Social Networking in Review

After blogging and exploring the world of social networking and product promotion for the past few months, I rest assured that this catch-all craze is more than just a passing trend. People everywhere are not just concerned with sharing what they are doing, these people logging in are just as concerned (if not more) with learning what everyone else is doing. As more networks open up daily, aggregators emerge, and web browsers with integrated social networking capabilities become more readily available, it is clear that social networking plays a large role in many peoples lives, and that this role will only continue to grow.

Through my research, in just these past few months I have found myself growing fonder of social networking. Previously, I held one account: Facebook, and decided that was enough to fuel what in my mind I considered an already "unhealthy" addiction. Since then I have become much more enthralled by so-called "niche" social networks that cater to my various interests and have discovered that aggregators are a great way to organize networks and help people understand your core interests according to the communities to which you belong. I have become particularly involved in one social networking community that I believe to be one of the most genuine "communities" on the web: Newsvine. On this network I get to post articles of my own while reading and discussing news and issues of debate--being a politics minor, this really piques my interest--and I accordingly gain stature among the community when my contributions are voted up "The Vine" by other members.

The role that online communities play has already been noticed by many corporations. They have discovered that while social networks can serve as a valuable tool in tracking audience feedback and buzz about their brands, they can also be a medium for promotion and viral communication. A lot of the time it's not about how your brand is there, it's simply about just being there. So much awareness is generated through simple images and dialogue. Second Life is a great example of just that. However, creating a way for people to interact with your brand on a consistent basis is really the best method of promotion and building brand image.

That's why communities that are hosted by the brands themselves are not entirely a bad idea. Politicians like Barack Obama have caught onto the benefits of such communities, and corporations like NBC will be reaping the rewards not just in promotion, but audience research as well when it launches its community-based project in June.

However, some consumers take brand interaction one step further. The influence and importance of consumer-generated content has never been more important. Websites like YouTube, Revver, Ziddio, Panjea, and numerous others have quickly grown in popularity and the proliferation of content has exploded. While obviously not all consumer content is branded, we're seeing a growing amount of content that is, and some corporations that are even soliciting this type of content. Success stories related to consumer-generated work are not rare either. The guys at EepyBird have even forged their successes to build a successful company!

And of course, let's not forget about the promotional power of the blogosphere and podcasting. Bloggers have the power to say whatever they want, and oftentimes have influence over a sizeable number of people. I don't think it's rare for viral, word-of-mouth marketing campaigns to begin at this level of Internet communication. That is why it is so important for corporations to figure out just how to get their brand or product out there to be talked about, and more importantly to be talked about in a positive manner consistent with the image they want to present.

So, how do they go about telling bloggers about themselves? Is it okay for members of a company to enter the blogosphere and social networking communities themselves? What are the perogatives?

While I will not claim to be an expert on this entirely, I have run across a few opportunities and become familiar with some of the guidelines for corporations taking social networking into their own hands. First of all, there are services that send press releases to influencers communicating in the world of Internet 2.0. There are also websites that help users build story "trails" to direct interested parties toward particular research or commentary concerning their brand. Obviously social bookmarking sites are also a great way to keep people up-to-date about your brand or company. Sometimes companies also feel the need to comment on their brand or product themselves. When speaking to Google, Seth Godin gave some great advice about not only the importance of following a permission marketing philosophy in all tactics, but also how to talk about your brand to bloggers and consumers in social networks. Basically, the just of his commentary said this: If people are talking about your brand or product, it's okay for you to respond and say something, but always identify yourself first. It's important to use integrity in whatever you do, otherwise if you're "found out" you'll have lost much more than you ever gained.

As I stated before, social networking is no where near its full potential. The communities themselves and the concepts behind them will only continue to grow and influence other aspects of our lives as time progresses. Some communities track what people are doing all the time: Slifeshare is an extreme example, Twitter another. I honestly don't think it will be long before these features become numerical and we begin to get statistics on how many people are doing what and how often are they doing it. Eventually, features like these will be integrated into the stores we shop, and the places we visit: for example Wal-Mart tracking the top items sold in the store vs. the nation for the day, the month, the year, ect. The opportunities for expansion are endless. The sooner corporations learn how to use these media to their advantage the better.

Twittervision: A Mesmerizing Revolution

It's no secret that Twitter has become a hot new trend in the world of social networking 2.0. Haven't heard of Twitter before? Well, according to it's creators, it's a social network that connects and informs people on the basis of one question: "What are you doing?" Users continually update or "twitter" whenever they do something else.

Well, twittering aside, there is a new application on the web that takes the experience of connecting with those around the globe to a whole new level. Meet Twittervision. It's Google Maps meets Twitter, and it updates continually, letting you know when and where users are updating their activity from around the world.


I have to credit the 8hands blog for bringing this new social web experience to my attention.

I have to admit, I'm still trying to figure out just where Twitter figures into the social networking equation, and what it's role really means. Will there one day be applications in place that track mentions of certain products and activities, keeping a running toll of top "twitterings"? I could definitely see it moving in that direction. In that case, it could start to play a larger role in product promotion--and could force companies into paying more attention to what general consumers are saying in social networking communities. I can see it now, corporate-sponsored contests asking people to mention them on Twitter..."If we see you mention us, you could win ____!" In this constantly expanding medium, anything is possible.

Speaking of Aggregates: There's More!

The world of aggregates continues to grow, and not surprisingly it keeps getting better! The idea of aggregates has not caught on in mainstream social networking communities yet, so there is still time for other competitors to enter the marketplace and compete for the top spot.

One of the new guys on the block, Tabber is quite sophisticated in both its layout and content design. An online address book, Tabber integrates other features as well that allow you to keep track of what your friends are doing online--whether it be updating their MySpace profile, adding new photos, or digging a news story. In order to get friends content online, Tabber allows users to import contact information from a variety of social networks and other sources such as AIM, Yahoo!, and Hotmail to name a few. It's a nice service that integrates and updates information more effectively than other sites. As Mashable describes, the update service is a lot like the news feed you find on the social networking website, Facebook.


Another aggregator just launched for download looks really intriguing as well. This alternative is called 8hands. Basically, it is AIM for social networking. It integrates all your content and contacts into a desktop application that looks a lot like Instant Messenger. From this, you can open additional windows to view content more fully. 8hands allows you to keep track of your top 8 friends (which it determines through those that "interact" most with you), along with your friends that are most active on your social networks. Right now 8hands supports MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr among others. However, it is in the process of integrating other networks and features as well. I feel like once this site is fully developed it will be one of the best available. I wanted to try it out for myself, but unfortunately it is so new that they do not have a Mac version yet, though they claim it is in production.


It's interesting to watch the growth of this segment of social networking. I think within a year we will begin to see aggregators emerge as key players in web 2.0. Until then, let the competition continue!

Made a Pitch Lately? PR Web 2.0

I've been hinting a lot lately at the necessity for companies to promote their products to the blogosphere and it's influential authors. Slowly but surely I am discovering just how this phenomenon is continuing to develop. While the tools for promoting products over the internet are still being changed and implemented, PR Professional Todd Defren has some great insight on current tactics being used.

Tagging is the obvious way to keep people in the loop. Technorati, del.icio.us, and RSS feeds offer great opportunities for just that. However, sometimes companies want to be more explicit than that. So, what are their options?

In an earlier post, Todd talks about Trailfire, a service that allows users to create a "trail" to help reporters interested in their story find "relevant research" to their "pitch." However, the latest service available that is really intriguing is that of PitchWire. This is the first community set up to purposely connect "Influencers" and "Publicists" (We all knew this couldn't be far away). The key thing to watch is whether or not this will actually catch on in the blogosphere community.


In addition to mainstream companies promoting themselves, there are also increasing resources for smaller companies, organizations, and even individuals to distribute social media press releases to the general public. Posting on this earlier in the week, Todd points us to PRNN, a press release distributor that makes it affordable for anyone (just $25 per release). In addition, they make their services available one time for free in Second Life!

Regardless of how these services continue to expand and develop, I think it's going to be essential for companies to utilize them. The blogosphere and social networks are powerful tools for product promotion, and if one company doesn't take advantage of the opportunities there, you can be sure another will.

Video Entertainment: For Consumers, By Consumers

It's no secret that for an advertisement to be effective, it has to catch people's attention and feel entertaining rather than boring and/or calculated (i.e. like an advertisement). That's why the presence of consumer-generated branded content is on the rise.

Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grobe became famous when they used Mentos and Diet Coke to recreate the image of the Bellagio fountains on national television.



Since the creation of that video, they have made appearances on mainstream media outlets, have been recognized by Time magazine and Advertising Age, and have even been featured in a music video. However, what's more impressive is the fact that all this time, they have been promoting the Coke and Mentos brands...and getting paid for it.

All these guys did to start was set up their own online video entertainment site: EepyBird.com. In an interview with Brad Berens on iMedia Connection the two talked about their experience working with brands, and how their true purpose was to entertain--but they figured, why not make some money too?

I think this is the reality of online product promotion through viral video. More online content will continue to come from consumers themselves. The question is, what will companies do to make sure these consumers are promoting their products?

Blogger Code of Conduct?

A hot topic of discussion in the blogosphere this week is the proposition of developing and adopting a code of conduct for bloggers, advanced in a Monday article of the New York Times. The measure was called for by Tim O'Reilly, in response to reports of blogger death threats.

Lot's of uncouth comments and articles pop up in the blogosphere. It's not hard to see why some would want to subscribe by a set of ethical standards. What O'Reilly purports is that users choose to abide by the code, and then represent their subscription by the presence of a logo on their website. As part of the code, bloggers are in charge of all content on their website (including comments) and have the ability to delete comments as they choose.

This isn't a first amendment issue, people do have a right to do what they want to do--and put whatever content they choose on their website or blog. However, since subscription to the code would be voluntary, I don't see it solving any of the problems bloggers are facing anyway. Bloggers have the ability to do most of the things outlined in the code, without putting pressure on themselves to moderate every single comment that finds its way to their website.

Many bloggers are quite upset about this proposal. Check out the BuzzFeed to see more of what others are saying.

From a product promotion perspective, I'm not sure if the presence of "moderated" blogs would have an effect on a site's traffic or not. I think depending on how well such a code was received by users, advertisers would either pull advertising or increase advertising. Perhaps if the code resulted in less "noise," advertisers would see an opportunity to have more effective reach by advertising on sites that endorsed it. However, looking at company-run blogs and similar things, I think the presence of using a code could be problematic. The last thing companies want to be associated with is controlling the conversation in order to unfairly promote their products.

Measuring Brand Buzz

Measuring online buzz about your brand? Is that possible? According to the folks at iMediaConnection that's just what Neilsen BuzzMetrics has developed technology to do. Their software creates "Brand Association Maps" according to what's being said and posted about brands online.

This technology takes online marketing research to a whole new level. This kind of information will make it possible for marketers to find out what consumers truly think and feel about their brand.

After hearing about this new innovation from Neilsen BuzzMetrics, I checked out CEO Jonathan Carson's blog, Mouthpiece, a very good read by the way. He talked about how marketers will not only change the way they retrieve information from the web, they will also change the way they send messages through the web. There are going to be opportunities to develop "next generation" targeting systems that will optimize advertising and message capabilities across the web, whether it be through social networks, blogs, online forums, or anything else.

Aggregates and the Future of Social Networking

With the launch of yet another social networking aggregator, it's worth pondering whether one aggregator will emerge among the field, and what this will mean for the future of social networking.

Right now people are trying out a bunch of different setups for compiling and keeping track of social networking content. Profilefly, launched just a day ago, allows users to have a profile and link to all of their social networks and blogs. The service then notifies their friends whenever they update any of their networks.


In another approach, OtherEgo allows users to upload each of their personal webpages to their profile. This website sharing site was launched on Tuesday.


Launched two weeks ago, Zoolit may offer the most simplistic layout. It has a simple profile and links to all of your social networking and bookmarking sites. It is very similar to Profilefly, and similarly offers plenty of widgets and tags for users to place on their various webpages.


However, my favorite aggregator of the ones I have looked at is ProfileLinker. Not only does it offer what I believe to be the best layout for an aggregator, it also allows its users to create "portable profiles" that they can share on any of their webpages. It's more than just a widget, it's a creative tool that will make users want to promote their "profile."



Right now, it's obvious that aggregators are the hot commodity in the world of social networking. Everyone is trying to get into the game, but I think it won't be too long before one emerges from the pack. I think the winner will be determined based on who can generate the most buzz and viral, word-of-mouth popularity. I think it will also be important that the various aggregators not only support mainstream social networks, but niche networks as well. As aggregators gain popularity among users, I think we will begin to see increased traffic to social networks (as if there wasn't already a lot), and more advertising dollars being spent there.

Please Read My Blog...

Getting people to read your blog is one thing, getting them to comment, and coming back to keep reading it are quite different.

Where I think the battle begins is with content. Without fresh, new content on a steady-basis, you're not going to gain any credibility, and you certainly won't obtain subscribers. In order to get people to discuss your blog, you need to be part of the discussion as well, especially as you continue to build your credibility.

So, I've been immersing myself in the blogosphere. I've been commenting on some related blogs and I'm getting ready to step up my efforts and start commenting on a daily basis, while making an effort to post on my own blog more often.

In addition, since I talk so much about the permission marketing concept, I've started to do a bit of permission marketing myself. What better place to attract people to read a blog about social networks than social networks? I've been messaging both friends and strangers who are really into social networking to tell them about my blog and attract them to my URL.

These efforts combined over time should start generating some credibility, hits, and eventually commentary as well. Until then, please read my blog and let's keep the conversation going!

Wanna Get Away?

I know I do! Finally, a niche social network that get's it! Matador is a great online community for people across the globe that are passionate about culture and travel. It incorporates all the basic features: profiles, blogs, photos, and articles, while also providing users with travel classifieds, Google maps, tips, and user recommendations. As one article points out, there are ways the site could be improved, but overall it seems to be a great community--and it definitely has me excited for my upcoming trips abroad.


However, what I think is most important to think about with this is the fact that Matador is a niche social network. This makes targeting users with advertisements and promotions much easier. As I was looking at some of the advertising on the site I noticed that a lot of it did not even feel like business promotions as much as site-friendly suggestions.

Ta-da, it's the permission marketing concept in action once again!

In niche communities it is much easier to implement a permission-marketing scheme. That's why I feel niche web-based communities are the future of social networking, especially those like Matador that encourage impassioned discussion among users. Perhaps these niche communities will all one day be integrated through one service so they are easier to keep track of, but they will still be the communities of the future--and I believe they will help generate more promotional success than other social networks.

Study Reinforces Need for Corporate Sustainability in SL

Komjuniti, a spin-off agency of the Brand Science Institute released the results from a study attempting to measure Second Life users perceptions and satisfaction with companies in the virtual world. Revealed just last week, the results were not entirely surprising.

To give you a few of the numbers: 72% were "disappointed with the activities of companies in Second Life," 42% felt companies' presence in Second Life would be a "short-term trend," and only 7% think companies' presence "has a positive influence on brand image and their future buying behavior." The study also said that hotel and retail companies fared best in user satisfaction.

As I talked about in an earlier post, while there is no real right or wrong way to be in Second Life, one thing that companies do need to focus on is having a plan for sustaining a meaningful presence in world. This study seemed to come to the same conclusion, adding that users want a greater chance to interact with the brands in Second Life.

Take a look at the Marketing and Strategy Innovation Blog where I was first directed to this story.

It's All About Market Research

NBC is taking the viewer experience to another level by becoming the first broadcast website to integrate social networking tools. The network will allow users to create a profile, post clips from their favorite shows and embed NBC video to other social networking sites. There will also be numerous comment and chat features so users can share their other favorite shows and talk to one another as they watch shows online.

I feel like this is one of the first social networks that will really allow for marketing research within social networks to expand its reach. NBC will be able to track trends among its viewers and compile specific reports about the audience for each show (including other shows that the audience watches). This will provide NBC with great material for selling to advertisers.

In addition, by offerring its shows/videos online (and available for embedding on other social-networking sites), they will likely be able to integrate advertising sponsors into those video clips--generating even more revenue for themselves. Finally, mainstream media is beginning to understand how to use social networking to their advantage. I think what NBC is doing is the solution to the copyright-infringement/YouTube crisis.

No Right or Wrong Way to be in Second Life

Since January I've been in Second Life, exploring and learning more about the community. This past week my Audience Research class went in to compare what types of things different companies and members are doing with their space. Specifically we looked at Leo Burnett, Paper Couture, and Kawaii Ku.


Leo Burnett is a nationally recognized advertising firm, Paper Couture is a design boutique created in Second Life, and Kawaii Ku is a fan-based creation in tribute to Japanese anime. All three locations are very unique in their own ways. It's funny though, because you would never guess what kind of company Leo Burnett is from it's Second Life Island. However, Paper Couture's store--which got started in Second Life--is laid out just like an exclusive boutique would be in the real world. And Kawaii Ku, as one might expect, is larger than life.


This got me to thinking about a conversation my class had not too long ago with PR Week's Young PR Professional of the Year, Aaron Uhrmacher of Text 100, also known as Smiddy Smails in Second Life. He said he didn't think there was a right or wrong way for a company to be in Second Life. According to him, everyone is still learning and trying new things. However, what Uhrmacher does see as being important to a company's success in Second Life is their commitment to the medium. Second Life should be a long term investment and companies should aspire to involve and build communities.

Right now I am putting together a media plan for gourmet chocolate bar company, New Tree. If New Tree were to enter Second Life, I feel like the best thing they could do to market themselves is to build an Island and make it fun and interactive. That is what ultimately will bring people into their world. During this exercise, I found that one of the most populated destinations was Kawaii Ku, and I feel like that's because it is so unique. New Tree could have fun and create an entire world out of chocolate, and yet create different ways people can also interact with their brand. Chocolate has a natural appeal to people, so I feel like there are many approaches New Tree could take to attract consumers. As Uhrmacher says, there is no right or wrong way.

From the Web to the Streets...

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a part of a mass pillow fight? How about a bubble battle? Or a capture the flag game? Well, the folks at Newmindspace have made it all possible.

Their most recent event took place two weeks ago in Union Square, and what was their sole source of promotion? Word-of-mouth social networking. This is the second year in a row that the event has been held. It is reported that over 2,000 people were in attendance. All the buzz was generated mostly through MySpace and Facebook (where the event was listed and garnered 1,715 attendance confirmations), which then led to numerous diggs and generated mass commentary on the event webpage. This, in turn, led to mainstream publicity, most notably NPR.

However, this event not only got me thinking about the possibilities for event promotion through social networking, it also made me consider just how many opportunities this kind of event can generate for more effective advertising off the web. Think about it. This type of event is just begging for sponsorships (albeit, newmindspace has no advertising and runs their website solely off of donations). In addition to that, it is bringing a large, niche audience to one place for a specific event which I think lends itself perfectly to the implementation of some outdoor and guerilla advertising. With all these ideas within the realm of possibility, don't you think it's not long before corporations begin buying into "event advertising" and start organizing their own event promotions online?

If you can't visualize it, just take a look at the video below. That will give you an idea of the environment Newmindspace has created. It's definitely something worth thinking about.

Which Websites Carry Our Advertisements?

When it comes to advertising on the internet, how involved are companies in the media placement process? Do companies pay close attention to the websites they advertise on? Do they look at the possible ramifications of the associations they are making between their company and websites through their ad placement?

Apparently, the answer to that question in a lot of cases is no. In a controversy that surged over the past weekend when Ann Coulter, a widely-criticized conservative commentator, made disparaging remarks about Democratic candidate John Edwards calling him a "faggot"; companies that advertise on her website were criticised for their indirect support of what many label bigotry and slander. Among the companies advertising on AnnCoulter.com, three said they will pull their ads immediately, adding they knew nothing about their ad placement on the website until the consumer complaints started rolling in according to a recent CNN article.

Are companies really this unaware of their online advertising? Those in the article reported using outside online advertising agencies and apparently gave them full-control of where their content ended up. Obviously, organizations need to not only consider where consumers want to see their advertisements, but also where they do not want to see them.

Interesting note: the internet and social networking played a large role in the backlash those companies recieved. The internet can be a powerful tool, but it can also be quite damaging when used without paying attention to detail.

"Anna! We love you!" But Do We Really?

Fans gathering outside the church of Anna Nicole Smith's funeral service expressed their sentiment for the late reality TV star/former Playboy bunny on Friday. I wonder though, do the majority of Americans really love Anna Nicole so much that we want her on our front-page news day after day for over two weeks? For me, the answer to that question is a resounding no. Even one day on the frontpage is too much for me.

So, in honor of what was hopefully not just the burial of her body, but the burial of her news cycle saga as well, I'm going to talk about a social network that lets you and me control the news. Newsvine. Here, the users choose the headlines that they think are most important, and collectively they create the front page.

However, this is not just important for those fed up with mainstream media, this is essential for the blogging community as well. Why? Well, Newsvine not only allows you to choose which stories from the AP and other major media outlets make it to the top, it also allows you to "seed" articles from less mainstream sites and post your own stories. That means top-ranked blog seeds and user stories appear right next to top-ranked mainstream news articles. Talk about giving people a variety of viewpoints, and enabling premium exposure for everyone!


Think you've seen this before? Skeptical? In a blog4brains article I was reading, the author makes a great plug for why Newsvine might be better than other social networking sites (i.e. MySpace and Digg). Check out the article and Newsvine to see more of the many convenient and addicting features offerred to users.

I see this network really going places. The community is very active within the Newsvine, they just need to get word about it out. In my opinion, Newsvine is the future. It will be the source that takes the blogosphere more mainstream and really puts consumers in charge of their news. Do you see dollar signs? I know I do. $$$! The advertising dollars are a-coming. And did I mention all users are automatically registered for their revenue-sharing program? Yeah. This is the real deal.

Have You Checked Out Panjea?

Panjea. It's MySpace meets YouTube, and thus far it is my favorite social networking site. It not only allows you to create your own profile, it also allows you to share videos, earn revenue, and soon it will allow you to do even more! Sometime in March Panjea is releasing a private beta version of their site where you can create your own television channels and share videos faster and better than ever before. Check out the demo below for more info. And create a Panjea account while you're at it.

What I like most about Panjea (other than its seamless layout) is the fact that nothing is obnoxious about it. The advertisements aren't so in your face that you're annoyed and user-content is displayed in an easy to digest form. Could this be the premier network of the future? It quite possibly could be.

Web Browser Meets Social Network

My newest find while surfing the web: Flock. From Mozilla, it's the first "social web browser" and it's basically integrating social networking into your general web-browsing experience. No, this is not an extension to Firefox, it is an entirely independent web browser. Everything that social networks have enabled you to do before has been streamlined through Flock.

I decided to download Flock and take it for a test run. While it still has a few kinks, it is definitely the browser of the future. If you like Firefox and you're even slightly obsessed with checking your various community, photo, and blog accounts you will love it.


On Flock you can do it all so much easier! Drag and drop your photos to share. Search as you type. Easily build your own news feed. Use the built-in blog editor to make posting easier. These features aren't necessarily that new, but they are definitely improved from other browsers, and they're all available straight from your toolbar. Just take the tour to see some of the innovative tools for yourself.

You'll see a few things you're familiar with in Flock's design as well. It's homepage for instance: a Google-esque search engine powered by Yahoo! An interesting question to consider is will Yahoo! try to integrate some of these ideas into their own site? And, could this put them back on the map in comparison to Google who has far outpaced them in number of hits since its unveiling? I think it all really depends on just how successful Flock turns out to be. With the rise of influence in social networking, I have a feeling it will be more than a passing fad. Once people hear about it, the rest will be history.


While an initial beta version of the browser was released in October of 2005, it had difficulty catching on in the mainstream. When Flock teamed up with Photobucket last year that was when things started happenning. I don't think Flock has reached it's full potential just yet though.

It will be interesting to watch and see how it does, especially since social networking is its largest source for promotion. The more I learn about Flock, the more I relate its strategy to Google. While Flock is attempting to do something different from anyone else, it is totally grasping the buzz and permission marketing concept that Google so successfully implemented. Word of mouth is its sole source of promotion. In addition, Flock's open-forum setup makes it the closest thing to a user-generated browser as it grows and expands off of user feedback. Flock's community members are "Flockstars." They spread the word and invite their friends. Will you be a Flockstar? Will this story end with the same type of success as Google? Only time will tell...

Share All (Find All) On Slifeshare

"Download Slife and start streaming all your favorite music, websites and feeds to your Slifeshare!"

Wait a second? Is this just a form of voluntary Spyware?

I don't know, but what I do know is Slifeshare is a new online community that allows its users to download software that will track and share everything (stopping just short of keystrokes) that they do on their computers. Apparently, people not only don't mind if the government is watching their every move, they don't care if strangers across the globe are either. After launching a little less than a week ago, people are already really getting into it. Don't believe me? Check out the Mashable article: Slifeshare Scares the Sh*t Out of Me.


While it seems like Slifeshare's main users are still confined to a pretty niche audience, just look at a profile. Regardless of how into sharing this guy is, it's incredible that you and I can look at the applications used (and when), websites most visited, RSS feeds most read, songs most listened to, and more; all of a complete stranger!

The idea behind the concept is that users can find people with similar habits and tastes to network with. However, I'm not really sure how much this service (especially when this extensive) really benefits the Average Joe. What I can see, however, is its advantages for marketing researchers. Depending on what types of search features are developed as Slifeshare grows, this could tell corporations a lot about people in general and help them target more effectively than ever imagined. Best of all--data accuracy. Obviously, the numbers in Slifeshare don't lie.

The only problem? It's only for Macs. We'll see if that changes.

The American Way: At Least, the Way It Should Be

Okay, so you've seen the Facebook and MySpace groups promoting various politicians and causes, but have you joined the social network for your favorite politician yet? No? Well, it's time you got on top of that!

Presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has created a venue where his already strong base of grassroot supporters can gather, take shape, grow, and communicate. Is this just a cheesy attempt at being the social networking guru of politicians, or is this what politicians need to do to be successful? I'm thinking it's the latter.

While I wasn't shocked, I was definitely surprised when I saw one of my friends had left a comment on my Facebook wall saying, "Why don't you have a profile on the Barack site yet? I just tried to friend you to discover you weren't there. Sad..." Just another example of how social networks are interlinked and such a powerful tool for promotion, even for politicians.

The Obama site really is innovative, but it's also practical--why didn't anyone think of this before? I mean, hello! A website that allows you to organize fundraising, find events, talk to your friends, join groups and discussions with others, start your own blog--all surrounding something you have in common--a politician you want to support! The site doesn't just make sense for supporters, it makes sense for Obama. Think of all the information he has about his prime voters, all at his fingertips, on the world-wide-web for all to see.

Smart, very smart.

"Diaries": The Future of Social Networking?

Well, Comcast is taking Ziddio.com's social networking capabilities to the next level, and they're doing it through the second-largest social-networking site: Facebook! The two sites will be integrated to allow users to create and share video content on both the websites and Comcast's On Demand service--again, crossing media!

The full integration will be rolled out in March with a contest to kick-off the project and get users interested. Short video submissions depicting users' life experiences will be selected to air on a 10-episode, half-hour TV show, appropriately dubbed "The Facebook Diaries."

Comcast and Facebook are pulling out all the stops in this deal. They even reeled in R.J. Cutler as producer of the new TV series, an Oscar-nominated producer currently known for his work on the show "30 Days."

I don't know who the bigger winner in this deal is. Facebook has the opportunity to spread its influence and reach even further, already boasting the second-largest photo-sharing site on the web and over 16 million registered users. On the other hand, Ziddio has the opportunity to tap into this network and get people talking about its user-generated sharing platform and the opportunity it provides to you and me to have our videos shown on television.

Depending on how the Comcast television community responds to this new form of social networking, both Ziddio and Facebook will have even more opportunities to expand. After all, Comcast has over 24.2 million cable customers to market this innovative sharing event to.

It's certainly a big leap for social networking. For more information on the story check out these articles on Streaming Media and iMedia Connection, or the Comcast press release.

Ziddio: Has Comcast One-Upped YouTube?

Launched a little over 3 months ago, the other day I finally stumbled across Comcast's version of YouTube: Ziddio. At first I was skeptical of the new video-sharing platform. I mean, YouTube was first and that should mean something right? This newcomer has got to be a spin-off, a wannabe, a copy-cat, whatever you want to call it...right? Wrong. Ziddio is the real deal folks, and it's got plenty of features YouTube doesn't.



First and foremost, contests. Ziddio encourages the creation of more purely user-generated content by offerring prizes ranging from money to things that are usually more unobtainable such as the chance to direct a pilot in Hollywood based on your idea, or for the more superficial crowd (or just the curious), the chance to date a model. And of course, always looming in the background of the realm of opportunity is the chance that you or your video might be featured on, gasp!, television.

That's right, Ziddio is the first video-sharing website that is crossing media. This takes "online" social networking to a whole new level. Perhaps television isn't too prehistoric for this Internet-savvy generation...it still sure does hold the fascination of the American public.

Still, I wonder if Ziddio will really act as competition to YouTube, or if it will simply evolve as its own entity alongside the video-sharing giant. What's surprising to me is Ziddio's lack of advertisements and interaction among users. I wonder if this is something that Comcast will develop over time, or if they plan to keep it more clean and less organic.

If you hadn't heard of Ziddio before, you soon will. Ziddio is hot! The reason? Its recently announced partnership with Facebook. More on that tomorrow.

To learn more about the launch of Ziddio, check out the article on Mashable, my new favorite blog that addresses all topics related to social networking.

The World of Podcasting: It's Practice and Purpose

Not too long ago I didn't even know what a podcast was. Then, suddenly it seemed like everyone was talking about them, telling me to check out this podcast and that podcast. Now it seems that podcasts are the hot new tool for delivery of information not just for entertainment purposes, but for practical ones as well. You can subscribe to a podcast on any number of topics and updates will be automatically sent right to your computer. And get this: now there even is an online social network for the discussion of podcasting deemed the World Podcast Forum. One thing is for sure, podcasting is definitely hot!

Just about everyone with a computer now has the technology to create their own podcast, but what is interesting is how various industries and corporations are going about using this new technology.

The corporate world has realized that podcasts offer a great new method of communicating with the public and those individuals that desire to hear their message on a deeper level. The truth of the matter is, no one is going to listen to a corporate or industry podcast if they don't have some sort of previous interest in the message being offerred. So the key is for these podcasts to offer a supplemental message that can appeal to their niche audience and tell them something they didn't know about before. Then, maybe, if they're lucky, members of this niche audience will go out and tell other people about what they heard.

Recently I listened to a couple of podcasts from the public relations and advertising industries. Edelman, one of the leading public relations firms in the country has very advanced website offerings compared to most of its competitors with numerous links to podcasts and blogs produced by employees. After listening to a podcast on ethics in social media communications, I was very intrigued, and realized that even though only a select group of people would ever actually hear the material--word of its content still had the ability to spread. So I went on Google to see just how much talk was out there about Edelman's commentary on new ethics standards and found that over 30 media-related blogs had mentioned it.

The influence of the blogosphere in the spread of information cannot be underestimated. However, neither can the influence of podcasts. This is a major source of material for many bloggers, and that is why this form of communication is truly valuable to corporations and industry professionals.

Super Consumption

After having a day to reflect on all the Super Bowl advertisements, it seems that what's more interesting is not the content of the coveted 30-second spots, it's the role online video streaming has played in the hype and appeal of these advertisements.


Many websites, including Adbowl.com and Spotbowl.com, have created polls in which users can rank the advertisements from best to worst. YouTube has brought together the entire experience--allowing users to watch and rank--and then rewarding the winning video with prime advertising space on its homepage. Now that is social marketing at it's core. It all comes back to the permission marketing principle, letting people see the advertisements that they want to see. If they don't want to see it, then you didn't do your job.

However, social networks and word of mouth marketing are what make airing an ad on the superbowl worth the $2.6 million price tag. These advertisements create buzz before the game; they generate loads of PR after the game; and now, thanks to online video, these advertisements generate enough traffic to compile more impressions than they ever could during any 30-second spot on television alone.

On the flip side, the internet also allows for immediate criticism and rebuke from online communities in response to the advertisements. This year was no exception when it came to stirring debate over Super Bowl commercial content. Advertisers GM and Snickers have felt the heat for their commercials that blur the line on what is acceptable social commentary.

Still, how often have we heard that all publicity is good publicity? I think it's safe to say that the era of television advertising as a primary medium is definitely gone. Multimedia advertising is becoming more relevant and necessary in the success of advertising messages and their reach towards consumers.

"Flipping the Funnel"

When Seth Godin traveled to the Google campus last year for a presentation relating to his book All Marketers Are Liars he addressed the importance of creating a unique product that customers are interested in and utilizing available technology to market the product. According to Godin, marketers' top priority needs to be finding a way to "flip the funnel" or widen their audience through associated networks.

Godin champions the idea of "permission marketing," the concept that you tell your story to the people that want to hear it. Google does this extremely effectively. You only see ads for products you are interested in seeing ads for. Boom, permission marketing. However, online social networks provide ample opportunities for permission marketing as well. There are all sorts of online forums within social networks for discussing certain types of activities or products and marketers are just starting to discover the ample opportunities for product promotion in this area.

During the question and answer segment of his presentation, a Google employee asked whether hiring people to go into forums and create buzz by talking about their products was a good idea or not. Godin was of the opinion that, while there are people out there that do that and are successful, it is a form of fraud and deception and if people find out you're not one of them it's very likely going to get them upset.

So, the primary question is: how do you infiltrate social networks in a way that is in harmony with the idea of permission marketing? How do you create buzz in an organic way?

I think it's helpful to look at some of Godin's main points on what it takes to get an initial group of people interested in a product. First, you need a story, and it needs to be a story that people haven't heard before--something that is going to catch their interest and make them want to talk about it, i.e. "A Purple Cow." Second, you need to create a product that people already want, not a product that needs built up attraction. Third, you need to know where your niche of people is that want your product, and you need to reach as many of them as you can. Through this niche, word of your product will spread because these are the people that are passionate about it.

How do I get conversations to take place? How do I flip the funnel? These ideas are a solid beginning.

To hear more, view the video at: Google Video.

Let the Networking Begin!

Hello, my name is Chelsea Boryca and I am an Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College. For the next few months I will be blogging on the many ways that various companies and organizations are building relationships with and promoting their products to potential customers through online social networks.

I've chosen to write about this because I find the concept of social networks, and society's now vastly expressed desire for virtual expression fascinating. It's amazing to see how people interact in these various online environments and just how much information they are willing to share and consume. This makes how companies market to these individuals all the more interesting since they now have the ability to target their audience much more specifically and reach them in a more effective way than they have ever been able to before. The nature of social networks has also widened the field of competition and made it possible for more people to compete for consumers' attention.

In this "friendly" environment, consumers are much more likely to pay attention to what you or anyone else has to say. Is this a good thing? Is product promotion within social networking sites your friend or foe? I will explore these questions along with countless others provoked by the emerging trends and relationships within online communities.