Cyber wars, Geo Groups and the future of social media

December 12th, 2010

This week we’ve seen the next step in the re-personalisation of social media and the first public salvoes in the incoming cyber wars – both have profound consequences for the way we communicate online.

On the one hand, we have the launch of GeoGroups, an iPad app that offers a level of control over social media engagement not seen since the early days of Facebook.

On the other hand, we have witnessed the launch of, admittedly quite crude and functional, attacks on the commercial online assets of companies that bowed to US pressure and so damaged the commercial interests of WikiLeaks.

Good guys always finish, in my experience. We will have to watch the WikiLeaks story being played out and engage where needed, in the right way – and hope that the Internet can develop in the form that we want.

So, first, Geo Groups. Possibly the finest app for iPhone to be released this year, full of promise and with the initial infrastructure to make sure it flies. We’re testing in depth now but first feedback suggests that this is a new way of negotiating the social web, and one with a sure market.

For me, it represents the re-personalisation of online social culture. Geo Groups allows you to create a social group around anything that has a location but also contain and control, in a positive way, the ebb and flow of information in that group.

It’s a response to the atavistic emotions that all social media interaction currently provokes, the feeling that there is too much, too diffuse and too uncontrolled information in the daily online engagements we make.

Geo Groups has an open API and third-party developers can make full use of the platform. Check out the developer page for more info. Geo Groups is my kind of company for that offering alone.

Little grouse, though. Did you guys check out the name online before you chose it? You’re competing in search terms with one of the biggest companies in the world that offers “private correctional and detention management, community re-entry services as well as behavioural and mental health services to government agencies around the globe.”

Best of luck with the Search terms battle.

Talking of battles, apart from a very brief period in the mid-1990s, I’ve always seen the Internet as a conditional space, governed and given by global power brokers as a gesture, not a right. We, in the sense of ordinary people, do not control this space. In the same way that states can shut down the traditional information spaces – TV, radio, telecommunications, press – so in the same way can they disable the Internet.

The price they pay for this action, for blocking the “self-healing” network temporarily, is that it will have a destructive and perhaps terminal impact on trade, exchange and development.

But if a body of citizens decides to wage war on states and commercial interests by using electronic weapons (and, let’s face it, the Denial of Service is a very crude stick), states and their agents will respond with full force.

Any idea of “being beyond control” is clearly irrational. We need now to clarify in our minds what we want to achieve and to fully assess the conditions in which protest, discussion, argument and development can proceed.

If we don’t do that, we risk the end of the Internet as we have known and loved it. If you don’t believe that look at China, Burma, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and, shortly, London. Tell me it’s not relatively easy to block networks and global communication.

Hilary Clinton signalled in February this year that the US Government views cyber wars as the defining terrain for hostile engagement in the next ten years. The US might be an ailing power but it is still top Rottweiler globally and can do an enormous amount of “restructuring” to the Internet in the time it has left as the uber-state.

We engage aggressively at our peril but we do need to engage intelligently, now more than ever.

Talking of intelligence, here’s what the founder of the World Wide Web has to say about our online futures. I interviewed Tim Berners when I was working at The Times – his semantic knowledge, quiet passion and belief in the absolute benefit of an open web still resonate now.

Utterly brilliant.

Spend a few precious minutes hearing what Tim says about the future of the web; you will be rewarded:

Posted in Blog, Digital communications, Digital media, Journalism, Liberate Media news, Social media, Social networking, Trends and research | No Comments »

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Are UK Companies Still Scared of Social Media?

November 17th, 2010

Sky News recently ran a piece titled: Social Media Fears leave UK business behind, confirming; ‘British companies are amongst the least technologically advanced when it comes to using Web 2.0 and online methods of marketing and business communication.’

In a survey conducted by Purdue University and online security company McAfee, it was discovered that emerging countries such as Brazil, Spain, and India were ahead of Canada, the USA, and the UK.

So where does that leave us in terms of social communications? If UK companies are still afraid to grasp the basics of social media, how will we ever compete in a global marketplace that demands that we take our activities online and embrace social methodologies?

In a series of surveys and reports, one of the key reasons put forth for our reluctance to embrace social media is fear and lack of knowledge. Companies do not know how to use it effectively, therefore they do not use it at all - or invest so little that their efforts show no benefit.

Another reason often proffered is worries over security and control. In a survey by K2 Advisory, 37% of the UK businesses that took part admitted that they did not allow access to social media sites through their company networks. The intent was to prohibit employees from checking Facebook or tweeting on Twitter whilst at work; but it also effectively cut off any means for marketing and use of social media for business purposes.

Still another reason is lack of investment; most companies that do try social media do not invest enough money or dedicate enough staff to it. A social media investment report by Econsultancy revealed that 33% of the 800 marketing professionals they approached were investing less than £5,000 per year and 28% stated that they invested nothing. Add to that the fact that 32% had only one dedicated social networking staff member, while 29% had none at all.

In order to effectively use social media for B2B and customer relationship building purposes, companies must commit staff to fully engage with their audience, which requires listening before conversing in an open and transparent manner. Sporadic postings and one-way conversations serve little purpose and the results of those types of efforts only lead to the false assumption that social media for business does not work.

To many organisations, social media offers more potential than real opportunity and understanding is still quite low. However, there is a wealth of free content and advice online, and opening up personal networks and taking this advice onboard is often the first step to building an understanding. The UK also has many digital marketing agencies and specialists that can help businesses learn to embrace social media, although be careful to take references as although many offer the service not all actually deliver.

In addition to these agencies and individuals, there are also other resources. For instance, content development has become an increasingly important aspect, and many companies prefer to hand part of this aspect of their business communications over to experts such as Pure Content, who can take on projects of all sizes and deliver to brief.

Grasping the nuances of successful social media use is now imperative to UK businesses. Companies need to overcome their fear or apathy very soon.

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Twitter Joke trial - #IAmSpartacus

November 12th, 2010

There has been plenty of discussion around the now infamous #TwitterJoketrial case this week, if you’re not familiar here’s the low down on the story from the Guardian.

Putting issues of bomb threats to one side for the moment, and our country’s obsession with coming down hard on anything remotely related to the subject, especially in relation to aircraft and airports, even if it is clearly a joke, I wanted to pick up on a great article by Milo Yiannopoulos at The Telegraph today who beautifully overviews the issue between our judicial system, which is dramatically out of touch with the social web, or even the pre-social web for that matter.

I have a small insight into the clash between how we lead our online lives, and how our legal system interprets that, as my wife is a solicitor. From my own personal experience, I am constantly amazed by the antiquated systems and processes she has to follow in accordance with our legal system, and she works for a relatively progressive and modern firm. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and in general our solicitors have a good grasp of what is taking place online, but the system they work under does not.

The system and its understanding is one problem, our obsession as a country with security and the removal of our natural sense of humour in relation to such matters is another, but in my opinion it’s the double standards that annoy even more.

Let’s take the case of our Twitter joker. Yes, it was probably not the best thing to do in light of recent cases where even obvious jokes have resulted in dramatic action, but let’s be honest, this was never a threat, and should we all need to be that careful? Some might argue that the hard stance is to attempt to cut out such instances of joking about serious matters, but that’s really not going to happen. If you look at our social history we have faced most of the major threats to this country with humour, is that going to change now?

The reality is, if you look at the content available on the web, there are many more real examples of threats and dangerous content. So, why take action against the citizens who may have joked about something that is undoubtedly serious, but pose no real threat, and not these other examples?

The reality for Paul Chambers, the 26-year-old accountant who has lost two jobs as a result of his Twitter joke, is he has lost his appeal and will have to pay a £1,000 fine, around £2,000 in costs and he will have a criminal record for threatening, in jest, to blow up an airport.

If I look at my Twitter feed now, I can see a range of what could be construed as threats if we are working on the Paul Chambers example. Should these people be arrested and charged? Should I stop following them as a result? Or should we all get some perspective here and put our legal energies into dealing with the real threats and not those that are clearly written in jest.

Furthermore, if you search for the #IAmSpartacus hashtag in Twitter now, you’ll see the number of people who feel this joke has gone too far by re-issuing the so called threat that Paul Chambers tweeted, in support of him.

The scary thing is, as the number of people who utilise social media in its various guises expands, the likelihood of similar cases also expands. So, while I don’t expect anything to change quickly in our legal system, we’re likely to see more unfortunate examples such as this. Furthermore, if you don’t understand the social web, #IAmSpartacus is about to become its latest case study.

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Content, Digital communications, Digital media, Emerging technology, Industry events, Journalism, Liberate Media news, Social media, Social media site inspection, Social networking, Trends and research | No Comments »

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Social Media News Release and Google Instant Previews; A match made in heaven!

November 11th, 2010

A major difference between the traditional text-heavy press release and the Social Media News Release alternative, is the visual impact of the latter.

A Social Media News Release often has video and images embedded for simple sydication. So when I heard about Google Instant previews it seemed like the perfect match, a visual news release that’s visible in SERPS!

Here’s how Google Instant Preview works

A screenshot from Liberate Media’s Social Media News Release service Pressitt.

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New Pressitt overview video

November 9th, 2010

Pressitt, the Social Media News Release and creation platform, and Liberate Media tool has developed a new motion graphic video.

The video overviews exactly what Pressitt does and how it can help your brand to communicate via the social web, in just over one minute.

Social Media News Release creation and publishing platform - Pressitt from Pressitt on Vimeo.

Let us know what you think.

Social Media News Release creation and publishing platform - Pressitt from Pressitt on Vimeo.

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Pressitt social media news release most excellent examples

September 14th, 2010

Pressitt, the social media news release creation and publishing service, co-owed by Liberate Media has now been in action for well over a year.

Below are some of the most recent social media releases that Pressitt’s users have created, incorporating video, images and all the other elements found in a feature-rich Pressitt social media news release:

ROCK’N ROLL MAYHEM RETURNS AS ARBOR LIVE KICKS OFF SEASON 2

NEA President meets with Tampa-area educators on the heels of ‘Race to the Top’ announcement

Relief Efforts Continue for Victims of Flooding in Pakistan

Sail through Italy by rail! Select Italy offers improved train tickets and seat reservations services.

Tamar Political Search Index finds major parties struggling to deliver coherent policy messages to voters online

Posted in Blog, Digital communications, Emerging technology, Liberate Media news, Social media | 1 Comment »

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A new chapter for Liberate Media

June 21st, 2010

As you may have seen, I recently completed a deal to acquire the remaining shares in Liberate Media from my former business partner.

Since starting the company back in 2006, we’ve focused on integrating more traditional PR methods with social media strategies and approaches. It’s been a very successful time, and we’ve enjoyed living in a sector that has developed so rapidly, and exploded into the mainstream PR, search, digital, marketing and advertising spaces.

The lines between these disciplines are getting increasingly blurred, and although we all have our own opinions on how the future will take shape, it seems the communications sector in whatever guise it appears, will be a very different beast in the years to come.

At Liberate Media, much like our sector, we’re also changing, but it’s a change that I feel is important to position us for the ongoing development in the market. You’ll be seeing a few new focuses and developments in the near future, while maintaining our core expertise in communicating to brand audiences online, offline or where ever they are, but more on that another day.

When we started Liberate Media, I quickly grew to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of working day-to-day with a business partner. However, in May 2009, when Wendy took a break from the business, returning earlier this year, I realised that my personal ambition for the company was to continue its evolution and focus on delivering a service that not only reflects the sector’s development, but also our client’s growing need. This will be our focus moving forward, and I hope to be introducing a few new faces along the way.

So, for now, please stay in touch and let us know what you think.

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Content, Digital communications, Digital media, Liberate Media news, PR, Social media, Social networking, Trends and research | No Comments »

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Wendy McAuliffe signing off…

June 21st, 2010

Sadly this will be my last contribution to the Liberate Media blog, as after four adrenalin-fueled years, I am leaving my post as director and moving onto pastures new.

Setting-up Liberate has been an incredible experience, and I’m eternally grateful for the support that we’ve received along the way from friends, family (my husband in particular!) and industry peers.

Back in 2006, we saw the huge potential that social media would create for the PR industry, and we wanted to be a part of that change, leading by example. In the four years since, the industry has undergone a rapid transformation, and we’ve always endeavoured to keep Liberate Media evolving in terms of our knowledge, approach and positioning. Last year we set-up our own Social Media News Release service Pressitt, which has been a great success and I will continue to be a part of.

Setting up a business from scratch isn’t easy. At the start there were a lot of lost weekends and holidays, but it was worth it for the satisfaction that you get out of building something that is our own. I’ve always kept a close network of trusted mentors (you know who you are!), and they have been wonderful at guiding and advising me along the way, and sharing leads and contacts where ever they can. We have always taken the approach of building the business through word-of-mouth and recommendation, and from my experience, this has always helped to create great client relationships and distance us from the pitching circuit, which I still believe is an ineffective way of selecting a PR partner.

Time is always what I wanted more of! When you’re working flat out and the business is established, it’s easy to forget to take time out for business planning and creative thinking around the next stage of the business. At times we were guilty of getting too caught up in day-to-day work, but when we did make time for blue sky thinking and planning, it was always worth it in terms of re-inspiring and re-energising, and positive changes always resulted.

For old time’s sake, I thought I’d dig up the first ever post that I wrote for the Liberate blog: ‘Liberating our Online Identity‘. It goes to show how far we’ve come.

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog posts, thank you for your time.

I wish Liberate Media the best of success for the future.

Over and out!

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Liberate Media news, PR, Social media, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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Pressitt SMNR re-launches with platform upgrade and Google News listing

March 25th, 2010

The Liberate team and our web design partner Best Served Cold have been working hard behind the scenes on the latest version of Pressitt, our social media news release platform, which is free to use.

We hope you will forgive the shameless plug, further details below:

Social Media News Release (SMNR) service Pressitt today announces that it is coming out of public beta and re-launching with a fully upgraded platform and host of new features and functionality. In addition, all Pressitt releases will be featured in Google News ensuring higher visibility for all SMNRs created and published via the service.

Pressitt is the only free Social Media News Release (SMNR) service currently available in the UK. Its feature-rich platform revolutionises the traditional, text-heavy press release format, providing journalists, bloggers and consumers with a new and simpler way of gathering information.

The upgraded Pressitt 1.0 service has been redesigned to offer greater performance and usability, based on user feedback. New features include improved search functionality across the site, and the ability to tag releases to assist with visibility.

Improvements have also been made to social publishing functionality to encourage users to share their Pressitt SMNRs.

A new authentication system with enhanced security features will also underpin Pressitt 1.0 to ensure it is only distributing quality content. Live form validation has been introduced to make the registration, login and creation process slicker and more intelligent to use. In addition, human moderation controls have also been increased to offer a double layer of protection against unsolicited news.

Since its public beta launch in April 2009, Pressitt has successfully encouraged a large number of respected PR agencies and businesses to adopt the SMNR format for the first time, and hence share their news announcements with a social media audience.

The Pressitt SMNR template offers all of the core information found in a traditional press release, but additionally takes advantage of linking, multimedia and Web 2.0 shareable features. It allows users to host downloadable hi-res images within their releases, along with PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs - YouTube videos can also be embedded. Each brand using the service is assigned its own RSS feed, and press contacts can be reached via LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

So why not give it a go. We look forward to viewing your Pressitt SMNR.

Posted in Blog, Liberate Media news, Social media | No Comments »

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New client case study: Tamar

March 22nd, 2010

Liberate Media has just completed the first four months of a new integrated PR campaign with Tamar, the search and social conversion agency, which has produced some very effective results, including two Sky News interviews, national and extensive trade coverage, as well as wide online pick-up.

We’ve written a case study focusing on the success of Tamar’s Political Search Index, which is part of our ongoing campaign focused on building the agency’s reputation as the natural search and social conversion experts.

Tamar case study: http://www.liberatemedia.com/case-studies/tamar-political-search-index-campaign/

Posted in Blog, Liberate Media news, PR, Social media, Trends and research | 1 Comment »

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