Google I/O Conference Announces G+ Changes

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Lawrence

The Google I/O Conference is basically the big event for Google to announce its latest works. Many are excited to see news on the Spotify-challenger Google Play Music All Access, fantastic Google Maps update and intuitive conversational search engine. On the social media platform, Google+ is also receiving a good chunk of saucy updates.

With this update, photos in Google+ will be edited automatically with the skin being smoothed out and levels evening out. Google will even create HDR photos for users, so expect to see the general quality of photos there go up. Photos can also be up to 15 GB in size, so highest quality photos can be uploaded to the server. But perhaps what sounds most exciting is that sequential photos can be made into GIFs easily as well, which will be an awesome addition of meme-worthy content onto the social network.

So anything in particular that piqued your interest in particular at the Google I/O Conference? Tell us in the comments below!

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Snoopy Takes on Vine

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Lawrence

It’s now been a while that brands have really taken in the importance of what good social media activity can do for business and relevance. And now that new mediums are popping up and becoming widely popular, brands have to keep up to speed. Instagram has really hit it big, and it’s no wonder that it is being taken advantage of by all smart brands. But Vine is a rather new one, and perhaps a more challenging one for companies to approach.

But if you can’t do it yourself, get someone to do it for you! With Vine users beginning to explore the potential behind these fantastic six-second clips, there’s bound to be someone out there that has that magic touch. Enter Khoa Phan:

Khoa’s stop-motion flicks utlising construction paper and his now infamous tagline “Have a Good Day!” have risen to a Vine sensation, and even bagged him an award. So much so that Peanuts Worldwide (the company now behind the classic Peanuts comics featuring Snoopy and the gang) have picked him up for a deal. As an effort to boost the Peanuts gang’s social media presence (mind you – their Instagram profile, Snoopygrams, is quite the popular hotspot!), they’ve contracted with Khoa to produce twelve Vines for them, each about a different element or character of the Peanuts comics. This is in line with its multiplatform social media campaign to generate buzz for its upcoming 3D animated movie, set to release in 2015. Cory Cole, the social media director for Peanuts, says this is a step in a bigger picture to keep Snoopy and his friends relevant and hip with the younger crowd that may not have grown up with the classic.

Regardless, we’re definitely looking forward to these twelve Vines. A six-second, stop-motion, looping clip with a paper Charlie Brown continually missing his kick? Yes please.

Posted in Fun stuff, Social Media | Leave a comment

How To Start Your Own Social Network Site

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Adam

Have you ever wanted to start your own social network, like Facebook or Myspace? Then you have to start by asking yourself why you’re doing it. Perhaps you want to start your own private social network, or maybe you want to start a social network that anybody can join – both are easily achievable.

Why start your own social network?

You might want to start your own social network because it can be a great way to earn good money, but to get there you need people to join your new network and become loyal members. There are plenty of potential members out there, so you need an “edge” – Something unique.

You might already have a great group of people or a community, based around an interest or a geographical area, and you want to be able to pool that energy and talent. This is always a great path to start a social network of your own.

Tools to start your own social network

You will need the right set of tools and software to start. There are a few routes you could take, depending on what you have in mind, the grand master plan and your time and budget constraints.

Get a clone of Facebook or Myspace

You can employ a freelancer to code your social network. Simply advertise that you want your social network to be based of Facebook or Myspace and there’ll be programmers out there that can do it for you.

Having software written for you though will be more expensive and riskier. You have to think about who will maintain it, who will support it, and who will upgrade it. As Facebook and Myspace have a team of developers working full-time, it wouldn’t be long before your version falls behind their functionality and you’d be left in the social networking backwaters.

Off the shelf social network software

Another route to take is to get yourself some ready-made social networking software, set it up, configure the choices and settings you want, pick a nice look/colours and away you go! You could start your new social networking site virtually overnight.

Software that you can do this with includes SocialGO. We have all the usual features you’d expect from a social network, so you really need to check us out!

SocialGO has been helping people just like you to create social sites for a few years now. You can have your social networking site up and running in 2 minutes. SocialGO operate regular online workshops where you can learn what you’re doing. You can use your own domain and remove all SocialGO branding for full white labeling and, of course, charge membership fees if you wish. You can also run your own adverts on your social network to generate an income. For those techies among you, there’s an API available too.

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick and easy solution that just works and is supported, SocialGO is proving to be the popular choice!

Marketing your social network

Once you’ve got your social network site up, you’ll find you will have to put most work into marketing it. To come along, people have to know you exist. Think about how you’re going to promote it.

Press releases, contacting the newspapers or blogs, or maybe get onto the Breakfast News or TV. Perhaps you want to do some crazy publicity stunt. But you have to get the message out somehow.

Once you’ve worked out what you want to do, how quickly and how much you have to spend on it, then you should be able to find the right solution that fits your needs today and in the future as your site generates a good income for you.

Good luck!

Posted in All Social Media | Tagged media, network, social, social go | Leave a comment

The Power of Community and Social Media

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Lawrence

These past few days, the Boston community has been struck by the tragic and terrible Boston Marathon occurrence. Many media platforms are reporting on different aspects of the event, the investigation, and the people involved. I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight how some of the great people of the Boston community have utilised social media to come together to help one another.

Social media has become so fully integrated into our everyday lives that it has become second nature to apply it to any scenario. As the investigation into the Boston Marathon explosions progressed, people have found ways to contribute to help track down the suspects. When official photos of the suspects were released, social media was used to spread the word to the masses so that hopefully someone could identify the people in the pictures. But even prior to the official statement being announced, ordinary people in forums such as Reddit were undergoing their own investigations to identify suspects using just the information they could get their hands on.

It has been a while now that formal establishments (such as police departments and even the FBI) have taken up social media accounts like Twitter to spread quick, short messages to the masses. In situations such as this, it is a reassuring and informative way to set a public statement for these important establishments, and its reach can be very wide. For example, a Boston Police Department tweet helped notify the public to text message rather than call people after the incident, since there were so many incoming and outgoing calls in the area. For some, tweeting messages or setting Facebook statuses were immediate ways to tell their friends and families that they were safe.

There is much to write about regarding the entire string of events, and it is horrific that it has occurred, but it is does go to show that there are many good people out there that will pull together in time of need, and social media is just one medium that has allowed this more so than ever. Whether it be as something as investigative as going through CCTV footage to help identify possible leads, or kind gestures to the brave heroes that were involved, or even just spreading the message for support (#prayforboston), social media has become a powerful way for communities to connect and bond.

Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by this tragic event, and we hope that peace will return to the Boston community soon.

Posted in All Social Media, Press, Technology | Leave a comment

Conversing on Facebook with Tiered Replies

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Lawrence

It has been a while now since Facebook has introduced tiered replies to its commenting system. Whilst the obvious question is to ask what you think of it, I guess the better question is: have you tried it out?

Finally, Facebook made the leap to implement the system that allows users to reply directly to any comment. It really has been long overdue, considering this being a core function of many social networks. At Twitter’s centre is the ability to reply to tweets directly at users to converse in short messages, and tiered responses is crucial in the operation of forums such as Reddit, otherwise it would just be a long string of incomprehensible responses out of context (which, arguably, has been the status of Facebook comments before the new tiered replies were introduced). How many times have you been confused as to how to reply to several comments on that new photo you posted onto Facebook? Sure, tagging names made it slightly easier, but it was far from perfect, especially when the solution seemed to be present everywhere else.

Perhaps this may just be something minor to moan about for the average personal Facebook user, but for those with a business or fan page, not being able to directly reply to each commenter, especially for very popular or hot posts, can be frustrating for both the owner and the audience. Businesses that get asked customer support questions can’t direct their reply to a particular person and often won’t be able to do it in time before other comments flood in, and owners of fan pages will find discussions hard to keep track of. In general, you get lost in a stream of comments that are all out of context in regards to each other. However, with Facebook’s new tiered replies, answering questions and discussing becomes clear and organised.

But to jump back to the opening question, not everyone will have actually had a hand at tiered replies. Currently, Facebook has only allowed Pages with 10,000 followers or more to use their new tiered replies. It’s certainly appreciated by those with access to it, but I’m sure everyone else is eagerly waiting for Facebook to globally implement the new system.

So what do you think? Is this tiered reply system much needed, or do you not care too much for it? Have you had a chance to try it out? Leave your comments below!

Posted in Social Media | Tagged facebook, feature, new, reply | Leave a comment

Does Your Business Need A Social Media Strategy?

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Adam

Businesses today, including some of the top companies in the world, invest in social media. Thousands of dollars are invested each month into advertisement through social networks. Your business can also start a social media campaign and let your message be seen to millions of users from all over the globe.

The great thing about social media, is that you don’t have to spend too much of your resources and you will soon realise that the approaches are really effective compared to traditional advertising schemes and techniques.

Social media strategy reaches a wider network of clients

When your business starts a social media strategy, you receive an increase of brand awareness among thousands of potential and current customers in a short amount of time. Hashtags (#) or post relevant information can immediately be seen by many clients.

Before, a business would have to rely on posters, billboards and TV or radio ads which can take weeks and cost thousands of dollars. Social media can bring in approaches that are free and will tap into a market that are relevant to your specific campaign and marketing objectives.

Social media strategy is convenient

You can easily provide updates and make new offers and promos to your customers using mobile and tablet devices. Most social networks feature apps that can be used to keep track of your existing and potential customers constantly regardless of the time and place. Social media allows you to effortlessly upload photos and videos so you don’t have to be stuck inside the office all the time.

Targeting the right people

Businesses launch their social media campaign because they get relevant customers who are interested in their offers and products. You save time, money and energy by acquiring real clients who will help boost sales and spread information about your company online, instead of randomly targeting people.

Traditional internet approaches tend to bring you random visitors that will not lead to sales and increased brand awareness. Social media categorises interests, topics and companies so that people can be properly led to the industry and brand that they like.

Spread and acquire information

Social media provides an interactive network where you can have your own followers or clients spread and share information to other interested users.

The effort will be spread among your fans and followers as they repost and resend the information leading to the capturing of potential customers. You can also gain important contacts or meet some experts in the industry who can give you tips on how to properly use social media to your advantage. Many social networks also provide paid advertisements and promoted ads to further increase views.

Start your social media strategy by creating a personalized account that includes a clear photo and contact information. Participate in other social media activities and increase your network by communicating with key customers and other related experts in the field. You will discover how much better your business will fare with the aid of social media approaches.

Posted in All Social Media, Social Media, Technology | Leave a comment

Good news travels faster than bad on Social Networks

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Adam

Good news travels fast.

Especially on social networks says Jonah Berger, a social psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of new book (and recent SXSW talk), Contagious: Why Things Catch On.

The more positive an article, the more likely it is to be shared

As the New York Times writes of Berger’s findings, “Debbie Downer is apparently no match for Polly Positive, at least among Times readers.”

Berger and Milkman analyzed the “most e-mailed” list of the newspaper’s website for six months, and found that stories that aroused emotion – especially positive – in people were much more likely to be shared. Content that was deemed exciting or funny met the shareable criteria. And interestingly, articles and columns in the Science section were much more likely to make the list than nonscience articles. Berger deduced that science aroused feelings of awe in readers and made them want to share that emotion with others in their Social Network.

People say more positive things when they’re talking to a bigger audience

In oral conversation, one-on-one, you have less time to construct your thoughts and think carefully about what to say and how to say it. But when it comes to sharing on social media, with a mass audience, people can craft their output and tend to do so with a positive spin. Hence, those envy-inducing vacation photos on Facebook and bragworthy TwitPics from exciting conferences and events.

Social media is really social ME-dia

Plus, as Berger points out, Social Networking conversations have a great deal of innate “self-presentation.” Rutgers researchers classify an incredible 80% of Twitter users as “meformers” who tweet mainly about themselves.

“The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media that just want you to tune in. They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling. But when you share a story with your friends and peers, you care a lot more how they react. You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”

What do you think? When you think back on the types of articles you tend to share on Twitter and Facebook, are they more positive or more negative?

Posted in All Social Media | Tagged facebook, Good News, Positive, social media, twitter | Leave a comment

Hashtagging is the way forward!

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Lawrence

Twitter has successfully made hashtagging a social networking essential. If you missed our blog post explaining this prominent feature of Twitter, hashtagging is basically the placing of ‘#’ before terms, which allows all similarly tagged terms to be grouped and searchable together. The reason it has become such an integral part of tweeting is because hashtags can become trends when lost of users implement the same hashtag, and thus can form conversations over a relevant topic, such as the Super Bowl or the Oscars.

Whilst Twitter weren’t the ones to invent tagging and categorisation, they were the ones to incorporate it so well into the social network aspect, that it has become a fundamental tool for other social networks. Instagram caught onto this straight away, allowing for pictures to be hashtagged together, and Pinterest followed suit. And not only are topics and events hashtagged together, but social network-specific trends such as “#followfriday” (for Twitter) and “#latergram” (for Instagram) have become distinguishable characteristics of each medium.

So perhaps it is not surprising that Flickr and Facebook may be finally joining the cool kids with hashtagging. In an effort to catch up with the Instagram powerhouse and to fully integrate itself into Twitter, the iOS app for Flickr now features hashtags (as well as using ‘@’ for usernames – and don’t even get me started on their retro-styled filters). Flickr has even instigated #flickrfridays as a way to invite users to participate in a weekly challenge. Sound like something you might join?

Alongside Facebook’s graph search update, perhaps hashtags are the right step forward to increasing searchable terms. Whilst it is still an unconfirmed rumour, it seems like Facebook is ready to implement such a feature, and could provide much more topic-centred social networking. It would certainly help categorise and group together status updates and photos, whether it may be from one person (e.g. status updates during a concert), or a group of people (e.g. hashtags from everyone that was at your birthday party). There is definitely a lack of such an option currently, and this could be the answer.

How many times have you seen someone mistakenly use a hashtag on Facebook? Perhaps now, publishing posts on multiple platforms at the same time (using services such as Hootsuite) will also be more convenient, with the hashtag being applicable across the board. What do you think? Are hashtags the right feature for Flickr and Facebook? Or do you think they should stick with their current system and not induce the hashtagging frenzy that will inevitably occur?

“John Hardy went from being ‘in a relationship’ to ‘single’.

John Hardy commented on this post: #YOLO”

Posted in Social Media | Leave a comment

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