The number of tweets posted by journalists from UK media outlets fell by almost 25%, according to the latest NewsTweet Index from PR firm Portland, with big falls at Sky News, which could be linked to its controversial social media guidelines introduced earlier this year.

Overall apparent changes in the tweeting habits of some of the UK’s top journalists saw 80,000 fewer tweets sent in the last three months compared to the previous quarter despite the ongoing economic turmoil, elections, big tax (and pastie) stories, the government’s problems and the on going Leveson inquiry, which all featured heavily. Read More »

Today Facebook debuts on the Nasdaq stock market in the US at $38 a share and will be valued at $104bn, netting Mark Zuckerburg $19bn. Yesterday we heard that Pinterest could be valued at $1.5bn. Recently, iPhone app Instagram was bought by Facebook for $1bn.

Social media has become embedded into our everyday lives, into business, the media and Government. It’s why the companies behind the technology are deemed such prized commodities at the moment. While the disruption that social media services have caused is indisputable, whether these services are so deeply meshed into our existence that they really are long term financially viable propositions is less clear. Is the age of sharing going to finish as quickly as it started?

To coin a phrase, if looks like a bubble, and acts like a bubble, it probably is a bubble.
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It’s the question on everyone’s lips today – would you invest in Facebook? As the company finalises its IPO price ahead of its market debut on Friday, the general consensus is a positive one – early reports show a huge amount of interest in owning a tiny piece of Facebook’s 900-million-user success story. Predictions suggest that the share price could push valuation up to $104bn – according to the Telegraph, this makes it more ‘valuable’ than both Disney and Ford.

So, for Facebook’s early investors, payday has arrived. But surely the fact that so many of them are cashing in should be a warning to wannabe buyers? If you invested in 2004, you’re laughing – the social network’s value has exploded to such an extent that even someone like U2’s Bono, who owns fewer than 2% of the shares, is set to be a billionaire and the world’s richest rock star by the weekend. Read More »

Arsenal topped the Twitter Social Media league with nearly 1.5 million Twitter followers (also the 3rd highest worldwide for a football club) in May. However, having the most followers doesn’t necessarily equate to being the best. Manchester City were this month’s champions both on the pitch and in the social media world.

City collected their second “Best of the Month” award this season in Freestyle Interactive‘s  monthly Premier League Social Media Stats infographic series. Read More »

Tomorrow is IPO day for Facebook and as it goes to the market, with a valuation of $104bn, there are a raft of stories circulating about problems with its commercial operation.

Forrester has put out a report that takes a look at Facebook and how it works for marketing…except their take is that it doens’t work. General Motors ring any bells? Read More »

The impending EU e-Privacy Directive has brought renewed focus on the humble cookie, but whilst the subject of how to comply with the new law has caused much debate amongst agencies and marketers.

Is there a more pertinent, yet overlooked, question we should be asking: are cookies even fit for purpose? Read More »

This is worth a read. The Cabinet Office has published guidance for civil servants on the use of social media as well as tips for government Departments on how to overcome the technical barriers to civil servants accessing the internet and social media channels.

It’s always good to hear some sensible words on social from someone very senior. In this instance they come from Sir Bob Kerslake (@sirbobkerslake), Head of the Civil Service, who talks about the change social media is bringing to the way the civil service, and the rest of us, will work in the future. Read More »

Pinterest, the online notice board, has added another billion dollars to the value of social media as it raises $100m from investors and picks up a valuation of $1.5bn. The valuation is more than a seven fold increase on the $200m it was valued at the end of last year.

The valuation puts it on a par with Instagram which was bought by Facebook last month for $1bn in cash and stock. Read More »

The growth of social media usage is by now well known and well documented. But publishers and broadcasters are also increasingly interested in building a social media presence.

For media brands who are used to talking to large audiences, a platform like
Twitter seems to provide new opportunities to create deeper levels of engagement and loyalty, as well as to reach wider audiences through word of mouth and ‘earned’ media. Read More »

Brands are becoming ever more sensitive about how they are perceived online – nobody wants to become the latest Addison Lee.

This has led to them become more receptive to responding to complaints and queries posted by consumers in social networks. A new study by Fishburn Hedges shows that 65% of those polled felt social media was a better way to connect with a company than the traditional call centre. Only 7% thought they were worse off using social. Read More »