Smartphones Impact On the World
In this recent infographic from ProtectYourBubble.com assesses the impact of Smartphones on people all over the world. Highlights include:
- 1 in 4 households in the U.S. have cut their landline
- More kids between 2-5 can work Smartphones than can tie their shoes
- 72 Million iPhones were sold in 2011
Reality Check: 10-15% of Brands’ Social Media Fans, Likes and Reviews Will Be Fake By 2014, Says Gartner
It seems like we’re hearing more and more that many fans, friends, reviews and likes for brands are fake. New research from Gartner uncovers that it is only going to get worse, as paid interactions become an industry all of their own. Via TechCrunch.
Twitter Announces New Look for Profile Pages, Updated Mobile Apps
As I was searching through Tweeps the other day I saw that someone I was following had a new profile with a cool photo in the upper right corner. I immediately wondered, “Hey! Where can I get mine?”. The biggest change from Twitter is that header image that runs across the top, sort of like the cover photo in Facebook. Via Mashable.
Google Challenges Facebook and Instagram With Snapseed Buy
Google’s new secret weapon is Nik Software, a company that specializes in photo editing and is the parent of photo editing app Snapseed. The editor offers similar filters to Instagram as well as the ability to crop, sharpen, blur and play around with lighting. Via Forbes.
6 Ways to Use Reddit to Grow Your Business
Reddit users are a community all of their own. If you’re looking for another place to post information about your brand, look elsewhere. The purpose of Reddit for business is to interact with your fans. This article shares some great tips on using Reddit for your business. Via Social Media Examiner.
TopRank Team News
Jolina Pettice – 5 marketing Lessons from Fantasy Football
As a fantasy football fanatic, this article scores a touchdown as it relates to understanding, encouraging and engaging your target audience. Check out how the intersection of sports + geeking out created a multi-million dollar industry with more than 30 million online players last year. Via Forbes.
Brian Larson – Where to Get Social?
No. Revenue cannot (see should not) be the only metric used to evaluate success in social media, however, it certainly is at the top of the list. So naturally, when businesses look to invest or increase their investment in social, it’s important understand which networks have a proven track record of strong ROI. Find an excellent list breaking down which social networks have been the top lead generaters for B2Bs and B2Cs in this post from MarketingProfs.
Shawna Kenyon – 4 Reasons to Be More Visual
The human brain can process visual information in highly specific ways. This is more effective than words alone could ever be. This article examines why businesses should be more visual and offers tips to get you there. Via Inc.
Evan Prokop – Swiss Federal Railways Accuses Apple of Copying It’s Railway Clock Design For iPad Clock App
In a classic example of the principle of “what goes around comes around”, Swiss Federal Railways is threatening legal action against Apple for allegedly copying their iconic railway clock design in the iPad Clock App. Irony? Via TechCrunch.
Sara Duane-Gladden – The State of Social Media in the Workplace
Everyone wants to get in on social – but are they actually following through? A new survey indicates that executives and managers are more likely to be social than lower level employees. Just 29% of people use social for professional reasons at work, with 11% using it for personal reasons. Via Media Bistro.
META Tags: 2 Perspectives
Mike Yanke – Seriously? Meta Keywords Back in Play for News
Meta keywords, a long extinct optimization element that died a merciful death years ago, are suddenly back in play. Fortunately, these tags are limited to news content only – and were developed simply to help news content give off appropriate signals to search engines without headline or title tag keyword stuffing. In theory, fine. In judgment, withheld for now. Learn more in this Search Engine Land article.
Time to Weigh In: What do you think about companies that are “cheating” at social media by purchasing followers? Should there be a punishment for this somewhat shady approach to social business? Do you think that Google’s purchase of SnapSeed will rival Instagram? I haven’t used SnapSeed before, if you have please let me know what you think. Sounds like META tags are back in play, what do you think the result will be?
