Facebook’s Need For Speed-y Action

“We’ve rebuilt the app so it’s faster and easier to use.” With this latest statement issued at the iTunes store, Facebook has gained several points with its mobile users.

When in Rome…Facebook may have understood the need but seemed to have avoided the eventual: which was to go native on the iOS. Finally, they recently hauled their mobile app on iPhone and iPad by switching from the web-friendly HTML5 to i-friendly Objective C. The 5.0 version update contains more than double the speed than its predecessor.

We can only guess the reason for delay. Could be because HTML5 allows direct access to content and updates, whereas using Objective C means rerouting through the app store. By the time the app opened to Newsfeed, it would be time for the user on the go (Facebook needs to be reminded of this), to get on with whatever is on their busy agenda. Another reason could be HTML5’s cross-platform compatibility.

This delay proved costly as users deleted the app because of its snail-paced speed. Goes to show the company needs to speed up its decision-making and action process too. But what they have made it clear that mobile is the way to go. And hopefully they’re reading up on feedback too.

Users do understand the trouble that goes into making technological changes. One little feedback among a torrent of spam can prove to be most useful for companies like Facebook, who attempt to balance their monetary success, which is not happening as well as expected, but also to fulfill user demands that are just as fast paced.

So time is most crucial here, because of the growing competition among social networks like Foursquare that are completely mobile. And no sooner have they improved on speed come a another hail of comments about how they need to work on other features such as sharing and to pay equal attention to other mobile devices such as Android and Blackberry.

On the other hand there are Facebook developers who have to contend with the changes too. They have been content since the introduction of Facebook App Center on iPhone, because that meant they did not have to make create two separate apps for the web plus iOS. It may be that they would have to do a little more learning. Right now Facebook apps on require a blend of PHP and HTML5, but it’s likely that it will soon become mandatory for all programming languages to be device-specific. It’s now a question of how cross platform compatibility will be possible when and if the change does happen.

Hakim Sadik Found this Post on Avenuesocial

Hakim Sadik exponentially improves the reach of businesses and online marketers. A social media expert, Sadik, is the insightful leader of Avenuesocial client service team. 

Of Music, Sports and Social Media

The closing ceremony of Olympics 2012 was all glitz and glamour, showcasing the music and fashion culture of Britain in its prime. The event appeared more a rock concert than sport-oriented. But the audience looked thoroughly entertained and even the participants didn’t seem to mind being sidelined for the show. But what this Olympics event apart was how it outclassed all other sport events in history as far as duration and artists was concerned.

The main reason for the exaggerated attention to music can be attributed to the amount of social activity that revolved around the event. Olympics 2012 has been considered most technologically advanced and social-centered event in the history of the Olympiads and frequently referred to as ‘social games’ or social Olympics ‘The organizing committee was aware of the discussions that poured in by the minute on various social networks. Facebook was the most active network, followed by Twitter. So much so that Facebook apps and games were especially created with the Olympics as their central theme.

Olympics is not the only sports event to provide music-rich entertainment. Soccer too has seen a flurry of music activity, featuring some of the most distinguished artists. ‘Waka Waka’ was the official song for FIFA 2010 performed by Shakira. The song caught the world’s attention for it colorful mix of Afro-English performance.  Ricky Martin’s ‘Cup of Life’ for FIFA 1998 became an instant hit. Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Let’s Get Loud’ was dedicated to spur up the US soccer team in 1994.  The list goes on. The commercial interests of such partnerships are great for both: the event attracts a larger crowd because of the added entertainment while musicians receive instant worldwide publicity and high sales record.

Perform, a sports media group survey revealed that1 in 4 American citizens ‘follow sports via social media.’ Certainly encouraging news for those planning future sports events. Social media provides quick updates through posts and news rather than watching entire lengths of programs. This works out especially for those who are not as passionate about sports. Not only do the fans benefit, but so do the participants. By creating Facebook fan page, participants have the opportunity to interact with players. This is also a fair means for achieving recognition especially for the newcomers and amateurs.

With these three very powerful influences future sports events are likely to be even more exciting. The culturally rich and vibrant Brazil, the next Olympic venue is definitely going to make the most it all.

Hakim Sadik Found this Post on Avenuesocial

Hakim Sadik exponentially improves the reach of businesses and online marketers. A social media expert, Sadik, is the insightful leader of Avenuesocial client service team. 

Unified Marketing and Advertisement on Social Media

Unified marketing tends to make optimal use the variety of advertising platforms present today, which include both new and old platforms such as outdoor billboards, television, social media, tablets, PCs and smartphones. While some platforms are more limited than others social media is one that offers the broadest forms of campaigning, where the door to door salesman is now replaced by word-of mouth by users within the network. Most of all, it is the variety and flexibility in its content that makes social media marketing diverse as much as it is enriching.

The concept does not directly oppose integrated marketing, but in effect, has broken away from traditional methods. The earlier belief that repetition or persistence turned customers into buyers is no longer withheld. Such tactics only tended to annoy and drive away customers. Also, the uniformity of advertisements across various media simply seemed a waste. On the other hand, unified marketing treats each platform in a distinct manner and marketing campaigns are customized accordingly.

This brings us to content management. While text and photos have their own standing, the use of videos and movies is increasingly gaining lead, ahead of text and images. One of the main reasons is that this type of content is no longer dependent on professional video equipment nor staff, but an application. With a touch of a tab, anyone can create a video or movie. Not to mention what was once a very expensive investment, now there are no monetary costs involved. It all depends on what a user has fed into his or her posts. The most advantageous of all factors is that off site venues such as Facebook allow user control, unlike third parties, which are controlled by their owners. This control factor is very important for brands, which can administer, edit and monitor the content at their will rather than depending on others who may not have an inkling of the company’s vision and goals.

Most recently, a Facebook application has caught the attention for its unique experience. ‘Timeline Movie Maker’ app creates a one-minute movie, the contents of which are extracted from the user data. This is a direct incentive towards brands looking for inimitable marketing campaigns. Designed by a marketing agency that specializes in unified marketing, the app is an ideal strategy tool for companies to highlight their past and present achievements. For those who have figured how to get timeline on Facebook, their next step should be implementing in-built applications or have them created by Facebook application developers.

Hakim Sadik Found this Post on Avenuesocial

Hakim Sadik exponentially improves the reach of businesses and online marketers. A social media expert, Sadik, is the insightful leader of Avenuesocial client service team. 

Growth Hacker: what’s in a name?

As one reviewer puts it, growth hacker is more than just a role—it’s a ‘way of thinking.’

And it’s high time they are given due recognition. While the job title has been recently coined, the job description is not new. To give the merger a name serves to boost the confidence of those who had long fit the criteria of marketer with technical skills. Facebook Fan Page creators are a prime example because of their ability to apply their creative as well as technical skills to increase fan base for a business.

But let’s not confuse once again through designations and organograms. Although due credit must be given for providing clarity in concept, some reviewers disagree with Andrew Chen’s blog, which sounds a pitch off for assigning growth hackers the post of ‘VP Marketing’! My assumption is it tends to detract and/or disturb core business operations. Since growth hackers function to provide scalable and sustainable marketing for startup ventures, they must instead focus on maintaining equilibrium with staff and company goals as well as possess an individual identity to work independently. At this point, social media is ripe for growth hacking. Facebook has streamlined them as ‘marketing developers’ who are adopting various marketing techniques in line with software development, such asFacebook applications.

Another major responsibility for growth hackers is to continually adapt and then readapt their methodology to fit dynamic needs of a business. This ability to adjust is what sets them apart from the typical marketers. For them to work alongside VPs of relevant departments would be ideal rather than replace them. This means collaborating with multiple teams and departments that fall categorically under marketing, sales and production. They may already be working within the organization without recognition of their expertise.

Another key point is to focus on the system as a whole and not the person. Businesses are sometimes too people-dependent. In this case, when a specific individual leaves an organization, the entire department is affected. System dependency, on the other hand, is therefore considered more reliable, where organizations make it very clear to their employees that they are not indispensable. Growth hackers serve as part of the system: their absence will not be halt production processes, but their presence will serve to complement marketing and boost sales figures.

Hakim Sadik Found this Post on Avenuesocial

Hakim Sadik exponentially improves the reach of Businesses and Online Marketers. A social media expert, Sadik, is the insightful leader of Avenue Social’s client service team. Sadik has helped over 1000 clients bring their social media and mobile applications to life.

Is Apple Isolating Users Through Limited Content?

No one knows for sure what the up and coming iOS6 will have, but they are certain of what it will not have, which is, its competitors’ services. Already Apple ousted Google Maps and instead indicated they have their very own mapping technology as pre installed application on iOS6 devices.

This is now followed by the termination of their contract with the YouTube app, another Google acquisition. Apple confirmed they intended to use Vimeo, acquired by Apple a few months back.

Very brave decisions. Apple Inc may have weighed the pros against the cons, but can’t say they can be commended. Sure there’s valid reason behind them, such as excessive advertising of Google AdSense.  Also Google has the upper hand to promote their content over others. The previous month’s comScore report showed Google in the top slots in the US online video ranking and Vimeo though slowly gaining viewership is down at 10.

But in their bid to be independent and focus on high standards, they are not just isolating themselves, but the users. Other smartphones have a large share in the market because they cater to the masses. YouTube ranks highest among the video websites in the world. That such popular apps have been discarded will prevent people from using iOS technology. No matter how brilliant their iOS apps, very soon they will find themselves losing their largest share of smartphone customers.

User needs should be given top priority. Everything is about connecting and integrating. People want an expansive and extensive reach wherever possible. This was earlier achieved through the internet, became more so through social media and games apps which proved more capable in allowing people to share content. Most importantly, users want as many choices available so they can decide which service to use. Excluding popular apps and installs will just leave them wondering what it is they are missing out.

As if this wasn’t enough, analysts believe that the world’s top search engine, Google is next in line to be sliced off iOS6. At the minimum, it will not be the default search engine and worst case, it will not be present at all.

At this point, media has concluded this to be more than healthy competition. They consider it as outright ‘rivalry’. Most affected are the end users. What they could be offered instead are the best of both worlds. Perhaps third party app developers could make some merger apps that could be native to iOS and compatible with Android OS. This is still early speculation and there are chances for all kind of possibilities to develop. Maybe even an iOS-Android smartphone…!?!

 Hakim Sadik founds out this Original By SocialJitney.Com

Tech Integrations: When Will Enough Be Enough?

In the world of technology, it is never enough. There is a pressing demand for more, and when there is more, then the need for an entirely new creation. Today, Apple is experiencing this sort of pressure. Despite launching several new product and feature launches at the Worldwide Developers Conference 2012, where even critics admitted they exceeded those launched during the previous conferences, there was plenty of dissatisfaction expressed from within the industry.

It has been exactly one year since Apple integrated Twitter into their iOS5 platform. The question that arose at the time was why they chose Twitter over Facebook. Now it’s déjà vu, except this time it is why Facebook and not Google plus. The former was understandable: Twitter, even with its 200 million users at the time, was no match for Facebook’s 700 million users. Various explanations, some of them outlandish were given by analysts for this decision as:

• Facebook in comparison was far more complex because of its and myriad features and services
• Apple had a fallout during negotiations with Facebook
• Windows Phone 7 had been the first smartphone to integrate Facebook and Apple did not want to play second fiddle
• Apple needed more time to prepare for the world’s largest social network

The last assumption sounded most plausible and proved to be correct, as Apple announced Facebook integration featured in their up and coming iOS6 platform during this year’s WWDC. Their rejection of Google services has been pretty much outright, not only of their social services but also of their applications, ousting the popular Google Maps and bringing in their own version of mapping technology.

While bitter rivalry turns to friendship and vice versa in the business world, at least Apple is keeping their priorities intact by providing the largest ground for mobile application developers to delve into. But it’s the second party apps, that is, the end users that are primarily running the show successfully. And if Apple keeps in tune with their demands for iPhone applications, then they will continue to provide as many options as possible. Where iOS5 users felt confined to Twitter, they now have Facebook, but they also want LinkedIn and Google+ and some lesser known social media as well to be available. For now, the line is pretty much drawn. In their own right, it makes sense for the company to withhold their own. But not for long, experts believe, when Google will find their way in tomorrow, as Facebook has done today and Twitter did yesterday, provided of course, Google remains in the league. Then integration may be the only way out for Apple yet again.

Originally Posted By SocialJitney.Com

Job Hunting? Improve Your Social Profile First!

If you are keeping with hiring trends, then you will know that current recruitment practices involve the use of social networks to test for skills and for talent hunt. Popularity scores are rounded up to determine a candidate’s suitability. And if you haven’t considered Facebook as a job recruitment option, do so now. Because hundreds or thousands of eyes, including your supervisor/s, have sifted through your profile on social networks already and discovered such aspects of your personality that you may be unaware of. Especially if you have not bothered to control your content nor privacy settings.

This does take the fun out of socializing on networks such as Facebook. After all, the main reason was to enjoy yourself with a careless freedom, to say what you want to whomsoever you pleased. But this very freedom has cost many their jobs. Ask those who have expressed with vehemence against their ex-employers. Look at it this way: What kind of people would you seek – whether employees or business partners – were it your own company?

Social content posted by users has a great impact and the impression you leave can impede job prospects. So get a hold of the reins, starting now. Some cautionary notes to bear in mind are:

• With Facebook Timeline, you can wipe out your past and while there’s nothing you can do about wiping previous viewers’ memories, at least the future ones will see a more refined and more mature you.
• On the other hand, if you go to another extreme and pose as a workaholic, the façade won’t serve the purpose either. There has to be a healthy blend of your personal and professional side. A balanced personality is a prime quality employers seek in their candidates.
• Select your network carefully. If you can, avoid adding your boss and co-workers you are uncomfortable with as ‘friends’ on Facebook. Instead, join formal and informal groups that are relevant to your line of work.
• Actively participate in discussions on forums and blogs. That way you will stay informed about latest developments in the field and showing (not showing off) your knowledge will increase chances for employers to approach you directly with a job offer.
• Showcase extracurricular through Facebook apps embedded on your page. This should include a variety ranging from e-books to game apps, minus the adult- oriented ones such as gambling. Your selection reflects your lifestyle and habits. Generally, employers seek those people who will impact positively in the work environment.
• Finally, control not just your posts, but your temperament. No matter how frustrating your present job situation is, make as graceful an exit as possible. Social networks have made background checking far easier than was previously possible. To find out about your bout of temper in the workplace will bring your chances of being hired down to zero.

Bonne chance with your new job!

Originally Posted By Avenuesocial.Com

Crime Coverage on Social Media

The faster the news travels, the more successful the source. In this case, social media has defeated all other forms of media as moments are shared in real time.

The recent shooting in Denver, Colorado where 12 people died and several injured by a seemingly ‘normal’ person, has left not just the victims’ families in a state of despair and shock, but the entire world. People are now questioning, discussing, debating over social media more than ever before.

This time around, news organizations have taken a backseat and provided the larger part of the room for public discourse. As comments stream in from everywhere, it is a reaffirmation of just how social networks have transformed news reporting. And it’s not just the witnesses posting updates on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit. Even the local police and fire officials are online. The Red Cross has advised those present at the scene to inform their families they are alright. Government officials also admit to tracking for the same reason, except not so much for information as much ‘clues ’ for criminal activity on posts and blogs.


 

 

The Canadian Newspaper Association justifies mainstream media in their selective reporting because they are running a business. Consequently, there is an absence of or underreporting of crime. Where surveys fail to quantify the crimes, social media has provided it. Although dissemination does not guarantee authenticity, it certainly provides a volume that determines the existence of crimes. There are images, video and articles providing details and angles that conventional media is unable to do.

Not everyone agrees. As one media expert put it, when it comes to crime coverage, it can lead to a lot of biased opinion. As opposed to authentic reports which are more objective. Except that this objectivity, although more reliable is not as popular. Rather than being delivered a cold-cut narrative, audience is looking for compassion and more humanitarian reporting as far as heinous crimes are concerned. NBC has gone so far as to say that the most “compelling accounts” of the recent Denver incident came from a social media contributor and people such as these are the “professional journalists of tomorrow.”

Originally Posted By Avenuesocial