Social networking sites and in particular Facebook has become a part of our society that we struggle to live without, it gives you the ability to find out the very basic information about someone’s life and sometimes even the most complex issues that they are thinking about. With likes, comments and statuses, Facebook represents the very opinion of the public and with over 800 million users worldwide it gives one of the most reliable sources of public attitudes and behaviours and their opinions on, well … just about anything, it gives an accurate measure of the most popular topics, subjects, products and services voted by the public and especially internet users.

This week Facebook have announced the use of ‘Memology 2011’ showing the most popular “memes” which includes behaviours, styles and trends of Facebook users over the last year. As well as being important for businesses and understanding search engine behaviour it also plays an imperative part in SEO. With the increasing amount of users signing up to social media sites and with it becoming one of the most used sites on the internet, SEO needs to fully engage with social media.

Memology allows you to see 2011 through the eyes of status updates. You can view the ten most popular global topics for 2011 based on what people were writing about in their status updates, which are:
1. Death of Osama bin Laden
2. Packers win the Super Bowl
3. Casey Anthony found not guilty
4. Charlie Sheen
5. Death of Steve Jobs
6. The Royal Wedding
7. Death of Amy Winehouse
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
9. Military Operations Begin in Libya
10. Hurricane Irene

When Hurricane Irene hit many turned to Facebook for the most recent updates and to check if loved ones where safe. Memology was also used to look further and discover the top trending phenomenon’s on the internet for 2011, judging by Facebook status updates the most popular terms that emerged were ‘planking’ where people are supposed to lie face down in strange locations and take photographs, hit a record high in May after Max Key, the son of New Zealand Prime Minister, posted a Facebook photo of himself planking in the family lounge with his father in the background. The second most trended status was ‘lms for a tbh’ after lms (like my status) and tbh (to be honest) both individually hit record heights.

The results have had a great use in society showing the fastest growing fan pages based on ‘likes’ across the industries of Music, Entertainment, News and Sports. The discussed topics were from all walks of life, but what remained consistent was the active participation generated from Facebook users. The site has benefited from a diverse global audience coming together in one place and starting a valuable discussion about what matters most to them, giving an accurate portrayal of the public’s views over the most important topics and keeping Facebook as one of the most dominating factors in today’s society.

Last week saw the announcement of a whole host of new Facebook features, which will have a serious effect on the way we use the social networking site. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg personally delivered the keynote speech at the f8 conference in San Francisco. The conference is primarily aimed at developers and business partners, but the main announcements will have major implications on the way that the everyday user experiences Facebook. Zuckerberg announced changes relating to the look of the profile, social integration and a major new partnership with online music streaming service Spotify. All these changes are aimed at making Facebook an ‘entertainment hub’, where the sharing of music, film, books and games is taken to a whole new level.

Timeline – Your Personal Facebooking History

One of the biggest announcements at this year’s conference was the introduction of Timeline. Timeline is a new way of viewing one another’s profiles. It is essentially a plotted history of your time on Facebook, or, if you add more content from before you first used Facebook, a history of your life. A sample Timeline profile (available to view on the Facebook website) also shows the user’s recent music on Spotify, films on Netflix and Hulu, books read, pages liked, and more. While some of these individual elements are available to see on Facebook at the moment, but the new organisation is much more streamlined and integrated.

Ticker – An Extra Feed for the Little Things

Ticker is a feature that many users will already have noticed on their main profile page. The ticker feed has been compared to Twitter. The main point of Ticker is to provide an extra feed, so your main news feed doesn’t get clogged up with information that is of no significant interest for you. For example if someone changes a profile picture, it is likely to go into the new Ticker, as it’s not something that most people would deem to be important enough to warrant a place in your main feed. Ticker allows your main news feed to be filled with more important and relevant posts and updates.

New and Improved Spotify Integration

There were numerous internet companies that were in attendance at the f8 conference, many announcing partnerships with Facebook, but the standout development is the further integration of Spotify and Facebook. The new changes will mean that a user’s activity on Spotify is more easily visible to Friends on Facebook, as well as recognising similarities in the music choice of their friends. However, it now also means that you must have a Facebook account to sign up with Spotify.

Initial Reactions

The reception of the new and soon to be implemented changes has been decidedly mixed. Many critics feel that Facebook is trying to spread itself too thinly, rather than focusing on what it is good at: being a place to communicate with friends. The recently introduced Ticker has received criticism for further changing the profile layout, in a similar way to that of the new chat box. However, it must be remembered that many Facebook changes have been criticised, primarily due to changing a layout that users are accustomed to, but these criticisms are often forgotten once users have familiarised themselves with the new features.

More positive comments have focused on the ability for Facebook to be a ‘distribution platform’. This means that it will be easier for you to discover things you like, and the ability to pass these interests on to friends. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made a point about how friends have a big influence on our choices. He told a story about how the Netflix algorithm always told him to watch the TV show Breaking Bad, which he constantly overlooked, but when told on the new Facebook platform by a Friend to watch it, he immediately decided to do so.

Be Prepared for Big Changes

Whether you appreciate the new Facebook changes or not, it is undoubtedly one of the biggest periods of transition that the company has gone through. It will be a little while before all of the changes are implemented, but will alter the way we connect socially. These changes will also have an impact on the way advertisers use the power of Facebook. As yet the full extent of this is not known, but will likely give companies an opportunity to interact with users in whole new ways.

There is no doubt that television has proven itself to be an invention that has plenty of staying power. We have grown accustomed to the presence of television, with a vast variety and extended schedule of programmes now available to us. It seems we still need television in our lives, but with the honeymoon phase long over and a constant release of new technology to distract us, other forms of entertainment tend to supplement our television rituals.

Gathering around a TV as a family to concentrate all our energies into one screen, seems somewhat of an unrealistic proposition. It is now more likely that our attention will be divided between multiple screens, which are to hand, such as mobile phones, iPads or laptops. Gone are the days when Saturday night shows captivated us, our eyes glued to the TV set, with little else able to drag us away. Television used to dominate a living room as a prime source of entertainment in most households, a revolutionary concept that at the time of its inception seemed to exist as an unbeatable format.

However, television on its own isn’t enough anymore. A survey from marketing agency, ‘Digital Clarity’ found that 80% of under-25s used a second screen to communicate with friends while watching television. Because we are not restricted to a desktop computer anymore and mobile phones are more than just a tool to dial a number; a generation that readily indulges in digital multi-tasking has been born, changing the way our leisure time is spent. Social networking and surfing the internet have become second nature; without a constant supply of various technology mediums at our finger tips, we quickly become restless and bored. It seems that our minds and bodies have been reprogrammed to crave constant streams of digital information.

New Zealand is one of the first countries to launch a new channel aimed specifically at a generation of Facebookers. The programme’s format provides an engaging, interactive experience that takes advantage of an audience already keen on the use of multiple screens. Other programmes, including chat shows and the news, display incoming tweets, emails and texts from viewers which roll along the bottom of the screen. This reveals how closely connected communication now is, due to the use of multiple media.

Real time communication at our fingertips means that we can catch up on a TV programme we missed via the internet, tweet about it using our mobile phones, while watching a music channel on the television in the background.

With the 5th birthday of Twitter, celebrated on the 21st of March, five years on, it seems that the way we spend time and communicate has transformed. Privacy has slackened and the confines of our living room walls are no longer transcended solely by the escapism of a drama or comedy show but by our own broadcasts via Twitter.

The gap between different technologies is closing; faster connection speeds, flatter screens and higher definition pictures are all elements that drive the evolving character of 21st century technology. It remains to be seen if television will wane, although it may have more competition these days, it seems that different forms of technology are actually working together to complement each other’s strengths.

Tweets, subjects and people who are trended on Twitter are at the centre of attention of over 190 million newsfeeds. It is not surprising then that, Twitter is sometimes the place where most people find out news, events or tragedies. You could say Twitter has evolved from a micro-blogging site used to share thoughts, to become a service collectively bringing together news and reactions to some of the world’s biggest stories.

Not only do you get the news filtering through as searches are refreshed and updated, but also the initial reactions of twitter users. News can be received instantly due to the ease of access to Twitter from portable computers, mobile phones and anything connected to the internet. A trend is a popular topic with a large number of tweets relating to it, and an interesting story or breaking news article could in reality go round the world in minutes. The advantage of trending has also seen promoted tweets featured in the trend section, allowing brands to advertise through Twitter.

There are some disadvantages with the speed in which Twitter releases their information, in that there are bound to be mistakes and incorrect details. The news stories can even appear on Twitter before journalists have even had the opportunity to write articles. However with only 140 characters, surely Twitter should be used as a base to find out the full in-depth story when more facts have been found. Some false stories and rumours have been known to circulate the online world quickly and spiral out of control. There is no barrier against posting falsities or rumours which could lead to major confusion.

Twitter has grown beyond a simple social media site, for friends to see what others are doing, follow their favourite celebrities and sports stars and has in essence become a go-to place for the latest news and in essence online ‘gossip’. With all this attention on Twitter and increasing volume of users, what is next for the brand, and what direction could it go?

Twitter could expand their brand even further, similar to Facebook with games and the ‘online chat’ function and Myspace with their integrated music player. Twitter could incorporate associated websites ‘twit-pic’ and ‘twit-vid’ into its website as having the ability to post pictures and videos without going to external websites gives users a well-rounded online experience. If Twitter keeps growing, it could include different sections to the site, news and sport, music or even a ‘gossip column’ section; however this could take away the simplicity to the website which is instituted in the 140 character limit. Twitter has grown rapidly with the boom of interest in social media, which has proven that ‘microblogging’ is not a craze and that is here to stay.

The World Wildlife Fund has taken a stride forward, pioneering a non-profit gift catalogue and using the indomitable technological platform of Facebook to boost its appeal and widen its scope.

A ‘gift centre’ is at the heart of the page’s identity, which can be found by logging onto Facebook as a registered user and entering ‘World Wildlife Fund’ in the search-box at the top or simply by visiting http://www.facebook.com/worldwildlifefund .A symbolic adoption is available, in which colour photographs, certificates and a description card provide an added incentive, decorating a profile page as an almost badge of honour pinned to its fabric, which in turn motivates further donations, as an extensive range of over one hundred species draw out sympathy and urge charitable tendencies to surface, which inevitably result in a surge of pride.

Extra links in the form of favourite pages, such as ‘End Tiger Trade’ and ‘Alliance for Global Trade’ deepen an interest in conservation and establish an understanding of each species’ critical position in terms of survival, while also demonstrating how highly dependent the WWF and other conservation organisations are on public support. It also shows a mutual support for conservation, where similar organisations pull together for a greater good, separating it from the ruthless tendencies of profitable businesses. Instead amicableness is presented, which seems an apt quality, considering Facebook’s focus on friendship.

WWF has an immediate advantage in that its products or endangered species need little promotion; they effectively sell themselves through their appealing appearances and helpless demeanours. Causes that are interactive are easier to get involved in and access. The option to add an animal as a friend only serves to emphasise the fact that animals are friendly looking characters; their presence within a friend list becomes a pleasant reminder of the contact shared between the WWF and an individual, as well as demonstrating a permanent appreciation. There is even the option tell a friend about adopting a species, which is similar to clothes catalogues that harness the potential of word-of-mouth.

The donations that are received help towards a broad range of conservation measures, such as poaching, pollution and habitat loss. Individuals who make donations of more than fifty dollars receive a stuffed toy corresponding to their chosen animal. Wish lists are available much like an online shopping site, together with ‘like’ and ‘share’ features which already pepper the Facebook site.

WWF benefit by using Facebook’s recognised template to insert their message and direct their visitors, which dispel some of the growing distrust associated with Facebook’s conception and its blanketed influence over youth, which demonstrates it as a tool that can make a difference for the better. Using the global connectivity of Facebook, together with an official website, WWF live up to their name and deliver worldwide coverage of a worldwide problem.

WWF’s profile page displays an on-trend design, which recently sported the Halloween theme of a pumpkin, where cut-out shapes double as both a face upon a pumpkin, while the famous panda shape and WWF lettering is retained. This approach sets a level of anticipation in terms of how the logo will adapt to other seasonal or national events, much like the Google Doodles that often mark significant events with a morph of the standard logo into an impressive tribute, where the word ‘Google’ entwines with added pictures.

WWF was established in 1961, as one of the largest environmental organisations in the world. Public support is a crucial element of the organisations ability to engage with national banks in order for WWF networks to reach rural tribes in the Congo and the Amazon; while using the social network to reach their supporters. On the official WWF’s website; www.worldlife.org, chief marketing officer, Terry Macko commented; ‘Our new Facebook Gift Centre is an innovative way to educate and fundraise and it allows people to have fun by giving, getting, ‘liking’ and ‘sharing’. End of year fundraising is a critical time for non-profit organisations, with Christmas looming, charities are often overlooked.
Savvy promotion need not be reserved for profit based organisations. Social media is an instant way of increasing the awareness linked to any subject or message. Making space for a business on a social media site allows it to emerge from relative invisibility into the spotlight of public consciousness.

Social media has emerged as a platform for consumers to air their opinions on companies and products, broadcasting, re-tweeting and posting their views for millions of online users to see.  A YouTube video by folk singer Dave Carroll, slamming United Airlines for their mistreatment of his $3500 guitar reached 9.2 million views in just 4 months.  The video sparked an increase of complaints by other unimpressed customers and snowballed into mass criticism of the company.  After nine months of several failed attempts to gain compensation and being rudely spoken to and treated by staff, Carroll decided enough was enough and made a sequence of three songs slating the company.  As well as self promoting himself and his music, this is an extreme way of publicly criticising a company.  The review is available to everyone and when it’s broadcasting such a negative message about the company, it can definitely be seen as an example that social media reviews should be held at the highest regard by companies.

Social media and networking could be seen as a mood ring for companies to look at, and instantly get an idea of their public brand image.  They can also check how many people are receiving their message and more importantly digesting the information and using it.  This real-time feedback allows companies to assess and act quicker, hopefully saving any damaging effects, or making decisions to better their status.  Twitter has found that it can predict the films it believes will perform best in the box office by those films that are trended and mentioned most in the weeks leading up to the release of a new film.

Therefore, it is important for a company to have a strong presence on social networking sites, to reassure customers about their values and ethos.  A marketing or branding strategy which didn’t have some focus on social media could be considered flawed.  However, a social media image for some companies is sometimes seen as a too public or open to customers.  It could be argued that an open image makes a company more appealing to the consumer, with no secrets or hidden messages it makes it considerably easier to trust a company who presents an uncompromised brand image.

With companies now very active on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, the message they portray is important and must represent the company values.  Starbucks for example has 14 million fans and if they were to begin receiving material which may be unsuitable, then it is a vast consumer base to offend.  It is very important to come across as natural sticking to the core values of the company not changing your style for social media, but portraying the core values of the company appropriately through the media vehicle.  If used effectively, social media is an important factor in modern marketing, resulting in new subtle techniques to gain a prolonged interest in a company and their activities.

Even before its release, on the 1st of October, the Facebook film; The Social Network has created a media hive of speculation, as it focuses on the creation of a site that is thought of as a global phenomenon in regards to web communication. Its tagline ‘You don’t get 500 million friends without making a few enemies’ highlights the sinister aspects that circulate on the site, as well as serving as an existing link to the fact that Facebook reached its 500th millionth user in July.

The movie is based on the book ‘The Accidental Billionaires’, which reveals how individuals accidentally stumble upon infinite gold mines, so to speak. The movie concentrates on the young Mark Zuckerberg and the first few turbulent years of Facebook’s conception, recounted in a series of courtroom flashbacks. Facebook is not portrayed entirely positively, together with Zuckerberg who commented; “I just wished that nobody made a movie of me while I was still alive”; his reaction communicates his belief of the media’s ability to alter perception, while holding back from a direct attack that could potentially cause more detriment to an already tarnished character.

Facebook has dismissed the movie as fiction, which is ironic in a sense as the site operates on that very basis; it is used as a tool in which we perform a digital transformation of ourselves, relying upon careful editing, where photographs are used to document the highlights in life but not normally the lowlights. A movie dedicated to social networking reveals how fanciful some of the elements can be, as friend lists become indicators of social worth and updates confirmation of an interesting life. Many portrayals online create enhanced versions of reality, including the creation of alter-egos, demonstrated by avatars which point towards insecurities, as we delete our shortcomings.

According to reviews, the plot captures emotion and betrayal; these elements can be seen clearly as a presence laid out on the digital profiles of Facebook, as the development of relationships are played out in front of an audience. The notion of a film’s captive audience translates directly to the workings of Facebook, which creates a digital stage of sorts, on which real life dramas are played out in front of an eager audience. However, the difference is that Facebook allows interaction, so that an individual can become part of the action.

The Social Network is from the director David Fincher who is known for his dark films and although the content is not driven by sweetness and light, there are flourishes of humour that separate it from other Fincher films, such as Se7en, the Panic Room and Fight Club. An instant injection of cool is administered through the portrayal of Napster founder Sean Parker, played by Justin Timberlake; the film’s edgy feel is also reiterated by the Hollywood comments of actor Kevin Spacey, who described the film as a “great story for people that don’t really know how it happened. Very filmic, very modern, very cool”.

This is the first genre of its kind. It is surprising that the concept has not been made into a movie sooner; in a society where news stories, such as the murder of Meredith Kurtcher are controversially snapped up as a cinematic opportunity; the comparatively mild media of Facebook seems to have been left to simmer. However, with a guaranteed interest of half a billion people, who are users as well as the extension of people who know a user and few signs of waning interest, now seems the perfect time to capitalise further upon the global sensation. Just as an insatiable curiosity fuels Facebook, so does it work to attract a loyal fan base to the box office.

Twitter and other social media sites are renowned for their ability to connect a wide variety of people through shared information. As a recreational tool, it provides insights into the thoughts and actions of others, while commercially it advertises the worth of companies through regular tweets that display a progressive approach.

The uses for Twitter vary, with new ideas emerging daily. Recently, it has been recognised as an effective means in which to tackle the specific and ongoing problem and reverberations caused by pharmaceutical robberies. Purdue Pharma, a private pharmaceutical company, founded by physicians has pioneered the scheme, in which pharmacy staff, eager to bring justice and prevent further robberies, share vital information on the appearance and whereabouts of a perpetrator that benefit other pharmaceutical companies both locally and nationally.  Pharmaceutical companies take crime prevention into their own hands and act as a digital community.  Twitter.com/rxpatrol also provides followers with tweets that supply safety and security tips for pharmacy staff, as well as reward notices that provide incentives for capture.

Tweets can also attach additional information, such as pictures and videos of suspects that serve to keep followers firmly in the loop. The launch of new features on Twitter, coming soon to all accounts, makes it easier to see embedded photos and videos, which is especially useful when viewing images of suspects. The new Twitter also provides a map of where a geo-tagged tweet was sent from, which is also helpful in pinpointing the specific location of a crime.

As with many things, Twitter and other social networking sites have their share of advantages and disadvantages. Disadvantages linked to the sites are as extreme as reports of suicide, as sites have the potential to make people vulnerable to and danger. On the flip side, social media sites are responsible for reuniting relatives, launching moral campaigns and providing a source of emotional support, as well as maintaining the sometimes fragile ties of friendship.

Twitter has also been used as a tool to help save lives, as suicide attempts are shared online via tweets from despairing individuals, as followers attempt to reason with the individual, while others raise the alarm. A recent and well publicised example is that of Demi Moore and one of her followers, who shared her feelings of depression on Twitter. This was noticed by Demi Moore, who quickly commented on her tweet. This then induced Demi Moore’s expansive fan base of followers to intervene and raise the alarm, so that the woman’s feelings of hopelessness were quashed through a torrent of concern, so that her life was effectively saved. Demi Moore’s husband was inspired to comment on his own Twitter page; “Lot of pain in the world…Reach out to someone you don’t usually reach out to and just say hi. They might be lonely”. The story has particular resonance, as a high profile celebrity was able to directly reach an ordinary person and offer help, revealing how the rigid barriers of fame can dissipate through the encompassing nature of technology.

The Iranian elections are an example of Twitter’s pivotal role in shining on a spotlight onto an otherwise forgotten or ignored event, especially when foreign events are not usually prioritised. A whole host of honourable organisations, such as cancer research; http://twitter.com/CR_UKand the Salvation Army; http://twitter.com/salvationarmyuk take advantage of the instant delivery of information, which in turn raises awareness of the people and places in need of help, providing links to make donation easy. It could be said that the essence of community spirit has come alive in digital form, where it seems to be less apparent in the real world.

The ways in which we choose to use social media sites can make a positive or negative impact. If used in the right hands, social media can showcase the powerful effects of charity, through simple messages that cheer up a friend to combat crime by keeping people informed. The potency of words married with an ability to broadcast them serves as an effective combination. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to cease a modern opportunity to spread goodwill.

Social media sites enable a digital echoing of sorts. They can shine spotlights on a company’s charisma and illuminate the subtle additions that register quality to an attentive audience of more than one hundred and fifty million. Facebook and Twitter are the most recognised social media sites online and are often integrated into daily conversations, as posts of new developments spark intrigue. Facebook and Twitter are a popular way of satisfying an insatiable appetite for instant access to continuous information, which seems to be a permanently partnered with twenty-first century living.

Facebook’s success is primarily centered upon connecting people. Varying emotions are governed by social media sites, as its content can impact how we feel in the real world and how we relate to others, as we become privy to new concepts and perspectives. A company can take advantage of the user’s relaxed and receptive state of mind, sharing a space in which friends and celebrities inhabit. Businesses that insert themselves into a space, where humorous anecdotes are exchanged, project themselves as a less invasive presence, while simultaneously forging an online relationship with their customer.

Tweeting allows messages and therefore information to be carried on a virtual breeze, substituting communication by sound with visual communication. Words are indelible representations and seem to carry an ingrained credence compared to the reverberations of hear say for example. Just as news spreads through word of mouth, its authenticity is usually confirmed when they are read as stories. The arrangement, context and choice of words reflect the attitudes of a business, which can have a dramatic impact on how people view a product.

The attraction of Twitter and Facebook lies within the snippets of information that create curiosity. A business can also enter the social media arena using the same approach, as their products are almost dangled as a carrot that encourages a user to find out more. Social media sites entrust users with information, which simulates a community spirit.

Our intensified access to information means that businesses that opt out of social media marketing may vanish from the consumer’s radar, which is increasingly occupied by a hypnotizing presentation of brightly lit data. Only nine per cent of retailers do not use any social media. By entering the social media arena, businesses show that they can integrate and adapt easily, while remaining contemporary with fresh updates of special discounts and polls that engage customers and provide valuable feedback. Businesses also show that they are not adverse to new marketing strategies, in turn presenting a more amiable and approachable company.

An online space that is dedicated to the promotion of a product is an ideal way to express personality, much like the social networking site Myspace, which works on the premise of a digital space that is dedicated to individual expression. A cyber space can be adorned with messages and graphics, just as a room in a house makes a statement with décor. Businesses can take advantage of the free online territory available, in order to showcase a company’s ethos and create a reputation built on a willingness to connect. The sheer volume of users powers social media’s effectiveness. Followers and trends means that social media has swept over the world and is therefore the ultimate form in which to promote a business.

Many companies have a hard time understanding how best to use social media to promote their business online. It’s not that the principles of Facebook, Twitter and the others are difficult to grasp – they’re not – but, the real business potential can be a lot harder to fathom out. Since social media marketing works differently between businesses depending on what their aims are, there are no guarantees that what works for one will work for another.

That’s the beauty of social media, it’s flexible enough to accommodate an incredibly varied range of marketing approaches and still deliver success. It’s not a strict medium.

An uncomfortable fact of today’s commercial world is that people no longer trust messages from companies, on the whole. This makes marketing an increasingly precision process where even the most meticulously crafted promotions risk failure.

What people do trust is word-of-mouth recommendations, and this has always been the case. These recommendations come from fellow customers (or potential customers) and they come with an inherent credibility that companies can rarely match in their own communications. Social media is the biggest opportunity for word-of-mouth recommendations, well, ever. It has a worldwide span, it’s instantly accessible to anyone from anywhere, it’s permanently available, it’s accumulative and it all leads back to your door.

Word-of-mouth has grown from local to global, and it’s going on right now in tweets, Facebook posts, blogs and forums. Failure, refusal or just a straight-forward inability to get into social media for business marketing is tantamount to ignoring the latest incarnation of the most effective form of advertising of all-time. Is that something your business can afford to do?