Monthly Archives: January 2011
COMMUNITIES
When Should You Thank Someone for a Retweet?
Getting retweeted is always exciting. So naturally, plenty of users want to thank that great person who retweeted them. But wait! That might not be the best way to go about handling the situation. In fact, saying thank you for a retweet might put some of your other followers off. People might find it an act of immodesty and that’s not what you want your followers to think, now is it? Instead, this opinion article suggests sending a DM in order to thank people.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Starbucks Kicks Off eGift Card Program Aimed at Facebook Community
Starbucks is making gift shopping even easier than before. The brand is now allowing users to purchase gift cards and send them virtually through email or Facebook. The idea is to make gift shopping less stressful, even if you wait until the last moment. The cards come with multiple themes, for birthdays, holidays, and oh yes, Valentines Day, which is right around the corner. Users have the option to even to pull in their Facebook friend’s birthday information in order to set up auto-delivery on specific dates. How convenient!
MEASUREMENT
PeopleBrowsr’s ReSearch.ly Lets You Search 1,000 Days Of Past Twitter Conversations
A new Twitter analytics and search platform ReSearch.ly has recently been launched and they are making finding Twitter information easier than ever. In fact, by using this program, you can seamlessly search from 1,000 days of Twitter data. For free. Awesome. They also offer the opportunity for users to pay for service to receive more specific reports. ReSearch.ly, which is powered by PeopleBrowsr, is basically just a high tech Twitter search that allows users to narrow down searches by keyword, demographic, location, sentiment and community.
INFLUENCERS
WHOOPS: Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook Fan Page Gets Hacked
It seems that Facebook hackers have a new target, Mark Zuckerberg, himself.
Read More
This year we’d like to take a bit of time to show off some of our talent here at Critical Mass. We are incredibly proud to have the best people in the industry, who also happen to be some of the best musicians, parents, athletes, friends, chefs, gamers, artists and beer- consumers. To share a bit of what makes CM special, we’ll serve up these Employee Spotlights with individuals from across all disciplines and offices. For January, allow us to introduce Reza Kay.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I’m Head of Design at CM London. Part of my day normally consists of reviewing the briefs, estimates and design work going through the studio. Aside from the more administrative tasks, I will normally work with the Creative Director who I will collaborate with and then set design direction for every project/pitch. I also work closely with IA, Planning, AM’s and PM’s, and Tech to ensure that the creative and design ideas are always in place. More importantly, a large part of my role is to inspire, collaborate with and guide our designers, and to be a sort of ‘brand guardian’ for our clients… And yes, I do still spend part of most days designing in Photoshop.
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
I think the greatest thing about CM culture has to be the openness, receptivity and friendliness of its people. It’s a company that cares, respects and looks out for its people. It’s the idea that we’re not made up of numbers or ‘staff’, but of individuals and personalities — fostered from the very top — which I believe builds the very foundation of CM culture.
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
Wow… what a tough question! I’m driven by my search for perfection and collaboration, though sometimes just perfect collaboration. I’m inspired by many things: the Interweb (obviously!) and it’s every changing disposition; my close friends and family; design, fashion, music, art and architecture (how clichéd!); science and the universe; the smell of spring in the air… Many, many, things really.
While money-saving promotions are effective for increasing fans or followers on social networking sites, many companies don’t go beyond this. They offer promotions to increase their number of fans, see their numbers growing, and throw a massive party. Unfortunately, by the time their hangover wears off, they realize their ‘fans’ aren’t really fans at all, but rather coupon zombies with a singular goal: to save money on stuff they would buy anyway.
So how do you build a social networking presence which goes beyond coupons? Curious asked members of its research community, ShopTalk, why they were fans of companies and we found they liked companies that acted as ‘brand butlers’. A brand butler is a Trendwatching term for companies that assist consumers in making the most out of their lives, rather than try to sell them a lifestyle. When it comes to social networking sites, it’s all about providing value to your fans/followers through content that is unique, relevant, and useful. To become an effective brand butler on social networking websites, consider the following traits: Personality, Share-ability, Brevity, Channel Integration, Responsiveness.
It’s time to bring the traditional resume into the 21st century. Creative job seekers can gain an edge in today’s competitive market by integrating social tools with their application. It’s not just any resume; it’s your digital resume.
Here I am, fresh out of school and, after a tiring search in post-recession adland, I’ve landed my dream job in Critical Mass’ exciting Calgary office. From creatives to project managers to developers, from augmented reality to iPad – this is where it all happens, and for some of the biggest names in the business. I was one of many students armed with only a degree and no experience to back it up, so how was I lucky enough to end up here?
I did what I was taught and used digital tools to make a new kind of resume, one that highlighted my marketing skillset instead of my restaurant know-how and proficiency with a cash register. This isn’t a top ten mash-up you’ll read on a thousand other blogs and it’s not a kooky MadMen-esque story from advertising’s infancy. It’s worthwhile advice that actually works; or, at least it did for this (former) student.
Extraordinary experiences come in a variety of forms, from the awe-inspiring Web site to a reminder of why you love your job. As a community moderator, my latest brush with an extraordinary social media experience was the latter. I was moved from blind-rage to placid-graciousness by one man and a Twitter handle. The story is one of Twitter customer service; at the end of the day, a well-served customer will shout your name from a mountain.
Flashback to Wednesday, Jan 12:
It all started with a call from an anonymous 800 number during my evening commute. It’s always jarring for anyone to get a call from a collections agency, but for someone who was taught to guard her credit with the same force as her purity, it’s especially disheartening. I was told that I owed $33 for a $25 modem that had been returned my senior year of college. Senior year: a lifetime ago, or 2.5 years, depending on how long your life is. Something felt off about this.
Flash forward through 2 hours of cell phone minutes later:
Feeling myself turn into an unpleasant person–and that’s generous–I removed myself from helpline purgatory and turned to Social Media. I had an “oh yeah!” moment on the consumer side of the Twitter customer service equation. Just when I needed someone to cut the crap, the 140-character limit came to my rescue.
One bitter tweet later:
Thinking I could get a reaction with the following tweet
“Oh hey UW grads, remember how terrible @Charter was? Still are. 2.5 years later – they decided that I lost a modem & billed me for it.”
I waited. Along came a Charter Communications representative, who used four Twitter consumer-relations tactics to neutralize the brand hater (i.e. me).
COMMUNITIES
The Internet Makes it More Likely You Will Be Social, Not Less
When the Internet became the huge deal that it is today, and people began having Internet connections in every room of their houses, many worried that it would lead to the end of in-person socialization, as we knew it. People feared that social interactions would be limited to those that could be held over a computer and a stable Internet connection. However, recent research proves that those who use the Internet are more likely to participate in social events than those who do not use the Internet.
According to the article, “use of the Internet in general, and social media in particular, has become the lubricant for chatter and outreach for all kinds of groups ranging from spiritual communities to professional societies to ad hoc fan clubs.” In other words, the Internet encourages more social behaviors from users.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Hipster is location-based Q&A – call it Quora for where you are
There has been tons of buzz about an up and coming network called Hipster. But it’s difficult to buzz about a site that refuses to disclose what it is all about, which is exactly what Hipster has done. The site has not launched yet, and no one knows exactly what it will do which leaves tons of room for speculation. Many are claiming that the site will be a location-based Q&A, similar to Quora, but with location capabilities. Users will be able to log their location, and ask questions about places around them. It sounds like an interesting idea (if that’s really what the site will be like) but the site Loqly might have already accomplished this. Check out the video in this article to find out more about Loqly and the potentials for Hipster.
MEASUREMENT
The Most Influential Colleges on Twitter
Measurement tool Klout has measured the influences of colleges and universities on Twitter. Read More
