27 May 2009

Posted at 06:27h in collaboration, community, facebook by

In my last past I spoke of how essentially anonymous people were getting together on Facebook and collaborating. In this case, I was referring to the creation of content around a developing meme. Now we can take things to the next level, where collaboration is helping to solve crime. The case in point is the Missing Kane Dadson Facebook Group. Now sitting at over 3,000 members, through the power of collaboration people have been able to work faster than the police investigation in gathering clues. Suggestions and comments posted on the wall have lead to spreading word of mouth and opened up new information that can be used by police. Last year in a similar situation, members of the group Missing Britt Lapthorn uploaded photos related to the case that other people were able to tag which lead to new leads of questioning. The group still has 18,000 members. Social media is more than just brands trying to engage with consumers. Or a group of people creating their own lolcats. Social media has more potential than I think anyone realises....

27 December 2008

Posted at 12:53h in facebook, sms, twitter by

The boys over at Talking Digital raised a really good question in a comment on a recent post of mine. Why does Twitter have such an elite feel to it? And further, why do people have a need to be ranked and judged on their social media platform depth and performance? Yes Twitter full of innovators and early adopters but it very much seems an exclusive group. People talk as though being on Twitter makes them more social media friendly than those who aren't. Would it even be necessary for a social media consultant to be on Twitter? Would you trust someone giving advice if they didn't blog? This blogger wouldn't. Surely you don't need to be on Twitter? Same with Facebook. In fact, one of my favourite bloggers doesn't even have a blog yet. It could help, but certainly not a necessity. Just like not every brand needs a social media presence, do they? Gotta love those posts with more question marks than full stops....

14 December 2008

Posted at 16:54h in facebook, myspace by

MySpace essentially had only a lifespan of two or three years for most people. Facebook is now starting to reach a similar age. Does this mean we'll soon see a new social network take over, or will Facebook do what MySpace couldn't? My opinion is the latter, at least for another few years. Facebook has hit a point where the vast majority of my networks are on it and using it. Not only to communicate, but to run events, upload photos and so some extent it's even replaced emailing and instant messaging. My investment in Facebook has been too great. With nearly 600 photos and a connection to most of my contacts, I'm not going anywhere soon. But how long will Facebook last? Could it do a Google?...

01 December 2008

Posted at 18:00h in david spark, facebook, jaffe juice, joseph jaffe, youtube by

The latest episode of Jaffe Juice was one of the best I've heard in a while. Definitely worth checking out. Joseph Jaffe and David Spark discuss some common mistakes made when it comes to social media marketing. One that really made me laugh was Don't post a comment on your own Facebook profile wall. Although you can no longer do this with the new layout, sometimes something small like this can really make you stand out. Nothing's worse than looking like you have no idea what you're doing. Another thing you can do is ask if someone has a Facebook...

19 October 2008

Posted at 16:24h in blogging, facebook, spam, spam act, twitter by

Bigpond started using Twitter. At first they sucked. But it appears they've listened and turned things around. However during this process some legal implications were raised, specifically the Spam Act 2003. After research of my own, speaking to the Australian Communications and Media Authority and getting in touch with Dr Melissa de Zwart from the Faculty of Law at Monash University, I have summarised the results...

15 October 2008

Posted at 20:37h in bloggers, broadcast, facebook, social media, youtube by

After identifying two approaches when it comes to social media marketing, yesterday's post discussed the first strategy of Response. The second strategy, discussed below is Broadcast. Above the line is from marketer's point of view. Below it, is from the consumer's. Produce Before anything, the marketer must firstly produce content. Ideally this should be of something remarkable and with a high social currency value. This could be a video, Facebook application, podcast, blog or any even a press release. Publish In order for the content to be seen it is published on sites such as YouTube, Blogger or Facebook. In some case a microsite can be as effective. Ensure the barriers of viewing are low and that the content is easily spreadable. This can be done through a number of means such as allowing embed links for videos or giving consent for consumers to mashup your content. Seed Seeding your published material should not be done in an interruptive manner. Spamming is definitely not an option here and one step wrong here could ruin a whole campaign. It is vital that this is done in a way that adds value to a conversation, do not seed where you are not welcome or even encouraged to do so. And most importantly, be transparent, open and honest. Pull New media is not about pushing content onto consumers who don't want it. Ideally you want them pulling it from you. The Internet has allowed this to become a easy and automated process with technology such as RSS, email newsletters and even YouTube subscriptions. After seeding the content, consumers should have the option to subscribe to a feed or service. This should be consented and with the ability to unsubscribe. You know those consumers who sign up to your feed will be among the most loyal and passionate. Spread Once the consumers are pulling your content, it will begin to spread. Buzz will be generated and depending on the medium you might even some get some consumers producing user generated content. Blendtec used this approach in October 2006 and it continues to remain a success with over 114,000 subscribed users on YouTube. If I ever decided to get a blender, I know which brand I'd purchase. If you're interested, also take a look at Julian Cole's Social Media Marketing Framework and Laurel Papworth's definition of Social Media. Be sure to check out my other approach Response. Please feel free to offer any thoughts or critique. ...

09 October 2008

Posted at 14:35h in employment, facebook, gen x, gen y, privacy by

Gen Y just doesn't care about their privacy. Speaking as one of them, I am not worried about the information that goes up on my social networking profiles. I share personal information every day and tagged in photos every Monday morning after a big weekend. And there are some shocking ones. The reason I bring this up is because Gen X's are constantly telling me that this is going to affect my career with employers frowning upon such behaviour. But I disagree. Sooner or later employers are going to release that the high majority of Gen Y have at least one Facebook photo that shows them partying, drinking or worse. Interestingly, I don't have a problem with complete transparency or the need to hide what I do in my own time. What's going to be really interesting is when Gen Y takes a majority in the workplace and they (we) become the employers of the next generation, what ever they're called. Can you even imagine what the social norms will be then? I actually have a link to my Facebook page in my email signature. And I send emails to potential future employers every day. I'm not worried about the photos they will see. Although sooner or later someone might realise I only have one suit and two shirts that I have to keep alternating....