They’re growing like weeds. The U.S. and UK still seem to be ahead of the pack when it comes to social network media but other countries are gaining speed. While people often think of Facebook and MySpace when it comes to social networks, the truth is there are many others out there, particularly when it comes to other countries.
As of right now, MySpace and Facebook are ranked as the top two sites in the U.S. in regards to repeat traffic. Projected revenues for 2008 show MySpace at $755 million; Facebook comes in a distant second with $265 million.
A May report from ComScore supports those findings; however Facebook seems to be growing much faster in overseas markets. Trend analysts report that Facebook is making a splash in the UK, China, France, and India. Orkut is still tops in India while Bebo is a hit in the UK and other parts of Europe. Perhaps AOL wasn’t so far off when they purchased Bebo for $850 million.
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Almost everyone wants to be green. You can’t open a magazine, scan a website or read a newspaper without hearing about a company’s transformation into eco friendliness. Then there are dozens of environmentally themed television shows not to mention networks. Helping Mother Earth is a great thing and becoming the proponent of all things green may help your bottom line as well. Could there possibly be a downside? The answer is yes.
The first thing many people gripe about when going green is the expense. That is until most figure out that the conversion will save money in the long run and is a smart move on many levels. The second item in the downside category is the overuse of PR regarding your company’s miraculous epiphany regarding the environment – especially if it’s not true.
As distasteful as it may seem, there are companies out there that choose to promote themselves as green even though it may not be entirely true. There are no hard and fast rules about one’s level of “greenness” but common sense should prevail. For example, if your company uses twelve different toxic chemicals in its manufacturing process but uses recycled toilet paper, chances are that you’re not going to be considered to be green.
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They’ve been talking about it for a while now. Google has been keeping an eye on Digg, toying with the idea of purchasing the social news website for a cool $200 million.
Digg is becoming more and more popular with those who are choosy about the news, whether its hard news or entertainment, and want to get reviews before they take the time to read it.
The plan has always been to fold Digg into Google News. Experts say that Google wants to reach out to the millions of customers devoted to Digg and put ads in front of their noses. The thing is, most Digg patrons already use Google.
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As we all lingered anxiously for Steve Jobs to launch the highly touted iPhone 2.0 early this month, I noticed a unique anomaly evolve subsequent to the famous keynote lead by our turtlenecked cult leader. Unless you are still kickin’ it with your Motorola StarTAC and you simply don’t care about this tug-of-war, your basic public perception of this market centers on the iPhone being aimed at the consumer while Blackberry would continue to woo executives. 
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Frankly, it depends. If you own a rural hardware store that has no competition, then relying on newspaper ads or putting a few spots on the local radio station will probably serve you well. However, if you own a larger company or are seeking to move forward, then Do-it-Yourself PR may not only limit your growth, it may hinder it.
Public Relations can be a tricky business. This is especially true for companies who are fairly new or for those who may seek to change an established image. Many media outlets offer PR services, such as newspapers and radio. Read the rest of this entry »
