Scott Monty

Revealing a New Ford in a New Way

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Ford Motor Company has been at the forefront of social media for some time. The <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2010/ca2010018_445530.htm">Fiesta Movement</a>, the <a href="http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/02/28/10-key-elements-of-one-of-the-top-facebook-marketing-campaigns-of-the-year/">Explorer reveal on Facebook</a>, <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/12/08/innovative-viral-ads-2011/#S9udCp32LdA">Doug the Spokespuppet</a>, <a href="http://www.joakimnilsson.com/case-studies/how-ford-social-energized-their-core-customer-base-with-badges/">Ford Social</a> (formerly known as The Ford Story) and being the <a href="http://www.delicious.com/redirect?url=http%3A//www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2084288/ford-jumps-google-wheels">first brand on Google+</a> all stand as examples of Ford's success that spans from clever campaigns to a daily commitment to engage.<br />
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Ford played a significant part in how the automotive industry thinks about social media (and in some cases how <a href="http://www.1to1media.com/view.aspx?docid=33266">large companies think about social media</a>) and now, as we near the 2012 <a href="http://naias.com/">North American International Auto Show</a> (NAIAS), at Ford we have an opportunity to again reinvent how we give our fans a chance to engage in shared experiences around our brand.<br />
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The all-new <a href="http://facebook.com/fordfusion"><b>Ford Fusion</b></a> will be making its debut at NAIAS in January, but starting today, consumers have an opportunity to go behind the scenes at Ford to hear about how we've remade this mid-size car and see the car revealed gradually over the course of the next few weeks - including a chance to drive the car in slot-like environment. If you go to <b><a href="http://www.fordfusionapp.com/">FordFusionApp.com</a></b>, you can download an iOS or Android version of the app to experience it for yourself.<br />
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Each weekday between now and January 9, you’ll be able to launch the experience by finding and capturing a Ford logo using the mobile device’s camera. It works on any Ford logo - the one on your car, online, in print - this is one of the coolest features. The Ford logo will then appear on the screen as a button that starts the program. Operating like a video game, the app then allows consumers to drive a digitally camouflaged new Fusion on a track toward video clips that feature insights on technology and design from key Fusion team members.

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You'll have a chance to unlock more vehicles and more worlds as the days progress, but it's only through completing the driving experience that you'll be rewarded with more content. Original music, the ability to change the view around the car and sharing functionality via Facebook and Twitter are all part of the experience. Over the course of the 19 weekdays from now until the reveal of the vehicle, more of the digital camouflage will be removed and additional videos will cover the design, technology, engineering, safety features and more of the 2013 Ford Fusion.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5QMrIvZzow&feature=youtu.be">video below</a> will help you get a sense as to how it works. Be sure to pop over to <b><a href="http://www.fordfusionapp.com/">FordFusionApp.com</a></b> to get a copy for your iPad2, iPhone or Android device. And let us know what you think!<br />
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Revealing a New Ford in a New Way

Ford Motor Company has been at the forefront of social media for some time. The Fiesta Movement , the Explorer reveal on Facebook , Doug t...

Infographic: 5 Companies That Are Rocking Social Media

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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p0kKsL8sKj0/U3TH5LzW_NI/AAAAAAAATLE/ut2ld6g9_0A/s1600/Rock+Concert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Are you ready to rock?" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p0kKsL8sKj0/U3TH5LzW_NI/AAAAAAAATLE/ut2ld6g9_0A/s1600/Rock+Concert.jpg" height="426" title="Rock Concert by Marco Lazzaroni" width="640" /></a></div>
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We all know the usual names of companies that are doing well in social media. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the lesser-knowns and why they've had success, either on an ongoing basis or with some one-off efforts that stood out.<br />
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And since infographics are all the rage, what better way to look at them? Of course, for SEO purposes, I've listed them here as well.<br />
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<li><a href="http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/12/08/dell-s-next-step-the-social-media-listening-command-center.aspx">Dell</a> is presented as a master in the art and science of listening. </li>
<li><a href="http://mortons.com/">Morton's</a> made headlines with its surprise-and-delight effort with influencer Peter Shankman recently, but goes beyond that with helpful information regularly.</li>
<li>Unisys <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/09/increase_your_companys_productiv.html">uses social media internally</a> for effective collaboration and a boost to company productivity.</li>
<li>KLM is <a href="http://therealtimereport.com/2011/09/28/klm-launches-24hr-social-media-customer-service-with-live-replies-via-youtube-twitter/">using Twitter and Facebook for real-time customer service</a> and encouraging customers to submit ideas.</li>
<li>ABC is having fun with the way viewers can engage with their new show Pan Am <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PanAmABC">by providing some goodies on Facebook</a>.</li>
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Are there other companies that are doing some interesting things with social media that are worth talking about? Drop a comment in below.<br />
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<small>Created by <a href="http://www.voltierdigital.com">Voltier Digital</a> for <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com">ScottMonty.com</a></small>

This infographic was created by Voltier Digital, a content marketing agency based in Florida, specializing on the creation and promotion of impactful content marketing campaigns for businesses of all sizes.

Image credit: Marco Lazzaroni (Flickr)
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Infographic: 5 Companies That Are Rocking Social Media

We all know the usual names of companies that are doing well in social media. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of...

Twitter Business Guide

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/3920802507/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes by clevercupcakes, on Flickr"><img alt="Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/3920802507_30c7a336c9_m.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
I was recently introduced to a compact guidebook for businesses trying to get a sense of Twitter. The microblogging site that allows you to update in no more than 140 characters at at time is deceptively complex and nuanced - especially for a newcomer.<br />
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This short guide, entitled <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/67972411/Twitter-Business-Guide">Twitter Business Guide: Communication and Marketing</a></b> was written by Jean-Christophe Barré and Dr. Andreas Schroeter and in just 32 pages covers some of the things that may be keeping you and your business away from this platform. [<b><i>Update February 22, 2012</i></b>: new version has been embedded below and <a href="http://blog.bab.la/2012/02/22/twitter-business-guide-marketing-and-communication-2012-edition/">is available here</a>.]<br />
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 For someone who is new to Twitter, this e-book will prove a helpful compass as you begin to explore Twitter. Everything from setting up an account to understanding the vernacular, the difference between communications and marketing with Twitter, and some of the tools you'll need to use to make it effective.<br />
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Please feel free to download and share this e-book, and by all means, if you have additional suggestions, please leave a comment.

<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/67972411/Twitter-Business-Guide" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Twitter Business Guide on Scribd">Twitter Business Guide</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.707514450867052" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_86099" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/67972411/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-u29htn4q2fzxyy7o79j" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">
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As with any tool or platform, this should be seen as just that. Twitter itself is not a strategy. You should be thinking in terms of how it integrates with the rest of your communications and marketing strategies and how it will help you attain your business goals.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12803689@N02/3920802507/">clevercupcakes (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
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Twitter Business Guide

I was recently introduced to a compact guidebook for businesses trying to get a sense of Twitter. The microblogging site that allows you t...

iLife

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5Q6Prbbvao/TozvpqymIPI/AAAAAAAACtM/scUoWQbYjVM/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5Q6Prbbvao/TozvpqymIPI/AAAAAAAACtM/scUoWQbYjVM/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. His life's work at Apple literally changed the face of the earth. Undoubtedly, he'll go down in history alongside the likes of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.<br />
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Let's remember Steve in his own words, "<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UF8uR6Z6KLc">How to live before you die</a></b>," in his Stanford Commencement speech of 2005:<br />
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</div>R.I.P. Steve Jobs. We thank you for the innovation you brought to this world. May we all live such a life.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5" rel="nofollow">http://cmp.ly/5</a>)</i></span></div><div><br />
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iLife

Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. His life's work at Apple literally changed the face of the earth. Undoubtedly, he'll go down ...

When Humor Isn't Funny

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwalsh_/2254588908/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_4047 by jwalsh, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4047" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2254588908_db61a893d0_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>Often times, we use humor to find common ground. An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld">observational comic</a> can take the everyday mundane things and makes make them seem funny with a unique spin. Or<a href="http://threestooges.com/"> slapstick teams</a> use physical gaffes to go for the primeval notion that when someone <i>else</i> gets hurt, we laugh. <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/09/03/140150115/irony-in-the-post-9-11-age-comedy-and-tragedy-as-very-strange-roommates">Comedy on the heels of tragedy</a> helps forge a bond for those who have suffered together, in an effort to pull them through.<br />
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But in attempting to use humor, it's important to realize that it's all based on perspective. When a brand or a cause attempts to use humor - especially in the age of social media, where information, rumors and outrage fly fast and furious - it has to be used carefully.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now <i>that's</i> funny</span></b><br />
There are plenty of positive examples out there. One of the most prominent examples in the past year or so has been the <b><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/07/now-thats-viral-man.html">Old Spice Man efforts</a></b>. By using video and going almost for the absurd, "the man your man could smell like" leaves us wondering "I wonder what they'll do next?"<br />
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Super Bowl ads tend to be laced with humor, and this year was no exception. But the one that stood out for most, especially with its early airing on YouTube was the Volkswagen commercial <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0">The Force</a></b>. The familiar "Imperial March" from <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>, combined with the ridiculously large Darth Vader helmet on the boy's tiny frame, along with the universal frustration we've all felt at trying to bring to life our make-believe dreams all come together to create one of the most memorable and funny ads in recent memory.<br />
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Ford (my employer) has attempted something this year that has been successful in its own right as well: the <b><a href="http://youtube.com/focusdoug">Focus Doug campaign</a></b>, featuring a wise-cracking orange spokespuppet that is anything but politically correct. Directed by Paul Fieg from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VBTP0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0009VBTP0">The Office</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001EQHXO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0001EQHXO">Freaks and Geeks</a></i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JJ3Y78/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000JJ3Y78" style="font-style: italic;">Arrested Development</a> (disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5" rel="nofollow">http://cmp.ly/5</a>) and starring John Ross Bowie and Paul F. Thompkins, the videos were aimed at a particular audience that appreciates the improv style and straight-man vs. envelope pusher. The series was designed to showcase product features using humor and situations, rather than simply highlighting product features. As an example, here's how Ford demonstrated the <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/focusdoug#p/c/6C23C8AFD62D3324/2/pCq0MD6A22Q">text-to-voice functionality in the 2012 Ford Focus</a></b>:<br />
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Even the recent <b><a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/roast-charlie-sheen/index.jhtml">Roast of Charlie Sheen</a></b>, hosted on Comedy Central, was successful in its use of humor. You might ask "Why? All people did was cut each other down with their remarks." Well, the point of a roast is that you're supposed to say funny and insulting things about the people there, but everyone is in on it; they understand that being roasted is partly about being able to be the butt of a joke for the sake of entertainment.<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;"><b>Roast of Charlie Sheen</b> </div></div></div></center><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This? Not so much.</span></b><br />
When a brand or a cause tries to use humor at the expense of others - especially when the others aren't part of the creative process - it can be harmful. Here are a few cases in point:<br />
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<b>Ragu</b><br />
Earlier this week, Unilever brand Ragu reached out to a number of dads and moms online to get their opinions on cooking. C.C. Chapman saw <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXoFKt-5j6o&feature=player_embedded"><b>the video</b></a> and wondered if <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/ragu-hates-dads/"><b>Ragu Hates Dads</b></a>, following it up with <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/the-secret-sauce-free-advice-for-ragu/"><b>some free advice</b></a> and finally <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/my-final-word-on-ragu/"><b>recounting his interaction</b></a> with the brand manager. There was lots of discussion about Ragu's approach, with some not seeing any harm in it. The thing is, C.C. is a dad who cooks for his kids and he didn't take the stereotyping lightly. Opinions fell on both sides, but it was clear that brands need to <b><a href="http://blog.customscoop.com/mb/2011/09/ragu-dads-and-lessons-learned-for-communicators-and-bloggers.html#comment-322005625">consider how they're using humor</a></b> if they're concerned about their reputation.<br />
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<b>The Onion</b><br />
When is it okay to joke about matters of national security? Never, apparently. Even if you're a news satire site like <a href="http://theonion.com/"><b>The Onion</b></a>. This week, the parody outfit tweeted that there was an emergency in Washington, DC:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsmxaN9IOXE/TodSv13V8WI/AAAAAAAACsc/S6V5biqyJTo/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsmxaN9IOXE/TodSv13V8WI/AAAAAAAACsc/S6V5biqyJTo/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>Needless to say, this <b><a href="http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html">wasn't taken lightly</a></b>. From news organizations to the Capitol police themselves, people were upset - probably not only at their level of gullibility but of the insensitivity of The Onion to stoop to using humor around a scary topic in this post-9/11 world.<br />
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<b>The Next Web</b><br />
Today, as I was on my treadmill, I shared a link with <a href="http://invisiblepeople.tv/"><b>Mark Horvath</b></a>, an advocate for bringing attention to the problem of homelessness. The link was to <b><a href="http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/09/30/homeless-guy-makes-more-money-using-square-and-mobile-payments">a story on The Next Web</a></b> about a homeless man who is using Square to accept credit card payments. At first, it sounded like someone in Mark's circles, who like Mark, was innovating in this age of advanced technology. Then I actually took a closer look at the article and watched the video, and it was clearly a fake.<br />
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Whether the fake video was designed to bring more awareness to homelessness or simply exploited the homeless issue to be funny, it clearly did more harm than good, as noted in a tweet by a follower:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tba41wL3Vuk/ToezHeCOfGI/AAAAAAAACsg/OFOtIu_5Ogc/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tba41wL3Vuk/ToezHeCOfGI/AAAAAAAACsg/OFOtIu_5Ogc/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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If you're responsible for a brand or a campaign, the next time you think about humor and its spread online, it may be helpful to think about the subject of the joke. Humor should not be done at the expense of others or in a way that can be misinterpreted. It may turn out to be something that isn't so funny for your brand after all.<br />
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<i>Do you have any similar examples? Please consider sharing them.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22882695@N00/2254588908/">jwalsh (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
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When Humor Isn't Funny

Often times, we use humor to find common ground. An observational comic can take the everyday mundane things and makes make them seem funny...

How the New Delicious Stacks Up

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nrbelex/320182643/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Stacks by Nrbelex, on Flickr"><img alt="Stacks" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/320182643_b8b5f92332_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>In the last week, we've seen major changes from Google+ and Facebook. You can now add Delicious to that mix.

You'll recall that <b><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/12/not-so-delicious.html">last December</a></b>, Yahoo! decided to sell Delicious, and then<b><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2011/04/some-tasty-news-on-bookmarking.html"> in April, Delicious announced</a></b> it had been acquired by AVOS.<br />
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And for the following five months, everything seemed to be moving ahead steadily, with no visible change in the interface or service of Delicious.<br />
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Until today, that is.<br />
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If you head over to <b><a href="http://delicious.com/">Delicious.com</a></b>, you'll find that rather than being greeted by a wall of links, tags and descriptions, you'll be met with a much more visual interface - completely driven by images, as a matter of fact. It's very reminiscent of <a href="http://flipboard.com/">Flipboard</a> or other similar iPad apps that rely on a thumbnail and a headline to encourage further exploration.<br />
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The images are taken from a new feature on the site called Stacks. Everyone can group their tagged items together in a broader category called "Stacks." This is akin to what used to be called "bundles" on Delicious. Now, you can share a set of links in a visual way to tell a story, provide context or help walk colleagues or customers through concepts in a step-by-step way. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcgtFUN8bgE&feature=player_embedded"><b>This video</b></a> from <b><a href="http://www.delicious.com/help">their help page</a></b> helps to explain it:<br />
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When you make your way through the Stacks, you'll find that you can view the images in a way that makes sense to you, as there are four different views: <i>media</i>, <i>grid</i>, <i>list</i> and <i>full</i>. Each is shown here:</div>
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<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty/new-delicious-layout" target="_blank" title="New Delicious Layout">New Delicious Layout</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="510" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/9449538" width="477"></iframe> <br />
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View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">documents</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty" target="_blank">Scott Monty</a> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Aiding the Age of Discovery</span></b></div>
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Since there's so much content on the web (and so little time!), we're really past the Age of Information and fully into the <b><i>Age of Discovery</i></b>. Not discovery in terms of being the first to unearth a new idea, concept or artifact, but rather the realization of common knowledge, interests and expertise to bring us closer together. </div>
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This is the powerful notion that's being Spotify, the music-sharing service that's so popular thanks to <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2011/09/facebook-timeline-theres-plenty-thats.html"><b>Facebook's recent changes</b></a>. On Delicious, the ability to search by category and interest (rather than being bombarded by random sharing of music that may or may not interest you) means that you're more likely to find what you're looking for or at least that you'll be able to narrow a search without too much trouble.</div>
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The changes are likely to seem a little jarring to long-time users of the service, but for tablet owners, this kind of visual presentation of information that makes sense. Since users can toggle back and forth between views, it's even more appealing; in these times, we never know what our users are going to prefer, and we can't simply rely on the one size fits all approach any more.<br />
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<i>What do you think of the changes at Delicious? Are there any creative uses of the new Stacks feature that you can think of?</i><br />
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Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91351004@N00/320182643/">Nrbelex (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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How the New Delicious Stacks Up

In the last week, we've seen major changes from Google+ and Facebook. You can now add Delicious to that mix. You'll recall that las...

Facebook Timeline: There's Plenty That's New

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At the f8 developer conference today, Facebook unveiled some major platform changes that will profoundly affect how we use and interact with the site. In his keynote, Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook's job is to "make it the best way to express who you are." And with a company whose vision is to make the world more open and connected, it's absolutely essential to make it feel like a place you prefer to spend time.<br />
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In doing so, Facebook has introduced the <b><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/about/timeline">Timeline</a></i></b> - something of an online scrapbook - that better categorizes and highlights your actions, rather than the current Wall of everything. The new system will summarize your events and actions over time, so that only the significant things remain. New Reports apps will group things together in a sensible way and the entire experience will be more visual.<br />
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There are three major concepts that make up the new Timeline: <i>all of your stories, all of your apps and a new way to express who you are</i>. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2203694005397"><b>Here's the video</b></a> that Facebook released to help you see how Timeline will transform the thing that you share:<br />
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While the more significant things will be grouped into these apps, your less interesting updates and actions - Zuckerberg called them "lightweight actions" - will be visible through the Ticker on the sidebar. But what's even more interesting (to me, at least) is that there will be a social aspect to the apps: if you visit a friend's Timeline and see an app that interests you, you'll be able to instantly put it on your own.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>There's a New App in Town</b></span><br />
The significant advance on the app front is that the Open Graph will allow for "a new class of apps," according to Facebook. These apps will all have three things in common:<br />
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<ol>
<li><b>Frictionless experiences</b>: no longer will an app interrupt your activity to ask you if you'd like to share it. If you authorize an app, your actions will automatically be posted. For example, if you authorize Netflix or Spotify, the movies you watch or songs you listen to will be automatically posted.</li>
<li><b>Realtime serendipity</b>: the good news is that we're already doing these things; the Open Graph is simply going to allow people to see more of what we do and allow people to connect on common interests.</li>
<li><b>Finding patterns</b>: over time, the graph will recognize the things you do and begin grouping them together, making the Timeline a much more organized structure.</li>
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As you can imagine the "frictionless experiences" will range in their nature. Currently, you can only "like" something on Facebook. But the new Open Graph apps will essentially function like verbs. Anything you can do can become an app. For example, your timeline will show that you "Read" a book, "Watched" a movie, "Listened" to a song, "Ate" at a restaurant, etc. The possibilities are endless. As Robert Scoble said to some venture capitalists last week, "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RobertScoble/posts/10150323942439655">you are now funding <b><i>verb</i></b> companies</a>."</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The New Timeline</span></b></div>
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So, let's take a look at how the Timeline works and what comprises it. First, if you haven't already, please take a look at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/about/timeline"><b>Introducing Timeline page on Facebook</b></a>. It beings with your <b>Cover </b>- a large image that acts as something of a digital welcome mat for your visitors. It's meant to be the first impression that you make. Next up is <b>Stories </b>- the photos, posts and events that are important in your life. You can control which are shown and highlighted by starring or hiding content. And finally, <b>Apps </b>tell the world about the things that you regularly do - those verbs that I mentioned above.</div>
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There are already a number of pundits who are analyzing, summarizing and hypothesizing about the changes. My role here isn't to do any of that, but rather to share with you what the changes are and why you need to be aware of them. Here are some good backgrounders to look at for more detail:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Mashable's <b><a href="http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/facebook-changes-roundup/">Facebook Changes Again: Everything You Need to Know</a></b></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.stealthmode.com/">Francine Hardaway</a> on Fast Company looks at <b><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1782173/what-the-new-facebook-changes-mean-for-businesses">What the New Facebook Changes Mean for Businesses</a></b></li>
<li>And if you're interested in getting the new Timeline now - rather than waiting for Facebook to relese it over the next couple of weeks, take a look at CNET's <b><a href="http://howto.cnet.com/how-to-turn-on-your-facebook-timeline-right-now/8301-11310_39-20110373-285.html">How to turn on your Facebook Timeline right now</a></b> for a step-by-step tutorial.</li>
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Here's what my new Timeline looks like:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1NMLBfp6lc/TnvykocD8aI/AAAAAAAACo0/tPKY2FvC9RQ/s1600/timeline.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1NMLBfp6lc/TnvykocD8aI/AAAAAAAACo0/tPKY2FvC9RQ/s400/timeline.PNG" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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Based on what I've observed so far, here's a major concern I have for any Facebook Pages (i.e., businesses or brands): the casual behavior of fans around your Page and your content (liking something or commenting on something) will now become relegated to the sidebar Ticker. For the average user (who has between 130-170 friends), it may not be a big deal; but for anyone over that number, you'll see a constantly updating stream of actions that are less meaningful now because of the lack of context of each. And there have already been lots of conversations about <b><a href="http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-ticker-kill-2011-09">how to kill the Ticker</a></b>.</div>
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At this time, it seems that Facebook is focusing more on relationships between individuals (rightfully so, as that's the main reason the platform exists). But even as AllFacebook.com wondered "<b><a href="http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-ads-newsfeed-2011-09">Does Facebook's News Feed Punish Advertisers (Yet)?</a></b>" you have to wonder how Pages will fare. So much of the activity there fed into individuals' news feeds; now that will be relegated to the Ticker. It sounds like it's a win for Facebook in terms of getting brands to step up to the table with some advertising budgets.</div>
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In my opinion, the more forward-thinking brands must do one or more of these three things:</div>
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<li><b>Advertise</b>. Begin thinking about Facebook's offerings and determine how you want to fit into the ecosystem.</li>
<li><b>Create engaging content</b>. There's no question that if you create good content - both on and off of Facebook (let's not forget that Facebook should be only <i>part</i> of your overall social media strategy) - people will naturally want to share it, which means it will end up in the newsfeed eventually.</li>
<li><b><verb> yourself</verb></b>. Along with that content, you need to think like an action verb. What is it your brand does? Make a verb out of that and hook it up to the Open Graph so people can announce on Facebook that they're engaged in activity with your brand outside of Facebook.</li>
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Whew!</div>
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That's a lot of information in one post (and let's not forget<a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2011/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html"> the Google+ update</a> two days ago). The new interface is probably overwhelming for the average user. In fact, one of my friends saw the video above and said, "OMG I am going to have to take a 300 level course in Facebook..."<br />
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<i>What do you think of the new changes afoot at Facebook? Likely to keep you more engaged, or something a little to extreme for you? How do you think businesses will fare in all of this?</i><br />
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Facebook Timeline: There's Plenty That's New

At the f8 developer conference today, Facebook unveiled some major platform changes that will profoundly affect how we use and interact wi...

The Real Strategy Behind Google+

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In case you're coming out from the rock you've been living under for the summer, <a href="http://plus.google.com/"><b>Google+</b></a> arrived on our digital doorsteps in early July - but only for limited field testing. Yesterday, it was announced that Google+ had finally been released as a public beta, meaning that you no longer require an invitation to join the network. The announcement was certainly strategically timed, with Facebook's f8 developers conference scheduled for Thursday - so strategic that Facebook itself <b><a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=10150286921207131">made a few</a></b> <b><a href="http://mashable.com/2011/09/19/facebook-profile-redesign-f8/">announcements early</a></b>.<br />
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Before I get into some of the specifics about the new platform, I'd like to share with you why I think it's different from Facebook and why I think it makes sense to pay attention to Google+ rather than <b><a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/09/google-social-media-upstart-worse-than-a-ghost-town262.html">dismissing it out of hand</a></b> as others have done (even prior to the public release, may I remind you).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Not Just a Social Network but <i>a Common Thread</i></b></span><br />
When Facebook was created, it began as a private network only available to individuals with .edu email addresses. As it slowly and deliberately expanded, it kept growing from the inside out. It was truly a big deal when Facebook Connect was introduced, as it became the most significant way that Facebook was making an attempt to integrate with the rest of the Web. And Facebook's own mission statement, "Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected," is consistent with this inside-out approach to growing its platform.<br />
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Google, on the other hand, has gone about things in a different way. There are dozens of Google or Google-owned products and services that span across the web. And while Google+ has begun as a social platform that acts a bit like Twitter and a bit like Facebook, it has the ultimate potential: to be able to bring these disparate parts together in a much more integrated fashion.<br />
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Some of the Google products that you may know and use include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Email (<a href="http://mail.google.com/">Gmail</a>)</li>
<li>Video (<a href="http://youtube.com/">YouTube</a>)</li>
<li>Photos (<a href="http://picasa.google.com/">Picasa</a>, <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/">Panaramio</a>, <a href="http://www.picnik.com/">Picnik</a>)</li>
<li>Links (<a href="http://reader.google.com/">Reader</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/bookmarks">Bookmarks</a>)</li>
<li>Files (<a href="http://docs.google.com/">Docs</a>)</li>
<li>Location based services (<a href="http://google.com/places">Places</a>, <a href="http://google.com/latitude">Latitude</a>, <a href="http://google.com/maps">Maps</a>)</li>
<li>Blogging platform (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Blogger</a>, <a href="http://www.feedburner.com/">Feedburner</a>)</li>
<li>Events (<a href="http://google.com/calendar">Calendar</a>)</li>
<li>Mobile solutions (<a href="http://google.com/mobile">Mobile</a>, <a href="http://google.com/voice">Voice</a>)</li>
<li>IM (<a href="http://google.com/talk">Chat</a>, Messenger)</li>
<li>Video chat (Hangouts)</li>
<li>Groups (<a href="http://groups.google.com/">Groups</a>, Circles)</li>
<li>Browser & OS (<a href="http://google.com/chrome">Chrome</a>)</li>
<li>Metrics (<a href="http://google.com/analytics">Analytics</a>, <a href="http://google.com/trends">Trends</a>)</li>
<li>Revenue (<a href="http://google.com/ads/affiliatenetwork">Affiliate Network</a>, <a href="http://adsense.google.com/">Adsense</a>, <a href="http://checkout.google.com/">Checkout</a>)</li>
<li>Integration services (<a href="http://code.google.com/appengine">App Engine</a>)</li>
<li>Forums (<a href="http://google.com/moderator">Moderator</a>)</li>
<li>Connecting the world (<a href="http://translate.google.com/">Translate</a>)</li>
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Not to mention everything related to search - News, Blog, Book, Realtime, Images, Videos, Patent, Product, Finance and more...<br />
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When you think about the power of all of those being woven into a single social platform, the possibilities are endless. The analytics alone would be enough to catch my attention. Although, as a regular user of a number of those services above - including Blogger, Gmail, Reader, Docs and more - I will admit that I'm predisposed to liking it.<br />
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Back when I first started thinking about the potential integration of services, began to see articles like this one from TechCrunch ('<b><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/11/gmail-plus/">Gmail+: Google Already At Work On "Several" Gmail/Google+ Integrations</a></b>'), which is why I continue to be excited about it.<br />
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For a really nice visual exploration of what G+ is - as well as a creative use of the platform for storytelling, take a look at <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/100238778462210489846/albums/5629087019815403777/5629089391020504706" style="font-weight: bold;">this photo set from Vincent Wong</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/100238778462210489846/albums/5629087019815403777/5629089391020504706"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O4VQsIz_gBQ/TnlnwR7kc8I/AAAAAAAACog/Vt-ERbjrJgI/s400/Slide01.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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An early watcher developed a blog called PlusHeadlines.com and developed a point of view titled "<b><a href="http://plusheadlines.com/how-i-see-google-as-unique/147/">How I See Google+ as Unique</a></b>" which is worth looking at as well.<br />
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What has been fascinating to me is how the Google+ team has fanned out across the platform not only to observe how people are using the site, but to interact and engage with them. The Hangout group video chat feature has been particularly helpful as they've had some interactions with me and my team, for example. And in doing so, Google+ is changing right before our very eyes, <b><a href="http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/google-is-being-tweaked-this-week-based-on-user-feedback-20110711/">making near-realtime tweaks based on customer feedback</a></b>. The product has been live for 90 days and they've made 91 documented changes.<br />
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Just yesterday, along with the announcement that the platform would be public, Google+ also <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/google-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-100.html"><b>announced eight other improvements to the service</b></a>, including:<br />
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<li>Hangouts on your phone</li>
<li>Hangouts On Air - group video chat had been limited to 9 people; now you can broadcast your conferences so others can watch and follow along.</li>
<li>Extras for Hangouts:</li>
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<li>Document sharing</li>
<li>Screensharing</li>
<li>The ability to sketch/doodle</li>
<li>Named Hangouts for public events</li>
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<li>Availability of the Hangouts API</li>
<li>Search</li>
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The last one was a particularly sensitive improvement, as Google was taken to task for being a search engine company (even though it's much more) that didn't integrate search into its platform. That has been amended.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>How Does it Work?</b></span><br />
Rather than me trying to explain what it is, I'll leave it to the Google+ team to explain it directly via video. I've created a playlist that includes a quick look at the overall system, Circles, Hangouts, Instant Uploads and Messenger:<br />
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Circles really are a nice feature of the platform. They're intuitive, you can name them whatever you want, put people in more than one, move them around easily and are visually appealing to play with. They do take a little while to get used to and can be overwhelming, but my advice is to pay attention to them and create your Circles early, to help you think about who you're listening to and posting to. It will save you a lot of trouble down the line.<br />
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When you begin posting on Google+, one of the major benefits it offers is that you can target your updates to certain Circles, individuals or the public - and your post can be of any length. I've seen examples of short, Twitter-like updates both with and without media attached (such as photos, videos or links). And I've also seen extraordinarily long updates that are more blog-like in nature. The beauty of Google+ is that the platform is completely flexible depending on what you need.<br />
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Other features that make it user friendly include the ability to block a person who may not be welcome in your Circles (you don't have to follow everyone to see their updates - they can post on your site; blocking prevents that). Also, there are a number of rather "noisy" individuals who not only post frequently, but whose posts are commented on to a high degree; if you've commented, you'll be repeatedly notified of the updates. A way to prevent that is to "Mute" the post. A rather handy trick.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Resources & Getting Started</b></span><br />
So by now you've either left the page out of sheer boredom or you've gone off and started an account. Either way, I can't blame you. But if you'd like some help as to how to go about getting things set up and looking for some pointers, you've come to the right place. I've developed a list of resources to at least get you grounded in what's in store for you and some best practices.<br />
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<b><u>Google+ Resources</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/12/google-plus-guide-tips-for-newbies_n_896350.html#s307622&title=Make_A_Bookmarks">Your Google+ Guide: 15 Tips for Newbies</a></b> (HuffingtonPost)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://mashable.com/2011/07/16/google-plus-guide/">Google+: The Complete Guide</a></b> (Mashable)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/googleplus50/">The Google Plus 50</a></b> (Chris Brogan)</li>
<li><b><a href="http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-20084975-285/your-complete-guide-to-google/">Your Complete Guide to Google+</a></b> (CNET)</li>
</ul>
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I highly recommend using a Chrome browser if you plan on using Google+, primarily because of the <b><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore?category=ext%2F15-by-google&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=ha-en-na-us-extensions-categories-google&utm_medium=ha">extensions</a> </b>you can add onto your browser for additional functionality, such as toolbar notifications, collapsible posts, integration with Facebook and Twitter, and more.</div>
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For your convenience, I have compiled all of these resources, as well as a number of others with <b><a href="http://www.delicious.com/scottmonty/google%2B">a Google+ tag on my Delicious page</a></b>. This will continue to update as I find relevant information.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Sounds Great! I Need One for my Business</b></span><br />
Not so fast! At this time, Google+ is only open to individuals. For just about every business and website that joined when it first went live, Google asked the owners of those accounts to revert to using their names rather than their businesses. The sole exception was <b><a href="http://google.com/+ford" target="_blank">Ford Motor Company</a></b> (ahem). We have a strong working relationship with Google and together we determined that <b><a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/183150/20110719/google-ford-motor-company-brand-pages-social-network-facebook.htm">Ford could act as something of a test account</a></b> to help discern what features would be helpful versus awkward for a business account.<br />
<br />
Google+ has publicly stated that they are working on a version for businesses; the timing hasn't been announced at this point. But they have said that the reason they're waiting is because they'll be able to better understand and serve the business population with a product that is specifically built for business purposes rather than trying to force fit brands into personal profiles.<br />
<br />
One other outcropping was a debate that raged (and perhaps is still raging) about Google's insistence that individuals use their real names as part of the service. There were many people who were upset about it, but Bradley Horowitz from the G+ team <a href="https://plus.google.com/113116318008017777871/posts/VJoZMS8zVqU" style="font-weight: bold;">outlined a number of consideration points in a post</a> on his account.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Update (February 10, 2012:</span></b><br />
This is a presentation I gave earlier this week to talk about the importance of Google+ to marketers. Please have a look.<br />
<br />
<div id="__ss_11497128" style="width: 425px;">
<strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty/what-google-means-for-marketers-a-view-from-fords-experience" target="_blank" title="What Google+ Means for Marketers: A View from Ford's Experience">What Google+ Means for Marketers: A View from Ford's Experience</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/11497128" width="425"></iframe> <br />
<div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">
View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty" target="_blank">Scott Monty</a> </div>
</div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Your Thoughts</b></span><br />
So there you have it. This is a post that I had been meaning to write - at least the introduction of Google+ and its implications - for the last two months. Now that it's public, we'll have a lot more to discuss and to watch, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-44.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-44.png" /></a></div>
In the meantime, if you would like to <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/118216759969087724610/posts">add me to your Circles</a></b>, I would be honored.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>So, what do you think? Are you ready to jump into Google+ with both feet? Or are you just fine where you are?</i><br />
--

The Real Strategy Behind Google+

In case you're coming out from the rock you've been living under for the summer, Google+ arrived on our digital doorsteps in ea...

Speakin' Like Them

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotstreats/1557180394/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Ahoy Matey! Clean Pirates by Dots Treats Cupcakes, on Flickr"><img alt="Ahoy Matey! Clean Pirates" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2347/1557180394_82720c2f7b_m.jpg" width="238" /></a><i><b>"If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words."</b></i><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">- Cicero</div><br />
I've <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2009/06/what-matters-in-most-word-of-mouth.html">previously</a> <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2007/03/be-ball-danny.html">cited</a> this quote by Cicero as one that demonstrates the timelessness and universality of human nature. First uttered some 2,000 years ago, it is a quote that today is even more important for marketers and communicators to keep in mind as we think about what we're trying to accomplish.<br />
<br />
And so today, as it is <b><a href="http://talklikeapirate.com/">International Talk Like a Pirate Day</a></b>, seems to be an appropriate time to reflect on the need of thinking, feeling, and yes, talking like those you're trying to influence.<br />
<br />
Founded in 1995, the holiday was the brainchild of John Baur (Ol' Chumbucket) and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy), two friends who were playing racquetball one day, when for reasons that aren't clear to either of them, they started insulting each other in pirate jargon. The website blossomed, followed by a more recent foray into <a href="https://www.facebook.com/InternationalTalkLikeAPirateDay">Facebook</a>, and here we are today.<br />
<br />
And today there are a number of individuals and sites who like to play along. The first - one that's been happening since 2008 - is Facebook's ability to allow users to <b><a href="http://www.insidefacebook.com/2008/09/19/enjoy-yer-facebook-in-pirate-mode-today/">change their preferred language to English (Pirate)</a></b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NN8s6YRTUbY/Tne6MF5jPBI/AAAAAAAACn4/dY5qT87fHIw/s1600/TLPD_Facebook1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="66" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NN8s6YRTUbY/Tne6MF5jPBI/AAAAAAAACn4/dY5qT87fHIw/s400/TLPD_Facebook1.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you haven't tried it, you can go to the Account dropdown and click on Account Settings. There you can make the change:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1mxfR63VzAg/Tne5z3IjTBI/AAAAAAAACns/ALaDg4rxMag/s1600/TLPD_Facebook3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1mxfR63VzAg/Tne5z3IjTBI/AAAAAAAACns/ALaDg4rxMag/s1600/TLPD_Facebook3.PNG" /></a></div><br />
And what used to look like this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNT96JNVvT4/Tne588xuLeI/AAAAAAAACnw/cxcFvsM5SOs/s1600/TLPD_Facebook2a.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNT96JNVvT4/Tne588xuLeI/AAAAAAAACnw/cxcFvsM5SOs/s400/TLPD_Facebook2a.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click to enlarge</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Will now look like this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OKUjuBdNKI4/Tne5_aPSYGI/AAAAAAAACn0/9AVUwDPGUy0/s1600/TLPD_Facebook2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OKUjuBdNKI4/Tne5_aPSYGI/AAAAAAAACn0/9AVUwDPGUy0/s400/TLPD_Facebook2.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Click to enlarge</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Getting into the spirit</b></span><br />
Aside from the functional changes on Facebook, I noticed some other brands enjoying the fun of the day and even leveraging some natural connections with their own brands.<br />
<br />
The first one that struck me was this Promoted Tweet I saw when I clicked on the trending topic "International Talk Like a Pirate Day":<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwsO9HXyhyg/Tne69lIR73I/AAAAAAAACn8/a5Qo9o5Bz6Q/s1600/TLPD_Arbys.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwsO9HXyhyg/Tne69lIR73I/AAAAAAAACn8/a5Qo9o5Bz6Q/s400/TLPD_Arbys.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The link takes you to a little YouTube video from Arby's:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><object height="244" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mtocNAsBDmo?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mtocNAsBDmo?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="244" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center><br />
<br />
Okay, so it was perhaps a clumsy play on words - but it was cute and in the tongue-in-cheek style of humor that struck so many of our collective coworkers and online friends today.<br />
<br />
With a more natural connection than most, the <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/">Disney Parks Blog</a> had a field day with its entries today. In fact, there were <b><a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/category/pirateinvasion/">no fewer than nine posts with the "Pirate Day" tag</a></b> on the site. My favorite is a video tour by <b><a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/09/hear-the-tale-a-pirates-of-the-caribbean-from-the-captain-himself/">Cap'n Walt himself, giving a tour behind the scenes</a></b> of a miniature model and early concepts of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><object height="355" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uof_fMbGyIM?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uof_fMbGyIM?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="355" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center><br />
<br />
<br />
These are but a few examples of companies that have understood the importance of memes and adapted their own communications or even products to reflect those sensibilities. By thinking and speaking like our intended audience, we can connect with them on a deeper level.<br />
<br />
Oh, and if you have the courage to do so, you can always translate this post into Pirate. <b><a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/translator.html">Here be t' link</a></b>.<br />
<br />
Are there any other standout examples from Talk Like a Pirate Day that you can cite?<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9872430@N05/1557180394/">Dots Treats Cupcakes</a> (Flickr)</span></i><br />
<i>--</i>

Speakin' Like Them

"If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings and speak my words." - Cicero I've previously cit...

Social Media & Real Estate

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-67EAWb-nuZ8/TmWUZk9JqzI/AAAAAAAACmI/IPnrArhXQOQ/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-67EAWb-nuZ8/TmWUZk9JqzI/AAAAAAAACmI/IPnrArhXQOQ/s320/1.png" width="213" /></a></div><i><b>Editor's note</b>: the following is a guest post by Herman Chan.</i><br />
<br />
Social media is where people immediately go to for recommendations for anything and everything, from eateries to vacation spots to even real estate. As a service-oriented business predicated on spheres of influences, social media is more relevant than ever for this industry. Real estate is <b>all </b>about referrals and who you know...which, if you think about it, is what social media is all about.<br />
<br />
Information overload is what most people feel when researching real estate. It's overwhelming the amount of data available on the internet. Some of it is junk, some of it is advertising, and a lot of it is just wrong. People are starved to get quality reliable information they can trust. So consumers gravitate to sites and communities that shared their interests and points of views. Sites like Yelp, Facebook, Branch Out, Twitter exploded because they satisfied this need. Knowing what their peers think and find interesting helps shape a consumer's opinion. People are not looking for just info anymore, they are looking for recommendations. It's the power of feedback. The testament of a testimonial. It helps them edit down their choices.<br />
<br />
Real estate used to be a private transaction between a Realtor and client. However, it is increasingly now a shared social experience for a community. Open house visitors upload photos of what they saw, buyers blog about their inspection, sellers search Twitter streams for mentions of their house, agents get rated online. Today's buyers and sellers rely heavily on social media. Yet this is lost on many of my colleagues who cling to an era when agents were the gatekeepers of info. Tsk tsk.<br />
<br />
So, next time you interview a real estate agent, ask them:<br />
<br />
<b><i>1. What are your strategies for marketing my property?</i></b><br />
If they just mention fliers, open houses and website, tell them this ain’t the 1990’s! If they cite social media as part of their plan, ensure they really possess the social media savoir faire to meet your needs. (ie, Posting once a month on their facebook business page doesn't cut it. They obviously have a facebook page for the sake of having a facebook page, which is useless to you as a client).<br />
<br />
<b><i>2. How big is your social following?</i></b><br />
If an agent has 10,000 twitter followers who hang on to their every word about real estate, that is 20,000 eyeballs on your listing. That’s more exposure than any flyer or open house will get you. One tweet to plug your home and it is on the radar of thousands of people.<br />
<br />
<b><i>3. Who follows you and how engaged are they?</i></b><br />
Perhaps your agent's online tribe isn't the largest, but it may be an active targeted demographic. It’s a good sign when local businesses, past clients and even other real estate professionals are fans of a Realtor. (You can tell a lot about how engaged an agent is by reading their online chatter with other followers.) These people who have “liked” the agent’s page actively chose to read what that agent posts. They clearly expressed an interest in your agents business and want to keep tabs on their local market. With any luck, they will share/viralize your property to their sphere as well!<br />
<br />
<b>Bottom line</b>: The traditionally stodgy real estate industry is finally catching on that social media can't be ignored. An agent with strong social media savvy can command a lot of attention towards your house for sale. The more people who are aware of your listing, the more likely someone will write an offer. In this market, a seller can not afford to lose out on any marketing edge, especially when Gen X/Y and Millenials are driving the market now. And guess what, they live on social media. Select your agent representation accordingly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Real Estate Expert Herman Chan is a videoblogger, speaker, and writer whose social media savvy has made him an authority on branding and cementing one’s online presence. Check him out on <b><a href="http://www.habitatforhermanity.com/">www.habitatforhermanity.com</a></b> or follow him on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/hermanity"><b>@hermanity</b></a>.</i>

Social Media & Real Estate

Editor's note : the following is a guest post by Herman Chan. Social media is where people immediately go to for recommendations for a...

What's the Deal with YouTube Comments?

<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-towD0U5lkso/U3TFKNAt0qI/AAAAAAAATKs/88lhGjVvuFc/s1600/indexed+on+YouTube+comments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-towD0U5lkso/U3TFKNAt0qI/AAAAAAAATKs/88lhGjVvuFc/s1600/indexed+on+YouTube+comments.jpg" height="388" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
How many sensible and well-reasoned comment threads have you seen on YouTube?<br />
<br />
Go ahead and think about it. I'll wait.<br />
<br />
Have your answer? Me too. The number you're looking for is <b>ZERO</b>. All too often the threads devolve into inane commentary, not to mention hateful or offensive language. There's a definite lack of civility going on there.<br />
<br />
I wonder how many individuals, brands or companies are spending efforts on keeping up with YouTube comments, and if they do, how worthwhile those conversations are? To me, the currency and dialog of YouTube has always been other videos made in response to an original video.<br />
<br />
I could be wrong, though. What has your experience told you?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image courtesy of <a href="http://thisisindexed.com/2011/08/our-true-natures/">Indexed</a>.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>--</i></span>

What's the Deal with YouTube Comments?

How many sensible and well-reasoned comment threads have you seen on YouTube? Go ahead and think about it. I'll wait. Have your ...

The Magic Number

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KmfiEC_ANCE/Vbl7C70MRRI/AAAAAAAAhCg/YPQj4vUQH6o/s1600/230188091_c8e093c7aa_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KmfiEC_ANCE/Vbl7C70MRRI/AAAAAAAAhCg/YPQj4vUQH6o/s640/230188091_c8e093c7aa_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The term has multiple meanings, depending on the context in which you find it use. For example, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(programming)" style="font-weight: bold;">programming</a>, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(sports)">sports</a></b>, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(chemistry)">chemistry</a></b>, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_number_(physics)">physics</a></b>, or even <b><a href="http://www.priceisright.com/show/games/magic-number">The Price is Right</a>.</b><br />
<br />
But in the world of social networks, to me it means how many platforms and sites can you keep up with before it's simply too much? I've always referred to "the big 3" of my social networking experience as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, and I even developed a shorthand description for them:<br />
<blockquote>
<i><b><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2009/03/social-network-shorthand.html"> LinkedIn is the business meeting, Facebook is the hallway conversation and Twitter is the cocktail party</a></b></i>.</blockquote>
<br />
Now, with the advent of <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/118216759969087724610">Google+</a></b> coming online, we potentially have four major social networks to track and interact on. Personally, I've hit the breaking point. I can't keep with with all of them (although admittedly, LinkedIn is the one that I keep dormant most of the time) and remain active on all three. There's got to be a breaking point somewhere. For average people, one social network may do; for others, two is likely the limit.<br />
<br />
What's <b><i>your</i></b> magic number?<br />
<br />
Here's my favorite take on it, from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/m3Li-rTuBKs"><b>Schoolhouse Rock</b></a>:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aU4pyiB-kq0?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you'd care to <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/118216759969087724610">add me to your circles on Google+, I can be found by clicking here</a></b>.</div>
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/58055760@N00/230188091/">bitzi ☂ ion-bogdan dumitrescu (Flickr)</a></i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The Magic Number

The term has multiple meanings, depending on the context in which you find it use. For example, in programming , sports , chemistry , phy...

The Gamification of News

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinbryan/4526229328/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Foursquare Day #4sqday by Austin Bryan, on Flickr"><img alt="Foursquare Day #4sqday" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4526229328_c0420b4d6a_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> "Gamification" seems to be the up and coming buzz word. You may recall that in April, I covered <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2011/04/gamification-of-social-media.html">Empire Avenue</a> in a post about the gamification of social media. Now, Google is in the news (literally) with a gamification project of their own, and I think it has some potential.<br />
<br />
Let's explore why.<br />
<br />
This week Google announced the launch of their <a href="http://googlenewsblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/shareable-google-news-badges-for-your.html">Google News Badges</a>.  Google heralded the launch with the following description:<br />
<blockquote>
The U.S. Edition of Google News now lets you collect private, sharable badges for your favorite topics. The more articles you read on Google News, the more your badges level up: you can reach Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and finally Ultimate. Keep your badges to yourself, or show them off to your friends.</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<center>
<object height="273" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QP5szEn2dxs?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QP5szEn2dxs?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="273" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center>
<br />
<br />
You'll probably feel like the badge adoption seems familiar; after all, <a href="http://foursquare.com/">Foursquare</a> made this a central part of their service. The first time you unlock a badge on Foursquare, whether it's an achievement you can expect (like the "<a href="https://foursquare.com/scottmonty/badge/4b47e247675403bb40924894">Superstar</a>" badge for 50 check-ins) or one that surprises and delights ("<a href="https://foursquare.com/scottmonty/badge/4bf768f8675403bb30c17094">Crunked</a>" for making 4 or more check-ins on one night), the service gives a positive feedback loop that makes members want to use the system even more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Vms0tjzSC0/Th9f984NrRI/AAAAAAAAIRA/PlxJUNauA8E/s400/badges_screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Vms0tjzSC0/Th9f984NrRI/AAAAAAAAIRA/PlxJUNauA8E/s320/badges_screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Similarly, Google has created a way to make some fun and competition out of what you already do - that is, read the news. They've created categories with badges that allow you to level up and share your achievements if you wish. But, being acutely aware of many peoples' need for privacy, they've also given you the option to turn the feature off. To me, this still makes it a viable system because there's an element of self-competition here as well. We all like to see our own achievements, whether or not we want to share them with the world.<br />
<br />
Google plans further developments to this project as they get feedback and observe the usage. In addition, it's highly likely that they're determining news reading habits from the data they're receiving, which in turn will lead to better optimization or customization of news stories. While you're already to get customized news categories via RSS readers, custom modules on sites like Netvibes or Google's own iGoogle home page, Google's news badge system could usher in the era of truly customized news stories for readers everywhere.<br />
<br />
<b>Update (September 28, 2012)</b>: Google <b><a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/more-spring-cleaning.html">has decided to discontinue this feature</a></b>, along with a number of others.<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28633805@N03/4526229328/">Austin Bryan (Flickr)</a></i></div>

The Gamification of News

"Gamification" seems to be the up and coming buzz word. You may recall that in April, I covered Empire Avenue in a post about t...

The New Wave of Online Brand Management

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/slagheap/156249158/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Okinawa by slagheap, on Flickr"><img alt="Okinawa" height="160" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/48/156249158_542bf9d474_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b><i>Guest post by Matt Polsky.</i></b><br />
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Prior to the rise of social networks, online brand management solely focused on common SEO techniques such as keywords, content, and proper HTML code. These techniques were used to secure and maintain the top positions on the search engines, and to ensure that only content a company wanted to remain visible regarding its product, services, or mission did so.<br />
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However, those days are over. A company can no longer rely <i>only </i>on SEO to provide proper online brand management if they wish to survive in the online world. Company’s now must integrate SEO techniques with the use of social media sites if they wish to protect and promote their brand.<br />
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Social media sites have become increasingly important for companies wishing to outperform their competition. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn have opened up completely new audiences to companies, which would have otherwise not been able to be reached. For many companies’ marketing teams these social networking sites have been a marketing dream.<br />
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After Ford’s monumental <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/tag/ford-explorer/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">success of using social media to build hype</a> for the 2011 Ford Fiesta, companies have been scrambling to adequately market themselves online. Now consumers cannot even watch a commercial or listen to a radio announcement without a Facebook or Twitter logo being given.<br />
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However, this increased visibility does come at a price. Companies have access to multiple platforms in which they can strengthen and expand their brands, but these sites can also be detrimental to a company if the accounts are not properly maintained. The <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Online-Product-Research/Findings.aspx">2010 Pew Internet & American Life</a> study found that 58 percent of all consumers with access to the internet research a company’s product or service online before giving them their patronage, and most of those consumers are not going directly to a company’s primary website either. Third party sites, such as Facebook, <a href="http://www.viewpoints.com/VA-MORTGAGE-CENTER-review-548011" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Viewpoints.com</a>, and Angie’s List have become popular stopping points for company reviews and information.<br />
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If a company’s Facebook page is covered in negative press, odds are, the potential customer will immediately move on and check out competitors. For businesses to get the most out of their social media accounts, they need to properly manage each account with frequent posts, updates, and positive press. Companies should also be actively engaging their customers. Not only negative comments need a response, comments and tweets complimenting the business are great openings to build strong brand advocates.<br />
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Companies wishing to succeed in the ever-growing online world need to increase their connectivity by incorporating both social media and the latest SEO techniques. Visibility can quickly determine a company’s success or failure, and without social media sites, businesses are giving up inexpensive resources that build brand awareness and hype. As social media sites continue to rise, online brand management will become increasingly more important, and companies should become proactive in managing their social media sites.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21414007@N00/156249158/">slagheap</a> (Flickr)</i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Matt Polsky is the Senior Content Manager for </span><a href="http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">VA Mortgage Center</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">, providing insights learned from the nation’s leading provider of VA home loans.</span></i>

The New Wave of Online Brand Management

Guest post by Matt Polsky. Prior to the rise of social networks, online brand management solely focused on common SEO techniques such as ...

The Social Media ProBook

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tn_1OHSB8bw/TgqyrAaFgjI/AAAAAAAACMc/UvDM3W3Cxps/s1600/Scott_Monty_Hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tn_1OHSB8bw/TgqyrAaFgjI/AAAAAAAACMc/UvDM3W3Cxps/s320/Scott_Monty_Hair.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="226" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">#ProBook is the brainchild of Joe Chernov and the team at Eloqua and JESS3 - a team I've had the privilege of working with previously on this site. They were responsible for <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/07/social-media-playbook.html"><b>The Social Media Playbook</b></a>, the <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/12/i-think-that-i-shall-never-see.html"><b>Blog Tree</b></a>, and <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/10/hashthis.html"><b>a little cartoon about hashtags</b></a>. And yes, it can now be revealed that the avatar I've been using on Facebook was in fact tied to this project.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">While the first ebook was focused on tools to help you master social media, this one is more personality-based. To be clear, I'm not saying that it's one of those <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2008/10/taking-me-out-of-social-media.html">insular, narcissistic, same-old-recycled-list-of-webutants</a> kind of a book. But it uses people to convey broader messages - people with great experience actually <i>doing</i> the very kind of work they're writing about. Not just those providing thought leadership, but "do leadership," as the epilogue points out.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">One of those people is <a href="http://www.steverubel.me/">Steve Rubel</a>, the EVP of Global Strategy and Insights at Edelman Digital (and someone I've been following since my earliest days in this industry), who writes:</div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">   A few years ago at a 2007 Paley Center confab, Cisco executive Daniel Scheinman predicted that, in the future, content would find us through our social networks, rather than requiring us to seek it out.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">   Flash forward four years later and there’s no doubt he was right. Increasingly relevant information - whether it be from brands, the media or individuals - is finding us through our</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">social networks. However, with everyone and their mother creating content, standing out is becoming only more challenging.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">   Enter this guide. Eloqua and JESS3 have once again pulled together an allstar team to share their best practices in social media. However, talk is one thing. Action is another.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">   Thankfully, the the team proved it had the know-how to stand out in an age of too much content and not enough time...With this resource, it’s clear that you’re in good hands to navigate the challenges.</div></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaquUkSD7_E/Tgq7OIRuyWI/AAAAAAAACMg/AZw3eKtwd2w/s1600/Eloqua-JESS3-ProBook-Contributors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaquUkSD7_E/Tgq7OIRuyWI/AAAAAAAACMg/AZw3eKtwd2w/s400/Eloqua-JESS3-ProBook-Contributors.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="145" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Some of the hands that Steve alludes to include:</div><ul><li><a href="http://twitter.com/jessethomas">Jesse Thomas</a> of <a href="http://www.jess3.com/">JESS3</a> looks at some of those famous social networks of yore in "Whatever Happened To...?"</li>
<li><a href="http://about.me/jchernov">Joe Chernov</a> of <a href="http://blog.eloqua.com/">Eloqua</a> helps us understand "How to Organize Internally" </li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/supnah">Brad Cohen</a> of JESS3 takes us to the next level when he expounds upon "New Entrants"</li>
<li><a href="http://web-strategist.com/blog">Jeremiah Owyang</a> of Altimeter brings his snappy visuals to the table with "Operational Models"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ekaterinawalter.com/">Ekaterina Walter</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/bryanrhoads">Bryan Rhoads</a> of Intel team up to outline "8 Critical Elements of Scaling Your Social Media Strategy Globally"</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/lesliebradshaw">Leslie Bradshaw</a> of JESS3 gives us "Usage Guidelines"</li>
<li><a href="http://www.jeffwidman.com/blog">Jeff Widman</a>, founder of <a href="http://twitter.com/pagelever">PageLever</a> has all sorts of tips on "Writing for Facebook"</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/aboutfoursquare">Chris Thompson</a> of <a href="http://aboutfoursquare.com/">About Foursquare</a> locates some "Practical Uses for Geo"</li>
<li>Joe and Leslie team up to talk about "Influencers"</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/ripetungi">Robin Richards</a> of JESS3 sketches out some thoughts on "Infographics"</li>
<li><a href="http://prsarahevans.com/">Sarah Evans</a> of Sevans Strategy tells us "How PR People Should Approach Social Media"</li>
<li><a href="http://darmano.typepad.com/">David Armano</a> of Edelman Digital asks "Do You Believe in Life After Likes? Measuring Social Business"</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/williambeutler">William Beutler</a> of <a href="http://thewikipedian.net/">The Wikipedian</a> gets down to the basics of "Wikipedia Fundamentals"</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/leslie">Leslie Poston</a> of <a href="http://magnitudemedia.net/services/">Magnitude Media</a> lists "10 'Rules' of Social Advertising" </li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Just for fun, the book is interspersed with more personal interviews as you're invited to go on "A Day in the Life Of..."</div><ul><li><a href="http://thefuturebuzz.com/">Adam Singer</a> of Lewis PR</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/lizathp">Liz Phillips</a> of Hewlett-Packard</li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/jamiegrenney">Jamie Grenney</a> of <a href="http://salesforce.com/">Salesforce.com</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.frankeliason.com/">Frank Eliason</a> of Citi</li>
<li>And yours truly :-)</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Leslie Bradshaw wraps everything up nicely with an Epilogue that describes the inspiration for the project and those involved behind the scenes, before heading into a very comprehensive index that gives readers websites and Twitter handles of every entity mentioned in the book. Even better, you can follow all of those with <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/Eloqua/the-social-media-probook">this handy Twitter list</a>. There's also <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eloqua/sets/72157627062125590/">a Flickr set with everyone's avatar</a>, in case you'd like to see them a little more closely.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAY7SmGu36c/Tgq7OqKUFlI/AAAAAAAACMk/pdJWyFGK1ks/s1600/Eloqua-JESS3-ProBook-Pages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IAY7SmGu36c/Tgq7OqKUFlI/AAAAAAAACMk/pdJWyFGK1ks/s320/Eloqua-JESS3-ProBook-Pages.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="203" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The book in layout form</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">As usual, Eloqua and JESS3 have published <b><a href="http://media.eloqua.com/documents/ProBook.pdf">The Social Media ProBook</a></b> under a Creative Commons license which allows you to redistribute, share or host it, provided that you don't change it in any way. They've made it<a href="http://media.eloqua.com/documents/ProBook.pdf"> available as a downloadable PDF</a>; I've embedded it here as a Scribd document:</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/58946704/Social-Media-ProBook-2011-12?secret_password=1gy1833df3liyvru8wkg" style="display: block; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 12px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Social Media #ProBook 2011/12 on Scribd">Social Media #ProBook </a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_85823" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/58946704/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-w3342ai96xi6qpwu9cn&secret_password=1gy1833df3liyvru8wkg" width="100%"></iframe></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Please share this post and this book with anyone you think could use it. What was the most helpful part of the book to you?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Related link</i>: <a href="http://blog.eloqua.com/social-media-probook">Eloqua's Social ProBook</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">--</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>

The Social Media ProBook

#ProBook is the brainchild of Joe Chernov and the team at Eloqua and JESS3 - a team I've had the privilege of working with previously on...

Global Map of Social Networking [INFOGRAPHIC]

<a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/07/global-web-index.html"><b>Last July</b></a>, I covered the work of <a href="http://globalwebindex.net/">Global Web Index</a>, which offered a quick glimpse of data for global social network usage, which they called <a href="http://globalwebindex.net/thinking/lite/">Global Web Index LITE</a>.<br />
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</div><div>Today, they shared their latest work with me - an infographic. The <a href="http://globalwebindex.net/thinking/new-globalwebindex-infographic/"><b>Global Map of Social Networking 2011</b></a> shows the size of <i>active </i>social networkers for each regional market and then segments them into three behavior types: messagers and mailers, joiners and creators of groups, and content sharers.</div><br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/5857234446/" title="Global Web Index - legend by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Global Web Index - legend" height="178" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2613/5857234446_d90abbe71f_o.png" width="357" /></a></center><br />
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Here's the entire graphic as a Slidehshare embed:<br />
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<center><div id="__ss_8375422" style="width: 425px;"><strong style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Tomtrendstream/global-map-of-social-networking-globalwebindex-june-2011" title="Global Map of Social Networking - GlobalWebIndex - June 2011">Global Map of Social Networking - GlobalWebIndex - June 2011</a></strong> <iframe frameborder="0" height="355" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/8375422" width="425"></iframe> </div></center><br />
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You can also <a href="http://globalwebindex.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/06/Global-Map-of-Social-Networking-GlobalWebIndex-June-20112.pdf"><b>download the PDF</b></a> directly from Global Web Index's website.<br />
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The legend that outlines social network penetration by country, enlarged for more clarity:<br />
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<center><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/5856690281/" title="Global Web Index - legend 2 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Global Web Index - legend 2" height="317" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/5856690281_ee3194286b.jpg" width="500" /></a></center><br />
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Are there any surprises for you in here? From the planning that I see many companies doing - not only in their marketing and communications efforts, but in their actual product planning and manufacturing - the BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are essential. That's borne out here as well - although it should be noted that Facebook has very little penetration into Russia and China currently.<br />
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To me, it's interesting to look at markets like Mexico, Italy, India, Russia, Malaysia and the Phillipines, where there is a greater percentage of people sharing content rather than those simply sending messages. This means that you need to have a content plan that enables active sharing of content - photos, videos, embeddable documents and slides, etc.<br />
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If you're in a global business, how does this infographic make you think about your plans? If you're based in a single market, how do the numbers reflect what you've seen?<br />
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Global Map of Social Networking [INFOGRAPHIC]

Last July , I covered the work of Global Web Index , which offered a quick glimpse of data for global social network usage, which they calle...

QR Codes 101

<a href="http://bit.ly/lWdDv2.qrcode" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bit.ly/lWdDv2.qrcode" height="200" width="200" /></a><i>The following is a guest post from Nick Jerome.</i><br />
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QR codes, a.k.a. <b>Q</b>uick <b>R</b>esponse codes, are a useful way to encourage individuals to interact with a product or service. They can be used for a variety of engagement tactics including driving consumers to an ecommerce landing page, providing a coupon or giving in-depth product information. <br />
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<a href="http://mghus.com/">Marketing firm MGH</a> conducted very helpful <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/Report.aspx?code=emarketer_2000783">QR code user research</a> in February 2011:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qmhWjng-q9s/Tc2NuTN5WWI/AAAAAAAACLs/HqlMv-bhDME/s1600/QRCodes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qmhWjng-q9s/Tc2NuTN5WWI/AAAAAAAACLs/HqlMv-bhDME/s400/QRCodes.jpg" height="400" width="345" /></a></div>
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As you can see, getting a coupon or accessing additional information are the two main uses for QR codes. The study also showed one-third of all smartphone users have scanned a QR code and two-thirds have seen one. Users who were aware of QR codes tended to be more educated and affluent and the largest majority of users were ages 35-54. As QR codes become more common, awareness is certain to grow in most demographics. <br />
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Before employing a QR code in any campaign, make sure you have covered all the basics:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Not all users already have a code reader downloaded on their phone. Any time you place a QR code, provide a website URL like www.FSQR.org so they can download a reader to scan the code.</li>
<li>This may seem obvious, but many companies have gotten it wrong: make sure the QR code goes to a site designed specifically for mobile.</li>
<li>Think through the placement of the code in the real world. Putting a QR code anywhere with bad cell reception such as a subway makes it useless.</li>
<li>As with any marketing initiative, measurement is key. Follow the success of a QR code with a trackable URL, which will provide stats on the number of QR code scans per hour as well as the devices used.</li>
</ul>
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<i>About the Author</i><br />
Nick Jerome is a marketing services manager at <a href="http://www.fastsigns.com/">FASTSIGNS®</a>, a visual communications services provider with more than 550 locations around the world.<br />
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QR Codes 101

The following is a guest post from Nick Jerome. QR codes, a.k.a. Q uick R esponse codes, are a useful way to encourage individuals to inte...

Some Tasty News on Bookmarking

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/211157489/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Free Tasty Technicolor Treats Creative Commons by Pink Sherbet Photography, on Flickr"><img alt="Free Tasty Technicolor Treats Creative Commons" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/211157489_b594a547cc_m.jpg" width="188" /></a>Great news for Delicious users: the service has been acquired from Yahoo! by none other than the founders of YouTube. Announced today via email and <a href="http://blog.delicious.com/">on their blog</a>.<br />
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As you may recall, <a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/12/not-so-delicious.html">in December I reported that Yahoo! was sunsetting Delicious</a>, the social bookmarking service, surprising many people and leaving them in a tenuous position. Many jumped ship, proclaiming Delicious dead and looking at alternative services like EverNote, Diigo and Pinboard, but others (like me) held fast, waiting for what would come next. That patience paid off with today's <a href="http://www.avos.com/delicious-press-release/">announcement that AVOS</a> will take charge and will focus on being "the best information discovery service." Sounds like they'll be mining the tons of great information that Delicious users have been sharing.<br />
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For a little more behind the deal and situation that led to it, <a href="http://mashable.com/2011/04/27/youtube-founders-delicious/">Mashable</a> and <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/delicious_has_new_owners_youtube_founders_chad_hur.php">Read Write Web</a> have some good coverage that you may want to check out.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What's next for users?</span><br />
There's an <a href="http://www.delicious.com/help/transition">FAQ on Delicious</a> that answers questions about the transition. I've reproduced some of it here for your convenience.<br />
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<br />
<h4 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Why has Yahoo! chosen to transition Delicious to AVOS?</h4><div style="color: #565656; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">While we love Delicious (and our users love Delicious), we wanted to find a home for the product where it can receive more love and attention. We think AVOS is that place.</div><h4 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When will AVOS officially start running Delicious?</h4><div style="color: #565656; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We anticipate Delicious in its current form will be available until approximately July 2011. By agreeing to AVOS's terms of service upfront, you will allow us to move your data when the time comes to transfer control to AVOS.</div><h4 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What does AVOS plan to do with Delicious?</h4><div style="color: #565656; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">AVOS plans to continue the service that users have come to know and love and by working with the community, make the site even easier and more fun to save, share and discover the web's "tastiest" content.</div><h4 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Will AVOS maintain the Delicious service with all of its functionality?</h4><div style="color: #565656; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Yes, that's the plan. There may be a time of adjustment as AVOS re-launches Delicious, but the company's intention is to add new features and grow the service overall.</div><div style="color: #565656; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: 14px;"></span></div><h4 style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How do I transfer my bookmarks?</h4><div style="color: #565656; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To transfer your bookmarks, you need to "opt-in" to allow your account and all associated data to be moved. You can do this from the <a href="https://secure.delicious.com/settings/optin" style="color: #1462c1; text-decoration: none;">opt-in page</a>.</div><h4 style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What will happen to my public and private bookmarks?</h4><div style="color: #565656; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">By agreeing to the AVOS terms of service, you will allow us to send your account information, bookmarks, and all the data associated with your Delicious account to AVOS when they re-launch Delicious. Your public and private bookmarks will be maintained as they are today. The information transferred would include:</div><ul style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Delicious username</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Delicious password</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Email address</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">First Name</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Last Name</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Bookmarks, Tags and Notes</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Inbox items</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tag Bundles</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Tag Descriptions</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Network Members</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Subscriptions</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Blogpost jobs</li>
<li style="color: #565656; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Twitter Auth credentials (if supplied)</li>
</ul><div style="color: #565656; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><h4 style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What if I don't opt-in to migrate my bookmarks to AVOS?</h4><div style="color: #565656; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You will no longer be able to use Delicious or access your bookmarks after the transition is complete.</div><h4 style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Can I export my data from Delicious?</h4><div style="color: #565656; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Yes. Please use our <a href="https://secure.delicious.com/settings/bookmarks/export" style="color: #1462c1; text-decoration: none;">export tool</a>.</div><br />
<br />
What are your thoughts on this transition? If you're a user, will you continue with AVOS? And if you left, would you consider coming back? Why?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/211157489/">Pink Sherbet Photography (Flickr)</a></span>

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Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor