$50 and 90,000 Followers Later...

I came across a very interesting article yesterday on how easy it is to become internet famous with a few hours of work and a couple bucks. A man named Kevin Ashton used his internet prowess to create a fake online celebrity known as Santiago Swallow. Kevin documents how, after only 2 hours of work and $68, he was able to create a web presence that scored a 754 out of 1000 in consumer influence according to Kred, one of the largest companies that claim to accurately evaluate online influence.  Kevin used methods from creating a fake twitter with auto-generated tweets and 90,000 purchased followers to registering a full Wikipedia page and website.

Kevin didn't even think of the name Santiago Swallow himself, he used an online name generator. Now I don't think it is going to shock anyone to hear that there is some dishonest activity being perpetrated on the internet. However, what did surprise me was how easy and cheap it was to do what Kevin did. If he can do it, what is stopping anyone else from doing it? Are the people or companies you follow on Twitter really as influential as they seem? Is Justin Bieber really the king of Twitter with 38 million followers or did he buy a couple million of those? We may not see flat out deception like we do here with Santigo very often, but I would bet this form of "reputation enhancement" is more prevalent than we think. For the full article please use the following link:

http://mashable.com/2013/04/18/become-internet-famous/

-Mike

Going Social After the Boston Bombings

As a woman who was born and raised in the great city of Boston, there are no words that can accurately summarize my emotions after hearing and seeing yesterday's bombings at the Boston Marathon. The images and first person accounts that were shared will forever remain in my heart – a horrific incident that hit way too close to home.

But, it's tragic events like these that I find interesting within my own social space. Personally, I saw friends tweeting #prayforboston within the first few minutes after the story broke and as expected, my Facebook wall was slammed with posts expressing extreme sadness and anger toward those responsible. But professionally speaking, how does an event like 9/11, the Newtown shooting or the Boston bombings effect larger brands on social platforms?

For once, they make brands go silent.

Although there is some debate around what a major brand should do on social during/after a large tragedy, a brand’s reasoning for going quiet is done with both good intentions and a bit of selfishness. On one side, we recognize the loss and sadness associated with the life-changing event. Our content simply wouldn’t make sense to share, nor would it resonate with fans, especially during a time when the nation is grieving. On the other hand, some brands believe in posting consistency with a main goal of beating Facebook’s EdgeRank and showing up higher than competitors within newsfeeds -- but, no one really wants to be the one brand actively posting in a newsfeed filled with content surrounding a tragedy. For those brands that saw this as an opportunity – or accidentally had posts pre-scheduled to go live during this time frame – many were met with a negative backlash from fans and non-fans alike for being insensitive.

From a community manager of a few large brands, it’s often the safest decision to cease all social engagement until a 24 hour period of bereavement has been allowed. Unless you have a meaningful and direct connection to the tragedy, this means no posting, no tweeting, no Instagraming and more. Yes, a brand’s messaging will be not top of mind for fans for a day or two, but this overall respect for the emotions of fans will resonate louder than a product-centric post.

Although you may not see every brand following this recommendation, see if you notice those that do. Then, respect them a bit more for giving fans their space during this terrible time.

What do you think is the appropriate move for brands after a national tragedy?

xx Samantha

Who Actually Uses Social Media?

If you were asked who uses social media, most people would probably be OK with the answer: everyone! While it may seem like everyone in the world is on social media right now, it can be interesting to actually break down the statistics and take a look. Besides, who doesn't love a good infographic? Most of this information may not shock you, but one stat that surprised us was the By Household Income. According to this research, the lowest income bracket (30K and less) has the greatest percentage of social media users, 71%. This may be counterintuitive due to the fact that most people would assume the more household income, the more digital devices to use social media with.  However, like we posted recently, more people are reported to have mobile phones that toothbrushes these days, regardless of income.  Does lower income cause greater social media user, or does more social media use cause lower income? The 21st century version of which came first,  the chicken or the egg.

-Mike

#music

Following the recent addition of Vine, Twitter has stepped up their game once more with its new music service. Although there has been no official announcement from Twitter execs, a buzz has been growing primarily off of quotes from Ryan Seacrest. Apparently chosen as one of the priveledged few to give this new service a test run, he tweeted last thursday: “playing with @twitter's new music app (yes it's real!).” The new service was rumored to be launching yesterday, but the true functionality has yet to be seen. Going to www.music.twitter.com will bring you to the new login screen, but unfortunately  loops you back to the original login screen. It seems Twitter still has a few kinks to work out, but based on their history of success, it is only a matter of time before  this new service is up and running with the big boys.

It will be interesting to see what the finished product looks like and how it functions. Although there are existing music discovery websites and applications out there, none of them come close to the reach of Twitter. Initial reports are pointing towards an embedded music player within the tweets which we believe will be a key factor in its success. If users are forced to click on links, therefore opening up a third party service, that will certainly hamper Twitter music's advancement in the market.

This new service has the potential to revolutionize the music industry. Not since the days of MTV's TRL has there been a centralized platform for trending music reaching millions of people. It is safe to say that we are excited for this new service and cannot wait to get signed up and try it out!

-Mike

How Brands Can Climb to the Top Using Vine

The latest addition to the Twitter platform is Vine – a brand new mobile application that allows users to document experiences in six-second looping videos.  Since going live in January, Vine has grown its active users by 50 percent in the past month. Even though the new app is in direct competition with iOS apps like Viddy, SocialCam and Cinemagram, Vine has seen extreme growth while others begin to decline within the social space. Not only have individuals been quick to adopt this latest ‘trend’, many brands have also started creating their own six-second videos, including the Gap, Dove, Urban Outfitters and from our own portfolio, Secret. Most of these videos are being made because brands want to be the first in the space.  But how can companies use this app as in their digital and social strategies to rise above the rest?

Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Tell your brand’s story: From the history of the company to showcasing product, Vine can help introduce the company to your new followers, creatively display products as a reminder for current customers, and show short, educational product demonstrations.
2. Get personal: With the ability to show “behind the scene” videos at the office, events, etc. Vine makes it accessible for companies to become instantly more relatable to fans — a strategy that will spark conversations with users and keep people close to the brand.
3. Create excitement around a new product: Thanks to this new mode of visual inspiration, fans can now get a ‘first look’ at upcoming products, uses and more. Vine will only help the launch of a new initiative or programs moving forward.
4. Promote a contest: Although many brands are excited about user generated content, videos have always been harder to obtain as compared to images. Vine could be a great middle ground to get fans engaged, while visually stimulating excitement around a contest or promotion.

xx Samantha