The week in social media news curated by your friends at Fandom Marketing. Facebook to acquire WhatsApp text service, LinkedIn opens up publishing, how Nike built a running community, and more.
Ben & Jerry’s Secret to Success on Instagram
February 14, 2014
Ben & Jerry’s Vermont heritage is a key part of their story, but now that the brand has a global presence, they use Instagram to connect with people around the world and to source photos from Instagrammers enjoying their ice cream in far away places. In fact, at least half the photos that Ben & Jerry’s shares through their account today are from community members, many of whom compose their shots using the framing techniques modeled by the brand.
As Hayes sees it, “We’re a curator of our brand story now.”
Full story on Instagram Business
Webinar Recording: How to Succeed on SlideShare
February 19, 2014
How do you get featured on the SlideShare homepage? What are tips for customizing content for the platform? And how do you build a successful campaign around a SlideShare? Todd Wheatland (Kelly Services), Jesse Noyes (Kapost) and I discussed all those topics and more in a webinar today. For those of you who may have missed it, or want to hear it again, here’s the recording of the session.
Full story on Slideshare
ELON MUSK: I’m Not Sure We Could’ve Come Back From The Tesla Car Fires Without The Help Of Social Media
February 19, 2014
Tesla’s stock took a huge beating back in October and November after there were three separate Model S fires reported within in six weeks. In the Q4 earnings conference call, Musk was asked about the impact that the reports had on demand. He admitted he was “quite worried” about it. But it was his opinion on the power of social media that we found interesting. “I think it’s great that we live in an era where there’s the internet and social media so that when the fans are flamed literally by the media there is at least a path for consumers to understand what is really going on. In the absence of social media, I’m not sure we would have been able to correct the misperception.”
Full story on Business Insider
Facebook to Acquire WhatsApp
February 19, 2014
Facebook has reached a definitive agreement to acquire WhatsApp, a rapidly growing cross-platform mobile messaging company, for a total of approximately $16 billion, including $4 billion in cash and approximately $12 billion worth of Facebook shares. The agreement also provides for an additional $3 billion in restricted stock units to be granted to WhatsApp’s founders and employees that will vest over four years subsequent to closing.
Full story on Facebook Newsroom
Official statement from Mark Zuckerbert on, where else, Facebook
Facebook’s WhatsApp Acquisition Explained
February 20, 2014
Now that Facebook is planning to acquire WhatsApp for $19 billion, perhaps your head is swimming with questions. Among them: How can I also make billions of dollars by selling my mobile app to Facebook? As someone who writes about technology for a living and who’s definitely not a billionaire, I can’t answer that for you. But I can help with some other things you might want to know:
Full story on TIME.com
LinkedIn Opens Publishing Power to All Users
February 20, 2014
LinkedIn has long offered this publishing power to a hand-selected group of industry leaders, known as LinkedIn Influencers, but now all of the platform’s members can publish work to their profile. The influencer posts do well, says LinkedIn’s Head of Content Products Ryan Roslansky, generating nearly 31,000 views and more than 80 comments on average. LinkedIn has now expanded its publishing platform on Wednesday to allow all users the opportunity to write and share longform posts to their LinkedIn profile.
Full story on Mashable
Nike Builds a Global Community of Runners on Instagram
February 21, 2014
One of the insights that has made @nike so successful on Instagram and beyond, is its understanding that being passionate about a sport means being part of community, regardless of whether that sport is basketball, football (aka soccer), or running. These communities are not defined by country borders, but are instead composed of fans and athletes from around the world. While we could have featured any one of these in our Handbook for brands and brand video, we selected @nikerunning for the extraordinary way it brings the global running community together and gives them even more reasons to run, with hashtags like #werundirty that get runners out on the trails, or posts inspiring followers to “trade daylight for streetlight.”
Full story on Instagram Business
YouTube’s Redesign Smells a Lot Like Mobile
February 21, 2014
YouTube took the wraps off a site redesign on Friday, one that borrows heavily from the service’s mobile apps. Its new site is better designed to display on any size screen and has more of an emphasis on playlists. A simplified editing page makes creating playlists easier as well.
Full story on Mashable
What We’re Watching
This social media experiment happens IRL where a stranger searches public information on people nearby in Twitter and Instagram. See their reaction when he play psychic medium. It will make you think twice about privacy and what you’re sharing.
~ Melonie Gallegos
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