This last week I reviewed the effect of Facebook EdgeRank™ for a one month span for a client and focused in on one post. For this review I will call this client EXA (Exhibit A.)
On one given day EXA admin posted a status update that created a spike in their activity chart. The status update caused the spike with a 0.61% feedback rate and 984 impressions that went across the main Facebook wall. It received 5 likes, 1 share, and 1 comment. In that it received a higher impression impact is due to that interactivity. When someone does any one of those activities on one of your own posts it will thrust that post into their own fan reach and into more newsfeeds outside your own circle. That is part of the Facebook EdgeRank™ algorithm.
What is the EdgeRank™ algorithm? “In order to optimize a user’s News Feed, a formula called Facebook EdgeRank was created. Facebook EdgeRank decides what’s most important to display in the News Feed. If Facebook EdgeRank decides it’s not important, then it gets dropped off the Feed.” – Paul
Anytime someone posts something like a photo, video, status, or even like something this creates an edge, and therefore helps to rank your post.
EdgeRank™ has 3 elements to its algorithm: affinity, weight, and time decay.
1. Affinity: the closeness you have with the other person. If you list a person as a family member or work colleague there will be a bigger affinity present. Even if you message them, Facebook will be able to pick up that you have an affinity with that person. Posting on their wall, commenting, “Liking” and so on creates a stronger affinity with them. In turn, will cause for when you post and they interact with you it is most likely to span across their newsfeed and so on helping to give you an edge in rank.
2. Weight: this factor is about making your updates interesting with ability to impact (influence) interaction. This is a point that can help a profile or page to rank and find placement in another person’s newsfeed who are not listed as family or colleague, etc. Posting with a video holds the highest weight while writing just a normal text status update holds the lowest.
The weight influence goes as follows:
Image Source: Adobe
3. Time Decay: this factor is about the currency of your update. Of course, the more recent the post the more this factor will give edge to your post.
There are ways a business can take advantage of this Facebook feature. Watch the video below and around minute 1:40 she begins to speak on that topic.
Have you explored Facebook’s EdgeRank or completed any reviews of its edge creation?
FYI: The content shared in this blog has been written by two OneupWeb social team members known as the Dangeline D’SocialTeam – written in reading script format!
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Angeline: This past week here at Oneupweb my partner in crime (socially speaking) and I have been on the topic of all the social network brand redesigns doing the baseball wave as of late. From Google+ launching their business pages to Twitter’s new look for brands.
OLD CHANNEL:
For this review we have decided to touch base on YouTube’s new facelift. I wasn’t so swept away by it at first, but Dan was.
Dan: Indeed I was, Angeline. Indeed I was, and let me tell you why. It is cleaner. It is more organized. It is more efficient. It has better analytics and options for customization for brands and channels. It has better integration with Google+, Facebook, etc.–
Link Integration
Angeline: — Really?
Dan: What?
Angeline: You’re that “pro” about their face lift?
Dan: Of course. You’re not?
Angeline: Hmm. Well, upon first trying it out I agree it is cleaner and a nice layout. But the initial navigation is not the greatest. I had to switch back and forth to the old design to the new a few times to get a sense of where I was going. I feel navigation for setting up the new design isn’t as user friendly as I feel it could be.
For example -
Feature tab selection
The Default Tab to select to feature tab wouldn’t for the life of me let me save it to that setting in one of my other YouTube project accounts. It kept giving me this notice that said I couldn’t do this at this time. Maybe it was due to it is in Beta, I’m not sure, but it was frustrating me. I decided for now, at least for that account, to stick to the old channel design.
Dan: Ah that is interesting. It could very well be that it is in Beta, but hear this out. Let me share the YouTube specs. Although the YouTube redesign has been active for several weeks, branded channels must still manually opt in to the new look. I’ve summarized changes below.
NEW CHANNEL SPECS
NEW CHANNEL:
Background
The redesigned channel is 970px wide (a slight 10px increase over the old design) – this is constant, so any background image wider than 970px will be visible “outside” the channel.
YouTube recommends background images be at least 1024×768, but larger images can best accommodate a variety of screen sizes.
Background image cannot exceed 256 KB.
Background image will resize and center based on the user’s screen size.
Channel Banner
A significant change over the previous design.
Instead of uploading a separate banner, admins can now opt for 1-150px of Banner Height Push to expose more of the background image.
Eliminated:
Channel Side Column Image
Video Page Banner
* These changes mean channels lose significant control over in-channel advertising, but also gain significant marketing tools like integrated Facebook and Twitter, etc.
Angeline: I will say I like the layout. It does feed to a more contemporary look and flow.
Angeline: Old school? Good call. Got anything not so “pro” for the new direction?
Dan: Well, I do, yes. Some features have been removed, including enhanced backgrounds for AdWords advertisers.
Angeline: In reviewing the new layout when it is able to have the feature video on first landing of the channel I do like the ability to showcase the playlists. You can control which playlists show and in what order. That is nice.
New YouTube Playlist Look
Dan: You’re getting closer to sold?
Angeline: Hmm.[Long pause]
Dan: Really?
Angeline: What?
Dan: Its great, come on.
(Angeline leans forward intentionally not answering. Dan gives a look of “for real?”)
Angeline: I’m also enjoying that you can pop in some related channels to your own channel. For example, if you have more than one YouTube channel and they are somehow connected and/or related you can now give your visitors a way to see that connection and click through. Definitely like that.
Other Channels added
Dan: Sold?
Angeline: I don’t know… got to chew on this one for a few.
Dan: Stubborn. You know what?
Angeline: What?
Dan: You’re old school.
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So, what are your thoughts on the new design? Have you check it out? What are your pros and cons on the new options?
MASCOT: defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck.
CHERRY BEAR
Today, I watched a marketing video a friend of mine here in Traverse City helped create for a company out near the Sleeping Bear Dunes, the Cherry Republic.
Cherry Republic is located in Glen Arbor. It is a company that specializes in gift packages for what this region is known for – cherries!
The company’s viral videos wasn’t a method they usually employed until recently. It was a smart choice if you ask me. In reviewing their YouTube channel I see two videos.
The two videos at present time on the Cherry Bear Republic YouTube channel
As you will see the two videos were launched within the last three week time period. The video my friend helped with was launched first. As of today, it has received 1,944 views. That is really good for a local company! The second one launched yesterday. It has already received 684 views.
As can be observed the company has a mascot. Their mascot is: Cherry Bear. I love how they implemented their mascot into the videos. The “Cherry Bear Stocks up for Hibernation” is clearly a day-in-the-life of the Cherry Bear. We get to see in the end of the video the bear resting finally to stuff him with cherry goodies on the beautiful Glen Arbor shores of Lake Michigan. In “Cherry Republic Thanksgiving Cookoff” we still see the bear present in little animations and artwork helping us through the flow of the video while also inviting us into the company culture via a yummy cookoff.
Also, love the little “mom, stop talking” blooper in the opening. So cute! Gotta love moms!
"Mom! Stop talking!" blooper screen shot
Indeed, Cherry Republic implemented an excellent idea within their company social media marketing campaign. Smart tactic, Cherry Republics!
MAYHEM
Let’s take another one of my favorite mascots, Allstate’s Mayhem.
Sexiest Mascot alive! The only time Mayhem is welcomed.
I’m sure he is a favorite for a lot of you. I mean, how amazing is that, that an insurance company hit a home run with accident and mishap topics via the “Sexiest GPS Alive!” This could be the only time you would hear many of us scream “GO Mayhem!” Well, besides those select few that mosh about at a Sex Pistols concert, which actually could make for a good Mayhem commercial.
By the way (BTW), finding a proper hyperlink for mosh about wasn’t an easy task to avoid extreme profanity while holding classical music vs. death metal. So, make sure to click it and enjoy the musical dance of mosh and stage diving. It’s my ode to Mayhem!
Mayhem Facebook Fan Page - notice we call it a "Fan Page"
The Mayhem character (mascot) has a huge following. Their Facebook fan page – note to the word “fan” – holds one million, one hundred and three thousand, four hundred and seventy-five fans [1,103,475]. That’s a lot of likers! The fact that they have almost 50,000 people talking about the mascot in the last 24 hours within Facebook is also a stat number to get crazy over.
Imagine sitting in a social media marketing meeting and having that sort of feedback to a brand. “Is it working” someone asks. I don’t know. What do you think?
Another interesting find I discovered on the Mayhem Facebook was the fan photos. I can’t believe how popular Mayhem was this year for Halloween. GO Mayhem!
Mayhem - popular Halloween costume 2011
IN CLOSING
How about you? What do you think of company mascoting? Any insights? Any outside of the box stories? Share them. Would love to hear from you!
And now… I close with my ode to Mayhem once more: my favorite Mayhem commerical “Toddler Mayhem.”
Social Media has become a hotly integrated item for a company or project’s marketing campaign. It’s a platform that can both save your budget and also go viral with an insane amount of return as compared to TV ads, radio spots and/or outdoor advertising.
The Viral Virtuoso
Why is that?
It’s what is known in the oldest of traditional forms of advertisement as word-of-mouth. It is the Viral Virtuoso. Recommendations from personal connections or opinions shared by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising.
“Ninety percent or consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online.” (Nielsen, 2009)
Those are some pretty huge percentages and worth the argument that any and all brands need to get with the flow and master (at best) the networks of Social Media. And, that’s obviously the skinny on that!
Tie My Shoestrings, Please
Even a short film out of Detroit discovered social media’s benefits despite a shoestring budget [2010/11].
Official Poster for One Last Call - click through for IMDb page
One Last Call, a short film created for a master’s capstone project, was implemented on a shoestring budget of $5,000. By the end of the finished product it reached an appraised worth of close to $35,000. It was a production that was, of course, about the filmmaking, but it was also about the business side, a side that takes place behind the scenes. This is something most non-industry pros have no idea about – that not so glitzy and glammed up side. Things like negotiations and contracts, location planning, city permits, sponsorships, music scores and studios, creating merchandise and so on comprise this hidden world. On this project, agitating social media fan base prior to the film entering production played a role in the invisible side as well.
In fact, social media was the success point of One Last Call. Its utilization of social media before heading into filming was part of the reason the project received a total five (5) sponsorships prior to finishing principle filming. In turn, giving the project the ability to complete at that $35,000 level. The film brought on such national sponsors as Coca Cola Creative and NVIDIA.
Some Social Sizzling Stats
In the first 30 days of launching the project’s “OLC Short Film Project” Facebook fan page, the film garnered a fan base of close to 900. On YouTube, the trailer received close to 1,000 views and the music video topped 500. On Twitter, NVIDIA and Channel 7 news WXYZ (the top in Detroit) tweeted more than once about the project. Upon announcement of the premiere via the social network, Coca Cola Creative contacted the project letting them know they wanted still involved. The national company volunteered a booth at the event giving out free Fuse drinks to a sold out crowd at the Main Art Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Now That We’ve Tied My Shoe Laces, Let’s Play!
Another successful factor that played into this project was the encouragement of interaction from its fans on Facebook. Part of the strategy for the page was to go beyond simple conversation surrounding the project and post only things pertaining to One Last Call. One Last Call and the production team connected with their fans on a personal level, as is recommended in any social media campaign or plan.
Andy Rathburg (Dodge in OLC) w/Clay Matthews Fathead behind-the-scenes: photo Marc Ruiz
Within a few hours of posting one of the behind-the-scene photos from the set people were commenting and “Liking” the OLC page. Because Rathburg was tagged in the photo, his almost 3,000 followers were suddenly made aware of OLC’s existence.
These techniques worked wonders. The corresponding posts were, in turn, re-posted and oftentimes tweeted. This helped drive people to the OLC page and “Like” it. The project also encouraged behind the scene photos and set humor, which resulted in a high rate of views and “likes” from the fans.
Made-In-Detroit: A Finished Weave via the Viral Shoe String
Since the release of the short “Made-In-Detroit” film, a cult following has been ever expanding. Mentions and references to the project continue and those who were involved still give wings to the Viral Virtuoso that has become Detroit’s One Last Call success.
It was just a short film, made for a master’s program capstone. Forty (40+) people came on board in the real world and thousands came on in the virtual! Not bad for a first film from a team of emerging filmmakers from the neighborhoods of Detroit.
Some Social-lite Advice to Close With
Pay attention to that social network out there because it is what helped launch the public awareness of this project and its team. If you, as a company and/or project, are not on the social network yet, then you are missing out on a lot of leads, ROI and awesome fans!
Thank you Social Media for stepping to the platform!
And we now close with the teaser trailer from the film – hurry before its time for your “One Last Call!”
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Reference:
Neilsen. 2009. Global Advertising: Consumers Trust Real Friends and Virtual Strangers the Most. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/global-advertising-consumers-trust-real-friends-and-virtual-strangers-the-most/
Forgive me, but I’m feeling a little fired up! After some research on the product, I have come to the conclusion the little 7-inch device is smokin’ hot! Not to mention its awesome price tag, which is a good 50% cheaper than the Playbook and $300 cheaper than the iPad!
Hot! Hot! Hot!
I am a mega reader and writer (I know, shocker). But, I don’t own a pad or a tablet yet. I haven’t been fully won over by these devices, but after this reveal from Amazon I am honestly SOLD!
Why am I sold? Let me share with you the Kindle Fire’s features and you will understand.
Obviously the price tag is one feature I appreciate about this little sizzler item. Check out this great chart from Ken Sena of Evercore Partners. It shows how the price undercuts the tablet/pad market. I’d be shaking in my boots if I were the other brands.
Sena predicts that by 2016 the CAGR of the Kindle Fire will decline by 6% to $149. That’s awesome, but I won’t be waiting until then for that sales price – it’s already on sale for me. I’m ready to run out and buy it now!
This next feature! I melted from its amazing heat! Of course, this Kindle has the WhisperSync technology to automatically sync your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights across your devices that its predecessors had. But, now it’s synced with more devices out there from Amazon’s instant video feature. If you own or have access to one of these compatible devices, like the Samsung LN40C560 40-inch 1080 60 Hz LCD HDTV for instance (could be mine – maybe), then all you have to do is sync up the two devices and watch the video on the bigger screen now.
Sync to your TV, HDTV, Blue-Ray, or DVR
I have a library of not just books, but magazines as well. As much as I LOVE to have my library of books and mags I won’t lie, I have been feeling a little guilty about the trees these days. And so, reviewing the Kindle Fire’s picture quality on a 7″ vibrant color touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution was a definite selling point for me. Between watching movies and reading my favorite mags, I am sweltering with delight on this feature.
The Kindle Fire has an intuitive interface, so it makes it super easy to use and go back to my most visited and most interested links.
Amazon’s Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows. Basically, I can pull the little sultry device out of my purse at break time and watch a quick episode of my favorite shows, like Spartacus or Stargate SG-1.
It has a fast, dual-core processor, meaning I can do things like read a chapter in some book I need to get down for work while uploading a video to go along with that research. I can listen to tunes while I surf the web too. It’s a little multi-tasker like me!
It has its OWN cloud feature! I don’t have to worry about memory uptake on the device – slowing it down like molasses, because Amazon has its own cloud via the net where I can store all that. No matter where I am or what I am doing. I can access it.
The Amazon Cloud
You can stream music from your Amazon cloud drive online or download the driver and go offline. They have 17 million songs in the Amazon MP3 Store. I could see myself on my treadmill able to have it sitting in front of me while I walk or run. In fact, I could be listening to music while reading AND walking! Just hope they don’t make a law akin to the ‘walking and texting’ deal.
It’s strong! The screen is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic. Honestly, how many times have you all out there dropped your iPhone or Android and cracked the screen – Right? … Exactly!
So, there you have my review on the new Kindle Fire tablet. What do you think of this new device? What would you consider to be the pros and cons of utilizing such a spicy device?
“In order to optimize a user’s News Feed, a formula called Facebook EdgeRank was created. Facebook EdgeRank decides what’s most important to display in the News Feed. If Facebook EdgeRank decides it’s not important, then it gets dropped off the Feed.” – Paul
