New Insight Tool for Facebook Pages

I saw that Facebook had launched a new analytics too called Post Insights. It allows Page admins to find out how many impressions each post on their Page receives and what percentage of the impressions result in action, such as comments.

This is a fab little upgrade as it gives you data on what posts work and what they result in, allowing you to tailor your Facebook editorial strategy.

Plus, it gives you ammo to show the boss/client how engaging Facebook Pages can be.

Nexus One is Google's Trojan Horse

I was quite surprised Google didn't launch the Nexus One as a free product. I know it's a very high end and expensive product, but just think of all the data they will get from people using the smart phone.

As well as the detailed browsing habits they get from their usual business model, the Nexus One with GPS and loaded with all the Google apps, will give Google huge amounts of data on browsing habits of people on the move. Google will be able to see when people email, where they are when they do it, when and where they use Google maps, when and where they make calls, etc.

I reckon large amounts of this kind of data would be much more valuable that the $500 dollars they will get for each phone. With such a high price tag, the danger is fewer people will adopt the phone and so provide less data. If it was free, swathes of people would sign up and give Google shedloads of valuable data.

On a separate train of thought, I wonder if it will turn out to be ironic that Google named it's first phone after a series of Replicants with a short, pre-programmed lifespan.

Social media suicide machine is v risky

There has been lots of discussion around the Suicide Machine 2.o - the software that removes you from your current social media life. It deletes all your social media profiles [apart from Facebook as Zuckerberg et al have banned it], de-friends all your virtual friends, etc - very handy for those who have made New Year resolutions around spending less time online.

However, I think it is a really risky business to hand over all your personal details and passwords to a third party - particularly one that doesn't have along standing trusted reputation of say Amazon. They makers do say they don't keep your passwords etc, but I'd still be extremely nervous of giving over your passwords to a stranger. If it falls into the wrong hands, criminals won't take long to work out more valuable passwords e.g. bank account, amazon account etc. Most people only use 2-3 different passwords so once a criminal has your social media passwords, they can easily work out the ones that they could use to steal from you online.

Maybe I'm being too paranoid, but I remember when I worked with Symantec, the experts there always said that password theft was one of the most common causes of online fraud. It will be interesting to see if Con Mallon has any thoughts on this.

Brave social CSR move by Pepsi

Pepsi has taken all its Superbowl ad spend and invested it in a bold social media/CSR project. It's called the RefreshEverything project and involves Pepsi giving away sizable more grants to people with the best ideas to improve their community. Pepsi have broken with 20+ years of tradition and 'risked' $20M of tried and tested Superbowl ad cash in a pretty ground breaking initiative.

The initiative goes live on Jan 13th and Pepsi will be giving away $1.3M per month.

IMHO this is a phenomenally brave move by Pepsi and one that I really hope succeeds. I believe spending the money in this way will engage with people in a much more meaningful, deeper and lasting way, than say a glossy TV ad with cool young people skate boarding.

UK under Ice

Amazing NASA photo of UK under ice, courtesy of Jon Silk

Bono wants sexier cars -he should have bought TVR

A slight aside from the usual geeky stuff - I saw that Bono was calling for the auto industry to make sexier cars. [Ironically the accompanying photo on the PSFK article is him clambering out of a BMW X5 chelsea tractor]. I just wish he'd had that sentiment a few years ago and put his millions to good use and saved TVR from going bust.

Aside from perhaps Ferraris, cars don't come much more beautiful than TVRs.

I'm not even going to dignify the implication he makes - that America made the best looking cars. [Insert appropriate curse of disgust].