Michael Allison's Blog

Tag: social media

Four Ways Facebook's Redesign Benefits You

Facebook has recently unveiled a remodelling of its front page in a goal to “[simplify] the user experience on the home page by introducing Top News and Recent Activity streams.”

These changes will help you:

1. Discover who your friends are friending – Once part of the regular news stream, Facebook is reinstating the ability to see who your friends become friends with, allowing for greater discoverability of mutual friends. Rekindle that old flame – rekindle it!

2. Catch up on what you missed while having a life – with the Top News stream, you can see what happened while you were offline. The new single relationship status of that special someone you’ve had your eye on won’t elude you anymore. Toggle to the Recent Activity view for what’s going on in real-time.

3. Spend time on what matters to you – In addition to knowing who your friends are friending, you can once again view photo-tags, event RSVPs, group memberships and now birthdays on the main page.

4. Discover services or products more applicable to you – New engagement ads appear in the Recent Activity and Top News views through your friends RSVPing or fanning services. This is a more organic process that will be less intrusive.

Overall these changes are good. It may take a little experimentation for you to get a feel for the new interface, but overall, these moves are positive.

What do you think?

No Comments by Michael on October 26, 2009
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What's new in Social Media? Week of Oct. 19, 2009

Youtube to Livestream U2 Concert

Mashable reports: “The live streaming event, which begins on Sunday, October 25th at 8:30 PM PT, will be available in 16 countries. The live feed will be available on the U2 Official Channel.” [more]

19% of Internet Users on Twitter

According to a Pew Survey, “Some 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates.” [more]

State of the Blogosphere 2009

Technorati has released its annual State of the Blogosphere for 2009. [more]

Surfing the Net May Improve Brain Function

Scientists at UCLA have discovered that older adults with limited Internet experience were able to boost brain functions after a week of interacting with the web. [more]

Blogworld 2009 Wraps

Jet-setting geeks from all over the continent converged on Las Vegas for Blogworld 2009 last wee. It wrapped on Saturday. [more]

No Comments by Michael on October 23, 2009
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What are Twitter Lists?

In limited-release, Twitter lists is a new feature for your Twitter account. For example, you could create a list of social media gurus, PR folks, wineries, local hotels, or any compilation. Twitter developers say “lists are public by default (but can be made private) and the lists you’ve created are linked from your profile. Other Twitter users can then subscribe to your lists. This means lists have the potential to be an important new discovery mechanism for great tweets and accounts.”

They’re only being rolled out to a select-few individuals, but keep on the lookout for an “add to list button” for your Twitter account soon.

No Comments by Michael on October 20, 2009
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What's new in Social Media? Week of October 12, 2009

This weekend isn’t a long weekend — I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving (or Columbus Day) — but here’s what I’ve seen pop up in the world of social media this past week. Check it out:

Canadian Kids Net Savvy At 7

Ipsos Canada, found that75% of children in Canada are skillful with the internet at the age of seven. [more]

Miley Cyrus Leaves Twitter

Pete Cashmore writes, “Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account this week, citing the fact that tabloids were using the Tweets as fodder for their stories.” [more]

How Newspapers can use Social Media

Mike Moran offers suggestions on how papers can adapt to social media. He says “If you think about the “Four Ps” of marketing (Price, Product, Place, and Promotion), newspapers have thrived using only three of them.” “They can create a community, share their expertise, drive readers to individual stories.” [more]

Recurring Tweets On Twitter Accounts Are Being Discontinued

Reported by Michael Glass, “Recurring Tweets are a violation no matter how they are done, including whether or not someone pays you to have a special privilege.” [more]

No Comments by Michael on October 16, 2009
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What if Social Media was used for Serious Things?

Hard news. Hard science. It sounds important — sometimes boring — but mostly important. It usually involves hard professions like doctors, scientists, or police officers.

Social media isn’t just fun and games. There’s a hard aspect — a serious aspect — to it, too.

Once instance of this is Google Flu Trends. This is certainly applicable surrounding the spread and fear over H1N1.

Millions of users around the world search for health information online, and there are more flu-related searches during flu season, more allergy-related searches during allergy season, and more sunburn-related searches during the summer. Google has found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms.

Here is a video explaining how it works:

I find this fascinating and full of potential for other applications. Google’s ability to do this in almost real-time rests on the fact that they are, well, Google. They have all the information. Still, as open source ideas progress and data becomes more widely available, I’m interested to see how this kind of information can be applied both online and off.

This is important for communicators of all stripes for how online tools can be leveraged for serious things. After all, there’s always room for the fun things, isn’t there?

No Comments by Michael on October 9, 2009
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What’s New in Social Media?

54% of Companies Block Access to Social Media

Shel Holtz writes that, “Well-communicated and consistently enforced policies will deal with most issues,” “Access to social media improves productivity,” and “Millenials will not work for companies that block.” [more]

B.L. Ochman Releases Blogger Outreach Manifesto

Ochman released a multi-point plan for reaching out to bloggers. Tips include, “Forget thee not, that what goes on line, stays online,” and “Readith what we write before thou contacteth us.” [more]

FTC Releases Guidelines on Endorsements by Bloggers

Whitney Hoffman writes, “The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued new guidelines that go into effect December 1, 2009 regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising that for the first time specifically include blogs.” [more]

Crowd-sourcing Could be a Myth

Patrick Philippe Meier reports on a story from Forbes magazine. The article says, “The notion of crowds creating solutions appeals to our desire to believe that working together we can do anything, but in terms of innovation it is just ridiculous.” [more]

What do you think?

No Comments by Michael on October 8, 2009
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Interview with Professor Wilkes from RRU Part 3 of 4

In part 3 of my interview, I ask Wilkes about politics and social media. He discusses Sarah Palin’s use of Facebook, and Obama’s leveraging of social media for his Presidential campaign.

Wilkes also offers his analysis of #HST on Twitter and the grassroots organization around the issue of Harmonized Sales Tax in BC.

About the interview subject:

During my Master’s degree in professional communication at Royal Roads University, I took a course called Human-Computer Interaction. To make a long story short, it’s what got me involved in the systematic exploration and use of social media.

On August 26, 2009, I sat down with my professor from that course, Gilbert Vanburen Wilkes IV, PhD. He is an Assistant Professor in RRU’s School of Communication and Culture and Program Head for the BA in Professional Communication. He holds a BA in English Literature from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN; an MA in English with a concentration in Rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA; and a PhD in Rhetoric also from Carnegie Mellon.

You can follow him on Twitter (@casuist) or read his blog, liber.rhetoricae.

Look for part four in the series next week.

No Comments by Michael on September 10, 2009
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What’s the Next Big Social Media Tool?

I get asked regularly what the next big social media tool is. “I’ve already heard of Twitter. What’s next?” they ask. The fact is, I don’t really know. I’m probably experimenting with an early version, but I don’t know if it’ll be the next big thing, and that’s not the point of this post.

The point is: if you’re asking, you probably don’t use social tools. You just want to know what the latest and greatest is. The current incarnation of tools arose too quickly, and you’d like to see it coming next time– or at least sound hip at a cocktail party. And that’s perfectly all right.

From my experience, the latest and greatest takes a good 2+ years before accumulating the users and hype that makes it worthwhile. Until then, it’s a forum of agonizingly inconsequential geek-minutiae that will dash the dreams of anyone with their eye on leading a productive and fulfilling life.

Did you want to know about the god-like net celebrity you’ve never heard of (and never will) who has replaced his iPhone with a Palm?

Didn’t think so.

You are normal.

You shouldn’t be caring about things like that. To some geeks, it’s the world—or at least the day. Civilization would be in ruins if it weren’t for you, the level-headed, unburdened by the thirst for the shiny toys that may, or may not, fall into obsolescence within matters of months.

So for the future of the human race, don’t sweat the latest and greatest in social media. Leave it up to the geeks: the finicky and sometimes socially maladjusted folk who operate best not only in the affairs of tomorrow but in those of years to come.

When the time comes for the latest and greatest, we’ll be sure to let  you know — and sigh in exasperation at why you hadn’t come aboard earlier.

No Comments by Michael on August 26, 2009
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Russell Herder White Paper on Social Media and Risk Management

Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law have just released a White Paper called Social Media: Embracing Opportunities, Averting the Risks (PDF). It will help you implement a social media policy for your organization.

Of note is the fact that, of businesses with crisis communication plans, only 13% of companies include social media in their crisis communication plan even though 72% of executives say they personally visit social media sites weekly to see what is being said about their organizations.

This is an opportunity for communicators to show their value. This is done by showing the boss that you’re educated on the tools she or he is using and are able to take the initiative to include social media in your crisis plans.

The white paper includes a list of best practices on implementing a social media policy, the first on the list mentioning culture. From my Master’s research, culture is important to preventing and solving crises. I saw that the cultural problems within an organization contributing to an organizational crisis are the same problems that prevent effective crisis management and resolution. The white paper suggests that an “effective social media policy should define the company’s overall philosophy on social media.” This only works if you’ve got the supportive and open culture conducive to effective use of social media, a catch-22 in a sense.

It’s worth a scan. I suggest looking through the list of best practices at the end if you need to save time.

1 Comment by Michael on August 10, 2009
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Report on Crisis Communication and Social Media

I found a report by Booz Allen Hamilton called Expert Round Table on Social Media and Risk Communication During Times of Crisis: Strategic Challenges and Opportunities (PDF)

One segment explained that in pandemic situations a relatively small number of people are affected, and social media should be used on a wider scale to keep the unaffected population in the loop in order to evangelize the current response.

This is absolutely true. From many headline-grabbing events, from the Iranian demonstrations to BC forest fires, observers feel involved if they are fed information and will not hesitate to pass it on. The job of the emergency or crisis communicator is to facilitate that process and make sure the information that people are receiving is correct.

If you’re your organization’s chearleader for crisis preparedenss, it couldn’t hurt to check out this report.

2 Comments by Michael on August 8, 2009
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