In a recent post I talked about how Lonely Planet is participating in social media, but not taking all the steps to encourage its customers to become actively engaged. In this post I want to talk about how the same company, Lonely Planet, is currently taking advantage of an opportunity to assist some of their customers.
On April 14, 2010 volcanic eruptions began at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland spewing debris up into the atmosphere. The resulting ash clouds forced authorities to close airports and airspace, grounding airplanes and canceling across Europe and beyond. The repercussions have completely disrupted the European transportation system, stranding travelers around the world for over a week.
Instead of seeing this disruption in travel as a hinderance, Lonely Planet has jumped on the opportunity. On April 19th they posted a blog entry announcing that they were offering 13 of their European iPhone city guides for free to help stranded travelers through Thursday April 22nd. They then shared this information via Facebook, Twitter, and direct email message to their community members. This is a gracious and timely offer that will most likely earn Lonely Planet some positive brand equity. Smart move.
And, for the stranded travelers, the links to the free guides can be found at the Lonely Planet blog.
April 20, 2010
April 16, 2010
Culturally Significant
I began my last blog entry with the sentence “Today social media has become part of the fabric of our culture.” In a relatively short period of time social content on the web has become a significant element of our society.
A few days ago the Library of Congress announced it has acquiring the Twitter digital archives. These archives contain every tweet every posted since Twitter's inception in 2006 – every last tweet. This includes historic tweets – the first tweet ever, the first tweet from space, and President Obama's tweet about winning the 2008 presidential election – and all the other comments, ideas, and opinions posted by the millions of Twitter users around the globe.
But, saving these notable tweets is not the main motivation to preserve the archives in such a venerable institution. In their press release, the Library of Congress stated this data has “extraordinary potential for research into our contemporary way of life”. So, it is the everyday tweets that they want to save and study. It is these tweets that are a window into our daily lives – just as preserved journals and letters have been for former time periods.
This acquisition is part of the library's ongoing efforts to capture and archive materials from the internet. To date the library has collected over 167 terabytes of information from the web as part of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Now, every tweet – significant, strange, embarrassing, or boring – will be added to that collection. Of course, the Library of Congress first posted this news on Twitter (click here to read their tweet).
This signifies the cultural importance of digital information and social media. In the past pieces of information which were deemed to be culturally significant included books, video and audio recordings, and important documents. But, today – in the Information Age – it is bytes not paper that hold the clues for future generations to understand who we are. So, keep tweeting and share your experiences with the world.
A few days ago the Library of Congress announced it has acquiring the Twitter digital archives. These archives contain every tweet every posted since Twitter's inception in 2006 – every last tweet. This includes historic tweets – the first tweet ever, the first tweet from space, and President Obama's tweet about winning the 2008 presidential election – and all the other comments, ideas, and opinions posted by the millions of Twitter users around the globe.
But, saving these notable tweets is not the main motivation to preserve the archives in such a venerable institution. In their press release, the Library of Congress stated this data has “extraordinary potential for research into our contemporary way of life”. So, it is the everyday tweets that they want to save and study. It is these tweets that are a window into our daily lives – just as preserved journals and letters have been for former time periods.
This acquisition is part of the library's ongoing efforts to capture and archive materials from the internet. To date the library has collected over 167 terabytes of information from the web as part of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Now, every tweet – significant, strange, embarrassing, or boring – will be added to that collection. Of course, the Library of Congress first posted this news on Twitter (click here to read their tweet).
This signifies the cultural importance of digital information and social media. In the past pieces of information which were deemed to be culturally significant included books, video and audio recordings, and important documents. But, today – in the Information Age – it is bytes not paper that hold the clues for future generations to understand who we are. So, keep tweeting and share your experiences with the world.
April 7, 2010
Social Media – Participate and Share
Today social media has become part of the fabric of our culture. We share, like, and comment on all sorts of information and media. This creates a web through which information and ideas flow. For many individuals – like myself – this social web of information has become a major source of news. In addition, I am an active participant in this web, sharing and commenting frequently.
The social web has brought many new aspects to our daily lives. One of these – for better or worse – is viral videos and content. One person reads information or views media online and shares it, then more and more do the same. News spreads and a viral phenomenon is born.
As this social aspect of the web has become more prevalent many websites have made it easier for readers or users to participate by installing widgets, apps, plug-ins, gadgets, or links for social networks. For example, the New York Times has widgets that allow readers to share articles via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Mixx, Yahoo Buzz!, and MySpace or to send the article via email or SMS. They also provide the permalink to the article or piece of content for individuals who want to incorporate the link into a blog or website. In other words, the New York Times enables and encourages their readers participate in the social web. I have come to expect this type of functionality on all websites I visit.
This afternoon I clicked on a link on Facebook to watch a video on Lonely Planet blog. For many years I have been a big fan of the travel books, guides, and information provided by this company. More recently, I have become hooked on their 76 Second Travel Show which is posted on the Lonely Planet blog and on YouTube by Lonely Planet author Robert Reid. It's short and fun – and I think it's a great use of social media. After watching the video I instantly looked for the share widget or link and was surprised to find the page did not have one. It seemed odd since Lonely Planet is an active participate in social media. At the bottom of the each of the company's webpages there are links to follow Lonely Planet on Twitter, subscribe to their newsletter, read their blog, download their iPhone and iPad apps, and subscribe to their print (paper) magazine. There is a space to leave a comment, but no links to enable participation in the social web.
This made me start thinking about the importance of well rounded social media campaigns. Social media is about sharing and participation. Companies, brands, and individuals need to not only participate in social media – but also enable and encourage others to participate and share.
Back to the issue of Lonely Planet. How are they participating in social media? Their main website allows users to register and link their Lonely Planet account with their Facebook account. That is good. As I mentioned previously at the bottom of all their webpages there are widgets encouraging readers to follow them on Twitter, read their blogs, and sign up for their newsletter, mobile content, and magazine. Their website has active forums (Thorn Tree) and groups, as well as functionality to allow users to rate and comment on destinations, save favorite places, and plan trips. The company actively participates in Facebook and Twitter. And I think that their 76 Second Travel Show is a great viral video campaign. The some of the 76 Second Travel Show videos have upwards of 1000 views on YouTube. The company promotes videos and blog posts on Facebook and Twitter. The only thing is missing to complete the circle is to incorporate functionality into their websites and blogs that enables and encourages users to share the content via social networks and participate in the social web.
But, overall I do think Lonely Planet is doing a very good job participating in the social web. What I think they could improve upon is to enable and encourage their users to do the participate and share. Then their social media campaign would be truly dynamic. And it would also increase the likelihood that their information, blog posts, and videos will be shared and discovered virally.
The social web has brought many new aspects to our daily lives. One of these – for better or worse – is viral videos and content. One person reads information or views media online and shares it, then more and more do the same. News spreads and a viral phenomenon is born.
As this social aspect of the web has become more prevalent many websites have made it easier for readers or users to participate by installing widgets, apps, plug-ins, gadgets, or links for social networks. For example, the New York Times has widgets that allow readers to share articles via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Mixx, Yahoo Buzz!, and MySpace or to send the article via email or SMS. They also provide the permalink to the article or piece of content for individuals who want to incorporate the link into a blog or website. In other words, the New York Times enables and encourages their readers participate in the social web. I have come to expect this type of functionality on all websites I visit.
This afternoon I clicked on a link on Facebook to watch a video on Lonely Planet blog. For many years I have been a big fan of the travel books, guides, and information provided by this company. More recently, I have become hooked on their 76 Second Travel Show which is posted on the Lonely Planet blog and on YouTube by Lonely Planet author Robert Reid. It's short and fun – and I think it's a great use of social media. After watching the video I instantly looked for the share widget or link and was surprised to find the page did not have one. It seemed odd since Lonely Planet is an active participate in social media. At the bottom of the each of the company's webpages there are links to follow Lonely Planet on Twitter, subscribe to their newsletter, read their blog, download their iPhone and iPad apps, and subscribe to their print (paper) magazine. There is a space to leave a comment, but no links to enable participation in the social web.
This made me start thinking about the importance of well rounded social media campaigns. Social media is about sharing and participation. Companies, brands, and individuals need to not only participate in social media – but also enable and encourage others to participate and share.
Back to the issue of Lonely Planet. How are they participating in social media? Their main website allows users to register and link their Lonely Planet account with their Facebook account. That is good. As I mentioned previously at the bottom of all their webpages there are widgets encouraging readers to follow them on Twitter, read their blogs, and sign up for their newsletter, mobile content, and magazine. Their website has active forums (Thorn Tree) and groups, as well as functionality to allow users to rate and comment on destinations, save favorite places, and plan trips. The company actively participates in Facebook and Twitter. And I think that their 76 Second Travel Show is a great viral video campaign. The some of the 76 Second Travel Show videos have upwards of 1000 views on YouTube. The company promotes videos and blog posts on Facebook and Twitter. The only thing is missing to complete the circle is to incorporate functionality into their websites and blogs that enables and encourages users to share the content via social networks and participate in the social web.
But, overall I do think Lonely Planet is doing a very good job participating in the social web. What I think they could improve upon is to enable and encourage their users to do the participate and share. Then their social media campaign would be truly dynamic. And it would also increase the likelihood that their information, blog posts, and videos will be shared and discovered virally.
March 27, 2010
March 25, 2010
The Power of the Communal Voice
Throughout the ages and around the world people have come together to express a united view on an issue. From the signatories of the Declaration of Independence to the many individuals who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States of America has seem individuals join together and rise up as a group to to give power to their voices. Together people can overcome injustice and change the course of history.
Today – with the advancements in technology – the power of combine voice is even more potent. The internet allows people to more efficiently connect, share ideas, and organize. Ideas that begin in one country can travel across borders and to other continents via social media. I can post a tweet here in Washington DC. An individual down the street or in New York or Vienna can read it and or pass my idea on to others.
The internet has helped people communicate when open conversations and transmissions are dangerous or distance is great. Since the June 2009 elections in Iran the opposition has used Twitter and social media to coordinate their resistance. For issues important to individuals all over the globe, the internet and social media are powerful tools for collaboration and to show solidarity. Social media tools can be incorporated directly into websites – such as the Obama campaign did with My.BarackObama.com during the 2008 United States Presidential election. Or groups of individuals can relay on existing social networks to spread their message or share ideas. To show support or raise awareness about issues individuals often change their profile pictures of post information on Twitter or Facebook. One social media company focuses solely on serving this demand – Twibbon. What this company does is creates graphical overlays representing a wide variety of causes that individuals can post on their Twitter and Facebook profile pictures to raise awareness. There are currently almost 40,000 cause Twibbons. I decided to see how it works and posted an Earth Hour Twibbon on my profile picture.
So, this brings me to Earth Hour...
Earth Hour began three years ago as an effort to raise awareness of global warming. Since then, Earth Hour takes place every March and for one hour people all over the world turn off their lights to make a statement that we must find solutions to climate change. Last year, almost a billion people turned participated in 4,100 different cities in 87 countries on seven continents.
This year Earth Hour is on Saturday March 27th from 8:30-9:30pm local time. Promoted and organized through the social web, the movement will begin in New Zealand and travel around the globe. On Saturday evening people all over the globe will act as one by simply turning off their lights. Together this action will send a loud message to world leaders that the citizens of this planet are concerned about global warming and are demanding progress. This is a wonderful example of individuals around globe using the social media to come together and make a powerful statement. Please join us!
For more information please visit EarthHour.org or MyEarthHour.org.
Today – with the advancements in technology – the power of combine voice is even more potent. The internet allows people to more efficiently connect, share ideas, and organize. Ideas that begin in one country can travel across borders and to other continents via social media. I can post a tweet here in Washington DC. An individual down the street or in New York or Vienna can read it and or pass my idea on to others.
The internet has helped people communicate when open conversations and transmissions are dangerous or distance is great. Since the June 2009 elections in Iran the opposition has used Twitter and social media to coordinate their resistance. For issues important to individuals all over the globe, the internet and social media are powerful tools for collaboration and to show solidarity. Social media tools can be incorporated directly into websites – such as the Obama campaign did with My.BarackObama.com during the 2008 United States Presidential election. Or groups of individuals can relay on existing social networks to spread their message or share ideas. To show support or raise awareness about issues individuals often change their profile pictures of post information on Twitter or Facebook. One social media company focuses solely on serving this demand – Twibbon. What this company does is creates graphical overlays representing a wide variety of causes that individuals can post on their Twitter and Facebook profile pictures to raise awareness. There are currently almost 40,000 cause Twibbons. I decided to see how it works and posted an Earth Hour Twibbon on my profile picture.
So, this brings me to Earth Hour...
Earth Hour began three years ago as an effort to raise awareness of global warming. Since then, Earth Hour takes place every March and for one hour people all over the world turn off their lights to make a statement that we must find solutions to climate change. Last year, almost a billion people turned participated in 4,100 different cities in 87 countries on seven continents.
This year Earth Hour is on Saturday March 27th from 8:30-9:30pm local time. Promoted and organized through the social web, the movement will begin in New Zealand and travel around the globe. On Saturday evening people all over the globe will act as one by simply turning off their lights. Together this action will send a loud message to world leaders that the citizens of this planet are concerned about global warming and are demanding progress. This is a wonderful example of individuals around globe using the social media to come together and make a powerful statement. Please join us!
For more information please visit EarthHour.org or MyEarthHour.org.
March 17, 2010
Politics and Irony on the Social Web
“It's a new day...” campaign message begins. It continues to outline why Murray Hill Inc., a company, is running for Congress.
Murray Hill Inc. is a liberal public relations firm that is using irony and the power of social media to discuss an important issue in American politics – by running for congress. Taking a nod from the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Murray Hill Inc. (the corporation) announced its candidacy for congress in Maryland's 8th District. Following the logic of the Supreme Court ruling having granted corporations the right to free speech – this company (candidate) thinks that corporations directly entering politics is “democracy’s next step”.
So, how does social media play a part in this political satire? On YouTube Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign ad has been viewed over 197,000 times, on Facebook Murray Hill Inc. for Congress has over 8,900 fans, and on Twitter over 100 people are following Eric Hensal (the designated human for Murray Hill Inc. for Congress). And the momentum is building! Since yesterday over 17,000 people have watched the campaign ad on YouTube and Murray Hill Inc.'s Facebook page has gained 1,400 new fans. And this campaign is receiving a lot of coverage in the press, including a mention in my favorite New York Times blog, Economix.
The social web has created a new venue to question politics and participate in the democratic process. And this corporate candidate – Murray Hill Inc. – is encourages voters to cast their ballots “...for the best democracy money can buy”.
Murray Hill Inc. is a liberal public relations firm that is using irony and the power of social media to discuss an important issue in American politics – by running for congress. Taking a nod from the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, Murray Hill Inc. (the corporation) announced its candidacy for congress in Maryland's 8th District. Following the logic of the Supreme Court ruling having granted corporations the right to free speech – this company (candidate) thinks that corporations directly entering politics is “democracy’s next step”.
So, how does social media play a part in this political satire? On YouTube Murray Hill Inc.'s campaign ad has been viewed over 197,000 times, on Facebook Murray Hill Inc. for Congress has over 8,900 fans, and on Twitter over 100 people are following Eric Hensal (the designated human for Murray Hill Inc. for Congress). And the momentum is building! Since yesterday over 17,000 people have watched the campaign ad on YouTube and Murray Hill Inc.'s Facebook page has gained 1,400 new fans. And this campaign is receiving a lot of coverage in the press, including a mention in my favorite New York Times blog, Economix.
The social web has created a new venue to question politics and participate in the democratic process. And this corporate candidate – Murray Hill Inc. – is encourages voters to cast their ballots “...for the best democracy money can buy”.
March 12, 2010
More About Conversations on Twitter
So, I have written about Twitter before, but would like to return to the subject.
Twitter has become a modern phenomenon. Founded in 2006, Twitter is a social networking and microblogging site that allows users to post messages of 140 characters or less called tweets. And it is changing the way we share ideas and information over the web.
In 2008 and the first half of 2009 traffic to Twitter.com exploded, starting at less less than half a million unique visitors per month in the beginning of 2008, increasing to over 5 million unique visitors per month in January 2009 and then 22 million in June 2009. Then something happened – the growth stopped. From June 2009 through January 2010 the traffic to Twitter.com remained relatively constant, between 22 and 23 million unique visitors per month.
But, that is only part of the story. During the same time period the number of tweets posted on Twitter continued increasing. In November 2008 the 1 billionth tweet was posted on Twitter. Then in October 2009 the 5 billionth tweet was posted and in March 2010 the 10 billionth tweet.
The number of people going to Twitter.com is no longer increasing, however those who do go to the site are utilizing it more. In other words, people are tweeting more! To me this is an exciting prospect. Twitter has a great potential for conversation and information sharing both locally and across the globe. People have used Twitter to communicate about political events, natural disasters, and triumph. It is very exciting to see individuals engaging more.
The conversation has begun. What will happen next?
Notes: Unique visitor statistics for Twitter for this post are from Compete, Quantcast, and Mashable.
Twitter has become a modern phenomenon. Founded in 2006, Twitter is a social networking and microblogging site that allows users to post messages of 140 characters or less called tweets. And it is changing the way we share ideas and information over the web.
In 2008 and the first half of 2009 traffic to Twitter.com exploded, starting at less less than half a million unique visitors per month in the beginning of 2008, increasing to over 5 million unique visitors per month in January 2009 and then 22 million in June 2009. Then something happened – the growth stopped. From June 2009 through January 2010 the traffic to Twitter.com remained relatively constant, between 22 and 23 million unique visitors per month.
But, that is only part of the story. During the same time period the number of tweets posted on Twitter continued increasing. In November 2008 the 1 billionth tweet was posted on Twitter. Then in October 2009 the 5 billionth tweet was posted and in March 2010 the 10 billionth tweet.
The number of people going to Twitter.com is no longer increasing, however those who do go to the site are utilizing it more. In other words, people are tweeting more! To me this is an exciting prospect. Twitter has a great potential for conversation and information sharing both locally and across the globe. People have used Twitter to communicate about political events, natural disasters, and triumph. It is very exciting to see individuals engaging more.
The conversation has begun. What will happen next?
Notes: Unique visitor statistics for Twitter for this post are from Compete, Quantcast, and Mashable.
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