Every week I compile list of the noteworthy news (Buzz) from my week of reading. I like to balance news with commentary, but it has to be really valuable for my readers (Brilliance). The links that follow are to sites and blogs that I read on a regular basis - consider them recommended reading for you too. Or you can just come back here each week for a taste of what stuck out to me.
- Karen
Buzz
It should come as no surprise that the announcements from last week’s fMC have spilled over into this week with questions about what Facebook Premium means for users/advertisers on the site. Additionally, with a post-fMC addendum to Facebook’s SEC filing, there is speculation about Timeline competing with Premium.
Other potentially damaging news for Facebook (and businesses relying on it) is the question of sites who use Facebook for login authentication. Just what DO their users do when Facebook is down?
For users, potentially troubling news this week comes from reports that revealed how Facebook moderation of reported content is handled. Am I concerned about this news? No. Because I think it is the responsibility of each user to ensure that what they share online is something they’re comfortable becoming public - whether it’s a login site or not.
Finally, if you own a business, what do you think of Timeline? Some think Timeline is hurting small businesses. Others think the challenges businesses face with timeline are minimal and not insurmountable. I think time will tell. Businesses who take an active interest in the Facebook channel and learn more should do well.
A truly enterprising Pinterest fan released a bookmarklet (PinAQuote.com) this week that allows users to pin quotes. In true Pinterest style, the result is clean, simple and won’t clutter the site. I hope. The direct news about Pinterest isn’t quite as good. It has been confirmed that spam, phishing scams and other nefarious content is now making its way into the feeds onto our beloved Pinterest.
Twitter has taken one more step to become a truly global giant by incorporating right to left tweeting. This makes 28 languages that the world can tweet in.
One fascinating new use of Twitter is the announcement of the arrangement between AmEx and Twitter that allows users to tweet coupons. This could be just the beginning of using the platform for social commerce and another interesting way for brands to interact with individuals as well.
One Twitter exec publicly proclaimed that the site needs a re-design of the interface. This is interesting, given all the recent work that’s been done, but it’s not untrue. In their bid to keep the site as simple as possible but grow it to be more robust at the same time, it’s actually a little confusing to navigate and find what you need in some areas (and I’m an experienced user saying this). Here’s hoping they get it right next time.
Google+ hangouts are now more accessible to those who have visual impairments, thanks to an accessibility extension that uses text-to-speech technology for the chat sessions.
There’s been a lot of coverage in the last couple weeks about the information that was released with numbers stating that visitors to Google+ stayed only an average of 3 minutes in January. Vic Gundotra claims that the number isn’t necessarily accurate based on the fact that people are using Google+ optimized services. That may be true, but I think it’s safe to say that Google+ can’t claim to be anywhere near the ballpark of Facebook’s 7.5 hours.
Brilliance
One of the ways to determine the return on investment (ROI) of social media is to endeavor to undertake activities that are inherently measurable. It can be done. But is it really necessary to measure everything you do?
I think having a blog post reserve is one of the smartest things any blogger can do. It avoids the problem of coming up with content the night before you want to publish. Unfortunately, I’ve got too many blogs and not enough time to have much more than an editorial calendar filled with intent. I really hope I don’t break a hand or finger any time soon. I’ve got some work to do.
You think Facebook is the biggest social network in the world, don’t you? What would you say if I told you it isn’t? Email is. Think about your list of contacts in your email client (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). It’s probably full to bursting. Businesses who leverage the power of email are onto something good if they’re doing it right. Here’s a few ideas for content to share with your email list subcribers..
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the data that web sites are collecting from users - particularly companies like Facebook and Google. The potential uses for marketers are endless, but users find it creepy. Some want to be tracked for a better web experience. Most just want to ensure their privacy isn’t violated. So, as Mitch Joel points out, it’s very important that marketers don’t go over the line into creepy, though that can be easier said than done with the range of views out there.
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Want to learn more about social media but don’t know where to begin? Wellman Wilson is putting on a social media workshop March 20th where we’ll talk about Twitter, Facebook and setting up a strategy. Find out more here!