Who Really Wants A Facebook Phone?

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Who Really Wants A Facebook Phone? (TechnoBuffalo)
Getting one's head around the "Facebook phone" hype is a struggle. Let’s start with HTC. While it got off to a great start with the HTC One, it still can’t compete with the likes of Apple or Samsung. And so it needs to get creative about its approach. Next are the Facebook fans who are legion. So any new mobile-driven initiative by the social network will start with a huge built-in user base. But all of the major platforms and devices already have the service, and some are pretty well integrated with it. It all boils down to is this: Do today’s smartphone users really want a bona fide Facebook phone? Read >>

A Facebook Phone: The Final Brick In The Walled Garden? (GigaOM)
A "Facebook phone" is one of the longest-running rumors in the technology world, but a number of observers think such a beast is actually going to make an appearance next week. But do users actually want one? At the moment, Facebook has a somewhat fragmented approach to the phone: there is the main Facebook app, but there’s also the Instagram app — which the social network acquired for close to $1 billion because it saw the photo-sharing community as a clear and present danger — and the standalone Facebook messenger app, and its Poke app. The company seems to be trying to find as many entry points for users as possible to engage with the network, and a phone with more integration could help. Read >>

Mobile Messaging Apps May Be A Threat To Facebook (Reuters)
Create personal profiles. Build networks of friends. Share photos, videos and music. That might sound precisely like Facebook, but hundreds of millions of tech-savvy young people have instead turned to a wave of smartphone-based messaging apps that are now sweeping across North America, Asia and Europe. Many of those who are using the new messaging apps remain on Facebook, indicating there is little immediate sign of the giant social media company losing its lock on the market. But the firms that can take over the messaging world should be able to make some big inroads, investors say. Read >>

Softbank-Backed Startup SmarTots Builds Facebook For Kids (Bloomberg)
A former Nokia engineer is building a private social network in China where children share art projects online with parents or grandparents. Japan’s phone and Internet giant Softbank is betting he’ll succeed. SmarTots, Jesper Lodahl’s Beijing-based startup, began offering mobile education applications for kids from two to seven through Apple’s China iTunes store in June. Designed as a game center for app developers, this month it’s adding functions to allow parents to "like" or comment on projects in a layout similar to Facebook. Softbank, which provided funding, and Lodahl, expect growth in smartphones and tablets to drive demand for educational services. Read >>

What Are The Three S's Of Social Media? (Skyword via DR4Ward)
According to content management company Skyword, the three S's of social media are:

1. Searchable: Captures the passion and pain points of the consumer
2. Snackable: For the on-the-go consumer
3. Sharable: Serves as the root of discussions across social media

For a successful content strategy, it might be worth a try. Click here for the full infograph. Read >>

Consumers Tell Brands To Speak Only When Spoken To (J.D. Power via Forbes)
It’s every CMO’s worst nightmare: a social media crisis that has taken on a life of its own and is posing a real threat to a brand’s reputation. To develop rapid response capabilities, companies are shifting emphasis to technologies and platforms that make listening more important than messaging. a recent survey from J.D. Power points to the risks associated with monitoring: 51 percent of consumers simply do not want companies to eavesdrop on their conversations and 43 percent believe that monitoring is an intrusion on their privacy. The majority of consumers, 64 percent, insist that they want companies to respond to social comments only when spoken to. Read >>

How Social Media Can Cause Social Change (The Huffington Post)
You have no doubt seen the Human Rights Campaign's new red and pink equal sign avatar that is sweeping through Facebook this week as well as pictures and status updates affirming support for same-sex marriage. But what does it all mean? Why does it matter? Social media can be petty and frivolous; it can be a drain on time and fuel jealousy. But, when it comes to politics, social media serves as a powerful echo-chamber that can shape views on candidates and issues alike. In this sense, it is not much different from conversations with friends, family and co-workers around the dinner table or the office water cooler. When a Facebook user sees his or her news feed is filled with pronouncements of support for same-sex marriage, that may lead to several outcomes. Read >>

Here Are The Social Media Complainers (Facebookeeping)
People live in fear of the complainers, people who arrive on their social media channels to complain or have a good rant. We shouldn't fear them however, these are mostly customers who can teach us about our business and particularly what we don't do well. Here are the different sort of complainers you may encounter and how you can deal with them. Read >>