We live in the age of data collection and content creation. We create 1.5 billion pieces of content on Facebook, 140 million Tweets and 2 million YouTubes in just one day. And we love infographics (dataporn) that combine ideas, stories and insights into our behaviors.
Today, we think in a completely new way, or as one startup likes to say, we think “Visual.ly”. Visual.ly is a new platform for exploring, sharing and promoting great visualizations. It’s also a service that connects datavis pros with advertisers and publishers looking for compelling content.
“Because in the future we imagine an immersive world of interactive visualization everywhere,” says Visual.ly.
Watch this video explaining the concept:
Visual.ly is using the LaunchRock beta access product to incentivize sign-ups. It’s one part exclusivity and one part widespread sharing, and it works. Sign up for beta access here.
Liz Elting is co-founder and co-CEO of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and business services.
Web users in the Middle East, Asia, the Americas and Europe have embraced Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms as vehicles for communication, commerce, and revolution. If North American-based businesses are to reach this rapidly expanding, increasingly sophisticated Internet audience, they must get smarter about international search engine optimization (ISEO).
Just like domestic SEO, international SEO aims to boost the likelihood that a particular website will rise to the top of search results, thereby enabling increased conversion rates. The challenge internationally is selecting the right SEO strategies for an enormous number of locales, cultural norms and languages. Here are some key points to consider when tackling ISEO.
1. Humans Beat Machine Translation
Even with adequate time for review and planning, machines can make small errors in localization that have significant consequences. The pressure to get it right via social media is exponentially greater, since time is short and engagement expectations are high. Brands need human experts who can quickly identify faults in automated translations and repair them before damage occurs in important markets. This is also true for accompanying imagery, which can convey unintended messages if not properly vetted.
2. Learn Vernacular and Optimize Keywords Accordingly
Whether a user seeks out information via a regional search engine or through Facebook pages or Twitter hashtags, the company looking for that prospect must anticipate the phrases he or she will employ. For example, a young person in one part of the world may search for shoes using a slang term, such as, “tennis shoes,” “sneakers” or “kicks.”
No two search engines use the exact same algorithm to produce organic results. The techniques required to optimize for Chinese search engine Baidu, for example, may be vastly different from those needed to optimize for Google. Businesses that want to reach targeted users need expertise not only in language, but also in culture and technology. This is one reason why enterprises must adopt an integrated approach to ISEO that determines the right wording and creates consistent, relevant messages in ads, landing pages, social media posts and search engine marketing.
3. Make Every Character Count
Improving the visibility of a website abroad — which demands knowledge of regional cultures, dominant local search engines and top keywords — starts with translation. Effective localization requires more than plugging words into a bot that spits out literal interpretations. This is certainly true for global websites, but the importance of connotation intensifies as communication gets more compact. Twitter’s strict length parameters, for example, make every character choice a critical one, particularly when you consider that English text can expand in character count when translated into other languages. Translating for this kind of platform requires not only timesaving software solutions, but seasoned human translators, as well.
Multi-language tweets can be a valuable tool in numerous communities around the world, but 140 characters in English do not neatly translate into 140 characters in Arabic, for example. To communicate convincingly with multilingual audiences via social networks, companies need more human involvement. Engagement is key.
4. Register a Local Domain and Apply ISEO
Global search marketing requires local domain and IP registration, as well as meaningful and fresh content that is keyword-specific. It demands descriptive tagging, rich media, social media distribution and internal and external links. These elements must take into account the search habits of target audiences and the algorithms of the search engines they are most likely to use. There is little value in going live with a website that is not optimized with these needs in mind. Only when ISEO and design are done in conjunction can a business be certain that customers will find it online. This principle applies to social media as well.
5. Get to Know Your Audience
Internet World Stats show that 86% of web users live outside North America. Many of them speak languages other than English, and capturing their business depends upon quality website translation, localization, and smarter ISEO. Increasingly, that business opportunity also hinges on extending multilingual campaigns to social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
To break into promising regions in the Americas, the Middle East, Europe and Asia, enterprises are applying these principles to all of their electronic communication points with customers, and therefore maximizing their prospects for success.
Know your audience’s lingo, its concerns and its preferred platforms so it can quickly and easily find and do business with you. Use social media to show that your company took the time and effort to communicate with global customers in a meaningful and authentic manner.
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What if the next time you watched an episode of Law & Order, the suspect’s guilt wasn’t confirmed by DNA evidence or witness accounts, but through an incriminating Facebook photo? In much the same way that DNA analysis revolutionized forensic science only a few decades ago, social media is changing the ways that police officers serve and protect.
Instant Information Sharing
Websites like Facebook and Twitter can help law enforcement officials quickly share information with a large audience. Instead of waiting for the local news channel to cover a story, police departments can instantly post important alerts online for users to view directly. Police websites display various types of media, from surveillance video footage to photographs of wanted suspects.
“[Using social media] is so much easier and so much more effective,” said Constable Scott Mills, Social Media Officer for the Corporate Communications Toronto Police Service. He cited an incident in September 2010, when gunshots were fired at Central Tech high school in Toronto. As soon as he established contact with officers on the scene, Cst. Mills began tweeting updates with the hashtag #CTGun. Anxious parents could follow the situation, quickly receive reassurance that everyone inside the school was safe.
“In the traditional way of doing things, you’ll get a major incident like a school shooting and the phone at the police department is ringing off the hook, with media as well as concerned members of the community asking the same question: ‘What’s happening?’ Now, I can tell them to start following a specific hashtag, and I take control of the virtual scene. We’re saving parents hours of worry, and we’re not getting deluged at the scene with people asking us what’s going on,” said Mills.
By using an open forum like Twitter to provide real-time updates on breaking news, law enforcement officials are further able to reduce instances of misreported information. “Before, police officers would get extremely frustrated because the local TV station didn’t cover something important, or maybe they got something wrong,” said Lauri Stevens, founder of LAwS Communications, a consultancy that specializes in advising law enforcement agencies on how to use social media. “Now if the news gets something wrong, the police can just point to their own efforts in social media.”
Helping Cops Connect with the Community
In addition to sharing urgent updates, social media engages the community, and encourages better interaction between law enforcement and civilians. Many police departments have set up Facebook pages or Twitter accounts that provide information about outreach programs or local events, in addition to soliciting for witnesses or information related to ongoing investigations. The Santa Cruz Police Department recently launched an iPhone app that lets users view Nixle alerts and submit crime tips directly from their phone.
“The major goal is to help prevent and solve crime together,” said Cst. Mills. “But if you don’t have an engagement strategy driving people to your website and driving people to follow you on Twitter and Facebook, you’re just talking to yourself.” In an effort to develop their own engagement strategy, the Dallas Police Department became one of the first in the United States to employ a social media officer. In February, Sr. Cpl Melinda Gutierrez was tapped to manage the department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, which had over 5,700 “likes” and 3,700 followers, respectively. This is tangible evidence of a more gradual shift: as law enforcement agencies realize that social media provides the unique opportunity to open up a dialogue with the community, they’ve taken steps to make their online voices heard.
New Investigative Tools
But perhaps the most transformative effect that social media has had on law enforcement comes from the new ways that police are using platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Myspace to actively aid in investigations.
Traffic police in Delhi started a Facebook page that allows civilians to become digital informants, encouraging residents to post pictures of traffic violations that are reviewed for possible citations. Recently in Massachusetts, one student found his stolen laptop by remotely hacking into its hard drive and posting a video of the perpetrator to YouTube. In the United Kingdom, law enforcement officials are cracking down on cyber-bullying by issuing online warnings to offenders, based on tips from teachers. Some police officers are even creating dummy profiles on Myspace to infiltrate street gangs. By posing as fellow gang members, they are able to gain access to photos, videos and profile information that sheds light on possible criminal activity.
This particular practice could become even more effective with the advent of new technology. In June 2010, the United States Air Force requested bids for the development of a “Persona Management Software,” which would let an individual manage a unit of up to 10 fake identities on social media sites. These non-existent personas would have background, history and supporting details, allowing the controller to seem legitimate when “friending” targets in order to gain access to private profile information.
Modern Technology = Modern Concerns
If the prospect of being fake-friended by a government agent made you break out in a cold sweat, you can take some comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Nearly all of the tools and opportunities provided by social media are accompanied by potential safety concerns, both for law enforcement and civilians.
One dilemma surrounds the user’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Without a warrant, what information should law enforcement be able to access? In potentially life-threatening situations, should social networking sites provide private information and personal details to police?
According to a spokesperson from Facebook: “In very rare instances our policies and the law (ECPA) allow for emergency exemptions. One hypothetical is a kidnapped child where every minute counts. It is in this type of instance where we have verified an emergency that we feel a responsibility to quickly share information that could save someone’s life. However, the sharing must in our judgement be in the best interest of the user.”
Another chief concern involves the balance between protecting the identity of police officers and allowing them to directly interact with the community. Cst. Mills is a firm advocate of maintaining a visible presence on social media, although he cautions officers to maintain separate professional and personal profiles.
“In the same way that you go out on street patrol, this is patrolling the virtual world,” he says. “And in the same way that we show our faces on patrol, we need to show our face online.”
But officers still face risks: in October 2010 during a DUI traffic stop, Phoenix police recovered a CD with the names and photographs of over 30 police officers and civilian employees, including several patrol and undercover officers. All of the information on the CD had been obtained from Facebook profiles. For the same reasons that many police officers have unlisted phone numbers, there is a level of danger associated with law enforcement officials posting information on social media that is accessible to the public.
For most law enforcement officials, however, the biggest hurdle presented by social media stems from lack of education and fear of accountability. “I think in the beginning, police officers heard a lot about stupid cops who got into trouble or got their department in trouble because they said embarrassing things,” said Stevens. Stevens is also the creator of The SMILE (Social Media in Law Enforcement) Conference, a seminar that helps law enforcement officials incorporate social media into their processes.
“But it’s definitely easier than it was even a year ago,” she said. “There is less debating about whether or not to get on social media. Now it’s about – we understand we need to do this, so how do we go about it?”
Brands and businesses are looking for ways to leverage Facebook’s recently unveiled Questions tool in ways that differ from what they’re already doing on Q&A sites such as Quora, Yahoo Answers and LocalMind.
The feature, which Facebook rolled out to all users March 24, functions as a recommendation engine. It also presents a major opportunity for businesses to conduct market research and crowdsource in a far more elegant way than was previously possible, according to Ben Grossman, communication strategist for marketing agency Oxford Communications.
“We know from Nielsen that recommendations from friends and family and the opinions of online strangers are the top two most trusted forms of advertising,” Grossman told Mashable. “Facebook Questions offers the perfect opportunity for brands to tap into exactly that.” NOTE: Page owners can access Questions by logging into their page and then heading to the Questions page to enable the feature. For detailed instructions, click here.
Brands, businesses, groups and organizations can then use Questions in several ways. For example, Grossman said:
Ice cream parlors can find out what the flavor of the week should be.
A gym can find out what time is best for its new hip-hop yoga class.
Radio stations can determine the hottest concerts for the summer.
Manufacturers can do a pulse check on fans’ holiday shopping plans.
“The best part about this is that it’s in a trusting, social and real-time setting,” he said. “The opportunity to gain instant feedback from a brand’s biggest fans is amazing.”
Fittingly, we had some more questions about Questions. Below, Grossman weighs in on the feature to help brands better understand the tool.
Mashable: How is Facebook Questions different than the Q&A tools already online?
Grossman: Though Questions certainly falls into a similar category as Yahoo Answers and Quora, there are two very major differences:
Answers to questions are not free-form; users are limited to multiple-choice responses.
Questions (and their answers) are not catalogued by search engines at this time. Public Q&A sites like Yahoo Answers and Quora will still remain important for public-facing customer support and inquiries.
Mashable: How will Facebook Questions change the way users of Facebook Pages interact with their fans? Why is this important?
Grossman: Though third-party Facebook application development companies such as Involver and Wildfire have developed turn-key “poll” applications, many users were likely to get hung up on that pesky “Applications Permissions” box that demands access to users personal information.
Questions changes that. No permissions are required, and the Questions platform lets you answer and talk about questions with all your friends no matter if they’ve engaged with a third-party application before or not.
The other great thing about Questions is it comes with a setting that allows users to add more answers to the multiple-choice answers. This bit of flexibility will really and truly allow businesses to learn from their consumers — they just have to know the right questions to ask.
Questions also demands a higher level of fidelity to opinion statistics for brands. If brands bind themselves to the Questions platform to pose questions and they relate to the brand’s business, it’s going to be a lot clearer to all the fans what public opinion is. If the brand doesn’t follow through by acting on that opinion, Questions has a nice comment area that gives fans the perfect place to call a brand out on it.
Mashable: How have you or Oxford used Facebook Questions so far? How do you plan to use the feature in the future?
Grossman:Oxford Communications decided to test out the functionality and float this question out to our fans:
Within 15 hours, we had engaged 13% of our fanbase and had not only gained votes on answers we had given to the question; we also had fans suggesting (and voting for) new answers, including local couponing sites, LiveTVChat and more. For us, it was an opportunity to enjoy a high level of engagement with our followers, emerge as a thought leader and learn a little all at the same time.
The next frontier, after some additional testing, will be to activate Questions on behalf of our clients. Next month, we are planning on extending Legends Outlets Kansas City’s “Charity Check-In” program through use of Facebook Questions. On Legends Outlets Facbeook Page, Legends Outlets is currently encouraging its consumers to check-in with Facebook Places in order to trigger the brand to donate $1 to a pre-determined, local Kansas City charity.
Next month, the brand will be doing the same, but we will also be employing Facebook Questions to ask the fans what charities they would like to see appear as part of the ongoing Charity Check-In program. We’re excited to help Legends Outlets partner with the charities that mean the most to its fans, while raising their friends’ awareness of ways they can give back to the community.
Mashable: What was your initial reaction to the new Facebook Questions tool?
Grossman: Any time Facebook adds a new standard application to all user and business profiles, I get excited. When Facebook adds major new functionality like Questions, it stands to shift the social dynamic of over 500 million people, creating richer, more diverse and increasingly dynamic conversations.
Beyond the impact it will have on users, the widespread release of Facebook Questions is also emblematic of the continuing trend we’ve seen from Facebook: As soon as a new trend in social media begins to rise up, Facebook acts quickly and decisively. For those long-time Facebook users out there, Questions will hearken back to the days when Polls were far more common on Facebook. But this round of Q&A-based functionality released by Facebook is likely more of a direct response to the increasing popularity of up-and-coming sites like Quora and LocalMind.
What I love about Questions is how true it is to Facebook’s zeal for transparency and trust.
Will You Be Using Questions For Your Business or Brand?
How do you plan to use Facebook Questions for your brand, business, group or organization? Let us know in the comments.
Facebook is trying to gain ownership over 21 domain names that include the term ‘facebook’, including KillFacebook.com, FacebookStuff.com and FacebookSafety.com.
The domain names are all currently owned by a company called Domain Asset Holdings, a known domain squatter based in Potomac, Maryland.
Indeed, when you visit those URLs, they are all listed for sale – some even feature the reserve price (FacebookCheats.com is priced $4,000 and AboutFacebook.com even double that).
The domains are all listed on DomainMarket.com, a domain marketplace operated by WashingtonVC (also the owner of Phone.com, SEO.com, Software.com and more).
That is of course the main difference with sites like AllFacebook.com and InsideFacebook.com, both blogs covering all things Facebook. As far as I know, the social networking company doesn’t have an issue with their names.
In the beginning of last year, we reported that both Apple and Microsoft moved to seize a large number of domain names from squatters in one fell swoop. This isn’t uncommon, in other words, but worth noting since Facebook doesn’t often attempt to have squatted domains transfered over to them.
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Traffic police in Delhi started a 
