Facebook Application Evaluation

Being on the Marketing and PR, side your thoughts always run into 'what's the value', leading to evaluation. Today, I met with one of the lead Application Developers at Terralever, for Facebook, Justin Copeland. We were talking about some applications Terralever developed for Facebook, including one for the BMW 1-series car. I went into it with him in regards to what he thinks the application did for the product and how comparably could have changed the way the company does business today.

I keep thinking about the correct evaluation for such a program as using a Facebook application to garner attention and get sales—it's missing. Social Media evaluation has put a scare on a lot of traditional ad agencies, pr agencies and possibly interactive agencies, out of the pure fear of no solid evaluative measurement.

Sure, things make me scared when I try them, but that doesn't make it a reason to sit in the Stone Age and not implement these into types of programs into everyday business – whether you're on the client or agency side. It's do or die time. If you feel in fear as an agency, take a small amount of time and push social media directly on yourself, how else will you be an expert? Do some pro-bono work, in return for complete usage in a case study. Anything to get yourself out there. Otherwise you'll be missing the boat and not be looked at twice as a company.

So, this still leads me back—is there an evaluative program to use for examining social media and how its use heightens the activity that's being done.

Let's get organized -- Online Calendars

So, as I just recently started my new position at Terralever, I would like to get my planning in order being the agency bee that I have always been.

That means to institute an informative calendar with easy access for whomever. I thought why not do a little test and figure out what calendar meets my needs.

Here is what I am looking for:

· A calendar that I can easily navigate through, that can be broken down in to categories – such as Award deadlines, Editorial Calendars, Meetings, Goals, Press Release dates, etc. One that lets me see what upcoming awards are there to make sure we’re prepared for, without navigating through an entire calendar day by day.

· Make it accessible online – so people around me can have access to it, but at the same time they have to be invited to view so it’s not open to the public. Kind of like when you make photos on FLICKR private or public.

· If possible I’d like to get it hooked up with my Outlook Calendar and that it updates automatically online when I update on Outlook. This is not necessary but definitely a plus. But if all other components are there then I may still go with another.

· If it can’t connect to my outlook maybe it can be on my desktop or something and I can send outlook contacts and such to it. I’ll see what I find in this avenue. This is where things may get tricky or not who knows.

Right now I am looking at three different calendars:

Trumba

30 Boxes

Google Calendar

I am open to trying others if they work. Anymore ideas let me know.

What is Social Media Forensics?

This is the first of many blogs. My goal is to be able to dissect and go through as many social media sites as possible – one day at a time. What I want to do is get into an aspect of as many as possible, especially ones that are not out there yet and may have good qualities that match a lot of people’s interests.

I have put together a list--I can put it all down now. I will be adding to it, and take suggestions all the time. Feel free to email me at celestej at Terralever.com. Let’s get ready to party, in a nerdy way of course.

Here are a few of those sites to start with

Spongecell | Trumba |Eskobo| Page flakes| Vimeo| Skobe| You tube| Furl| Smugmug| Newsgator| Tin Finger | Shutterfly| Mefeedia| Tailrank| Tagworld| Yakalike| Crackle| Qoop| Inods| Lulu| Blish| FireAnt| Simplyhired| Veoh| Gather | Agatra| Oyogi