LB's Rambles

MySpace vs. Facebook

I've seen a fair number of articles lately about slippage at MySpace, when compared with the rapid growth of both Facebook and Twitter. Should NewsCorp (which owns MySpace) be concerned? At Social Media Insider, Catharine P. Taylor makes some excellent points. One of the arguments I find most compelling is her comment that, over the past 15 months, almost nobody has friended her on MySpace, while the number of her Facebook friends nas gone up nearly sevenfold.

It's all very well to say that MySpace is focussing on a particular niche - the entertainment industry, particularly music and particularly youth - but is that a viable business model? We'll see. Anyway, I commend the article to you - along with the comments made by other posters there.

Search and Social Media

At our panel discussion of social marketing this week at Baruch College, there was a lot of discussion about the blurring lines between social media and search, and the prediction that we will see more of a merger between them - and, in particular, that social media is the "new search."

David Berkowitz of the digital marketing agency 360i has something to say about that in his new column for MediaPost's SocialMediaInsider newsletter. As he has been writing MediaPost's Search Insider column for more than 4 years now, I think he brings a good rational perspective to the discussion, with some pretty clear arguments about the similarities - and differences.

Twitter By the Numbers

By now, I suspect, a lot of people are getting tired of hearing about the phenomenal growth of the micro-blogging service Twitter. Maybe so. But there have been so many reports from so many sources that it is difficult to avoid, let alone try to resolve, the growth numbers. So eMarketer has done the work, gathering Twitter growth figures from a variety of sources.

The results - well, again, we're about out of superlatives, aren't we? Whether you talk about comScore's Twitter numbers showing 131% growth just in March or Nielsen Online's 1,381% growth year-over-year, the statistics are pretty convincing.

Now if only Twitter could figure out a way to make a buck from all those viewers...

By the way, apparently figuring "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em," eMarketer is now on Twitter as well.

The iPhone for Verizon?

I am delighted to hear that Apple reportedly has been talking to Verizon about producing a version of the iPhone that would work on Verizon's network. Right now, Apple has an exclusivity deal with AT&T, which is great for AT&T but not so great for those of us who cannot (or choose not to) use AT&T as our cellular provider.

In my case, I switched away from AT&T a few years back because the service simply is useless in my neighborhood. So I have never been able to use an iPhone. I would enjoy the opportunity.

Hat tip: MediaPost

Social Media Panel Wrapup

Yesterday's panel on viral marketing and social media at Baruch College's MarkLab in New York went off smoothly. Allen Stern at CenterNetwork attended the session and filed this concise roundup.

Hat tip: Howard Greenstein, via Facebook.

Why We Use Twitter

Marketing Pilgrim has an interesting post which quotes a MarketingProfs survey on why people use Twitter. Most interesting point, perhaps, is the finding that only about one-third of Twitter users believe it's important to follow those who follow you. As the article points out, that's a little peculiar, given that users say they stress the importance of connecting to a lot of people.

Hat tip: Robin Broitman via Twitter @RGBroitman

"The Rising of the Moon"

This week's podcast review on "Classic Mysteries" is of "The Rising of the Moon," a mystery by Gladys Mitchell featuring one of detection's most eccentric sleuths, Mrs. Bradley, a psychiatrist who frequently assists the police in their investigations of murder cases. In this book, she is called in to help find the person responsible for what appears to be a series of murders linked to the full moon.

The book is narrated by a young schoolboy who, with his younger brother, sets out to solve the crimes, with the occasional help of Mrs. Bradley. It is a compelling novel, as much a coming-of-age story as it is a mystery. Gladys Mitchell was extremely popular with British readers during the Golden Age of the mystery story, but she really didn't catch on very well with American audiences. I think "The Rising of the Moon" is an excellent introduction to Mrs. Bradley and to Gladys Mitchell for American audiences. You can listen to the full audio review here, and, as always, I invite you to visit www.classicmysteries.net to continue our discussions about this and other fine mysteries.

Three Keys to "Going Viral"

On the eve of Baruch College's panel discussion on viral communications and social marketing, which I am moderating in New York City on Monday, Fast Company has put out an interesting conversation-starter on the viral marketing phenomenon, called "Three Secrets to Make a Message Go Viral."

I don't think it's the sole route to success, nor do I think these are the only factors. Among other things, I think the content of your message and any video or audio is likely to play a key role. I also believe, to paraphrase Peter Shankman, that you can't guarantee "viral," but you can guarantee "good" and/or "worth watching." But it's an interesting starting point for a dialogue.

With that in mind, let me re-issue my invitation to any of my visitors who may be in New York City this Monday afternoon to join us for the panel. It should be a lively and informative discussion.

Angst for the Memories...

I've been seeing a fair amount of brow- and breast-beating on Twitter over the past several days about the alleged "hijacking" of the service by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey. As the late Samuel Goldwyn said, include me out. Twitter is very much what you make it. If Oprah has a few hundred thousand followers in the week or so she's been on, more power to her. But that's not why I use Twitter, and she's not somebody I follow (nor does she follow me). And that's fine.

I think Catharine P. Taylor is right on target in her summation at the Social Media Insider blog."If Twitter ever does go to seed," she writes, "I hope it's not because Oprah sent out a few tweets." Her commenters, for the mast part, seem to agree. What do you think?

Too Much Facebook Time?

Are you spending an undue amount of time on Facebook? Maybe you're an addict. At any rate, the people at CNNHealth seem to take it seriously enough to post five warning clues of Facebook addiction. I'm not so sure this isn't unconscious parody, so I'll just award it a "heh." On the other hand, my wife and I generally do not communicate via Facebook, so perhaps I'm just not the right target audience...