One of the most common search terms that leads people to this blog is some variation on “What’s next after Facebook” or “the Next Big Thing after Facebook.”
That’s understandable. Social media moves like a cheetah on rocket skates, and for some social-media marketing professionals, being able to predict the Next Big Thing can mean attention, [...]

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SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in SmartBrief on Social Media — tracks feedback from leading marketers about social-media practices and issues.
Last week’s poll question: Are you interested in the rumored “Google Me” service from Google?

Yes — 50.78%
No — 49.22%

This might be the closest we’ve ever come to having a tie in one [...]

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In light of recent changes to Facebook, some pundits have begun to call for a competing social network with a different take on user information, as we note in the lead story of today’s SmartBrief on Social Media.
Ryan Singel posits that it would take a network of open apps to compete with Facebook, while Christopher [...]

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In today’s competitive business climate, it’s vital for companies to have a strong brand presence, — and increasingly that means far more than merely having a static website, according to participants in the “Developing Your Brand for Online and Mobile Audiences” panel at the Milken Global Conference this week in Los Angeles.
Mike “Zappy” Zapolin, author [...]

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The 5 most-clicked links in SmartBrief on Social Media this past week:

The 8 people you hate on Twitter
4 ways to reach out to influencers
Foursquare declares a holiday
How to make Twitter and Google jump through hoops
Why social media should be the last thing on your mind

Consumers less likely to trust their friends

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Chocolate is delicious, we all love it. But when was the last time you ate some and immediately told your friends about it? It’s generally a fantastic product, but it rarely inspires us to rush out and tell the world about it. Everyone knows chocolate is great.
The chocolate problem is a frustrating curse that [...]

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The 5 most-clicked links in SmartBrief on Social Media this past week:

The link between content and influence
Facebook rivals Google for finding content
Turn negative reviews into positive buzz
Facebook readies “Zero” version for mobile
Kevin Smith tiff with Southwest Airlines leaves a mark

Study: Consumers less likely to trust their friends

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As of this writing, Google hasn’t formally announced its plans for integrating some form of social-status updates into Gmail. I’m not going to speculate about what they’re planning — though I encourage you to give it a shot — and to read Augie Ray’s provocative take on the subject.
Instead, I wanted to open up the [...]

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