Archive for Social Media
March 9, 2010 at 4:09 pm · Filed under Social Media
There are so many useful platforms in social media it’s hard to keep track of what to use when. For the marketing professional, you may want a site that optimises your search engine, or something else that gives you good brand exposure.
Making the social media rounds this week is a wonderful chart put together by CMO.com. This is a group for Chief Marketing Officers and is laden with useful information and tools. The chart below can be downloaded as a .pdf file by clicking here: Social Media Landscape
Now you know that Twitter is good for customer communication, and Linked In is awful for driving traffic to your site. Who knew? CMO knew!
March 8, 2010 at 7:19 pm · Filed under America, Social Media
The downside of living in Australia is the Oscars are held during our work day. While North Americans are snug in their TV rooms we’re in our cubicles hashing out assignments. It’s the nature of our time zone. Yes, one of the penalties of living in the world’s most livable city is we’re always a day ahead. Alas.
Yet on Oscar night the torment is all the worse. In the Age of Twitter, every update was available on the instant. Even Associated Press couldn’t post wire columns fast enough to keep up with the flow from Twitter. Charlize Theron’s dress?
: Just had my fix of the Oscars dresses- Rachel mcAdams looked fab in Elie Saab but what was Charlize Theron thinking?!
When some favourite films were overlooked?
: WHAT THE F**K?!?!?! HOW DID PRECIOUSNOT WIN?!?? Yo this s**t is fkn FIXED! Ugh! -____-
(Apologies She_Beautiful as I have corporate minders to watch so I asterisked your post!)
: Why Oscar chose “Hurt Locker” over “Avatar”
And of course the after-parties!
: I have 2 admit Grammy after partiesare awsome, but Oscar parties are fabulous. Vanity Fair party was breathtaking.
Now why did Vanity Fair misplace my invitation again? That’s 20 years in a row!
The Twitter posts came so fast and so furious it was hard to keep up. Near the conclusion I entered “Oscars” and a slew of postings came up. In under one minute and additional 28 posts were made on the same subject.
Of course it was hard to concentrate at work as colleagues screamed out “Jeff Bridges” or “Sandra Bullock” or “Up”! In the end the show has yet to start here in Sydney but I already know all the winners. I suppose getting a photo to go along will add the glamour to the clamour!
Or maybe not - Thanks E! Online for all the photos…
February 25, 2010 at 8:14 am · Filed under Australia, Social Media
I realised I was old when an invitation to a funeral via Facebook surprised me. I recognise the site’s appeal as I have friends and family in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. Facebook allows me to connect with these far-flung people. But never had I been alerted to a death and told of the funeral arrangements on-line. Welcome to 2010.
Notification of a death by Facebook isn’t uncommon. Teens build RIP and Memorial sites as soon as they learn of a friend’s death. This month in Sydney one family learned their son died via such a site. The police were challenged identifying the remains and couldn’t make a positive identification until five or six hours after the accident. In an SMS world, that’s equivalent to a week. By then RIP notices were popping up on the pages kept by the victim’s sisters.
The memorial site on Facebook is a perfect place for mourners to connect and share memories of the decedent. It is a safe and open site for all to gather - and memories to be shared.
Until recently.
Now Facebook memorial pages have become the targets of malice. In February 12 year old Elliot Fletcher was stabbed in the chest and killed during a schoolyard brawl. His assailant is incarcerated. That boy is 13.
If this tragedy weren’t sufficient, “opportunistic vandals” have degraded the memorial site for Elliot with notes of insult, hate and rage. Melbourne University’s Dr Lauren Rosewarne explains the attraction of international media and a high profile death attract people wanting attention. Hence they shock us all with their notes of hate on a site dedicated to a young victim.
The vast displays of mourning seemed to start after the death of Lady Diana. Stunned members of the public began leaving flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace. Soon that delivery of flowers and stuffed animals and notes became the norm after a death. The short-lived tribute sites were usually at a victim’s home - or at the site where their body was discovered. It would be unthinkable to see these locations defaced.
Today police in the Queensland city of Bundaberg are monitoring Facebook sites devoted to eight year old murder victim Trinity Bates. While 3,900 people have joined one page, others have posted child pornography or messages in support of the apprehended murder suspect.
Perhaps technology is taking us too far. Perhaps there are some areas best left to face-to-face communication. After a death the natural place to gather is the victim’s home or funeral parlor. It allows a personal connection and sharing that on-line will never replicate. And if Drive Through Funeral Parlours open Down Under - like in America - you’ll be able to do so from the comfort of your car.
February 24, 2010 at 1:01 pm · Filed under Public Relations, Social Media
This morning I presented at a Dow Jones seminar here in Sydney at the up-market Hilton Hotel. Apparently they host a series of forums across Asia Pacific, and this was the first social media event in Australia this year. A similar event had been held in Singapore a few weeks back.
The audience of 150 people were predominantly from the client side, with fair representation from the major agencies. Leading banks, corporations, government departments and others attended.
The first speaker was Social Media Senior Advisor at Telstra – a real coal-face position. The last speaker was regional salesman for Dow Jones, Lars Voedisch (and former FH Singapore person!). In-between was yours truly!
Knowing many would focus on the tools and tips and case studies, I focused on the meta-trends (erosion of trust in institutions, explosion of publishing and thus the death of top-down communications). I said it would be a good deck for counsellors to use with their CEOs so they understood the framework for engaging in social media.
There was one reporter in attendance – Glen Frost from “The PR Report”. Also there was our new Account Director, Paris Brimo. I paired Glen and Paris so she’s now the “cover girl” for the next edition!
All in all a great way to spend the morning (and the better part of a day preparing the deck). If you need the slides they are here: http://www.slideshare.net/Wallyballoo
January 8, 2010 at 8:12 am · Filed under America, Social Media
Funny story making the rounds on-line today.
Young man hides 12 beers in his room. His sister reports it to their parents so he’s grounded. Beware – payback is a bitch!
With all this time on his hands, brother rummages through his sister’s room and finds her “Dream Boy” list. Ten minutes later that is up on Facebook with tags to all the boys mentioned. Pretty soon all of sister’s dream boys see exactly what she thinks of them.
How did she go to school the next day? And how did the boys of “Twighlight” respond to be tagged?
Read the story here…
January 5, 2010 at 8:46 am · Filed under Social Media
In 2009 social media became a part of our lives. We Tweeted updates and applauded Ashton Kutchner when he overtook CNN in the race to a million followers. We learned of the death of friends on Facebook - and even RSVP’d to funerals organised as a fan site. We became friends with people in Denmark and shared photos with Norwegians. On a mundane level, we alerted family when our kids lost their first tooth - with a YouTube video.
In all, 2009 was the year the genie left the bottle. We’ll never get it back in.
The blog “Capital Gig” has developed a list of the Top 20 Social Media Stories of 2010. I can’t find fault. Is there anything missing? US Airways crashes in Hudson? Got it! United breaks guitars? Already there! Michael Jackson’s death? Of course! And on and on and on - it is worth a careful review - click here.
Take a look. And if you haven’t see the dance entrance to Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz’ wedding, then take 5:09 minutes and watch this video. It will brighten your day. 39 million viewers on YouTube can’t be wrong!
November 17, 2009 at 3:23 pm · Filed under Social Media
How did I do it? For the past three years I’ve maintained an active blog. I worked to provide updates three or four times a week. My Twitter account (PercepCounsel) has a fair number of followers. On LinkedIn my network is extensive. And around the world I keep up with families and friends on Facebook.
At least I used to.
In October I started a new job. I went from running my own company to leading the Sydney office of Fleishman-Hillard, a global public relations and public relations consultancy.
And time disappeared!
I think it’s the thrill of a new, meaty role. There are so many areas for a dedicated communicator to get stuck into here. The business is solid but is primed to grow. There are fantastic consultants who are keen to continue their professional development. And the client list reads like a “Who’s Who” of multinationals and leading Australian enterprises.
Plus at heart I’m an energetic, dedicated person. So naturally if I need to give a lot to my job I give more.
My good mate Sarah Reed once told me it’s all about pace. She worries I try to take on too much and try too much – and risk burning out. And like a lot of people I listened and thought it insightful – and chose to ignore her advice. Aren’t people grand?
So forgive me if the latest on WallyDownUndy is a week old. Or my Tweets seem stale. Or I haven’t replied to your update on Linked In or seen your video on YouTube. Perhaps I’ll launch a new site – www.AmThereInSpirit.com…
October 26, 2009 at 8:56 am · Filed under more on me, Social Media
Nothing says Happy Birthday better than a Facebook account.
I woke last Friday to three or four dozen congratulatory notes to mark the occasion. It was wonderful to be remembered by friends, cousins, high school peers and more. Over the course of the day I got virtual slices of cake, e-cards and lots and lots of comments. My sister sent two talking dogs who spoke through a script she’d written. (The terrier said “Dana” with a soft a in both spots – much like “Tada”!) My brother in Alaska made a Skype video call with the kids and sent a pre-recorded video card sent via Flip Cards. In an extraordinary gesture my Aunt Liz in Princeton sent me a long, personalized email. It was wonderfully overwhelming!
Of course I am pleased but a part of me remembers pre-social media birthdays. I’m one of those people who have a box with all his correspondence. I developed a close friendship with the late John Hoover when he lived in San Francisco and I was in New York. We used to write eight or nine page letters back and forth. While I didn’t keep every birthday card I kept the ones that mattered.
Maybe that’s the next digital application – a virtual treasure chest where you can permanently keep all your neat stuff. I have photos on Flickr and updates on Facebook and three years worth of blog postings. But nowhere do I have a consolidation of my life on-line.
Many say this is where social media is heading – a borderless world where we have one experience versus multitudinous accounts. And in that space I can have my Alaska video and my aunt’s email – and even the phonic-challenged dog (I worry his pronunciation will improve in the next upgrade and I want to save his current voice). I can limit which audiences have access to which parts. Current work colleagues are all joined in Linked In but none are invited into Facebook.
It won’t replace the mantelpiece full of Hallmark cards or the ribbon-tied bundle of letters. (And I’m not sure how the next generation’s Demi Moore will get misty-eyed as she spends a night going over her dead husband’s correspondence. Will that be on a Kindle?)
But what a Facebook birthday lacks in ever-lasting quality it sure makes up for in quantity. I miss the paper cards and letters. But I love the overwhelming number of people who made my birthday one to remember – even if I can’t put them in a box to linger over later.
September 29, 2009 at 10:19 am · Filed under Australia, Social Media
Jim Croce knew what he was singing when he recorded “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” in 1973:
“You don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim”
Today Kraft Foods is facing the music after playing with Australia’s national snack spread – Vegemite. Following a marketing campaign to name a new, lighter Vegemite variant the company announced the winner yesterday. iSnack 2.0 is the name selected for the new Vegemite. It appears the selection was made following a whiz-bang marketing meeting involving creative geniuses paid by the hour. In other words, consumers hate it.
Writers from far afield as London have deplored the choice, as “Word of Mouth” at The Guardian comments:
“But to consider calling the Vegemite cheese spread “iSnack 2.0″… yes, that’s right … can only be the biggest steaming honker of an egregious publicity stunt in recorded history.”
Call me “Ishtar” but I do believe there were bigger failures – but you’d have to reach back to Edsel and “New Coke” to find one worse (Great article on New Coke: “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time“). Said Coke’s recalcitrant boss:
‘We did not understand the deep emotions of so many of our customers for Coca-Cola.’
— DONALD R. KEOUGH, Coca-Cola president (1985)
But that was so…1985. Back then we had to write ‘Letters to the Editor’ and mail complaints to Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe we opened a can in front of a grocer and let it run into the gutter – in front of local television news. Things moved slowly then.
Kraft came out with iSnack 2.0 on Sunday. Today is Tuesday. Already blogs are on fire with disappointment, and the company has been forced to defend its choice. Talk about good PR gone bad!
In today’s age of immediacy it doesn’t take long for creative types to rubbish the product on blogs, mass-email friends, Twitter on the name and post hate videos – like this one.
September 1, 2009 at 11:12 am · Filed under Social Media
The king is dead – long live the king.
That odd sentence puzzled me in childhood until I finally realized it was talking about two different people (one six feet under and the other newly-installed). And like a near-dead royal, the obituaries are already written for Facebook. (Did you know every newspaper keeps a draft obituary of most famous people so it can be quickly updated and printed?)
This week “The New York Times Magazine” included a feature article about the death of Facebook.
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. Facebook, the online social grid, could not command loyalty forever. If you ask around, as I did, you’ll find quitters. One person shut down her account because she disliked how nosy it made her. Another thought the scene had turned desperate. A third feared stalkers. A fourth believed his privacy was compromised. A fifth disappeared without a word. (Source: VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN writing for The New York Times Magazine)
But – like Mark Twain’s famous quote – are the reports of death premature?
After all Facebook attracted 87.7 million unique visitors in the United States in July – and that’s just one country in one month.
True, the younger generation are fleeing. In all social media there’s a saying – “The kids leave when the parents arrive”. And now that 40 something’s are using Facebook to reconnect with the college class of 1985 it’s time for the kids to go. After all – 1985 is before they were born!
Facebook may be showing its age. The article in “The New York Times addresses a number of serious concerns, such as data ownership, privacy and marketing.
In bookstores now is the unauthorized story about the founding of Facebook. “The Accidental Billionaires” exposes the seamier side of stumbling into the world’s hottest social media site.
In time even Facebook will disappear. The Economist predicts an evolution away from sites with barriers. Why upload photos to Flickr then share them on Facebook before adding a video to YouTube? You should be able to manage all your on-line content in one place – and retain ownership. Maybe that’s what Facebook will morph into.
More likely a freshman in college somewhere is already developing this “must have” application. And while she may not be able to afford a Grande Frappuccino at Starbucks today, soon she’ll have riches beyond the market capitalization of Starbucks globally.
Next entries »
