Erik Qualman's Blog, page 690
May 15, 2011
Cyber Bullying Rises, but Social Media Fights Back
We're all familiar with the old saying that begins "stick and stones may break my bones…" However, in this social media driven society, the term could be revamped to include not only sticks and stones, but also social media, email, texts, etc.
Cyber bullying has become a hot button issue. According to www.how-to-stop-bullying.com, 77% of students have been bullied. Other anti-cyber bullying sites claim, 4 out of 10 middle schoolers have had their online passwords stolen and changed by a bully only to have that said bully post inappropriate online messages.
Perhaps cyber bullying through various social media outlets is on the rise because we are a civilization dependent on the ease of this form of communication. It's easy to hide behind a laptop and post hurtful comments. Let's face it, school ends at 4 but to these bullies, the internet can be a 24-hour outlet of vituperation.
19% of students ages 10-17 who are regular internet users have been involved in cyberbullying via social media and text messaging. Only 51% of preteens and 35% of teens reported the bullying to parents.
So, what is a parent to do? Certainly these kids shouldn't be asked to avoid any social media activity. Fortunately the advantages of social media sites outweigh this blemish on its name. With that being said, parents should monitor their child's use of social media sites. Perhaps parents can consider installing parental control software should they suspect bullying.
In an effort to combat bullying, a company named Safetyweb has designed a Facebook application called Find Help. With this, teens can report cyber bullying and connect with professionals and counselors to get help.
Another point for social media's fight against bullying goes to www.itgetsbetter.org. This user created video site is a worldwide movement to fight bullying and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens. The videos (many celebrity created) send the messages that there is a chance for support, respect and happiness in these teens' futures.
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May 13, 2011
How not to report a death digitally
In the "what were you thinking category" ESPN had to come out and apologize for the insensitive treatment around the recent death of an Alabama football player.
A reporter at ESPN posted the above following the death of an Alabama football player
Following the unexpected death of 21-year-old Alabama offensive lineman Aaron Douglas ESPN "Insider" Albert Lin focused on what players would benefit (i.e., take over the starting roll) with the passing of Douglas (see screen shot above).
We keep seeing mistakes like this in the digital world since everyone is moving so fast to get the scoop or cover it from a certain angle. Yet, there is no excuse for this type of insensitivity.
Our condolences go out to the Douglas family.
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Having Fun Creates Social Media Success
Some people look at their Facebook page, Twitter stream etc, and say why isn't anyone talking to me? Well the reason is that you are not talking to them!
Instead of seeing the social network you interact on as a way to push your product, or tell everyone how amazing you are, see it as a party. Not just any party, but a party that you are hosting at your place.
If you were holding a party you would,
Chat to people, even the ones you haven't met before – hint do this online!
Introduce people to others – you can so easily do this in social media, but first you need to find out about the people at the party (see point 1)
Offer food and drinks, yes some people do just come for the free drinks – often in social media, when you offer people a freebee suddenly you are everyone's best friend, but it gives you a chance to get to know them, it starts the conversation
Make sure your place looks good before everyone arrives – it's the same in social media, "first impressions count"
Say thank you if a guest bought you a gift – in social media world that is a comment or post that they make, don't leave it floating out there….
Put on some tunes – it's all about the right atmosphere; does the social network your business is playing on have the right vibe?
Kick out the trouble makers – don't be afraid to tell any spammers where to go, it's your party and you'll cry if you want to!
So is anyone having a party at their house this weekend?
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May 11, 2011
7 free tools to track your digital footprints & shadows
Privacy is dead. What we upload about ourselves comprises our digital footprint. What others upload about us is our digital shadow. This became apparent when I was writing my book Socialnomics.
Below are a few listening tools to help put your best digital foot forward and track your digital shadow. Do you look like a digital supermodel or digital hobo? Revisit the below tools (free) often to better understand and enhance your digital image.
1. Google Search: Do what is called a "vanity search." Type your name into Google and see the search results. Do the same on Bing. If you live in China, do this on Baidu.
Vanity searches show the digitally good, bad, and ugly around your personal brand. There is an "advanced search tab" next to the search field. If you click on this advanced tab, you can narrow searches for the city or country where you live.
If you have the same name as a famous person or place, you can narrow your search by including "negative keywords." For example, if your last name is "Paris," then you enter negative keywords such as "Hilton," "City," "France," and "Hotel." This will screen out thousands of responses that are of no interest to you.
2. Google Alerts: Sign up for Google Alerts for keywords of interest to you (e.g., your name), and you will receive an alert message from Google every time your name appears on the web. You can set these alerts daily, weekly, or monthly. I recommend weekly.
3. LinkedIn: Get your profile on LinkedIn to 100 percent complete. LinkedIn indicates that those with a complete profile are 40 percent more likely to receive a job interview request. Even if you aren't looking for a job, LinkedIn is a very powerful tool for developing your digital footprint.
In the upper right of your profile, LinkedIn indicates your completion percentage and what items are missing to get to 100 percent. You should also hit "public view" to see what your profile looks like to other viewers and search engines.
4. Facebook: Ever wonder what your Facebook profile looks like to one of your friends? To see what they see, go to your Account Menu -> Privacy Settings -> View Settings -> Preview My Profile. This will show you what the general public sees and you can also enter a specific friend's name to see how it appears to them.
5. Facebook Friendship Pages: Do you keep old photo prints, letters, and mementos? Friendship Pages are similar in concept. They let you see your entire friendship history with an individual on Facebook. This includes wall posts, photos, video, events you attended together, and more. Go to a Friends Profile -> See Friendship. This will bring up a page devoted to just the two of you.
6. Twitter Search: Even if you don't use Twitter, you can easily see what is being tweeted about you. Go to search.twitter.com and in the search field do a vanity search. Search your company name, product, or anything else you fancy.
Twitter is also categorized by "hashtags," which use the "#" symbol. So you may also do a search with a hashtag (e.g., #Egypt, #TimFerris, #Amazon, and #iPad). The hashtags act like conversation labels.
7. Blog: If you don't like what you see on Google or Bing, start to create content. The easiest way is to start a blog. I recommend using free software from WordPress.org, as it is easy to use and is the most popular platform. Post images, videos, and text that are important to you and that will reflect well upon you.
Photo Source: Vladstudio
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What is a #SocialMedia Thought Leader?
Thanks to an internal competition at Likeable Media, where I work as a social media strategist, I have had the opportunity grow my personal brand and put my thought leadership skills to the test. As social media strategists, we hear the term thrown around all the time, but what exactly is a thought leader? Without a thorough understanding of what thought leadership is and how we can obtain it, how can we increase our online influence? If we can't become thought leaders in the areas that interest us most, how can we expect to build effective social media strategies for our brands? Based on what I've learned over the past month, I believe that thought leadership means:
Sparking interest and conversation: Thought leadership means literally leading thoughts. Your content should entertain, excite, and generate curiosity among your audience.
Promoting active engagement: Social media is not about preaching or broadcasting. They'll listen if you listen: take an interest in what your followers say and they'll be sure to take an interest in you. Voice your opinions, but be receptive to theirs as well.
Utilizing available resources: As someone who works with many of Likeable's small business accounts, I understand that you don't need a ton of money or a big following to have an influence on the social web. Be creative and think of ways to utilize the programs, products, partners, supporters, customers, businesses, and friends that you already have or can easily access.
Thinking outside of the box: If your campaigns are the same as everyone else's, users have no reason to participate. Brainstorming, participating in strategy sessions, and researching are great ways to help you create unique and effective marketing strategies.
Being willing to take risks: Social media evolves every day. A technique that works one day may not work the next. It is important for marketers to continue trying new things: you may fall short of your expectations once in a while, but your chances of stumbling upon something remarkable are that much greater.
For those of you who haven't heard about the competition I referenced above, each Likeable employee was given a small budget to test out the Twitter advertising platform. The goal of our competition is to build our personal brand and gain the most new Twitter followers by May 15th. As a 22 year-old strategist only a year out of college, you may think that I don't have the experience necessary to pull this off. Based on what I've learned about thought leadership, I have to disagree. It's all about working with the resources you have (thanks Socialnomics), providing value to your followers, thinking creatively, and engaging with social media users in unique and interesting ways.
If you agree with my definition of thought leadership, I'd appreciate if you support the cause by giving me a follow, proving that thought leadership is less about material values or professional experience and more about creativity, execution, and engagement. If you disagree, I want to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or send me a tweet – What do YOU think a thought leader is?
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10 things to learn from Japan
SKYNEWS reported this a few days back:
1. THE CALM
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture. Their patience is admirable and praiseworthy.
3. THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn't fall.
4. THE GRACE (Selflessness)
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
5. THE ORDER
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
8. THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage. Most of all – NO POLITICIANS TRYING TO GET CHEAP MILEAGE.
10. THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.
Recommended book: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
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May 10, 2011
Microsoft buys Skype: Outmaneuvers Facebook & Google
Microsoft is buying Skype for $8.56 billion in cash. The Skype story:
Skype has 663 million users (more than Facebook)
2003 Skype founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis in Estonia
2005 Skype purchased by eBay for $2.6 billion
2009 eBay sells 70% of Skype to Silver Lake for roughly $2.1 billion
2011 Silver Lake sells eBay for $8.65 billion to Microsoft
As recent as this week Google and Facebook had been rumored to possible partner to purchase Skype and obtain access to the 663 million Skype users. In this instance Microsoft appears to have outmanuevered them; however the price tag was certainly hefty. This acquisition is the biggest purchase in Microsoft history; surpassing $6 billion paid for advertising firm aQuantive in 2007.
The big winner is private equity firm Silver Lake who in 2009 only paid north of $2 billion dollars and 18 months later reaps a profit, along with eBay who still owned 30%, in excess of $6 billion.
The billion dollar question is will Skype's 663 million users be winners or losers. Personally, as a heavy user of Skype for video between grandchildren and grandparents I hope we remain winners.
Recommended book: Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft
Microsoft purchased Skype and obtains this logo and their 663 million Skype users
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May 9, 2011
LinkedIn IPO on NYSE (LNKD) $3 Billion Valuation
LinkedIn, the "Facebook for Business," will list its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This move follows music site Pandora and China's largest social network Renren (RENN), which also chose the NYSE over the Nasdaq. Historically many tech companies (Microsoft, Google, Intel) list on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The Mountain View, California-based LinkedIn IPO plans to raise as much as $175 million in an initial public offering under the symbol LNKD.
According to Reuters the LinkedIn IPO:
7.8 million shares at $32-$35/share
could value the company at over $3 billion
Shares owned by co-founder and LinkedIn board chairman Reid Hoffman, who is among those stockholders selling their shares in the IPO, would represent about 21.7 percent of voting power after the offering. Other key stakeholders offering their shares include Goldman Sachs , McGraw-Hill Companies Inc and Bain Capital Venture Integral Investors LLC. Major investors Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners that together own about two-fifths of the company will not be participating in the IPO.
LinkedIn earned $15.4 million in 2010 on net revenue of $243 million. (Reporting by Brenton Cordeiro in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Suggested book:The Power Formula for Linkedin Success
LinkedIn IPO should make the company green with cash estimate $3 billion valuation
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Apple Surpasses Google as World's Top Brand
Apple dethroned Google as the world's most valuable brand. Google was the top brand for the past four years. The brand study released by global brands agency Millward Brown listed the six technology firms in the top ten:
Apple
IBM
McDonald's
Microsoft
Coca-Cola
AT&T
Marlboro
China Mobile
General Electric
The Facebook brand appeared for the first time at the 35 slot; don't be surprised if they crack the top ten next year. Chinese search engine Baidu rose to number 29 from 46 Nineteen of the top 100 brands came from emerging markets; there were only13 in last year's report.
Suggested book: iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business
2011: Apple is World's Top Brand
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May 2, 2011
215,000 "Like" Pippa Middleton's Tush on Facebook
Social media discussions and posts can help predict many things from the spread of the flu to election results.
Now we can also lump in identifying a new sex symbol. Following the royal wedding festivities a Facebook page titled Pippa Middleton Ass Appreciation Society sprung up.
As of last night there were 90,000 people that "liked" this, while as of this post now it's well over 150,000 and as recent as May 11 was up to 215,000.
This was following Pippa Middleton's appearance as maid of honor in a figure-hugging dress in which some headlines read "her royal hotness." Pippa is the younger sister of Kate Middleton.
If you are a talent agent looking for the next break out celebrity you can use social media to check the pulse of the general public.
With tools like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr at the paparazzi's disposal it's imperative that Pippa Milldleton understands that she is living in the world's largest glass
It appears Facebook was made for Pippa Middleton and Pippa Middleton was made for Facebook
house. There have already been hundreds of photos uploaded to the Internet the past few days some which showcase Pippa partying or in a revealing swimsuit.
Recommended book: William & Catherine: Their Story
With tools like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr at the paparazzi's disposal it's imperative that Pippa Milldleton understands that she is living in the world's largest glasshouse
Pippa Middleton became a social media sensation following the royal wedding of her older sister Kate Middleton
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