Searching Facebook status

With Facebook opening up all its gubbins, it means that developers can make all sorts of apps to interact with data on Facebook. One such app is Openbook, a search engine that interacts with Facebook's publicly available API to allow you to search Facebook users status updates.

The guys who developed this search engine did so to make a point about Facebook's privacy policy - it search those status updates that have been left viewable by everyone in the FB pprivacy settings.

From a brand point of view though, it is a great way to track conversations about companies and products in Facebook. Here's one I did for my client Durex.

Its not totally comprehensive as not everyone leaves their status update privacy settings open, but it gives you an idea of what's been said.

Haul Videos / beauty sprees

I think I'm a bit late spotting this new trend of Haul Videos, where kids/shoppers show their Haul i.e. the stuff they bought. This report on ABC News reckons there is over 100,000 Haul Videos.

Blair Fowler for example has become a bit of a superstar and she has packed in school to concentrate on making Haul Videos. She has even got an agent now.

I guess this is one step further compared to traditional geek's unboxing videos for new gadgets.

Without stating the obvious, this is huge opportunity for brands to engage with powerful product reviewers.