Category Archives: Social Networking

Is Your Social Media Content Being Shared?

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One of the most interesting questions people consistently ask is, “What kind of social media content do people share the most?” It’s a great question that a recent study attempts to answer. Experts across the social space weighed in, and most felt that pictures and links are shared the most.
 
This is what I was told when I joined Twitter and Facebook back in January of 2009. Pictures and links. But, while this might be the reality for those in the study, and for many others, I feel that it isn't that black and white overall. 
 
Below are the findings of a recent study. Interesting numbers to say the least.
Chart Courtesy of MarketingChart.com
I get my share of Likes for pictures, but I find that on Facebook when great pictures are combined with great quotes or great links, that content goes farther for me than just quotes, links or pictures by themselves. Visual social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram have certainly influenced this shift.
 
And on Twitter, my inspirational posts go much farther than anything. Why? There is not one factor that can probably explain this. However, I have switched up my quotes. I appreciate the timeless words of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, Booker T. Washington and other historical luminaries, and I still share those quotes. But, I also look exhaustively on the Twitter feeds of ordinary people for their own words on life, love, and happiness. Don’t be afraid to test new content – slightly different from your usual, but still consistent with the spirit of what you like.
 
When you cultivate a quality following, and foster a sense of authenticity and consistency, you’ll see your content being shared more and more. Give it time, and keep engaging no matter what. Your content will find a captive audience.  

Social Media Needs a Super Bowl Ad

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When Twitter ran its first television commercial in late spring, it was a moment many had been waiting for. Myself included. It was a great beginning, something to build on. But the company should think bigger. Much, much bigger.

As I reasoned three years ago, Twitter should develop a Super Bowl ad. No, not anything formula, like one with a celebrity endorser. What I am talking about is a television commercial with highlights of Twitter's undeniable impact, and complemented with CEO Jack Dorsey's voice. Think back to how compelling the 1999 "Crazy Ones" commercial was with Steve Job's now memorable narration.

Photo Courtesy of ncsasports.org

Are you with me now? This would be hot right? Yes indeed.

Now I do have an ulterior motive in pushing this. I believe that once one of the big Social Media Netoworks makes a Super Bowl ad buy, the rest will surely follow suit. And that would be an exciting development. Think about it: Pinterest and Instagram's emphasis on the importance with visual social media; Linkedin's impressive new additions, particularly its sleek new redesign; Tumblr and its 20 billion page views per month; Facebook's sudden emergence as a mobile powerhouse; and Google Plus, which has seen its numbers rebound dramatically.

With all of that mind, envisioning a commercial for each company would not be difficult. Social media influences so much of our lives: who we vote for, our healthcare decisions, what we purchase, etc. So why not share the social media message of community, culture, and innovation with a billion-plus Super Bowl viewership on 6 continents, and potentially gain hundreds of millions of new members in the process? 

Television is more social than ever before. And social good activists would be happy as well because such a move by these titans of tech would surely, albeit slightly, help close the global digital divide. Social media has been baking a cake for decades, from the first email in 1971 to the latest trends and industry shifts of the past year. It's time to put on the frosting and share the cake with parts of humanity, unwilling to take part, or unaware of the advances. People are visual, so, during the world's biggest annually televised event, tell a global story that will captivate, empower, and inspire. 

It makes complete sense. It's time to shine. Let's make this happen.

Why Chime.in is Worth the Login

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Above is my page on Chime.in, the new social network that is one of the most exciting new things in tech. You connect with groups of people and build communities around their interests. I love it. Though shopped by some as a “twitter competitor”, I believe it stands strong by itself without any need for comparisons. 

Yes, there will be comparisons. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr and GooglePlus have all tried to carve out an identity separate from other sites. This looks to be even harder in the coming years as smaller networks are expected to emerge to take their share of the social landscape. 

Right now, Chime.in is one of the best in social media. Seriously. It is clear that Uber Media founder Bill Gross and his team have done their homework on the other sites, and have integrated their own specific ideas to create something unique. Tech editor Bianca Bosker explains:
The site allows users to tag their chimes with up to five interests such as “Apple” or “architecture”, and let’s people subscribe to updates about a particular topic, essentially a stream of “chimes”that are aggregated based on the tags authors have added to their posts. As on Twitter, users can subscribe to each others’ feeds, though Chime.in offers additional control over what appears in their “chimeline”: Individuals can choose to receive only updates pertaining to a particular subject…”

This is why Gross calls Chime.in an “interest network”, a term that is also a recognition of its creative genius. It’s worth a try. So when you get moment, sign up, log in and chime in.