Buzz and Brilliance

Buzz and Brilliance: Week ending March 3

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 feels a little like there are three social networks out there right now. Facebook, ever present in all its controversial glory. Google+…same. And Pinterest…yeah, same. What happened to Twitter!? Twitter’s out there, vying for attention but not doing too well. They are expanding ads. Just like…you guessed it: Facebook! Based on my RSS feed this week, they couldn’t even get much attention from selling our old tweets. Is this a sign that people are okay with this attempt at monetization?

Pinterest is all the rage these days and everyone is working hard to convince others that it is important and worth their time. You know your social networking site has made it when words are made up to identify with you (Pinfluence) and tools are built specifically to measure influence (PinClout). Another good metric of success is becoming the top driver of traffic for women’s magazines. There seems to be no end to the stories about interesting and innovative uses of the tool and how to drive traffic to your content, even YouTube. Unfortunately, all is not well in the area of copyright on Pinterest, but this post by Amy Lynn Andrews has a comprehensive run-down of the whole situation and sound advice for users to consider. One Arizona attorney has gone on record as saying that Pinterest needs to change their TOS or risk being shut down by the DMCA. We’ll keep all of you avid Pinterest users posted as this plays out.

Admittedly, our site (and company) is very new, but we’ve added our LinkedIn follow company button that was just announced this week.  It took two seconds to create and install. (Okay, maybe ten.) If you want one, just visit this site to get your button. And, if you don’t have your Company set up on LinkedIn…consider changing that. Here’s a bonus LinkedIn profile tip for you, too.

Google officially hit go on its umbrella privacy policy and it’s been a hot topic this week. I think the move is fine. I will continue to use Docs, Webmaster, Analytics, Gmail, Reader and all the other services through Google that I’ve had for years. What they’re doing isn’t any different from what other sites have done. Do they always honor the “Don’t Be Evil” mantra they’re famous for? No, but name me one person/company who does. Some people see great benefits and actually want to be tracked by Google (and others). I can’t argue with his logic when I know it makes for a better web experience. The privacy policy isn’t the only privacy brouhaha that Google is involved in, though.

I’ve saved the longest, biggest news for last. There was a rumor going around this week that Facebook is reading your texts if you have the mobile app on your phone. Don’t worry - it’s not true, says Facebook. (Note: If they mislead us in their statement, I guarantee you we would know, because there are ways to test it.)

Okay, so that wasn’t really the biggest news of the week. Facebook’s announcements at fCM were the big headline grabber, with just one month for Facebook marketers to get ready. Here’s a quick overview of the whole shebang from Marketing Land. Here’s a list of just a few articles that cover a few of the bigger announcements in greater depth:

Here’s a great resource with information on how to prepare (and look for more from us later this week as we continue the Social 101 series with more Facebook).

Brilliance

Some of the best brilliance I uncover each week are posts where the people who know what they’re doing just talk about how they do it. This post from Jay Baer on his 9 social media hacks is an example of this. Easy information to share that will most certainly help others.

We all have different “hacks” we use daily. Tell me some of yours!

It’s important when starting with a social media network that once you gain an audience (even one person is an audience, by the way) that you’re fully committed to participation. I’m not speaking to individuals - this is about businesses. Do you agree with these sentiments about Twitter users who are “not really there”?

Though personally I’m not a huge fan of email newsletters, I do subscribe to more each week and I know the value they hold. But do you? I’ve noted several times where people have referred to email as the greatest social network and perhaps there is something to this idea.

You might read this next one and think I’m trying to get onto Christopher Penn’s Follow Friday list since I think this is the third link to his site I’ve included. I’m honestly not. I just really like the way he thinks about the data we gather from our sites day-to-day. He’s got brilliant ideas for using this data to thank those who support us most and that’s truly valuable.

I gave my first presentation in a long time this week. It went well, but I’m sure there were improvements I could have made. I wish I’d read this list of tips a week and a half ago. 

Have a great week!

Buzz and Brilliance: Week ending February 18

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.

Buzz

I haven’t heard a whole lot this week that was big news and not also big rumor. One item going around is that Facebook will begin rolling out Timeline for Pages in the next few weeks. I really hope it’s true. I’ll let you know when I hear.

Facebook has announced that it will verify accounts for certain “famous” users now. Their process  is better defined than Twitter’s, but there will be no visible identification of verified accounts, which actually makes the process useless to the average user who wants to know if that really IS Lady Gaga they just subscribed to.

StumbleUpon is offering users a way to hide the StumbleUpon bar, which takes up some pretty significant real estate on a wide screen. They’ve also added original link to reviews so that content creators get proper attribution. These two moves have restored my desire to use this tool that I’ve all but abandoned since the changes took place.

The darling of the social media world these days is clearly Pinterest. Everyone is talking about this beautiful tool and how it’s revolutionizing the way we share. As much as I love the tool, I must admit to being a little Pinterested out. Do you want to know more about Pinterest? How about how to “trick out” your boards?

And if you’ve had enough of the comparisons of Facebook to Google+, don’t worry. Apparently we’ve switched to comparing Google+ and Pinterest.

Brilliance - Blogging Edition

I’ve been blogging for three years, which means I’ve been around a while, but I’m still a relative newbie compared to some of the bloggers that I respect. This week, as I was going through the many brilliant posts I get to read, there seemed to be so much good stuff about blogging. So, welcome to the Blogging Edition of Brilliance. You can learn a lot from these five articles!

What is one of the first pages a new visitor will check out on your web site? You guessed it - the about page. They want to know who you are and what you do. This handy list will help keep you from making mistakes on the page that could frustrate visitors.

Of course, you can’t realistically expect to write an adequate about page if you don’t know the answers to these three questions. In fact, it could be argued that one shouldn’t begin (seriously) blogging unless you do answer them.

Something I have a hard time with is writing through writer’s block. Christopher Penn’s post this week spoke to me. Just keep going. He writes a lot about digital marketing, but it applies to anything you’re doing - just keep pushing that snowball.

The best writing tip on this list is “Write the way you talk. Naturally.” This might seem to be in conflict when you think about business writing versus personal writing, but it isn’t. We adopt different modes of speech based on the situations we’re in at any given time. It only makes sense to do the same in our writing.

If ever there was a guide to better blogging, this is it. How appropriate that it comes from Problogger.

And a bonus for the business owners out there, here’s a comprehensive list of non-financial benefits of blogging. Now, do you still need to ask why you should blog?

*****

The #MediaMeshBBC is not going to meet this week after all. I’m going to set a new date in March because February has been too busy for much reading. But the busyness is going to bring some exciting news that I can’t wait to share with you!

Buzz and Brilliance: Week Ending February 11

In a week where Super Bowl commercials and commentary on social media dominated the reporting of anything social media related, I do have a few tidbits to share that have nothing to do with the big game. From Lady Gaga (what?) to Pinterest (of course) to Twitter and Facebook (naturally) and even Klout.

Buzz

Some Klout users have been clamoring for a mobile app for quite a while. With the addition of more and more gamification to the mix, a mobile app makes a lot of sense. This week BlockBoard, a mobile app maker, was acquired by Klout. It's the in thing to do to buy an app maker before you build an app, so we should have a release sometime soon(ish).

Are you using Pinterest yet? More so now than ever before, I'm completely sold on the value of it as a social bookmarking tool. But is your site "optimized" for Pinterest? Having good visuals (video/pictures) is crucial for sharing on Pinterest. You don't have to go very far on the Web before you'll trip over a pin or a post about creative ways to use Pinterest. Without a doubt, it's going to be interesting to watch this network evolve. There was a bit of controversy about Pinterest making money off of users' pins, though they have to make money somehow so I think it's mostly about being transparent about it to users. In other Pinterest controversy, they say that imitation sincerest form of flattery and Pinterest has clones in spades.

There is still a lot of content I'd rather share on Stumbleupon, but they've recently made changes that make it a tad less appealing. As someone who's been a big fan of StumbleUpon for a while, I'm disappointed to say the very least.

In the big question of who owns twitter followers - prompted by PhoneDog Media in South Carolina - a judge has allowed the lawsuit against former PhoneDog employee, Noah Kravitz, to move forward. Do you have employees tweeting on accounts that your company owns? Make sure the ownership and company social media policy is clear and put it in writing. Never just assume that it's understood.

Facebook is still raising the ire of users from its Timeline rollout and privacy concerns around it to demands for dividends as people see through the IPO filings just how much their data is worth to Facebook. They're also doing some really nice work with the design of photo layouts, but users are upset that deleted photos haven't been properly purged - a big no-no for sure.

There was a time when actresses or pop stars had to market themselves as pop stars and actresses. Then it evolved into perfume lines, clothing lines, shoe lines and more. If you weren't dipping your toe into multiple industries, then you were essentially not hip and with it. Now, it seems that tech and social networks are all the rage. From Ashton Kutcher's tech investments, to Justin Timberlake "saving" MySpace and now Lady Gaga has developed her very own social network called Little Monsters - apparently a cross between Reddit and Pinterest where you can share all things Gaga.

I'm just shaking my head. Moving on!

Brilliance

I like posts that debunk myths about Web presence and help support the (already well-proven) business case for getting online. David Meerman Scott published one this week that so perfectly illustrates the fallacy that customers are not on the Web. Sure, not all of them will be, but for the vast majority of businesses I bet you will find a critical mass you can reach out to.

I took a few Web design courses a few years ago and probably the best part of those courses was the emphasis that was put on code that's accessible. I developed an awareness of the issues around usability that I believe helps me address them better for my sites - whether my audience needs it or not. You really never know. I thought about that when I saw this post from Mark Shaefer about social media leveling the playing field. Isn't it so good to read stories like this about the positive impact SM is having?

Speaking of a level playing field, this post from Mitch Joel about the changes our world has experienced is a poignant commentary on how connected we've become and encouragement to sit back, relax and enjoy it when you have a free moment.

How much time do you spend on social media? This was the subject of a poll reported on by SmartBlog on Social Media. The results are interesting - we spend a lot of time. The article has a few good tips to keep your time spent down to a minimum.

Facebook engagement seems to be a universal issue. I always get questions about how to get more from followers. Here's a few suggestions for creating engaging posts from Amy Porterfield. The biggest takeaway? Operate on the KISS principle - keep it simple silly. Make it easy for your followers to respond to your call to action. And keep your posts short.

*****

This past week on The Media Mesh, I talked about the 5 Ws of Facebook and had a very interesting discussion about comments on blogs. This week, we'll dive a bit deeper into Facebook with Social 101. Don't forget that we're finishing up Getting Things Done for the #MediaMeshBBC on February 21st!

Buzz and Brilliance: Week ending January 28

Source: speakoutoncopyright.ca

The last couple of weeks have been overflowing with news about SOPA/PIPA, but that story has begun to die down only to make way for ACTA. I'm not completely familiar with it yet, so I won't say much, but you can learn more about ACTA here. This is definitely a treaty for Canadians to pay attention to. Speaking of Canadian law, have you heard of Bill C-11? Michael Geist, a law professor at University of Ottawa, has been sharing his take on Bill C-11 for a while now (since it was Bill C-32 several years ago). I will be doing more reading about C-11 this week myself and you can learn more about Bill C-11 and how to contact your representative here.

Buzz

This is the week of sweeping changes that upset users.

Facebook announced this week that they're officially converting all users' profiles to Timeline over the next few weeks. Lance Ulanoff speculates about why Facebook is pushing such a fast rollout - and I think his conclusion about proving value to their recent app partners makes sense. Predictably, though, the change already has users inflamed and has refreshed the debate over privacy . But it's not all bad news in Facebook land - they're learning just how successful the Subscribe button is for journalists - or is it? Clearly, engagement is key. Finally, we'll all get to see just how well Facebook is doing with monetizing the network - they're set to file for IPO later this week and it's expected to be the richest in tech history. I wonder if this woman thought she could get a piece of that IPO action with her "record-breaking" (in a cheating kind of way) million comment status.

Google has decided to take all 60 some odd privacy policies across their products and make one uniform privacy policy to encompass all its products. The announcement (change goes in effect March 1) prompted many to express concerns about whether Google is going too far into the "evil" side of business. Others are wondering what all the fuss is about.

Not to be outdone by Facebook's or Google's news, Twitter announced this week that they have developed an enhancement to their platform that will allow them to censor tweets on request. Well, that's the sensational version of the story. A few articles have questioned the backlash and pointed out that censorship is the policy of the requesting country - not Twitter. Given how open Twitter has been about DMCA takedown requests, I'll believe they're doing the right thing until I'm proven wrong. On another note, Twitter still hasn't shown how they're going to monetize the service for the long-term. Some of the "creative" ways brands are finding to use celebrities seem like a pretty effective barrier to their efforts.

Speaking of brands and Twitter, McDonald's made the news for their recent and very unfortunate Twitter experience. They proved to the world that once your hashtag goes rogue, you really can't get it back.

Brilliance

I'm excited to finally share something from Amber Mac - it was so good to meet her last October at Blissdom Canada. This article on enhancing your personal brand is full of useful suggestions for changes to one tiny little element that will make a big impact. Read and implement it. I know I am.

Do you know how many social networks are out there? Hundreds. We don't need to join every single one, but it's good to have a heads up on the "rules of engagement" before you do. Here's a handy guide for a few of the common-ish networks for content curation.

Just about everything Sue Murphy publishes lately is challenging me to stretch myself and get outside my comfort zone. I like that. Her latest challenge, "The Experimentation Experiment", is an ideal follow-up to her new e-book Just Hit Publish - you should go buy it.

The last two items really aren't terribly serious. Frankly, both of them amused me quite a lot. This first one because I see people all the time I think should read it and stop calling themselves ninjas:

4 signs that you’re not actually a marketing ninja - Christopher Penn, Awaken Your Superhero
Seriously, wasn't that worth the time you spent reading it? He makes good arguments, does he not? We should start seeing a reduction in the number of self-proclaimed marketing ninjas now. Right?

20 of the World’s Wittiest Twitter Bios - Mark Schaefer, {grow}
I've read these posts for several years now. They always make me want to hire someone to write my bio for me.

*****

This past week on The Media Mesh, I talked about where to find blog posts - find the answer here. Then I concluded my Social 101 posts about Twitter with a guide on how and why you should use Twitter Lists. I've started reading Getting Things Done for the #MediaMeshBBC - have you!?

Buzz and Brilliance: Week ending January 21

This week was a whirlwind of "social lobbying" with the end result being the derailment - for now - of SOPA and PIPA. Please note this is the second week in a row that I've introduced you to what will likely become our newest buzzword. This new practice reminds me of a scene in Horton Hears a Who (the movie with Jim Carrey and Steve Carrell) when the Mayor's assistant is giving him a run-down of his schedule. He's got to to meet with the Who Centennial Committee and then needs to go for a Who root canal. The Mayor replies, "You know, sticking Who in front of everything doesn't make it hurt less. It just wastes time!" Replace "Who" with "social" and the quote still works amazingly well.

Buzz


Before I get into the SOPA/PIPA story, if you're not familiar with what's going on, you should read/watch this.

The Internet was in an uproar this week as many sites protested SOPA/PIPA with site blackouts. The symbolic gesture was intended to convey how the Web might look should SOPA/PIPA pass. While many were supportive of the move, others questioned the wisdom of teaming up with corporate entities, criticism of sites that didn't go black - including Facebook. While some were coining new buzzwords (see above), others questioned whether the massive Internet-based uprising could be labeled activism. In a commentary that I find quite an interesting perspective, Mark Schaefer asks if we became lemmings to a new meme this week.

Of all of these stories, Mark's was the most startling. Did I read SOPA/PIPA? No. Do I think everyone who speaks out against them should have read them? No. Sure, that's the ideal world situation, but we don't live in an ideal world. Would I call myself an "activist" against SOPA/PIPA? Absolutely not. Claims that SOPA is going to change the way civic discourse happens are not realistic, but I cynically believe that most issues won't inspire this kind of response. This is an issue that touches a pretty vocal group of people with lots of connections. For once, people made an effort to be informed on an issue, spoke out about it and SOPA/PIPA have been dropped - for now. These bills - or something like them - will come up again. Hopefully, people will remember the warnings from this Chinese blogger who speaks from personal experience living in a country with similar legislation. Then again, apparently we don't need SOPA or PIPA to break the Web.

In other news this week, Facebook has launched additional frictionless sharing apps, including Pinterest - and the world rejoiced for the first time about frictionless sharing. Are you still unsure how to use Pinterest? This might help. And just in case you thought you don't need another network to jump in to, first consider Pinterest traffic to your site.

Interestingly, it's being reported this week that "friending" strangers might just give you a more stimulating Facebook experience. I can honestly say this is true of my own experience. Mind you, the average Facebook user is primarily interested in their friends and family and that's it!

Google+ has 90K users now and is on track to reach 400 million by the end of this year. That's really incredible and hopefully more people will start to use it.

The story that has me scratching my head is about teens sharing passwords as a sign of affection. Have passwords become the new letter jacket?

Brilliance


Reading Amber Naslund's blog this week has hit me at just the right place, but this piece about taking back attention is one I paid extra attention to as it goes so perfectly with my three words - particularly time and focus.

There's no end to the theories around when to tweet, facebook and more. Dan Zarella posted an infographic that turns a lot of those theories upside down and suggests (gasp!) that you post when fewer people are on because they're less likely to miss your content. It's an interesting theory and certainly worth testing out.

Spin Sucks always has an interesting take on the social media/PR disasters that come around from time to time. But this week, one guest poster - Jay Dolan - challenged readers to stop fearing failure and start achieving the kind of brilliance people want to talk about instead of the disasters that always take center stage. Of course, we're not likely to stop talking about these disasters since we can all learn a thing or two from them.

Some people think they have to sign up for every social network under the sun, but that's not a very good idea. It can be fun to check them all out, but making a commitment to any social network needs to be about giving value to other users and finding how to get value for yourself or your business. Not all social tools are equal.

I love sharing good news, especially as follow-up to an awareness campaign to help someone. So in case you hadn't heard yet, Amit Gupta, who was searching via social media for a bone marrow donor in the fall, has found a match. I wonder how many cancer patients will benefit from Amit's campaign. Hopefully, there's cause for celebration for many more today as well.

*****

This past week, I talked about the 5 Ws of Twitter, attempting to answer the question of who, what, when, where and why you should tweet. Later in the week, I announced what the next #MediaMeshBBC book will be.