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Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

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The Super Bowl Commands Social Media

In light of the 2012 London Olympics and the limitations placed by the game’s organizers on social media activity, the upcoming Super Bowl is showing the world how it should be done.

The Super Bowl will not only embrace social media, a “command centre” to provide an enhanced experience to fans.

The command centre will consists 16 employees and 30 volunteers who will coordinate the information from @superbowl2012, and also use Twitter as a content engine for Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and their blog.

From open parking spots to local restaurants and fun tidbits during the game, the NFL is really leveraging social media.

They’re thinking so outside of the digital box that if this doesn’t become the standard for big events, I will be disappointed.

The reason the NFL’s approach seems so ingenious is it is focused on the fans, mostly fans traveling from out of town. To care enough to deliver a wealth of information about what’s going on outside of what’s happening in the game should resonate with most fans.

At the end of the day, Eli Manning vs. Tom Brady, Victor Cruz vs. Ochocinco and other storylines will dominate. With an event that is so globally beloved, the social media activity will naturally be over the top.

It is vital the NFL upped its game digitally but the credit should still be given to the media company leading the charge, especially since the detractors and naysayers for the London Olympics have been many.

The big test will also come when The Academy Awards happens in a few weeks. What mark on social media will they leave from their global telecast?

By Mark Evans - February 3rd, 2012 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

The Buzz Around Facebook’s IPO

Everyone knew it was coming, but yesterday Facebook officially filed for an Initial Public Offering, more commonly known as an IPO. Not knowing exactly when the IPO would be filed and announced, I started doing a little research into what the social world was saying about it yesterday afternoon. About 20 minutes after I thought I had enough information to write about, Mark Zuckerberg dropped the news. So, for the most part of this post I’ll be looking at the chatter that led up to the IPO announcement, and then I’ll look at what occurred after.

As I said before, everyone knew that Facebook had been planing to go public for a while. In the past six months (up to about 3pmEST yesterday) I had found “Facebook” and “IPO” mentioned together in 33,452 blog posts, 38,215 online news articles, 5,904 forum postings and 68,143 tweets.

Trending those mentions out overtime we can see that the topic had been part of conversations for a while. We can also see from some spikes in activity when certain new news came to light. For instance, the spike that we can see at the end of November and beginning of December was when a story broke that Facebook was looking to file the IPO in the spring of 2012. That soon changed though as the large spikes right at the end of the chart were people talking over the past few days as they knew the IPO was shortly coming.

I also looked at which countries the talk was coming from. The US, both home to Facebook and the stock exchange the stock will eventually be traded on, accounted for about half of all the conversation. However, we can also see that a lot of countries with strong social media usage also had their eyes on the story. Countries like India (2.9%), Singapore (2.8%), Indonesia (2.1%) and even China (5.8%).

I then pulled up a buzzgraph to get an idea of what the conversation over the past six months had been about. Whats most interesting about this buzzgraph is how many other “social” companies’ names we can find in it. It seems that talk about Facebook’s IPO has been compared to other social networks who have recently gone public like “Zynga,” “LinkedIn” and “Groupon.”  We can even see that Facebook was being compared to “Google” who went public back in 2004.

I then dug a bit further into the activity around Facebook’s IPO in the past week (up to about 3pmEST yesterday). Here the buzzgraph seems to be a bit tighter on the conversation and definitely more focused on Facebook’s IPO. The greater connections we can see in this buzzgraph link to financial institutions. We can see “Morgan” “Stanley” in the graph because it became public knowledge last week that Facebook would be using them to underwrite the IPO. We can also see “Goldman” “Sachs” in there because they had strong financial links to Facebook in the past and it came as a surprise to some that they were passed over for Morgan Stanley.

Now, as I said earlier, most of this data I collected just before 3pmEST yesterday. A short while after that, around 4:30pmEST, the news of Facebook’s IPO broke. I took the liberty of trending out at an hourly rate the talk about Facebook’s IPO over the past two days. Now the chart below looks like a lot of no activity before a huge spike between 4-5pmEST yesterday. However, most of the time leading up to the announcement was averaging between 500 and 700 mentions of an hour. Those mentions vastly pale in comparison though to when the announcement was made and we see the large spike in activity. Between the hours of 4-5pmEST yesterday we saw Facebook’s IPO being mentioned 14,761 times.

So, will you be buying some Facebook stock?

By Sheldon Levine - February 2nd, 2012 - No Comments »
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Posted in Announcements, Samples, Social Media

Facebook Will Not Be Dethroned

Facebook will fail…blah blah blah….people will revolt against it….yeah yeah yeah….we’ve heard it all before and it seems less likely every year.

Facebook will have a banner year in 2012, and its new offerings will further cement its status.

Not only has Facebook successfully rolled out its Timeline, which has re-invented and re-energized the profile, it is also nearing one of the more hyped initial public offerings (IPO) in recent memory.

This IPO will bring more opportunity to Facebook and drive it to further innovate heights.

Beyond this, there’s rumblings Facebook is looking into adding email addresses and an e-commerce component.

It seems the objective is to become an even greater part of our online lives; maybe the only part with the way they’re going.

I can also see Facebook taking its successful line of games, and creating more interactive pieces of this nature.

Gamification has really taken off for their users (think Farmville and Cityville), and I would be surprised if they didn’t pursue this even further in 2012. Beyond looking at photos of people’s weddings, it might be the best way to keep users logged in for hours.

The IPO will be a telling chapter in Facebook’s history as we’ll get our first true glimpse into its worth, and Zuckerberg’s true value as CEO. It will allow us to understand the inner workings, and even better let us become a part of the organization.

Even if the IPO comes in lower than expected, there is little hope for other social networks to dethrone them in the foreseeable future. I think the question should be, do we even want them to be dethroned?

By Mark Evans - January 5th, 2012 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

The Mysterious Growth of Google+

Ever since Google+ launched last June, one of the most fascinating elements has been trying to get a sense of its growth, potential for adoption, and how people are actually using it within a world dominated by Facebook and Twitter.

What makes this social spectator sport difficult to understand is how different metrics are being applied.

In some respects, it makes Google+, the cricket of social media because you can see activity but you’re not quite sure what the rules are.

A good example is the buzz (pun, completely intended) about an Experian Hitwise report that suggests Google+ attracted 49 million U.S. visitors in December – a development glowingly described by Mashable as “massive”.

Meanwhile, Paul Allen, an analyst and the founder of Ancestry.com, told the Daily Mail recently that Google+ now has more than 62 million members. Allen also bullishly expects Google+ to have 400 million users by year-end.

It certainly sounds impressive until you head over to Compete.com, which reports Google+ had 14.3 million unique U.S. visitors as of late-November – a number that had grown less than 10% since late-September.

People Really, Really Want Google+ to Succeed

To be honest, it’s a bit of a head scratcher about who to believe. From the outside looking in, it seems like people really, really want Google+ to be mega-successful so it can become a viable and sizable rival to Facebook.

By trumpeting Google+’s growth, it could make individuals and brands think that maybe it’s time to climb on board given the train is beginning to gain momentum. After all, no one wants to be seen as being late to a social media party.

On the other hand, it’s challenging to grasp Google+’s apparent growing popularity given it doesn’t come up much in conversations with brands looking to establish or enhance their social media foothold.

From my personal experience, the digital and Web savvy are using Google+ or, at least, have signed up for the service. I’ve also heard anecdotally Google+ has become popular with photographers because it displays photos beautifully. Otherwise, Google+ doesn’t seem to have really resonated, at least not enough to think it will rival Facebook any time soon.

At this point, it is difficult to know what to believe. Is Google+ really becoming the greatest social thing since sliced bread, or is the excitement about Google+’s growth exaggerated or over-hyped?

Any insight into Google+ – good, bad or indifferent would be great. For those of you who have embraced Google+, what makes it so compelling, and how has it affected how your use of other social media services?

 

By Mark Evans - January 4th, 2012 - 4 Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

Two Big Social Media Lessons from 2011

Social media enjoyed another banner year in 2011. New services such as Google+, Path and Pinterest appeared on the scene, popular services endured dramatic changes, and more people became fans, users and enthusiasts.

With such an interesting and fast-moving year, we would be remiss not have learned a new lesson or two; some of which will carry their importance well into next year. Here are two of the biggest lessons this year:

1. There is room in the  digital sandbox

Google+ burst onto the digital scene and made the “+1” graphic something we now expect to see everywhere on the Web. Google+ offered variations of and, in some peoples’ opinions, an evolution on Facebook and YouTtube. The content being shared by users now reaches into the billions, although it is left to be seen whether Google+ can continue to enjoy strong user growth.

Unthink (discussed in this post) was another example of a new and different social media forum that elbowed its way into the social market. Even though it has yet to fully take off, Unthink has attracted serious media interest, and the number of usersy could grow in the near future.

In 2012, there will be another wave of forums and experiences and it would be very surprising if a small handful of them didn’t find an audience.

2. Users will embrace change

Social media users are often seen as incredibly rigid but also very loyal. When a service changes, the cycle usually starts with resistance, then mild acceptance, and then full-out embracing the change that they originally vehemently opposed.

Facebook recently unveiled its Timeline. By reading the comments and posts in the months before it launched publicly, you would never have thought the reception would have been so warm. Lo and behold, many people have downloaded the Timeline app, and are they’re not unsure how they ever lived without it.

There are dozens of more lessons we should take from the past year, and the astute user and observer already has embraced them. As we head into 2012, it will be hard not to believe there will be more new services, changes, stories, personalities and don’t forget…cautionary tales and important lessons.

By Mark Evans - December 27th, 2011 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

Is Not Being on Facebook an Option?

With more than 800 million users, it can be difficult to find someone not on Facebook.

Even if you’re not a big fan of Facebook, its approach to privacy or its ambitions to extend its social graph thorough the Web, it’s almost an evil necessity to be part of Facebook to stay connected with friends and family.

But in a recent article in the New York Times, there was a suggestion that not everyone is enamoured with Facebook:

“….the company is running into a roadblock in this country. Some people, even on the younger end of the age spectrum, just refuse to participate, including people who have given it a try.”

The articles then quotes a couple people who have decided to leave Facebook, and comScore statistics showing that U.S. traffic to Facebook grew 10% in the year ended Oct. 30, compared with 56% the previous year.

It raises the question whether Facebook is, in fact, seeing slower growth or, more interestingly, whether Facebook fatigue is setting in as people look for different ways to connect with friends and family.

As much as it makes for a good story, it is difficult to see the Facebook juggernaut ending any time soon. Facebook has become too big and engrained in the lives of many people to see many people leave. Once people join, it’s hard to walk away. At the same time, brands are getting more active with Facebook Pages, which encourage people to connect with them.

For people not on Facebook, it’s like being on the outside looking in, particularly if many of your friends are on Facebook. This makes it difficult to resist the temptation. It also doesn’t help that there aren’t alternative social networks that offer a different experience, although new players such as Path seem to be gaining some traction.

The other reality is some people don’t need or want to be part of Facebook. It doesn’t fit into their personal or professional needs so not being part of the Facebook empire is not a problem for them.

That said, the New York Times story strikes me as making a mountain out of a molehill.

By Mark Evans - December 19th, 2011 - 1 Comment »
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Posted in Social Media

Does Social Media Need to Adapt to Survive?

Based on the recent declarations by Forrester CEO George Colony, highlighted and dissected in a post earlier this week, social media is about to experience a decline or, at the very least, a recalibration.

While you may agree or disagree with Colony’s viewpoint, it seems the Web always finds a way to overcome and adapt.

The social media landscape is crowded and tiered but if you want to create a new forum, it needs to done outside of the box. Much like Facebook and YouTube, you need to have a pulse on what users want and where they want to get it.

The next wave of social networks will have to reinvent communication much like Facebook and Twitter did. To say that social media users and enthusiasts will tire of social media altogether is over the top but the stakes are definitely raised for the those on the horizon.

The next big break in social media will have to redefine the way we connect. Facebook opened up the world of connection, Twitter confined us to connect over 140 characters, and Linkedin asked us to embrace our professional persona. Redefing connection and communication is paramount for any future success.

Beyond this, new social media services must also include location based software and gamification to their highest capabilities. These app based developments are not only popular, they are effective tools to ensure brands invest in a Web or social media property.

As we have learned, unless a social network can be commercialized, the money will eventually dry up. Most of us are anticipating what will come next but the rules and challenges are already present for those dreaming of launching the next Facebook.

What do you think? What are the characteristics or features that a new social media service will need to really resonate with users?

By Mark Evans - December 16th, 2011 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

Is Facebook Killing Corporate Web Sites?

As more companies drive consumers to their Facebook Page, does it mean the corporate Website is going to fade into the background?

As Facebook continues to evolve its services, the need for corporate Web sites may start to shrink. Unless you have an e-commerce element to your Web site, Facebook can meet most of a user’s needs.

Clearly our love and adoption of social media has started to impact the need to communicate with companies and brands on their Web sites.

This has unfolded as Facebook has given brands the opportunity to create pages that have more bells and whistles. The customized tabs mimic a Web site, and let information, contests and multimedia content to easily exist.

The logic is simple: why would a Web user leave Facebook to travel elsewhere? They are voluntarily choosing to spend so much of their time logged in to and engaging on Facebook. Brands need to migrate more of their Web activity and communication tactics to social media, rather than try to trump it.

As well, brands that do not rely on e-commerce may want to look at investing more in their Facebook strategies. This is not to suggest companies should stop running their Web sites but it time to realize they have to put more money and time into managing fan pages, and connecting with their audiences on Facebook.

Corporate  Web sites will not be the “radio killed by the video start”, but the reality about social media is you need to anticipate trends. Your audience is telling you where they want to be and how they want to be communicated with. It’s time to listen.

By Mark Evans - November 25th, 2011 - 5 Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

Will Facebook Go Public?

After LinkedIn’s initial public offering stole headlines earlier this year, highlighted by a spike during first-day trading, it was clear that more social networks would entertain the idea of doing an IPO as well.

Among the most obvious if-not-when candidates is Facebook, which would reap all kinds of benefits beyond raising hundreds of millions or billions of dollars, making the stock more liquid and providing a clearer view about Facebook’s value.

There is obviously palpable excitement among Facebook employees, especially those who have been there the past three to four years, who own real stock options in the near future.

With Facebook having to comply with federal regulations and disclose their financials, it now makes going public an easier pill to swallow.

For the past year, many pundits have debated whether it was made sense for Facebook to go public. One of the main issues is will a wave of inflated IPOs force the bubble to blow too big; stirring fear of an inevitable burst.

This fear is overstated because it’s mostly based on leftover fear from the first dot-com bubble bursting. Putting this aside, there is another factor this issue that could prove to be significant.

A major and intriguing reason that an IPO could be a positive for Facebook is it will force the company to either groom Mark Zuckerberg to be a real executive, or force them to find one, or possibly promote COO Sheryl Steinberg to CEO.

Zuckerberg is a programming genius but as a CEO of a publicly-owned company he would have to open up, become more media friendly and savvy, and alter his personality. Steve Jobs might have been hard-headed, emotional and difficult but he had enough charisma for 100 executives.

Zuckerberg belongs more in the trenches than perched at the top. Even though he has proclaimed he is the CEO, his social skills might prove distasteful if he had to answer to shareholders on a regular basis.

As always, Zuckerberg’s ability to inspire confidence (or lack thereof) will be front and center.

By Mark Evans - November 22nd, 2011 - 1 Comment »
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Posted in Social Media

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Google+ Pages

As discussed in a prior post , the social media tug of war between Google and Facebook is now officially an arms race.

Google+ has worked hard to establish a social media foothold and, in the process, take some marketshare from Mark Zuckerberg & co., despite the polarizing affects of Google+.

With more than 40 million users, Google+ is now a digital arena with the potential to become another valuable resource for brands to find their audiences. Similar to Facebook, Google+ Pages is a free service that will provide brands with another place to establish a strong digital foothold and establish stronger relationships with consumers.

Truthfully, the similarities between Google+ Pages and a Facebook Fan Page are eerily present. That said, there are some benefits that separate Google+ from Facebook Pages, and should appeal to both sets of users (brands and users). These include a thorough search element, a new SEO tactic by utilizing the “+1”, and much more focused demographics due to their “circles” feature. These are distinct differentiators.

The detractors already have their claws sharpened, pointing to security issues and lack of administrative ease as negatives. Right now, the competition for the hearts, minds and focus of brands is being won by Facebook. But does this has much to do with Facebook’s familiarity as opposed to the above mentioned disadvantages?

Facebook’s familiarity and strong brand is definitely a part of it but you can’t deny that Facebook executes their Facebook Pages remarkably well. The newsfeed, ads and tab features, which essentially create a website within the Facebook margins, make for an engaging communication experience for brands and fans. And from sneak-peeks, Facebook Pages are going to become a lot more Website-like in the near future. Google+ also lacks in comparison to Facebook when it comes to engagement features such as contests and polls.

With social media there is always the reticence to never be “the first in the pool”. This can explain the trepidation we are seeing with Google+ and Google+ Pages. But as we have learned, what is in second place today can easily pull ahead tomorrow. The torch can be reluctantly passed in the blink of an eye.

The challenge for Google+ is making itself more relevant and valuable to brands, particularly given brands have to determine much time, energy and money they will invest to having a social media presence. For Facebook, the launch of Google+ Pages means it needs to continue to innovate and force Google+ to continue to play catch up.

By Mark Evans - November 11th, 2011 - No Comments »
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Posted in Social Media

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