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Archive for the ‘Social Networking Sites’ Category

Instagram Vs. Vine

Posted Friday, July 5th, 2013

Will Vid-stagram kill Twitter’s video baby? Can the underdog Vine still grow after the 130-million-user behemoth Instagram lumbers into video sharing?

Instagram flipping the video switch gives it instant scale, a terrifying prospect for the fledgling Vine. Facebook did say that users uploaded quite a bit of video in the first 24 hours after release. Not to mention you don’t need to download another app to use video on Instagram.

And it is entirely possible that some key Vine users — the most popular people using the service — may have stopped using Vine for a bit, potentially explaining the first graph’s dip. That wouldn’t be good news for Twitter and Vine, both services that rely on the most popular users and celebrities to drum up fun, engaging content in order to rile up the rest of the community.

Here’s my point: From the data available, we just don’t know who’s “winning” quite yet.

 

 


Google+ overtakes Twitter to become second biggest US social network

Posted Thursday, June 6th, 2013

Google+ has achieved attained a significant milestone in the US after it opened up a 10 per cent lead over the micro blogging service amongst both men and women with personal social media accounts.

The research, conducted by Burst Media, confirmed that women remain the most enthusiastic social media users being six per cent more likely to have a Facebook account than men with the biggest disparity being Pinterest where 22 per cent of women have an account versus just 5 per cent of men.

It was the strength of Google+ in the poll which grabbed attention with fully 24.5 per cent of men and 26.1 per cent of women holding an account, significantly more than the respective figures of 15.5 per cent and 16.9 per cent for Twitter.

 


25% Of People Say Birthday ‘Success’ Is Based On How Much Social Media Love You Get

Posted Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

A quarter of people say that the number of messages they receive is the main way they would measure the success of their birthday, research from gift card company One4All has found.

The research discovered that 76 per cent will post a greeting to friends on social media, but only 20 per cent said they expected to receive a birthday card through the post.

Declan Byrne, managing director UK of One4all, said: “Social media now plays a huge part in all of our lives and it’s interesting to see how it has impacted on the traditional birthday.

“It’s a social shift that is affecting many businesses who provide a service linked to birthday celebrations. For example, it’s led to us creating online group gifting, where friends can come together through social media to contribute to a joint gift.”

A third of people say that they find their own birthdays stressful and would rather celebrate someone else’s, while only 15 per cent say they would always have a birthday cake.


Apps to get excited about in 2013

Posted Friday, May 17th, 2013

With thousands of new apps being released daily, it takes a lot to stand out. We’ve downloaded and tried five apps that are creating a buzz and offered our thoughts. Lets us know if you agree….

1. Wanelo

The new… Pinterest
Pinterest allows you to drool over pretty things on a photo-bulletin style site that tells your followers what you’re drooling over. Wanelo (short for “Want Need Love”) takes the photo-bulletin style design that has made Pinterest so popular and made it more practical. Click on one of the freshly styled images and the site redirects you to an online shop, where you can purchase what you’ve just added to your wishlist.

Verdict: 2/5 but that’s only because it’s heavily biased to fashion that doesn’t suit me but may well appeal to younger people

2. Vine

The new… Instagram
The app encourages you not to just take a photo, but to film a three to six second clip, and posts it on a loop.  With GIF-based memes everywhere online, the app is a smart and user-friendly way to create your own; whether that’s for promoting a Hollywood blockbuster or just you taking a sip of your beer.

Verdict: 3/5 I think it’s a great tool and could be very useful for lots of puposes but it hasn’t had the uptake you’d expect which suggests it’s not particuarly popular with tweeters

3. Snapchat

The new… Whatsapp
The photo messaging app is on almost every twenty-something’s smartphone and if not, then they’re all talking about it. The app lets you send photos with added captions and doodles – but the killer function is the ability to set a time limit of up to ten seconds for how long recipients can view their photos for, after which it is deleted from the recipient’s device and the company’s servers.

Verdict: 4/5 snapchat has grown quickly and whilst it took me some time to grow a fondness for it, the number of my contacts and facebook freinds who have joined in recent weeks has been huge. It’s a simple app, easy to use and a lot of fun- what more do you want from an app?

4. Tinder

The new… Chat Roulette
The app will show you people in your area which you can either anonymously like or pass on. It then lets the other person know and if your profile tickles their fancy, they’ll like you back and you can begin chatting within the app. You can take it from there…

Verdict: 4/5 I discovered this app in San Francisco when it had just been released and it had a huge immediate uptake. It’s been much slower in the UK but it’s a great app for people a little nervous about using sites like POF that throws you in the deep end

5. #music

The new… Spotify
After the launch of Vine, the second  new app from Twitter is generating a lot of excitement in the music industry.  The app has integrated recommendations that show which artists are trending as well as up and coming musicians.

Verdict: 3/5 potentially I think this app could be huge but right now it’s not quite there yet- maybe because I’m not willing to accept that that my suggested list includes Janet Jackson, Nelly Furtado and Emma Bunton (busted!). A great way to discover music and like you can preview music in the app. Definitely one for the future and it’s rating is likely to increase


Hottest Social Networking Sites of 2013

Posted Friday, April 26th, 2013

As diverse as these platforms are, they are all taking social networking into deeper, more focused directions. But in the shadow of these all-purpose social networks, some truly exciting transformations and specializations are underway. Verdicts and ratings are obviously my opinion and I’d love to hear if and why you disagree

Sharing using sound – For sheer “wow” factor, Chirp may take the prize in 2013. Say you want to instantly share a photo or link with a roomful of people.  There are plenty of options out there, but they all have drawbacks.  Networks like Instagram or Facebook are members-only.  Email requires typing in multiple addresses.  Bluetooth has to be paired device by device.  Chirp, however, is different.  Your phone emits a high-pitched, two-second-long, robotic squeak. Other phones within audio range pick up the sound and instantly download the photo or message.  Chirps can be shared in a boardroom or a crowded bar, broadcast over loudspeakers to reach huge audiences or even embedded in YouTube videos or TV programs.

Verdict: when we tried it out the app ws tempremental and couldn’t always download the message we sent but it definitely has the potential to be a lot of fun
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Flayyvr

Bringing order to photosharing – Smartphones have made it ridiculously easy to take photos and video, but gorgeous shots from last week can end up lost deep inside the camera roll. Flayvr may be the most intuitive and aesthetically pleasing of a wave of new social apps bringing law and order to your collection. Photos and videos are automatically organized into eye-catching albums based on date, complete with location and even titles sucked in from your iPhone calendar.  With a tap, you can share the album as a splashy HTML5 webpage via social networks or email. It’s also a great alternative for privately sharing big collections of photos.

Verdict: a much better method of arranging images than Apple’s iphone ‘Photos’. Helpful to have photos in galleries of date and subject and easy to share to social networks
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thumb

Personal crowdsourcing – Say you have no idea what shirt to match with your new jeans.  Snap a photo, upload to Thumb and crowdsource the decision.  Simple questions typically generate hundreds of thumbs up or thumbs down, plus comments, from the network’s very active user base, sometimes within minutes.  Appealing to the twin social impulses of vanity and voyeurism, Thumb generates serious engagement among users (reported to be around four hours a month, second only to Facebook among established networks) and seems poised for growth in 2013.

Verdict: I was expecting to really like Thumb when i first heard about it, but having only used it briefly it has now been removed from my phone. I thought the concept was good but the questions were a bit trivial and whilst I had expected to help people, I felt I was only entertaining their boredom
Rating: 2 out of 5

Chirpify

Buy with one Tweet – Remember how revolutionary it felt when Amazon introduced 1-Click payments for online shopping? Chirpify takes that concept into the social media era.  Sellers offer stuff for sale on Twitter or Instagram (T-shirts, concert tickets, new albums, whatever).  You reply with the word “buy” and it’s yours.  No credit card.  No “proceed to checkout” or “add to cart.”  The entire transaction is conducted through your Twitter account.  Apart from buying and selling, Chirpify can also be used for fundraising, giveaways and – most fascinating of all – peer-to-peer payments.  Need to pay a buddy back for this morning’s coffee?  Just tweet “pay” and the amount to his Twitter handle.  Chirpify is free to use but takes a five-percent cut anytime you get paid.

Verdict: I’ve yet to use chirpify myself but I’ve seen successful examples and it looks a fantastic service. I feel this is really one for the future and don’t think it’ll be long until social-commerce is common practice.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 


Hashtags in the spotlight: #habitsifindhardtobreak

Posted Friday, April 19th, 2013

Trending topics hit Twitter every day. One of today’s trending topics, #habitsifindhardtobreak, acts as a bit of a confession — everyone has bad habits after all, right? Today, Twitter users dished out their strangest addictions that, no matter what, they just can’t seem to shake.

The hashtag began Sunday evening by Damn It’s True, a “#1 Life Facts” account that primarily tweets inspirational quotes and statistics and has nearly 2.5 million followers:

Ara, the account’s founder, said she started it on a whim. “[It’s] nothing serious, it’s just a story of my life and I believe that a lot of people do that too.”

What is your #habitsifindhardtobreak?


What type of social media user are you?

Posted Friday, April 12th, 2013

New research shows heavy Facebook and Twitter users can suffer withdrawal symptoms when forced to go cold turkey. It also highlights 12 distinct types of social media users: which one are you?

1. The Ultras: For many habitual social media users, the networks are their primary communications link to family and friends, so the enforced changes did, in some cases, make them feel isolated. Some felt the feelings of isolation from the first few days, while for others those feelings were triggered later in the experiment by missing out on information, or a conversation, that had taken place on their networks.

2. The Deniers: ‘Deniers’ are those who maintain social media doesn’t control their lives. They reckon they can easily live without it. The reality, however, is very different. Whenever they can’t access their favourite network for an extended period, they become anxious and feel cut off from the rest of the world.

3. The Dippers: Although more than half the UK population is signed up to Facebook or Twitter, not all are regular users. ‘Dippers’ access their pages infrequently, often going days – or even weeks – without tweeting or posting an update.

4. The Virgins: Every day, new people are signing up to social networks. These ‘Virgins’ are taking their first tentative steps in social media. They can often struggle initially to get to grips with the workings of Facebook and Twitter, and until they build up their own networks of friends and followers they may question why they’ve joined. The first couple of months will determine whether they go on to become Ultras!

5. The Lurkers: Hiding in the shadows of cyberspace, they watch what others are saying on social networks but rarely (if ever) participate themselves. They will complain publicly about the ‘mundane drivel’ that is posted, and privately they worry they don’t have anything interesting to say, but they keep an eye on others’ conversations.

6. The Peacocks: A ‘Peacock’ can be easily recognised on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram because they see social networks as an opportunity to show everyone just how popular they are. They judge their social standing on how many followers or fans they have, and the aim of each post or tweet is to secure as many ‘likes’ or re-tweets as possible.

7. The Ranters: Often meek and mild in face-to-face conversations, ‘Ranters’ are highly opinionated online. Social media platforms allow them to articulate their strong opinions without having to worry about how others will react. They may be former bloggers, but Twitter gives them the opportunity to rant to a much larger audience.

8. The Ghosts: Some people on social networks like to participate in conversations but are worried about giving out personal information to strangers. On Twitter, these ‘Ghosts’ create usernames that allow them to remain largely anonymous, while on Facebook they have noticeably sparse profiles and timelines.

9. The Changelings: For some people, being anonymous online isn’t enough. They also adopt very different personalities, confident in the knowledge (or so they think) that no-one knows their real identity.

10. The Quizzers: ‘Quizzers’ like to ask questions on Facebook and Twitter – not because they actually want to know the answers, but because asking questions allows them to start conversations. They may fear being “left out” by not having anything interesting to say, so asking questions gives them the opportunity to contribute and be involved.

11. The Informers: Information is currency in social media. Being the first to spot something interesting and pass it on earns you kudos and – just as importantly – more followers and fans. ‘Informers’ scan social media and news sites, looking for any new stories, offers, videos etc they can share with their audience.

12. The Approval-seekers: This group worry about how many likes/comments/re-tweets they get when they post a message or update, because they link that endorsement to their popularity. After posting a message they will constantly check their feeds and timelines, and will fret until people start to respond.


The 5 Worst Social Media Fails Of 2013 So Far

Posted Friday, April 5th, 2013

We’re only in April but several brands have already made king-sized screwups in social media. Among their crimes: Using a four-letter word to insult a nine-year-old girl. Live-tweeting a mass layoff.

No 1 : HMV

In January, an HMV social media worker live-tweeted the mass firing of 190 staff. Among the tweets were: “There are over 60 of us being fired at once! Mass execution, of loyal employees who love the brand” and “Just overheard our Marketing Director (he’s staying, folks!) ask ‘How do I shut down Twitter?'”

No 2: US firm fails to deliver flowers on Valentine’s Day

Both US companies 1-800 FLOWERS and FTD realized the cost of screwing up on the one day of the year when you need to be on your game, especially if you’re in the flower business!

No 3: American Airlines

In February, American Airlines’ policy of auto replying to every tweet, no matter what, backfired. People began tweeting insults at the company. Scripted tweeting just doesn’t work.

No 4: Tesco

Tesco forgets to change this pre-scheduled tweet in the middle of a PR crisis about horsemeat found in some of its frozen dinners.

No 5: The Onion

The Onion uses a four-letter word in a joke to describe 9-year-old actress Quvenzhane Wallis during the Oscars. The satirical newspaper later apologized.

Which is your favourite?


Will giving up social media for a week cleanse your soul?

Posted Monday, March 18th, 2013

Russian Orthodox church advises people to avoid Instagram and Twitter when annual period of self-denial begins next week

The Russian Orthodox Church has long told its followers to give up milk and meat for Lent but when the annual period of self-denial begins on Monday its leaders want the flock to go one stage further.

There should be no tweeting or instagramming of the experience – and no social media at all, in order to better cleanse the soul, according to church spokesman, Vsevolod Chaplin.

Interestingly, Maureen Henderson did exactly that last September for a month and documented it in her article 3 Reasons you Should Quit Social Media in 2013. She claimed the 3 main reasons people should reconsider devoting so much time to social networking were: 1) it harms your self-esteem 2) your blood pressure will thank you and 3) online is no substiture for offline.

It’s an interesting thought and I’m beginning to see and hear more people who are threatening to leave social networks, particualry Facebook, but very few following through for any length as after all, it’s the centre of keeping up to date with the people, businesses and interests they enjoy staying up to date with.
So did we adopt social media too quickly and are the cracks now appearing? It’s quite possible that activity is just levelling out as it was never going to be possible to maintain the explosive rates of growth. As a business, there’s still no choice but to join social networks and have your business represented to the highest standard with significant activity. So why the call for people to leave social media when it’s so important?
It has to surely be assessed as to how people use the various platforms and with what motives. I know of people who reguarly remove posts if it has not received as many likes or comments as they would like. This type of use is a far cry from the hugely beneficial attributes social networking has to offer, such as keeping up with breaking news and engaging with our sporting heroes, it’s a darker side to social media use. It’s no wonder then that social media is critisized and people threaten to adandon the platforms. But with everything used correctly, social media is an indespensible tool for personal and business use.
We should remember that causes like red nose day was undoubtedly helped by Facebook and Twitter as people spread messages and encouraged people to donate.  It is the ideal way to keep up to date with your industryand talk to the brands you are buying from. Yes it can be misused, like everything else but that shouldn’t threaten why it is such an important part of our lives now and how with the right balance, social media can improve, not distrupt our lives.

Looking for love this Valentine’s Day? Buy a Facebook girlfriend for only $5

Posted Thursday, February 14th, 2013

Forget wasting £5, or even £15, on an oversized novelty stuffed teddy this Valentine’s Day, even if it sings Unchained Melody when you push its paw. Dave Lee, of the BBC, found that for only $5 you can buy make-believe online love.

While conducting research, Lee came across a number of sites offering varying degrees off fake girlfriend services. After discovering Namoro Fake and Cloud Girlfriend couldn’t offer him the fabricated social media solicitude he was seeking, he turned to Google and happened upon Fiverr.

Fiverr is a US-based site-come-forum where people list things they are willing to do for $5 and after a quick search for “fake girlfriend”, Lee laid eyes on Sophia and the rest is history. Well, a whole week’s worth of history because that’s all the $5 gets you.

In addition, an organisation called ‘Cloud Girlfriend’ can provide lonely souls with the ‘change in relationship status’ that they so badly need and want during this difficult time of year. Cloud Girlfriend allows you to pick your ideal date from a list of possibilities – and then give them the dream-selection of attributes that would make any of your friends jealous.

Would you go to these lengths?

 

 

 


 
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