Archive for the ‘Google’ Category
Goodbye Google Reader, Hello Feedly
Twitter has been buzzing since Google announced that they would be killing off Google Reader come July 1. Some people are skeptical, citing the announcement as a stunt for PR. Many people are upset. Google Reader is, after all, something of a lifeline for PR and marketing professionals, as well as journalists and bloggers. It is an easy, one-stop spot to get all of the news of the day, from every online publication imaginable, in real time.
But like TechCrunch’s Matt Burns writes, the Internet – and professionals – really will be just fine without Google Reader. In fact, several publications have already shared the different tools that can easily take its place. Today, we’d like to introduce you to our new friend, Feedly.
How to Create a Viral Video
Anyone with a cat (or a kid still under the influence of laughing gas from the dentist) can make a video and receive a lot of hits on YouTube. But there are also a lot of bad videos out there – that might get some hits – but will make you look ridiculous. Not in a good way.
So if you are a business or a mission-focused organization, here are four keys to making a successful viral video.
PR and Social InkLings for the Week of August 6
Social Media’s Olympics Smarts: Infographic
Has everyone been into the Olympics? Or, rather, is everyone pretending to be excited because social media has been spoiling all the results? It’s no surprise that social media has been bombarding us with conversations about the Games, since according to a recent study, social media users are extremely knowledgeable (and opinionated) when it comes to this year’s competition. Whether it’s discussing how Usain Bolt is a shoe-in for the gold (#Usain) or, my personal favorite, a whole blog dedicated to the awesome McKayla Maroney and her no nonsense, silvered expression, social networkers love all things Olympics. Check out the stats in this infographic and read more on how hastags and “likes” have shaped the 2012 Olympics.
PR and Social InkLings for the Week of June 24
We’ll celebrate America’s birthday next week, but this week was Google+’s time to shine, as it celebrated its first birthday. Hard to believe for some users that have been active on the social networking site since its launch…and easy to forget for the many that wrote it off as just a phase after only a few months. Regardless of how you feel about Google+, for its birthday, let’s toast to its benefits—increased search rankings, clear privacy settings, segmented audiences and video capabilities—and check out these Google+ power users for a little inspiration.
Sheryl Sandberg Joins Facebook Board of Directors
What a top tech blogger has to say about journalism
I recently had the pleasure of attending a journalism conference in Cambridge organized by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Harvard’s Nieman Fellowship, and the Graduate School of Design.
One of the speakers was Kara Swisher, the founder of AllThingsD.com, an immensely popular tech, media and Internet news site (4 million readers) which she launched 5 years ago after she personally began to think that printed newspapers were becoming irrelevant.
Swisher doesn’t mince words. You would expect nothing less from a hardened journalist – one who turned down a gig covering the White House when she worked at the Washington Post because she was interested in a new phenomenon: the Internet, and AOL.
PR and Social InkLings for the Week of April 9
This week’s news was dominated by the announcement that Facebook has acquired photo sharing app giant Instagram. And it cost a pretty penny too—roughly $1 billion in a combination of cash and stock. CEO Mark Zuckerberg assures that Facebook plans on allowing photos to be published on other social networks and that Instagram users will not be limited to following only Facebook friends. Many Instagram users, however, admit that they are less than thrilled with the deal and plan on heading for greener, non-Facebook pastures. Read more about the backlash here. With only nine people on staff, how did Instagram become so hugely successful? Their co-founder offers a guide for start-ups.
PR and Social InkLings for the Week of April 2
On Wednesday, Google researchers launched a Google+ page for Project Glass, its augmented reality glasses project. The page shared a YouTube video teaser showing just what these sci-fi glasses are capable of: interacting with what you’re seeing and acting as a smartphone, day planner, navigation system, camera and more. People are excited for the new technology, which Google is hoping to unveil next year—even Google’s Co-founder was caught modeling a pair. Now, I can neither confirm nor deny that I have jumped on the trendy non-prescription glasses bandwagon in years past, but eyewear for the sake of technology? That might just be a little too Jetsons for me. What do you think—will you be a four-eyed innovator?
Roll Out the Red Carpet for Facebook Brand Timelines
There may not be paparazzi sneaking about, but here’s an event you won’t want to miss. A week from today, Facebook is expected to debut its Timeline (not Time line or timeline) feature for brands at the first fMC—a Facebook marketing event—on February 29. No longer will this scrapbook-like format be available only to individual users, but soon many of the brands you “like” will be able to make the switch.
With Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest making headlines as of late, it’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glam of “what’s hot” in the social media world. So what do Facebook Brand Timelines mean for companies’ future social engagement? Well for one thing, more pictures. From cover photos to tagged images to profile pictures, the new layout is laden with visuals and, let’s face it, people love visuals. The more personal a page is, the more likely fans and customers are to interact with that brand—which is ultimately more compelling to marketers, according to AdAge.
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