Wordless Wednesday: Women in Social Media

Wordless Wednesday: A Short History of Social Media

The Answers Social Media Infographics Provide (And The Questions They Raise)

Social media has obviously revolutionized the way brands connect with consumers. And with the hundreds of thousands of ways that marketers have planted themselves in our digital lives, sometimes it's nice to step back and admire the magnitude of social media marketing.

This infographic on Mashable examines some of the larger examples of effective campaigns based on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and location-based services like Foursquare. There are plenty of numbers on the infographic, but here's a quick sampling:

• 12 million YouTube views for the "Will It Blend?" iPad video over 4 months
• 86.5 million impressions for Coca-Cola's promoted trending topic in June 2010
• 11% consumers say they would buy something offered only to Facebook fans.
• 184,000 people participated in a 3-month Buffalo Wild Wings SCVNGR campaign

Of course, stats like this stir mixed emotions from people like me who work on the marketing/PR side of social media. On one hand, these numbers prove the impact social media marketing can have, as well as the sheer potential that exists online.

However, looking only at social media marketing's biggest successes (or failures for that matter) tend to skew the perception of brands looking to get into social media.

A company who only sees these grandiose examples of pages with thousands of fans or videos may come to expect that incredibly high level of success as normal. And when a campaign falls short of those lofty expectations, they may not see the value in social media even if the campaign was objectively successful.

The problem, however, can be solved by clearly defining the client's expectations before the campaign is agreed to. This should also include discussing the client's idea of success and, if need be, an honest assessment of what the client should expect from their social media efforts.

Wordless Wednesday: Inside the Lives of Social Networking Users

Facebook Friday: 750 million reasons why Google+ is still in Zuckerberg's rear view mirror

As many social media rush to christen Google+ the heir apparent to the social networking throne, let's pause a moment to examine the site that currently wears that crown.

Just yesterday I posted a video blog mentioning the small user base of Google+. And today, comScore published a report saying that Google+ has hit 20 million unique visitors. Granted, that doesn't mean there are 20 million Google+ users, but it's still a solid enough number to see how it stacks up against Facebook.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that Google+ does boast 20 million users. That's a mere 2.7% of Facebook's 750 million users.

More importantly, Facebook's user base is not limited to early adopters like Google+. This is an important distinction, because early adopter usage is not a good indicator of how the general public will embrace a product or service. And if the public doesn't adopt it, then the site will die off once the early adopters flock to their next big thing online.

I'm not saying Google+ can't one day challenge Facebook's supremacy, but it is way too early to tell and it's something that both social media pundits and brands need to bear in mind.

Coming Full Circle with Google+

Google+ has become the media darling after a string of positive reviews have led many to wonder if Google's social network can indeed challenge Facebook's social supremacy. Now that several of us here at the office have had some time to play around with Google+, Steve offers a quick rundown of its key features.

What Will Be the Big Trend in 2011?

Most social media minds like to wait until the end of the year to start predicting what the big trends will be the following year.

However, a bit of a pattern is starting to emerge and I'm going to throw out an early prediction for what will dominate social news headlines in 2011: music and music-based networking.

We're starting to see a huge social-musical push already, starting with hugely popular music-based apps like Shazam and Grooveshark. There's also a growing trend of music streaming sites expanding to other venues like Pandora's Facebook integration or MOG adding a music-related news hub.

Add in last week's launch of Apple's social media music service Ping, which drew 1 million subscribers in the first 48 hours, and it's safe to say that this musical integration is a legitimate evolution in the social media space.

But it doesn't stop there. The latest news from Google is that the search giant is hoping to get a music streaming service up and running late this year in an effort to compete with iTunes and hopefully knock the music download king off its throne.

I can't (or won't) say whether or not Google will be able to overtake iTunes, but I would not be surprised if we see a lot more music-based services, apps and networks next year. Of course with how fast the social media space changes, I could be singing a different tune come December.

Social Networking Goes Back to School

Remember the "good old days" of Facebook? If you were on Facebook before 2008, you probably have fond memories of the then college-only social network.

Memories like awkwardly changing relationship statuses, throwing virtual livestock at your friends, and the freedom to post embarrassing photos without worrying about parents/potential employers seeing you doing keg stands or tequila shots.

That's why the launch of a new, college-exclusive social network called CollegeOnly caught my eye. Like the name suggests, it is only open to someone with a college email address from one of three schools (Princeton, Yale and Cornell) currently registered. The network itself is a hodgepodge of existing social media features, with everything from your basic status posting and photo uploads to geo-tagging and a Craigslist-style "Missed Connections" feature.

Besides the strict entrance requirements and multitude of features, there is one other interesting thing about the site. Most social networks are "opt-in," where you start with no friends and then add connections, building your network from the ground up. But CollegeOnly is more of an "opt-out" style network, because you are automatically connected with everyone on the network upon signing up and then block users you don't want to be connected with.

Obviously, CollegeOnly will need to expand if they ever want to gain ground in the social media oligarchy. But it sounds like its creators have done their best to try and return social networking to its early days, before you had to worry about your mom or dad looking in on your personal life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Facebook pictures I need to delete...

Time for a Pep-Talk, Foursquare

Listen Foursquare, I know you've been keeping an eye on the launch of Facebook Places and you probably haven't liked the headlines you've seen, with everyone out there is saying your days are numbered. But you need to take a deep breath...and exhale. Good, now let's talk this out.

First off, remember that you're top dog in the location-based arena, and it's because of your success that Facebook is taking location-based sharing seriously as a social networking medium (and even paying homage to you with their Facebook Places logo). So my advice? Stay positive, look in the mirror, and give yourself a Jessica-style pep talk.

Sure, Facebook Places has 500 million users at their disposal. And yeah, they've done a solid job of integrating the new service into their site. I know you've tried to avoid competing directly with Facebook, but the sleeping giant has woken up and yes, it will give you some tough competition.

But you do have a few things going for you. I like how you partnered with Facebook right out of the gate. Do I think dedicated Foursquare users will use it? Probably not, but it's smart to have the option.

More importantly, even though Facebook will introduce geolocation to a wider audience, the early adopters and the truly engaged users have already established loyalty with an existing location-based network, which for most people is you.

So remember Foursquare, just because Facebook is checking in to the location-based networking doesn't necessarily mean you'll be surrendering you're mayorship on that market anytime soon.

Mafia Wars Continues to Blow Up

Even with the buzz surrounding the latest crop of traditional video games like StarCraft II, Madden NFL '11 and the upcoming Halo Reach, social gaming continues to see huge amounts of traffic.

And Zynga, the company behind the immensely popular Mafia Wars and Farmville games on Facebook, hopes to continue that momentum. Zynga recently created a new level for their Mafia Wars game and wanted to make sure a lot people were playing it. And for Zynga, "a lot" meant 10 million, which they were able hit pretty easily.

So how did they hit that not-so-lofty goal?

Well, the minds behind Mafia Wars decided the most sensible way to get people to play a game about online crime was to blow up a real-life armored truck. That's right, the latest Mafia Wars promotion was that if 10 million users played the new Las Vegas level, Zynga would blow up an actual armored truck in the city the game level was based on.

Some people may be question the point of this promotion, other than a reason for gratuitous explosions. And while I'm always a fan of explosions, I don't think that this spike in success for Mafia Wars will stop critics and pundits from questioning if/when the bubble will burst for Zynga and other social gaming companies.

However, I think it's safe to say that the social gaming bubble won't be popping anytime soon.

Can MySpace Rise from the Junior High School Ashes?

Here around the Axiom office, we love to reminisce about our early days online. Our stories range from the hours spent playing Neopets to how cool we felt chatting on AOL during our junior high school years. And one topic that dominated those good-old-days conversations was MySpace.

In a world of likes, tweets, and check ins, many people have forgotten about the original social media phenomenon (sorry Friendster). There's no doubt MySpace has kind of fallen off the map over the past few years. And with reports surfacing a couple weeks ago that the once-mighty social network is hemorrhaging money, MySpace seems to be circling the drain.

Or is it?

Rupert Murdoch, who bought MySpace back in 2005, conjured images of Braveheart as he declared over and over that MySpace will not go down without a fight. And while I doubt he will be donning blue warpaint anytime soon, he does have enough financial weaponry to get something done. And their plan of attack appears to be a massive overhaul, although they haven't said what that will entail.

With constant innovation from other social media giants, MySpace needs a great idea and they it need it soon if they ever want to claw their way back to the top of the social networking mountain.

The Next Best Thing To A Sarcasm Hashtag

There's been more than a few times that a seemingly-benign text or email I sent was taken the wrong way, leaving me to wonder why the person I sent that "too busy to meet now" email to is glaring at me from across the office because they thought I was blowing them off.

Miscommunications like this have been an issue for many people, as more and more conversations take place through email and texts rather than face-to-face. The problem is that nonverbal communication, which is such a vital part of face-to-face conversations, is lost with email.

This means sarcasm rarely makes sense, jokes tend to be taken the wrong way, and quick responses often come off as terse or rude.

Well, there's a new download called ToneCheck that reviews your emails before you send them, checking specifically for phrases that may be perceived as angry or passive-aggressive.

The free download is still in beta testing, and is currently only available for Microsoft Outlook. I don't know how well it works or if it would be embraced by users, but it does illustrate the growing trend for social media (and yes, I'm including email in this category) management tools.

Think about the rise in programs like Your Twitter Karma, ReFollow, HootSuite, and now ToneCheck. Many of the new products and services we're seeing aren't necessarily new social networks, but new ways of working with and monitoring existing social media outlets.

Obviously, double-checking that email (especially to the coworker you're already on thin ice with) is equally effective. But if ToneCheck takes off, we could see plenty more social management tools hit the market, and ones that are geared towards the more popular text-based social networks like Twitter or Facebook.

Until then, if you have a clever pun or sarcastic comment you just have to get out, it's probably a good idea to make sure that sarcasm is made clear.

6 Years Old and On Top of the World

By: Steve Retka

Facebook, which has become the gold standard for social networking sites, turned six years old yesterday. And while its creators and other business minds alike will continue to ponder where the online juggernaut will go in the future, I think we should take this opportunity to look back and admire how far it has already come.

It only took the networking website a couple of years to dominate the social lives of many around the world. It’s become the primary way of keeping in touch with friends far away, updating the masses with what we’re up to at any given moment, and defining whether or not our relationships are “facebook official”.

Yes, Facebook has redefined issues of privacy and what’s socially acceptable. And while there have been some morally ambiguous actions made possible by the social network, like the Missouri woman who had her family picture stolen from Facebook and used as advertising in the Czech Republic, it has done a lot of good as well.

I was lucky enough to witness the positive power of Facebook firsthand. I was attending school in Fargo during the massive flooding that hit much of North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota in the spring of 2009. There was a huge turnout of volunteers to help sandbag, but many were unable to be put to use since no one knew where to send them all. It was becoming an organizational and logistical nightmare. However, a local radio host I knew wrote in his Facebook status that he was going to a friend’s house the next morning to sandbag and included the specific address. The next day, nearly 200 people showed up to this one person’s house to help out.

For me, this became my defining moment when I knew that this Internet titan had the potential for even greater things. There’s no telling what other feats this social network will achieve, but for now we can all agree that Facebook has done pretty well for itself these past six years.

How Many People Actually Use Twitter?

Eric Berlin poses a good question here. The makers of this video make it pretty apparent that, while twitter has grown “exponentially” according to Darren Rowse, this random sample society still doesn’t tweet and they’re letting you know that.



What can you do about it?
The most successful social networking platforms come by hands-on learning. You can talk about it to a person until you’re blue in the face, but the first step to conversion is embracing (take in with the mind) the technology; second step, spend hours of time navigating the device. I’ve been reading Twitter conversion articles lately and the writers themselves say they had to give Twitter a second look after an earlier in the year sign-up kept them from exploring Twitter any further.

I believe Twitter will have a tipping point eventually… much like Facebook. If you were to replace “Facebook” with “Twitter” in this street questionnaire, I guarantee you that everyone would know Facebook because it’s a global phenomenon that has stuck. I’m forever enslaved.

Contest Time
If you’re one of those people enslaved by Twitter, you are eligible to participate in this contest. Count how many people in this video don’t know what Twitter is, report it back to @axiompr and Axiom will send your favorite candy to you. Please tweet “XX from Brazil don’t know Twitter.” Remember, you have to be the first person to do it!

Thanks to the makers of this video and Wii for giving vibrancy to gaming.

Making Social Networking Productive

USA Today featured an article today on how companies are engaging in social networking.

Main points from the article:
- There has been a big shift with companies in the last two months toward social networking.
- 85% of employees work on projects with people in other offices
- Companies are getting involved in "company only" social networks (check out Yammer for an example).


So what?

As companies are realizing the benefits of internal social networking, I imagine they must also realize the advantages of getting involved through social networking with their customers. Many companies have leveraged social networking for their products, but I expect many more to jump on the bandwagon in the future.

One of the best social networking sites set up by a company comes from Saturn. Check out ImSaturn.

Maybe They'll Be Able to Figure Out What "Poking" Is

On September 22, the government will launch a new social network site called A-Space (not to be confused with "The A-Space" for Anarchists). On this new site, military intelligence members will be able to share tips, trends, and leads in secret intelligence and information, as well as create profile pages much like on Facebook or MySpace. This platform will encourage cross-department thinking and collaboration in the fight against terrorism and tightening national security in the new age of social media networks.

Of course, A-Space will launch with the highest of security measures, but you better be sure that hackers will try for months to crack this nut. If the designers feel this safe about their security system, maybe they should give the New Facebook designers a few tips.

Networking Tips

PRNewser wrote up some tips on how to schmooze at media events. Some are very reminiscent of the timeless classic, "How To Win Friends And Influence People". In my opinion, the best one is to listen more than you talk. Politeness always counts!

Facebook A Movie?

According to BBC News, Aaron Sorkin, writer of the first four seasons of West Wing and several movies, is working on writing a movie about Facebook. In the interview he was quoted saying, "I honestly don't know how it works" and goes on to say that the first step was to open a Facebook account of his own. Aaron (actually his research assistant) also started a Facebook group where Facebookers can go and leave feedback and comments for him to aid in the research efforts.

This is quite possibly the worst idea I have heard in a while. You better believe I joined his Facebook group and left my comment. He admitted it himself - he doesn't understand Facebook. If he did, Sorkin would understand that it cannot be made into a good movie. As far as I can tell, there is nothing about Facebook that would make a compelling storyline that could sustain a movie.

Leaked Albums = Good Publicity

Once again, it has been suggested that a leaked album does not necessarily spell disaster for an artist. This week The Jonas Brothers' new album, A Little Bit Longer, debuted at #1 selling 525,000 copies despite leaking on the internet 2 weeks before its official release date. Although the RIAA and a lot of bands will say that they don't want albums leaked early, many claim it can actually create more buzz and hype that will propel music sales.

In the classic example, Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A, was released in 2000 also claiming the top of the sales chart its first week. The funny part was that the album had no radio singles, no videos, and little interview promotion prior to its release. The album did leak though.

Social networks have continued to evolve for music fans since the days of Napster. Although it is now fairly commonplace for a CD to leak, people still get excited and are naturally inclined to become a marketers dream: grassroots promoters. The buzz created for an album and consequent album sales will usually more than make up for those few who actually download the leak and feel satisfied to not acquire a legal copy. The next challenge for the music industry will be to figure out how to better utilize and control the social media realm and channel its massive potential more consistently.

From the Phone Booth: Facelibook

What the heck is this all about? That's the common response from the majority of Facebookers who have fallen victim to Facelibook, a phishing site that seeps into member's profiles and writes look-at-this types of messages on walls.

"Have you seen that blog that is about you? Apparently, it's pretty bad ;(. I think you and everyone should check it out."

Yeah, this sort of thing has happened before on MySpace, but now it's on the new Facebook. Cripes, Mark Zuckerberg-- fix this nonsense. Now everyone has to change their passwords.

In closing, don't open a message about me sending ring tones to you or you'll be infected just like several other Facebookers part of this new and improved social networking community. I bet the abuse reports are flooding the company's inboxes as I post this.