Archive for January, 2008
Build A Social network Or Use Facebook?
Adweek reports that CondeNet has done a 180 on its effort to target teen girls through social media. Less than a year old CondeNet launched its own social network site Flip.com.
Well 11 months later Conde Nast is reversing course and is converting Flip.com into a series of applications that will live on social networks, starting with Facebook.
“It’s hard to carve out enough time from those girls [because of] Facebook,” said Sarah Chubb, president of CondeNet. “Why fight it and try to build your own social network when there is one that is open to things being built on top of it?”
Filed under Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (1) : Jan 14th, 2008
Why Social Media is Poised to Explode
Clement James at ITNews wrote an interesting piece recently where he outlined reasons why in 2008 social media will come into its own as a necessary online strategy for businesses.
The article referenced Will Beresford, a strategy director at Beyond Analysis who gave several predictions on where the social media is going in 2008. While I don’t necessary agree with all of Mr. Beresford’s predictions I do think that they are good discussion topics.
The predictions were:
Traditional search engines will become increasingly less relevant to the consumer and that businesses will need to rethink their online strategies.
Filed under Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (3) : Jan 11th, 2008
Social Media For Intellectuals
Computerworld this week reported on the launching of a new social media site called Big Think, a new Web 2.0-style site that bills itself as a conduit between global thought leaders and the public. This site has quickly been tagged as YouTube for Intellectuals.
Organizers envision that the videos will serve as a launching pad for user-generated content on those topics lranging from alternative energy to subprime mortgages. For example, users can upload video in which they respond to an interview or add photos to support their position on a specific topic, according to Big Think. The interviews will be ranked based on their popularity with users.
Filed under Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (2) : Jan 10th, 2008
A Social Network For Restaurants
Redherring recently reported the launch of FohBoh a new social network for the restaurant industry. The site features forums, blogs, and videos on topics ranging from fast food to artisan cheese making. And even though the site is focused on industry insiders, it also includes a restaurant review section.
“When you go to general social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, it’s really all about you,” CEO and co-founder Michael Atkinson said. “FohBoh is for you and by you …Our focus is on the industry rather than the consumer.”
Filed under Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (1) : Jan 9th, 2008
Indianapolis Colts Go Social
I have written in the past that social networks should be ripe areas for sports teams. One team that has been very active in building their presence online is the Indianapolis Colts.
According to the Indianapolis Star the Colts web audience also has grown about 30% a year for the past four or five years — now totaling 8 million unique visitors a year.
The Colts have an official site (www.Colts.com) which includes team news, multimedia video, photos of players and cheerleaders, the Forum Credit Union fan forum and a virtual tour of Lucas Oil Stadium.
Filed under Brand Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (5) : Jan 8th, 2008
Niche Social Networks Will Continue To Be Hot In 2008
Late last year I wrote about the future of social networks and how I envision them becoming smaller and more targeted, like aSmallWorld.net, which is a social network for the affluent.
Well the Washington Post had an article over the holiday period about niche social network sites like aSmallworld.net and how that advertisers are flocking to them.
The Post wrote that ASmallWorld.net, which has 300,000 select members has become a magnet for companies that make luxury goods and are trying to reach people who can afford them. The site’s biggest advertisers include Burberry, Cartier and Land Rover. Cognac maker Remy Martin last month threw a tasting party for the site’s elite members, at which its top-shelf, $1,800-a-bottle liquor flowed freely.
Filed under Social Media Marketing, Social Media Optimization : Comments (16) : Jan 7th, 2008
Facebook Highs and Challenges
2007 was a watershed year for Facebook. It wrestled the title of top social network away from MySpace and advertisers swarmed to it, all trying to reach its highly desirable 20 something, educated user base.
So how did Facebook do it? Well one reason for Facebook’s success was its decision in September 2006 to let anyone join. Previously Facebook had been open only to college and high school students. This decision was not universally met with enthusiasm when it was announced. But 12 months later Facebook had grown from 12 million active users to 50 million, proving that Mark Zuckerberg knew what he was doing.
Filed under Social Media Optimization : Comments (0) : Jan 3rd, 2008
Teen Girls Use Social Networks Differently Than Boys
A new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, “Teens and Social Media” illustrates how teenage boys and girls use social networks.
Content creation by teenagers continues to grow, with 64% of online teenagers ages engaging in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004.
Girls continue to dominate most elements of content creation. Some 35% of all teen girls blog, compared with 20% of online boys, and 54% of wired girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. Boys, however, do dominate one area – posting of video content online – online teen boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls (19% vs. 10%) to have posted a video online somewhere where someone else could see it.
Filed under Social Media Optimization : Comments (2) : Jan 2nd, 2008
Brand Reviewers Want To Help
The growth of user-generated content (UGC) has caused many marketing and advertising people to wonder what motivates someone to tell people about their product and/or band. Well a report by the Keller Fay Group uncovered the motivations behind those people who share their opinion online.
Overwhelmingly, the survey found, reviewers are motivated by goodwill and positive sentiment:
- 90 percent write reviews in order to help others make better buying decisions
- 70 percent want to help companies improve the products they build and carry
- 79 percent write reviews in order to reward a company
Filed under Social Media Optimization : Comments (5) : Jan 1st, 2008
