Social Media Butterfly

Would You Quit Your Job If You Couldn’t Access Facebook?

Posted by Nathania Johnson

If you’re reading this blog, the answer should be YES. Most people who read this blog do some form of social media for a living. If you can’t access Facebook, your company has a bad business model.

But for the rest of the working world, having access to Facebook and similar sites is increasingly becoming a desired benefit at the office. A recent survey has 39% of younger workers considering leaving their jobs if they lost access to the popular social networking site. And while some (mostly older generations) saying they should just grow up, I say it’s the companies that need to grow up.

First of all, all workers take breaks. Some drink coffee, some smoke, some gossip. And last time I checked, those three weren’t particularly great for health or a happy work environment (sometimes the coffee is necessary, I know. Ok, always. But large amounts of caffeine are not good for you.)

But I think blocking access Facebook sends a bigger signal to younger workers than simply not being able to access one site. It says “We don’t trust you,” or “Your duties to us are more important than the rest of your life.”

Companies that offer the best benefits are often the ones that are most successful. That should be intuitive to everyone. Blocking Facebook will never be good for employee morale or a company’s bottom line.

No Facebook? I wouldn’t quit, you still have bills to pay. But I would start looking elsewhere for a company that appreciates its employees.

via IT Business Edge 

U.S. Online Video Watching Jumps 13% in March 2008

Posted by Nathania Johnson

comScore has released data for online video viewing for the month of March 2008.

11.5 billion videos were viewed, up 13% from February 2008 and up a whopping 64% from March 2007.

Not surprisingly, Google leads dominates the market share due to last year’s YouTube acquisition. Fox Interactive comes in second with its ownership of MySpace.

Now let’s break it down by unique viewers

Overall, almost 139 million US internet users watched an average of 83 videos per person.

comScore also offered up the following data:

• 73.7 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
• 84.8 million viewers watched 4.3 billion videos on YouTube.com (50.4 videos per viewer).
• 47.7 million viewers watched 400 million videos on MySpace.com (8.4 videos per viewer).
• The average online video duration was 2.8 minutes.
• The average online video viewer watched 235 minutes of video.

The Future of Social Media: I’ve Got a Special Purpose!

Posted by Nathania Johnson

Enterprise social networking grew 191% in 2007, according to IDC. Reading the press release for this data really got the gears cranking in my mind. I have to admit that part of the lag in this blog lately is I’ve been a bit bored with social media lately. I feel a bit like a hamster in a wheel - like I’m seeing the same stuff over and over and over again.

But enterprise social networking made social media feel purposeful again, which may be a bit strange coming from someone who is a freelancer. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to be participating organically in enterprise social networking anytime soon.

The idea of achieving a goal through social media is where I’m being drawn in again. I’m wondering if, ultimately, this is where social media is heading. There’s a point of saturation that web startups meet if they’re not innovative enough. That’s why Yahoo is having trouble while Google is dominating the search field or why no one talks about Friendster anymore and even MySpace and dare I say it - Facebook - are getting a bit tired.

Sure, it’s been fun to catch up with old friends from college and read fun Tweets, but I personally am at a saturation point. I need something more, and I seriously doubt I’m alone.

Actually, I know I’m not alone. I’ve noticed Twitterers who’ve said their questions are no longer being answered. I know the conversation on Twitter is not as good as it used to be. (Yes, already we can talk about the good ol’ days of Twitter - even though they were just 4-6 weeks ago.)

I could go on and theorize that the need for connectedness has been met and now we’re in danger of overconnecting, but I’m not quite ready to commit to that. There’s still so many people who don’t even *know* what Twitter is, for example.

In the meantime, I find myself a bit bored, a bit like John Mayer “waiting for the world to change.” And the most frustrating thing is - I’m not completely sure where we’re even headed.

But if enterprise social networking is any indication - and I hope it is - we might just be headed towards a social web that is purpose-oriented.

And that, my friends, is the stuff that dreams are made of.

The Power of Twitter in the Case of Emergency

Posted by Nathania Johnson

Last year, when the tragic shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech occurred, I thought that campuses should really embrace a tool like Twitter in order to keep students and staff abreast of crisis situations.

12 months later, Twitter is more than just fun - it’s on the verge of life-saving for some. In her post, How Twitter Saves Lives, Anne Jackson blogged about how people communicated the whereabouts of a tornado using Twitter.

This is tremendous stuff, people. When you’re in a basement, you’re probably not watching TV, which will only give you a radar’s assumption of where a tornado is.

Twitter offers real time, real information. If you read Anne’s post you’ll notice that the siren system didn’t completely work because power was lost. But Twitter was still able to be utilized.

I’m guessing some people couldn’t use their phones. If power was lost - it probably depended on how you were connecting to the internet via your phone, which depends on device, carrier, etc.

If anyone can offer up further insight into the tech vs. nature side of things, that would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, Twitter on - for fun and in crisis.

Defending Sarah Lacy

Posted by Nathania Johnson

I’m not at SXSW, but I’ve watched clips of Sarah Lacy interviewing Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. Many people are bashing Lacy for her interaction with Zuckerberg, but I gotta tell ya - I don’t get what all the fuss is about.

• SXSW set up a living room style set for the two to chat. But the chair they provided Lacy with looked impossible. It’s the kind where you just sink into a very plush cushion. Comfy, yes. Great for conferences? Not so much.
• I didn’t find Lacy’s stage presence all that annoying. Sure, she was a bit awkward (because of the chair, no doubt), but it wasn’t uncomfortable to watch.
• She didn’t present in a formal Q&A style - SO WHAT? Call me crazy, I didn’t think SXSW Interactive was supposed to be a live version of 60 minutes. Social media is all about having conversations.

When Lacy was talking to Zuckerberg about the notebook he writes in, it was Mark Z himself that killed the conversation. Here’s a few ways he could have engaged in the conversation:

1. When he started the notebook
2. Why he started the notebook
3. Why he writes instead of keeping a digital notebook

Sure, Lacy could have asked those questions in a straighforward manner. But what is this, High School Journalism 101?

Zuckerberg has been interviewed by Lacy before. He and Lacy discussed ahead of time what they would chat about on stage. He knew she was bringing it up. It was Zuckerberg leaving Lacy high and dry, not the other way around.

I think what SXSW interactive attendees really wanted was more from Mark Z. But having a different interviewer or no interviewer at all would not have produced that. Mark Z is a guy who, despite being the head of Facebook, needs to stay in his office coding while other people shill around for the company.

Even if you disagree with all of the above, the fact still remains that some downright awful things have been written, Twittered, and uttered about Sarah Lacy. And for all the complaints about her being disrespectful and rude to the Z-man, the comments are even worse. If you want respect, give it. And if you want to teach, lead by example.

Quick News: Feeling Blue? Try Blogging

Posted by Nathania Johnson

An Australian study has shown that blogging might just be the ticket if you’re feeling a bit down. The reason? Feeling connected to people who share a similar experience.

As reported by Australia’s ABC news, “The research, from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, found after two months of regular blogging, people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who did not blog.”

Click here to read Blogging boosts your social life: research

Quick News: A Study About Kids and Social Networking

Posted by Nathania Johnson

I have a freelance blogging gig with Search Engine Watch, and today I covered a new study that looked at kids social networking behaviors. Find out how their attention is split between television and the internet and how social interaction comes into play.

Click here to read The New Multitaskers: Kids Split Attention Between TV, Internet

Micro Measuring Twitter with Twittermeter

Posted by Nathania Johnson

One of the obstacles in Social Media right now is measuring marketing campaigns. Twittermeter is attempting to break down the barrier, albeit in a very broad manner. The tool graphs the number of mentions a word gets on Twitter during a given timeframe. Let’s take a look:

I used the tool to compare mentions of Microsoft and Yahoo in Twitter. (The tool is experiencing database overload, so the developer is currently limiting the available dates.) As you can see, the two companies are essentially seeing the same number of mentions, which is not surprising considering MDSN’s bid for YHOO.

This tool should primarily be used to measure trends and buzz as opposed to looking at hard data. Twittermeter is a fantastic step in the direction of social media measurement, and I hope we see many more useful tools like this in the coming year.

Blogs Don’t Cause People to Commit Suicide

Posted by Nathania Johnson

In the past few days, it has been suggested that certain blog posts and comments lead an advertising creative chief to commit suicide.

Let’s be very clear: It takes a heck of a lot more than blog comments to make someone commit suicide. Think about it. People endure all sorts of horrible circumstances every day, but most of them do not take their lives. Suicide is committed by people with severe depression. This man was at risk for suicide whether there were blogs and comments or not.

I don’t excuse the filthy things people said about and to this man. Our words do affect people. And the effect we have on people has a boomerang effect back on us. If you are being horrible to people, that comes from a nasty place inside of you. And vice versa.

Society’s stigma of mental health along with the American work “ethic” to climb the proverbial ladder and place high value ambition is a dangerous combination. Adults need to be educated on the signs of depression and anxiety and feel ok about getting help.

Depression and other mental health illnesses should be perceived in the same light of medical illnesses. We wouldn’t make fun or judge someone for having cancer, arthritis or diabetes, so why do we do the same to people who struggle with their mental health? Ultimately, we need to take responsibility for our health -whether it be mental or physical. If your leg was broken, would you limp around or would you go to the hospital to get it fixed?

In the same way, when we feel down or when we feel on a rollercoaster or we feel so nervous we’re shaking, we need to get help. It’s ok.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

For depression/anxiety help - check with your health insurance to see if they cover mental health services. If not, search for pro-rated services or other reduced price mental health services in your area. A university or college is a good place to start, and your local government may be able to help as well.

Using Social Media as a Means for Revenge

Posted by Nathania Johnson

This week, I have been very tempted to use the internet and social media to enact revenge on someone who has wronged me. I’ve had the opportunity to do some very serious damage. I’m not trying to toot my horn and say “Look how I’m taking the high road.” Instead, I want to give caution to those of you finding yourselves in the same boat as me.

First I want to be clear. Some people have used social media quite effectively to get companies to listen when customer service has failed them. That’s not what I’m talking about. In those instances, social media empowered them for justice.

Revenge deceptively appeals to us as justice. But in actuality, revenge keeps us involved in the situation that wronged us - by our own choosing. The thing about revenge is that it almost always comes back to hurt the originally innocent person. And it almost always requires methods that make you sink as low as the person who has wronged you.

I watched the movie Crash for the first time this past weekend. There are many themes that run through the movie, and one of them is revenge. Sometimes revenge was taken on the wrong person. But one of the most powerful ideas was that the better alternative to revenge is GRACE.

I will let you in on a secret that Crash did not relay about grace - It takes a LONG time and it doesn’t change people the way you hope. I remember when I tried to have grace with an ex-boyfriend who wronged me pretty badly. I thought grace would change him. It didn’t. I became so obsessed with my victim-hood that I kept myself in a perpetual state of being hurt by the guy. What a waste of my life!

Grace requires patience and the right expectations of what it will get you. It also requires focus on moving forward from the situation. The longer you dwell on it and participate in activities that are a response to it, the longer you are hurt by it. Instead…

Take all that pent up energy and spend it on someone you like. Instead of spending a lot of time and energy smearing someone you don’t like, spend the effort on people you do. Stumble their pages, give them a Digg, and comment on their blog. Help grow the efforts of things you do like instead of the things and people you don’t.

Create a world that is better than the moment you have just experienced. Social media is often quick and impulsive, but it is also permanent. Sure, you can take a blog post, but you can’t erase the memory of those who read it.

We all have the decision on how we’re going to train our impulses and what things we’re going to make permanent in this world. Join with me in the attempt to make GRACE and not revenge a more permanent pillar in our world.