Strategic Social Networking - Archive

Investors Are Betting On Facebook

May 22nd, 2012 | Posted by admin in app | Facebook | marketing | social media - (0 Comments)

Facebook is in the news regarding their infrastructure being solely dependent on the web and open source technology. Facebook is, in essence, relying on the web and open technology for its continual success. Unlike other large technology companies that have product offerings of software and/or hardware as their main interest, Facebook appears to be betting on their future success exclusively utilizing user-generated content and various types of open source technology. This open environment is development in a public, collaborative manner with user interaction, and can be a huge savings for consumers. This information is summarized in an article – Facebook’s 11 Biggest Technology Bets – InformationWeek.com/News/Development/Open-Source/

The article states:

“Facebook has the opportunity to succeed. The question is whether the company has the technology and talent to turn user attention into ad revenue.”

Carlos Icaza, an adviser to several startups and Fortune 500 companies offered this from the article:

“Facebook, as big as it is, is also nimble and can move quickly and adapt quickly. The one thing that Facebook has is that it is not platform-specific. That is, after all, what gives it its edge.”

And, Google’s Vic Gundotra states this from the article:

“The Web has become the dominant software platform.”

Facebook apps also play a major role in future business growth for Facebook. In addition, they are betting on their many users to prefer their UI, apps, and platform over other online services. Also, Facebook plans to introduce file storage and file sharing services comparable to the main players in that industry, to keep those millions of users happy.

According to eMarketer, Facebook made almost $500 million from its virtual currency in 2010. This virtual currency promises to not only pay for itself, but also help to bring Facebook to the forefront in terms of revenue. Facebook plans to catch up to Google, Apple and Microsoft and with the help of their millions of users every month, investors are betting on them to do just that.

Sandy McIntosh, May 22, 2012

Zwoor Mobile App Zeros in on Trade Show Content

Zwoor, a mobile app tool for conferences and trade shows, has enhanced their event app with a photo taking feature. According to the press release, “Zwoor.com Mobile App Adds Picture Taking to the Conference and Corporate Event App – Attendees Can Now Create and Share a Candid View of Collective Knowledge Via Photos” the improvements are delighting event attendees.

The app offers the ability to categorize data and pictures based on a particular event agenda. The app also integrates with social media avenues and provides candid insight. With the ability to generate real-time analytics and content with photos, this new feature provides a way for attendees to zero in on sessions and in-conference events relevant to their particular focus.

The app isn’t just adding value to the attendees either. Event planners using Zwoor possess new methods that demonstrate value for business planning purposes.

Ken Burns, External Relations at Zwoor, explains the development as a continuous innovation cycle:

“With the monthly drumbeat of innovation, Zwoor.com continues to lead the industry on the richness of features for mobile apps. Our “free demo app for your event, with no commitment to buy” shows how confident we are in the value and quality we provide.”

Traditionally, trade shows are overwhelming with lots of content and big crowds cramming everything in over a short duration of time. It is often grueling and time consuming to achieve for attendees and event planners to achieve maximum benefits of the event. Zwoor offers the ability to reduce costs, maximize reach and increase engagement. That sounds like a win for any conference or event planner..

Sandy McIntosh, May 10, 2012

BranchOut Could Surpass LinkedIn

It looks as if LinkedIn’s days may be numbered according to the article, “LinkedIn’s Biggest Competitor Is a Facebook App That Just Hit 25 Million Users”, on Mashable.com. Facebook app, BranchOut, could eventually surpass the popular professional networking site with 25 million registered users (and growing) already part of the application. With an internal team of only 45 people BranchOut is focused and well-organized and supports job postings and recruiters much like LinkedIn. One major way they differ is the group of potential users.

“Although reaching 25 million registered users looks less impressive when compared to LinkedIn’s 150 million, there are 850 million Facebook users for whom joining BranchOut is just a matter of accepting the app’s permissions. On Thursday, BranchOut announced a $25 million round of funding, bringing its total venture capital backing to $49 million.”

While BranchOut certainly seems to be on track to meet or exceed LinkedIn’s numbers the article makes some good points about potential hazards the app’s team may meet as they gain users. One is that being part of such a large platform means that the small development team will have to react to the many changes Facebook will surely make, and fast. Another roadblock could be that if Facebook decides to create their own career section BranchOut could easily be made irrelevant. Not to mention eventually they would have to go after LinkedIn’s user-base,many of whom already have vast, intricate professional connections on their competing site. That said LinkedIn may want to form a strategy to prevent such hemorrhaging.

Derek Clark, May 1, 2012

Will Angry Birds Revolutionize Social Networking in China?

In China social networking is heavily monitored and America’s premier social-networking site, Facebook, is restricted. These factors are troubling for Internet companies since China remains the world’s largest web market.

However, one Internet rage has managed to break through the great firewall of China and is taking the country by storm. According to the Washington Post in an article titled, “Angry Birds Maker Works on Winning Players in China,” Angry Birds, Rovio Entertainment Oy’s popular touchscreen mobile game that involves birds being slung at pigs, has been downloaded more than 100 million times in China. According to Henri Holm, senior vice president of Rovio Asia, this is largely because of the growth of smart devices in the country especially those using the Android and iPhone operating systems.

With Angry Birds downloads expected to surpass the 100-million mark in 2012 Rovio is naturally seeking to expand its Internet distribution with Chinese social-networking companies like Renren Inc., Tencent Holdings Ltd., and Sina Corp.

Apart from tapping into China’s 513 million Internet users Rovio sees great advertising potential since most Chinese users are playing the free version of the game on which ads can easily be placed.

“Advertising is one of the ways we can monetize,”

Holm told the Post.

Another way is through Angry Birds merchandising; so far the most profitable arena for Rovio. The company is also exploring the possibility of making a version of Angry Birds that is compatible for the 10 percent using China’s HTML5-based web browsers.

So far companies like Renren are handling the matter coyly telling the Post in an email,

“We often have discussions with companies like Rovio, as we constantly look for potential partnerships and joint products that would further enhance our user experience.”

Pete Fernbaugh, April 19, 2012

Facebook Seeks to Overcome UX Vulnerability with Instagram Acquisition

Facebook has recently announced the surprising news that they are set to acquire the popular photosharing app Instagram for a head-scratching $1 Billion dollar price tag. The Inc.com article “3 Simple Reasons Instagram Is Worth $1 Billion to Facebook” speculates about the possible advantages of the buyout. The three main benefits highlighted in the article include revamping the “clunky”, non-user-friendly interface of the current Facebook mobile app, maintaining users during the rise of mobile social networking competitors (who have simple and stylish features to boost user experience), and combating a negative “uncool” stigma that Facebook will have to shake, especially with all of the smaller, hipper competition gaining momentum.

From the article:

“User experience is a high point of vulnerability for Facebook,” says Robert Fabricant, vice president of creative for the design firm Frog, which is based in New York City. “Yes, it built such a fundamental infrastructure for sharing, but most of its attempts to create a good user experience have been, frankly, feeble.”

It is easy to join the crowd in speculating why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg would shell out so much cash to improve the number one social networking app (and #2 overall website, after Google) instead of redeveloping his own competing photographic application. The three reasons in the Inc.com article are likely part of it, as are the “squashing the competition” theories and the obvious perk of gaining Instagram user data. Even for Facebook, $1 Billion is a bold investment, and they will have to win a lot of doubters over with an experience that will please Instagram and Facebook users alike.

Derek Clark, April 18, 2012