What is most significant to me is that I might do something that I haven’t done before and I might learn something that I didn’t know before.
Steve Jobs’ design mentality clicked with [me] as a designer in ways that it may not have with, say, a developer. The way he talked was like everyone around me at RSID [Rhode Island School of Design] would talk. As far as I was concerned, he was one of us. It wasn’t that mysterious. He was a designer.
Google+ Pages ARE helping Brands to be found
While acquiring followers on Google+ Brand Pages is still quite slow compared to Facebook and Twitter, enterprise SEO company BrightEdge reports that having a Google+ page is definitely helping brands with their search result rankings.
Having a Google+ page and updating content regularly is resulting in those pages being highlighted on search result pages for about 30% of brands - a 6x increase from earlier this year.
We’d say this is definitely the value and trend that we expected when Google launched Brand Pages last year.
Read the full article at VentureBeat and get the report from BrightEdge.
Amount of data created every minute [Infographic]
One would have to agree — we humans are creating an incredible amount of information! Now, if there were only a filter to separate the meaningful data from the useless and inane…
Be sure to check out the full-size infographic.
Foursquare announces #allnew4sq features
Foursquare hasn’t been resting its laurels only in the checkin space. They’ve been listening to users and have been beefing up both their website and their mobile apps. A quick run down of new features:
- Share and save experiences
- Discover what is nearby
- Find out what your’re craving
- Faster checkins
We’re noticing lots of new UI improvements across the apps, as well.
Read more on the Foursquare blog post.
The #allnew4sq is here! from foursquare on Vimeo.
Facebook Timeline for Brands Coming…
It was only a matter of time, but Facebook Timeline for Brands is coming. By some accounts, as soon as later this month. Marketers have been watching the issue closely. Facebook introduced the Timeline feature for personal profiles back in September. There were several dates targeted by which all personal profiles would automatically roll over to Timeline.
For some reason or another, there are still personal profiles out there that haven’t converted automatically, yet. There has been a lot of user backlash, but that’s not uncommon for any change to Facebook features or page layouts.
However, whether or not brand pages would migrate to Timeline (or rather when they would) has been unknown. Perhaps they will take a slow approach, working with specific large brands first, just as Twitter did for their new brand pages.
Forbes has published an article by Reggie Bradford that poses the opportunity for brands to utilize Timeline for storytelling and modifying the way that they engage with customers. Mashable has also published a few great brand Timeline page concepts produced by various companies and agencies.
It may be a while before smaller businesses get Timeline, but it’s definitely worth planning for.
UPDATE 2/29: Brands now have 30 days to curate before their Facebook Pages are switched over to Timeline on March 30th.
New #NewTwitter is more brand-friendly and more user focused
With some seemingly subtle user interface changes, Twitter has managed to become both more brand-friendly AND “put you and your interests front and center” on profile pages.
Twitter Brand pages now present a layout and a few specific features (such as a “sticky” tweet) that makes them feels more like a destination, similar to brand pages at Facebook and Google+ brand.
User profile pages also inch closer towards a Facebook-like experience with better placement of user-specific features such as favorites and lists.
Both page types also feature in-stream content viewing.
Google+ Launches Branded Pages
It’s official - Google+ Brand Pages have launched. Now the fun begins - helping businesses, organizations, brands and other entities decide how to utilize this new social platform.
Vic Gundotra, Google’s Sr. Vice President of Engineering, introduced the new brand pages in a post where he explains the inspiration for the new platform, “So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people. But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about — from local businesses to global brands — so today we’re rolling out Google+ Pages worldwide.”
When businesses decide to integrate social media into their overall marketing strategy, the first step is “going where the consumers are”. So far, that has largely meant Facebook (and Twitter), but Google+ has been steadily growing as an alternative or an addition to a consumer’s social footprint.
One foreseen key advantage is that Google+ Brand Pages will undoubtedly be tied very close with Google Search. For small businesses, that very important feature is called “Direct Connect” and does indeed link Google Search to Google+ Brand Pages. Google points out that this feature is in development for a number of large brands initially, but will open up soon.
Thinking back to when I was a small child, I’ve always been visual.
One very clear recollection is from a dimly lit corner dive eating a grilled cheese and tomato soup with my mom. She would have lunch once a week with a few extremely wrinkled and bent over ladies from the neighborhood. As I was not a part of their conversation, I would kneel on my chair and draw the items that were in the center of the table on my placemat. (Using a linty, ball point pen dug out from the bottom of my mom’s purse.) You know the items: the breadstick basket, the salt/pepper shakers, the sugar caddy, etc.
I love to draw. I always have. I may not be good at it, but I don’t care. And, consequently, it has always been easier for me to explain my thoughts to my classmates, professors, co-workers, bosses, and clients through a doodle. Not art, not perfection, but a sketch. A doodle that is serving its purpose to get the pictures out of my head and in front of others.
“Sunni Brown makes the case for unlocking your brain via your pad and pen.” I enjoyed her updated definition of a doodle, and hope that the reps at Webster’s Dictionary really are listening. -Jeanine
OK, we’re already suckers for a great infographic, but combine one with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Education and we’re really sold! Props to @Microsoft for commissioning the research.
Check out the full infographic at Mashable and the research results over at Microsoft’s Press Release.
