Reasons To Be Digital, Part 3

It's the (digital) economy, stupid

[gerrymolloy]

18 Great Christmas Pet Pressie Ideas

[gerrymolloy]

18 Great Christmas Pet Pressie Ideas – after all, it’s their Christmas too…..

WoofAdvisor is a start-up founded to help Dog Lovers.Like to support what we're doing?Please share & help get the word out! Toys & Things / Interactive Dog ToysStarbarks Squeaky Frenchie Roast Toy with Straw from Haute Diggity DogSoft plush toy with a squeaker inside.  Price: $16.00.Available in two sizes: Mini (4 inches) and Regular (7 inches).Some of the present ideas we came across are not only great fun for your furry buddy, they keep him well, active and occupied, dealing with some common everyday problems for dogs including loneliness, separation anxiety and boredom / lack of stimulation. Full article available at: https://www.woofadvisor.com/blog/12-christmas-pet-pressie-ideas/

The main categories we've covered are:

Toys & Things / Interactive Dog Toys

Warm Coats

Dog Beds

Travel Blankets

Customizable Pet Carrier

Interactive Ball Launchers

Remote Cameras / Treat Dispensers

Rocking Chair (Spoiler: great design but not available on market yet)

Toys & Things / Interactive Dog Toys

Starbarks Squeaky Frenchie Roast Toy with Straw from Haute Diggity Dog Soft plush toy with a squeaker inside.  Price: $16.00.

Available in two sizes: Mini (4 inches) and Regular (7 inches).

Dog Peek Pet Fence Window Dogs are curious creatures. They want to see what's going on in the world. Give them their own point of view with this special window for the fence.The PetPeek™ window is a durable, clear, hard acrylic dome 9.5 inches in diameter, with a black trim-ring and all necessary hardware for easy do-it-yourself installation into your wooden or vinyl fence.  Price: $35.

SnuffleMats

SnuffleMats are a great way to stimulate your dog's foraging instincts, encouraging and developing their natural skills, help with boredom, and slow down fast eaters.  They come in different sizes, with a large mat capable of holding a full kibble meal.

Bowser Beer

Nothing's better than kicking back a few with your buds, and why shouldn't dogs be allowed in on the fun? These beers are completely non-alcoholic and contain USDA beef or chicken and natural ingredients. Price:  $19.99.

K9 Connectables Interactive Dog Toys These colorful toys are designed to utilize your dog’s natural instincts to hunt and work for food, challenging them to unlock the high-value treats placed inside.The combination of shapes and sizes available means that you can increase the difficulty level as your dog gets better at the game by connecting more and different toys together.

Warm Coats The Hurtta Summit ParkaThis dog winter jacket is designed to complement the thermal insulation capacity of dogs - even dogs with thick and long fur need protection against the cold from time to time.The Hurtta Summit Parka dog jacket protects your dog's most important muscle groups, chest and the sensitive abdomen area. It's quick to put on and take off and is particularly well suited for warming up the muscles of active dogs before or after training.The Summit Parka has a water-resistant and breathable Houndtex® coating and high-visibility 3M reflectors.  It comes with adjustable back length, belt and collar, re-closeable opening for harness on the back and is machine washable.Cost: $89.00 Dog Beds

Charley Chau Snuggle beds

These beds come in Small, Medium and Large sizes, 4 colors, and with an optional waterproof bed liner. "Fully removable outer cover and machine washable everything."Small - approx. 60x60cm: A good size for Chihuahuas, small Mini Dachshunds and very tiny Jack RussellsMedium - approx. 80x60cm: A good size for Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, Pugs, most Jack Russells, Mini Dachshunds and Italian GreyhoundsLarge - approx. 100x80cm: A good size for Whippets, Working Cocker Spaniels, Standard Dachshunds, small Lurchers & Hungarian Vizslas.

Rocking-2-gether chair

Unfortunately this is not on the market yet but may be soon....we will keep you posted when it does become available.

WoofAdvisor is a start-up founded to help Dog Lovers.

Like to support what we're doing? Please share & help get the word out!

https://www.facebook.com/WoofAdvisor/

https://www.instagram.com/woofadvisor/

https://twitter.com/woofadvisor

Some other Blogs you might like:

Thinking of getting a Dog for Christmas? Please read this first!

Downloadable Pet Nup

Pet Insurance Checklist - what to look out for before picking a policy

The Benefits Of Dog Friendly Workplaces For All - Including Employers!

10 Pet Travel Accessories to make travelling with your pet easier, and safer

New York Off Leash Parks and Dog Runs

Central Park - 23 Dog Friendly Areas, Maps, Rules and more

[gerrymolloy]

Tweeters warned about contempt of court

 Interesting article today in Guardian about possible implications for Tweets that are deemed to be prejudicial to legal actions or trials.

 UK Attorney general Dominic Grieve hopes to prevent legal novices publishing remarks that might cause trials to be abandoned.

Advisory notices – already issued confidentially to print and broadcast media about controversial or emotive trials – will now be flagged up via the attorney general's website and Twitter feed (@AGO_UK).

 Attorney general Dominic Grieve's decision to share warnings is recognition that social media conversations are increasingly opinion-forming. He hopes to prevent people without legal training inadvertently publishing remarks that could technically be contempt of court, requiring a judge to discharge a jury in order to ensure adverse publicity did not undermine a fair trial.

 "Blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook mean individuals can now reach thousands of people with a single tweet or post," he said.

This is "exciting" but can pose certain challenges to the criminal justice system. He added: "In days gone by, it was only the mainstream media that had the opportunity to bring information relating to a court case to such a large group of people that it could put a court case at risk.

"That is no longer the case and is why I have decided to publish the advisories that I have previously only issued to the media.

"This is not about telling people what they can or cannot talk about on social media; quite the opposite in fact – it's designed to help facilitate commentary in a lawful way.

"I hope that by making this information available to the public at large, we can help stop people from inadvertently breaking the law, and make sure that cases are tried on the evidence, not what people have found online.

"This change also brings more openness to government's dealings with the media so that both sides can be accountable to the public for what they do and say."

On average, the attorney general's office issues around five advisories a year although there have already been 10 this year due to high-profile court cases.

Advisories have been circulated in relation to cases such as the murder of Tia Sharp, Sgt Danny Nightingale's court martial and the arrest of Christopher Jefferies.

The new, publicly available advisories may be expressed in more general terms to avoid drawing attention to areas of specific legal concern about cases, Grieve said. The tweets, limited to 140 characters, are unlikely to be able to provide sufficient detail on their own and will link back to the full warning on the AG's website.

Judges have had to abandon trials in the past because of misleading articles being published but no Twitter storm has yet halted a court hearing.

The attorney general said he usually issued advisories "when it's clear that things are starting to go wrong … [and] when I have a clear sense that problems are developing."

Asked whether Twitter warnings might be counter-productive and stir up interest in sensitive trials, Grieve said: "The evidence we have is that if the story starts to get widespread, public interest, I don't think we will be encouraging people [to make comments]."

The publicised distribution of legal warnings may make it harder in future for users of Facebook or Twitter to claim they made comments in ignorance of the law.

"If there were a case where there were breaches of the Contempt of Court Act and it was quite clear they had access to our tweets, then it would reduce any plea in mitigation," Grieve said.

The text of every advisory is approved by the attorney general or the solicitor general, Oliver Heald QC.

It is possible that knowledge of their existence could in future encourage lawyers to approach the department to ask for more frequent interventions.

Grieve said he believed social media users should be more aware of potential legal pitfalls.

"As social media gathers pace," he said, "I think schools may be well advised to provide a lesson about the responsibility of users – not just in relation to libel or contempt."

 Original article

Owen Bowcott  The Guardian, Wednesday 4 December 2013

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2013/dec/04/tweeters-warned-about-contempt-of-court

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eMark symbol for Irish online goods: attempt to stem €8.5m daily losses to economy

In the coming weeks, the industry members behind the eMark symbol will be revealed.

The industry members feel that Irish firms and jobs are being threatened by large and internet-savvy online retailers, especially in the run-up to Christmas and beyond.

The eMark will enable consumers to identify approved Irish online businesses before making purchasing decisions.

Original article

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/35009-the-technology-business-wee

[gerrymolloy]

Why WordPress Updates Matter

Interesting short article by Sean Michael Kerner highlighting need for updating WordPress sites based on versions prior to 3.7

WordPress recently updated to version 3.6.1 fixing a number of security vulnerabilities. I have no direct visibility into the specific number of how many of the 71 million WordPress deployments have updated to the latest version, but I know for a fact that not all of them have.

In fact, there are many vulnerable, unpatched WordPress deployments. The technique known as "Google hacking'" can easily identify vulnerable sites. With Google hacking, a search query is entered into a search engine that will search code (for example, https://search.nerdydata.com/). To Google hack a WordPress site, an attacker or security researcher just needs to look for the WordPress site identifier that discloses what version of the software a site is running, in order to find older, unpatched installations.

It really is that easy.

The challenge, from where I sit, is that many WordPress installations are set up and then just not updated. Sure, users will update content and posts, but the core installation isn't always updated. Recent versions of WordPress have made the need to update more obvious to administrators with a top menu item that indicates that an update is available. Though the update still requires manual human intervention to actually click and update the site, which can often be the stumbling block that is preventing so many WordPress sites from actually being updated.

With the upcoming WordPress 3.7 update set for release by the end of October, that situation could soon change. WordPress 3.7 will likely include automatic background updates for security releases. It's an obvious (and great) idea and one that browser vendors, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, as well as Adobe with Flash, have already implemented.

Simply put, automated security updates will keep sites more secure.

WordPress today represents the low-hanging fruit target for an attacker. One can only hope that over time, as WordPress 3.7 and its successors are released, that will change.

~~~~~~~~

By Sean Michael Kerner

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

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Hidden features of Google Earth: how to fly to the moon and back

How the features you may not have spotted in Google Earth will let you explore anywhere on the planet and beyond.

By selecting Moon from the top toolbar you can use the 'Moon' programme.

The feature offers tours of lunar landing sites, narrated by some of the Apollo astronauts who went there.

You an also view 3D models of the spacecraft that have landed on the Moon as well as zooming in to see the footprints that astronaunts left on the surface.

Original article: 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/10419907/Hidden-features-of-Google-Earth-how-to-fly-to-the-moon-and-back.html

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Never miss an opportunity.......?

I'm talking about Seflies at Funerals of course

An American called Jason Feifer has put together a collection on his Tumblr page "Selfies at Funerals", all in the best possible taste.

29TH OCT 2013 | 76 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 29 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 45 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 87 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 476 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 76 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 75 NOTES

29TH OCT 2013 | 73 NOTES

http://selfiesatfunerals.tumblr.com/

[gerrymolloy]

Hashtags on Facebook: What Does It Mean for You?

Facebook announced the arrival of hashtags. This is a significant step towards business in real time.

Now, when you will click on a hashtag in Facebook, users will be able to see all public content related to that keyword. Of course you will be able to join the conversation via a public post, quoting this hashtag.

Search for a specific conversation (vs. simple search term), follow a media event, a program, a personality,...just like on Twitter.

Being able to see posts coming from other applications, that have been shared on Facebook (eg Instagram) – many people are ‘cross-posting’ on several networks, including Facebook – it will be easier to find them

Being able to click on hashtags in comments or posts directly from the page hashtags, or status updates from friends or pages.

"Hashtags are only the first step to help people to easily find out what others are saying about a given topic and to participate to public conversations," says Greg Lindley from Facebook.

For Facebook, it is a simple way to create more engagement and more monetization opportunities (sponsored hashtags, trends, posts, use of Facebook as a second screen, etc...)

What's the point?

Thanks to this new feature, the status updates about general topics or revolving around ‘communities of interest’ not necessarily assembled in a group, and the most interesting and outstanding posts, will become viral without the help of friends. Not only your friends will see your posts and Facebook statuses, but potentially tens of thousands of people.

Indeed, only a few persons pay attention to 'public statuses' you wrote on Facebook (yes, they were already available in Facebook but you had to use the search bar, then filter by ‘Public statuses’). Thanks to hashtags, the visibility of these posts will undoubtedly increase significantly, as they can identify distinct conversations in the middle of the 'buzz' of all posts.

Will media seize it?

Of course.  Media (especially broadcasters) have adopted Twitter for its conversational power. Facebook will enable to reach an even wider audience. Media will need to aggregate and select the most relevant content and republish some on all screens to show the community she’s valued. That challenge will be increasingly daunting.

And what about brands?

Undoubtedly good news. The arrival of hashtags could mean a revival of the ‘Social’ part of social media. The unique strength of Twitter is to generate conversations at scale, quickly, and relevant to media or brands, with virality. On the other hand, Facebook marketing is often summarized to a race to 'fans' and 'like', hard-pushed through sponsored posts, Facebook ads & silly contests (ie agencies focusing only on the ‘media’ part of Facebook).

Yet, I have always maintained that the value of social is to create, strengthen and amplify the 'social currency' that brand’s ambassadors are willing to create through a relevant conversation. Given the wider size of Facebook, it is obvious that adding the conversational dimension via the hashtag is a major asset for ‘conversational campaigns', meaningful for the brand. Brands have then to amplify this content to the 'passive majority', greedy of this social content.

U.S. brands understood it, as shown by an Altimeter’s analysis during the last 'Superbowl' in February, brands have clearly favoured hashtags and destination URLs at the expense of Facebook.

Since then, Facebook has responded (better late than never). Up to media, brands and consumers to respond too.

Posted June 21, 2013

http://socialmediatoday.com/index.php?q=alexvdm/1549111/hashtags-facebook-what-does-it-mean

[gerrymolloy]

Top 10 Hidden YouTube Tips

YouTube is used by millions of people to watch videos every day, but how many of us really put it through its paces? Here are a few of its hidden gems

1. Better linking

If you want to link to a specific point in a video, just right-click the video and select 'Copy video URL at current time'. When someone clicks on that URL, it will then take them to that specific point.

2. Play/Pause

If you want to quickly pause a video, the easiest way is to just press the Space bar on your keyboard. It will save you hovering the mouse over the play/pause button. Pressing the Space bar again will make the video continue playing.

3. Rewind/fast-forward

If you want to rewind a video, just press the left arrow key on your keyboard. To forward a video, press the right key. This is much quicker than using the mouse and dragging the cursor across.

4. Watch later

If you're in the middle of a video and need to stop watching it - do not fear. You can click on a Watch Later button that looks like a clock, and it will save the video for you to come back to. This way you don't have to keep searching for the same videos and it will be waiting for you in your 'Watch Later' channel.

5. Disable related content

If you don't want to see any related videos at the end of a clip, you can disable them by adding the code "?rel=0" to the end of the URL in the embed code.

6. Repeat videos

If you want to repeat your favourite music videos, you can add the word 'repeater' in the URL straight after 'youtube' to open it in an external site that will play it back as often as you let it. You can also set it to play back just part of the video. It will look something like 'www.youtuberepeater.com/watch?'

7. Customised searching

If you want to narrow down your search results, you can use a number of codes. Adding "HD" to your search query will return high-definition results while "3D" will pull up three-dimensional content.

Writing "long" will bring you videos longer than 20 minutes, while typing in "short" will return content less than four minutes long.

Typing in "channels" or "playlists" will just bring up those results, as will "today" or "this week" to bring up more recent content.

8. Search in other languages

For the bilingual or multilingual, there are options on YouTube to search in different languages. All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page and change the language options. The choices range from Hebrew to Marathi and for these foreign languages with different characters, a special keyboard will appear in the search options. For languages such as Hebrew where it is written from right to left, the position of the page changes too.

9. Download a video

If you want to embed a video onto your own webpage, press the 'Share' button on the video and then go to 'Embed'. If you want to change the size of the video, you can pick a custom width and it will automically produce the required size for the video.

10. Poor connection

If you have a poor connection and want to improve the quality of the videos you're watching, use YouTube Feather. This beta viewing option removes some features and buttons on the video, meaning they can buffer quicker and not leave you with slow loading.

Original Article by Radhika Sanghani

10:30AM GMT 28 Oct 2013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/10405283/Top-ten-hidden-YouTube-features.html

[gerrymolloy]

Google experiments with banner ads

Google breaks promise and experiments with banner ads

A "limted test in the US" is showing large picture adverts above search results

The search giant has confirmed that the ads are running only as a “very limited test in the US” with additional reports from SearchEngineLand claiming that for the 30 advertisers involved ads only appear on “less than five per cent of search queries”.

Many have noted that the ads’ introduction contravenes a promise made by Marissa Mayer in 2005 when the Yahoo CEO was then Google’s vice president of search products and user experience.

“There will be no banner ads on the Google homepage or web search results pages. There will not be crazy, flashy, graphical doodads flying and popping up all over the Google site. Ever.”

A Google spokeperson has described these “informative visual elements” as simply the latest progression in content-rich ads, building on services such as Image Extensions (first introduced in June 2013) that pairs text adverts with approved pictures.

The new banner ads, shown in the screenshot below, seem to directly match the user's search query – reducing the likelihood that customers will be annoyed by their introduction whilst allowing companies to reinforce their brand.

However, the experimental ads do push search results further down the page and Google’s reluctance to fully explain the tests may worry users about the ‘slow creep’ of intrusive advertising.

Original article: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-breaks-promise-and-experiments-with-banner-ads-8901030.html

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Mozilla's new Lightbeam tool

Mozilla's new Lightbeam tool will expose who is looking over your shoulder on the web

Lightbeam, a download produced by Mozilla, the US free software community behind the popular Firefox browser, claims to be a “watershed” moment in the battle for web transparency.

Everyone who browses the Internet leaves a digital trail used by advertisers to discover what your interests are.

Users who activate Lightbeam will be able to see a real-time visualisation of every site they visit and every third-party that is active on those sites, including commercial organisations which might potentially be sharing your data.

Mozilla wants users who install the Lightbeam add-on to Firefox, to crowd-source their data, to produce the first “big picture” view of web tracking, revealing which third-parties are most active.

Lightbeam promises a “Wizard of Oz” moment for the web, “where users collectively provide a way to pull back the curtains to see its inner workings,” Mozilla claimed.  

Mark Surman, Mozilla’s executive director, said: “It’s a stake in the ground in terms of letting people know the ways they are being tracked. At Mozilla, we believe everyone should be in control of their user data and privacy and we want people to make informed decisions about their Web experience.”

Mozilla already offers users the ability to disable “cookies” - small files that download from websites onto a computer, allowing advertisers to target users based on their online activity – an option taken up by 18 per cent of UK Firefox users.

Lightbeam will reveal the source of the third-party adverts, scripts and images stored on a web page which are linked to servers in other domains. An expanding graph visualises the interactions between the sites a user intentionally visits and the third parties which may not be welcome.

Mozilla has come under “tremendous pressure” from trade bodies over its mission to bring transparency to the web, said Alex Fowler, the company’s Privacy Officer.

The software company said it was responding to increased privacy concerns following the revelation that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had tapped directly into the servers of Internet firms including Facebook, to track online communication in a surveillance programme.

Lightbeam reveals the source of third-party adverts 

Firefox released a security upgrade after it emerged that the NSA was exploiting vulnerabilities in the browser to gain access to computers using Tor, a sophisticated anonymity tool.

But Mozilla insisted that Lightbeam itself will not compromise the privacy of users who agree to upload and share data. Lightbeam will not log IP addresses, the information will be aggregated anonymously and the software can be uninstalled, Mr Surman promised.

Lightbeam initially will only be available for desktop browsers. Apple has reportedly rejected from its store apps by developers which incorporate “cookie tracking” technology. “The whole mobile environment is closed,” Mr Surman said. “You have to go through Google and Apple for apps.”

Mozilla, which is developing its own tablet, Mr Surman disclosed, is hosting its UK Mozfest this weekend, a brain-storming “hack”, attended by 1,400 people.

Mr Surman said: “Our focus in on building a web based on openness and transparency. Our dream is a world where people know more about how the web works and take control of their lives online. We need a posse of people to get involved and make that happen.”

He accepted that some cookies can help consumers navigate sites by providing content relevant to the user but said it was important that tracking happens with a person’s knowledge.

Lightbeam is released ahead of “Stop Watching Us,” a “rally against mass surveillance” in response to the Snowden revelations, which will be held in Washington D.C. on Saturday.

Original Article: The Independent Technology > Life > Gadgets & Tech > News

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/mozillas-lightbeam-tool-will-expose-who-is-looking-over-your-shoulder-on-the-web-8902269.html

[gerrymolloy]

Google To Mine Users

Next month, Google will change its terms of service (effective from November 11, 2013) to allow it use Google+ profile names and photos in Google advertising (what Google is calling "Shared Endorsements"

Let's say you endorse and a friend is searching for somewhere to eat, your friend may be shown your photo, the comments you made etc.

What Google says

"Your activities (such as reviews, +1s, follows, shares etc) may be used along with your name and photo in commercial or other promotional contexts."

The good news?

You can actually opt out and here's how:

- Go to your Google+ account

- Settings (bottom item on Home drop down menu)

- 3rd item is Shared Endorsements

- Edit / unclick the check box at bottom / Save

Original article:

Media & Marketing: The Business of Media, Steve Dempsey, The Sunday Business Post, October 20th 2013.

[gerrymolloy]

A series of free guides for Inbound Websites available for download at ektron.com  

[gerrymolloy]

Facebook Is Losing Teens, And New Privacy Settings Won't Bring Them Back

Forbes.com 19/10/2013

There’s no question that Facebook is quickly losing teenage users to other social networks. In February, Facebook admitted in its annual 10-K report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was aware that younger users were less engaged with the social network than previously. Facebook stated:

In fact, many teens attest to the fact they are abandoning Facebook. In August, 13 year-old Ruby Karp wrote an Op-Ed for Mashable declaring “I’m 13 and None of My Friends Use Facebook”.

Karp wrote that all of her friends are using Instagram and Snapchat, and she only has a Facebook account herself “just to see what it was all about. I soon discovered that Facebook is useless without friends. My only friend is, like, my grandma.”

She also discovered the dark side of Facebook for the teens who do use it: Bullying. “Kids might comment something mean on a photo of you, or message you mean things. This isn’t Facebook’s fault, but again, it does happen there. If my mom heard I was getting bullied on Facebook, she would tell me to quit right away.” The impact of bullying via social networks on today’s young women – especially sexual harassment – was recently detailed in Vanity Fair.

But Facebook is apparently desperate to keep teenagers and bring back those who have left in droves. Earlier this week, it made a major change to its privacy policy for its 13-17 year-old users (whom must agree to a different privacy policy and have different settings than adult users).

Now, teenagers are allowed to post publicly for the world to see, as well as allow followers. Previously, Facebook prevented teenagers from sharing posts with more than just friends-of-friends, which was designed to protect teenagers from not only strangers, but also themselves.

However, teenagers have made it clear with their quick adoption of social networks such as Instagram and Snapchat they want to share everything and with as many people as possible. Does Facebook really think enabling its teenage users to share everything on Facebook, too, will bring back this demographic?

Unfortunately, a simple privacy setting is not Facebook’s problem. Today’s teens are primarily mobile users, spending the majority of their time on their phones and tablets. If teens are using Facebook, it’s via Facebook’s mobile app.

Compared to other social apps such as Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook’s app is cumbersome and simply posting an update just takes too much time for these teens. While teens might be spending more time on their phones and tablets than you and me, they don’t want to spend extra time navigating through apps to do what they want.

Remember – this generation was raised on technology and doesn’t know life without it. The experience that apps such as Snapchat and Instagram delivers has created an expectation of instant gratification for teens that the current Facebook app just can’t meet.

Though Facebook is making great strides in its mobile strategy, it has a long way to go if it wants to retain the teenage demographic it still has – let alone bring back those that have left. If Facebook can’t do this (and fast) the residual effect may have a drastic impact on the future of the social network, as advertisers will have a decreasing audience they can potential reach — thereby impacting Facebook’s revenue and potential to keep profiting.

Kelly Clay, Contributor http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyclay/2013/10/19/facebook-is-losing-teens-and-new-privacy-settings-wont-bring-them-back/#!

[gerrymolloy]

2013 Social Media Awards

http://socialmediaawards.com/2013/05/winners-2013/

Facebook categories:

Facebook Page for a Business (Non-Campaign)

Sponsored by MailMaker.co

Winner: Spin 1038

Facebook Page for a Non-Profit/Organisation

Sponsored by The Irish League of Credit Unions

Winner: Focus Ireland

Facebook Page for a Business (owner managed)

Spin Southwest

Integrated Facebook Campaign: Page, App, Ads

o2 Ireland

Twitter categories

Best Business Twitter account – marketing, sales

Winner: Blacknight

Best Business Twitter account – support, CRM

Winner: Irish Rail

Best Business Twitter Campaign

Winner: Bord Na Mona Fuels for @LongNightIn

Other Categories

Best Use of Social Media by State Body

Winner: Defence Forces

Customer Care using Social Media (Integrated)

Sponsored by Sky

Winner: Meteor Mobile

Best Blog of a Business

Sponsored by .ME Registry

Winner: AA Roadwatch

Best Video/Video Campaign (non broadcast)

sponsored by YouTube

Winner: Amnesty Ireland for Healthcare Guaranteed

Best Online PR Campaign

Winner: Funky Christmas Jumper

Best Use of Social Media for a Sponsorship Campaign

Winner: Electric Ireland for Team Olympics Ireland

Most Innovative Use of Social Media

Sponsored by Sabr Media

Winner: Tour AmericaSocial Media Effectiveness

Conversions, metrics etc

Winner: RTÉ Republic of Telly

Best Integrated Social Media Campaign

Sponsored by NCI Digital Marketing Certificate

Winner: O2 Ireland for #BringOnTheGreen

Inbound Marketing/Content Marketing Campaign

Sponsored by HubSpot

Winner: Sage eBooks Campaign 2012

Best Social Media Only Campaign (not linked to any other media)

Winner: National Lottery for ‘Peggy’s Pad’

Grand Prix

Best Agency 

Sponsored by MailOnline

Winner: Radical

Grand Prix

Winner: o2 Ireland

[gerrymolloy]

Scarlett Johansson Falling Down

This is really funny, some people obviously have a lot of time on their hands and like to share....

[gerrymolloy]

Lean Advertising

A recent HBR (Harvard Business Review) article “Idea Watch” by Thales Teixeira makes some really interesting points about lean video marketing particularly for anyone dealing with clients with limited marketing budgets.

The main thrust of the article is that online video advertising is not only a great route to achieving cost-effective mass market exposure; it also provides a number of alternative approaches that span all business types and sectors, allowing clients more control over campaign costs, particularly for those willing and able to get actively involved in the process.

Cost

Versus other paid advertising both Traditional and Digital e.g. typical conversion rates of <1% in Google AdWords campaigns in many business sectors, resulting in very high actual CPV or Cost Per Conversion particularly in highly competitive markets i.e. where competition level (bidding) on main Keywords is high.

Depends on approach adopted: DIY – Outsourced (Freelance Bids e.g. Tongal) or Ad Agencies

 Growth in online Video viewing

YouTube is the second largest search engine

In 2011 83% of Internet users in the U.S. regularly watched online videos

“Globally, consumer Internet video traffic will be 69 per cent of all consumer Internet traffic in 2017, up from 57 per cent in 2012. This percentage does not include video exchanged through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing. The sum of all forms of video (TV, video on demand [VoD], Internet, and P2P) will be in the range of 80 to 90 per cent of global consumer traffic by 2017.”  www.cisco.com/

Effectiveness

Fewer people watching TV ads as they use “Second Screens”

Majority of people go to “Organic” search results when searching online 

By contrast: “Because people actively choose online videos, they watch them more attentively than they watch TV ads”

 Impact

A 2010 survey showed that 48% 0f those who viewed an online video ad subsequently visited the brand’s website, 11% shared the video with a friend, and 22% made a purchase.

This is absolutely key: visitors coming to a site after viewing a video are “qualified” visitors, hence the very high 22% conversion rate. 

Just as important is the 11% referral rate as this is often more effective a route to building awareness, brand and trust than paid advertising (a recent report on Irish internet usage indicated < 17% trust paid ads).  Recent tests by Google show that paid ads at the bottom of the page do better than those at the top as some users do not realise it is a paid ad they are clicking on.

As with all digital mediums all aspects of this can be tracked in real-time: how long the user spent viewing the video, whether they forwarded / shared it, visited the company website, followed the company on Facebook, Twitter etc .

 Web video and related distribution channels are ideally suited to building brands on limited budgets – the core of Lean Advertising.