SPIRAPEX SOCIAL MEDIA BLOG

SOCIAL MEDIA INFOGRAPHIC VIEW OF 2011

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Thought this was an interesting infographic of social media for the year 2011 ... I like infographics, they are fun. So, if you would like to read it go here columnfivemedia lol!

source: columnfivemedia/flowtown

GOOGLE +1 INVITE

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:23:00 +0000

What's really bothering me today is that I want an invite to join Google +1. I want one NOW! Talk about transparency Google - come on! The brilliance of this technique is not without merit though .... YAY- Google wins! Facebook beware because you always want what you can't have. Or you can't always get what you want ... either way.

"In" Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Jay Baer is a creative leader in the field of social media. He has the ability to create a culture around his blog Convince and Convert, where himself and others can share their ideas and feel that they're valued. The following is an article by Bill Murtha that Jay has graciously allowed me to share with you. Enjoy!

Guest Post by Bill Murtha, President and CEO of Roberts Communications, a leading independent advertising agency with offices in New York and Minnesota. Everything you know about social media you probably learned in high school.

In full disclosure, a lot of our social media strategy flows out of the work we do with Jay Baer. He’s been great, taught me and our entire agency a ton about how to develop and deploy social media for our clients and own efforts to grow business. That said, much as we love our time with Jay, I’m always struck right after hanging up the phone, or at end of a webinar, just how simple this whole social media thing is. The hard part—like losing weight, quitting smoking, eating your fruits and veggies– is doing it and sticking with it with in a disciplined day-in and day-out way. But the real basics of how the ecosystem works— well, I learned (and you did too) back in high school.

Cliques and groups define you. Who’s your audience? What are they thinking and feeling? What’s important and relevant to them? In high school, I spanned a bunch of ques, groups, even a few lame gangs. We had juicers, druggies, motor heads, hippies (yes I’m that old,) rockers, heavy metal rockers, jocks and nerds in my HS. And that’s not an exhaustive list. But in each case, as I’d weave through my angst filled teenage years jumping from group to group, each had its own coda, jargon, ethics, special interests, badges of honor (or dishonor) and tests of loyalty.

If you wanted to be part of one – you had to connect with authenticity. Fake it or fail the the test and sniff, whiff or otherwise –and you’d never really be accepted or “in.”

Sound familiar?

Word spreads fast (True or not ?)

Once you were “in” or “out” – anything you’d do that either enhanced your status or tainted it would be known fast …at least before homeroom, often in time for the bus ride home or that night’s game. Word of your distinction (“you won’t believe what Murtha did?”) or loser move (also, “you won’t believe what Murtha did?”) spread instantly and widely.

News about your peers, their activities and interests reached everyone like an organic virus. News about the Beatles, The Doors, Hendrix’s latest riff, a new album, or movie were known and evaluated, liked or disliked in-between class changes and hallway conversations. “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” “Hell no, we won’t go.” “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” McMurphy asking in Cuckoo’s Nest, “Which one of you nuts has move (also, “you won’t believe what Murtha did?”) spread instantly and widely.

News about your peers, their activities and interests reached everyone like an organic virus. News about the Beatles, The Doors, Hendrix’s latest riff, a new album, or movie were known and evaluated, liked or disliked in-between class changes and hallway conversations. “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” “Hell no, we won’t go.” “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” McMurphy asking in Cuckoo’s Nest, “Which one of you nuts has got any guts? “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

Like the info-overloaded hyperactive characters in the current Bing commercials—all this stuff flew through our “social media landscape” like a T1 fire hose. Even without all of today’s technology accelerators, I still think a teenager or tween on a land line can spread word of mouth at comparable speeds. Add texting, tweets, retweets, online reviews, Flickr, HootSuite, Droids, iPhones, transparent consumer rating sites….and you get the idea. Word spreads fast.

Friends want to hang out with other friends

Homogeneity was the goal. Fitting in with a HS clique meant you shared a clothing style, a haircut, an attitude, special interests, leaders, and of course, common enemies and causes. And sharing meant hanging out with your group and talking incessantly in-between chemistry and honors English about the stuff that really mattered to us. And after school, it meant hanging out with a following of like-minded individuals. And followings mattered. The size of the crowd that would show up at that nights’ game, or smoke filled stage at the Fillmore East if you’re not going to share the experience after the concert. And relive each Aqualung or Locomotive Breath crescendo. So we were “atomizing” and recycling our content streams and we didn’t even know it.

Good friends talk, listen, comment, trash or praise and relive everything they experience.

What did you see, hear, watch – and most important, what did you think and feel about it. So if you’re not talking to others, listening to others, telling and retelling their stories, saying thank you with comments, retweets, and pass alongs, reading others blogs, and adding knowledgeable content to the thread—you’re not really a friend. Friends don’t just eavesdrop and watch – they converse and engage with passion and purpose.

You can try to belong to a bunch of groups

But you can only really belong to as many groups who allow you to join. Permission marketing at work in the real world. Ever try to fake or force your way into a group in HS? Do you remember the look on their faces…the stone cold silence or one word answers you’d get in response. You can ask to be in a group as much as you want – but ultimately the group has to let you in or not. They have to accept your invitation and credibility as someone true, valued and worth hanging out with.

I guess everything old is new again?

(Flickr image by Arborreality)

HARDLY WORKING START - UP GUYS

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Through an article in Mashable , I saw this video and it was really funny. I wanted to show the image of the video so you could just click play, but it's not on You Tube. I do have the url for the video so please click this link HARDLY WORKING START-UP GUYS. I guarantee that if your into tech you will love this.

NEW YORK TIMES PAYWALL FOR DUMMIES

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:08:00 +0000

What do you think about the NYT's paywall and it's free 20 page per month viewing limit? Reading 20 pages goes quickly, but you can get extra pages if you link from another site. The NYT's also limits the number of searches that count towards your extra links via Google and other engines - the limit is 5 per day. Forget about paying more for usage on your PC or IPad than your IPhone, Android or Blackberry, that's just plain UNFAIR. If any of this is a bit confusing, it gets even worse, so read here.

Danny Sullivan makes all free access information more difficult to understand - but that's the point. What he does explain very clearly, is what the New York Times is up to, in terms of making money off of this whole paywall - pretty darned well.

What are the tags here: sneaky ... that's the only one i could think of right now.
Image courtesy of blog.freshthrills.com

FLICKR PRIVACY AND THE STOLEN SCREAM

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Here is a great video about Noam Galai, a New York photographer who uploaded his photos a couple of years ago on Flickr and some of his photos went viral, but ... not because he wanted them to.

The copy below is an excerpt of the terms & conditions that one agrees to when opening up a Flickr account.

CONTENT SUBMITTED OR MADE AVAILABLE FOR INCLUSION ON THE SERVICE

Yahoo!7 does not claim ownership of Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Service. However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service, you grant Yahoo!7 the following worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive license(s), as applicable:

With respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of Yahoo!7 Groups, the license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform and publicly display such Content on the Service solely for the purposes of providing and promoting the specific Yahoo!7 Group to which such Content was submitted or made available. This license exists only for as long as you elect to continue to include such Content on the Service and will terminate at the time you remove or Yahoo!7 removes such Content from the Service.
With respect to photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service other than Yahoo!7 Groups, the license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform and publicly display such Content on the Service solely for the purpose for which such Content was submitted or made available. This license exists only for as long as you elect to continue to include such Content on the Service and will terminate at the time you remove or Yahoo!7 removes such Content from the Service.
With respect to Content other than photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Service other than Yahoo!7 Groups, the perpetual, irrevocable and fully sub-licensable license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

"Publicly accessible" areas of the Service are those areas of the Yahoo!7 network of properties that are intended by Yahoo!7 to be available to the general public. By way of example, publicly accessible areas of the Service would include Yahoo!7 Message Boards and portions of Yahoo!7 Groups, Photos and Briefcase that are open to both members and visitors. However, publicly accessible areas of the Service would not include portions of Yahoo!7 Groups that are limited to members, Yahoo!7 services intended for private communication such as Yahoo!7 Mail or Yahoo!7 Messenger, or areas off of the Yahoo!7 network of properties such as portions of World Wide Web sites that are accessible via hypertext or other links but are not hosted or served by Yahoo!7.

I had to force myself to read this very slowly because this part of the terms & conditions is complicated. In a nutshell, they are saying that by agreeing to the terms, that even though Yahoo doesn't "own" the photos on the site Flickr - they can use them. Perhaps for the front page of the site when you log in or if they back it up on the recovery site, etc. Not a big deal. THEY don't say though that by putting your photos on the site that anyone can "steal" them. That's up to whomever has the indecency to do something like that. You can protect yourself though. Flickr has a lot of privacy settings, for instance. You can also put your copyright notice under each photo or a watermark on the photo itself. You can do these things if you don't want anyone to use your images. Hopefully ... or atleast you have some sort of retribution if they do.

Noam didn't do any of this. His photos were public and boy did the public take advantage. He says he doesn't mind so much that artists used the image, to make a statement, for example, but he was not too happy about when somebody or company was making money off of his image. His face has been recycled so many times I wonder if even half of the people using his image know the real source. Originally someone did though, they saw his Flickr account and there is such a thing as Flickr mail. If they wanted to use any of the images it's called "asking permission".

He's turned it around a bit though - he has a website, Facebook and Twitter accounts and he's even selling his images on merchandise in his website store. Noam also works for AOL. I can't help but wonder if any of this would have happened had he been working for Yahoo instead. Rock on Noam Galai !!

HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:39:00 +0000

As a social media consultant, I am pretty aware of how to help a business utilize social media. I spend loads of time researching this topic and have narrowed down some useful tips that may help to dispel the mystique surrounding social media that many companies seem to have. I will be writing about this topic for the next few weeks. Here's a couple of ideas to get you started.

1. Social media is social. Being a social person helps A LOT. If you are a small business or are starting your own business and are too busy or consider yourself an introvert and the thought of socializing is not your thing, I would advise finding someone who can assist you and/or be social for you. There are a ton of social media experts out there who consult and or provide services to do the job of "social" for you.

2. Research how your business competitors are using social media. Are they using the popular networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn ? How are they representing themselves and their company? Who amongst them do you feel are being the most innovative, exciting and engaging ? Try to learn from these companies. Again, social media is social. Ask yourself if your business would be the popular kid in high school or the one that no one knows exists? Being friendly and nice go a long way.

3. Most people, myself included, are inpatient. They want what they want and they want it now! Have you ever had a new lover and felt that rush of excitement when it really "clicked"? When you first venture into social media you will find yourself getting very excited when you get some friend requests on Facebook and people want to follow you on Twitter. Beware the instant infatuation with social media ! Sure, it can be lotsa fun, but it's also hard work. Just like the giddy rush you get with a lover, after awhile that feeling will fade and you will need to work on the relationship in order to build trust. This applies to social media networking 10 fold. Social media takes effort and the ability to develop the "dreaded" quality of patience. But if you hang in there and work at it, and people, clientele and other businesses learn to trust you, a long and lasting connection will result and that is what can help your business grow.

Photo courtesy of penn-olson.com

GOOGLE HIRES SYYN LABS ... AWESOME !

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:33:00 +0000

Have you seen Ok Go's "This Too Shall Pass" video? It has been viral since Spring of 2010 with over 20 million views and is still going strong. If you haven't seen it: Here it is !

This is a Syyn Labs production, inspired by the concept of the old Rube Goldberg machine. It is fabulous. Mesmerizing, inspiring and really fun are a few words that come to mind, so don't forget to watch it again and again. This is ARTECH !!! I believe I just created a new word : ARTECH - cool! The team of of Syyn Lab, comprised of 8 original members, plus a bunch of volunteers to boot, produced this amazing creative production.

The philosophy behind Syyn Labs is that they want to invent mind-blowing "ARTECH" work. They are a bunch of really smart, fun- loving physicists, software engineers and robotics specialists with a love for adventure.

The video project that they produced for Ok Go has interested many companies that are searching for fresh, innovative ways in which to engage their audiences. Among the corporations interested in this type of marketing is Google.

Google hired Syyn Labs to produce a machine to publicize their online Google Global Science Fair, released in January 2011. The team of Syyn worked diligently on this project which includes : flame balls, trained mice that play with slinkys, built rockets and much more. Syyn Labs is trying to merge their artistic values with the corporate world. Their playful collaboration, intelligence and sense of adventure could play a big part in the future of advertising. For more information about this article and the Google project visit Fast Company.

ONLINE NEWSPAPERS AND PAYWALLS

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:52:00 +0000

This may be of the most controversial subjects to come up in awhile. It concerns the decline of traditional newspapers and the popularity of online newspapers. It's a pretty close call, as to whether it's because more people spend their time online making it easier for them to access the news or people have to BUY for newspapers rather than getting the news online for FREE. It's a fact that The NY Times and other very popular newspapers are losing a lot of money due to the rise in online readers. There are a couple of sticky problems that these newspapers are facing.

One, is that The NY Times is starting a paywall so persons who view their news online will have to start paying to do so now. Some have already been paying for The Sunday Times online but now they will also have to for pay for the daily edition. In comparison to the traditional print newspaper though, their online subscription will be less expensive, which will make paying for the online newspapers more appealing. The problem that I see happening with the introduction of a paywall, is that viewers who are used to getting it free might become a bit angry and either turn to other sources of free news on the web, incl. but not limited to, free online 3rd party information that often quotes some of the most important information that is contained in The NY Times. And what about the money that printed newspapers receive from advertising? In one study Nielsen conducted, data confirmed that the ad revenue from The Sunday Times saw a 40 percent decline in traffic in the first few months after paywalls were implemented. BIG problem.

Secondly, let's take a look at The Wall Street Journal, a rival to The NY Times. The Wall Street Journal has already introduced a paywall for their online newspapers but the cost for their online newpaper is considerably less than what the The NY Times has proposed for their online newspaper. BIG problem.

Last, but not least, is the problem if readers of the NY Times and other major newspapers, who are also making the big leap in introducing paywalls, DO decide that paying for the news online is worth the money. For these readers it will be less costly than buying the traditional printed version and that the news that these papers provide is important enough for them to pay for. What will happen when the sales of the printed versions of these papers decline even more? What will happen to the jobs that these papers provide for the countless employees of the manufacturers of all of these papers? Will their be layoffs, absolutely. Or worse, will some of these manufacturers, who have counted on these papers for most of their livelihood as businesses, actually have to close shop. In addition, the retailers who sell these newspapers, are going to suffer as well. BIG problem.

In conclusion, I am not saying, that this is all "problem" and no benefit. The fact is that, as the internet grows, the future looks fairly dim for the older forms of print anyway. Just like years ago, when U.S. factories had to shut down because of the high cost of production and the rise of the importation of goods from other countries; the world changes. Like it or not, we have no other choice than to accept these changes, and try to benefit from them.

HAPPY 2011 !!

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Tell Facebook your best 2010 moments: Facebook

SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS FOR 2011

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:11:00 +0000

One of the things best i like about social media is sharing information. That is why i like to blog about interesting things i find on the internet and if i had a million years to do so it wouldn't be enough time! When i read an article or blog that evokes an emotion in me, i use that as my barometer for what to post about.

I came across a blog by Tom Laine of SocialMediocracy about an article he read in The Harvard Business Review, by David Armano. Mr. Armano compiled a list of 6 Social Media trends that he sees going big for 2011. Tom Laine adds his own list to David's list and so on and so forth. Interesting stuff, worth a read ... a bit techy for me and i'm pretty geeky - but, there is only so much info my little brain can handle. Which is why i chose to write this blog.

I hate using lol, but sometimes it really does hit the nail on the head. Mr. Laine summerizes the 6 Social Media trends that Mr. Armano lists in his blog and i am going to quote from the blog. I mean no disrespect to David Armano by not doing so from his original article, but I have alot to do today. In essence though, i am commenting on the true meaning of what he writes, not how he writes it.

When i read fourth down on the list of six - i LOL'd, yep, i said it and this is why. To quote Tom Laine's summary of #4.... " Social Media schizophrenia emerging when people have too many profiles and networks to maintain and follow". WOW ... that really evoked an emotion !!! I laughed because i could identify with that "feeling" of confusion i get when i have 5 or 6 of my windows open at the same time, flipping between one and the next, just to keep up on the conversations. I am in the business of social media so while that may seem like a lot of sites to be on at once - it's probably about average for us SM folks. There are times, i must admit, that i get a bit overwhelmed and forget to get dressed (if i don't have to meet with a client), eat or pick up my son from school - you know that sort of stuff. The best is when i'm on my PC and i have a window open to mobile Facebook (don't ask me why) and then get a response to a tweet on my cell phone. Shouldn't i be using my phone for mobile Facebook and if i have a window on my PC to Twitter as well, then why do i pick up my cell phone to reply back to the response i got to my tweet. Is this perhaps, " social media schizophrenia "? I dunno, i quess i'm going to have to wait until 2011 to find out.

LETS GET SOCIAL PART 1

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:40:00 +0000

When a customer approaches me to help them with their social media marketing plan, one of the first things i ask them is, "are you social" ? By social, i mean - do they enjoy talking to people, sharing information, accumulating friends and getting close to them. I also ask my clients if they enjoy reading and writing. Most clients will say yes to that question and then choose an independent package. My independent package consists of an initial consultation on how one can utilize social media platforms to reach their specific marketing objectives.

Just as in any good relationship, it takes a lot of effort and time in order to reap the rewards of a social media marketing plan. Most of my customers are very willing to open up accounts on their chosen social networking platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and popular blog sites, etc. I advise them to continue "socializing" everyday or a couple of times a day. If a client is going to have a difficult time keeping up a steady momentum of tweets, posting and blogging, they may benefit from a more dependent package, so that i can do most of the work for them.

Social media platforms depend upon those who have the ability to "be social". Being a social media expert i possess these qualities. If a client is being truthful enough about their own social abilities or inabilities, it makes my job a lot easier. I will then recommend that they allow me to choose the right package for them, the one that best suits their personality.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:48:00 +0000

This is a great time of year, but can also be very stressful for some of us, including myself. I have been on Twitter the past few days, so you can follow me to get some interesting info on social media and i will begin blogging again after Thanksgiving. I have a lot of interesting posts lined up already! Enjoy your feasts everyone and i will be blogging away on the 26th of November with loads of goodies. Talking about goodies, enjoy this article by one of favorite bloggers, Diane Adams of Bit Rebels, for a ingenious recipe that is sure to bring lots of giggles ... while at the same time propelling the world of gummy to a whole new level of YUM.

"MASHUP WITH FACEBOOK"

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:12:00 +0000

After my recent upset with Jimmy Kimmel and "National Unfriend Day" (which by the way, he didn't unfriend anyone, he actually got more friends, HAH - go figure) ... nice media ploy on his part. The recent news between Facebook and MySpace made me sigh with relief, because most of the people that i know, including myself, want to have friends and guess what ? MySpace and Facebook are now "friends"! That is music to my ears (excuse the pun). I left MySpace years ago, but they were, in fact, the first social network that i joined. MySpace led me to my current career as a Social Media expert ... so how could i really "unfriend" them: it wouldn't be fair. So, thank you MySpace for the gift that you gave me, as well as your humility to befriend your competitor Facebook.
I am so proud to announce that MySpace and Facebook now "like" each other! Both social platforms were smart enough to stop the competition for best networking site and focus on what they do best. MySpace is a fantastic social media site for bands and entertainers. Facebook is the most popular social platform for friends and business contacts. The two giants have now accepted that the world needs both of their services and have bonded together to form a partnership; where each site helps one another. I don't like this new collaboration between the two once competitors, i "love" it.

UNFRIEND DAY 11/17/10

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:34:00 +0000

As a follow up to my post earlier this week re: Jimmy Kimmels declaration of Facebooks "National Unfriend Day" ... i would like to know if anyone is going to take this seriously? The big question is .... are any of his fans going to "unfriend" him ? If any of them do, it would be interesting to see the numbers. I already know the # of Facebook fans he has and it is ALOT. I'm not worried about my friends - i do have over 1,500 on all of my pages - but, i always reach out to them and i never disrespect or take them for granted. I friended Jimmy Kimmel on FB this week just so i could "unfriend him". Jimmy Kimmels declaration isn't the most "memorable" event so far this week in social media but, it does speak volumes about a famous person who doesn't really care about his own "friends" on Facebook or Twitter. Oh wait, did i also follow him follow on Twitter, to unfriend him ? Better check that - i can't remember.

NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE TURNS TO TUMBLR FOR HELP!

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:55:00 +0000

This article is fascinating ... Newsweek.com's anonymous employees have turned to the social media network Tumblr to help the failing site's demise. As noted in this Mashable article, it is pretty interesting that staffers would chose Tumblr to create this plea for help instead of Twitter or Facebook. Both of these networks reach a much higher audience than Tumblr. Social media experts are questioning what's really behind this decision that Newsweek.com employees made? Since they remain anonymous, we may never really know. What we do know is that Tumblr is competing with Twitter and rightly so - they are very similar social platforms. So why not chose Twitter instead and/or Facebook ? Quite frankly i'm also a bit confused. Though i did hear a rumor this week, before the Newsweek scandal, that Tumblr is really growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. Do you have a profile on Tumblr? Heads up !

GOOGLE INSTANT PREVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:54:00 +0000

This will be my first microblog on my own blog (?). I usually save my microblogging for Twitter, but because i am totally smitten by Googles instant preview feature i want to write about it everywhere i possibly can. Oh well, i'm over 140 characters, so this is officially now, a post. I really did want to keep it short but when i get excited about something i have a hard time keeping it, you know - um ... short. I don't just "like" this product, I LOVE it! It is especially cool when you Google search your own name, site, blog or anything having to do with yourself on the internet. Just click on that little magnifying glass icon and their you are ... in all your glory, for the whole world to see! Well, perhaps the whole world may not be searching your company or your name to see what your page looks like, but it was super fun for me to see all of mine. This isn't all about me though. This is brilliant. Google taking a screenshot of every single page on the net ... it completely boggles my mind. Especially when every post that i have ever made that is on the Google search engine shows a visual of well ... my stuff , woo hoo !! This is not about me though, well - okay, this IS about me a little bit, but try it for yourself ... go ahead - you know you want to. Do it, Google search yourself and let me know what you think. Isn't it cool? It really is an amazing product. Yes, well now i've officially gone way, way over the 140 (whew) and do you know what i feel like doing right now ... ? You're right! I feel like searching myself all over again. Of course that is, right after i tweet about it.

ROCKMELT

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:42:00 +0000

I just read an interesting article about a new browser called Rockmelt. Yes indeed there is a new browser in town and you are probably shaking your head and thinking to yourself, "why ?, we don't need a new browser, we have too may to choose from already !". Well, according to this article in Reve News, Barry Silverstein says that Rockmelt isn't in the race wars to win favorite browser because it's an entirely new type of browser, it's a " social browser ". This is not a new concept, as there is already a similar social browser on the market called Flock. You can read a comparison review of the two in this article written by PC Mag.com which basically says that Rockmelt is more user-friendly than Flock. So, what exactly does Rockmelt do ? Well, it has built in social features that display most people's three top browsing behaviors, such as social networking, news information and of course, searching. Could this be the future of browsing ? The creators of Rockmelt think so and maybe they are right. It has all of the social sites and activites that we use daily on our computer at our fingertips without having to leave the first page. It saves time, limits the amount of windows we need to open up at once and takes browsing to a whole new level of functional capabilities. It's like having all of our favorite sites on one page. If this is the future of browsing, you can bet there will be a whole "flock" of best new social browsers to follow. Google will certainly want to be one of them, since Google Chrome is still not as popular as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. What do you think about this new browser ? Do you "like" Rockmelt ? Will it rock or will it melt ? I say ... "ROCK" !

FRIENDING OUT OF CONTROL ON FACEBOOK?

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 06:05:00 +0000

WOW - i was completely blown away by this skit that Jimmy Kimmel did, declaring 11/17/10 as " National Unfriend Day" !!! It made me so angry that i wrote an email to him personally; regarding my feelings about this, and so far i haven't gotten a response.(POST:!2/7 - still no response)
YET ....
So,
I would like to share with you the video and a bit of what i wrote to him:
Jimmy - Your skit isn't funny - it's mean. People need people to make themselves feel a "part of" and it isn't nice to make fun of that.
I think you've crossed the line and do not deserve over the 40,000+ friends you have on Facebook. Where is your humility? Don't you appreciate the fact that so many people love you and want to hear about what you have to say on Facebook ? I will post to all of my 2,000+ friends that i have personally and professionally connected to Facebook that on "National Unfriend Day", they should delete you. I don't have many friends that like you, but atleast i might be able to convince the ones who do, that you really don't care about them at all. You have stated pretty clearly that you do not respect any person who wants to be your friend that you personally don't know ... correct? It's clear that you don't "like" your fans unless they hang out with you and talk to you on the phone, etc ... am i right? I wouldn't be surprised if you have already lost friends because of this skit Jimmy. Facebook is a wonderful place to get to know other people that you may never gotten a chance to know otherwise. I love Facebook and i thank Mark Zuckerberg for creating such a fantastic platform on the internet to stay in touch with your friends and make new friends. I am grateful for each and every one of my personal and professional friends who follow me and "like" my business pages. One of facebooks advantages is that we can help each other as human beings, feel a "part of". If i were as famous as you are Jimmy i would declare a national day too! My day would be " National Gratitude Day". So, when you start losing fans Jimmy ... i have an awesome site i found out about recently that helps you gain more followers on Facebook and Twitter and it's called Twiends , so bookmark the link.

AMPLIFY.COM

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:36:00 +0000

This is my first post on Amplify! #my first post: do you spend more time on twitter or facebook? http://amplify.com/u/enke
Very cool site - leave a comment if you are on Amplify and how much you do or don't "like" it ?

GOOGLE VS MICROSOFT VS U.S. GOVERNMENT

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:43:00 +0000

Interesting article about Google suing the U.S. Dept. of Interior because they don't believe that the DOI is taking their apps as seriously as they should. Googles competitor in this case is Microsoft. There are some serious accusations as to whether Googles security systems is on par with Microsofts security. I won't spoil the whole article for you, so take a look yourself ... it's quite surprising and will be very interesting to see if MEGA-GIANT Google can win a lawsuit against the U.S. Government. More to be revealed in my upcoming posts.

MYSPACE

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 04:17:00 +0000

MYSPACE resurfaces!!! Here is an article about MYSPACE! According to MYSPACE , it's not in the social networking business anymore. The new MYSPACE is about " social entertainment destination". MYSPACE CEO Mike Jones, says that MYSPACE is no longer interested in competing with FACEBOOK, but instead they believe themselves to be complementary to FB, YOU TUBE and YAHOO and other social sites. Hmmm, to me that sounds like a mighty good repositioning tactic that they are applying in respect to their competition. MYSPACE has failed as a social media site and after licking their wounds, they seem to be choosing to identify themselves now as THE social music network. Comparing themselves to YOU TUBE - i don't think so ... and honestly, i don't know even why they put YAHOO into the mix. As far as i am concerned MYSPACE is dead unless you are in the music business, but even still - your best bet, as a musician is YOU TUBE.

FACEBOOK ,TWITTER and BLOG MAINTENENCE

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:14:00 +0000

Here's an on Facebook business pages that i thought was interesting. One of my favorite social media writers today, Jay Baers of Convince and Convert , often blogs about controversial subjects in the field of social media and this article really touches on a very important part of marketing your business. The blog in question is called " Ra Ra Wrong. How Facebooks Chearleaders are Blowing Smoke" . It's quite informative for those who think having Facebook pages for business purposes has an implied notion of guaranteed instant success. For others in the field of Social Media - although entertaining - it was not quite "NEW" news when Jay talks about how Facebook users aren't just going to "LIKE" you because you are on FB. I believe that he is correct in saying that unless they already like you - it's going to take a lot of hard work to get people to follow you - which leads me into my next issue . You need a strategic plan and hard work in the field of marketing a corporation on the internet using social media platforms in order to get results. Joining Facebook and starting a business page and expecting instant success is hogwash. Being successful on social networks means being involved with your audience: engaging with your customers, asking them questions, responding to their posts ... I have created and designed many a FB page for a business. What bothers me the most is that my customers hires me to start up their social networking accounts and then feel like they have accomplished their goals by introducing social media into their marketing plan. In other words, some of my clients don't understand that having a Facebook page, etc. is a commitment that involves alot of hard work and DEDICATION in order to see REAL results. It is honestly very frustrating to get a client who is excited about joining Facebook, Twitter and creating a blog ( which i consider phase 1) only to discover afterwords that they have no intentions of following through. They must think that these social sites will work by themselves. It's like buying a really cool and top quality vacumn cleaner and then putting it in your closet and expecting it to clean your house without plugging it in and using it. In essense - you need to use that vacumn cleaner at least once a week (BLOG) to pick up the dirt from your floors, you need to clean your dishes everyday (FB) and you need to straighten up the house a few times a day (Twitter), so you don't trip over the things that get dumped on the floor by your family members. And if all of these social media "chores" are not giving you the results that you expected, then it may be wise to ask yourself ... what part i am playing in this problem.

NEW NINTENDO GAME

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:14:00 +0000

I took a brief hiatus from blogging - a mutual social media expert suggested i get more followers for all of my social networking sites and so i realized i should get on that tip PRONTO. I've also been preparing for an upcoming SM presentation for the first week in November and that has taken up alot of my time. Regardless, i have been keeping in touch with SM news everyday and have noted 2 articles that i thought might be of interest. First, I read about a new Nintendo software that just came out that teaches art classes! WOW - i didn't know that was a game! As an artist myself who has been making some serious art for many years - i was intrigued why that they would call this a "game" But game it is and i have to admit, not only did i find it a fascinating idea, but also tempted to purchase such a thing. Having spent 8+ years in art school , i am still wondering what this "art class" program could teach me that i don't know already and if it would be helpful at all in improving my creative skills? If someone gave it to me as a Christmas gift though, i think i would be delighted! If i hated it, then i would at least be able to critique it.

CHANGE IN FACEBOOK CUSTOM PAGES

noreply@blogger.com (melanie wadsworth) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Facebook announced in August 2010, that they are switching their FBML application to IFRAME. When is this going to happen? Everyone i know is still using FBML to customize their Facebook page. Designers will have to reconfigure their creations using this new application. I think this is a very important matter. Why do only the social media experts and others who are interested in changes taking place in the vast Web 2.0 world of today know about this ? I wouldn't know about it unless i were in the social media business. Is Facebook going to implement the IFRAME application without notice to the enormous amount of businesses out their that do not follow social media news daily? If this change in applications for customizing your Facebook page is going to happen on a certain date - then shouldn't everyone on Facebook know when this is going to happen? It would certainly make it easier for businesses and designers to get the heads up - so they don't waste their time designing FBML custom pages only to find out 2 weeks later that the whole system has changed. If Facebook doesn't have an exact "date" when this will take place they should at least inform the general public that it will be happening in the near future. Just like Mark Zuckerberg announced last week on the new changes being made on Facebook; specically the creation of "groups", i think he should have also included this topic. Even if the exisitng FBML design applications will remain the same after this change takes place, it would be nice let everyone know that the utilization of Facebook page applications are going to change. Unless, this is just another rumor being spread amongst the vast media of social networking. Who knows ... at the least it's just my 2 cents (but, more likely, it will cost a lot more than THAT).

Along the same lines of design and customizing ones own Facebook page - i found a great resource for this topic that might be helpful for those interested in making the LEAP. This article is quite informative and inspiring. I loved looking at all of the very creative ideas that companies are making on their Facebook pages and i think you will too ... enjoy! But beware: if you are going to use these tutorials - they may become dinosaur design techniques without a moments notice.