Maura Welch on Social Media

And the word of the year is...

Unfriend

The Oxford English dictionary has gone all facebook like the rest of us.

Recent uses of the word I have heard in coversation:
 

"It was so hard! I mean, it was my first unfriending."

"Don't worry. If they really bug you, you can just unfriend them."

Via PSFK and the all-powerful OED

Geeking out with Weezer, virtually

One of the advantages to having a strategic partnership with Tommy Motolla is he'll get you a band to play in your virtual world.

I haven't spent much time on Planet Cazmo, but I love Weezer.

So if I watch geek rock on a virtual world, does that make me an uber geek?

 

Virtual Goods: the game changer

It looks like game dollars are shifting, not shrinking.
 
Video game sales revenue plummets 31 percent

while…
 
Virtual goods sales to hit $1 billion in 2009 as social games pay off big

Teens, Obama and Social Media

I have two teenagers and I work for teens all day at WeeWorld. It's great. Really. 

Why? Because they are interesting, emerging adults that are vocal and engaged - and not just about music, celebrities and fashion. They also are developing their stance on politics, the environment and volunteerism. 

One of the coolest things I worked on last year was helping the WeeWorld community become a place to further the presidential election debate.

All year long WeeWorlders were able to discuss and show their support for their favored candidates through virtual goods and presidential avatars.  More detail here.

The election was historical on so many fronts, not the least of which was how engaged youth and teens were in the process. And on WeeWorld I watched first hand how teen (voters and non-voters alike) found a new voice in the virtual arena.

WeeWorld recently entered this initiative into the Forrester Groundswell Awards. I welcome you to vote or comment on our submission here: http://groundswelldiscussion.com/groundswell/awards2009/detail.php?id=127.

 

Voting closes in early October. If you want to make your voice heard, do it now please!

I'll come clean up front. Like so many others, I worked on the Obama campaign as a volunteer. But the thing I loved most about watching the election unfold on WeeWorld was the way these young adults expressed their views and talked to each other - no matter which candidate they supported. They are the future after all. 

The power of play

For the last two years Lauren Bigelow and I have come to SXSW to speak about virtual worlds. We've talked about 2D vs. 3D worlds. We've talked about how and why virtual worlds do well in spite of the recession. 

And I'm really excited about our proposed topic for 2010. And that's probably because it's got a lot to do with what I love about working in virtual worlds -  social play.

You see, play isn’t just for kids. Studies have revealed that play for all people is a key component of human health and development. 

Stuart Brown wrote a book on the topic this year called "Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination and invigorates the soul. "

So if you find this topic as interesting as me - vote for my panel at SXSW so we'll have a chance to have a lively discussion about virtual worlds and play and find out the developmental, social and economic factors that are fueling the boom in virtual worlds.

 It's easy to vote!
Register for free here: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/users/regist
er and then go here to vote http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/ideas/index/
interactive/q:weeworld. 

Thanks!

Brand + virtual goods = authentic social marketing

Lauren Bigelow has authored a great piece in iMedia called How your brand can click with a tough audience.

It nicely sums up guidelines for using virtual goods to connect brands with the booming audiences in virtual worlds.

At WeeWorld we've been working with brands for years to deliver compelling and fun campaigns and we've learned a lot in the process. Fundamentally, it boils down to fun. Use your brand to bring on the fun and the audience will respond and promote it to their friends, amplifying brand loyalty and favorability.

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.

Did you know?