Buzz and Brilliance

Buzz, Brilliance and Blogging: Week ending June 30

Every week I compile a list of the noteworthy social media news (Buzz), balanced with valuable commentary (Brilliance) and some good advice about Blogging as well. 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.

This week is Canada Day, so I’m going to keep this as short as possible for all of you who want to get out and celebrate Canada’s birthday! But first, did you hear Lara’s interview on CBC Radio? She did a great job!

~Karen

Buzz

How would you like to have all of your status update/social media history imported into one place? Google+ seems to think this is a good idea. I do not. To each his own, but if you’re looking to do that, remember how search engine friendly Google+ is. Do you want your history that accessible? Would you have time to cleanse it? I know I don’t have that kind of time - not with 36K Tweets and who knows how many Facebook posts. I like my social media in silos.

Twitter is making some back-end changes and they’ve cut off the firehose of tweets that streams from LinkedIn over to Twitter. It’s about time!!! Do you see me doing mental cartwheels at this news? That people are upset over the changes to the API is somewhat understandble. The upset over tweets not showing up in LinkedIn is not: Automatic cross-posting is never a good plan.

Facebook lost a lawsuit that will have a direct impact on how it handles sponsored stories and give users far more control over their content being used by others. And since we’re talking privacy again, this article has some great advice for Facebook users, including an admonition for privacy purists to reconsider joining. 

There was an uproar about an app released by Facebook last week that allowed users to see and friend those nearby. They pulled it almost immediately, though not quickly enough to prevent the spread of the news and commentary.

If you missed the other Facebook drama this week, you should definitely check out our post from Thursday to find out how to hide your facebook.com email address.

Brilliance

Every now and then I want to write a truly thought-provoking piece discussing a topic I feel strongly about and then I remember how much time it takes and how little payoff there is (then I do it anyway). So, this commentary about critical thinking resonated with me. Despite that, I think there is a place for pieces that break things down simply. That is, after all, our tagline. There’s room and a need for both. I don’t think critical thinking is going extinct.

Some fascinating points are made in this piece regarding audience engagement and reaction to information shared. It should make you think about what you’re doing as a business and in your use of social media.

Blogging

This infographic is an interesting structure of the “perfect blog post”.

Do you think it is as good as it proclaims?

*****

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Buzz, Brilliance and Blogging: Week ending June 23

Every week I compile a list of the noteworthy social media news (Buzz), balanced with valuable commentary (Brilliance) and some good advice about Blogging as well. 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

Facebook started rolling out editable comments this week. But be careful: Edited comments will be marked as such and previous versions will be viewable. Other changes that have come out this week include the option to opt-out of notifications in the drop-down menu - a handy, quick way to customize your Facebook experience. In a move toward more stalkerish data delivery, Facebook is going to tell you how many of your friends have logged in recently and the last time you posted. I like the new hovercards that started showing up this week. They include your cover photo and avatar, as well as a bit of info about you. 

Facebook’s editable comments have sparked debate about the need for similar functionality on Twitter. I think the two are different networks - let’s leave Twitter alone. Mistakes happen. We don’t have to revise everything to perfection. If you’re on Twitter and want to read the feed of a verified account, you can now filter all of the @replies out. This would be a useful update for them to roll out globally. 

You might have been a bit frustrated Thursday with Twitter being down. I know I was since I needed to access some information for a client. They have offered a pretty comprehensive explanation here

It’s always confused me that I couldn’t post to Google+ anywhere but on the page with my feed. Now that I’m used to that, they’ve changed it so that you can post from your profile - kinda like that other big social network.

How much do you care about your Klout? If last October’s change to the algorithm bothered you, please brace yourself for another change. Or, perhaps, change your perspective on the importance of Klout.

Brilliance

Read this and think about what’s currently driving your content strategy. Do you need to make adjustments?

There are no less than a bazillion posts outlining pet peeves or don’ts in social media, but they crop up because people still do these things. I happen to agree with this list. 

Looking for a solid list of reasons for entering content marketing? BloggingPro has you covered.

Blogging

Blogging for business is incredibly valuable - especially if you know how to blog competitively

Do you struggle with knowing what to write about or finding resources to feed you inspiration? There’s no end to the sources, but you should set yourself up so they come to you regularly.

One of the most oft-debated topics in blogging is comment management. Gini Dietrich started the discussion this week with comparisons of her own style with several others. One of those who came up in her post was Mitch Joel and he decided to weigh in with his thoughts on blog comments.

What is your preferred method of blog comment management? 

Buzz, Brilliance and Blogging: Week ending June 16

Every week I compile a list of the noteworthy social media news (Buzz), balanced with valuable commentary (Brilliance) and some good advice about Blogging as well. 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

Twitter has been hard at work trying to take the advertising world by storm. And they’re promoting what they’re doing through traditional media. Of course, more and more people are using hashtags outside of the Twitter bubble, so you might find TagsInAction useful for tracking what people are saying elsewhere on the web

Twitter is doing its best lately to create a unique user experience for each of us - one that is tailored to our interests. This is in Twitter’s best interest as it will get more and more people coming back to use this tool, which is good news for advertisers. Twitter wants increased interactions from its users, which is why they’ve launched expanded tweets as well

The latest research from ComScore about Facebook advertising must feel so validating for Facebook. To hear that their product works when so many have doubted is nice. I must admit that I notice ads far more on Facebook now than I have before. They’re hoping that Facebook Exchange ads will boost their advertising usefulness even further.

Reddit is serious about spam. So serious, in fact, that they’ve banned certain reputable sites because they were tied to spam activity.  

 

Brilliance

One of the biggest objections to social media is lack of time to produce content. It’s nice to know that there are ways to do so easily and quickly - now get on that!

Do you use ads on Facebook? Do you know if you’re selecting the right options? This article from Social Fresh may help you.

This week Lara and I might have taken some small steps toward podcasting. We’re pretty excited about it, because it’s a growing content stream and even Apple is recognizing that it needs its own home. I think our experience at Podcasters Across Borders last weekend inspired us to get moving on this as we’ve been talking about it for quite some time.

This is one of my favorite posts this week - and I have shared it several times - because it so eloquently lays it out there that automation doesn’t mean a machine is generating content for you. As I said to someone this week, there is still a human behind it, even if I don’t happen to be online at the time it posts.

There’s a lot of talk about authenticity and being real/genuine in social media. The idea is that if people know who you are and what you’re about, they can trust you. It’s an unspoken agreemen; Mitch Joel calls it a contract.

Blogging

Anyone who has ever blogged was new to blogging once. It can seem daunting to get started, but it doesn’t have to be, and there are lots of very experienced bloggers willing to help you.

Do you need blog post ideas? Problogger has a few for you - and this list is evergreen so you can refer to it over and over again.

App of the Week

In honor of my favorite post this week (the one about automation by Jason Falls), I am going to nominate Buffer as my pick for this week. It beats Hootsuite by a landslide for ease of scheduling and allows you to link to your bit.ly account for additional metric tracking. You can customize the times to tweet/post updates so that your feed isn’t overwhelmed. I have to say, though, the times selected automatically by Buffer were right on for me.

Buzz, Brilliance and Blogging: Week ending June 2

Every week I compile a list of the noteworthy social media news (Buzz), balanced with valuable commentary (Brilliance) and some good advice about Blogging as well. 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.

Last week’s video experiment wasn’t bad, but Lara and I have decided to go in a different direction with our weekly recap post. Stay tuned…!

~Karen

Buzz

I’m truly excited about some of the news out of Facebook this week. Page admins have far more control over page management now with the new admin roles and scheduling that Facebook introduced this week. For those of us working with clients concerned about page ownership and timing of posts, this makes our job much easier. Let’s not forget the rollout of promoted posts on pages. This is all good stuff!

Twitter changed the layout and information contained in notification emails for new followers. The rollout is starting already and the new look/additional information is a welcome change. That doesn’t mean I’ll be turning on email notifications, though. 

While some think the social media bubble has popped, others are embracing it for new and interesting reasons. For the first time ever, MTV is asking Twitter to decide who will win an award at the VMAs. Does that sound like a bubble popping to you? Me neither.

Speaking of interesting uses of social media, Starbucks and Foursquare are partnering up on a campaign to give back based on check-ins. $1 for every Starbucks check-in will go to (RED) to fight AIDS. Foursquare benefits from additional users with social conscience and Starbucks will a rash of free advertising. And (RED) gets money. Win. Win. Win.

Google is beefing up its video functionality on Google+ by offering captions and subtitles. One can’t help but wondering why they aren’t working on tighter YouTube integration instead. 

They’re also working on some Event functionality in Google+ with integration for Google Calendar and that would be Ah. Maze. Zing!

Brilliance

I’m always eager to jump right in to any new tool that comes out. I think there is value in doing so and I think I can quickly assess whether something is worth devoting time to or if I should let it sit for a while. Knowing these things is my job. For others - and even for some who work in social media - it may be better to give the latest and greatest new tools a pass.

While you’re giving the new tools up, why not consider a break from the old tools. Sometimes a break helps you refocus. Businesses can’t all take a week off, but a day or two won’t hurt anything. 

Blogging

One secret to increasing traffic? Make your content more sharable. 

Do you include an image in your blog posts? You should. Even if you have videos - always add an image.

Eye tracking technology is really cool. It can help you with web strategy, too.

Will you use all the new Facebook features? Scheduling, admin roles and promoted posts?

Buzz, Brilliance and Blogging: Week ending May 26


Every week I compile a list of the noteworthy social media news (Buzz), balanced with valuable commentary (Brilliance) and some good advice about Blogging as well. 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.

This week, I’m presenting my picks in my first video (next time we’ll make it an embeddable video). Let me know what you think! All referenced links plus a few more are included below.

~Karen

Buzz

Lots of Changes At Twitter This Week - TweetSmarter

5 reasons that Twitter’s new email matters for marketers - Social Fresh

Facebook’s Sponsored Stories Settlement Could Have Broader Implications - ReadWriteWeb

Facebook Launches Promoted Posts, Pay As Little As $5 For More Fans To See Page Content - Social Fresh

Facebook makes managing pages easier with new app - Social Fresh

Why Facebook Just Launched Its Own Instagram - ReadWriteWeb

Facebook Strategy: Share Photos to Increase Engagement - Jon Loomer

Facebook Tests A Sleeker Timeline Layout For Profiles - MarketingLand

Social Gaming

Forget reward points: AmEx gives users Farmville cash - GigaOm

New Apps

Infogr.am launches so you can create your own beautiful and interactive infographics - The Next Web

Brilliance

Five Step Process for Using the Social Web - Spin Sucks

Educate and inform instead of interrupt and sell - WebInkNow

Is Social Media as Dangerous as the Telephone? - ReadWriteWeb

Paper is the main problem of traditional media – and a moral issue - The Next Web

Blogging

Not Producing Content? You Should Be - Inc.

Keys to Blogging: How to Create a Blog Topic Pipeline - Jon Loomer

A Simple Plan for Writing One Powerful Piece of Online Content per Week - Copyblogger

15 Resources to Find Amazing Pictures for Your Blog - BloggingPro

What Blog Tasks are You Embarrassed to Admit You’ve Overlooked? - Problogger