Tag Archives: social news
COMMUNITIES
While the World Watches, Japan Tweets Its Way Out of Disaster
Devastation and heartbreak hit Japan late last week with both the earthquake and the tsunami. Now, in the aftermath, social media is playing a bigger and more important role than ever. Many loved ones have been able to reconnect due to tools like Twitter and Facebook, and many tourists in Japan have been able to alert their families across seas that they are, in fact, safe. People Finder, powered by Google, is in use once again after its creation for the Haiti earthquake in 2010, and helping people locate lost victims. Social media is even helping in the fight to raise monetary donations for the cause. Within an hour of the disaster, tweets from Japan were flying out at a speed of 1,200 per minute. Fundraising efforts have also been set up through social media, so to find out how to donate and help, check out the rest of this article.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Twitter Adds Permanent HTTPS Setting to Improve Security
Twitter is looking to improve their security, and many think that their most recent development will most certainly help in this area. Twitter has added a setting that will permanently enable your HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) setting. Basically, this setting creates a more secure network, decreasing the chance that someone will be able to access users account information. This Yahoo! article does a wonderful job explaining the mechanics behind it. While this feature is now available, Twitter notes that it is not possible for its mobile website to enforce HTTPS settings permanently, but they are working on a solution.
Happy SxSW weekend! One of the largest events honoring social media started today! You already knew that… here are some stories from the past week that you may not have caught.
‘Tweets From Tahrir’ Collects Egypt Posts in a Book
The situation in Egypt has been referred to as the “Social Media Revolution”, with Twitter having some of the most raw and most captivating reports. Now, publisher OR Books has gathered most of the tweets from the revolution and is compiling them into a book. The idea spurred when two activists, Nadia Idle and Alex Nunns, who had been keeping records of the tweets, contacted Colin Robinson of OR Books. ““I was a bit skeptical to begin with because I thought it was going to be too disjointed,” Mr. Robinson said on Friday. “But it actually presents a very coherent picture of what was happening.” No matter what your feelings on the situation in Egypt is, “Tweets From Tahrir” will undoubtedly be a captivating book with insights and emotions into the revolution.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Mobilewalla is Latest Startup Aiming to Improve Mobile App Discovery
Being popular is wonderful. Just ask the mobile apps on the “Top 25” lists. But what about those amazing apps that don’t make the list? The ones just starting out, but might be just as cool as Angry Birds (although not much is as cool as Angry Birds). Mobilewalla is a new app that is aimed at helping people find those hidden gems. While users will not be able to download apps directly from Mobilewalla, the app will help catalogue apps and make them more easily searchable on iPhones, iPads, Androids, Blackberry’s and Windows Phones. Mobilewalla hopes to be helpful not only to users, but to developers as well. By easing the frustration of getting your app discovered, more developers will be inclined to create amazing apps that we will love.
MEASUREMENT
YouTube Tops Facebook, Twitter, & All Social Media In User Satisfaction
Facebook leads in most statistics. They have the most users, the most posts, the most time spent on their site. But one area that they are not winning in is customer satisfaction. That’s right, the website that most of us spend tons of our time on is ranked below YouTube in terms of user satisfaction. Almost daily there is a new story about Facebook privacy issues, which is a main factor in peoples dissatisfaction. Netpop Research, a market research firm, conducted the study that revealed this insight.
COMMUNITIES
Employees using social media: Empower & reward them–or risk fallout
We all know how important it is for a company’s culture to be in line with their main objectives. But where does social media fall into this? This article lays out the facts. If you plan on having a strong social media presence for your brand and company, it is important to encourage and empower employees to feel comfortable using these resources. The article encourages “HERO employees” who are described as “driven to succeed at work and shift pre-existing, unhealthy paradigms as needed to ensure success.” The article also encourages the shifting of unhealthy paradigms in order to move into the future.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Twitter for iPhone and iPad Get New Features
With the release of the iPad 2 this week, Twitter has also released new features for the iPad and iPhone apps. The new features include updates to the photo options, and a “Quick Bar”, which is a new take on viewing trending topics. 
The updates also include local trends based on location, a redefined tweet box design and new ways for direct messaging. But one of the most convenient new features will be an auto completion implementation that will be used for @usernames and hashtags. This will allow users to more easily search for friends without having to remember everyone’s @usernames
MEASUREMENT
The Oscars, On Twitter: Over 1.2 Million Tweets, 388K Users Tweeting
Hollywood’s most glamorous night was one of Twitters busiest. Twitter saw tons of action, and some people claimed that they did not even watch the show itself, just the response it got on Twitter. Over 1.2 million tweets and over 1 billion potential impressions came out of the evening, with a total of 388,717 users tweeting. With these crazy numbers surfacing, what was everyone talking about? The most mentioned accounts included @TheAcademy, @jamesfranco, @ZacharyLevi and @oscars. Some of the biggest moments were of course, Natalie Portman being announced winner for a female leading role, and The Kings Speech winning movie of the year. But what was the most retweeted tweet sent out during the event? Check out this article to find out.
INFLUENCERS
Man behind @MayorEmanuel Twitter feed revealed
In the recent Chicago mayoral elections, more than just the candidates were getting attention. Many people who were interested in following the elections decided to do so through twitter. But those who tried to follow @MayorEmanuel probably got more than they bargained for.
Read More
COMMUNITIES
How to Integrate Customer Service Into Social Media Marketing
More and more, social media is becoming a forum for customer service. Consumers are looking for brands to listen and interact with them in order to help solve their brand-related problems. But what are some good ways to go about integrating your customer service into social media marketing? This article describes the 12 best ways to do so. The examples range from in depth (making special offers) to the simplest ideas (giving your business a human face). No matter what level of involvement you and your company are looking for, this list will have a great option for you.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
WHERE Uses Facebook and Bump To Socialize Local Recommendations
The worlds of location based services and local recommendations are colliding with the new WHERE app. WHERE allows users to find local recommendations based on their locations. However, they are now upping the ante and integrating Facebook and Bump to allow users to do this with more ease. For starters, WHERE will let users connect with Bump so they can easily exchange recommendation information. Their integration with Facebook will allow users to sign into Facebook Connect to see who else is using WHERE and get recommendations from them. This app will not only make it easier for users to find out what locations are good in their area, but it will be a more personal experience with the Facebook, Bump and location features.
MEASUREMENT
The best free social media tracking tools you should know about
Social media measurement is not an easy task to accomplish, so worrying about price can get in the way sometimes. This blog outlines the best free ways to measure your social media metrics. While the free tools may not be the most in depth way to go about find your influence, they are a definite option for simple statistics. Some of the tools reviewed here are Topsy, Klout, Backtype, CoComment and plenty of others. Take a look and see if any of these measurement tools may be helpful to you.
COMMUNITIES
How Retailers Can Make Video Efforts More Effective
Everyone knows that videos are an effective way to reach consumers. They are intriguing, informative and all together interesting to watch. In a recent study entitled “13th Annual Mystery Shopping Study”, “usage of online video on product pages among the 100 leading retailers studied increased by 18 percentage points between Q4 2009 and Q4 2010.” So what does this mean? Basically, videos are even more important than we thought to begin with.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
New App Helps You Decide Whether to Buy or Walk Out Empty-Handed
Picture this: you’re sitting in your favorite store with the latest gadget in your hands, contemplating purchasing. Wouldn’t it be helpful in this situation to have reviews and ratings right at the tip of your fingers in order to avoid making any impulse purchase? Enter SearchReviews, the latest app to help you make the right purchases. SearchReview aggregates reviews from sites such as eBay, Zappos, TripAdvisor, Sephora and QVC in order to give users the most current and helpful information. So say goodbye to impulse purchases and never feel the guilt of hating a new item again.
MEASUREMENT
Where Twitter Trending Topics Really Come From
HP’s Social Computing Research group has recently released results from a research project surrounding what makes Twitters trending topics. Turns out, it’s probably not what you think. Rather than focusing on who is tweeting and how often, the algorithm focuses more on the specific subject and reach of the tweet. The researchers analyzed 16.32 million tweets on 3,361 different trending topics between September and October 2010.
INFLUENCERS
Speculation continues about Apple CEO’s health
Speculation about the health of Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, is still heavy. While no one is sure what exactly is happening, one thing is clear. Sick or not, Jobs is loyal to Apple. Read More
COMMUNITIES
Super Bowl Commercials 2011: Social Media Influence
With the big game behind us, it seems that the part about it that no one can stop talking about is the commercials. While there is always plenty of buzz about the ads, it seems that social media has helped keep the buzz going even longer this year. Many experts are claiming that this years ads were some of the most talked about in history due to platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Many of the brands that advertised this year have made the realization that if you can draw in your fans to the brands communities, it will better serve the brand in the long run. While Super Bowl ads serve different purposes for different brands, it is necessary for all of them to keep their fans active and social media is the perfect forum to do so.
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Wheretoget.it is Quora for shoppers
Quora was one of the biggest and most influential startups of 2010. No one doubts that, especially all of the people who are creating their own startups based on the Quora model. For example, wheretoget.it is the latest Quora protégé, targeting shoppers. The wheretoget.it idea is simple: upload a photo of an item that you are interested in purchasing, and the site will tell you where to get it. It is question and answer, in a visual form. This platform will be very helpful for shopper and non-shoppers alike because it offers the ease of finding things you want, without any of the work. Keep your eyes peeled for more Quora-inspired sites and enjoy this one for the time being.
