experience matters » twitter

Social Six: Twitter by the Numbers

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:27:25 +0000

Click to view full infographic

Twitter by the numbers
Twitter is an ever-changing platform, with ever-changing statistics. A new report has some of the latest and greatest updates regarding this platform, some of which are very interesting and have some pretty heavy implications for marketers. It is always important for marketers to keep these statics in mind when crafting a social media strategy, or when realizing a target audience for a client.

First of all, did you know that 42% of Twitter users are actually between the ages of 30-49? While the second largest age group is 18-29, it is equally as important to focus on that older sect as well. Many marketers are focusing on the younger age group, but these new statistics might prove that it is also important to tap Twitter when targeting an older age demographic as well. Along with this point, over 40% of Twitter users follow a brand online for the sole purpose of receiving deals and coupons. Surprising? Probably not. Everyone loves a good deal. Important for marketers to keep in mind? Definitely. By understanding consumer motivations for following a brand on Twitter, these brands have the opportunity to give consumers exactly what they want, while staying true to the brand objectives.

Possibly one of the most shocking statistics in this new report is that 70% of Twitter accounts are outside of the US. So however big Twitter looks in the US, we must remember that it is even bigger everywhere else. This is an extremely important statistic for social marketers, because we need to know where our consumers are. By realizing that most of this Twitter action is taking place outside of the US, we have the opportunity to not only reach more of the world, but to influence them as well. Combine this fact with the fact that about 40% of Tweets come from mobile devices, and this information is priceless! If marketers can understand how their consumers are using their products, they have a far higher chance of influencing them in a positive way. By taking all of these stats into account, we can better understand the consumer, as well as the way that they interact with Twitter. What do you think? What other stats about Twitter do you think would be most helpful for marketers to know?

Other Must-Read Headlines this week:
Influencers: Obama checks in to Foursquare
\Obama has officially checked-in on Foursquare! He will be using the social networking app to update followers about his three-day bus tour of the Midwest.

Communities: 5 Ways You’ll Use Facebook in 2012
What does the future hold for Facebook? According to this author, very serious things.

Partnerships: Now That Hearst Has Partnered With Buddy Media, You’re Going to Have to Learn What a ‘Sapplet’ Is
A new partnership was announced this week between Buddy media and Hearst Magazine, which is sure to make Hearst a bigger player in the social realm.

Tools and Technology: A Eulogy for Google Plus
Should we be prepared to say goodbye to our new friend Google+? This author seems to think so.

Fun Stuff: Tweet here often? Pick-up lines for the technorati
Looking to land a social-hottie? Check out some of these pick-up lines.

Running out of Twitter steam?

Laura Studley — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 18:06:08 +0000

Me too. And I didn’t realize just how much I’d fallen off the Twitter wagon until this subject line appeared in my inbox this week: “We’ve missed you on Twitter!” Gasp! Had it really been three months since I tweeted. Indeed it had. The reality is, I’d run out of steam, and had been for a while.

Before my Twitter derailment
I started out on Twitter much like many other people, tweeting about ordinary things like which patio I was having lunch on or venting about some unfortunate incident I’d experienced in the day – likely some guy spitting on the sidewalk in close proximity to my feet. As more people joined with more interesting content to offer I got a mild case of Twitter stage fright. Could I really be brilliant all the time? In all honesty, sometimes. Still, I plodded along, upping my game when I could with wittier tweets and better content as more and more people began to follow me.

Signs of boredom appear
Over time I noticed a few patterns emerging. If life was a bit status quo, so were my tweets. If life was awesome and random and exciting, so were my tweets. I found there was a direct correlation to the activity in my life and the activity on my Twitter feed. When I traveled, I couldn’t tweet fast enough about where I was and what I saw. When I was super excited about something, I shared it immediately. But on a day when I wasn’t particularly inspired and had little to say, my Twitter posts would stall and my anxiety would start to grow. And I couldn’t always bring myself to scour the blogosphere and then fake spontaneous brilliance.

My first break from Twitter
Soon enough, Twitter lethargy set in. I didn’t post or sign in for a while. Didn’t even stalk my friends to keep up with their lives. Of course that backfired a bit when I started to feel out of the loop and friends started to say “Didn’t you see it? I posted it on Twitter.”

I like to think I needed this self-imposed “sabbatical” to recharge my Twitter batteries and amp up my enthusiasm. After a brief gap I jumped back on, full of inspiration. A few tweets from followers welcoming me back made me feel the warm and fuzzy Twitter glow all over again. The second honeymoon lasted for a while, until earlier this year when I slowly started to lose interest…again.

Are Twitter and me really meant to be?
My first attraction to Twitter was the spontaneity aspect, especially once I had it on my mobile. I’m now on the verge of considering for the first time using an app or site that organizes my tweets ahead of time. But I’m torn. Pre-tweeting has always felt a bit staged to me.

Of course if you are in the Twitter game to get your message out and garner a big following, pre-timing your tweets is your best plan of attack to maximize your tweets and your audience’s attention. For me though, I like to keep it real-time and I like it to reflect me, on a daily. If I’ve got nothing to tweet – so be it.

I know I’m not alone
Although it’s difficult to find statistics on the number of Twitter users who drop off after years of use, I did fall upon many personal blogs while writing this post where people shared stories and frustration much like my own. It reaffirmed my belief that many long-term users do indeed get stuck in a Twitter rut.

Putting the spark back into my Twitter relationship
They say love is supposed to feel effortless. So, I’ve found a few tips that I hope will ease the pain I’ve felt in my Twitter relationship as of late. I can’t say they’re right for all of you, but here are my thoughts:

1. Ensure quality time for myself. To avoid feeling like Twitter is taking over my life, schedule posts ahead of time. Several tools will let me pre-post my tweets and automatically space them out during the day. Twuffer, Buffer and TweetDeck are options to look into.

2. Reevaluate the people I’m following. It may be time for some Twitter housecleaning. Purge contacts from my list that I’m bored with and add on some new contacts to spice things up and bring a new energy to my feed.

3. Be true to myself. Tweet about what I know and what I love in a voice that reflects my personality. Don’t jump on a topic or force a tweet just for the sake of getting a post out there.

With all this said, I’m now at a Twitter crossroads. Do I embrace it yet again, like I did when it was all shiny and new? And embrace all the new ways of tweeting? I haven’t totally decided yet, but the Twitter email that sparked my panic is sitting in my inbox, egging me on.

Are you stuck in a Twitter rut? How do you plan on getting out of it?

Social Six – Week Ending 4/22/11

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:21:48 +0000

Communities
Coachella Marketing Blitz: New Brands Shake Up Party Landscape

As many of you already know (and possibly attended), Coachella took place recently. This desert music and arts festival had some pretty hefty social media integration this year, a reflection of the culture and goals of the festival. Many brands were in attendance, appealing to attendees with their social media interactive tools. QR codes were a big hit this year in terms of navigating the festival and interacting with brands. Giltcity.com, Spin.com and Lacoste are all brands that were there showing off their social media chops. Did you attend the festival? Let us know what your impressions of the social media integration were!

Tools and Technology
LocalResponse Taps the Social Web to Help Businesses Draw Customers
LocalResponse is a new tool that was announced on Tuesday. It is being referred to as a “social advertising platform” that allows companies to look through social media information to more directly target their consumers. By being able to look at who their most loyal consumers are, brands have the opportunity to send them rewards and deals specifically, rather than in an email blast. LocalResponse scans Twitter as well as a plethora of location-based services to find out their information. So far, LocalResponse has reported that the beta version of their product had extremely positive response.

Measurement
ContentAide: Get Daily Reports About Your Rival’s Facebook Page

Measurement has always been a great challenge for social media professionals. But since it has come so far, ContentAide has decided to launch a product that they believe we are ready for. Rather than just focusing on the measurement of your social media initiatives, ContentAide allows users to measure the success of their competitor’s initiatives. Talk about getting fancy. So far, this tool can only be used on Facebook, but its offerings are pretty robust. All users need to do is let the tool know which competitors they would like to track. Then, the tool sends daily updates on how that page is doing. Not just the number of likes, but it also tracks specific posts and they are hoping for even deeper analysis soon.

Influencers
People Sold Twitter For Just $5 Million Back In 2006
There are some names in the social media world that are immediately noticeable. Mark Zuckerberg, Ev Williams, Jack Dorsey. And then there are the names that not many would recognize. James Hong, Don Hutchinson, Mitch Kapor. But these are the people who sold their Twitter shares back in 2006, before Twitter became what it is today. How would that feel? To sell a company for $5 million to turn around and find out that today it is worth $10 billion? Not as bad as you would think. Check out this article with interviews with a few of the original Twitter owners.

Partnerships
New Startup America Partnership Commitments from Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, American Express, Intuit and others to Support Tens of Thousands of U.S. Startups
The Startup America Partnership, a call to action from President Obama, is aimed at helping startup companies get their feet, with help from already established startups. It’s no surprise that social media companies have jumped on this opportunity, and earlier this week, LinkedIn joined the ranks of those included in the initiative. LinkedIn has offered their services to help get these relatively unknown companies a platform to tell their message from. However, LinkedIn is not the only new partner in this effort. Google, Intuit, American Express and others have all offered their knowledge and expertise to help entrepreneurs grow their startups.

Fun Stuff
YouTube To Stream Royal Wedding Live
If you’ve had enough of hearing about the royal wedding already, read no further. If you cannot get enough of the Prince and his wife to be, then this story is for you. This week, YouTube announced that they will be live streaming the royal wedding. Yes, you heard correctly. The live stream will be on the official Royal Channel and will begin at 5:00am EST. A live blog will accompany the stream, and this is predicted to be the largest YouTube event to date. To leave your own mark on the royal wedding, there will be a virtual guest book for you to leave all of your congratulations in.

Social Six – Week Ending 4/1/11

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:02:33 +0000

COMMUNITIES
How Businesses Can Survive a Product Recall Using Social Media
Every community has its ups and downs. But it’s always a good idea to have a crisis management plan in place for when those down moments hit. One of the biggest crises for a brand and a community can be when a recall is announced on a product. But should this happen, have no fear, social media can help turn this situation around. As this article lies out, social media becomes a place to vent and find information when situations like this arise, so it is crucially important to preempt consumer questions. Communities need to be on their A-game when recalls occur. It’s equally as important to control sources of consumer information. When people go into panic mode about their recalls, it is likely that rumors will confuse the situation even more. To find out more great ways to control a recall crisis, check out this article.

TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
Five Things Facebook Should Fix Immediately
Usually articles regarding new tools and technologies are relatively positive. New technology announcements or upgrades of existing tools seem to be the usual theme of this section. However, today we are going to indulge a recent rant about what Facebook could and should be doing better. Facebook is clearly one of the most successful feats on the web today, but according to this article, there are a few things Facebook could pick up the slack on. The author of this article takes up issue with the following: Groups, Photo Viewer, Places, Messaging and Tabs. Take a look at this article and let us know, do you agree? What do you think Facebook should be doing better?

MEASUREMENT
Who Says What to Whom on Twitter
Plenty of statistics regarding Twitter have been surfacing recently, but possibly none more interesting as this. According to a study done by Yahoo Research, there is an “elite” group of users to create nearly 50% of the tweets consumed. These “elite” power users fall into four categories: media, celebrity, organizations and bloggers. Yahoo Research published this new study, titled “Who Says What to Whom on Twitter” with interesting and eye opening facts such as this. The study is unlike previous ones, in that it dives much deeper into the granular production of everything, such as who is tweeting, who is listening, who the “elite” tweeters are listening to, and so on. Check out this link to find out more fascinating tweet facts from the Yahoo Research study.

INFLUENCERS
Two Twitter Founders Trade Places
Twitters growth is undeniable to anyone. So how does a company handle such enormous growth internally? Well, if you’re twitter, you switch it up a little. Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey, two of the original founders of Twitter have switched roles. Williams, who has been head of product development, will now be stepping back from working with the company on a daily basis, although he will remain a director. Jack Dorsey, who previously did not engage with the company on a day-to-day basis, will now take over the role of head of product development. This switcheroo is coming at a very important time for the company in terms of growth and getting back to their roots. According to Peter Fenton, an investor in Twitter, “getting Jack back kind of completes the picture of getting us focused on the next phase of the company’s growth.”

PARTNERSHIPS
Anonymous Bullying on Social Network Seeps Into Schools
Bullying in schools has never been easier, with social media at the forefront of this issue. In a few specific cases, school counselors have found themselves faced with the reality that students are suffering greatly due to the bullying they find on social media sites, specifically Formspring. So what is a counselor to do? A recent partnership may be making this whole situation easier to deal with. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Laboratory has recently struck a partnership with Formspring in order to lessen the amount of bullying that takes place on the site. The plan is to create a database of a million statements in order to help determine if one is derogatory. What do you think? Do you think this will help the bullying situation for thousands of kids? Or is there more we could be doing?

FUN STUFF
Is This The Greatest VC Pitch Prank Ever Pulled?
In the spirit of April Fools day, this article really takes pranks to a whole new level. During a VC pitch, a girl decided it was an appropriate time to pitch her “Share the Air” location based service. So as not to spoil the video, let me just tell you that it’s a pretty “far out” idea. Sequoia, the girl in the video, has asked for 500k to help support this LBS. check it out and let us know if you would invest in such a crazy idea and let us know if you have any great April Fool’s day pranks up your sleeves.

MOBile Mentality – Journey to the Proto-city

Darren Wood — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:36:55 +0000

SXSWi – it’s the birth of a proto-city: a hive of integrated people experimenting with the tools in the market that, without mass local adoption, would not have any poignancy. It’s where the early adopters can temporarily form a society of mutually founded infrastructure.

Obviously I like to consider myself a fairly early adopter. I am generally picking up the newest thing in beta and giving it a try. The proto-city certainly is a unique experience where these services just work and I’m not at the mercy of my family and friends to adopt the numerous new things I throw at them every week.

This week’s post is all about these services and how they work, a kind of preview to how they would work if a mainstream audience were to pick them up. There are some old and some new, but all based around the ever growing social–mobile & desktop–sector.

The prevailing theme this year was group messaging and location based services. Typically when you look back at SXSW there is one clear launch that will take hold and change the landscape of digital: Twitter, Foursquare, Gowalla, etc. I would say that this year there was no clear winner. This may be perhaps due to development becoming easier and faster than it was a couple years ago, which would correlate to SXSW being fettered with startup after startup, creating so much noise that no single one stood out.

There’s four services that I looked at primarily while down in Austin: Convore, Beluga, Hashable, & Yobongo.

First up, Convore.

If I were to describe Convore simply I would say that it’s a message board based on groups that range from broad to niché. You sign with either Facebook, Twitter, or create a new account. Once you’re in it’s as simple as joining groups. A group is like a board and within each group are conversation threads. I haven’t used message boards for quite a while probably due to the rise in popularity of social networks, but I found Convore rather refreshing. I joined a couple groups of interest and was immediately participating. The SXSW group on convore was quite active and covered topics from where to eat to what panels are must-sees. I’m interested to see how a team could use a group for productivity instead of email and really utilize the service.

Convore is currently available for iPhone and desktop as a web app.

Beluga was one of the more talked about apps at SXSWi. If fact, the CM team used it as the primary means of conversation while we were down there. The short of it is it worked wonderfully. Beluga is simply a group chat room with geo-location services. We were able to keep in contact real-time: organize ourselves, see where each person was on a map, coordinate seating in keynotes… you get the point. It worked well when it was working. The conference centre in general had connection issues so the drop in connection quickly became a point of contention. I still use Beluga today to keep in touch with family and friends.

Beluga is available on iPhone, Android, and web portal.

Hashable was one of the more innovative apps I’ve seen. It’s in a similar vein as Bump in that it’s about connecting people. Hashable is essentially a layer that lives on top of Twitter and uses your existing twitter handle to meet new people in person, or to introduce people you are with. I didn’t do enough smoozing to use this very heavily at SXSW, but I can see it’s use and reviews have been optimistic. If you think in terms of it’s use when watching a panel, or having a conversation with someone on a shared taxi share–it’s simple and informal. Generally there’s less reservation with sharing something like your twitter handle as its already something in the public domain.

Hashable is available on iPhone, Android, and Web Portal.

Lastly, Yobongo. This is pitched as way to “chat with people nearby.” Their video highlights random people talking to each other in local areas, discussing books, picking up girls, etc. My experience of Yobongo is far different. My first day in Austin I launched the app, created a profile and attempted to dive in. Everything went well, up until actually using the app… I found the barrier of entry challenging. There were plenty of seeds for a conversation present, but only that. There was no conversation present. It was basically a local, real-time twitter feed–a bunch of people in the same room talking about different topics. Perhaps it would have more use in a more sparse user base.

Yobongo is available on iTunes, but only available in a few cities.

My goal on this trip was not only to test new apps, but to try some out again for the first time. Just to see how they transform in near full saturation.

Twitter was an interesting contrast. Sure the people you are following stays the same, but use hashtag #sxsw and your following jumps 20 people. The change I was looking at was local tweets which were nearly unusable. Like Yobongo it was aflutter with tweet after tweet, but you couldn’t expect anything different. One of the more interesting were during the keynotes. Each keynote had its own hashtag, which you could follow during the talk for the magic of the collective consciousness. You could immediately tell by the incoming stream of tweets when a chord was struck and ultimately how enganged the audience was. Some of the more droll presentations would produce very few tweets, if any. There is of course the inverse effect for terrible talks where the stream is aflame with disruptive banter.

The final two are the representatives of the gaming layer: Gowalla and Foursquare. Anyone who lives a bit further off the grid, like here in Calgary, knows how tiny the community is in these apps. For me, SxSW was the first experience of the game layer in full swing. It was fun, I won’t lie. I know the stigma attached to “checking in” runs deep into the pretentious ‘why bother’ space, but down in the space where people are genuinely using the service there is definitely more of a feeling of community and sport. With some reservation, you could say that building blocks of the proto-city align with these types of check in services.

I have to say that this, albeit a bit lengthy, is molecular in relative to the entire experience, but it’s an interesting slice in itself.

Social Six – Week Ending 3/25/11

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:02:53 +0000

Communities
What A #MarchMadness Bracket Would Look Like If It Were Decided By Twitter
With March Madness well underway, most of our attentions have been turned to the TVs, and away from twitter for a little bit. But Empire Avenue, a social media exchange service, has dared to keep on tweeting and ask one very important question: Who would take home the National Champion of Twitter. Empire Avenue has set up a full bracket of which university would take home the top prize when it comes to twitter activity. The Final Four has been narrowed down to North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin and UNLV. Just in case your brackets are not doing as well as you had hoped, maybe you will have a little more luck with this one.

Tools & Technologies
Augmented Reality Industry Aims to Get Beyond the Hype
Augmented reality is a phenomenon that has really been a theory more than a reality. With all of the hype however, consumers are getting excited about all of the potential possibilities. But now, Laurent Gil, founder of Viewdle, is ready to make all this hype a reality. With plenty of other developers and augmented reality coinsures behind him, the technology may not be as far into the future as we thought before. For example, gaming company Ogmento is working on finding ways to encourage natural behavior while playing these games, discouraging awkward motions and movements. Steps like these, Gil believes, are what will help bring augmented reality, into reality.

Measurement
New Website Crowdsources Japan Radiation Data
In the midst of one of the most devastating natural disasters of late, Japanese survivors are now facing what could possibly be a nuclear disaster as well. But in such trying and difficult times, many citizens have been communicating with tools such as Twitter, Facebook and now a new website, RDTN.org. This website encourages survivors to purchase an at home radiation detector, and to post their radiation levels to the site. It is crowdsourcing for survival purposes, and measurement that one would never hope to have to take. But in unpredictable situations like these, the people of RDTN.org are aiming at helping keep people safe, as well as up-to-date on safety.

Influencers
100,000 people pressure Apple to shut down ‘Gay Cure’ app
This week’s “influencers” article is less about one specific influencer, and more of a reminder that we all have the potential to influence social media and technology. Recently, an offensive app was launched in the iTunes store, created by an anti-gay Christian organization. The organizations goal is to “provide support for individuals who want to recover from homosexuality”. Clearly, many users took up issue with this idea and with the app itself, which carried the same message as the organization. A petition was started in order to shut down the app, which has been called “offensive to large groups of people” received over 146,000 signatures before Apple finally decided to take the app out of their app store. While there are plenty of social media and technology influencers out in the world, it is also important to remember what a significant role we all play in the ever-changing world of social media. This is one fantastic example of people taking a stand for a cause and making things happen.

Partnerships
Meridian For iPhone: In-store, turn-by-turn maps to merchandise
Meridian is one of the newest players to the location based services game, and also one of the most underdeveloped. However, as predicted in this article, this app has potential for hundreds of partnerships, so it is definitely one to keep an eye on. First and foremost, this app is based on partnerships. As an indoor navigation and discovery app, it will eventually thrive off of these partnerships. Within partnered locations, Meridian “can draw an in-store map directly to a piece of merchandise you are looking for or can draw a map directly to a sub-location inside of a larger location- like a bathroom in a football stadium”. Basically, this has potential to become a very hot and useful tool, for those of us who have a tendency to get ADD and lost in stores.

Fun Stuff
Happy 5th Birthday, Twitter! 10 Top Tweets of the Past 5 Years
Twitter celebrated a big birthday this week. After five years in the making, Twitter is one of the most used social platforms available today. So, what have been some highlights in the past half of a decade? Of course, one of the first tweets ever sent made the top 10 list. The list ranges from the absurd (sh*t my dad says) to the overwhelmingly meaningful (tweets sent from the Egypt situation). It’s been a solid five years, Twitter. We’re excited for what you come up with next.

Social Six – Week Ending 3/18/11

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:58:35 +0000

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.

MEASUREMENT
Report: Use Of Third-Party Twitter Clients Dwindles To 42 Percent
Recently, Twitter threw out a statistic that many people doubted and took issue with. They claimed that 90 of active Twitter users are using the official Twitter app from their smartphones. Social media analytics company, Sysomos, is one of the companies that took issue with this statement, so they decided to track tweets to see if this was true. Shockingly, what they found is that only 58% of tweets were sent from the official Twitter app, and 42% were sent from third-party clients.

INFLUENCERS
Who’s Next: GroupMe co-founder Jared Hecht
SXSW was a huge success this year, and more than one success story came from it. But this article focuses on Jared Hecht, the co-founder of GroupMe, one of the newest ideas for social networks. GroupMe is a smartphone application that allows users to create a “private social network” with their friends through text message. For any of you who are BlackBerry users, think along the lines of BBM. Hecht is a 24-year-old Columbia University graduate who is the brains behind this operation. He claims he got the idea from going to concerts and having a difficult time finding his friends. By bringing GroupMe to life, concert-goes, and smartphone users all over, will have an easier time keeping in touch with large groups of friends at once.

PARTNERSHIPS
HeyZap Goes After Social Discovery, Launches Check-in For Mobile Games
HeyZap, a “monetization and distribution platform for online casual games” has decided to go mobile. The platform already has about 1.6 million users, and they are planning on bringing all of them over to the mobile world. HeyZap already has huge partnerships with other game developers, such as Aeria Games, Game Duell and TheBroth, which made the developers games available on the 450,000 sites online that already have HeyZaps platform integrated. However, even with such strong partnerships, HeyZap still believes that there are huge gaps in the online gaming world. And that is why they have made the decision to go mobile. Check out this article to find out what exactly HeyZap plans to do for gaming.

FUN STUFF
How Rebecca Black Became a YouTube Sensation
Let’s just start off by saying; the video you are about to witness in this article is categorized as a “so-bad-it’s-good” viral video. Rebecca Black recently posted a music video onto YouTube for her song “Friday”, and now has almost 9 million views. Which is shocking, considering the quality of the song. Comedian Michael J Nelson has dubbed it the worst video ever made, and many people are agreeing. But no matter how bad it is, people cannot stop watching. We apologize in advance, but take a look and let us know your thoughts.

SxSW Recaps: Live from Last Week

Kerry Janes — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:53:34 +0000

Another confession, Mum. I’m writing this posthumously. All the opinions and positions in this document have gone through at least two hazy evenings, 3 hamburgers and a bucket or two of Shiner Bock (mixed with razor blades and hipster cred). In fact, the number of hamburgers, seared on the side and glowing salmon in the middle, that I’ve eaten has astounded me. It’s a contest, I suppose: My brain cells vs my weight. One’s a race to the bottom while the other increases in order to decrease…

Bill Simmons, a writer for ESPN, has postulated (smart talk for: said) that we should wait 5 years before selecting a best movie/actor/director/etc. Why? Perspective, of course. The matured opinion is usually the reasonable one. We want to make sure what we say holds up to posterity.

I’m not bringing this up to support the late nature of my next few posts. Those were conditional, not intentional. No, I bring it up in order to address the relationship between real-time, always-on communication platforms like twitter and foursquare and events like SXSW. Do they add anything to it? Are they more than just background noise? Do they pump out any content that I, Kerry Janes, finds interesting or enjoyable?

The short answer is, No. The long answer is Noe.

I’m being obnoxious, of course. But, take a look at #sxswi. The thread runs from anticipation to arrival, through talk and party, and ends with everyone bitching about the airport. There’s really not much substance. Sure, you could farm the feed and find some interesting quotes and a few links but, for the most part, it’s a steady diet of nothing.

Now, I’m willing to accept that I might not “get” twitter. I use it frequently and have plenty of consistent follows but, I also use the word irony to position a mere coincidence (Alanis!), so, perhaps, there’s not a lot of value in my experience with medium. It just might be that I have set an expectation on twitter that it was never meant to satisfy. I might be misguided. Perhaps twitter is about watching, not saying? We could just be in the collection phase? Hell, I’d be willing to accept that. But, I’m too impatient and, to a certain extent, have seen the bar set too high.

Explanation: Take some time and look at how comedians use twitter. Read #ronhuebel. Take a scan of that screen. Yah, I like jokes but I want to point out something more salient: his thread is both timely and directly contributing to his craft. It’s value is apparent. Most Comedian threads are like this. They extend from tweet to tweet and a layer of commentary is wonderfully present. It’s not just watching; it’s saying.

I don’t think it’s unfair to ask why sxswi, up to its guts in Strategists, Planners, Gurus and Creatives, can’t manipulate or influence a medium like twitter enough to form even 5 minutes of worthwhile content. Is it always going to fall to the editors of the world to organize, cull and celebrate the greater story? Isn’t this our arena? Is it that we might not care as much about quality as much as we care about quantity?

Maybe Simmons is right and we should just stay out of the opinion game until we’ve had time to let it sink in? I’m sure all the pundits, rehashers, social media gurus and branding ninjas will litter my rss feed with their perspective on another sxswi. Some will be great, some will be facile–but none will be live. Apparently, we’re not as good at the internets as the funny guys.

“#Winning” with a Social Media SWAT Team

Celia Jones — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:08:54 +0000

It’s official: the Guinness Book of World Records has declared a new record for the fastest time to reach 1 million followers on Twitter. Not surprisingly, the “#winning” honor goes to the psycho celeb du jour, Charlie Sheen. Like a car crash, his bite-sized, 140-character nuggets of crazy have captured the attention of Tweeple the world over—at last count, his following is well over 2 million strong.

Is it Sheen’s extraordinary social media savvy that has everyone riveted? I think we’d all agree that’s not it. It’s more likely the poetic verse rolling from his fingertips and the spectacle of a train wreck unraveling before our eyes.

“This Warlock is in the breach. Poised. T – minus 51 mins. read my tigerblood dripping lips; you’ve been warned.”

Right…. Sheen, like the Ashton Kutchers and Kim Kardashians of the world, has what most of us do not: spell-bind celebrity status that draws people into their digital web of antics like moths to a flame.

So what strategy should the rest of us (whether brands or individuals) employ in order to achieve social media success?

We believe that any social program should be built on a foundation of basic principles. I’ve synthesized them into a simple framework aptly named “SWAT.” Not to be confused with the old school acronym (SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), this approach requires a fundamental shift in mindset. A successful social media program requires a sound plan of attack, a coordinated strategy, and a “SWAT” team approach to get it done. So let’s get to it!

S – Structure: Not to be confused with sexy, this is one of the most important, but often overlooked (and clearly less glamorous), pieces of the social media puzzle: infrastructure. It’s easy enough to throw people at a Twitter handle or Facebook page and tell them to “have at it.” But it’s a lot harder to ensure a constant stream of relevant value. Some essential questions to consider:
- Do you have an established workflow tailored to your business?
- Are your community moderators adequately trained?
- Are you building a pipeline of content with a planned editorial calendar?
- Are you using the best tools to monitor conversations and mine data?
- What is your plan if a crisis hits?
- Is your social platform set up to streamline sharing and reach influencers?

W – Warfare: In the traditional sense, a SWAT team is a special unit trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers. They employ specialized equipment, monitoring tools and sniper-like tactics to hone in on their targets. The comparison resonates because social media is not about cute tweety birds and clever quips that magically generate followers and engagement. No, it’s about hardcore warfare in the battle for eyes and ears. Cutting through the clutter to provide relevant value with 140-character handcuffs strapped to your wrists. Competing for your customers’ attention, time and money on the myriad of sites, blogs and Facebook pages. Watching, observing, listening to and engaging with your target.

A – Alignment: To carry the analogy further, alignment with agreed-upon objectives is mission-critical. As with any site, media campaign or other digital initiative, social programs must be backed by clear objectives and established KPI’s. Everyone involved must be aware of and aligned to the end goal. In-process measures should be instituted to measure progress, enable course corrections and position the team for success. Lack of clear metrics could leave your campaign a fatal casualty.

T – Timeliness: Though careful attention must be paid to laying the groundwork for your social strategy, the real-time nature of social media means that once you flip the switch, it’s “all-systems-go.” You must do the upfront legwork in planning and setting the foundation, but you also need to be vigilant—with your content and methods of engagement—anticipating the target’s next move, reacting to developments on the fly and responding swiftly to whatever comes your way.

In social media, anything can happen at any time. And how you handle it is the difference between life or death for your campaign. To be successful, we leave you with this sage advice: “The best defense is a good offense.” So swig that shot of #tigerblood and get to work!

Social Six – Week Ending 3/4/11

Alyssa Rosengarden — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:45:40 +0000

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.
A man who, up until now, wished to remain anonymous ran the twitter handle. But now, Dan Sinker, an assistant journalism professor at Columbia College owns up to being the man behind the hilarious twitter handle. Most of the tweets he produced contained words not suitable for Social Six, but ones I’m sure you’ve heard before. The fake twitter account gathered a following of 25,000, which is impressive because the real Emanuel account only had 7,000. Emanuel was so curious to find out who was behind the tweets (which he found amusing) that he offered to donate $5,000 to a charity of the @MayorEmanuel tweeters choice. And in true Mayor-Elect fashion, Emanuel has confirmed that he will make good on that promise.

Charlie Sheen breaks Twitter record
In what seemed to be some of the biggest news this week, Charlie Sheen joined Twitter. Not only that, but he set the Guinness World Record by reaching 1 Million fans in 25 hours and 17 minutes. While this earth-shattering development has been blowing up news sources of all sorts this week, many are already making predictions for what the future holds for Sheen’s Twitter handle. Many predict that while his tweets are organic for the moment, brands will be lining up shortly in order to work with him. How exciting. But for now, Sheen is staying “humble” and thanking his fans “in all sincerity” for the “warm reception” he has received into the twitterverse.

PARTERNSHIPS
How Wajam Brings Social Search to Users
As social media becomes bigger and bigger, more people are searching for ways to have social results turn up in their search results. So far, Google has partnered with Twitter and Bing has partnered with Facebook in order to make this dream a reality. But a new startup has arrived on the scene, and Wajam will be making it easier than ever for search to become social. Check out this video for more information on recently search/social partnerships and about how Wajam will be able to help the process.

FUN STUFF
What Every Entrepreneur Could Learn from Justin Bieber
The title of this article says it all. Now, I know what you’re thinking. There’s probably not much that entrepreneurs could learn from a shaggy-haired 17-year-old pop star. But Mark Suster, author of this article wholeheartedly disagrees. After seeing “Never Say Never”, the Justin Beiber movie with his son, Suster has found some key points that entrepreneurs could take away from the Beib’s story. Before you scoff at it, take a look at this article. There are some good takeaways pointed out, whether you have Beiber fever or not.