Twitter has recently come out with a bright, fresh new layout for Twitter that is cleverly labeled #NewTwitter. There are four new labels that comprise the new layout: Home, Connect, Discover and Me.

Home: Has the same old news feed, but with a few added bonuses. You can now click “Open” to view info on a specific tweet and have the ability to view the photos and videos directly in the tweet (after clicking it).

Connect: Interactions and mentions, all in one place.

Discover: This is Twitter search infused with an energy drink. You can find stories, trends and hashtags that are important and near to you!

Me: Bigger is better for #NewTwitter. This is your Twitter profile amplified, with your info on the opposite side now.

New features include a New Tweet Button, a Shortcuts cheat sheet, Bigger Images, Callouts, Brand Pages and a Twitter for Business page!

New Tweet Button on Horizontal Navigation Bar

You can tweet from any page on Twitter now instead of having to go to the home page!

Twitter Shortcuts

Helpful and efficient, so you can view and learn the Twitter shortcuts you need.

Bigger User Images

The Recent Images page for Twitter is new, as well. It is now displayed in a grid of larger images that you now click on to view each one.

Callouts for Viewing a Twitter User

Instead of the sidebar showing up after clicking on a user, a callout will appear with more user info and the option to view their “profile.”

Brand/Company Pages

The appearance is similar to Google+ Brand Pages, yet contains all you need for easily seeing their tweets, favorites and recent images. As you can see, it is a very clean, white layout similar to Google+.

Twitter for Business

This page explains to businesses how to use Twitter for Business, and walks you through step by step. The case studies provided are inspiring to see for future promotional ideas and campaigns. View the whole page here.

But what does this mean for businesses?

The new business section has many implications for the future of business and promotions, but also offers numerous benefits to businesses like yours. Benefits include how to use Twitter for smartphones and tablet devices more efficiently and how to share content effectively. Promoted Tweets, Promoted Trends and Promoted Accounts are presented in detail on the new business page as well. Lastly, it gives a quick and easy way for businesses to contact Twitter about advertising on the 140 character social platform. To stay updated on how businesses and brands are using Twitter, follow @TwitterBusiness.

Questions? Just ask us @smcpros.

If you look closer at the Twitter Shortcuts image, they even call the profile page a “timeline.” The question that remains from all these changes, especially the Brand Pages though is

“Will Twitter be a direct competitor of Google+ and Facebook in the near future?”

Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!

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Social media has been getting a bad rep lately. What’s being said you may ask?

Oh, just that social media is causing teens to have high depression rates and drug usage. That social media is killing intellectual conversation and decreasing productivity.

It’s said that it’s causing people to be narcissistic and creating a false sense of self. That social media is even creating a false sense of reality.

And along with all of that, social media may not even be worth it, based on opportunity cost.

Many of these claims can be simply refuted though.

Anything without moderation can be harmful. Temperance is not only a virtue, but necessary to avoid becoming too involved or obsessed with an object.

According to this study, there is a connection between social media and drug usage. BUT this is a classic case of implied causality. Read more here. They said that SMS texting would kill spelling, but intelligent conversations still continue today. Before the internet and social media, it was normal to have very few like-minded people or good conversations in a year. Now, we can find a like-minded individual and have an intellectual conversation basically whenever or wherever we want (Source). Google Plus is a hub for intellectual conversation; we just might have to put up with a few cat pictures in the process.

Studies have proven that, in general, multitasking is actually less efficient than simply focusing on the task at hand. The act may result in time wasted due to human context switching, or worse may cause more errors due to insufficient attention. Multi-tasking is common even without social media. Many employers list it in their qualifications. With any computer software or program, any class or conversation can be interrupted at times by mobile devices and our own restlessness.

Narcissism in social media can be attributed to two factors. Social media allows individuals to express themselves and sometimes people are egotistical, whether we like it or not. Second, social media gives individuals an outlet for creativity that they might not feel comfortable voicing or showing in a board meeting or in a conversation in-person.

Just as actors portray different characters in each movie (besides Will Ferrell), sometimes we as humans like to present ourselves as something other than our true selves. This can be for coworkers, parents, family members or even our friends to give each what they want. Humans are naturally inclined to please others and sometimes mold themselves depending on the situation they are in.

For example, a normal teenager is almost an entirely different person when hanging out with friends, compared to when he/she is with his/her parents. The social media platform is no different.

With these concerns over social media and its effects, educating children (and adults) on how to effectively use social media will be extremely beneficial. Now, I’m not saying that social media education should be taught along with math or science, but it should be taught to keep children (and companies) from using it in a negative way. Learning how to manage social media, such as time spent using it, is also important.

Institutions such as public relations and advertisements have improved based on consumer feedback and up-to-date info provided by social media. The medium allows us to have a near instant conversation, whether it be through the use of video, audio or text.

Along with that, travelers use social media to stay in touch and update their friends and family. Social media also helps them to keep a personal journal or photo album that will be a complete and detailed record of their trip for years to come.

Social media inspires normal human beings to be creative. In order to receive a lot of “likes” or “+1′s”, the content we post has to be interesting and thought-provoking (for businesses and individuals).

But more than that, it has to be creative and original. Status updates and tweets …push the internet-at-large to improve their writing (spelling errors are mocked within an instant) and encourage everyone to let their creative juices flow.

Furthermore, Twitter and Facebook make us more connected to each other, in ways that we never thought possible! (Twitter is now available in 17 different languages).

Now after hearing those claims, some may say it would be easier to do away with social media. Whether you like it or not though, social media is here to stay. Like a tiny cell, it is developing and evolving ever-increasingly as we tweet, blog, post or speak!

Some related articles and videos: Social Network Analyst James Fowler
How Social Media Affects Children’s Brains and How it can be Used Positively
Travelers Use of Social Media
Complaints Against Social Media

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There are still some people out there who think that social media does not matter for themselves or for business. They say that without any measurable or noticeable effect, you cannot call something a success.

Well, first of all, that is false. With Google Analytics and other measuring tools, companies can see and measure results. Plus, social media has taken customer service to a whole new level. And secondly, I have one real life experience that proves them wrong as well.

FourSquare (and social media) single-handedly landed me my current job.

While I was working on finishing up my last few weeks of school in my junior year at the U of M, I was searching for summer jobs and becoming more and more interested in social media. Throughout the year and mostly that semester I had been becoming acclimated to checking in via FourSquare at Coffman Memorial Union, Hanson Hall, and my apartment building.  I was tweeting more and had just recently started a blog on tumblr.

The only thing I knew about my apartment neighbors (and their social presence) is that someone named Tyler O. was mayor (the person with the most check-ins) of my apartment. Little did I know, but my future boss was living almost directly below my current apartment.

I continued to check-in consistently throughout the next few weeks (hell bent on overtaking the mayorship – of course) and as summer was fast approaching with no job lined up, I was slowly starting to panic.  Finally, the day came where I had done it! I had finally taken the mayorship that I so coveted. I tweeted about my triumphant rise to power and victory was mine! As I did a victory dance in my apartment kitchen with my curious roommate laughing and inquiring as to the source of my joy, I received a notification “beep” on my Droid.

Intrigued, I checked my phone to see that this Tyler O. character had replied to my tweet and his political downfall. He was upset, of course, at the loss of his mayorship and vowed to get it back! Quickly browsing his Twitter Profile, I saw that he just happened to be the CEO at a certain social media agency (SMCpros).

Thinking that this was some stroke of luck, and riding the wave of excitement, I decided to push my luck even further. I told Tyler that I would give back the mayorship on one condition: if he offered me a job.

I got the job after two interviews that were literally just downstairs. Needless to say, social media has had a major impact on my life and can definitely yield measurable  results. I now have a great job and have met many new connections and friends because of FourSquare and Twitter. I have been working for the SMCpros team now for four months and I’m excited to see what the future will hold for me and for social media.

Do you have any interesting social media stories worth sharing?

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People frequently tell me they plan on taking on an intern to manage their social media. An inner part of me cringes every time I hear this because I know I have failed to explain the importance and power of social media to them in a way they can understand.

Yes, I am a biased opinion. I am convinced though that social media is one of the most effective ways of reaching a large audience. Additionally, social media represents a new twist in Marketing, everything said on social media is permanently archived forever in an easy to search manner. Talk about what a PR nightmare it could turn into! Every piece of content said is permanently attached to your brand image.

When I hear people say they are excited that they found an unpaid intern or low-paid intern to manage their social media and help them get into the 21^st century, I know it is already too late to educate them on the dangers this provides their business. The primary question I wish I had the opportunity to ask them point-blank one month prior:

When you think about your company brand that you’ve worked so hard to establish, how do you want to continue it? In a concentrated professional manner, or in a haphazard way that might occur with a low paid (or free) intern who might leave you in a few weeks. Most companies say they want consistency of message and of delivery. They want to be confident that the words that go out about their company are well-thought out. Because social media is quite new to a lot of companies, many don’t know that there is no “undo button” in social media?

How much do YOU want to risk? With SMCPros you can be confident every move is planned and focused on making you look good to your customers and prospects. Our methods are tried and proven successful. We are way past guessing what works. So I ask again: How much do you want to risk?

Having said this, please, be careful.

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Over the last two weeks, both Twitter and Facebook held their developer conferences, Chirp and f8. Both of these events had announcements that turned the social world on its head.

Chirp

Chirp, Twitter’s developer conference, brought several things to light. It first shed more light on the announcement that came the day before, about Twitter’s “Promoted Tweets”, their advertising mechanisim. This service places tweets at the top of search results, which function like tweet despite being sponsored by a company. At first, this service is only open to a few select companies, with more being added in phase 2. Additionally, the ads may make the move to a user’s timeline sometime in late 2010.

Chirp also came after many Twitter 3rd-party developers were in outrage with their acquisitions of Atebits, makers of Tweetie, an iPhone Twitter client. They viewed this as Twitter trying to push them out of business. Twitter’s platform manager, Ryan Sarver, posted on the Google Group for the API that they were not making “official” applications, but rather trying to make it easier for a new user to find what they are looking for. Many users looked in the iPhone app store, but could not find a client that looked “official” and gave up. The purchase of Atebits, as well as the partnering to create a BlackBerry client, was to ease this issue. They are not blocking developers, and actually use the exact same API’s; keeping developers on a level playing field with the company itself.

Twitter also rolled out a few new technical features-@anywhere and the new Stream API, as well as a new developer website. @anywhere allows people to make Twitter interactions on any website, such as following someone, tweeting, and getting information about a user. For an example of this, look at my tech analyzing website, where I implemented it. The stream API is to get more low-latency updates for applications, allowing for better access for Twitter. The new developer website simply provides a homepage for developers, bringing together several disparate sites under one umbrella.

f8

Facebook announced several changes that rocked the social world  (whether someone wants to admit it or not). The biggest announcement was about a “like” button for the entire web. Using their tool, any website can have a “like” button, and use it to see engagement by users/viewers. In some cases, such as IMDB, this allows users’ profiles to have their interests updated when they like a movie. Several people, including myself, commented that Facebook is trying to own the entire web with this move.

Facebook also announced several new API’s, all of which make it easier to interact with Facebook, and allow applications to know more about a user, their interests, their connections, and their social graph. This has led to several people panicking over privacy concerns since 3rd-party apps have even more access to information than before. (If you are concerned about this, the settings you need to change are in Facebook’s Security Center).

Facebook also launched these API’s with several high-profile partners, such as Pandora and CNN.

What does this all mean?

The question that I spent most of Wednesday night losing sleep over is “What does this all mean?” These changes certianly changed the social media world, but in what way?

These moves show a concerted effort by Facebook and Twitter to extend their influence, and data-collection abilities, beyond their own domains. Now, you can interact with Facebook from everywhere, not just a site you are connected too or a main domain. For businesses, this means that you now can have even more insight into your customers, their habits, and what they care about.

Advertising is now more accurate, since people are able to update their interests and likes with much less friction. This data is what Facebook uses to display ad results, making it much targeted, meaning your dollars are being used much more wisely.

If you are interested in implementing any of these new technologies for your business, please contact us!

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Numerous marketing approaches are being used nowadays, how do you know which one is the most appropriate for your organization?

We usually start by breaking down each approach before analyzing and making a decision as to which route to proceed with.

Ask yourself not only what your target market is, but also WHERE they are at. Are they on social media platforms? Are they listening to the radio, watching tv or perhaps just reading the newspaper? Any campaign you decide to run with needs to be carefully thought through. Brainstorm your objectives and set your direction.

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I watched a TED video this morning. Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of Wine Library TV, reminded me once again that everything we do today is digitally recorded. Our children and grand-children are going to have access to so much about our lives. When I think about what I know about my great grand-parents, I know their names and I know the few stories I have time to hear from my grandparents. But my children are going to have access to what I said on twitter even today, March 15th, 2010. They will be able to see that I missed the last 3 episodes of 24 because hulu broadcasts that.

Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad, spoke at an EO event this past week at the James J Hill library on the topic of Social Media. He also stressed the importance and power of the web. As technology evolution continues to accelerate, more and more of what we do is going to be digitally recorded and archived. In the near future, life will be video-recorded and broadcasted everywhere we go (as it already can be). What does this mean in the privacy debates, speed of life issues, the ADD surge in young people? I don’t know. But technology is quickly and gracefully macro-evolving the way life works.

I am very interested to know your thoughts on whether these things concern you, excite you, and what you plan on doing with this.

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If you don’t use Twitter on a regular basis you might be wondering why certain words in tweets have the # in front of them.  This is called a hashtag and it is used to help ease the search of a topic or keyword.  When people on Twitter search for things or try to keep track of a topic, they search for a word with a hashtag in front of it.

A good example is a conference such as social media breakfast. The Minneapolis social media breakfast uses the hashtag #smbmsp. Most of us Minneapolis social medialites have a search column on our Tweetdeck and of course we use the hashtag.

When I tweet about an auto-manufacturer or any company, I always use the hashtag in front of the name.  These companies are searching for their names using the hashtag. You can even make a hashtag out of nothing.  For example, I have made a hashtag out of #GoodDay simply because I was having a good day.

Something to keep in mind, you have to make it all connected with no spaces in the words.  People are used to reading the hashtags and figuring out the words.  It is usually not hard.  Overall majority of the people you follow are likely using hashtags in tweets and you can view them as examples.

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Twitter has launched its first value-add to the location sharing function of its application.  Now, when you share your location you can get local trending topics for a limited set of markets in addition to the national trending topics.

Minneapolis wasn’t on the list of local markets, so I chose Chicago and there weren’t any topics yet.  We’ll update this post when we find more.

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Want an easy way to manage all of your Social Media from one place? Of the many applications available, there is only one application that I have found to be great for doing just that - Tweetdeck.

Tweetdeck is a cross-platform application that allows you to update your Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin information from one central spot. It also allows you to curate the people you follow, making it so that you never miss an important update.

It syncs with Twitter lists, allows you to update fanpages, and will even clean the kitchen sink for you (ok, so maybe thats in the next update).

It’s real benefit is that it gives you only one place to go, and you can send an update to multiple places at the same time. It saves time, increases productivity, and allows you to streamline your workflow.

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