The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/31/12
As you may know, I’m a pretty voracious reader and generally share a bunch of news & reviews via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 Twitter Doghouse Lets You Temporarily Dump Annoying Tweeps
Are you a non-sports fan but have a few Olympic-obsessed tweeps who will be hijacking your entire Twitter feed for the next two weeks? For situations like these, there's a new app called Twitter Doghouse. Mashable writer Sam Laird says the new app will allow users to unfollow tweeps for scheduled periods of time. Personally, I'd prefer a way to just block people temporarily without actually letting them see they've been unfollowed - but hats off all in all to the developers of Twitter Doghouse!
#5 Using Instagram for Your Small Business
This piece by the Direct Selling Education Foundation says you should consider using Instagram as a networking and marketing tool. This is very much an Instagram for beginners type of article, with a business angle - but plenty of you found this useful, so on the list it goes!
#4 Clif Bar Launches First Geo-Location Twitter Campaign
Organic foods and beverage maker Clif Bar is attempting to launch the first geo-location Twitter campaign. Lauren Indvik of Mashable says the company wants you to send a geo-tagged tweet to @CLIFMojoGo the next time you’re in a park, at the beach or on a trail. Twitter does allow advertisers to target users in U.S. regions, but this is really the first true geo-location campaign on Twitter. Hats off to Clif Bar for being innovative!
#3 New Digg Team Publishes Redesign in Progress
As most of you know, Digg was recently purchased by Betaworks, and will be undergoing a major underhail. “Digg 2.0” released screenshots and additional details on its reimagining of the platform, which used to be a vibrant part of the social media conversation. My take? Digg is taking a big step in the right direction with giving its audience a clear sense of the product roadmap, and this should woo back some lapsed Digg users and perhaps even recruit many new ones.
#2 How Big Companies Are Becoming Entrepreneurial
Most believe that big companies are the opposite of entrepreneurial - but that's not always the face. Larger corporations do run entrepreneurship programs for several years, like the fabled Lockheed Martin “Skunk Works” – a small group of employees working on revolutionary products such as famous aircraft designs including the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird. Dan Schawbel of TechCrunch wrote this very useful piece going into the entrepreneurial efforts of Amazon, Microsoft, and others - worth a few minutes!
#1 Why No One Will Watch Your Crappy Corporate "Viral" Video, and How to Fix It
What separates great branded video content from the bad? Scott Stratten of Fast Company says he gets asked this question all the time: "How do we make our video/post/content go viral?" The truth is you can't make something become extremely popular. I don't decide, and neither do you; the audience does. Asking for something to go viral is one of the best ways to ensure it doesn't! Calling your newest launch a "viral marketing campaign" is pretty silly. Going viral isn't a campaign, it's a result of being good or bad, and resonating with your target audience.
The Social 6: Key Stories from This Past Weekend, 7/30/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/27/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 This Guy Modeled His Impressive Resume After Google Analytics
The #1 advice I give people is that their resume needs to stand out. The second key piece of advice is that is has to be tailored to whatever market you're going after. Online marketing manager Simone Fortunini created a great example of a resume that's modeled perfectly after Google Analytics, and really stands out from the crowd. Nicely reported by Vivian Giang of Business Insider Careers.
#5 Zynga's Mark Pincus blames engagement decline on Facebook
Harrison Weber of TNW talks about Zynga's CEO, Mark Pincus, blames Facebook in part for the loss of users due to the changes to Facebook's platform. In my opinion, Zynga still has plenty of long-term potential, in that they've developed a strong gaming platform. However, they're just too dependent on Facebook. A strategy to become less dependent on Facebook would bode well for their long-term growth.
#4 Chick-Fil-A's Facebook Page becomes Ground Zero
Yesterday, I shared more news about Chick-Fil-A's PR troubles. I event went so far as to create abbyfarle.com to comment on the snafus. The PR problems continue for the fast food giant: a huge protest to "Eat Less Chikn'" has begun, and the company is finding it hard to control their message. Amora Mcdaniel of Upstart (part of Bizjournals.com) shares more about the controversy that the company is facing.
#3 Forget About.me, Vizify is your new online profile of choice [Invites]
Vizify, the new way to show a broad overview of data culled across every service that a user is on. You can see the official Jeremy Goldman Vizify here, as a testament to how impressive a visualization tool it is. Not only does Brad McCarty of TNW give you more information on the site, but he shows you how to navigate it!
#2 Greek Athlete Kicked Off Olympic Team For Tweet
Another day; another downfall brought to you, in part, by Twitter. The top microblogging platform got Voula Papachristou, Greece's triple-jump champion, in deep trouble after a very offensive tweet. She's now prevented from competing in the London Olympic Games. Billy Gallagher of TechCrunch details the situation in this piece.
#1 McKinsey Says Social Media Could Add $1.3 Trillion to the Economy
While we may be in a social bubble in many ways, McLinsey Global Institute, the research division of the business consulting powerhouse, released a study called "unleashing value and productivity through social technologies." Quentin Hardy of The New York Times summarizes nicely and explains more about the study's findings.
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/26/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 As Facebook Political Campaigning Heats Up, NGP VAN Launches New Social Organizing Tool
NGP VAN (Voter Activation Network), a Democrat-oriented software developer launched a newly-updated tool for the 2012 election season in the US. The newly-updated tool, Social Organizing, uses Facebook to help get the vote out. In this article, Sara Ines Calderon of TechCrunch shares more about how Social Organizing actually works. What will be really interesting is to see if we see greater voter turnout, considering all of these new tools out there to encourage voting. As they say, the proof's in the pudding, isn't it?
#5 BandPage Unshackles From Facebook, Now Helps 500K Musicians Build Synced Sites and Widgets Too
If you're an inspiring musician, BandPage is a tool you should definitely check out! This week, BandPage launched BandPage Everywhere, which allows musicians to build websites, embeddable widgets, and Facebook Page apps with relative ease. To learn more on how to get your BandPage started, Josh Constine article of TechCrunch has more.
#4With Patch Revenue Up 100% in Q2, Armstrong Hints at 'Second Phase'
Patch, AOL's hyperlocal news site, has been growing at a pretty strong clip in recent months. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong hinted as a major second phase of growth, involving “high-level community involvement in a very precise way on the Patch platform.” Steven Jacobs of StreetFight gets into a better description of what the Patch plans to accomplish.
#3 Top Facebook News feed optimization service, Booshaka, has raised $1M
Have you played with Booshaka ever? It's a great tool for social marketing, and with its latest upgrades, it looks to be even more useful for its clients. Its Top Fans leaderboard application - which it launched last year - was great for helping Facebook page admins get insights about its top 10% of fans. The updates Booshaka rolled out this week will make it increasingly easy for admins to get a better sense of the other 90%, as David Cohen posts in this AllFacebook article. Booshaka looks to be going after the Gigyas and Badgevilles of the world more directly with this week's upgrades.
#2 Now Supporting 50 Interactive "Email Apps," PowerInbox Crosses 1 Million Views
PowerInbox, the new email-enhancing platform that helps make messages more interactive, has just surpassed 1 million email views. The startup now lets its users run over 50 “email apps” from within the email inbox. I'm a big fan of tools like PowerInbox, which (when used right) can help make email more of a productivity-enhancer again. Very helpful article written by Sarah Perez of TC describing more about this up-and-coming tool.
#1 Did Chick-Fil-A Create The Facebook Profile Of Abby Farle?
Big story here, folks! Chick-Fil-A can't seem to clean their name up after multiple PR setbacks. Allegedly creating a Facebook account to serve as a brand advocate and then seeing it go , the company figured they can argue their points out through there about gay marriage. Do you think what Chick-Fil-A did was a freedom of speech or was it total ignorance? Justin Lafferty of AllFacebook gets more into better detail about the mishap. Also: I created abbyfarle.com as a response of sorts, if you'd care to check that out.
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/25/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 The Rise of Digital Pollution
Lacoste's Senior Director of Ecommerce and Digital Strategy, Erik Lautier, posted on his Facebook page decrying how much digital pollution surrounds us all these days. In this piece, Erik discusses the rise of digital pollution, and starts to hint at what could be done to address it. Great read from a very smart guy.
#5 YC-Backed Chute Nabs $2.7M From Salesforce and More To Become The Twilio For Media Content
Chute has decided to take a different approach on photo-sharing or photo-syncing. They plan to expand beyond the photo field as well. Rip Empson of TechCrunch explains nicely how this works.
#4 YouTube Fights Comment Trolls By Discouraging Pseudonyms
It's no secret that YouTube videos contain some harsh critiques originating from people using pseudonyms. Often, these "comment trolls" just try to stir up unnecessary drama, rather than add any value to the conversation.. Writer Fruzsina Eordogh of ReadWriteWeb explains how YouTube is working to discourage pseudonyms - something I'm personally very in favor of. If you're going to say something spiteful, you should be willing to do it with your name attached.
#3 It's a platform, not a feature: Google+ Hangouts could bring YouTube-Level disruption
Google+ Hangouts are gaining traction in a lot of circles (no pun intended, G+ users!). It will be interesting to see if people will gravitate to Hangouts, leading them to become the new Skype or Oovoo - or if consumers will reject Google "controlling" most of their online experiences. Drew Olanoff of TNW gives a good description of Hangouts and their potential to disrupt.
#2 Fancy That: Pinterest Rival The Fancy Passes 1M Design-Savvy Influencers
The Fancy, a new social commerce site, is letting its users become affiliates, getting commissions when their friends purchase products. They're positioning this as something of a game-changer, even though sites like Amazon have offered commissions for ages now. BrandChannel gives some great statistics on The Fancy & discusses their future in this piece - worth a read!
#1 This Movie Recruited Instagram Users To Make Its Posters
Talk about a buzzworthy use of a social platform: two Montreal-based filmmakers enlisted advertising agency TAXI to get the group "Instagramers Montreal" to collaborate and take images that would be used to publicize their new film, J’Espère Que Tu Vas Bien. The photos selected for the 87 (yes, really!) movie posters are made up of pictures taken as part of a Insta-Walk that Instagramers Montreal organized. Perfect fit for the film in my opinion, since the movie is an 87-minute, and follows the same route the Instagramers Montreal group took. Nice reporting her by Laura Stampler at Business Insider.
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/24/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 "A click of a button opens all doors"
Grey Group, the world-reknown integrated marketing communications agency, recently completed its Eye on Asia study. The study, considered the first qualitative study on consumer shifts that drive online behavior, uncovered seven key consumer shifts. BestMediaInfo’s Delhi Bureau has more.
#5 WedPics, Pinstagram For Weddings, Preps For Launch With Teaser Video
Is it really necessary to hire a photographer for a wedding? I’ll let you decide after you read about this new app. WedPics is a mobile app which will allow wedding guests to take photos and add Instagram-esque, filters at the wedding. The pics then get dropped into one crowdsourced wedding album that guests and happy couple alike can browse later.
#4 This app makes true "global" Twitter search as easy as one spin of the mouse
A pretty sweet visualization/search app, TweetingEarth, allows its users to execute a simple Twitter search -- then “spin the globe” using their mouse. It’s really interesting. Drew Olanoff of TNW explains more, including visuals of how it actually works.
#3 How brands are using social media to take back control
Brands are harnessing the power of social media to change their approach to customer service, but are their efforts faring well overall? While some are succeeding, plenty are dealing with social media pitfalls of their own making. Just ask Addison Lee's chairman John Griffin, who turned his brand into a target to the company’s Twitter and Facebook audience by claiming the majority of cyclist road deaths in London are the result of inexperience on the part of the cyclist. Thoughtful analysis in this article by Jon Norris of The Guardian.
#2 Teen Could Face Jail for Tweeting Names of Her Assailants [UPDATED]
Tweeting just may lead to a Kentucky girl being jailed – all for sharing details about her sexual assault! There’s more to this story, but I encourage you to read the story and see if you think this is fair? It’s personally pretty upsetting to me. Sam Laird of Mashable goes more into better detail on how this single tweet may land her in jail.
#1 Droplings Is A Little App That Makes It Easier To Share Dropbox Files
If you're like a lot of people, you like Dropbox. But, it’s surprisingly hard to send a single file with a public link? Thanks to Droplings, it will make it easier to navigate and find files faster and easier! John Biggs of TC gives a great description on how to use Droplings, which is the work of Munich-based programmer Carlo Zottmann.
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 hours, 7/20/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 'Jeremy Lin That Iused to Know' Parody Laments Star's Departure [VIDEO]
You may find it heart breaking if you're a Jeremy Lin follower and love the Knicks. However, the NOC, a sports and entertainment YouTube channel, found a way to get creative in its despair! This parody shared by Sam Laird of Mashable brings out a good laugh.
This new creative way GE is using Instagram to market their brand by showing off pictures of GE products looking cooler than usual is a good example of a brand creating a conversation by posting engaging content. DP Blog shows one of their finest!
#4 Up close with Hometalk: The growing community of home and DIY projects
Hometalk is a new upcoming NY-based startup that gives you tips and ideas about what you might want to decorate in your house. Comparing it to Pinterest is an understatement because it does so much more. Nice article by Harrison Weber of TNW.
#3 Twitter Loses Another Comms Director, As Former iMeem Exec Matt Graves Steps Down
Believe it or not, Twitter's Director of Communication needs a break from Twitter too! It's not clear who will be replacing Graves as of now. Anyone looking for a good communications job?
#2 'Klout For Grownups?' Synthesio Launches Business-Oriented Influencer Tool
Synthesio created its own influence ranking system which it's claiming to be more business-savvy than Klout or Kred. The service already counts Microsoft, Nissan and BlackBerry as clients. It will be interesting to see how much traction Synthesio can gain in the marketplace, but so far I'm liking their approach.
#1 Social Retail: Finding, Engaging & Cultivating Today's Connected Consumer
Do you want to know how to take advantage of a new trend to catch the consumers eye? As technology changed, the consumer has changed their ways of purchasing. By doing what? Mobile shopping! Ron Schott covers social recommendations, friend and influencer interactions, social entertainment, and more. If you're a stats fanatic like I am, you'll really love this piece.
See you all tomorrow! Or, sooner....
The Social 6: Key Stories from The Last 24 Hours, 7/19/12
As you may know, I’m a voracious reader and tend to share a good deal of news via my social platforms. Here’s a countdown of the top six most important articles I’ve shared in the last day. I curate this top six based on number of retweets, clicks, favorites, and mentions, so you guys are a large part of what ends up listed here :).
#6 Are Companies a Good Fit on Social Media?
While the title of this article is a bit rhetorial, Brent Pohlman follows up with a strong Business 2 Community piece offering some key advice on how to make your company successful on whichever social platforms you're operating on.
#5 What a Successful Facebook Mobile Strategy May Look Like
Mark Zuckerberg himself admits that Facebook has had challenges developing a wubbubg mobile strategy. In this article, you will read about different ways to why this is an issue and what Facebook execs are trying to do to improve their odds. Nice points proven by Dave Copeland of ReadWriteWeb.
#4 How To Use Social Media To Invent Or Reinvent Yourself
Self promotion or 'Branding yourself' has expanded rapidly within the past few years. There are important things to remember when branding yourself just like any other big name such as Coca-Cola or Facebook. Kyle Lacy of Business 2 Community proves many key points.
#3 How to Create Social Media Marketing Success: DON'T DO THIS
Social marketing is all about creating community, and not purely creating one-directional advertisements, right? However, many companies are blurring the lines and committing many faux-pas with their social strategies. Good points by Angela Hausman, PhD in this Business 2 Community post.
#2 5 Things You Didn't Think You Could Do on LinkedIn
LinkedIn, as you know, is a platform that I love. Love, love, love. You just can't use it enough. This quick piece by Amy-Mae Elliot of Mashable gives a few less-known features of everyone's favorite A+ professional platform.
And finally, the #1 share of the last 24 hours:
#1 Here's what we learned from the Socialcam acquisition: Innovation wins, not numbers
Socialcam has gained an incredible amount of traction in a short period of time, becoming the most popular Facebook app by a large margin. Drew Olanoff of TNW delves into why innovation is the key reason for the app's acquisition, as opposed to its number of active monthly users.