Do you have time to search the web everyday to find the newest social media tools? If the answer is no, then you have come to the right place. I have searched the World Wide Web for social media information all week, and stumbled upon a few favorites along the way. Here are my picks of the week:
The Old Spice Man Videos:
Ok, everyone is talking about it. Call it genius branding, call it entertainment, or both, my favorite thing that happened this week was Old Spice Man (@oldspice on Twitter). If you haven’t seen the videos, go here immediately. The Old Spice Man responded to Tweets, Reddit comments, Facebook updates, and even YouTube comments by creating hilarious YouTube videos in real time and took to social media to get the word out. Starting on Tuesday, the 13th and going through early a.m. on the 15th, Old Spice managed to keep most of the internet engaged, and probably a little less productive.
How the Old Spice Videos Were Made:
How were the old spice videos made? It took a team of social media experts, writers, marketers, and of course actor Isaiah Mustafa (Old Spice Man himself) to make these videos happen. Social media experts based who they responded to based on the questions asked and the potential influence, and they had a system in place to make sure video responses were posted in a fast and efficient way. Lets break it down by the numbers. Overall, The Old spice man made 180+ videos that were viewed over 5.9 million times, and received over 22,500 comments.
Droid X Released:
Android users, the Droid X has been released. The latest version of the droid hit stores on Thursday, and sources say it’s already sold out. They have sold out online, and most stores have sold out as well. So if you’re looking to purchase, it won’t ship until July 23. Note about the Droid X: it has effuse so if you try to hack this phone, well, just don’t.
iPhone Press Conference:
So I don’t leave out iPhone users, the software update for “reception issues” is now available in the iTunes store, and apple will be having a press conference at 1:00 eastern today to address some of the issues with the new iPhone 4. You can follow a live blog of the event here: http://bit.ly/9yJGj4 or to see highlights after the fact.
Twitter Updates:
Twitter has added a few minor updates this week:
1.) Now, when you receive notification emails you when people follow you, they will include that Twitter users bio, location, and number of followers.
2.) Twitter has made it easier to find people. Now, if you search terms related to prominent people or brands, the official/main Twitter accounts will show up at the top of the search results page.
3.) Twitter official launched @earlybird. Twitter explains the service, explaining that it will include “special time-bound deals, sneak-peeks, and events that are promoted by the official Twitter @earlybird account.”
Farewell from Old Spice Man: http://bit.ly/aiQ4sD
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New Year’s Social Media Picks of the Week
by FeedbackWrapping up the year with a special edition of my social media picks of the week, centered around the best of 2010 and New Year’s Eve:
The Best Of…
The best tech, music and more from 2010
Best, Worst, and Surprise Tech of 2010:
Mashable came out with a list of the best win, flop, and surprise tech of 2010. The winner for 2010 was the iPad. The iPad proved to be a huge success; Apple sold over 8.5 million in 2010. Mashable chose Google Buzz as the biggest flop of 2010, and Groupon as the biggest surprise of 2010. Google Buzz, essentially a mesh of gmail and the status update, never took off. The deal a day service Groupon, on the other hand, is so popular it is now worth a reported $6 billion dollars (Oh, and did I mention, Google tried to buy Groupon…).
Best (i)Tunes of 2010:
What is the top music of 2010? According to iTunes, the top singles include Train, “Hey, Soul Sister,” Katy Perry, “California Gurls” (feat. Snoop Dogg), Eminem, “Love the Way You Lie” (feat. Rihanna), and Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”. Best selling albums of 2010 included Eminem, Recovery, Lady Gaga, The Fame, Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More, and Jack Johnson, To the Sea. See full list here: http://bit.ly/haj6vf
More Best of Tech:
Other tech items that make my list include Microsoft Kinect, which is a controller free game console.1 million Kinect’s were sold in the first month. Also, the iPhone 4 turned out to be a huge hit in 2010, with HD photo capabilities, Facetime, and a multitouch display. What were your favorite technology items of 2010?
The Night Of…
Ensuring a fun-filled and connected New Years Eve.
Time Square Countdown:
Access Time Square from anywhere. The official time square ball holiday app counts down and shows footage of the ball drop. So for those who can’t make it to NYC for NYE, at least you don’t have to miss the show.
If you’re in Time Square on NYE and are the mayor of the Time Square Visitor Center by noon on NYE, you win 2 tickets to the official New Year’s Eve VIP Party. Details here.
SCVNGR+AE=4Charity:
If you are in Time Square for New Years Eve, you might like to know that SCVNGR is teaming up with America Eagle this New Years Eve. For every SCVNGR task you complete, SCVNGR/AE will donate $10 to Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Skal!:
IKEA has created the app, Skal!, which is a fun NYE toasting app. You pick your glass style and watch it fill with champagne. Clink glasses with the iPhone next to you and your contact information will be shared, and a snapshot photo will be taken of the cheers for you or your friend to post on Facebook or Twitter.
For the Kids:
Have kids? Jeff Kelley (@JephKelley) found this great website where you can set the time you want an animated ball to drop – be it 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, or 11pm. It even does the count down. So, change the clocks, put this website up, and the kids will think they’re staying up for the fun.
More To Come…
Looking forward to 2011
Is iPad 2 coming soon? When will Facebook update company pages (we’ve seen a sneak peek of what they’ll likely look like)? Will Verizon carry the iPhone in 2011? What new technology will we be introduced to at CES? With the ever-changing landscape of social media, I can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2011. Thanks for tuning into my picks of the week this year… exciting changes to come for my pick’s as well! Happy New Year’s!
-Anna (@alucas9)