EndGame PR’s Steve Mullen on NBC12
If you watched the NBC12 (WWBT in Richmond, VA) news at 11pm on Friday, January 27 or the station’s morning show on Saturday the 28th, you may have seen me talking about social media privacy with Yvette Yeon. If you didn’t, here’s the video … after a commercial message:
Can Google+ Become Your “Default” Social Media Outlet?
I’ve been participating in an interesting discussion on Facebook this morning about the future of Facebook, and it led me to this blog post. The discussion centered around a question posed by Jeff Kraus. He wondered, and I quote, “How many brands are rethinking the priority they place on their FB presence given the unpredictable nature of the platform these days?”
The overwhelming opinion from those who chimed in was that right now brands and businesses have nothing to fear, because while Facebook has made a lot of changes that have ticked off its user base, the growth of that user base shows no sign of letting up. What all of us in the discussion also agreed upon is that it will be very interesting to see Google+’s options for businesses and brands. Those are due to be unveiled later this year.
In a roundabout way, this discussion led me to think about how Google+ can grow and become the default social media outlet for more people. Right now, most people I know spend more time at Facebook and/or Twitter, and if they visit Google+, they do so as a secondary or even tertiary outlet.
I’m going use sweeping generalizations here, so bear with me, but I view Twitter users as people who want to find and share news and short opinions. Facebook, meanwhile, can be used for similar purposes, but is also a place to see what your friends (and their kids .. grandkids .. etc.) are up to. If I want to find news about something going on right now, I go to Twitter. If I want to see pictures from last night’s neighborhood event (bad example, I know) then I go to Facebook.
So … when do people go to Google+? It’s hard to answer that question. Google just opened the service to the general public (no invite required) this week. Until that day, the site was a haven for techies. Few people who weren’t connected somewhat in the social media world had managed to swing an invite, or cared to go through the trouble of getting one. As a result of that closed user base, the site has until now been a great place to find news about social media and technology, as that’s what people were sharing. I have never once seen a post on there with pictures of someone’s new cat.
I view Google+ as being in between Facebook and Twitter in what it does. You can read posts from whomever you want without being invited, something Twitter has always been identified with but Facebook just implemented. On Google+, however, you’re not limited in character count and can post images … like Facebook. Being an in between service isn’t enough, though. Right now, what will do the trick is still up in the air, as the site is still evolving. What is clear is that Google+ needs to find its niche, and it needs to do it soon before the public forgets about it.
What do YOU think it will take for Google+
to become the default social media site?
I’d love to hear your opinions in comments.
Facebook Creeping Toward Google+
Facebook made an announcement this week that once again shifts the ever-evolving service. The subscribe button added by the social media service allows you to subscribe to public updates posted by anyone on the site — even if they’re not your Facebook “friend”.
This move is being widely reported as making Facebook more like Twitter. I think those who are reporting that are missing something — this new feature makes Facebook more like Google+. On Google’s new social media service, you can add anyone to a circle, which adds their public updates to your news stream regardless of whether you’re in their circles. Sound familiar?
The question here is whether Facebook is a little concerned about the new competition from Google. We may never know, as this could be a feature they’ve worked on since before Google+ launched this summer.
Facebook Revamps “Pages”
Facebook Page Administrators had a little learning to do today, as the world’s largest social media site rolled out an update to not only the look but also the way those pages act. Here’s an overview:
- The update includes a revamp of the look of the pages, making them look almost identical to individual profile pages. They put tagged pictures at the top, and eliminated the tabs (this is a big one for us as it’s where our landing pages lived — take note).
- One important change is that the links for the tabs have been moved over to the spot under the profile picture, and are now just links. Fortunately, the update didn’t change the requirements or measurements of actual custom landing pages, which is a good thing for those who build them.
- Another interesting feature is that administrators can now comment AS their page on other pages or other people’s profiles. To explain, previously we could only comment as the page’s identity (rather than as Steve Mullen, for example) while actually on that page. Now I could go on the Facebook Page for Twinkies (for example) and a comment from me would show up as the identity of my Facebook Page. This will come in quite handy. Additional changes related to this include being able to receive email notifications of user comments on your Page, something previously only possible for comments on your personal wall.
- Another feature related to the one above, but deserving of its own bullet is the new ability to “like” other Pages as your page. Previously you could only “like” something as an individual. Very interesting.
The one change that is causing some consternation among Facebook Page Administrators is the switch from tabs to the small links under the profile picture. I’m not particularly fond of this either, since they’re not as obvious now. In the end, though, there’s really no way around it. We’ll just have to work harder to promote the content in those links. If one of those links is to a custom landing page, it will of course be the default page seen by all “non-likers” (yes .. I just made that up).
If you administer a page and haven’t updated yet, you have until March 10, when it will be done for you!
Using Social Media for Good
This post is, admittedly, partly designed to promote some new work being done by EndGame PR. However, it’s about a larger issue — that social media can be a force for good.
This week a new social media campaign launched. It’s called KeepThePromise.com, and it’s the brainchild of a group of Central Virginia churches. The site has a goal of collecting promises made to God, while at the same time helping people who don’t have enough to eat. The concept is simple: individuals are invited to post promises, whether simple, complicated, or downright frivolous. One example: “I promise to be nicer to my sister if you help me pass this math test.” For every promise posted, a donation is given to the Central Virginia Food Bank. Visitors are also given assistance in finding a church, if they would like the help.
Critics sometimes point to social media users as being inwardly focused. In fact, critics would tell you that’s all social media IS — self-centered individuals who post what they’re doing at every moment. It’s so much more than that. It’s a way of reaching out and connecting with other people we’d never otherwise meet. It’s also an extremely powerful force for good. One example from a recent article on cause marketing in Adweek:
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