Martha Stewart Invades Facebook

Martha Stewart has had a presence on MySpace for some time, but has just recently opened an account on Facebook.

MySpace has been known for some time to host profiles that have been used for marketing purposes to reach young, hip audiences. The nearly endless amounts of customization that are available (due to the acceptance of both html and flash code being injected into profiles) and the willingness of users to accept friendships from friends, rock bands and nearly any celebrity that they are interested in (whether the page is official or not) makes MySpace a perfect candidate for this type of promotion.

But let's take a look at Facebook. On Facebook, profiles are plain, and all generally look the same. Focus is more on the individual, their statistics, interests and their own content (which has made Facebook a top photo sharing site). And the custom there is generally to befriend only people that you have actual relationships with. The function to show how you know each person is built into the code which proves this.

Because of the differences in each site, maybe it wasn't best for Martha to just open up a profile as she has on MySpace. However, one can see why it was chosen to be done. With the success of the MySpace profile, someone decided that the next logical step was to duplicate it on Facebook. Surely, it will be successful to an extent, as there will be hardcore fans who are willing to let that transcend the normal unspoken rules of Facebook, but it probably wasn't the most appropriate implementation.

Facebook has recently added applications to allow users to spam-up their profiles in a controlled manner (unlike the ability to change backgrounds and font colors to make text unreadable a la MySpace). Wouldn't it have been more appropriate and effect to launch a Facebook application instead of a profile?

The application route has a number of benefits. First, purists (those who will only befriend those they actually know) would be more likely to accept her in the form of an application. They also would be able to enjoy whatever service that the application gave. The application would also be more visible, as it would be seen every time that the person's profile is viewed, and the host would view it quite often as well. The only loss of not having the profile would be the visibility in the user's RSS feed, but an application can actually take this to the next level. Instead of the user seeing Martha's updates, the application can prompt users to post their own updates in their RSS feed (or even do it automatically on approval) and all of their friends can see them as well.

It should be obvious by this point that creating an application versus a profile would be a more efficient way to go viral. Aside from what has already been discussed, users also have the ability to automatically prompt other users after they have added the application - and many do. These automatic invitations come from the user specifically and not from Martha, therefore their effectiveness is sure to be heightened. Also, recipients of invitations must make an effort to accept or deny them, so cannot be as ignored.

So marketers and PR agents, please learn to see the differences between MySpace and Facebook and learn to respect those differences - it will benefit you and your client in the end.

What's a friend worth on a social network?

If you've browsed around MySpace a bit, you may have caught pages for users that appear almost to be sponsored by a certain brand. Or you might have caught brand names in the user's top 8. This is an interesting way to meet with your potential market - through a friend.

So what is the value of a friend on a social network? Fox and Carat asked just that in a recent study. As Rex Briggs states, the value lies within how users pass information around social networks. But additionally, brands are given credibility when featured prominently by a trusted friend.

MySpace top 8 spots have made or broken friendships, why would they not do the same for brand relationships?

Can Social Networks Change the Real World?

The United States is generally considered to be the most powerful country in the world. The head of this country is the President. The President is selected in a national election, but must first make it through the primaries.

The first state primaries generally predict who will be selected to run for the presidency. Not only do they predict, but they also influence. If someone believes after seeing these primaries that their candidate no longer has a chance, or vice versa, it can change their voting habits - they might not decide to bother.

Enter MySpace. They have decided to turn the system on its head by having their own primaries well before any other state. And we all know the reach of MySpace. As the linked article states, if it were a country, its population would make it nearly in the top ten most populous.

So maybe it will make a difference or maybe it will not. It is hard to say what the overall effect will be, but one thing is for sure. Many younger individuals who may care a lot about MySpace, but a lot less about politics may take interest. Politicians have tried for decades to bring these younger individuals to the polls. Will this be the year? As the elections have been so close in the past couple of years, is it possible that this incfluence could be enough to decide the leadership of the strongest nation in the world? Never underestimate MySpace!

Social Networks Aplenty via Widget Syndication

KickApps has released version 2.0 of its Social Media Platform. This tool may be used by sites both large and small to create and implement Social Networking onto existing sites.

This software allows site builders to implement and customize their social networking experience to tailor toward a specific demographic or current promotion. This type of application will allow branded groups to pop up just about anywhere.

As shown in the referenced article, it has seen success already. Alex Baum, CEO even states "Viral widget syndication is as powerful or more powerful than natural search." But how long can this type of promotion last with this level of success? Most targets will already have a profile on MySpace, and likely FaceBook as well. They might sign up for one or two more, but as they proliferate across other areas which will interest them, will they continue to sign up for their eighth, ninth and tenth social networking site?

They may, but at a certain point, the effectiveness has to dwindle. Of course, this is assuming that the fad does catch on, and a large number of social networks are generated. However, as it continues to be all-the-rage, hipster marketers will continue to do their thing and promote what they feel is current.

One Reason Why Social Networks are Prime for Viral Transmission

A 52-week average of industry search terms by Hitwise produced the Top Ten Most-Searched-For Brands of 2006, with MySpace topping the list.

We all knew that MySpace and Social Networking in general was hugely popular, but this data can serve to put into perspective just how grand this revolution is. MySpace has beaten several prominent Web brands - some of which have been players since the start of the Web revolution.

In comparing the other brands in this top ten, there is an important similarity between them that serves to highlight the prominence of Social Networking sites as optimal hosts for viral content. If you take a look at the rest of the top ten, you see brands that deal mainly, or at least in a large part with, utility. Sure, some of the sites feed a recreational need as well, but only MySpace does this exclusively.

And why is this important? Because when a user is on MySpace, they are less purpose-driven and therefore less likely to pass by these ads. Additionally, they already in a capacity to easily pass on the viral message. Not needing to launch another application or page also makes them that much more likely to take the valuable step of passing on the viral message.

And you don't have to put it up on MySpace. As MediaPost points out, the smaller communities actually make up for their smaller number of users by providing more valuable ones with higher engagement levels.

Google ads finding their way into social networking profiles

As reported by Mediapost, through a partnership with Dada.net, an italian-based social networking site, Google will be providing adsense-style content, and allowing users to make a little bit of money at the same time.

The "friend$" program allows users to sign up and host the advertising on their pages including blogs and profiles. They are then able to refer their friends to sign up and become of the project as well, then they make money on their friends ads to boot. They are promoting the content virally on a site that is already viral by nature... so how could they lose?

On that note, how long could it be before this type of partnership starts on the big two: MySpace and Facebook. Will it be allowed? And if so, would users take part?

With a large media conglomerate behind MySpace, and Facebook being more conservative in nature, it may be more likely to hit lesser known communities first. This is just one attempt to monetize the plethora of user-generated content on the net. This and other newer areas of the web continue to be explored by advertisers, and we will likely continue to see interesting developments in the near future.