Tag Archive for 'Facebook'

Searching For Facebook Statuses With Openbook

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by
Ian Smith
on June 18, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Web 2.0 Search
. 0 Comments

A number of my friends on and off Facebook has asked me if there is a way to conduct a keyword search on Facebook statuses.  Well, all I have say is, “There is now with Openbook!!!”  The search interface is present in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Openbook’s Search Interface

By simply entering keywords, Openbook will provide relevant status updates that contains the words.  Figure 2 provides a sample of  the results given for the  query, “investment attraction” on June 14th, 2010.

Figure 2: Sample Results For “investment attraction”

The sole sorting functionality of Openbook is the ability to filter statuses from males and females located beside the search box.

Openbook is available at www.youropenbook.org

Dell On Facebook? B2B vs B2C Pages

Published
by
Ian Smith
on June 9, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, B2B Social Media Marketing and Social Media Marketing
. 1 Comment

While searching for information on best practices in terms of B2B uses of social media sites, in particularly, Facebook, I found Jeffrey L. Cohen’s post,”10 Examples of B2B Facebook Fan Pages“.  In the post, Dell Computer’s Facebook Page was listed as a best practice in December 2009.  Figure 1 is an illustration of the page that was mentioned on the blog.

Figure 1: Dell Computer’s Facebook Page
Click On  Image To Enlarge

Upon going through the posts by people who “like” the page, one has to wonder if the page is targeted to the B2B market segment?  Figure 2 and Figure 3 are some posts to evaluate if Dell is engaging retail consumers or business clients.

Figure 2: Posting Regarding Summer Tune-Up Tips

Figure 3: Posting Regarding The Use Of Desktops

Ironically, Dell addressed the B2B vs B2C page issue with the following posting on June 2nd, 2010.

Figure 4: Posting Regarding Dell For Business Facebook Page

The change in strategy might be an indication that the company was not reaching and engaging with its B2B customers.  Its new page, Dell for Business, contains such messages and images as seen in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

Figure 5: Postings On Dell for Business Facebook Page

Figure 6::Dell for Business Home Section On Facebook

Companies who are dipping their collective toes into the social media marketing sea for B2B marketing must differentiate their B2B page from their B2C Facebook page.  Attempting to reach both segments with one single page will lead to confusion on the part of all clients and the inability to identify users’ needs.  Not having a firm grasp of users’ needs will prohibit firms for engaging clients efficiently.

Help Build Facebook Answers?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on June 4, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith and Internet tools
. 0 Comments

In an effort to take over the internet (little joke), Facebook has launched an initiative based on the knowledge of its users. (You may want to call it, “social media collaborative intelligence”)

Via its website, Facebook is asking individuals to provide answers to questions such as

  • What’s the secret to throwing a great housewarming party?
  • What are the main differences between Google Chrome and Internet Explorer?
  • What are woman looking for in a relationship?
  • What methods has BP tried to clean up the oil spill?

Facebook has not assigned a name to the new service however; it has already build a page in which users can place their answers to the questions online courtesy of a form as seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Submission Form For Answers Posed On Facebook

This project is similar to past initiatives by Yahoo with Yahoo Answers and Google Answers.

Only time will tell if Facebook’s initiative will be a success.  The main issue with such as a source is the credibility factor.  As users of information, we should be always evaluating content based on the origin of the data.

To participate in the project, visit www.facebook.com/product_application/

Customizing Your Facebook Page For Economic Development

Published
by
Ian Smith
on January 6, 2010
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0
. 2 Comments

Now that you have created your Facebook Fan Page for your economic development agency, it is time to customize the page to make it is easier for fans to find information.  Not only can it be beneficially to your fans but to your economic development agency’s search engine optimization strategy.

Here are few examples of economic development agencies and cities that have selected to customizing their Facebook Fan Page.

Levelland, Texas

The City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page has a section that is customized thanks to boxes which contains content.   Figure 1 presents a look at the section.

Figure 1: City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page With Customized Boxes
Please Click On Image To Enlarge

Fans of the page has a “one-stop” point for news and information about Levelland.

To visit the City of Levelland’s Facebook Fan Page can, please click here.

Chaleur Region

The Chaleur Region, located on the northeast coast of New Brunswick, has a Facebook Fan Page with customized tabs to facilitate navigation of the page. This Web 2.0 initiative is managed by Entreprise Chaleur, an economic development agency. Figure 3 presents the tabs for the RegionChaleur page.

Figure 3: Navigational Tabs On RegionChaleur

Individuals interested in investing in the Chaleur Region can simply click on the “Invest” tab and access information on the industrial parks in the region as seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Information On Industrial Parks In The Chaleur Region

Customizing a Facebook Fan Page entails obtaining the assistance of a programmer and searching for different web applications available on Facebook that can be added to the page.

Are you seeking to build a Facebook Fan Page for economic development purposes?  Learn more about Intelegia’s seminar, “Optimize Investment Attraction Strategy Through Information and Social Media Applications“

Web 2.0 and Investment Attraction: UK Trade & Investment

Published
by
Ian Smith
on November 11, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Investment Attraction, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 2 Comments

E&B DATA’s recent benchmark study, “Web 2.0 And Business Attraction - Canadian Cities Online Marketing Index” examined how well economic development agencies in large Canadian cities are utilizing social media marketing tools for investment attraction.

Just to show that cities are not the only entities that are using web 2.0 applications, countries have hopped on the bandwagon.  A perfect example is: UK & Trade Investment.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government department that helps businesses locate in the UK and grow internationally.   The department’s website ranks amongst the best in class according to Organization for Economic Co-operation Development as stated in The World Bank’s Global Investment Promotion Benchmarking 2009 Summary Report (Please see page 62)

Upon visiting the website, you will be able to spot their collection of social media marketing  tools.  The site provides links to the following applications:

  • Blog - The provides insights on various aspects of trade and investment attraction activities.  UKTI uses a multi-blogger approach by having different staff members post on a regular basis.
  • Twitter - This  page acts as a vehicle to push information regarding  UKTI activities and relevant news items.
  • YouTube - This channel is an outlet to:
    • Learn about London’s success stories
    • Provide information on High Growth Markets
    • Provide country information
    • Access past speeches from Lord Davies - Minister for Trade & Investment
    • Access case studies
  • Flickr - The Flickr photostream allows individuals to view pictures from past business events involving UKTI representatives and ministers.
  • Facebook - The Facebook Fan Page is mainly composed of UKTI staff members and is used to provide updates on new posts on the other social networking platforms.
  • LinkedIn - The LinkedIn group is avenue in which UKTI can bring together trade and investment experts and businesses.  It is interesting to see that the department has created subgroup for business people interested in trade and investment between Canada and the UK.

Figure 1 illustrates the UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter page.

Figure 1: UK Trade & Investment’s Twitter Page
Please click on image to enlarge

UKTI shared their thoughts on their web 2.0 strategy in terms of their objectives and tangible benefits:

Objectives:

  • Reach new audiences: new and existing customers; consultants; the media; other government departments; colleagues
  • Spread the word about UKTI through news and insights
  • Raise awareness of events/initiatives/news
  • Support marketing pushes
  • Be more accessible/responsive/open/two-way
  • Keep track of what is being said about UKTI and have the opportunity to respond direct

Benefits

  • Opportunity to feed back, re-inform and offer further information
  • Increase attendance at events, and in turn increase take-up of UKTI services
  • Reach new audiences and be where conversations are already taking place
  • Positive (unsolicited) tweets about UKTI/services have reached a large and diverse audience (of previously untapped potential customers)
  • A major website traffic driver. Both Linkedin and Twitter are in the top 5 traffic referrers to the investment services website.
  • Drive (trade website) registration by raising awareness of how we can help. Eg, by tweeting business opportunities we are broadening reach beyond the current customer-base

Are you thinking about creating an economic development 2.0 strategy for economic development initiatives such as investment attraction for your city, province or state and/or country?    What are the main challenges that you will have to deal with?   Tell us.

Entreprise Chaleur Adopts Social Media Marketing Strategy With RegionChaleur

Published
by
Ian Smith
on September 10, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

Entreprise Chaleur, an economic development agency located in northeastern New Brunswick is rapidly building its network of stakeholders via its Fan page on Facebook, RegionChaleur.  The goal of the page is to promote the remote region as the best location to invest and live.

Here are a few screen shots of what the page has to offer to its fans and interested individuals.  Please click on the images to enlarge the screen shots.

The Wall with current local news headlines and associated links on the web

Photos illustrating the beauty of the region

This Facebook initiative is just a part of the Entreprise Chaleur integrated social media marketing strategy for economic development.   To complement the fan page, Entreprise Chaleur has a Twitter page and a Flickr account.

In the past few weeks, the initiative has received some attention from the media specifically by Radio-Canada and L’Acadie Nouvelle.

To become a fan of RegionChaleur, please log onto Facebook and click here.  Be sure to click on the “Become A Fan” button.

Ping.fm – Manage Your Presence On Social Networks In Five Easy Steps

Published
by
Ian Smith
on August 24, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Internet tools and Web 2.0
. 1 Comment

Today, many of us have multiple accounts on online social networks (ie, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) and are wondering how to save time when posting the same message on various social networks without having to log in multiple times.

Thanks to Ping.fm, you can centrally manage your accounts on different social networks.

Here is a quick tutorial that will allow you to manage your presence on social networks in five easy steps.

Step 1: Sign up on Ping.fm by entering your e-mail address and a password. You can configure your profile in the future.

Ping.Fm Index Page

Ping.fm Index Page

Step 2: Add your social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to the account. New with Ping.fm, you can add your Facebook Fan pages.

Adding social networks to Ping.fm

Adding Networks

Listing of Possible Online Social Networks

Step 3: Create and name your group, choose the method of post selected social networks associated with each of your group. You can change them if you are not satisfied.

Creating Your Group


Selecting and Posting To Your Group

Selecting Which Group To Post

Setting Up A Posting Shortcuts

Step 4: Instead of returning to the ping.fm site each time you wish to post a message,, you can install the toolbar and send messages by clicking on “Post Message” or use “Ping this!” button to post a link you are visiting.

Using The Ping.fm Toolbar

Step 5: Click on the “Feedback” button if you have any questions.

You can now enjoy the benefits of Ping.fm.

Intelegia is using Ping.fm to manage content on the following platforms.

The Strategic Use Of Web 2.0 Tools

Published
by
Ian Smith
on June 8, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

For those who are familiar with Web 2.0 tools must have replied to one of the following questions in past year or so from someone who is not Web 2.0 savvy.

  1. Do you “tweet”?
  2. How can I get a blog?
  3. Do you Facebook?

These questions may sound silly to some however; those who are asking may have the need to know to better communicate with others via the web.

Although not at the same of the level of the questions as listed above, individuals must reflect on some issues before they wade into the relatively new part of the web.  Specifically, questions surrounding what makes the most sense in terms of achieving communication goals and dealing with various constraints should be addressed.

For the purposes of this post, online social networks and blogging applications will be discussed in the following case scenarios.

Case #1 : Introduction of a new financial literacy program for youth

An initiative to educate youth on personal finance management issue has be launched by the local community center.  With use of Web 2.0 applications, the center hopes to promote monthly seminars on various subjects.  At issue, what is the best tool to use?

a) Blog - A blog will enable organizers to share information in text and graphic form.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to refer to any past seminar sessions’ notes on the web via the blog.

b) Twitter - Setting up a Twitter account will allow the center to send out brief messages, (a.k.a ‘tweets”) to remind attendees (followers) of what will be covered in the upcoming sessions or refer to references elsewhere on the web.

c) Facebook Fan Page - A fan page will enable the center to have attendees who are Facebook fanatics to access information in all formats in another central location on the web.

What is the best option?  c)

Although blogs offer the advantages mentioned above, blogging may become a very time consuming task which encompasses the maintenance of outbound links and posting new entries on a fairly regular basis.

Messages via Twitter are limited  to 140 characters without any capabilities to post images or videos.

The fan page not only allows for the flexibility to post content in a variety of formats but there is a “viral marketing” element when individuals becomes fans.  A message stating that individuals has become a fan of the page will appear on their friends’ page index when they log in.

Case 2: Sharing insights regarding the annual symposium

Due to budget cuts, your industry association symposium only has the space for 300 attendees down from 600 attendees.  The association is turning to the Web 2.0 to find an avenue to share insights from speakers and sponsors.

a) Twitter - The Twitter avenue will allow the association to “micro-blog” on topics in real-time.  Followers of the Twitter page will receive updates via mobile telephone, laptop and or desktop computer.

b) Blog - A blog gives the association the power to expand on topics covered at the event.  Along with the unlimited amount of characters that the blogger can use to write the post, a blog provides the flexibility to embed audio, video and still images files.

c) Facebook Fan Page - The fan page can be a compliment to the existing event website where only fans can access relevant information as they log on and navigate to the page.

What is the best option?  a)

Sending out tweets would be the best alternative to keep individuals up to date.  In addition, it is not a time consuming activity.  Imagine tweeting as a presentation is taking place?

A very solid case can be made for setting up a blog however; taking into account the needs of the audience, short and concise messages are “reader-friendly” for individuals who are busy and use their cell phone to access information on the go.

Conclusion

Rushing to use a Web 2.0 application to meet communication objectives requires a plan.  In order to do so, all options in terms of the best tools should be evaluated along the lines of:

  1. The content or message that will be delivered
  2. The needs of the audience
  3. The resources required to properly maintain the tool

Have Cities Bought Into Social Networks?

Published
by
Ian Smith
on May 12, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Economic Development, Social Media Marketing and Web 2.0 Strategy
. 0 Comments

Why is there so much interest in tools such as Facebook and Twitter?  From a marketing point of view, these tools are vehicles to communicate with consumers and enhance branding on the web.  Prime examples are Nokia’s Fan page on Facebook and Dell Computer’s multiple Twitter accounts.

Can the same Web 2.0 based marketing techniques apply to branding a city or region?  Let’s find out.

Using The 2008 Global Cities Index from Foreign Policy Magazine, the top 10 cities in terms of business activity were examined based on their presence of the two social networking platforms.  The selected cities  were  1. New York, 2. Tokyo, 3. Paris, 4. London, 5. Hong Kong, 6. Singapore, 7. Seoul, 8. Shanghai, 9. Beijing, 10. Amsterdam

Findings:

  • Of the 10 cities, three cities (i.e., Paris, London, Amsterdam) have a Facebook Fan Page
  • Of the 10 cities, seven cities (i.e., New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing) do not have a Facebook Fan Page

Given the power of online social networks, one has to wonder what is taking cities so long to buy into the benefits?

  • Is it a question of money?
  • Is it a question of time?
  • Is it a question of awareness? (i.e., the benefits having  fan pages)

Research for this blog post led to some interesting finding in terms of cities / towns that have embraced social network platforms such as Facebook.

1. It was difficult to identify the official pages from pages created by citizens.  The set of criteria that were used to identify the city’s official page were:

a) Complete contact information
b) Wide Reach (number of members, fans and followers)
c) Link on the page to the city’s official website

2. Two very good examples that were found: Coventry City (U.K.) and City and County of San Francisco

Coventry City - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=41296119424

The local government of Coventry City created a Facebook group with the objective of communicating with citizens regarding a new civic centre.  The group was an avenue to consult with stakeholders in which they used discussion boards and the wall as sounding boards. The image below presents a sample of posts made to the discussion board asking the question, “What you dislike about the city centre?”

City and County of San Francisco - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/sanfrancisco?v=info&viewas=1244463797

The City and County of San Francisco’s presence on Facebook can seen through a fan page.  The fan page is an extension of the city and county’s website.   Fans can easily access information from the local government via wall postings, photographs and video clips on YouTube.  In addition to being an information tool, the page can be viewed as a branding vehicle based on the many scenic photos placed on the page and events that are promoted.  Below is a screenshot of what is offered in terms of photos on the page.

Final Thoughts

  • A Facebook Fan Page is a logical extention to a city’s or region’s official website
  • Social network applications are excellent avenues to reach individuals within the 24 to 54 age bracket
  • Some cities have yet to realize the possibilities that social network tools offer to communicate with its citizens.

Defensive Competitive Intelligence In A Web 2.0 Environment

Published
by
Ian Smith
on April 30, 2009
in Author-Ian Smith, Competitive & Internet Intelligence and Web 2.0
. 3 Comments

All firms (large and small) must set aside the time to execute some defensive competitive intelligence strategies.  In short, defensive competitive intelligence addresses the availability of strategic information about companies and their activities in the public domain.  A clear example is a company  assessing the amount of strategic details made available in its respective corporate press releases.

Web 2.0 allows individuals to connect and publish information in various forms such as text, photo, video and audio.   From a defensive competitive intelligence point of view, these applications can be a cause of concern.   As a result, competitive intelligence practitioners must be vigilant on what is available in this new part of the web.

You may ask yourself, ‘How can one control what is available in the public domain when it comes to Web 2.0?”

It is not a question of controlling what content is placed online, it is an issue of knowing where it is and monitoring the content.  Let’s take into consideration three cases.

Case #1: Facebook Group

A fan of your company’s products has created a group to discuss and share information.  On the discussion board, you discover that there is an exchange amongst members regarding a product defect.  The discussion thread is lengthy and points out several aspects of the product that must be improved upon in the future.

What should you do?

a) Ignore the fact that such a group/page exist.
b) Acknowledge that such a group exist and monitor the group’s activity.  This entails joining the group.
c) Join the group and participating in the discussion to give positive input using another identity.

If you selected choice c) from above, we recommend that you review the code of ethics that governs the practice of competitive intelligence.

If you selected choice a) from above, you run the risk of competitors collecting information as the group / page expands with usable intelligence.

If you selected choice b) from above, you will be in the best position to know what is being posted and available for competitors to use against your company.

Always place yourself in the shoes of your counterpart at the competing company and think what valuable information can be gathered and analysed to gain further insights.

Case #2: SlideShare Content

While conducting a routine web search using the name of your company as a keyword, you come across a recent PowerPoint presentation that was given at a recent marketing conference.  The presentation was posted by the conference organizer on Slideshare to save on printing costs.  The presentation contains a detailed case study which includes financial data from 4 years ago, an overview of a creative strategy for an ad for a top selling product and a biography of the presenter.

What should you do?

a) Do not be concerned about the availability of the presentation because the financial data is out of date, the details regarding the creative strategy is rather vague and the biography is easily accessible elsewhere on the web.

b) Speak to your colleague who gave the presentation and urge he or she to modify the file, resubmit the new version to the organizer and have it placed back on SlideShare.

c) Insist that the presentation be removed immediately from SlideShare.

If you selected choice c), you are eliminating a great avenue for exposure for your company on and off the web via an very insightful presentation.

If you selected choice a), you are welcoming analysts from the competition to piece together information offered in presentation to use against your competition.  Outdated financial details are an excellent basis for projections, especially if industry costs are known, very good assumptions can be made from vague statements about a creative strategy and biographies are not that current on the web.

If you selected choice b), you are on the right track.  It is a fair balance between options a) and b).  The slide with the financial data could remain blank or the slide with the creative strategy maybe replaced with contact information if the reader wishes to obtain more details. (It is suggested that you provide a phone number and not an email address.)

Case #3: Twitter Tweets

Among your colleagues, you have someone who is very active on social networks.  An hour does not go by without “Michel” updating his status.   One day, you decide to check Michel’s Twitter page and see that some of his Tweets alludes to what he is doing at work.     The tweets refer to his frustration with searching the U.S. Patents database regarding a ball meant for street hockey and reading patent #7,520,830.  Knowing that your company is presently working on the creation of a new design for a street hockey ball, you are surprised that these tweets have been posted.

What should you do?

a) Assume that these tweets will never be found by competitors and there is no need to panic.

b) Ask Michel to delete the tweets in question.

c) Explain the important of not blogging or tweeting on topics regarding work-related activities

If you selected choice a), you have made the wrong assumption.  You will be surprise how people can stumble onto content on the web.

If you selected choice b), you are just addressing apart of the problem.  Michel has to understand the potential problems that his tweets may cause.

If you selected choice c), you have to be prepared to provide a primer regarding defensive competitive intelligence.

Conclusion

Web 2.0 is a growing source for information that should not be ignored.  Knowing what is being published on platforms such as Facebook, SlideShare and Twitter about your company is an essential part of preventing competitors from gaining a strategic advantage in terms of gathering intelligence.