MediaPost | Social Media Insider

The Biggest Caveat in Facebook's S1 -- Or, Let's Go Bananas!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:17:36 -0500

It's been a while since I've spent so much quality time with an S1. But after cozying up to Facebook's yesterday at the Starbucks deep within the Stop ' n' Shop on the border of New Rochelle and Larchmont, I came to two conclusions: 1. Our family unit is critically low on bananas. (This was subsequently remedied.) 2. The biggest caveat in Facebook's S1 is that it needs to ripen its mobile revenue plans. (This is a little more complicated than going to the produce section of the supermarket.)

Ten Social Super Bowl Marketing Strategies

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:56:15 -0500

On Sunday, I'll be hoping for more than just another Super Bowl where the New York Giants leave New Englanders weeping in their clam chowder. I'm hoping to see advertisers use social media in ways that make sense for them -- and their consumers.

Facebook Oversharing Clogs The Feed

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:22:00 -0500

It's the morning after the Social Media Insider Summit, and I find my head stuffed not only with memories of how beautiful The Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo is, but also with factoids and insights about social media.

Instant RFP In Jeopardy

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:53:57 -0500

Florida is one of our more unpredictable states. The weather, the voting patterns, and the Florida Marlins can constantly surprise the locals, and there aren't many other places where you can reasonably ask, "Is the Buick driver in front of me taking a nap, or is there an alligator crossing the highway?" That helps to explain why MediaPost's Social Media Insider Summit in Florida this week sparked far more questions than answers.

The Day The Internet Struck Back

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:22:00 -0500

When your 14-year-old son and the checkout guy at the supermarket are thoroughly conversant with the latest attempt at Internet-controlling legislation, you know someone, somewhere, succeeded with their communications. And so it was yesterday, with the forces unleashed through the most powerful Internet companies in the world -- which, in a movement that built up to one big day of protest, effectively killed SOPA and PIPA (aka the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act). But, of course, this wasn't just about the power of Internet companies; it was about all of us, using the technologies they created, pointing out the ludicrousness of both bills.

The Chosen Media

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:08:11 -0500

"Now therefore, if You will obey our voices, and keep our covenant, then social media shall be a special treasure to us above all media. For You are holy media to us, and we have chosen You to be our treasured media from all other media on the face of the Earth." - The Gospel of Zuckerberkowitz 3:16, shamelessly bastardized from Biblical passages cited in Wikipedia

Google's 'Search Plus Your World' Is Anything But

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:44:08 -0500

While many of you were trolling the aisles at CES, some of us were tied to our desks -- or, in my case, headed elsewhere. But, fortunately for those of us who didn't get to see any cool gadgets this week other than the ones we already own, a great social media story began to unfold outside of Las Vegas. And that's the fracas that's broke out between Google and Twitter. (Facebook, at this writing, is playing the role of Switzerland, or maybe, in its isolation, North Korea, but, trust me; this story will eventually involve it, too.)

Presenting CES: Consumer Electronics Socialization

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:29:06 -0500

At CES. it's the devices who won't shut up. Emcee (an actual microphone): I'd like to introduce you to CES, which we all know stands for Consumer Electronics Socialization. We've got a lot of great speakers here -- and Bose SoundDock, you know that doesn't just refer to you!

Best Buy -- Or, When a Great Social Media Strategy Is Not Enough

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:50:41 -0500

As is always the case this time of year, I've been spending a lot of time pondering Best Buy. Most of the year, the superstore sits up on that hill near where I live, monolithic, and I don't go near it. But as December and January contain both the holidays, and both of my children's birthdays, it becomes, however briefly, a frequent stopping-off point for purchasing DVDs, games and, of course, electronics. And that's why I had time, the other day, to contemplate the disconnect between the store experience and the company's social media experience.

So-Called Predictions For A Social 2012

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:15:01 -0500

Learning from previous events to plan ahead may not be as exciting as claiming psychic powers and telling fortunes, but there's value in it nonetheless. That's why a lot of my so-called predictions for 2012 are really extensions of the previous week's roundup of everything that happened in 2011. Read that for added context, and read more below about what to expect for social media this year. You may not be shocked or even awed by this modest list, but it should lay the groundwork for all of our work ahead.

A New Year's Resolution For The Social Media-rati

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:12:04 -0500

The thing that has most awed me about the year gone by is how we in the technology business -- and particularly in social media -- operate in a parallel universe when compared with the rest of the world. While everyone else moves around in a long-term funk, all day long I'm surrounded (virtually speaking) by people who live in a place where anything is possible, where there's plenty of money to be had to develop money-making ideas, and where the future is something to embrace, not fear. Having a new iPad only adds to my personal sense of wonder.

A Social 2011 In Review

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:27:31 -0500

Where did 2011 go? How did Pinterest, Bo.lt, and Sonar change how we interact with media, and with each other? What happened to Anthony Weiner and Osama Bin Laden? When did "+"join "@" in the digital lexicon? In a year where I visited eight countries and read 95 books, I also managed to pen nearly 50 columns, and I reread them all so you don't have to. Several themes emerged, with quite a few posts about startups, shopping, mobile social media, Google, and events. The year also brought its share of failures and disappointments to learn from. Here's 2011 in review.

The 2011 Berky Award Winners

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:48:46 -0500

It's time for the most anticipated time of year, as the Berky Awards have arrived. Here's how the Berky Awards work: each year (alright, just this one so far), millions of people vote on their favorite social media services and technologies. None of those people tell me their votes, though, so I have to come up with the winners myself. The winners are treated to a printout of this column at their own expense, and a free beer at 360i's bar whenever they're in Tribeca. Without further ado, here are the Berky Awards for Social Media Excellence in 2011. Please hold your applause until the end.

Of Lowe's, 'All-American Muslim,' And Facebook Home Page Improvement

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:43:49 -0500

Here at the sumptuous offices of the Social Media Insider, there's nothing we love more than a corporate PR controversy and a chance to be a Monday Morning (or, in this case, Wednesday afternoon) quarterback. So, in that spirit, let's talk about Lowe's!

16 Resolutions For Vendors

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:35:00 -0500

Over the course of a year, I'll get about a thousand pitches from vendors. The great ones lead to vendors becoming partners. The bad pitches get deleted. The worst get forwarded around. In light of that, here's my wish list for vendors. Vendors that follow the list will win more business. Granted, the best vendors don't need this list at all, but most can use at least a few reminders.

A Reminder To Social Marketers: Nope, You're Not Trending

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:41:07 -0500

As it's only Dec. 7, I'm beginning to feel as though Top 10 lists, along with Christmas decorations in the mall, are going up more and more prematurely. How else to explain that this week has seen a bumper crop of Top 10 lists, ranging from the top Twitter hashtags, to Facebook's top -- well, 20 -- shared stories, to TIME magazine's list of 54 different Top 10s?

How YouTube Became A Community

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:30:25 -0500

Hey, community managers, the good news is that you have a new community to manage. Of course, that's also the bad news. YouTube has always been a funny site to include in social media plans. In the past, it hadn't felt that social. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, and other explicitly social properties, it's possible to use YouTube with absolutely no social interaction. But the latest updates to YouTube change everything.

Friend Me Or Else: A Parent's View Of Teens And Facebook

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:18:37 -0500

Some weeks, Facebook is more interesting than others. And when I say that, I'm not talking about this week's settlement concerning privacy with the FTC. For me, the most interesting thing on Facebook this week was when I posted the following status update on Monday night: "Hi fellow parents of teenagers. I don't know everything there is to know about Facebook. Honest. So, here's my question: what guardrails do you put up when your teenager goes on Facebook?"

The One-Percenters Of Recommendations

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:05:22 -0500

Save money. Eat better. Become more popular. All this is possible for the lucky "haves" who distance themselves from the "have-nots" by joining a class of people shaping their lives and the lives of others through digitally shared recommendations. There's no membership card or initiation test. It's totally opt-in. But the tangible benefits can add up, and the intangible benefits can be far more substantial.Consider these three examples:

What I'm Thankful For (In Social Media)

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:11:26 -0500

This being the day before Thanksgiving, I'm not thankful for much. Not yet, when there are still errands to run, pies to finish baking, columns to write and hundreds of miles to drive before we get to our destination -- which, as it turns out, is indeed grandmother's house. Still, when I take a step back, I'm thankful for a lot, and so, just as my colleague David Berkowitz wrote yesterday about who he's thankful for, I'm going to write about what I'm thankful for, at least when it comes to social media.

Who I'm Thankful For

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:12:13 -0500

A great philosopher, Dr. Meredith Grey of "Grey's Anatomy," once said, "Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human." And then there are the timeless words of Spock, who reflected on "Star Trek": "Oh yes, you humans have that emotional need to express gratitude. 'You're welcome,' I believe is the correct response." Whether you're human or half-human, you can probably appreciate the timelessness of gratitude. For those in the United States, it's especially timely. While I'm feeling that Thanksgiving spirit, I wanted to do my part and give thanks to some groups of people who have made my job notably better. Here's what's far from a totally comprehensive list of the kinds of people who impact this column:

To Tweet, Or Not To Tweet? Maybe That's NOT The Question

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:26:27 -0500

Something tells me I’m not alone in this: but, lately, I haven’t been thinking about Twitter all that much, even though I use it every day.

Maybe it’s the constant buzz about the advertising potential of Facebook, drowning out everything else. Or maybe it’s that Twitter, even though it is building an advertising-based revenue model, continues to do so at such a slow pace that it’s like watching paint dry. It’s been a long time since brands being on Twitter -- and using it as a customer-service platform, or as a promotional one -- was news.

But the most likely reason I haven’t been thinking about Twitter that much lately probably has to do with something I’ve written about in this space before: that virtually no one from my personal life is using it, a huge contrast to the mass adoption of people from all walks of life to Facebook. If the non-geeks in my life haven’t flocked to Twitter yet, I’ve begun to doubt that they ever will.

Which is why I found Bill Gurley’s analysis this week of what Twitter is -- and what it is not -- such a cogent, thought-provoking read. Gurley admits, straight from the top, that as a general partner in major investor Benchmark Capital, he’s not exactly impartial. Still, he struck straight at the heart of the Facebook vs. Twitter debate -- by pointing out how inaccurate it is to talk about the two in the same breath. He said: “The only way magic happens on Facebook is through reciprocity: I friend you and you friend me back – then information flows. But on Twitter, I can get something out of following Shaquile O’Neil [sic] who has no social obligation to follow me back., when they both are vastly different from one another.”

OK, you knew that already. But he gets airborne with what he views as the second misperception of Twitter, which is really a corollary to the first: “ … that you need to tweet, to have something to say and broadcast, for the service to be meaningful to you. “ As he points out, this misperception scares off just about anyone -- and that’s most of us -- who thinks that the act of joining Twitter is a one-way ticket to cringe-worthy oversharing of the “Boy that hotdog tasted funny. Might throw up” variety.

OK, you knew that too. But when you think about this a little harder, therein lies Twitter’s long-term growth strategy, -- if not in revenue, then in users, but probably in both. If you run around thinking that Twitter is what Gurley calls a “symmetric” social network like Facebook, only where the sharing is in a much more public domain, well, yecch. For all of the adoption of Facebook, at least most of us can write banal status updates all day long without ever really worrying about whether they will make it into the broader sphere. It’s one thing to say really boring things to your friends; it’s entirely another to say it to a broadcast universe that also includes Lady Gaga and John Hodgman. (You can guess which one I think is wittier.)

However, if you look at Twitter as a news resource – yes, Gurley did refer to it as a “broadcast network” – it becomes more useful and less intimidating. Sure, it’s a more passive experience to follow various Twitter play-ahs then to be an active tweeter, but there are enough prolific, high-profile tweeters to let most of us take on a less active role.

To date, however, that way of thinking about Twitter is lost on most people. As Gurley says, they look at it almost entirely from the perspective of whether they would have anything to tweet, as opposed to whether it would be useful to follow their local Congressman, or their favorite musician, or their favorite actor. Interestingly, as I was gathering links for this column, I noticed that the description of Twitter that comes up when you Google it is: “Twitter is a rich source of instantly updated information. It's easy to stay updated on an incredibly wide variety of topics.” I don’t know when that change was made, but it’s certainly not how Twitter was describing itself a few months ago.

Gurley’s post also made me start to rethink whether the people in my personal life really are using Twitter -- and I just don’t know about it. If the Twitter-as-news-resource model holds, than maybe they are there somewhere, but don’t find anything I tweet about particularly newsworthy. Guess I’ll have to work on that.

Ten Mobile Social Trends For 2012

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:09:15 -0500

How prepared are you for the mobile social tidal wave, tsunami, hurricane, and Bieberquake that will hit us in 2012? You'd better get ready. Gartner forecasts that there will be 7.4 billion mobile connections in 2015, when the earth's population is expected to be a mere 7.2 billion. And you know what everyone's going to be doing with their 1.03 mobile connections per person? They'll be undressing catalog models with augmented reality apps. But when they're not doing that, they'll probably be engaging with some kind of social media.

What This World Needs Is a Few Social Media Spin Doctors

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:43:18 -0500

As lucky as I am to have ongoing work, I am vexed by the ongoing high unemployment in our country and around the world. But I'm sensing an opportunity for those well-versed in etiquette and facts: Social Media Spin Doctor!

What You Won't Like about Google+ Pages

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:11:45 -0500

If you haven't set up a Google+ Page for your brand yet, you're missing out on the Internet's new favorite pastime: complaining about Google+ Pages. Brands should have a lot to complain about. Google took a few months to release Pages, and what went live is a scaled-back version that will satisfy some smaller businesses but will underwhelm large brands accustomed to other social platforms.

Sure, Big Brands Don't Like Paying for Facebook, But Most of Them Have To

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:57:24 -0400

So far, the most intriguing social media story of the week is this one from The Wall Street Journal, the headline of which might send marketers straight to their budgetary spreadsheets: "Big Brands Like Facebook, But They Don't Like to Pay." The deeper truth The Wall Street Journal is trying to get at is that "Big Brands Like Facebook, But They Don't Have to Pay." In other words, only chumps pay for their exposure on Facebook. But that conclusion, while sexy, is also a bit specious.

Checking In On The Check-In Class Of 2010

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:22:51 -0400

Remember when check-ins were the future of social media? Remember when Foursquare was the next Facebook, Gowalla was the next Foursquare, and Whrrl was the next Gowalla? Yeah, I'm glad we've moved on, too.

Read My Lips: This Chapstick Social Media Controversy Is Really Stupid

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:04:00 -0400

Usually, we here at the Social Media Insider try to be smart about things, but occasionally we must wallow in the eternal dumbness of the modern world, and this is one of those times. I'm talking about Chapstick. Just in case the controversy over the new, revamped, recalculated Klout scores wasn't enough social media controversy for one day, Chapstick yesterday proved to be another social media gift that just kept on giving. But, it's not for the reasons you may have read elsewhere on the Web. It's in some, subtle ways, even sillier than that.

The Four Best Questions From Social Week

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:33:58 -0400

Did you miss Social Week? Heaven forbid. It was a whole week dedicated to people talking to each other. Or maybe the name Social Media Week was already taken and Social Week touched on the same theme. Whatever the purpose, I wound up taking part in a panel discussion hosted by the Direct Marketing Association, and it was one of the more thought-provoking sessions I've joined. Here are some highlights.

Mary Meeker's Web 2.0 Presentation, or How to Turn the Worst of Times Into the Best of Times

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:35:03 -0400

if advertisers can turn their gaze away from the car crash that is the economy, there's still great opportunity in investing ad budgets in technology, because that's where the money is going, and where the diverging roads of the economy and the tech industry just might come together,