Inside Facebook
Inside Facebook |
- Facebook Roundup: White House, Twitter, MySpace, SeeClickFix, Shoutlet, Soccer and More
- Facebook Promotes INQ Cloud Touch With Mobile Showcase and Home Page Ads
- Facebook Rumored to be Partnering with Baidu to Launch New, Separate Social Network in China
- Facebook Changes Some Like Buttons to Show News Feed Story Previews
- Exclusive: Fotobabble’s Talking Facebook Fan Page App for Brand Promotions Lets Users Narrate Photos
- Books, Movies, Pages, Mobile and More on This Week’s Top 20 Emerging Facebook Apps by MAU
| Facebook Roundup: White House, Twitter, MySpace, SeeClickFix, Shoutlet, Soccer and More Posted: 08 Apr 2011 07:49 PM PDT
Twitter to Offer Pages Similar to Facebook – Marketing Magazine reported this week that Twitter is set to offer branded Pages similar to what Facebook offers. The idea is to allow brands a space to deliver their own content and cultivate more Twitter followers. Sean Parker Pushed Back Against "The Social Network" – The New York Times reported this week that the first president of Facebook, Sean Parker, used a public relations firm, ID, to undermine the credibility of "The Social Network" during the Oscars race earlier this year.
Marin Software Raises $16M - Marin Software raised $16 million in Series E funding from a variety of investors this week, bringing the company's total to $51 million. Marin Software creates search engine management software for agencies and advertisers, according to TechCrunch. SeeClickFix Launches on Facebook Platform – SeeClickFix launched an application on the Facebook platform this week, reported TechCrunch. The service helps people flag issues for officials to tend to.
Vanity Fair's Facebook Revolution Slideshow - Vanity Fair created a slideshow of Egyptian protesters that used Facebook widely during the recent change in leadership in that country.
Argentine Footballer Gains 7M Fans in 7 Hours – Argentine football (soccer) star Leo Messi just started his Facebook Page Wednesday; 7 hours later he had 7 million Likes, reported Mashable. The sudden growth was likely due to a Facebook merging the various unofficial Pages and community Pages users had created for the athlete before he made his own. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook Promotes INQ Cloud Touch With Mobile Showcase and Home Page Ads Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:57 PM PDT Facebook is promoting the INQ Cloud Touch mobile handset with Sponsored Story home page ads leading to a new Showcase tab on the Facebook Mobile Page. Commonly referred to as “The Facebook Phone”, the INQ Cloud Touch recently became available for purchase in the UK. The Wildfire-powered Showcase tab highlights the device’s deep Facebook integration , such as how a user’s news feed and a button for Chat appear on the home screen.
The INQ Cloud Touch is part of Facebook’s efforts to tackle the middle-tier of the mobile market, between below high-end smart phones and above devices without data plans. It’s aimed at thrifty Facebook power users who want constant access to their Facebook content. As such, the commercial for the Android-powered handset on the Showcase tab features young, hip twenty-somethings planning meetups with friends and posting photos from a party. >Continue reading at Inside Mobile Apps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook Rumored to be Partnering with Baidu to Launch New, Separate Social Network in China Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:16 PM PDT Several China-based publications are reporting that Facebook has signed a deal with Chinese internet search giant Baidu to create a special social network for China. Facebook’s is blocked by the Chinese government, so the rumors indicate that the company will create a new social network especially for Chinese market of 500 million internet users, and that this site won’t be integrated with Facebook. There have been false rumors in the past of Facebook entering China in one way or another, but this could be a way for the company to reach and monetize an enormous audience that isn’t able to sign up for the US-based social network.
Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting quoted Hu Yanping, founder of Beijing-based market research firm Data Center of the China Internet (DCCI), as saying Facebook signed a deal with an unspecified Chinese company. Marbridge Consulting later updated saying multiple industry sources told it Baidu was that company. Bill Bishop, a respected source on Chinese technology developments, tweeted that Baidu, along with Alibaba, China Mobile, and Sohu were possibilities, and confirmed that Sina was not the signee. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Baidu on his recent trip to China, and the Chinese company’s leaders reportedly visited Silicon Valley in February. Baidu has been said to up to 83.6% of Chinese search traffic, and could therefore have the ability jumpstart a new social network through promotion on its properties. Facebook worked with Russian search engine Yandex to promote itself through the inclusion of status updates and a Facebook widget, and an integration with Baidu but for the China-specific social network could follow the same structure. We’ve detailed the complicated problem China represents to Facebook. The open-and-connected nature of Facebook does not mesh with government policies or social norms in the country. It would costly if Facebook had to develop an alternate version of its site that fit the local culture. Catering to China’s repressive government to gain access there could also harm Facebook’s reputation around the world. As of the beginning of March, Facebook had 659,000 monthly active users in China despite being blocked there, probably due to some combination of faulty censorship efforts, the use of proxy servers, government officials with special access. This incredibly low penetration leaves China as a blank void on the world map of Facebook friend connections pictured above. Creating a separate social network in partnership with Baidu could help Facebook sidestep some of these problems. It could be designed from the ground up to offer what Chinese users want without violating government policy or needing to surmount the wall of censorship. This would relieve Facebook from having to divert its product development team. Without the Facebook name on the product, there’d also be a reduced risk of a public relations backlash. Rumors of the Baidu deal could be false, and this could all blow over quickly. But if they are true, Facebook may have found a way to enter China, albeit under a different brand name. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Facebook Changes Some Like Buttons to Show News Feed Story Previews Posted: 08 Apr 2011 01:37 PM PDT Facebook is testing a change of the interface of Like buttons that allow comments, such that users are shown a preview of the story that will be published, complete with image and caption. Previously, users only saw a text input field for adding their comment. This tested interface let users comment with confidence, knowing they won’t be repeating what’s already included in the caption or image.
If Facebook rolls out Like story previews, it could result in users publishing more compelling stories that would send additional referral traffic to sites that implement Like buttons with commenting functionality. Alternatively, seeing a preview of their story could lead users to think twice and retract their Like, especially if sites don’t properly use Open Graph meta tags to populate stories with the right images or text. While the change is relatively subtle, there’s a large potential impact since over 2.5 million websites have implemented Facebook’s social plugin including the Like button. If Facebook finds the change significantly increases Like button clicks or referral traffic driven by their news feed stories, it might roll the change out to all Like Buttons. At the end of February, Facebook made a significant modification to all implementations of the Like button. Each click of one began generating a full news feed story, rather than the one-line activity feed story that was less visible, less, compelling, and which drove fewer clicks. Before, a full story was only published if users added a comment via a drop-down input field upon clicking Like. For reference, users are given the option to add a comment after clicking any Like button built off of XFBML, or any iframe Like button using the standard layout style with a minimum width of 400 pixels. Only the alternative button_count and box_count iframe layouts, or standard layouts smaller than 400 pixels don’t give users the option to comment. For more information on implementing the Like button on websites and publishing additional news feed stories to those that click them, check out our Facebook Marketing Bible entries, “The Like Button Style Guide“, “How to Choose Open Graph Tags That Maximize the Value of Your Like Buttons“, and “The Like Button Placement Guide“. Now, when users click Like buttons with the option to comment that are part of the test, they’ll see a hover card-style popup with a text input field, and a preview of what will be shared including the story’s headline, URL, and caption. The story previews are similar to the publisher pop up users see that Facebook requires applications to show when they prompt users to post a story. Similar to those previews, but different from what happens when users copy and paste a URL into Facebook’s standard news feed publisher, users aren’t allowed to edit the any of the pre-populated text or choose a different image. The preview is important to making sure users only share what they intend to. For instance, if users clicked a Like button on a news story with multiple image, the Like story preview will show them which image will be included in their post. The Like story previews increase transparency in sharing, which Facebook encourages across the board. Giving users more confidence in clicking the Like button is a good thing, whether it increases or decreases clicks, but its Facebook’s choice whether to roll the previews out further. [Thanks to Amit Lavi for the tip] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exclusive: Fotobabble’s Talking Facebook Fan Page App for Brand Promotions Lets Users Narrate Photos Posted: 08 Apr 2011 11:02 AM PDT New startup Fotobabble is launching the private beta of its Talking Facebook Fan Page app. Pages will be able to install the tab app, customize it with their logos and messaging, and begin allowing their fans to add voice narration to photos. These photos are automatically branded with the Page’s name and link, and can then be shared to the news feed, posted to the Page’s wall, or used as contest submissions. Talking Facebook Fan Page takes advantage of the wealth of photos being uploaded to Facebook, has a lightweight flow, and produces compelling content users will want to share. These factors could lead brands to license the app to power engaging promotions. However, the use cases of the app are relatively unexplored so its unclear whether there is much user demand for what it offers. Interested brands can signup for beta access ahead of the self-serve app’s release next month.
The problem with many user generated content creation apps is they are too high touch, requiring users to produce new source content before they can start, undertake laborious photo or video editing, and endure long upload times. This limits the potential audience for promotions to a brand’s most loyal fans, and provides too many drop-off points before users finally have the option to share their content, and the brand, with their friends. On the other side of the spectrum, standard photo submission contests have been overused and become stale. Founded in January 2010, the 8-person company has taken $300,000 in seed funding to create a product that aims for a sweet spot between these extremes. Users simply choose a previously uploaded photo or add a new one, speak into their computer’s microphone, and they’re ready to publish content augmented with the intimacy of their voice. Users can also create Fotobabbles for publishing on Facebook using the company’s iPhone app.
Outside of video, there aren’t many to hear the voices of friends on Facebook, creating a pent up demand for verbal story telling which brands can take advantage of. For instance, a brand could run a contest asking users “Upload a photo of a tropical destination and tell us why you need a vacation for a chance to win 2 tickets to Hawaii.” Since the launch of its iPhone and web apps, Fotobabble has since found that users enjoyed recording anecdotes about vacation and event photos, and narrating from the perspective of a photo’s subject, such as a pet. Travel, event promotion, and pet-themed Pages could all be natural hosts for the app, and there’s potential for consumer packaged goods, restaurants, and retail brands to use the app to solicit testimonials. Fotobabble also offers plugins and APIs so brands can syndicate content created through the app to other places on the web. As another use case, brands could record and post their own talking photos to describe their products and services. Fotobabble is considering releasing a canvas app targeted directly at users, allowing them to send Fotobabbles as audio picture messages and birthday wall posts, perhaps narrating a photo of themselves and the birthday boy or girl. One issue is that Fotobabble’s technology isn’t particularly defensible. Upon hearing of the idea, Page management companies could copy the app’s structure and add it to the suite of promotional apps they offer clients. Fotobabble should consider striking deals for these companies to integrate its technology and design. Recording voice could also be too unfamiliar for users try the app. As brands realize they need a constant stream of new engagement promotions, there’s an opportunity for creative startups like Fotobabble. Success will depend on a frictionless interface and clear instructions, if it can take care of these, brands might be willing to add Talking Facebook Fan Page to their tab app mix. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Books, Movies, Pages, Mobile and More on This Week’s Top 20 Emerging Facebook Apps by MAU Posted: 08 Apr 2011 07:45 AM PDT
Top Gainers This Week
Book List Challenges, which we've been seeing rise through the app ranks in recent weeks, topped our list this week. The app saw 779,100 MAU, representing a 479% increase for the app. What would appear to be its sister app, Movie List Challenges, grew a lot too, 246,700 MAU representing a 1,500% increase. The apps have the same basic functionality. Users are presented with a list of lists. After selecting one, or creating your own list, you click on which movies or books you have seen/read; this list then posts to the stream, even as you compare your score to other users and your friends. When the app publishes a news feed story the app adds inviting text, such as "How many have you seen?"
Interestingly, a pair of apps providing tools for Page administrators grew by the hundreds of thousands of MAU this week. iframe + Static FBML + Welcome Tab = iwipa grew by 276,300 MAU and Welcome Tab for Pages by 204,400 MAU. Both apps allow users to compile their social media content into one interface, such as YouTube and Twitter, into a tab or welcome tab.
Wrapping it up was LiveProfile with 254,000 MAU is a mobile app that works across iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and iPod Touch. Se Lo Harias O No? is a Spanish app that grew by 165,300 MAU; the app asks raunchy sexual questions about your friends, posting to their Wall when you answer. |
White House Spokesman Not Headed to Facebook – Although there was widespread speculation that former White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs was being courted by Facebook, The New York Post 
MySpace SVP Joines Tagged – TechCrunch 
Shoutlet Updates Management Platform - Shoutlet 
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