Category Archives: Social engagement

Anything of relevance to social networking either on or off-line.

Filter bubble savvy and how to get out of it

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Graphic depicting the world wide web - a place where you can be in a filter bubble

The world wide web – a place where you can be in a filter bubble

The term ‘filter bubble’ only entered my lexicon last week when my daughter was doing a university assignment on the topic. It is, I learnt, the phenomena where we are served up web content based on what web sites we’ve visited in the past, what searches we’ve made and what comments we’ve made on blogs such as Facebook. Of course I knew that this happened, but I didn’t realise it was called a filter bubble.

Let’s look at this a little more closely. Do you recall times that ads have popped up that related to previous searches you’ve made on the web? Or, if you’re a Facebook user, why certain news items or ads are served up to you? This is your filter bubble at work. Continue reading →

Keywords are the key to success in online marketing

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Person using keywords to search on a website

Keywords have been the dominant feature of all my research into online marketing recently. It occurred to me that they are the number one driver that connects businesses to customers or audiences. This has huge implications for the creation of web content because keywords need to be at the very centre of it.

There are four main ways that a web user will find a website. People may arrive at it directly if they know the web address. Or they may be referred from another website that has a direct link. Then there’s paid search, which are search results from advertising. And finally there’s organic search. Over 90% of adults use search on the internet and thus it is the dominant director of traffic on the web. Continue reading →

Facebook privacy tips

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Facebook and other such social media are great tools, but they tend to scare people because of privacy issues. There’s no point in throwing the baby out with the bath water though. If you know how to protect your privacy, then you can embrace them and take full advantage of the benefits they many offer. Here’s a good article with practical tips on how to protect your privacy on Facebook.

Kids beware, your parents will now know what you’re saying!

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We all do it. Use acronyms that is. But they’ve really found a life of their own in this digital age – and in particular instant messaging. I’m old enough to remember the days before SMS when teens used whole words to communicate. So I read this article with some amusement. Maybe this FBI manual will come in handy for parents keeping a watchful eye on their children’s behaviour!

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Knock-on effect of changes in devices of choice

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As Bob Dylan would say, “The times they are a changin”. This is especially true of the world of digital technologies. There are many drivers of this change, but key amongst them is user convenience. People are moving towards mobile devices more and more as the devices become smarter and integrate more seamlessly with other devices in a user’s world.

The following article from the Sydney Morning Herald caught my eye because it draws the spotlight on this effect.

This trend has a significant impact on a range of information delivery systems including websites, social media, document sharing and so on. These systems need to take into account the different ‘ecosystems’ of such devices. Front of mind are things like responsive web design that ensures websites render well and are easy to use on tablets and smart phones; marketers being familiars with the strengths and weaknesses of social media apps; and consideration of a user’s download limit by not delivering documents as attachments, but via links that show clearly the file type and size. The list goes on.

Basically it means that the way we do business has to change as the adoption of mobile devices increases.

PCs to lose more ground to tablets: surveyDecline: PCs will continue to lose ground to tablets, according to a survey. Sales of traditional computers will lose more ground in 2014 to tablets and other mobile devices, a market tracker says. The overall market for connected devices – PCs, smartphones and tablets – is likely to grow 6.9 per cent to nearly 2.5 billion devices in 2014, according to a report by research firm Gartner.

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Teens are leaving Facebook and this is where they are going

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Just as we ‘oldies’ finally get how Facebook works, we observe our kids are departing the scene. Nothing new is this sort of generational shift especially that two of the major points of destination specialise in image sharing … just what the youngins love with taking selfies and all that. But the other factor I’ve observed (and read about) is that FB has stuck to a pretty functional format and not moved with the times in creating a more ‘sexy’ look and feel to its design. I theorise that this is why FB developed Paper (not currently available in the Australian Apple App Store)* – a much more trendy looking platform … that is to say, I reckon FB will ditch the current design and move to Paper eventually to get the kids back.

Teens Are Leaving Facebook, This is Where They Are GoingLike many parents, Facebook is learning that raising teenagers is hard. On Wednesday evening during its 2013 fourth quarter earnings call Facebook’s Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman said teen usage of the social network decreased in the last quarter.

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* Here’s how to get Paper in Australia

The price of following your essential course of action

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One of the down sides of doing web stuff and trying to perfect it is the number of hours you have to spend embedded in your computer. That can be a real turn off for friends and family because you’re just not present to them. This article goes even further to say that “The things that make you successful are sometimes offensive to other people.”   So if part of your essential course of action is to use the web or indeed simply a computer as a tool to achieve your goals, it’s wise to develop some strategies to maintain some level of social engagement.  This article gives you some tips.

When You’re Driven, It’s Normal For People Not To Like YouYou’re never not going to have critics. And it’s probably always going to bother you. The harsh truth about being successful is that you are going to make people irrationally mad at you in the process. It’s inevitable. Part of the painful journey.

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Hashtag v mots-diese

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It seems that cultural boundaries are being carved out on the internet.  The French government is putting its pied down to insist that the use of Anglicised internet terms, such as “hashtag”, don’t invade their language.  But it might be a case of the power of the people as to what ones retain dominance.

France says ‘non’ to hashtags”LE NEWS dans mon e-mail ce week-end? C’est cool, yes?” C’est definitely not cool, if you’re the French government department charged with keeping the language pure. This country with an unhappy history of invasion now has to defend its mother tongue on a new front: social media.

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Do you have what it takes to build business relationships?

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A community manager's job is never done

A cartoon from get satisfaction.com that appears in 10 Qualities of an Effective Community Manager

This article on the 10 Qualities of an Effective Community Manager is a very pertinent  follow on from the previous one on the Obamas by Judith Ireland, that I shared in the previous post.

Qualities such as empathy, dedication and passion ring true.

What is the connection to the Obama story you might ask?  It’s the notion that Obama presents as a living example of an empathetic and dedicated spouse – qualities the US citizens clearly appreciate in their leader.  Perhaps they subconsciously think “If he can be like that to her, he will be empathetic and dedicated to us”.  I would add to this mix that through his love for Michelle, he embodies passion – and therefore perhaps by extension a passion for the brand he’s commissioned to uphold, which is brand USA.

On a personal note, I found it heartening to read this article because it talks about a good community manager being dedicated.  Such dedication is like parenting, it’s all consuming.  “When you’re a community manager, you’re on 24/7”.  The reason I appreciated reading this is that I’m constantly given a hard time by my family and friends for “not switching off” from work. It’s hard to explain to them that not being able to switch off isn’t so much a function of being bludgeoned into it by a uncaring boss – rather that community (or relationship) management is instinctual and requires 24/7 vigilance. Much like one cares for a child one doesn’t do parenting in only one section of the day – as any parent would testify, even if your child isn’t with you, it’s constant vigilance.  I therefore whole heartedly agree with the article author, Scott Monty, this type of work is a lifestyle – “If you want to check in at 9 a.m. and out at 5 p.m., you’re in the wrong field.”

10 Qualities of an Effective Community ManagerAs more companies and more industries buy into the benefits of social media and community development, the number of job opportunities available for professionals with community-building skills also continue to grow.

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