Home
Products
Solutions
Reports
Company
Blog
Contact Us
Client Login

Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

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 »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Will Google+ Pages Drive Google+ Adoption?

Google+ has attracted more than 40 million users since its launch a few months ago but, in some respects, the jury is still out about whether can establish itself as a tier-one social media service.

For the new features that Google+ has unveiled, Facebook has countered with similar features. Competition is always a good thing but the challenge facing Google is getting enough traction that it can move beyond the early-adopter and the curious to become an entrenched part of the social media landscape.

In this context, it will be interesting to see the impact of the launch of Google+ Pages yesterday. Like Facebook Pages, which are poised to go through a major overhaul that will make them look more like Web sites, Google+ Pages give companies another social presence they can use to deliver content, drive engagement and build relationships.

Easy to create, Google+ Pages give companies another way to integrate themselves even deeper within the Google ecosystem. At the same, it will provide companies with a vehicle to marry social media and search, which is a good thing given the growing emergence of social signals in search.

Not surprisingly, Google+ Pages received mixed reviews. Slate, for example, contends that Google+ Pages won’t save Google+ because Google+ is attracting enough traffic to make the service valuable or interesting. On the other hand, ClickZ suggests there are lots of reasons to care about Google+ Pages.

Regardless of where you stand on Google+ Pages, Google had little choice but to launch them given the popularity of Facebook Pages. As important, Google is counting on the growing appetite by companies to enhance and expand their social footprints to drive Google+ Pages and, in turn, give consumers more reasons to embrace Google+ Pages.

So what do you think? Can Google+ Pages jump-start Google+’s growth and adoption by companies and consumers?

More some tips on what to do before getting a Google+ Page, IT Business offers up five things you need to know.

By Mark Evans - November 9th, 2011 - 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,
Posted in Social Media

Should We Be Meek about Keek?

Sorry about the bad play on words in the title but Keek seems to be a social media forum that people are paying a bit more attention to, whether we should be or not.

What’s their deal, you ask? Well, Canadian startup Keek is hoping that micro video blogging will be the next big thing in social media.

Keek is targeted towards the under-30 crowd (maybe even under-20 by the looks of it), and all it asks is you turn on your webcam, and film and upload short video blogs. Apparently, it’s a service banking on short attention spans equaling social media paydirt.

Personally, I was intrigued enough to check out Keek after hearing about it. That said, my initial thoughts were based on not having many fond memories about other video blogging platforms that didn’t resonate with audiences.

Overall, Keek’s layout is clean and the service is easy but I found the appeal ends there.

Video content needs to be dynamic, interesting and engaging but what Keek does is make even a 36-second video mundane and rather vanilla. Keek will only go as far as the users and uploads take them, which right now that doesn’t seem so far. There are better ways in social media to spend 36 seconds.

The micro element isn’t the only similarity to Twitter as Keek is trying heavily to lure in stars and celebrities into their community. They even display the name on the top of the homepage as a means of enticement. After watching the ticker for close to 10 minutes, Keenan Cahill and the Canadian Football League are the biggest names that were displayed.

The video status update could take off but my guess is more people will flock to a more substantial and easy way to get updates. Of course, these already exist in the form of Facebook and Twitter (and to a lesser extent Google+), and users will also seek more substantial video content.

By Mark Evans - November 8th, 2011 - 1 Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Is There Room for a New, Big Social Media Player?

Last week, we took a look at Unthink, which is looking to establish itself as an alternative social network to Facebook.

As more people become concerned about Facebook’s dominance and approach to privacy, Unthink is looking to establish a foothold by giving users control over their profiles and all their information. So far, it has attracted more than 100,000 registered members.

It is an encouraging start but it is difficult to say whether people are simply curious about Unthink or seriously interested in the idea of a new social networking service.

As much as people may like to complain about Facebook, you’re not seeing a wave of defections to the revamped MySpace or startups such as Diaspora. Instead, most people are sticking with Facebook because, after all, their friends and family are there.

So what would it take for a new social networking service to catch fire? Is it possible for a new player to wiggle its way into the top tier along with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+? (Note: For the sake of argument, I don’t consider Google+ a new social player given Google’s search dominance.)

One of the challenges facing a social startup is it has to have more than just more features than the incumbents. A good example is Pownce, which had more bells and whistles than Twitter but, for whatever, reason didn’t have Twitter’s buzz or cache. As a result, Pownce disappeared into the bowels of TypePad.

To capture enough users to become an established player, a social startup needs to have a service that’s user-friendly with almost no learning curve or “grit”, and strikes people as cool and happening. It would also help to have a few high-profile mavens such as Robert Scoble and Walt Mossberg embrace it in a major way.

Even this may not be enough to get a social start-up over the hump. The gap from the bleed-edge/leading-edge to mass adoption is huge. As much as online users are finicky and not terribly loyal, many social media users are creatures of habit. Once they establish a presence, build a community and integrate a social media service into their personal and/or professional lives, it’s hard to leave.

For a new social media service to close the gap, it needs a combination of great timing, luck, a service that delights for a variety of reasons. It doesn’t necessarily have to been chock-a-block with features but it just needs to do a few things really well with perhaps a few interesting wrinkles.

In many respects, we’re talking about a David vs. Goliath world in which startups battle against large and well-entrenched market leaders. It’s not an impossible task but it would take a lot of things to unfold in the right way to materialize.

What do you think? What would it take for a startup to become a top-tier social networking player?

 

By Mark Evans - November 7th, 2011 - 4 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

“Unthink” Social Media

As we all know, social media is in a constant state of flux and innovation is always at the forefront.

When you think of social media, it immediately conjures up thoughts of Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and most realize what they are about – advertising engines and not necessarily based on socializing.

There’s a new kid on the block called Unthink, and it’s mission is to show you exactly how Facebook got it wrong, by showing you how they think social media should be done.

Unthink’s approach is you control your profile and all the information contained on it. As a result, there is no frustrating privacy policies to constantly haunt you.

With 100,000 members since it launched eight days ago, Unthink is starting to make waves. Once people get wind of the lack of advertising and updates, it shouldn’t be long before those numbers are doubled.

Those who have grown frustrated with Facebook and are waiting for Twitter to go down the same road now have a place to migrate to. The question will be how many of the complaints are real and how many are actually willing to cut the Facebook umbilical cord.

If Unthink is the revolution within social media, the site itself is making no bones about it. Self-labelled as the “emancipation platform”, Unthink might really find its audience in the current political climate of the world which is screaming revolution.

Social media has always been a tool for the people to claim control of the media and not relinquish power to the authoritative bodies. Even though Facebook’s main tenets is connection and communication, it is seen by many as a corporate entity, not a social one.

“No ads. Not now. Not ever”. What a novel idea, lets see where Unthink goes from here.

By Mark Evans - November 4th, 2011 - 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Facebook on the Brain

Is social media more ingrained in our lives then we even realize? Are we approaching new frontiers of how social media is changing us in ways we can not even imagine? According to this study performed by a group of scientists and researchers, the answer might just be yes.

If in fact social media and its popular forums like Facebook, are altering our memory, social interactions and emotional responses than we are truly on the precipice of something even more historical than we thought. The ramifications of social media might go far beyond branding, connecting and communicating, it might be rewiring our brains and making us different people altogether.

Can you believe that social media was once seen as a fad, a digital version of Tamagotchis and The Macarena? Now, it has transformed just about every relationship and industry, while possibly changing the way we interact, remember and think.

The greatest tenet of social media in its current incarnation (lets say dating back 12 years) is how surprising it is at every turn. From the medical world to parenting to the stock market, social media has a profound tentacle in everything.

Back to the study, and please keep in mind that information at this point is a bit scant. It more alludes to than enlightens, but the questions it raises are concrete and interesting. The study found a link between grey matter in a subject’s brain and the amount of Facebook friends. Grey matter is responsible for mental processing.

This being said, the scientists were adamant to convey that they are not sure if social media (or the internet as a whole) is good or bad for the brain. All they are assuming at this point is that there is something going on in our modern, digitally connected brains.

For the time being, you need to still study, learn and work hard to get results, not just stare at Facebook. Yet as more research comes forward, Facebook might even become a means of heightened intellectualism.,

By Mark Evans - October 28th, 2011 - No Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Social Media Driving Occupy Together Movement

Occupy Together is not only capturing the headlines, it is also one more notch in the belt of social media and its vast reach.

Some people believe social media can help drive a movement but, at the end of the day, it won’t have a profound affect on the movement’s purpose. Others believe the exact opposite.

For those who aren’t aware of Occupy Together, it is a movement attempting to highlight the economic discrepancy between the wealthy 1% and everyone else.

Starting in the U.S. and now making having made waves in Canada and Europe, Occupy Together has used social media to communicate with and aggregate the “99%” who are rallying behind the cause.

Using Twitter and Facebook to post location and times of the protests has clearly been the main use by organizers. Even though social media is clearly a factor in this movement’s success, the low number of fans and likes is intriguing. It suggests people are tapping into social media for information but don’t necessarily feel the need to engage by connecting to it digitally.

A scan through Facebook and Twitter reveals the movement has definitely has the masses chatting. The #occupywallst hashtag has not only been used as a tool to organize events but it has let the rest of the world see photos and hear the thoughts of the participating protesters. This has been invaluable to growing the movement and gaining support.

Prior to Occupy Together, there were other movements that used social media effectively to communicate and organize their causes, including Arab Spring and the Egyptian Revolution.

It will be months before we know the impact of Occupy Together on governments and the perceived corporate greed. It is fair to say that without social media, its potential to have gone worldwide in such a short period have time would have been incredibly difficult.

By Mark Evans - October 21st, 2011 - No Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Will Facebook Thrive with F-Commerce?

I had an interesting conversation recently with Likeable Media’s Dave Kerpen, who suggested many people don’t use to Facebook to make purchases. Instead, he said, they use the Web to buy things.

It’s an interesting statement given how much attention Facebook is attracting for its plans to aggressively drive sales – aka F-commerce.

With an IPO looming in the horizon, Facebook needs to drive revenue and profit margins so F-commerce is seen as a lucrative opportunity for brands to connect directly with consumers.

The question is whether F-commerce is going to succeed in a major way. As much as consumers like to engage with brands on Facebook, will they make purchases within Facebook?

Many high-profile brands such as Delta Airlines, Tide and Starbucks are trying to make it easier by creating user-friendly e-commerce stores in Facebook. But it is left to be seen whether these companies are exceptions to the rule.

Among the biggest challenges facing Facebook’s F-commerce strategy is being able to convince consumers they can trust the platform and the companies offering products and services through Facebook Pages.

As much as e-commerce has become an integral part of the consumer marketplace, most sales happen on a corporate Web site. Facebook and companies selling products and services on Facebook will need to educate and convince consumers the experience will be the same on Facebook as it would be on a corporate Web site.

The other challenge facing Facebook is coming up with the right and fair business model that helps Facebook drive revenue but doesn’t take too big a piece of the pie.

There seems to be growing resistance to the fact Facebook takes a 30% commission on any transaction that uses Facebook Credits.

It was interesting to see Zynga, which makes the popular FarmVille, CityVille and Mafia Wars games, recently unveil Zynga Direct because it no longer wants to hand 30% of its revenue to Facebook. The Telegraph’s Emma Barnett described it as a “bold and necessary” move.

Do you think F-commerce will thrive, or will Facebook struggle to become an e-commerce powerhouse?

Links:

- Will f-commerce succeed? (eConsultancy)

By Mark Evans - October 18th, 2011 - 2 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

No Like for You, Facebook

For most brands on Facebook, it’s all about the “Like”.

The number of “Likes” is a way to quantify the success of a Facebook Page, particularly given the increasing focus on ROI. It explains why brands invest so much time and effort to attract the “Like”, including the use of “Like-Gating”.

But there are lots of people who refuse to “Like”, which could strike you as “anti-establishment” given the pressure to “Like”. These are people who resist the temptation or the offers to climb on the brand bandwagon, even though they may actually like a service or product.

So Why No “Like”?

According to a recent study by ExactTarget, which can be downloaded here, the biggest reason people don’t “Like” a Facebook is they don’t want to be bombarded with messages or ads. This makes sense given how many brands tend to use Facebook as yet another marketing vehicle.

Another leading factor is people don’t want to provide brands with access to their profile information, which is a little surprising to see given how much information people disclose on Facebook. That said, there appears to be more concern about privacy on Facebook so giving companies direct access to personal information may be thrust into the spotlight more often.

Third on the list is people don’t want to push things into their friends’ newsfeeds, which is understandable given it is one thing to want information about a brand yourself but another to spread the word about that brand to your network. This is where Facebook’s new “Subscribe” feature could be useful as a way to quasi-Like a brand.

From a bigger picture perspective, there seems to be growing scrutiny of what consumers get from following or liking a brand. As much as it is great for brands looking to engage directly with consumers, there are questions about consumers get in return.

In a recent blog post, Brian Solis contends that if brands don’t provide some kind of value, it may cause consumers not to follow or like or, worse, un-follow or unlike.

Solis cited an IBM study that looked at what consumers want when they deal with companies via social media, and what brands think consumers want. The contrast is interesting and eye-opening.

What consumers want:

1. Receive discounts (61%)
2. Make purchases (55%)

What brands think consumers want:

1. Learn about new products (73%)
2. To receive general information (71%)

So, what do you want from a brand when you “Like” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter? And what keeps you from liking or following a brand?

By Mark Evans - October 10th, 2011 - No Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

Google+ Goes Live and the Results are Amazing

We all know Google+ had an excellent invite-only run that not only saw the number of registered users climb to more than 10 million but, not surprisingly, it also created an exceptional amount of buzz. (No pun, intended!)

Expectations for Google+ were extremely high, and they have continued to rise since it went live. Since Google+ went public last week, its stock in the social media world has climbed in a major way. The uptick in traffic was prolific, spiking more than 1200%, according to Hitwise.

Word throughout social media is that on its inaugural day of opening itself up for public consumption, Google+ surpassed Twitter to become the third most popular social media site behind Facebook and YouTube. If this is true (and indications are it is), then Google+ is even more widespread and popular than initially thought.

Google Dominating Some Demographic Sectors

What’s impressive is Google+ is beginning to see some dominance in certain demographics, which will bolster in its future growth and competitive positioning against Facebook. The early metrics suggest Google+ could – and this is a big could – catch up to Facebook in terms of users some time down the road.

Are you becoming a believer yet?

Facebook’s new and controversial Timeline, coupled with growing concerns about privacy and possible membership payment (which will never happen, even though that never stopped people from believing it), could boost Google+ even further into the forefront of social media.

Time to Embrace Google+

The potential of Google+ is fascinating from a competitive standpoint and a user’s perspective. Should we be getting ready to add another social network to our already flooded personal digital agenda? It is beginning to look that way and it won’t be long before those who aren’t on Google+ will be feeling left out in the cold.

Are you on Google+ yet? Has it made you use Facebook less often?

By Mark Evans - September 30th, 2011 - 3 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Social Media

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
© Copyright 2005-2012 Sysomos Inc. All rights reserved.