Shot at Web 2.0 Summit 2008 Facebook is learning to listen. In the middle of February 2009, the company was yet again a “Beacon” for bad PR as it introduced an updated Terms of Service (Tos) for its entire community of users. We the people responded with defiance and vigor and the company retracted its new language, reverted to the previous ToS, and listened to the valuable feedback that poured in from the community. By all accounts, this was the…
The Ties that Bind Us – Visualizing Relationships on Twitter and Social Networks
Credit Bernardo A. Huberman, Daniel M. Romero and Fang Wu of the Social Computing Laboratory at HP Labs conducted an in-depth study of the relationships that power Twitter. The team recently released its report, “Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope.” The abstract: Scholars, advertisers and political activists see massive online social networks as a representation of social interactions that can be used to study the propagation of ideas, social bond dynamics and viral marketing, among others. But the…
Facebook and the Reality of Your Online Content
Shot at SXSWi 2008 A few news outlets reached out to me for comment regarding the uproar sparked by the recent change to Facebook’s Terms of Service (ToS). It inspired a public response as I am not only someone who spends a significant amount of time in the online social field studying digital anthropology and new marketing, I’m also a willing participant in and contributor to the Facebook economy. So, why is everyone upset? When you read the new ToS,…
Twibs Connects Customers to Businesses on Twitter
Twitter continues to inspire creativity and innovation among third-party developers. The latest useful solution is Twibs, a directory of businesses using Twitter to communicate with consumers, peers, and tastemakers. Twitter is a conversation platform and it continues to fundamentally transform how people communicate with each other. Along with other socialized channels of online interaction, Twitter has also re-ignited the long-forgotten art of listening to and communicating with customers. What started with forums and online reviews, then evolved to include blog…
Make Tweet Love – Top Tips for Building Twitter Relationships
be tweet Twitter is an incredible medium for listening, learning, and sharing. And, for those in the media and communications industries, it’s also a rapid and immersive education in meaningful, two-way micro messaging that helps both parties walk away with a new form of value. While there are no shortage of posts that offer tips and tricks to help you boost your Twitter followers, it is by no means a popularity contest. The surmounting ploys, friending races, theatrics, and contests…
The 2009 Semmys Honor The Conversation Prism
Every year The Semmys nominates the best posts in marketing. Last year, the Social Media Manifesto was recognized and this year, The Conversation Prism was spotlighted. Thank you! When Jesse Thomas of JESS3 and I started to lay the foundation for the Conversation Prism, we realized that it was a much larger task then simply categorizing social networks and placing them within a visually-rich graphic or chart. My goal was to observe, analyze, dissect, and present the dynamics of conversations,…
The Battle for Your Social Status: Facebook Builds Network Around Your Activity
Shot at the F8 conference in San Francisco Recently, we discussed the evolution of Twitter and also FriendFeed as they mature into fully interactive conversation ecosystems. In social media, you’ll most often hear references to the proverbial “conversation” that fuels the dynamic, two-way Web and earns those individuals and brands that invest in it wisely, increased social capital and authority. Facebook issued a significant announcement that may solidify its platform as the primary dashboard for sharing, responding, and listening to…
Dell Deals with Twitter
In March 2008, Gary Vaynerchuck experimented with @santagaryvee on Twitter where he would announce special Wine Library deals and opportunities exclusively for his loyal followers on the popular micro community. While he slowly phased that activity back into his main Twitter streams, many companies were introduced to a new way to engage and harness enthusiasm among those potentially interested in something new and special. Having contributed to the standard of listening and responding to users and pundits on Twitter, Dell…
Anheuser-Busch Debuts AB-Extras.com; Fuses PR with Social Media to Humanize Stories and Ads
Disclosure: I am collaborating with Anheuser-Busch on the creation and release of AB-Extras.com Today Anheuser-Busch announced AB-Extras.com – a social media destination for Bud fans 21 years of age and older to reveal the human element and stories behind the ads that will premier during the Big Game. AB-Extras.com is a unique social platform for the internal PR team at Anheuser-Busch to also work more effectively with traditional and digital press and bloggers using the tools and services that they…
Growth for Newspapers Online? Yes and No
Source Nielsen Online is reporting that nine out of the top 10 newspapers experienced growth in online traffic between December 2007 to December 2008. The average growth across the board equated to 16%. Here’s the breakdown: NYTimes.com Dec 07 (000): 17,1777 Dec 08 (000): 18,187 Percentage Change: 16 USATODAY.com Dec 07 (000): 9,939 Dec 08 (000): 11,420 Percentage Change: 15 WashingtonPost.com Dec 07 (000): 8.478 Dec 08 (000): 9,470 Percentage Change: 12 LA Times Dec 07 (000): 4,607 Dec 08…
