Posts

Business and Brand Pages Now Allowed on Google+

On Monday, Google+ opened the flood gates and allowed businesses to create pages on the social network. Organizations such as Pepsi, Fox News and The New England Patriots have already created Google+ Brand Pages.

This video from Google shows how a business can use Google+ Pages to create a community online.

If you are wondering if your business should create a page on Google+ this e-book, How To Use Google+ For Business, from Hubspot explains how a Google+ Page can benefit your business.

If you are ready to create your own business or brand page on Google+ this article, How to Set Up a Google+ Brand Page, from Mashable explains the process in 6 simple steps.

Have you set up a Google+ Page yet? If so, what are your initial thoughts? If not, what are your reasons for passing on this network?

Facebook Changes: Subscribe, Lists, Ticker and More!

If you logged on to Facebook this morning then you know the whole layout of the site has been redesigned. We all know that Facebook changes on a regular basis, but this recent update is only the first of many to come according to this article from Mashable, Facebook to Launch “Major” Profile Redesign at f8. f8 is a conference taking place today in San Francisco for developers and innovators who are meeting to discuss Facebook. Parts of the event will be streaming live.

This video explains in simple terms a few of the most recent modifications to the site.

If you are interested in learning more about the subscribe feature, this article Facebook Subscribe Button: What it Means for Each Type of User from Mashable, breaks down the changes and how it may affect users. So whether you’re a Facebook “super user” or a grandmother trying to log on to see photos of your grandkids, the ability to “subscribe,” instead of “friend” may change the way you use Facebook.

Last but not least, earlier this month Facebook made life a lot easier for people creating a Facebook Page. According to AllFacebook.com You No Longer Need 25 Fans to Get a Custom URL. So instead of having a URL like this www.facebook.com/pages/Make-It_Happen-City/207334002619825 which no one can remember, it can become www.facebook.com/MakeItHappenCity even though the page has less than 25 fans.

What do you think of the new Facebook redesign and subscribe feature? Let us know in the comments section.

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to be a guest blogger, ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

The future in social media is sharing experiences-Brian Solis Video Interview

Brian Solis is described on his website as being “globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media.” He is Founder and President of Future Works, an award-winning digital and social media agency in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. We at Garvey Communication love to hear what he has to say about social media and where the industry is headed so we wanted to share the wealth and post this video interview.

If you liked what you saw and want more watch this video of Brian talking about “social currency.”

If you have suggestions for future Social Media News posts, want to ask questions or share thoughts, please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Laura

GCAI’s 2011 Tips and Trends To Take Note Of

Hey GCAI fans! Since Laura is away, this week’s Social Media News will be brought to you by myself. My name is Stephanie and I am GCAI’s  winter intern. In honor of the new year, John, Mary and I found a few of our favorite social media articles that will be sure to jump start your social media strategy in 2011. Enjoy!

Influencer Scoring – Separating Worry From Want-To-Bes

I think understanding individual influence in social space is going to be a very big issue in 2011.  Almost every day, we are uncovering posts about one of our clients – both negative and positive.  Currently, we are using redundant monitoring platforms to  discover the posts and then manually assessing and scoring the commenter’s influence. Services like Klout are doing the same calculations algorithmically – which does highlight “the way of the future.”  Blogger John F. Moore’s interview with Matt Thomson, VP of Platform at Klout is a good place to start to understand where influence scoring is and where it is going.  – John Garvey (@Jgarvey)

http://bit.ly/aAuSME

Massachusetts Twitter Usage

Massachusetts is one of the top 3 states with usage that is 69% higher than the national average which is also the greatest increase among all US states. In terms of growth, Massachusetts was 2nd with a 24% increase. I think this reinforces the fact that Twitter is an important tool that businesses can utilize, especially in areas where usage is high or steadily increasing. A few tips if you are just beginning to use Twitter: listen before engaging in order to get a feel for the Twitter community, keep tweets to 120 characters which allows them to be retweeted, and restrain from pitching. –Mary Fallon (@MFallon)

http://bit.ly/hh8v2i

Are videos and mobile applications included in the next step of your social media strategy?

This article from ReadWriteWeb.com is an excellent resource in terms of emerging social media trends in 2011. In 2010, iPhone and iPad applications were downloaded over 7 billion times and e-mail access on the iPhone is continuing to rise while access on the computer declines. In 2011, many interactions and experiences will be shared through mobile devices. Additionally, consumer engagement with video continues to grow. Consumers can look forward to relying on video to get information and learn about companies in a way they wouldn’t normally experience with tweets and status updates. I view this as the next, more interactive step in consumer engagement. –Stephanie Jackman (@stjackman)

http://rww.to/eENvbO

Do you have any of your own social media trends for 2011? Please feel free to email me. Thanks! – Stephanie