by Erik Sass on Mar 31, 3:56 PM
Like other big, risk-averse organizations, the U.S. military's first encounter with social media was marked by outright rejection: Just thinking about all that unstructured, chaotic communication probably gave some senior officers a rash, especially when it carried with it the possibility of security breaches. But in another sign that there is social media hope for even the most curmudgeonly of institutions, the military has changed its tune, according to the Frederick News Post (located in Frederick, Maryland, just a few miles from the U.S. Army's Fort Detrick).
by Erik Sass on Mar 30, 5:33 PM
Recently Facebook has undertaken yet another retooling of the site with a number of changes to make it more attractive to advertisers. Some of the troubling privacy implications of the multifaceted revamp were expertly laid out, as always, by MediaPost's Wendy Davis last week. Since then a memo to advertisers has been leaked detailing planned changes to the way brand profiles appear on Facebook. While seemingly more innocuous than the ones revealed last week, these changes also threaten to alter user experience for the worse.
by Erik Sass on Mar 29, 3:58 PM
The social media revolution has produced a lot of amazing services and capabilities, especially as it intersects with the world of mobile devices -- but inevitably there is a lot of chaff to be separated from the wheat, as programmers combine various hot concepts seemingly at random (just imagine: DogSpark, a new service that lets your dog "sign in" at the dog park! BoobTube, a ChatRoulette service for breastfeeding women!). Throw an Apple product into the mix, and you get a positive frenzy of gratuitous app-making.
by Erik Sass on Mar 26, 4:46 PM
A few days ago I wrote about the challenges faced by employers whose employees post offensive content or comments on social media sites, potentially damaging the company's image. How, I wondered, might employers attempt to manage employees' social media use, given the sheer number of sites and complexity of the emerging landscape? Well, now I know: a syndicated online service, of course!
by Erik Sass on Mar 25, 4:07 PM
Sometimes it's helpful to verify something that seems obvious. In this case a new study from Chadwick Martin Bailey, a market research firm, confirms that people who associate themselves with a brand through online social networks are more likely, on average, to buy that brand and recommend it to friends. "No duh," I hear some readers saying (chances are it will turn up in the comments). But the CMB data, based on a survey of over 1,500 consumers performed in partnership with iModerate Research Technologies, is important for lending support to one of the first social media strategies -- "make …
by Erik Sass on Mar 24, 7:13 PM
In case anyone thinks the risk of theft resulting from an over-sharing on social networks is fabricated, a new report from the Association of British Insurers is warning that home insurance premiums may rise up to 10% this year. While the ABI report didn't list specific numbers, it made clear that the potential hike is due, in part, to an increase in home invasions resulting from people revealing their whereabouts on social networks.
by Erik Sass on Mar 23, 3:56 PM
Although many people already suspected as much, a new survey from consumer electronics site Retrevo seems to confirm that social networks display many addictive qualities. Further, the survey of 1,000 U.S. adults who use social networks showed just how addictive they may be: among the more interesting results, 30% of Facebook and Twitter users said they check their accounts every time they wake up during the night, and 7% said they would check their messages during sex (given the option).
by Erik Sass on Mar 22, 4:16 PM
The latest profession to be transformed by Twitter is... baseball? Yes, the world of professional baseball is now confronting the possibilities and potential pitfalls of Twitter, according to FoxNews Sports, which has an interesting article about the attempts of the White Sox to deal with both. Among other things, the article highlights the dilemmas of any business or organization in the age of social media, including whether and how they should regulate the social media presence of their employees.
by Erik Sass on Mar 19, 4:49 PM
t's always refreshing when legal proceedings reach the point when all the internal, confidential communications that companies really don't want you to see are finally made public. It's moments like these when you're reminded that, at the end of the day, every big company is pretty much run by a bunch of jerks. The Viacom vs. YouTube battle is no exception: as both sides try to get the case settled without a trial, the court documents unsealed this week by U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton are a tour-de-force in jerky executive tricks. I'm aware the various litigants don't care, of …
by Erik Sass on Mar 18, 2:45 PM
What's the latest social media-savvy organization to get on Twitter? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Embassy to the United States! Yowza! Okay, it's not quite Ashton or MTV, but that's kind of the point: if risk-averse diplomats (whose whole job is basically message and brand control) see value in Twitter, it would seem to suggest even the most conservative, publicity-shy brands can find a home on the burgeoning social communication site.