dexter roona's List: Social Media Trends Live Journal

"Facebook buys UK maker of solar-powered drones to expand internet
Mark Zuckerberg has plans to expand broadband coverage using unmanned high-altitude aircraft, satellites and lasers"

"LinkedUp: a dating app for the most professional of networks
Functioning like Tinder, app parses dating from networking
Why women can't have business dinners with men"

"The latest social media ‘challenge’ is dangerous, but probably won’t be around for long"

"How do people find your blog content?

Do you want to reach a larger audience?

Delivering your content to customers and prospects in different ways brings more readers to your blog.

In this article, I’ll share five ways to get your content in front of more people."

"Do you have a strong visual presence on your social channels?

Do you want to build better online brand recognition?

Using consistent visual design elements in your social media marketing efforts helps people recognize your updates.

In this article, you’ll discover how using consistent colors, fonts and photo filters sets your brand up for social media success."

"In recent years Facebook has been mocked for copying key aspects of Twitter: hashtags, @ tagging, lists and more. Now the tables have turned. Twitter’s biggest ever redesign rolls out this month and, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it pays Facebook a great compliment .

Fortunately for users (and perhaps Twitter’s legal team) the duo’s newfound similarity is only skin deep. Twitter still functions very differently to its social networking rival, but it also functions very differently to the ageing Twitter most users know and love."

"The first quarter of 2014 was a big one for Facebook, in more ways than one.

It bought the messenging service WhatsApp for $19 billion. It spent another $2 billion to buy Oculus VR, the maker of virtual-reality headsets. The long-awaited introduction of video ads to users’ Newsfeeds finally happened. It launched Paper, a mobile news-reading app. It bought a drone company called Ascenta."

"It keeps getting better for Mark Zuckerberg.

The Facebook king has now been immortalized in wax at legendary Madame Tussauds in the touristy Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood of San Francisco.

Clad in his signature hoodie and jeans, the barefooted Zuckerberg joins such figures as President Obama, Kate Winslet, Michael Jackson in all their waxy glory.

It took 20 artists and over 800 hours to create the Zuckerberg doppelganger, which is part of the “Spirit of San Francisco” exhibit.  

The fifth Madame Tussauds location in the U.S. will open in San Francisco on June 26. There are 17 locations worldwide."

"The not-so-secret appeal of Snapchat's fleeting stories
A purpose-altering feature shows how the infant company might actually be ready to stand up and start walking around like a real business."

"While many remain skeptical about the popularity or eventual success of Google+, I for one am quite happy with the experience Google+ provides. I’m a part of some interesting communities where I often find interesting discussion taking place, and often it’s a little more fun to go through my Google+ feed rather than my Twitter feed because it’s a lot more visual.

Today, I noticed that Google+ had taken a leaf out of Facebook’s book, and had changed the way link-shares were being displayed. After sharing an article about Moz, I noticed that the image being shown in the share was a lot larger than I had previously encountered across Google+."

This is a quick start guide to Google+, and is a great way to introduce new people to the platform. The first place to start is with your profile. A completely filled out profile helps people, who don’t already know you, get acquainted with you. Google+ is about being social, and when people see you have a complete profile they know you’re a real person. A quick tip about filling out your profile. It’s a good idea to list a number of categories into which people can put you.

"Google has not, and probably will never, announce that Google+ will be "sunsetted" (the company's favorite euphemism for killed off). But the Internet giant might as well have this week when the guy who has been running Google+ since day one said he's leaving."

"The Guide to Instagram for Business is an in-depth tutorial on how Instagram works and how brands (including yours) can integrate it in their social marketing mix to increase their online reach and attract new business.
In it, you’ll find all the basics on getting started with Instagram, as well as recommendations on advanced campaigns that provide a meaningful experience for your Instagram community."

"Social media apparently doesn’t get enough airtime on the internet, because we are about to give it just a little bit more. It started as a nifty way for people to share their favorite images with friends, and quickly evolved into a mecca for social media marketers – Pinterest.

There are many different social media, and generally fun sites online. Sites where you can experience the joy of seeing what you’re friends and favorite brands are up to, as well as what they are currently interested in."