Gmail, Facebook and Twitter to add as Foursquare friends. Location-based networks like this are much more fun with more friends and a larger network, so streamlining the process of adding friends should bolster users' networks and foster more frequent use.

Managing your network is also a lot easier on the website now, because you can see which friends you have in common with other friends or potential friends. This alleviates the hesitation of adding Foursquare friends you don't know at all.

This is a good move by Foursquare because before this, there hasn't been much use for the website with so much focus on its mobile utility. Also, a more popular website opens up more monetization and advertising options should Foursquare choose to go down that road.

So although these updates are in their early stages, the overall opinion of this little location-based facelift seems to be very positive. Hopefully, this streamlined and improved friend management platform will give the Foursquare website a much-needed identity and purpose.

Will the Dell's Duo be Dynamic or Disastrous?

Last week Dell released a short teaser video for their upcoming Dell Inspiron Duo tablet, which should hit the market by the end of the year.

Obviously, Dell faces the same challenge that every tablet has faced since the iPad was launched. They are trying to not only separate themselves from Apple's hugely popular tablet, but from the sea of other tablet that have dominated technology headlines in recent months.

And what is Dell bringing to the table?

For starters, the Inspiron Duo sports a full QWERTY keyboard in addition to the standard tablet touchscreen. And to get to that keyboard, the Inspiron Duo has a really cool flip lid that turns the touchscreen 180 degress. So what you end up with is a combination tablet/netbook.  It's hard to explain, so I recommend checking out the video for yourself.

The number one question facing technology developers today concerns multifunctional capabilities like this. Do people want a device that does a little bit of everything, or a device that does one thing really well?

The prime example is the tablet vs. e-reader debate. Many feared that the iPad would kill off the Kindle because it could do a lot more in addition to functioning as an e-reader. However, despite a very successful tablet release by Apple, the Kindle is still going strong as well.

Given the success of both product categories, I think that, assuming the Inspiron Duo performs well as both a tablet and netbook, it has a real chance to gain ground in this very competitive tablet market.

All's Fair in Love and Facebook

Nearly 9 out of 10 web users have searched for password hacking methods online, according to a recent BitDefender survey. I'll let that sink in for a moment, but here's why we all need to take notice of statistics like this.

Let's face it, nothing ruins your day faster than having your online privacy breached. Here at Axiom, we've had our Twitter profile hacked, and I personally have had my credit card information stolen. Neither situation was fun to deal with, and both required an overhaul to how I/we set up passwords.

But before you start hyperventilating over the thought of millions of hackers trying to steal your online identity, we need to look at why so many people are apparently interested in password hacking. The answer seems to center on love and relationships.

The survey found that 72% of respondents had wanted to read their significant other’s personal messages. And if you think that ending the relationship would solve your privacy issue, you'd be wrong, because 64% of potential password stealers had thought about exacting some online revenge by changing passwords or information in their ex-boy/girlfriend’s social network account.

So with all of us moving more and more facets of our lives online, the risk of being hacked is obviously going to go up. However, your biggest threat probably isn't some professional hacker with the latest code-breaking program, but the people you already love and trust. I guess Nietzsche had it right when he said, "there is always some madness in love."

Axiom Staffer to Speak at Blog Conference this Weekend

Online video has seen an exponential boom among web surfers since the early 2000's. According to comScore reports, more than 34-billion videos populate the internet, with more than 183-million users consuming that video. With all that video floating around, how are we ensuring that quality content is being created?

Axiom's Creative Director, Dave Sniadak, will be speaking at the I_Blog Conference in Perry, Iowa, Saturday, November 6th to deliver a Vasics of Vlogging seminar. He'll attempt to enlighten bloggers with some tips on how they can not only incorporate video into their blogs, but how to raise the production level a few notches.

Some of the topics Dave will be addressing are the three kinds of vlogs that users generally create, and three key components producers should heed before hitting record for their next vlog. Among other things, Dave will attempt to produce a real-time vlog post with some brave session attendees. Check back early next week for a session recap.

Only 4% Online Adults Use Location-Based Services

The unfortunate side effect of following social media news as closely as many of us do is that we sometimes forget that not everybody uses, understands, or even cares about it to extent that we do.

For instance, looking around the social media news headlines you'd think that location-based services like Foursquare or Gowalla are dominating the social sphere. However, a very surprising report from the Pew Research Center shows that these services have a long way to go before they can be considered mainstream staples.

The title of the report, "4% of online Americans use location-based services," pretty much says it all. The rest of the study dives further into the numbers, but all of the statistics point to the same conclusion that these location-based services aren't being utilized across multiple demographics.

The report breaks down the use of these services by several categories, and if you piece together the highest percentages, the ideal geolocation user is an 18-29 year old (8%) Hispanic (10%) male (6%). But even the highest percentages are lackluster, given that the study covered online adults.

But this low usage rate is by no means a sign that location-based services are doomed to fail, it only means that they are not mainstream as of right now. However, these statistics should be taken into account by companies looking to launch any sort of location-based campaign, because the numbers show that it may have some trouble reaching a large majority of the online population.

Switching Teams: Why Facebook Places Might be Worth a Second Look

Without a doubt, the office favorite here at Axiom is Foursquare. If any of us use Facebook Places, it's rare and infrequent--in opposition to some staffers' obsessions with checking in daily on Foursquare. First Facebook took MySpace, then it took our beloved chatting services MSN & AOL, and now we're about to witness its first real attempt to take down our favorite location-based social network.

So what did Facebook Places do to make us take a closer look? They combined it with our nation's newest obsession: local deals. Simply titled "Deals," the service will provide four different special offers available only through Facebook Places. Individual Deals will offer a single deal just for you, while Friend Deals will allow you and a buddy to be in on the savings. Loyalty Deals will be similar to Foursquare Mayorships for frequent customers, and Charity Deals will allow you to donate to a particular cause.

And of course, in true Facebook fashion, every time you cash in on a deal it pops up on your newsfeed.

What does this all boil down to? Where Foursquare held the monopoly in the location-based marketing arena, they now have a direct deals competitor with a social networking giant. Sure, Facebook doesn't have the bragging rights that can only come from a legit Foursquare Mayorship, but with brands like Chipotle and GAP already signing onto Facebook Deals, there might be reason to switch.

Virtually Fired

Some of you may remember this summer’s run-in with Axiom’s own Foursquare Cheater. Some unknown user had checked into the Axiom offices often enough to steal the mayorship from an employee.

It just so happens this employee is very competitive and did not appreciate the virtual lies.

After a few emails to Foursquare urging them to reconsider their security system, we finally learn that they’ve granted businesses the authority to fire fake mayors. According to Foursquare representatives: 

Yesterday we gave verified business owners the ability to oust a Mayor if they have reason to believe the Mayorship was not gained through legitimate check-ins. If a Mayor is flagged by a business owner, they’ll be removed from office immediately and the next user in line will take over as Mayor.

That’s right. Businesses can now go all Donald Trump over cheaters, given they’re paying enough attention to know who’s legitimate and who isn’t. Even though this hardly matters for an office such as Axiom, I imagine it will cause quite a stir amongst bars and restaurants that are offering mayoral perks. But what happens if a newly-fired mayor was let go by mistake? What if the next in line causes a fuss over the legitimacy of a mayorship? Will businesses need to listen to this back-and-fourth rivalry to ensure their mayors are authentic?

Even though I was able to earn the Axiom mayorship back by old school check-ins, I don’t know if firing mayors is helping or hurting the issue. Nothing says 'don’t patronize my business' more than virtually getting fired.

Axiom Brings Home the Daveys

Not long after Axiom was awarded with a Gold MarCom for our 1K Country Adventure campaign with Country Inns & Suites, we learn we are also being recognized with two Davey Awards!

We're proud to share that our 1K Country Adventure campaign was awarded with a Gold Davey in the Online Marketing Effectiveness category. In case you missed what the campaign was about, here's a recap from our esteemed videographer.



We also won a Silver Davey for our Toro Facebook video titled, "How Old is Your Toro?" The video was created to showcase the durability and longevity of Toro mowers, and we were blown away with the number of responses.



We're all honored to have received awards for our work, especially from the International Academy of the Visual Arts and the Davey Awards.

To see more of our award-winning work, visit us online at www.axiomcom.com.

Foursquare Adds a Dose of Duper with New Swarm Badges

When I first signed up for Foursquare, my sole mission was to unlock the once-elusive Super Swarm Badge. I still remember hitting refresh over and over as I watched the number of other people checking in slowly grow until at last it peaked at 253 people.

But the pride I felt for that 250-person accomplishment dwindled with each subsequent check in at a baseball game (with 300 other people), concert (400 other people) or music festival (with over 600 people checking in).

Every one of those massive check ins made my just-barely-qualifying 253 person check in seem downright puny, and I longed for Foursquare to add some new Swarm badges.

Finally, my location-based prayers have been answered with the introduction of Super Duper and Epic Swarm Badges. The Super Duper Swarm Badge is for groups of 500 users checking in at the same place and the Epic Swarm Badge is for when 1,000 or more users get together.

With a user base just hitting 4 million and growing fast, it seemed it would only be a matter of time before we saw larger Swarm Badges.

Now I just need a ticket to SXSW and I'll be all set, because you can be sure Foursquare is anxious to make a big return to the event that launched it to the forefront of location-based social networking.