Maura Welch on Social Media

Where we're headed

I've been reading Fred Wilson's blog for a long time. He always provides intelligent, incisive observations and ideas.

He recently gave a talk at Google about why the internet is disruptive, what it's disrupting and where we are likely headed from here. Worth contemplating. Here is the slide show:

Disruption - Final Version

View more presentations from fredwilson.

Digital Hollywood

I'll be speaking at Digital Hollywood in Santa Monica this Thursday. Here's the panel:

The Web, Social Media and Advertising: Transforming and Disassembling the World of Traditional Media and Communications

Sounds like an interesting group of people. Look forward to meeting the moderator Joyce Schwarz and everyone else.

Ping me if you're in LA and we can connect.

Managing Twitter

This is my new favorite thing to try. I'll let you know what I think.

Idol Twitter Volume Chart - updated

Fail and Opportunity

Today on HuffPost the headline is all about Chrysler's bankruptcy.

But Infiniti has an expanding multimedia banner buy right above it.

Well done Infiniti. Chrysler? You never, ever got it.

Now the taxpayers are stuck with you.

We need to make this a turning point. With Obama administration and taxpayers, surely we can get a new American-made hydrogen cars, or major green initiative cars?

Worst. Logo. Ever.

From Andrew Sullivan a 1973 Archdiocesan Youth Commission logo that would never, ever make it through approvals today...

Did you know?

Why Twitter?

If the New York Times is writing about the utility of Twitter, then you know it's go to be useful for something, right?

Maybe I'll refer to this article when people ask me why on earth I think Twitter is worth it.

And then there are the vast majority who just look at you and say, Twitter? What's that?

So, what's so great about Twitter?

• Keep your ear to the ground  Who's talking about your product, company or service? Go to search.twitter.com and find out.
• Tweet is cheap If you can assemble a wide enough group of followers, then you've got a cheap and easy way to get the word out widely about what's happening at your site, product, company or service.
• First responders   I knew there was a quake in California before CNN. We all read the #mumbai eyewitness tweets and were amazed at the amount of collective intelligence we could get just moments from the attack.
• Short is good sometimes  Short little notes you might find interesting, or that are about things that tell you more about the person, the company, the product. Sometimes the tweets point interesting places. 
• Celebrity stalking   Some celebs Twitter. I don't follow that, but you could.

So ignore Twitter, or not.

But this will likely go the way of the blog...and spread.

Predicting American Idol via Social Media

Good post on yMarketing about using social media to chart trends and popularity.

This year all indications seem to be pointing to Adam Lambert winning Idol by a wide margin.

I thought his last song was great - haunting.

The aging of Facebook

In January I noticed that it seemed like everyone I knew was starting their first Facebook page.

By that I mean people my age. Or older.

But here's when it really hit home.

My 70 year old mother in law is now on Facebook.

So no surprise that Nielsen Online is reporting that Facebook has added almost twice as many 50-64 year old global visitors (13.6 million) between December 2007-December 2008 as it has added under 18 year old global visitors (7.3 million).