Shel Holtz's Link Blog on NewsGator Online

Google Fights Back

susabelle — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:36:44 GMT

I have to give it to Google; they are 99% of the time ahead of the game. They are bringing to bear things that other companies have only dreamed about. And when they get push-back, they give as good as they get.

Today comes news that after Apple rejected the Google Phone app, Google has retooled the app and has made it available as a web site instead. Take THAT Apple. Of course, the developers at Apple are likely scrambling to find a way to block it, but they can’t block every website that comes up with another way to present an iPhone app that was rejected by Apple. If they start, where will it end?

The cool thing about this is Google has shown/proved that you can get people what they are looking for and need without going through traditional channels every time. How long before other developers follow suit?

The fact is, the availability of functionality in the iPhone is ultimately what will make it a success. And that function comes through apps. Without the apps, the iPhone is just another cell phone.

ER Docs Tweet, Connect Online: How Health Care is Using Social Media

Marijean Jaggers — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:20:22 GMT

Health care is adopting social media and in particular, a social network developed specifically for physicians: Ozmosis. As we say on Facebook, Standing Partnership likes this. What better tool than a secure, private social network for physicians to connect, collaborate, learn, discover and grow? Having been on the patient side as well as consulted for health care practices, physician networks and hospitals, we know that physicians trust networks of peers, and that those peers are not always easy to connect to or locate when an answer is needed or a challenging patient case presents itself.

Enter Ozmosis, the Trusted Physician's Network, a secure online tool providing U.S. licensed physicians a place they can turn daily for clinical, practice management and health policy information. Ozmosis is a social network like LinkedIn or Facebook, but it is offered exclusively for verified and licensed physicians so they can exchange medical knowledge in a trusted environment.

Physicians are Using Ozmosis To:

Share clinical, practice management and health policy insights with peers
Submit and discuss journal articles from across the Web such as this article about ER doctors learning to Tweet
Reconnect with old classmates and colleagues to build a professional social network
Consult on cases with verified physicians from across the country
View, search and discuss real-time public health alerts

U.S. licensed physicians can register and use Ozmosis for free. Share this post with YOUR physician today; wouldn't you rather have a health care provider who is connected to a network that can help him provide even better care for you?

YAWN: WSJ’s "New" Embargo Rules

Jeremy (noreply@blogger.com) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:23:00 GMT

The big PR news for today was that the Wall Street Journal is no longer going to be honoring or accepting embargoed news, according to Paid Content. They want exclusives, and not to be one of many publications and sites that is pre-briefed under embargo.

Um, so what? No, I mean I understand why some people are up in arms about this, but let’s be honest. In my experience, WSJ would agree to a verbal embargo, but if something happened, they would run the story. For the most part, that has been fine for PR people. It was and is a relationship, one built on trust and an understanding of the PR and journalism dance.

But let’s get back to reality here – it’s the Wall Street Journal. It’s the paper of record, the big kahuna. It’s the paper that is one of the few national publications – USA Today, NY Times and WSJ – and one of the few (if not the only) outlets that people pay for online. It’s a paper that wants – no, needs – exclusives, and it likely tired of being scooped by blogs that neither understand the embargo dance, nor care to partake in that dance.

Why would the WSJ continue to be one of 20+ outlets being briefed? That is the buckshot approach for some public relations executives and firms. But, well, that has never worked and that is not an embargo situation, but scattershot PR.

And in this new digital age, the embargo is dead. News moves too quickly nowadays to rely just on an embargo. Yes, you can call up a reporter prior to the announcement and say “dude, got some big news tomorrow, no I won’t tell you, but don’t be that guy and pass and then be pissed you missed the story.” Of course, too many PR people have no idea what is REAL embargoed news, and what’s just news that is not embargo worthy. I tend to get more of the former, a bit of the latter. Hint: a new social media newsroom is not embargo worthy.

The new reality is that print publications run news online (and have for the past 10 years). They will run a more in-depth article in the print version, or write up a bigger story if there is an exclusive or if they have more information that makes for a deeper, more analytical story. Just look at the Wall Street Journal today – two stories on Whole Foods: one on the blog, and an in-depth article in the paper. Interestingly enough, the article has more comments online than the blog post.

That’s all under the WSJ umbrella. As Ali pointed out on Paid Content, both AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher and WSJ’s Jessica Vascellaro (who writes for the paper and the Digits blog) both covered the new Yahoo! home page, but Kara had the fuller article. When you are in a race not only with other outlets, but a part of your own – and sorry for anyone that goes up against Kara “Woman of a Million Scoops” Swisher, as her Rolodex rocks and she’ll get the online video interview as well.

The problem is that most PR people don’t get this. They don’t understand the value of an embargo that you go to one or two trusted outlets/reporters, and then you go out big post-breaking news. They don’t understand that there have never been any real hard and fast rules on embargoes, but are by the seat of your pants. And, they don’t understand how media has really changed.

This isn’t a “media is dead” idea. This isn’t a “print is dead” perspective. This isn’t “social media” or “Web 2.0” thinking. Many of those ideas are just meme attractors, and have no real value, especially in public relations. The WSJ is still the WSJ and the NYT is still the NYT and they have the top writers and thinkers out there (as do many newspapers with national presence).

This is about how embargoes no longer work in a world where media consumption has changed, and where people are consuming media on a 24/7 platform, and the news cycle is now immediate. People find out things first online; the fast reporters and bloggers get news up immediately, and then people read print (or read print articles online) for the more in-depth analysis, the executive interview and some exclusivity for that one or two outlets. The embargo has outlived its usefulness, but relationships have not been replaced, and the pre-brief is still in existence. It is about the way you do PR in a 24/7 news cycle. And, how you can out-maneuver others in a 24/7 news cycle.

Because, at the end of the day, media is media, reporters will still talk on background and the story will get out there.

Broadband's Impact on Citizen Engagement

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:00:00 GMT

The goal of this FCC workshop is to assess, and facilitate a conversation about, the current state of data on broadband adoption and utilization, as well as the associated measurement and other challenges. Susannah Fox will discuss the Pew Internet Project's latest data on broadband adoption and the difference broadband makes to citizen engagement, health care information gathering & participation, and collaboration.

Twitterelevancy

davidw — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:57:22 GMT

With it’s new Fresh view, Delicious builds on the TweetNews idea of using links in Tweets (and other measures) as a way to find what’s newest and most interesting. As the blog post about it says:

Underneath the hood, Fresh factors several features into the ranking like related bookmark and tweet counts, “eats our own dogfood” by leveraging BOSS to filter for high quality results, as well as stitches tweets to related articles even if the tweets do not provide matching URLs (as ~81% of tweets do not contain URLs). Try clicking the ‘x Related Tweets’ link for any given story to see the Twitter conversation appear instantly inline.

It’s a welcome reslicing, not a whole new beast, but it seems useful.

[Tags: delivious everything_is_miscellaneous twitter news ]

CheapTweet Aims to Connect Retailers With Deal-Hungry Twitter Users

rss@incisivemedia.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:56:43 GMT

Best Buy and VacationRentals.com are among advertisers using a new service to promote real-time sales and specials.

Yahoo Study Suggests Metrics to Determine Video Engagement Levels

rss@incisivemedia.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:16:37 GMT

Study finds high-engagement videos lead to much higher ad recall and Web site visits.

The Next Target for Advertisers? Your Office Cubicle

Ira Sager — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:32:06 GMT

The following item was contributed by Ronald Grover, BusinessWeek's Los Angeles bureau chief.

It’s a new hunting ground for advertisers in search of eyeballs glued to TV shows and other videos: your office cubicle. At least that’s what a new study by five keenly interested groups, including marketing company Havas Digital, a unit of ad agency Omnicom Group and Hollywood studio Warner Brothers, are postulating. The study surveyed 2,024 Internet users with high-speed connections, aged 13 to 54.

The fact that zoned-out workers head for their office PC to catch YouTube or the show they missed last night is hardly news. Nielsen has tracked that for months, and figures that 34% of the 170.5 million folks who watched online video last month did so at the office. But the latest report, which was also sponsored by Yahoo! and conducted by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Interpret LLC, identified the peak times of between noon and 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. for marketers to target. Not surprisingly, the times to stay away are around dinner time, which for online video users seems to be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The study basically turns on its head the notion of prime time viewing that has driven TV marketers for years, says Jason Kramer, chief strategy officer at Interpret LLC. He advises that “rather than advertisers only vying for spots on hot television shows that appear during primetime, they can leverage online video to reach targeted audiences more often than just once a week.”

That’s key, the study also found, because viewers are twice as likely to ignore TV ads as online ads. Then again, they are three times more likely to remember the ads that were featured if they appear alongside “highly engaging videos,” meaning that the ad community had best figure out which are the hot shows streaming across folks computer screens. The payoff can be even larger: consumers who watch highly engaging videos are also three times more likely to mention the brands in ads that run alongside them to someone else, hyper-charging the world of mouth that can make a modest item into a big seller.

As for whether the cubicle dwellers will continue clicking to buy something, that’s still to be determined. Even among those highly engaged video watchers, only 28% visit the Web site for the ad they watched. Then again, that’s nearly three times more often than those who watched less engaging videos.

Twitter Highest Linked Social Networking Site in Email Campaigns

Dr.Clip — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:17:49 GMT

Clipped from www.adoperationsonline.com

The first email campaign with a link to twitter.com tracked by Email Data Source was in 2007, and for all of 2007, there were a total of 215 email marketing campaigns that linked to the site. During that same year, there were 729 campaigns that linked to Facebook. In 2008, the number of campaigns containing Twitter links grew by 1081% (to 2,540 campaigns) and 1635% (to 12,650 campaigns) for Facebook.

To date in 2009 the number of campaigns with Twitter links has grown to 41,399 and 41,052 for Facebook. Twitter officially passed Facebook and became the most linked to social media outlet in March of 2009. During March, Email Data Source recorded 4,408 email campaigns which linked to Twitter and 4,292 email campaigns with links to Facebook.Read more at www.adoperationsonline.com

At Work Internet Users and Usage

Dr.Clip — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:23:00 GMT

Clipped from www.emarketer.com

See more at www.emarketer.com

Celebrity Endorsements Perceived as Not Very Effective

Dr.Clip — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:29:24 GMT

Clipped from www.marketingcharts.com

When respondents in the survey were asked whether the presence of a celebrity in an ad makes them more likely, less likely or neither more or less likely to buy the product, nearly 8 in 10 (78%) said it doesn’t sway them one way or the other. In fact, only 8% said the presence of a celebrity spokesperson makes them more likely to buy a product. This compares with a significant 12% who actually say it makes them less likely to buy a product.
Read more at www.marketingcharts.com

Facebook Generation Carries Social Software in the Enterprise - eWeek

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:07:37 GMT

Facebook Generation Carries Social Software in the Enterprise
eWeek
Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, along with blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and other messaging and collaboration tools, are finding their way into the workplace as ...
Frontline Workers Leading Web 2.0Nextgov
Security risks of Web 2.0 tools should not be overlooked by ...ZDNet
Jakob Nielsen on Enterprise 2.0 AdoptionFastForward Blog
CMSWire
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Emergency Alert Provider Sues Twitter Over Patents - PC World

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:09:17 GMT

Pocket-lint.com

Emergency Alert Provider Sues Twitter Over Patents
PC World
Twitter, the red-hot micro-blogging and social networking company, designed its system in a way that violates three TechRadium patents, an attorney for the ...
Twitter Hit With Patent Infringement LawsuitChannelWeb
Lawsuit: Twitter Method Infringes PatentsWired News
Twitter accused of violating a patentBoston Globe
Digital Media Wire -Bizjournals.com -BBC News -TG Daily
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Bloggers At Risk? AP May Charge $2.50 Per Word - Erictric

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:57:23 GMT

Bloggers At Risk? AP May Charge $2.50 Per Word
Erictric
As a blogger, it's often necessary to use one's quotes in order to make a point. As if the Associated Press wasn't content enough with a simple credit link ...
The Following Form Is Going To Affect Every Blog You ReadPhilebrity.com

all 2 news articles »

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business - BusinessWeek

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:07:37 GMT

Product Reviews

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Business
BusinessWeek
Social networking can't make bad coffee palatable or make your yogurt creamier, but it can spread the word quickly as you build a reputation for excellence. ...
Marine Corps Bans Social Media On Military NetworkInformationWeek
3 Reasons US Marines Need Social NetworkingChannelWeb
Survey: Business world still unprepared for realities of social ...SmartBrief
Times Online -Fast Company -ClickZ News
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Social networks are speeding up hiring with 'twésumés' and other ... - Christian Science Monitor

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:45:35 GMT

Product Reviews

Social networks are speeding up hiring with 'twésumés' and other ...
Christian Science Monitor
The social-networking site led him to an opening at an Internet start-up company in San Francisco. Later that Friday, he was tweeting with an employee at ...
Marine Corps Bans Social Media On Military NetworkInformationWeek
3 Reasons US Marines Need Social NetworkingChannelWeb
Top Five Social Network Bans In The USInventorspot
SmartBrief -Times Online -Nextgov
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Smokey Bear Using Social Networking At 65 - cbs4denver.com

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:59:17 GMT

Post Chronicle

Smokey Bear Using Social Networking At 65
cbs4denver.com
Read more in our Privacy Policy DENVER (CBS4) ― Smokey Bear, the enduring symbol of wildfire prevention, is turning to social networking on his latest ...
Photos: Smokey Bear is 65 and on Myspace, FacebookPost Chronicle

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TiVo adds new Web videos, option to watch niche content - CNET News

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:13:20 GMT

CNET News

TiVo adds new Web videos, option to watch niche content
CNET News
Also, subscribers who are interested in watching video podcasts that they can't find through TiVo's listing can enter RSS feeds manually to watch the show ...
TiVo unveils new podcast servicesBizjournals.com
TiVo Bulks Up Free Web Video ContentWorld Screen News
TiVo Ups Free Web ContentHome Media Magazine
Broadcast Newsroom -PR Newswire (press release) -Washington Post
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Apple Ramps Up PR Campaign In Defense Of Its App Store's Policies - Washington Post

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:29:18 GMT

ABC News

Apple Ramps Up PR Campaign In Defense Of Its App Store's Policies
Washington Post
Apple PR did indeed send me a link to Schiller's comments this morning?even though I read the Daring Fireball post on my own.) The controversy all started ...
Apple's curious PR problemCNNMoney.com
From iPhone to iCarus?Brisbane Times
Apple's Phil Schiller comments on Ninjawords censor scandalSlashGear
Mobility Site -ITProPortal -San Francisco Chronicle
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Jakob Nielsen on Enterprise 2.0 Adoption - FastForward Blog

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:07:37 GMT

Jakob Nielsen on Enterprise 2.0 Adoption
FastForward Blog
Instead, simply integrate them into the existing intranet, so that users encounter them naturally.” This exactly what we did in 2004 when we swapped Word ...
Nielsen: Ready or Not, Here Comes Enterprise 2.0CMSWire

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