This past week I was asked to put together a piece for AgencyPost about what changes are coming for brands as Facebook pushes them over to Timeline on March 31st. There’s some big changes afoot that will affect the way that business can reach their fans, how Facebook prioritizes content, the ways that brands can interact with fans and tell their story.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably noticed the explosion of data in your Facebook timeline and ticker. Especially when it comes to the data presented by third party apps such as Spotify. On the one hand, it’s been a fantastic tool for music discovery and re-discovery (in the last 30 days I’ve been reminded of tons of new tracks from my past I’d forgotten about because friends’ playlists have appeared in my timeline).
But I’ve also noticed something else interesting that’s been happening. Last week I was listening to an album by Steven Kellogg and the Sixers on Spotify. Because I’ve integrated the app with Facebook, the tracks I’m listening to are shared in my timeline. I then noticed a Facebook ad asking me to download their new album. Beyond that, I’ve been seeing ads for the Sixers’ new album follow me across the web as I read the NY Times, TechCrunch and the like.
This kind of cookie-related advertising isn’t that new. Visit any automaker’s site and inevitably you’ll see ads follow you around for that new Prius as you navigate the web. What’s interesting to me is the brave new world of data collection and recommendation engines that follow you round the web while your’e logged into Facebook. I also think some of these super-targeted ads will crossover not just from Facebook usage to the web but also originate from my behavior in using third party apps. This may be city of gold that many developers are looking for who are building apps that integrate seamlessly with Facebook because they may be able to monetize this behavioral data as well as Mr. Zucks. But I wonder if we need some more transparency regarding what types of behavioral data apps like Spotify collect and what they’re using it for. And at what point can you ‘opt out’ for data collection? Should you be able to? After all – the sites and services we’re using provide us with some amazing opportunities to connect and consume media. For Free. So if you don’t know what their ‘product’ is – then you’re the product (thanks to Joe Romanelli for sharing the cartoon).
So I’m curious – do any of you take issue with the sheer amounts of data that is being collected or are you happy that it ends up in serving your more relevant content and ads as the price you pay for free service? Or are you fine with your data being the ‘price of admission’ to use many free services? Does anyone know what the policies of 3rd party Facebook integrated apps are, and how they use your behavioral data? Fire away in the comments.
I’ve been playing around on Google+ for almost a week now and wanted to add my list of opinions to the millions that have already been thrown around the web so far. If you haven’t checked it out, I will say that it is NOT a Facebook, nor a Twitter killer. Here are my top takeaways from toying with the service:
1 -Seamless integration with your Google Account. I see Google+ as being a killer app when it comes to social media for teams or small businesses. The ability to share content within small circles as well as jump between group video chats and have your Google Docs at your finger tips is very cool. I’m sure Google is counting on the adoption not just to grow the + network but also to get more people to switch to Google Apps.
2 – Making you put your connections in a container as you connect is helpful. Bigtime. I feel like Facebook for me has turned into me sharing content with a large network of people, whom I know in very different capacities. Some people might love the Social Media content, others may hate it. And I know I can put friends into Groups on Facebook – it’s just too much work for me at this point. With Google+, you have to add friends to a circle (friends, aquaintences, work, etc) as you connect, making sharing and grouping much more manageable.
3 – Google hangouts has smoked Facebook video chat. The client is super light, easy to use and though we may not use group video chat much, I think more and more people will use Hangouts as an easy way to do video conferencing on the cheap. iChat was the best experience I’ve had so far, but now you’re removing the requirement to have a mac.
4 – No one is here. It’s nice to not be bombarded with brands or businesses or tons of people who want to connect at the moment. I feel like I’m very much in control of my network. We’re still defining the follow etiquette here but I don’t feel at all compelled to follow everyone back that adds me, especially if I don’t know them. Or, you can always add people you don’t know into a separate circle and share only what’s appropriate.
5 – Conversation: For whatever reason there’s a ton of interaction here. Way more than Facebook or Twitter from what I can see so far. Being able to see all the comments on a post makes it easier to jump in to the conversation instead of using @replies where you only see the pieces you’re involved with. Very cool so far, but will it last?
What Sucks.
1 – The population of Google+ right now seems to be almost all techies and marketers. Makes sense though since we love anything shiny and new, so we’ll move first but that has some major downsides right now. There’s a lot of noise. I see a lot of duplicate posts throughtout the day – way more so that on Twitter or Facebook and it’s distracting
2 – Conversation: No threaded comments make popular posts from folks like Robert Scoble and Chris Brogan eat my feed and take up real estate several screens deep. I wish we could see some threaded comments soon, or that the system would recognize that if more than 3 people have shared a post that are in my network, I only need to see it once.
3 – Lack of a Filter: I do like the idea of circles and the way following works on Google+. I can follow whomever I want and they decide whether to follow me back or which circle to put me in. However, what would be awesome would be some sort of application process where I could filter content from certain people. For instance, I wish we could create tags for each post we share (generic tags, but that were available to those who are in our circles). That way, the people following us could choose only the topics or tags that they want to follow, instead of getting a firehose of content and comments.
4 – Search: I don’t feel like there is a good discovery engine for meeting new people or jumping into topical conversations yet. Twitter is certainly the best at this (or at least they were until searches became filled with brands trying to sell things based on keywords). Maybe I’ve missed it but I haven’t found a good way to meet NEW people yet on Google+.
5 – The pace: I’m still in love with Twitter’s ulta fast pace of information and being forced to get your point across in 140 characters. It’s super easy to meet new people, share content and interact publicly – which is especially key for businesses to show that they can do online customer service. Google+ seems like it’s easy to follow people but not as simple to jump into a conversation then get out. That may change as more people get onto the service and start tailoring content to different circles, but for me I’m stil a Twitter diehard.
Bottom line? I like it. I think it has real promise, especially for both business networking and tailoring content towards certain groups. It’s great way to keep your personal separate from your professional (if that’s what you want), while maintaining different levels of connections – but on the same network. Honestly, I’ve already started using Facebook a little less (not giving it up yet though). I’m also very curious to see what the opportunities for brands are going to be.
So what do you think? Are you on Google+ yet and what are your first impressions. How do you use it differently than Facebook or Twitter? And what’s the thing you like the most and hate the most about it so far? Fire away in the comments!
I wish we’d stop getting caught up on platforms when it comes to social media and community interaction. Do you HAVE to be on Facebook? Do you HAVE to be on Twitter? That depends. Where is your community?
Lots of different businesses want to drive the conversation to their blog or website, but they may not be seeing a ton of traction, do to inconsistent content, or promotion, etc. That’s the downside – the upside? They may have a very active Facebook Community. Twitter isn’t far behind. That’s a win.
I’m asked all the time what platforms businesses should invest their time and resources on. The real answer is…. it depends. I think it’s important to put up listening stations on as many platforms as you can manage, because a user on twitter is just as valuable as a user on Facebook or a blog commenter – and we need to meet those users where THEY want to be met.
That’s one of the dilemmas of social media. Brands don’t get to control where people will talk about them, or where like minded people will set up shop. You don’t get to decide to drive them through one communication channel anymore. In short, you are always the Away Team.
That shouldn’t scare you. It’s just a fact. I really believe that to run an effective social media campaign you have to be comfortable being the away team – interacting and playing on fields that are not your own website. That includes, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Quora, and forums. (By the way, forums are still most definitely a part of social media, and in my opinion hugely under served by brands. Big opportunities there, but that’s another post.)
So, get on the bus. Listen. Then listen some more. Help people solve problems on their turf and maybe, just maybe you’ll be invited back.
This past weekend I attended a viewing party for TEDx Manhattan – Changing the Way We Eat, which was put on by The Foodshed (an awesome local website / group which supports local agriculture). I’ve been huge fan of TED for several years now but this was my first opportunity to watch a livestream with a group context, with individuals who were looking to be inspired and who want to work towards changing the way we eat. I was not disappointed.
Take away what is by default awesome about TED (incredible speakers with inspirational messages and amazing ideas)… and you’re still left with something remarkable. Our party was one of over 135 viewing parties around the world who were simultaneously taking in TEDx Manhattan. Throw in all of the people watching the livestream on their computers at home, and all those who were exposed to those messages in real-time via social media. It scales pretty quickly.
What amazes me is the velocity at which these ideas and experiences can be shared by people all around the world in real-time. We’re hundreds and in many cases thousands of miles apart, but are all sharing the experience. It can be digested, remixed, re-uploaded, amended and shared again in so many forms of media which hopefully will inspire people to act to bring about change on a large scale on issues ranging from sustainable agriculture to factory farms.
We’ve seen this in Egypt and Tunisia. Now I’m not giving credit to Facebook and Twitter to for starting the revolution – but they were without a doubt the conduit with which people could spread ideas at the speed of light, organize, and get their message out to people around the world. A way for us all to share their experience. I also believe that the speed at which these ideas and movements spread really helped to minimize casualties and violence in Egypt. Speed and communication was everything. And because of this communication, ordinary Egyptians were able to bring down a government that had been in power for 30 years in - about 18 days.
Always remember that these tools work just as well for micro movements as they do for major movements. Are you ideas, content, and brand messages easily shareable? More importantly, are they worthy of being shared?
Speaking of sharable ideas – here’s one talk that was shown during TEDx Manhattan that I especially liked:
I’m in the middle of training for this year’s Boilermaker Road Race. It’s the largest 15K in the nation and happens right here in Utica, NY. The thing is though, I’m not a huge fan of running for fun (at least the training end of it). But two things have happened recently that have changed my tune.
The first is that I’ve been running in my Vibram Five Fingers. Hard to explain, but they’ve really made running just more fun when you can experience all the tactile nuances of the terrain you’re on. Plus you work muscles you didn’t even know you had in your legs (if you want more info check out Birthday Shoes- best site for Five Fingers info)
The 2nd is that I’ve been using Nike+, which is essentially a pedometer and wristband that gives you real-time data of your run. Time, Pace, Calories Burned, and Distance are all tracked in real time. After the run you upload the data (from the wristband) to the Nike+ website and Voila! I can see how I improve from week to week and what parts of my run are better than others. I can challenge other people, map routes, and set goals. It’s a kick-ass system that really does make me want to run more.
Why?It’s the data, stupid.
Like bacon, data makes just about anything better. Having access to all of these metrics (and the online community) makes the experience much deeper. I can actually see my progress (or failure) over time and can work to figure out what the weak points are in my workouts and train through them.
Facebook has also made itself a killer place to be for brands not just because there are millions of users, but because of its integration of data & information into its ecosystem of advertising and fan pages. It’s super easy to run and manage ad campaigns, target niche audiences and assess the performance almost in real time.
Even more important are the insights features for Fan pages which provides data that shows you what content resonated as well as data regarding interactions. Placing the interaction data right up front and allowing brands to run ‘Like’ Campaigns to gain new fans / followers is a constant reminder that interactions and conversations really are the currency of this environment. And providing us with all of that data makes Facebook a value play right now for ad dollars, even if you’re using it strictly as a testing ground for ads and content.
So, are you measuring your online campaigns? If so, what tools are you using? How are you incorporating data into your life or your customers’ lives to make interactions more fun and valuable? Fire Away in the comments.
PS – if you want to train along with me on Nike+, leave a comment and I’ll get you my info. I’m also always looking for other Five Finger Runners to talk / train with.
Fr. Felix is the Pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Last week (Easter) was exceptionally crowded – people filled the church, the basement, the lobby and were listening to mass outside. In fact, at a time when lots of churches are closing or consolidating, Felix packs in people week after week, mass after mass.
He has a small army of parishioners that help him distribute communion. He uses lots of humor and personal stories in his homilies – which are delivered in the aisle rather than a lectern. After each mass, he hangs out in the lobby to meet and greet anyone that wants to have a chat.
Most importantly, Fr. Felix knows just about EVERYONE’S name that walks through those doors. He asks about family, thanks people for coming, and is a staple at family & community events.
Symeon’s has been one of the most popular restaurants in our area since they opened in 1973. Good food and really friendly staff. But go there on any given day and you’re likely to get a table-side visit from Symeon or Symeon Jr (pictured), who own the restaurant. I’ve gone there since I was a kid and they are always going from table to table, making sure everything is ok, asking about what’s new and asking how they can help make the experience better. They are on the front lines. While they’re in the restaurant business, Symeon and Symeon Jr. are in the customer service and community building business. They just do it with handshakes instead of Friending and Following.
Is it any wonder why Fr. Felix and Symeon have succeeded where others haven’t? Is it because Felix’s message is different from the other Catholic churches? Nope. Is it because Symeon’s Souvlaki Platter is the best on earth? Nope (but it is good). It’s because they both devote lots of energy to letting their community know that they actually care, even after they walk out the door.
They realize the enormous power of How Are You, Thank You and You’re Welcome.
How many people are you friends with on Facebook? Of those people, how many do you interact with on a regular basis. My bet is that it’s a small fraction (I’m guilty of it too). Maybe it’s time we put more focus on those micro-interactions and personal connections with larger parts of our networks. I think you’ll be surprised as to how much you’ll learn about your friends, fans and community and will be surprised at how those connections will produce better business and more importantly better friends.
So, in your networks online and offline – who are the people that do the best job of interacting and caring? What makes them special? Fire away in the comments, please.
