Posts Tagged ‘facebook’

Facebook Connect Was What Pushed It Past MySpace

September 10th, 2009 • Identity, Social Networks
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Traffic firm Hitwise says Facebook eventually overcame MySpace in terms of U.S. traffic as a result of the launch of its Facebook Connect universal log-in product, according to a post from analyst Heather Dougherty. Facebook Connect is the ability of the user to use a single portable identity–and most importantly, one password, rather than logging into multiple accounts across the network of Web sites.

“The number of Web sites participating in Facebook Connect has grown quickly to over 15,000 Web sites (globally) including CNN.com, NBC.com, ABCNews.com, Hulu, WashingtonPost.com, The Huffington Post, and others,” Dougherty’s post read. “And what is really interesting is to look at the year-over-year growth in the market share of visits to Facebook, because there is a clear uptick in the growth rate following the launch of Facebook Connect.”

And that growth spurt was what made it the biggest site of its kind in the U.S., according to the numbers. The social network officially surpassed MySpace in U.S. traffic during the week of May 30, Hitwise estimated.Facebook’s rapid growth made it pretty much inevitable that it would surpass the News Corp.-owned MySpace, once the clear leader in social networking. But even when Facebook passed MySpace in worldwide traffic, MySpace still had a pretty big edge in the U.S. Ultimately, Facebook passed MySpace in U.S. usage earlier than some thought it would.
If Hitwise’s numbers are accurate, it’s a big testament to the success of Facebook Connect, which launched in full last December.

MySpace has launched its own universal log-in product, MySpaceID, backed by partnerships with Google and Yahoo. But it’s Facebook Connect that has caught on among both the Web-going public and the marketing world.

Participation from Web sites in Facebook Connect also has strong implications to appear more often in the search results executed on Facebook resulting from member postings as search becomes a more prevalent activity within this large audience. Facebook now has more than 250 million active users worldwide.

Facebook To Comply with Canadian Privacy Law

August 27th, 2009 • Identity, Legal Issues, Social Networks
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Facebook will enhance its social-networking site’s privacy features over the next 12 months as a result of a set of recommendations from the Canadian government.

Facebook will increase the information it provides to its users about its privacy features, as well as make technical changes to tighten privacy controls, the company said Thursday.

The changes come as a direct result of a review of Facebook’s privacy policies and controls conducted by The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada . Facebook cooperated with the Canadian agency’s study, which lasted more than a year, reports Reuters. Specifically, Facebook will update its privacy policy so that it more clearly explains its privacy practices. Facebook will also reach out to users, prompting them to review their privacy settings. Canada’s privacy commissioner had previously threatened to take Facebook to court if the company did not resolve “serious gaps” in the way it handles users’ personal information and retains data from deactivated accounts.

Facebook announced plans to give users more control over how their information is shared with third party developers, as well as offering a clearer option for users to deactivate or delete their accounts.

“Giving people more control over what information they share and with whom is at the heart of how we think about privacy at Facebook,” the company wrote in its blog. “As people better understand how information is shared and gain more control over it, they become more comfortable and confident in sharing.”

Facebook has about 12 million Canadian users. It has a total of more than 250 million active users worldwide.

Enough About Me. What Do You Think of Me? Study Suggests Social Media Is for Narcissists

August 26th, 2009 • 3 comments Identity, Studies & Research
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Gen Y really is “Gen Me,” as suggested by a San Diego State University study. The study, conducted by Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at SDSU, and Youth Pulse LLC, goes on to conclude that Gen Ys are narcissistic: focused only on themselves and incapable of acknowledging or appreciating others’ points of view or circumstances. Nearly 60 percent of college students polled by SDSU agreed their age group uses social networking sites for narcissistic, self-promoting and attention-seeking reasons.

“College students have clearly noticed the more self-centered traits of their peers — it’s fascinating how honest they are about diagnosing their generation’s downsides,” Twenge said. “And students are right about the influence of social networking sites — research has shown that narcissistic people thrive on sites like Facebook, where self-centered people have more friends and post more attractive pictures of themselves.”
Ninety-two percent of students who took the poll said they use MySpace or Facebook regularly, and 84 percent said they go online several times each day.

Detractors criticize Y’s (individuals born between 1980 and 2000) as products of a misguided parenting movement designed to buffer children from the negative effects of competition and build self-esteem — an approach, they argue, that has filled them with false self-confidence. Some claim that self-esteem without achievement to back it up has produced an unmotivated and self-aggrandizing generation.

What do you think? Are Gen Ys really narcissistic?

OMG! Check UR Facebook Page B4 Big Interview

August 21st, 2009 • Human Resources, Social Networks, Studies & Research
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After months of searching for a new job, you’ve finally scored an interview for a position that doesn’t require you to say “Would you like fries with that?” So, when preparing for that interview, you start making a mental checklist: Resume? Check. Interview suit? Check. Removing “Girls Gone Wild” pics from your Facebook page? Uh oh.

According to a new study conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of employers questioned are using social networks to screen job candidates — more than double from a year earlier, when a similar survey found that just 22 percent of supervisors were researching potential hires on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The study, which questioned 2,667 managers and human resource workers, found that 35 percent of employers decided not to offer a job to a candidate based on the content uncovered on a social networking site. (The survey has no margin of sampling error because it was not drawn from a representative nationwide sample but rather from volunteer participants.)

More than half of the employers who participated in the survey said that provocative photos were the biggest factor contributing to a decision not to hire a potential employee, while 44 percent of employers pinpointed references to drinking and drug use as red flags. The top examples cited include:

  • Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53 percent
  • Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44 percent
  • Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35 percent
  • Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29 percent
  • Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26 percent
  • Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent
  • Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20 percent
Recently, a British woman was publicly fired on Facebook for defaming her employer.
The woman, whose identity was blacked out on internet blog Applicant, reportedly vented her frustrations about her boss and workplace on her Facebook status, according to World News Australia.

After posting “OMG I HATE MY JOB!! My boss is a total pervvy (sic) wanker always making me do sh*t stuff just to piss me off!! WANKER!” she was immediately fired by her boss. Unfortunately, the now-unemployed worker had added her boss as a friend, allowing him, and all other co-workers see her status. The boss then proceeded to identify her day-to-day mistakes while ending the post with a notice of termination: “Don’t bother coming in tomorrow.”

What’s the lesson here? Social networking is a great way to make connections with potential job opportunities and promote your personal brand across the Internet but, if not used appropriately, can hurt your job search and can lead to job loss. Job seekers need to be mindful of the information they post online and how they communicate directly with employers. Just because social media is all about transparency doesn’t mean you have to be transparent in everything you do. Transparency comes with a cost — in some cases, losing a job.

Twitter Has Hollywood Quaking in Its Jimmy Choos

August 20th, 2009 • Industry News, Social Networks, Tools & Resources
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The weekend is almost here, so you decide that you want to go to the movies this Saturday. Do you make your movie pick based on advertising or do you ask a friend for recommendations?

Your friend, of course. And, as we know, the loose definition of “friend” now encapsulates social media peers. With the rise of social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook, word of mouth now moves at the speed of an iPhone. Think about it – as soon as someone leaves the movie theatre he or she can tweet instant raves — or pans — to hundreds of people just minutes after the credits roll. This phenomena has Hollywood quaking in its Jimmy Choos.

Gone are the days when TV commercials and newspaper ads dominated movie marketing. According to Nielsen’s “Trust in Advertising” study, only 14 percent of people trust advertisements whereas 78 percent of people trust the recommendations of their friends. Empowered consumers now have a greater ability to influence companies, brands, and yes, even movies.

Studios are trying to gauge the impact of an avalanche of tweets and how it affects the staying power of a movie. This summer, movies such as “Brüno” and “G.I. Joe” have had unexpected tumbles at the box office — just within their opening weekends — while “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” survived blistering critical reaction to become a blockbuster, reports The Washington Post.

What’s the learning from this? Word of mouth — particularly with turbocharged social media channels – is a real and powerful force that can’t be stopped. Studios now have the opportunity to engage in conversations and directly engage with consumers. People want real-time news, and suddenly a studio can give it to them in a first-person way. Also, this may prompt studios to create quality movies instead of shoving garbage movies down people’s throats through aggressive marketing campaigns.

MySpace “Owning” Music through iLike Aquisition is a Smart Move

August 19th, 2009 • 3 comments Industry News, Social Networks, Strategy
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MySpace is reportedly set to buy iLike, Facebook’s leading music application — for about $20M USD, reports TechCrunch. That purchase would put the application’s future at Facebook in jeopardy, while solidifying MySpace’s musical pedigree, one of the few domains where MySpace tops Facebook. For Facebook, who was hoping to advance in this realm, the purchase is seen as a huge problem for because iLike is so deeply integrated into the Facebook experience. Nearly 10 million Facebook users use the iLike application every month, and MySpace is now going to own that traffic.

iLike, which launched in late 2006, is a social music recommendation service that now has more than 50 million registered users. It tracks what you listen to and like and gives you recommendations on new music based on that data as well as what your friends are listening to. It’s the top music application on Facebook, Bebo, Hi5 and just about every other social network other than MySpace, which has MySpace Music. iLike also hosts band pages which are second in popularity only to MySpace Music.

From humble origins in 2003, MySpace turned the music industry on its head by changing the way a generation communicates. But even having 200 million friends and Rupert Murdoch as a boss won’t help when your website is no longer flavor of the month. MySpace’s loss of status is reflected in its usage metrics: MySpace had 124 million monthly unique visitors last month, a decline of 2 percent, according to comScore. Facebook, by contrast, had 276 million unique visitors, an increase of 16.6 percent.

By acquiring iLike, MySpace solidifies their already leading position as the most popular online identity for bands and perhaps stop the bleeding as Facebook continues to dominate the social media space.

SEC Fumble: Social Media Ban Revised

August 19th, 2009 • Industry News, Legal Issues
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The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has been tackled by the very social media channels it has been trying to ban.

The Southeastern Conference told The Charlotte Observer that the conference is revising its restrictive policy on social media. Why? Because of the negative reaction in the media and on social media. Previously, the SEC wanted a conference-wide ban on social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and TwitPic.

“I know what’s being written,” said SEC conference spokesman Charles Bloom. “The thought process is to get it loosened up a bit.” Bloom expects a revision to be finished in a day or two.

Bloom also told the Observer that the main concern is video. That’s perfectly understandable — if not enforceable — considering the conference has a $3 billion, 15-year deal with CBS and ESPN. While video will still be off-limits, it looks like tweets, Facebook status updates, and even pictures will be acceptable, so long as they are for non-commercial use.

In contrast, the Big 10 also recently released a social media policy, but invites fans to take an active part of games. With this policy, the fans win.

What’s Facebook’s Newest Status Update? Users file privacy lawsuit against us :(

August 18th, 2009 • Identity, Legal Issues, Social Networks
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According to CNET News, a group of Facebook users filed a civil lawsuit Monday that alleges the social-networking site is violating California consumer privacy laws.

The lawsuit, which was filed in California’s Orange County Superior Court on behalf of five users, seeks a jury trial, as well as damages and attorneys’ fees. The five plaintiffs are described as two children younger than 13, a user of the original Facebook, a professional photographer, and an actress and model.

The 40-page complaint accuses the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company of violating California privacy and online privacy laws by disseminating private information to 3rd parties for commercial purposes.
Facebook is no stranger to privacy controversy. In July, an investigation by Canada’s privacy commissioner suggested Facebook is unconcerned with members’ privacy and called on it to do more. Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart expressed concern that while it’s easy for members to deactivate their accounts, it’s less clear on how to actually delete them. Facebook could therefore retain member data from deactivated accounts for an indefinite period of time in violation of Canadian privacy law.
The social network went through a user backlash over the introduction of its News Feed in 2006, and a bigger one over the controversial Beacon advertising program. More recently, a revision to Facebook’s terms of use prompted consumer advocacy blog The Consumerist to highlight language that it said meant that Facebook claimed ownership of user profile data and photos.

What Women Want from Social Networking Sites

August 18th, 2009 • Behaviors, Studies & Research
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According to the female-oriented social networking site ShesConnected, women who are core social network users expect a lot, according to “The Power of Social Networking For Women Research Study.” Participants in the survey were recruited through several social networks and were encouraged to share it with friends, as reported by eMarketer.

Unsurprisingly, Facebook was the most popular social network among these users, with 83% belonging to the site. Nearly three-quarters (73%) were members of LinkedIn and 55% were on Twitter, while just 41% belonged to MySpace. Almost one-half of respondents (48%) reported belonging to four or more social networks—the most common response.

Professional networking and staying up-to-date with friends were the most compelling reasons to visit social networks, according to the respondents. Substantial majorities also considered researching products and services (79%) and finding deals and discounts (64%) important. “Privacy” was their primary concern.

What does this mean? Advertisers should strive for engaging and useful communications on the site so that it is viewed as an enhancement to the community rather than a mandatory requirement. While users understand the need for revenues, networking, self-promotion, keeping in touch and privacy remain their top priority.

CluetrainPlus10 Project: Most marketing programs are based on the fear that the market might see what’s really going on inside the company.

April 28th, 2009 • 3 comments Studies & Research, Tools & Resources
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In 1999, Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger wrote a book that was so prophetic, it arguably shaped and reinvented the way that businesses approached communicating with their key markets using the Internet. At a time when there was only a minimal amount of social networking sites and message boards were one of the only ways people were interacting with eachother online, the book was eerily ahead of its time with its theories and predictions. The above title is number 28 out of 95 theses that the authors of the bestselling book, The Cluetrain Manifesto, stated.

Today, organizations are embracing the online and social media space in two distinct ways. Some organizations that have embraced the social Web to communicate their messages with their key markets using a number of different online communications channels. Some companies have thrived to be more open in terms of allowing the public to go behind the scenes. Elements that pull the curtain back on certain organizations are being added to corporate sites more and more frequently. Corporate blogs and liberal blogging policies implemented by other organizations allow employees to share what they do on a day-to-day basis with their stakeholders. This thesis is becoming less and less relevant as organizations begin to utilize social media and social media marketing.

Even a once staid and faceless corporation like Microsoft has opened itself up with internal videos and by actively encouraging employees at all levels to blog and to share their work with the outside world.

Ten years from now, more and more organizations will follow in Microsoft’s steps. They will be open to scrutiny and will continue to win the trust of their key stakeholders once they’ve stepped into the online space. People have a human need to want to connect with each other and we are seeing more people openly and willingly interact with the organizations and brands that they are most passionate about. Facebook, for example, is a social networking site that we see vast numbers of people engaging with each other and with brands on Facebook fan pages.

Although the above thesis may not stand as strong ten years from now, this book is a must-read for all marketers looking to effectively understand why they need to change their marketing strategy and to learn how to communicate with their key audience. As Michael Wolfe puts it, “Love it or hate it, no one with a stake in the online scene can afford to ignore what this book is saying.”

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Lynn Eastep
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With more than 15 years of digital communications experience, I've delivered award-winning and sophisticated marketing solutions for Fortune 500 corporations, major government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and household-name consumer brands. I ensure the successful execution of digital and social media business strategies to build profitability and grow market share on behalf of our clients. I stay abreast of relevant new technologies in the Web 2.0/social media space in order to contribute a point of view while remaining focused on ROI to drive the right message to the right people at the right time.

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