Six Degrees of Separation

 

The above BBC documentary examines the urban myth that everyone on earth is connected to everyone else in just a few steps of association. However, this is no myth. The proof comes from network theory, a new science with implications for everything from cancer research to pandemic control.

Sadly, the BBC’s experiment went pear shaped. Forty envelopes were given to people around the world with the instruction they had to pass it to someone they knew by their first name to someone (etc) who knew the addressee. However, only three packets made it.

Measuring Social Media Ad Metrics


IAB Social Media Metrics Paper – Get more Business Documents

H/T To Paul at Blending The Mix.

This document specifies standard definitions for Social Media Metrics. With the rapid growth seen in the Social Media space in recent years, many publishers and vendors are offering supplemental performance metrics to their clients as additional ways of gauging ad effectiveness. This document defines these supplemental metrics in more detail in an effort to stimulate growth by making the reporting of metrics for agencies and advertisers across multiple media partners more consistent. The IAB hopes that all players in the Social Media space will coalesce around these metrics to encourage growth through consistency.

Social media speaks to a new way of understanding how individual users are interacting with branded content via online publishers, social networks, blogs, and applications. Before the proliferation of social media, the primary way for users to receive advertiser information was one-way. Social Media has changed the paradigm of how people consume online media.

The most profound difference is that Social Media has added a participatory element where an individual not only receives information but has the ability to take part in the creation and distribution of content. Furthermore, social media tools have enabled a dialogue and discovery around this content.  It is the combination of these unique and appealing aspects that defines the true value of social media. 

Value is derived not only from the primary distribution of branded content but also the additional interactions that result as users share, participate with, and propagate advertising content. In the end, social media adds another layer of value through its ability to engage users and create additional reach.

The current Social Media landscape can be broken into three distinct categories:

  • Social Media Sites
  • Blogs
  • Widgets & Social Media Applications
    You can download the complete paper here.
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Blogging at the Speed of Thought

I can’t wait to try this out. WordPress is upping the game in the world of blogging to compete with Twitter. I myself have been blogging less of late, as I spread most of my content out through my Twitter stream. However, I think enhancements to blogging platforms such as P2 might be a good way to bring the masses back to blogging.

Hello P2! I’ve missed blogging and it’s good to be back!

Here’s the overview of what’s new in P2:

  • Threaded comment display on the front page.
  • In-line editing for posts and comments.
  • Live tag suggestion based on previously used tags.
  • A show/hide feature for comments, to keep things tidy.
  • Real-time notifications when a new comment or update is posted. (If you have a Mac, you know what we mean when we say it’s Growl-like.)
  • Super-handy keyboard shortcuts: c to compose a new post; j to go to the next item; k to go to the previous item; r to reply; e to edit; o to show and hide comments; t to go to the top; esc to cancel.
  • Helvetica Neue for you modern font lovers.
  • Plus more to come! Keep an eye on the news blog for updates.

 

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