TweetNewz's Blog

With over 45 million status updates every day and more than 300 million active users, Facebook has become the indisputable leader of social networking.  However, maintaining this market dominance puts a large target on your back and forces the management team at Facebook to be constantly looking for new ideas to promote growth and help improve the end user’s experience.   Over the last few months, we have seen some major progress.

New Facebook features and recent news:

Twitter Additions

Social media managers rejoice, you can now link your Facebook business pages with your Twitter account, so every time you post something it will be visible on both networks.  In addition, Facebook has added the ability to tag friends in status updates, by utilizing the @ sign similar to Twitter.  If you mention a friend in an update, put a @ sign in front of their name and it will generate a drop-down list of your friends, enabling you to quickly tag your desired friend(s) in the status update.  You can do this with groups or business pages as well.  Once you click the name after the @ sign, it will link you to that person’s page or the event.

Share buttons

Sharing content from a variety of websites, such as Mashable seen below, has always been a strength for Twitter, and a weakness for Facebook.  With the new Facebook Share buttons, they have virtually eliminated this competitive advantage.  Now, users can easily share an article on Facebook with the small Share button, typically located next the the Twitter Share button.  Additionally, content providers can easily see how much traffic Facebook is driving to their articles through the icon.  It’s a win-win situation for both the end user and the content provider.

Reconnect strategy

A problem with many networks, whether its your personal friend circle or a Facebook group on the web, is the fact that they can get too big.  Facebook is tackling the problem by enticing users to reconnect and engage less active users.  This is significant because it’s important to recognize that inactive users are just as valuable as new users.  You’ve already got them to join your network, so why not focus more on encouraging interaction instead of advertising hard on possible new users that will further increase an already massive network?

Search Engine Battle

According to All Things Digital, Microsoft is set to announce deals with both Twitter and Facebook, integrating status updates into its Bing search engine.  Not all status updates will be found on Bing, as Facebook will provide users with new tools in assigning specific messages for public search.  All signs point to a potential deal with Google coming soon, as the race to become the dominant search engine on the block continues.

Conclusion

One thing is for sure, in the competitive industry of social networking, you can not afford to stand still, or something better will come along in a flash.  For example, just think about the mind boggling growth of Twitter over the past year, and the dwindling audience of MySpace.  Instead, you must always look for ways to improve your product and grow your reach throughout the web.

It’s as easy as one click!

TweetNewz now features full Facebook integration, enabling users to post and share news directly through their Facebook status update box, in addition to their Twitter accounts.

The process is pretty much the same as posting content via your Twitter account, except no PIN is needed during the initial login.  For first time TweetNewz users, here are a few screen shots of how to login and access your profiles through the application.

To Begin

Select an article of your interest and click share article through Twitter/Facebook in the top right corner of the window.  Next, a black pop out window will appear, and from here, click on the Twitter/Facebook Tabs, launching their initial login windows

Initial Twitter Login

First time users will be directed to this window and once here, enter your information

Next, you wll be given a pin.  Copy and paste the pin into the area below and you are finished

Initial Facebook Login

Enter your information just as you would when you regularly login to the website, but no PIN will be needed

Once you have completed this process, click the post button in the bottom right corner of the black pop out window. Here is the finished product that will display on your Facebook Profile and News Feed

For all you TweetNewz addicts, don’t worry, this process is a one time thing, because once you have logged in, it will give you the option to save your account information.  Now, easily share articles on both social networks at once, reaching an even larger audience, increasing its impact throughout the web.

We are dedicated to finding new mediums for our users to promote and socialize their favorite content, and this additional feature just happens to connect our usere to the biggest network in the world!  Thank you for everybody’s continued support and keep the suggesting coming, we love the feedback.

Twitter recently unveiled its new homepage, hoping to convert the 5 billion people who have not yet joined the network.  The main goal is to retain those who visit the website and quickly leave due to confusion about the product, without ever starting an account.

OLD

NEW

So what are the big changes?

Twitter is looking to become more than just a place to describe, “what you’re doing,” they want it to be the new social hub where users can, “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.”  They are no longer emphasizing the social networking aspect of the website, but increasing their focus on news and current events.  In addition, they have added functionality to their search bar, enabling users to view the most viewed trending topics.

To put it quite simply, Twitter is no longer focusing it’s branding efforts on you, but on capturing the news and culture of the entire world.

As for TweetNewz, we love this transition in thinking.  Our platform provides users an easy way to share streaming news through their Twitter accounts, and this shift in strategy will only encourage people to share more content with friends, family, and colleagues!

According to a recent Harris Interactive Poll, it seems Twitter has not yet reached the masses.

With an estimated 48 million dollars in free media coverage a month, and an endless list of links to websites and blogs, you would think most Americans would have a pretty good idea of how to use the new social networking platform.  Harris Interactive found that 69% of adults don’t know enough about Twitter “to have an opinion about it.”  In addition, those who do have an opinion of Twitter, 12 percent think it’s poised for exponential growth, another 12 percent think it’s something that will stay relegated to “young people and the media,” while 8 percent think it’s just a passing fad.

So what is the problem?  Well, I agree with Ostrow, a major contributor for Mashable, who beleives this discrepency is linked to the poorly designed Twitter homepage.  When I first visited the website and built a profile, I have to admit I was pretty confused by the poor explanation of how to use the network.  Maybe this is why Twitter is reportedly planning to launch a new homepage this week that will aim to better educate users.

Here is a staggering Facebook statistic:

87.3 million unique visitors in the month of June

As Facebook continues to accumulate more and more users, one thing is for sure; the days of sharing your favorite website links, videos, and other content through email are slowly fading away.

Large social networks like Facebook and Twitter now provide users with a quicker, easier method of delivering content, providing users with instantaneous feedback from friends, family, and colleagues.

According to data from Addtoany:

• Facebook leads the market with a 24% share
• Twitter is the closest social network with 10.8%
• Email is continuing to slide, although it still represents 11.1%

Aside from raw traffic numbers, the way to judge the power of your network is through content sharing, and Facebook is leading the charge.   Whether it’s a video of a water-skiing squirrel, or a link to an innovative new product, people love to share content.  So the next time you view interesting article while using TweetNewz, be sure to share it with a friend!

Introduction of Channels

We have introduced a new feature for TweetNewz Desktop, enabling users to select from a set of default channels, each containing a list of precompiled feeds, eliminating the need to scour the web for relevant content.  Users can then select colors for their favorite channels or categories, and never miss an article of unique interest.  TweetNewz has a check box in the options tab that states “automatically check for updates”, and as long as you have this box checked, you will be alerted upon opening the application to download the updated version of TweetNewz.

Please continue to give us your valuable feedback in the suggestions tab and enjoy the new features!

Killerstartups.com

“Bearing in mind the relevance Twitter is gaining when it comes to news and the way they are communicated, such a tool is more suitable than words could say.”

Well, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!  Yesterday, we were reviewed by the highly popular Killerstartups.com

News aggregator with Twitter integration

Thank you to the Killerstartups team for the killer review.  To all our fans and users, please go to their website and vote us into the top 10!

Tony La Russa Lawsuit

Last month Mr. La Russa filed a lawsuit against Twitter because someone was using a false account, and pretending to be him.  You would think his initial reaction would be to sue the alleged impersonator, but that was not the case.  Instead, he looked to Twitter for damages, but in reality they did just about all they could do,  shutting down the account immediately after the person was identified as a fake.  He even claimed a few days later that Twitter had settled with him by giving money to his favorite charity, which turned out to be false.  He should be careful before Twitter sues him for slander!

Kanye West Rant

Kanye found himself in the same boat, learning that someone had created an account and was pretending to be him.  In fact, this person had even amassed close to an amazing 1,000,000 followers.  However, instead of suing Twitter, he decided to vent via his personal blog.  He explained it in a caps lock filled 10 sentence rant scorning Twitter, alleging the head executives knew he didn’t have an account and did nothing.

As for the future of Twitter privacy, this was a major victory.  If La Russa had won, it would have opended the floodgates for other celebrities, such as Kayne, to sue as well.  But most importantly, the La Russa lawsuit scare spawned verified accounts to protect users and celebrities in the future. Twitter must continue to work on improving authenticity, while celebrities need to either start an account or learn to relax, because this type of behavior is common on social networking websites, and will likely happen again.  If executed properly, celebrities can use Twitter to reach droves of fans in a more effective, personal manner.  Just ask Ashton Kutcher, who has the largest following on the network.

Social media is here to stay and it is more than just a fad amongst the younger generation, it spans all demographics.  Today, about 19 percent of those age 55 and over visit social networking sites, up from just 6 percent a year ago. Women are more likely than men to use social networking sites 48% vs. 38%, but usage has increased dramatically among both groups in just a year.  More than half of social networkers log on at least once a day, and the majority log on several times a day.  They are an integral part of our personal and professional lives, as well as a powerful marketing tool in the online community.

Twitter and the News

Members of Twitter say their top reasons for “tweeting” are to:

42%  use it to connect with friends

29% use it to update their status

26% use it to look for news

Members of Twitter also are likely to interact with TV shows, employers, co-workers, companies/brands and TV anchors/journalists.  Twitter is becoming an integral part of the news industry, encouraging more interaction, discussions, and the overall socializing of content.  Accessing and utilizing this powerful new medium should be at the top of mind for all content publishers.

Twitter and Music

Twitter brand awareness  more than doubled in the first quarter of 2009 reaching a 52% awareness level among the U.S. Internet-using population.  People on Twitter purchased 77% more digital music downloads, on average, than non-tweeting Web users.  Twitter members use it as a tool to communicate and network music, helping to spread new music across the web.

News and music industries must focus on harnessing the power of social networking, capitalizing on it exponential benefits and untapped potential.

Yesterday marked the passing of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.  It is a sad moment in history, and a time for reflection upon his many musical and personal accomplishments.

However, his death has also brought to the forefront some of the most heated topics and debates surrounding the clash between new and old media.

1. Credibility within new media

This issue can be harshly demonstrated by Perez Hilton’s lack of information and insensitivity to the magnitude of the situation yesterday.  He posted on his Twitter blog that Michael was faking his medical condition to get out of a future performance across seas.  Clearly this wasn’t the case, and these types of self-promoting bloggers are ruining credibility for those users and blogs who work hard to provide insightful and valuable content.  Although this is just one person, he has a very large following on Twitter, and can influence many more people than a typical individual blogger.

Please click the picture below for more information about the post on Mashable.

2. Timeliness when reporting news

TMZ was credited as the first to publish the news that he was dead while large news outlets and old media were behind by a few hours.  After TMZ broke the news, Twitter was skyrocketing with Michael Jackson commentary, approximately 40 minutes before the L.A. Times confirmed the report.  Supporters of new media feel this is just another example of how new media is becoming a more powerful medium for posting and sharing news.  On the other hand, old media believe TMZ just guessed and got lucky.  They feel that sites like TMZ lack credibility in the long haul within the consumer’s mind.

For a more thorough look at this debate check out the following article on Techcrunch.

Whichever side you support, it is easy to see how these two issues stir up such a wide array of controversy.  While new media can provide the speed of information, they often lack the credibility, i.e. Perez Hilton.  As for old media, they must continue to establish a strong bond of trust with their consumer, but most importantly, they can’t continue to ignore the power of new media.  Instead they should look for a way to incorporate it and add value to their reporting.