Communities
How Bin Laden news spread on Twitter
It’s hard to deny what a week it has been. With the announcement of the death of Bin Laden coming in late on Sunday night, patriotism has been ruler this week. However, it wasn’t the President who had the first honors of divulging this news. It wasn’t even a live broadcast. Twitter was the first to break the news, and once it hit the social site, it spread like a wildfire. CNN reporter Steve Brusk was the first to tweet the information at around 7:25pm PST. The President did not go on to make a formal announcement until 12pm EST. Once the news hit, Twitter was buzzing about what the President would speak about and thanks for our troops were overwhelming. An “Osama Bin Laden is Dead” Facebook page went viral, adding thousands of likes by the minute. It was an overwhelming use of social media, which proved itself once again as one of our most trusted and used news sources.
Tools & Technology
Gogobot Gets More Interesting With Foursquare & Facebook Integration
Gogobot has been described as “Yelp for travel,” or “TripAdvisor that puts users first.” Basically, the tool is aimed at helping users find reviews regarding travel and allows them to keep a living ‘passport’ of their personal travels. Today, Gogobot has announced that they will begin integrating with both Facebook and Foursquare. This means, that whenever you check-in on Foursquare, those locations will automatically be pushed to your Gogobot account. This integration is extremely user-friendly, and allows users to go back in and review hotels, restaurants and any other activities they want later, as opposed to right when they check in.
Measurement
Optimizing Social Media Pages for Search
Effective social media community moderators do far more than simply set up Facebook pages. In order to run a successful social media campaign, it takes time and effort on their part to create a sustainable community. With that being said, Facebook and Twitter feeds for brands are extremely valuable landing pages. However, a new study found that “less than a third of the top 200 brands in the Fortune 500 had Facebook pages that appeared in the first 20 Google results for the brand’s name.” With this information in tow, it is important to realize that social media sites should be taken into the same consideration when planning for search. The communities have valuable information for users who may be interested in getting involved and communicating directly with the brand. What do you do to make your social communities more searchable?
Influencers
MLK, Mark Twain quotes go viral — and are wrong
This week, as far as influencers go, it’s pretty safe to say that we have all been an influencer in one way or another. Whether it was reporting the death of bin Laden, or the Royal Wedding, all of us played some role in influencing. But recently, after a slew of MLK quotes were posted to Facebook, it is coming to light that it, in fact, was not an MLK quote and plenty of people are willing to take credit for it. The quote read: “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” A great quote, but only the last three sentences were actually ever said by MLK. It has gone viral now on different social networks, and plenty of people are claiming that they melded the first sentence with the rest to make such an inspiring overall quote.
Partnerships
Gap Embraces Facebook As Social Media Gains Influence With Shoppers
Gap is possibly one of the most reputable names in the retail clothing industry, but they are looking to reinvent their brand and they are starting with a partnership with Visa. Gap will be able to target specific customers based on purchasing habits through Visa gift cards. Along the lines of this partnership, Gap is also beefing up their social media efforts. Keep in mind that Gap is the company that almost broke Groupon when they offered $50 worth of clothing for only $25. They’re not exactly behind the times. But with the retail industry watching, they are planning on targeting a younger generation through their means of communications, aka social media.
Fun Stuff
The Hangover Sequel Launches SCVNGR Hunt at 7-Eleven
Can you hardly wait for The Hangover Part II? Are you so excited that you’ve already blocked out the day on your calendar? Have no fear, because 7-Eleven is just as excited as you are. The convenience stores are launching a SCVNGR promotion in which users can check-in to stores and do tasks to win points. The tasks are goofy, such as posting a photo with a Super Big Gulp featuring a character from the movie. Once a user receives enough points, they are eligible for prizes such as movie tickets or a trip to Vegas. This is not the first SCVNGR promotion surrounding a movie release, but with all of the hype about The Hangover Part II, it is sure to be a big one.
