Flipify Media

Thoughts on Facebook Timeline for Fan Pages

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:24:00 +0000

Despite another mixed reaction from Facebook users from the recent Timeline updates (it seems any change on Facebook is hated then loved) reports suggest that Facebook will be applying the same layout to a handful of brands by the end of February.

It’s an exciting opportunity to give Marketers even greater branding opportunities, and a progressive stream of updates. However, there are some areas worth considering:

Timeline likely to show when your brand joined Facebook

Did you get to the party late? How much focus did you put on Facebook in the early days? Are your ‘test’ posts going to be revealed?

Assuming that Timeline for Fan Pages works in a similar, if not identical way, to Facebook users brands are likely to have some concern on some of the activity posted in previous years.

A fan page with 10,000+ fans might be a little embarrassed on their early day posts hoping to hit the 100 fan mark.
A previous competition you’re unlike to re-run?
A complaint handled online setting a precedence?
Or even one single post that stands out for the wrong reasons and you’re glad it’s ‘hidden’.

Timeline also brings up another question. Should brands back-fill their account with company related information? If Facebook user accounts show when the individual is born, will Fan Pages show when the company was founded? The pre-fan page days might be filled with 1930s company history. Is this the right way to add content to Timeline?

Greater importance on providing a steady stream of updates

Remember the days of hearing the first brands specifically hiring staff to manage and monitor social media? It sounded crazy at the time - someone’s full time job was to Tweet for the company.

At some point in a brands social media past (or present for some) updates are sporadic. We’ve spoke to many clients who have put in place ‘objectives’ to tweet or post at least once a day - to force content creation or syndication, and to remove the fear of not keeping their audience up to date.

With Timeline updates will become more important, because it becomes much simpler for users to see all your content at once, and times when you were not engaging with your audience as much as you should have been. Within a few scrolls you’re back in 2011. Within a few more you’re back in 2008. The content from 4/5 years is likely to be a lot different to the content you want to publish now.

Regular updates will reduce any unwanted campaign-crossover and show you’re constantly engaging.

Restriction of fan posts

Access levels to posting content… it’s tricky, but most brands will have by now found a level they are happy with, and decided on their tone. As Timeline gives us greater branding opportunities, and continues to represent brands over time, Facebook could become a much more campaign-based community tool. It’s not a dumping ground for content, it’s a flow of your brand representation. Do you want your message mixed up with a users interpretation of the brand - be it the right or wrong message? Perhaps you only want responses to your own posts? Are you able to moderate all the posts?

It’s going to be an interesting time, and those are just some thoughts on questions that might need asking… and that’s before you even consider the creative needed for the cover photo…

Twitter reaction to Whitney Houston's death

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

With the shock news of Whitney Houston’s death announced, Twitter users paid their tributes to the ‘pop legend’. Worldwide trending, and even a new Twitter account with 89,000+ followers (@RIPWhitneyH).

One profound statement on Facebook from Pete Cashmore, CEO at Mashable took an interesting view on how intrinsic social media has become in our day to day lives.

Times they are a changin’.

Everyone online seemed to head to Twitter to assess the world’s reaction to Whitney’s passing — then I switched on the TV news channels and they were rounding up Twitter reactions.

There’s no distinct “social media” anymore — all media is social, and all social networks are media.

Perhaps time for some to stop labelling “social media” as the “latest trend”. Consumers have been using Twitter and other channels for some time, and will continue to do so.

Although it is far from the most sincere tribute to be paid, a simple search on Google images for ‘RIP Whitney Houston’ brings up one result of a man excitingly sitting in front of a computer with a text overlay of ‘Whitney Houston died. Better let everyone know’.

Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:49:31 +0000

Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam

Seems the new Facebook iPhone app has yet another picture...

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:30:08 +0000

Seems the new Facebook iPhone app has yet another picture related bug. After recently fixing stray comments appearing on unrelated latest uploads, it seems the description text is + symbol happy.

Google: The Evolution of Search A quick 6 minute video looking...

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:24:25 +0000

Google: The Evolution of Search

A quick 6 minute video looking at how Google has become our most used search engine

David Beckham plays Blind Football with the British Paralympic...

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:16:23 +0000

David Beckham plays Blind Football with the British Paralympic team

The Bicycle Animation

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:20:42 +0000

The Bicycle Animation

Epic short animation

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:49:21 +0000

Epic short animation

Interesting argument that social networks allow us to interact...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:29:07 +0000

Interesting argument that social networks allow us to interact with different people, but doesn’t allow us to interact using our many different personalities.

Fantastic Christmas advert (again) from John Lewis. Lovely...

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:17:38 +0000

Fantastic Christmas advert (again) from John Lewis. Lovely twist.

How to make a new font: Drive a small car in a large space with...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:33:40 +0000

How to make a new font:

Drive a small car in a large space with tracking markers… wasn’t expecting that?!

Genius iPhone App - Just Dance 3

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:13:41 +0000

Now and again an iPhone App comes along which is genius. Just Dance 3 is one of those. Simple to use, with brilliant results. Limited to 3 soundtracks and no ‘save video to iPhone’ function (saved within the app, or share to their YouTube channel or to your own Facebook account) holds the iPhone app back a little, but it’s still worth a download and a play.

Sharing content isn't always permitted

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 01:25:14 +0100

Timely delivery of online content is becoming ever increasingly important. Quality of content replaced by being the first. And in an ever demanding online community, someone is always there to assist - rightly or wrongly in the eyes of copyright lawyers.

Problem: Leading TV channel takes hours to upload catch-up content for a leading TV show. Placeholder page placed online, with comments from the general public of frustration. Tonight, an episode aired at 10pm has taken 3 hours to become available.

Solution: A fan of the show starts up a YouTube channel uploading 4 parts of the single show every night to plug this gap.

Outcome: Fans rely on the channel to be able to view the show. Production company close it down. Publisher opens another, and this is closed down. Fans have to wait (and become frustrated) for longer - http://www.youtube.com/user/BBUK2011Newer

It really poses the question - what harm did this channel do? Should copyright laws be adhered to every time, even when the originator of content struggles to achieve what 1 individual can? And surely the main objective is to engage with the community - 3 hours wait isn’t achieving this.

What is even more concerning is that this programme is a collection of pre-recorded material. Time for them to step up to the plate, and deliver what their community demands. After all, it is called ‘Demand 5’

Some fun this weekend with video :)

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:52:01 +0100

Some fun this weekend with video :)

iOS5, iCloud & iTunes - Download all purchases

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:07:17 +0100

New feature that doesn’t seem to have been communicated widely will allow all iTunes users to download previous purchases. Ideal for those who rarely sync with their computer with their devices, and to get everything set up for the iCloud.

Face substitution - endless possibilities for Marketing use?...

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:07:50 +0100

Face substitution - endless possibilities for Marketing use? Interesting technology and certainly an area to watch…

‘Shortcut scrubbing’ technique used in this Lynx ad...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:12:52 +0100

‘Shortcut scrubbing’ technique used in this Lynx ad to reveal a hidden meaning.

If users click on the YouTube progress bar and press the keys 5, 7, 3, 8, lo and behold, the female reporter …. well try it for yourself.

It’s no life-changing Easter Egg, but it’s another technique in our video armoury. Would be great if letters could be assigned to points within the video, allowing the user to type the brand to reveal a hidden message.

It’s exciting to think how this could be used… congratulations to those responsible for this video - offering a first to the YouTube community.

Steve, thank you and goodbye

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:33:00 +0100

On learning that Steve Jobs has passed away the mood around the world is a mix of pure sadness and gratitude. To us and many others Steve inspired in so many ways. As Barack Obama said “He made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun”. He showed how to present to the world, and making such conferences available for all to watch. When you buy into Apple you buy into the brand like no other. He opened up Apple to all - even inspiring elderly consumers in using an iPad. He helped change perceptions on computing - that you “needed” the latest iPhone. Is this the same with any product. He was a visionary. Passionate. Dedicated.

The Marketing community have also lost their greatest ambassador. A brand himself whilst still remaining very private. Someone who created a buzz around every product, made the consumer wait, and sat back to see the return visually in consumers queuing outside for hours on end. He simplified processes and simplified design. He created a brand like no other.

Steve, in our minds, has firmly confirmed his position in history as one of the greats. In an information world he showed us all the way.

The following quote sums up how the world feels.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

RIP Steve

Update:

No Replacements found… our favourite tribute to Steve

http://yfrog.com/h8spqpknj

MailOnline makes up events, quotes from Perugia

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:22:37 +0100

MailOnline makes up events, quotes from Perugia:

Quite a mistake on their part, but highlights the importance of getting information online as quick as possible. Covering both areas isn’t a bad idea, drafting various information prior to the verdict seems logical, but publishing without editing or with a robust approval process in place isn’t too clever. Read full article.

World distracted from economic collapse by slightly better camera

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:17:00 +0100

World distracted from economic collapse by slightly better camera:

Seems the Apple conference yesterday has created quite a buzz worldwide - be it for the new iPhone 4S or the lack of an iPhone 5. Interesting argument that the world might have been distracted from economic problems… even if just for a few days - Read full article