Social Media Roundup: May 13, 2014

Using Social Media Photos To Develop Online Marketing Strategies
A high-tech startup that analyzes photos shared on social media has been hired by Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to help with its social media marketing outreach. Ditto Labs, based in Cambridge, Mass., analyzes photos people post on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to find logos and products belonging to the companies it works for. The goal is to help the brand know more about its fans, what they like, how they use it, and what other brands are competitive. The technology the company uses for image recognition is derived from systems developed for federal investigators looking for obscene photographs on the Internet some years ago.

8 Ways To Get Noticed on Facebook's News Feed
As Facebook changes its algorithms and emphasizes paid content more, it pays to rethink your Facebook practices. If you're experiencing flat or declining fan engagement on your Facebook Business pages, you need to pay attention and look at what has changed. In his blog on Social Media Examiner, Mike Gingerich discusses eight types of posts that can help you get noticed on Facebook. Three examples:

• "Behind the curtain" posts: Showing what happens behind the scenes at your company can catch fans' attention and make them feel more connected to you.
• Shareable quote posts: People love a good quote.
• Pure fun posts: Don't sell, entertain!

Is the Social Media Stock Market Bubble Deflating?
The stock prices of social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Yelp have all taken a beating recently (as of the end of April). Every one of them was up by a record last year, but all have been losers in 2014. Apparently, investors are questioning the ability of these companies to continue growing their revenue, particularly as some of them appear to be slowing in terms of new user acquisition and experience problems with retaining users.

#Socialnomics 2014: The Social Media Revolution Continues
Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics, as well as the classic social media marketing video Social Media Revolution in 2009, is back with a new video roundup of social media facts and predictions in "#Socialnomics 2014." (Qualman was a keynote speaker at last year's Franchise Consumer Marketing Conference.) Highlights from his 3-minute video include:

• 53% of Millennials would rather lose their sense of smell than their technology
• More people own a mobile device than a toothbrush
• 1 in 5 couples met online; 3 in 5 gay couples met online
• 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations; 14% trust advertising.

It's fun to watch - and a little unnerving if you don't like change. For a longer perspective, go back and watch the original video, especially if you've never seen it before.

Seniors Come Online in Droves - Marketing Opportunity Ahead?
Social media use by 50- to 64-year-olds grew from 6 percent in 2005 to 60 percent by 2013. The fastest-growing demographic on Facebook, Twitter, and Skype in 2013 was seniors 65 and older. Many older people get started using social media to keep in touch with their children and grandchildren online, but they also have joined the rest of the world in following brands, musicians, and causes, and interacting with friends from school and work.

Daniel Lieberman is the founder of Daniel Lieberman Digital ("I speak Geek - You don't need to"). Based in Shelburne Falls, Mass., he helps companies, organizations, and individuals learn to use the Internet to communicate, market, and brand themselves using the most up-to-date tools and techniques. Contact him at 413-489-1818 or daniel@daniellieberman.org.