Social Networking
Social Networking: New Nielson Social Media Report
September 20th, 2011 8:45 AM
There is a very helpful report published online from Nielson regarding social media usage and trends. You may have already seen it. If not, it is available HERE.
This will also be a great topic for discussion at our Slice and Advice on October 20. There is still space available if you want to attend. Click HERE to learn more and to register. You can register from your desktop computer or mobile device.
Posted by Greg Pearson | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: More Google Plus
August 26th, 2011 1:59 PM
Since my last post Google has made an important change to its Plus 1 button (you are beginning to see it everywhere now). Previously, the Plus 1 button was one of the ways that Google used to rank websites for Google Searches. Now the Plus 1 button is like the Facebook ‘Like’ button and posts the link in the user’s Google Plus circle(s).
Even though businesses cannot create Google Plus profiles yet, the addition of the Plus 1 button to your site IS beneficial and more so as Google Plus grows. Adding the Plus 1 Button to your website allows Google Plus users to ‘Plus’ your website and recommend it to others in their circles, as well as increasing your site’s presence in Google searches.
The easiest way to add Plus 1 as well as Facebook ‘Like’ and Twitter ‘Tweet’ and other sharing functions is to use utilities like ‘Add This’ (www.addthis.com). For our SiteNow clients, you can add the code for Add This as a media item and insert that snippet on every page. However, the best way is to add these utilities so that they show on every page of your site. We will need to place the code in the template but the cost is very small – usually less than $50. Let us know if you would like to do that.
One last thing - We are about to announce the next Slice and Advice. Be looking for the invitation email next week and be ready to click quickly. Slice and Advice always fills up within 8 hours.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Greg Pearson | 1 Comment(s)
Social Networking: So What’s Up with Google Plus?
August 11th, 2011 10:58 AM
For a couple of weeks everyone was ‘buzzing’ about Google Plus. It was invitation only so people were asking those who were already on Google Plus to send them an invitation. I got mine and promptly signed up, messed around a bit, and then went back to watching Facebook.
I am not alone. According to Chitika, Google Plus web traffic peaked at 0.007% of web traffic on July 20 and by July 31 had fallen back below 0.005%. It could be that this is just a respite as Google works out some bugs and is not issuing as many invitations. One thing is certain, until all of my friends are there, I do not have any reason to be there – I think that is why early adopters like me have not hung around, at least for now.
There is also the matter that businesses are not allowed to play in the Google Plus sandbox yet. One of the most attractive things about Facebook is that it allows regular people like us to interface and interact with other individuals, groups and businesses. It is true that it didn’t begin that way but what it has become is far better – because the interactions of our lives are more than just inter-personal. We do business everyday and most of us are part of organizations and support organizations. Facebook accommodates all of life so to speak.
That doesn’t mean that Google Plus is dead already. Some people I have spoken with like it more than Facebook but limited as it is it is not enough for those of us who already have much more in other social venues. One survey published on August 10 says that Google Plus will surpass Twitter and Linked In in 2012. Maybe it will.
Until Google Plus expands, there is nothing there for businesses and organizations, and just not enough for individual users. However, knowing Google, they will likely make it work. So businesses and organizations should at least add the Google Plus +1 button to their sites to allow Google Plus users to promote those businesses and organizations in their profiles.
Posted by Greg Pearson | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: Social Media Roundup for May 29, 2011
May 29th, 2011 7:47 AM
Each week Williams Web selects some of the social media stories we are following and shares them with you. Here are the topics that caught our attention this past week:
Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week
via Mashable.com
The Apocalypse, American Idol and Nerd Pride all make this list this week. Check out the complete Top 10 Twitter Trends at http://mashable.com/2011/05/28/top-10-weekly-twitter-trends/
Tag Pages on Facebook
via Facebook.com
Now you can tag Pages on Facebook just like you tag Friends. Learn more at http://on.fb.me/mECu87
Know Your Facebook Rights
via Facebook.com
There have always been rumors and suggestions that you forfeit your rights to your photos and other content you post on Facebook. Untrue says the social media giant. Learn more about your rights at http://facebook.com/terms
Gmail Launches the "People Widget"
from gmail.blogspot.com
The new People Widget in Gmail is another step in the search giant's quest to be relevant in social media. Learn more at http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/introducing-people-widget.html
YouTube Posts Interview With Endeavor Crew
If you missed the live interview with the crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, YouTube has posted a recap at http://goo.gl/usFhR
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: Convert Your Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page
March 31st, 2011 11:28 AM
Facebook announced today a new tool to convert your Facebook Profile to a Facebook Page. The biggest difference between a Profile and a Page is that Profiles require you to invite and/or approve friends before they can view your information like wall posts, photos, etc. while content on Pages is viewable by the public. While Profiles are great for individuals, Pages are better suited for businesses, nonprofits and public figures.
When businesses first adopted the use of Facebook as part of their online marketing strategy, many set up Profiles for their organization. They invited customers to be their "friend" on Facebook but the closed nature of that approach was less than successful in communicating their brand on Facebook. While they could set their Profile to be public, unless a customer was a friend they didn't see any news updates from the business in their news stream. When Facebook added the option to create Pages, some businesses opted to maintain their Profile because they didn't want to start over and risk losing any friends in the transition process.
The new Profile to Page conversion tool, however, makes it easy for a business to transition their Profile to a Page without losing any of their friends. Friends are converted to Likes automatically and photos from the Profile are carried over to the new Page. However, the tool does not migrate any other data such as wall posts, videos or events. Those will have to be added manually until Facebook creates an automated method. The conversion is irreversible at this time, so before you make the move, consider downloading your content so that it isn't lost.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: Keeping Facebook and Blog Comments in Sync
March 6th, 2011 4:27 PM
Facebook recently updated its Comments Box feature to allow you to share comments left your blog with users on your Facebook profile page. Likewise, when someone comments on the story on Facebook, the thread is synchronized with the comments on your blog.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: What Does that Tweet Button Do?
January 9th, 2011 4:30 PM
You may have seen a Tweet button around the web on your favorite websites or blog. This button lets readers share their favorite content with other users on Twitter. And since the tweet includes a link back to your website or blog, it's a great way to increase traffic and improve SEO performance.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: The New Facebook Profile Page
December 5th, 2010 9:08 PM
Facebook is famous for change. In the past year Facebook has introduced new products, removed features, changed feature functionality and consistently freaked everyone out over privacy concerns. On December 6, Facebook is changing again with a completely revamped profile page for each Facebook user.
The new Facebook Profile page presents a brief bio of the user at the top of the page and allows the user to select the details you want listed. Think of it as your personal elevator pitch or the information you would share with someone over lunch for the first time.
Below the new bio is a feed of photos - photos you post yourself and photos of you posted by your friends. Next are featured friends and family, areas of interest and sports, movies and books you like.
The rollout of the new Facebook Profile page begins on December 6 and will be available to all 500 million users by early next year.
Learn more about the new Facebook Profile page.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: Facebook Messages - Email Has Nothing to Fear. Yet.
November 24th, 2010 10:48 AM
I have been using the new Facebook messages for a few
days and while it is an interesting approach to integrated messaging, it doesn't pose a credible threat to email. To be fair, Facebook never positioned this upgrade as an "email killer"-the tech press prescribed that moniker-but there has been much discussion as to whether the Facebook devotees would abandon email and conduct all of their conversations within the Facebook ecosystem. Perhaps. There has also been discussion, mostly by opportunistic bloggers and link baiters, as to whether Facebook Messages is a viable channel for B2B communications. I don't think so. Let's take a look at how these two different groups of people may use Facebook Messages and where the system excels and where it falls short.
Facebook Devotees
For Facebook users who are already accustomed to communicating with friends exclusively, or nearly exclusively, on Facebook, the new system will be a welcome upgrade. It allows you to add a facebook.com email address to your account (using your public username) and integrates SMS messaging to your inbox. You communicate with friends, not with phone numbers, email addresses or Facebook accounts. You select the friend you want to talk to and the system delivers the message the way the other user prefers. Brilliant.
Not so brilliant is the inability to add non facebook.com email addresses. You can forward your mail, but that isn't an elegant solution. And while you can receive messages on your smartphone using a Facebook application or via text message, Facebook only consolidates SMS messages that are sent through the system. There is no way to integrate an SMS that is sent directly to a phone number.
Pros:
- Consolidates all your conversations with each friend
- Fast, simple, informal
- SMS, email and Facebook messages all in one inbox
- Messages delivered the way each recipient prefers
Cons:
- Requires the user to initiate the conversation within Facebook
- No support for third party email addresses
- SMS messages not sent through Facebook are not captured
Business Professionals and Email Power Users
During the Messages announcement, Facebook made it clear that they were not trying to replace email. Rather, they were trying to provide a solution to users who utilize social media as a primary form of communication and want to consolidate their communication streams into a single location. To that end, and with the caveats mentioned above, Facebook Messages is successful. For business professionals and email power users, however, Facebook Messages doesn't offer a compelling use case. There is no integration with corporate email accounts, no separate inboxes for Facebook pages and Facebook users, and no method to save or archive the messages offsite. There are also no enterprise level security features and no company worth their balance sheet is going to communicate sensitive information with clients across Facebook's servers. Clearly, this is a system designed for friends to conduct casual, informal conversations. It is designed for B2B communications.
However, for businesses that promote themselves on Facebook with a unique profile page for their organization, there may be a real benefit to communicating with customers using Facebook Messages. If your customers are following your updates on Facebook to track special offers or provide reviews of your products and services, you can utilize Facebook Messages to communicate exclusive special offers, share information with vendors or partners or provide updates that you don't otherwise want to share with the general public.
Pros:
- Fast, simple, informal
- B2C potential
Cons:
- Requires the user to initiate the conversation within Facebook
- No support for corporate email
- No separate inboxes for Pages admins and Pages
- No archival or export functionality
- Privacy and security concerns
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
Social Networking: Path - The Anti-Social Network
November 15th, 2010 10:17 PM
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with hundreds of friends on Facebook or legions of followers on Twitter, Path may be the social network for you. Described by its developers as a "personal network", Path limits your friends to a total of 50. That may seem like very few people to share your life with, but the reasoning behind the limit is pretty solid. With a limit of 50 friends, you are forced to choose the most important friends and family in your life - the people you trust most and the people with which you are most comfortable sharing all the moments in your life.
You access Path from your iPhone and using the application is drop dead simple. Snap a photo of what's happening, choose a few context tags (there are three: people, place, thing), and share with the people on your "path." That's it.
While Path seems to be aimed at consumers who want to share their lives with personal friends, there could be an opportunity for businesses and professionals to use a personal network:
- Salespeople could communicate with one another in a closed environment.
- Nonprofits could share events with key donors.
- Businesses might use Path to share the progress of a project or initiative with investors or executive management
For the near future, however, it seems like Path is going to be a consumer-focused application and service. Like all social networks, monetization is often the ultimate goal, so a B2B or B2C iteration might be a possibility down the road.
With its limited feature set-and really limited friend list-Path is not likely to overtake Facebook or Twitter. In fact, the social media bloggers are not too keen on Path, pointing out limitations of the service and predicting its doom from the start. But for early adopters among the social media elite, it could be a welcome change of pace from the too-public world of Facebook and Twitter.
Path has posted a video introducing the service on their blog and has launched an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the iTunes App store.
Posted by Kent Callison | 0 Comment(s)
