User engagement even more critical with Facebook's algorithm tweaks

Many Facebook pages have experienced declining reach in recent weeks.

Think we were kidding during the newsroom Facebook seminars this summer when we said engagement was critical to getting our content to appear in users' newsfeeds? Well, we weren't then  -- and we definitely aren't now.

Those of us who regularly manage pages have noticed a decline in our posts' reach over the past several weeks. We're in good company: A recent study surveying 3,00 Facebook pages have confirmed that they are also experiencing a decline in reach.

What's happened? It seems clear -- and Facebook seems to have confirmed -- that the company has tweaked it's algorithm to make engagement even more important in determining what appears in users' feeds, with pages' less engaging posts less likely than ever to appear, and more engaging posts more likely to appear.

The bottom line: Continuing to make each post as engaging as possible is more critical than ever. Need to refresh your member on best practices for engagement? Check out these guidelines.

Instagram Usage Explodes

We all assumed that when Facebook acquired the photo sharing social network Instragram that it's profile would be significantly higher. But wow. From May to June, the platform grew from 50 to 80 million users.

Here's the official announcement via Instagram:

We're excited to announce that the Instagram community has grown to over 80 million registered users who have shared nearly 4 billion photos! Since we launched Instagram in October 2010, we've expanded from one platform to two, bringing Instagram to Android users as well as iOS users. As the community has grown, we've seen people sharing photos from all around the world, from South Korea to Bolivia, and even underwater! We're humbled by the amazing photos from people's lives we see every day on Instagram, and thank you for being part of this growing community.

~ The Instagram Team

To get the app click HERE (for iOS) or HERE (for Android)

Journalist has Twitter account suspended (and then reinstated) after insulting the Peacock network

Don't tick off NBC. That's what journalist for The Independent Guy Adams learned over the weekend when he took the network to task for tape delaying the games for prime time.

Said one tweet: "Am I alone in wondering why NBColympics think its [sic] acceptable to pretend this road race is being broadcast live?"

He also went on to mock anchor Matt Lauer as well as tweet the e-mail address of Gary Zenkel, the president of NBC Olympics and urged his followers to contact the exec directly.

Soon after, Adams found this message when he logged on to his account: "Your Twitter account has been suspended for posting an individual's private information such as private email address." More details found HERE.

MORE: Olympic Twitter misfires yield lessons on consequences, values

UPDATE: After the maelstrom of controversy that fell upon Twitter and NBC, it looks as though Adams account was unsuspended. Read more HERE.

UPDATE II: Twitter apologizes for Guy Adams controversy. Read more HERE.

What Facebook's New Features Mean for Journalism

What exactly does Facebook's new features mean for Journalism? Adam Ostrow, executive editor and senior vice president of Content at Mashable chats with Vadim Lavrusik, journalist program manager of Facebook at the Mashable Media Summit 2011. (Source: YouTube)

Journalists and Facebook: Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times

How Journalists use Facebook: Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times talks with Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg about his strategy for using the social network for reporting and storytelling.

The journalist also shares some examples of using it for crowdsourcing, such as when he used Facebook to find a story idea while traveling to Haiti. (Source: Facebook)

Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

Journalist Panel: SXSW

Journalists Andy Carvin from NPR, Wall Street Journal's Zach Seward and CNET's Caroline McCarthy discuss how they are using Facebook for news gathering and distribution with Facebook's Malorie Lucich. They also delve into some of the best practices they've learned along the way. (Source: Facebook)

Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

Fun Stuff: Did Jerry Predict the Need for Facebook?

Tip of the hat here to Blogworld for this one. Could it be that observational comic and sitcom star was on to something in this routine? Could it be the comic predicted Facebook years ahead of it's time?

Journalist Backpedals After Inappropriate Tweet

Lordy... There couldn't be a better working example of a journalist tweeting something more than inappropriate than the above.

Wall Street Journal editorial board member and 'Best of the Web' columnist James Taranto recently tweeted about the three men who were murdered while shielding their girlfriends from the barrage of bullets during "The Dark Knight" movie theater massacre in Aurora, Colo. on July 20.

His tweet: I hope the girls whose boyfriends died to save them were worthy of the sacrifice

When pressed by the Huffington Post, the journo said he wasn't granting interviews and pointed to his column, entitled: 'Heroes of Aurora: A mea culpa for an errant tweet'.

Says the column: "We intended this to be thought-provoking, but to judge by the response, very few people received it that way. The vast majority found it offensive and insulting. This column has often argued that a failure of public communication is the fault of the public communicator, and that's certainly true in this case. What follows is an attempt to answer for this failure with a circumspect accounting of our thoughts. ...

... These three women owe their lives to their men. That debt can never be repaid in kind, because life is for the living and cannot be returned to the dead. The closest they can come to redeeming it is to use the gift of their survival well--to live good, full, happy lives."

When the Huff Post pressed him once again on the column's use of 'we,' Taranto responded,"... the editorial 'we' is a remnant from the very early days when the column was unsigned. I'm sole author of tweets and columns."

2012 London Olympics: Exploding on Social Media

With the advent of tablets and smartphones practically in everyone's pockets, the 2012 Olympics in London will be a game-changer for sports reporting on the worldwide level. George Burns of Hispanic Business theorizes that these games will be "the most tweeted, blogged and reported upon event in history."

Read his fascinating piece about this year's Olympics and how life has drastically changed on the web since the last time we saw these events. Social media and streaming are factoring in tremendously.

Read more HERE.

Should We Be Shocked?

According to digital marketing firm Performics, 40 percent of Americans polled admitted they feel more comfortable interacting online than in person.

The firm polled roughly 2,000 adults who actively visit one social networking site at least once a day.

Which networks were cited? Unsurprisingly, they were Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest.

Read more HERE.

Posting Photos Online: A Blogger's Cautionary Tale

Don't just grab photos from Google Images or other sources:
Choose photos you have the right to use. (Photo credit: Carly Rothman)

Whether you're blogging for The Star-Ledger, on a personal site, or simply sharing images on a social media site like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Tumblr, let Roni Loren's experience be a lesson to you.

Roni did what so many bloggers do: She took photos she found on Google images and used them to illustrate her blog, even crediting the photographer in some cases. She learned the hard way (read: lawsuit) that this is not acceptable. In this detailed blog post, Roni forthrightly shares her experience to help other bloggers learn from her mistakes.

 The bottom line: The ONLY pictures that we as bloggers should be posting are those that we have express permission to use. For Star-Ledger staffers, that means:

 • If you are blogging in a professional capacity, exclusively post photos that you took yourself, images that are in the public domain (more to come in an upcoming post) or that you obtained from our photo department and credited properly.

 • If you're are blogging in a personal capacity, that means photos that you took yourself, photos in the public domain, or for which you received direct permission from the photographer or source -- including The Star-Ledger photo department.

Google Plus Hangouts for Journalists

Love or hate Google Plus, it's a safe bet to admit it's probably not going anywhere. While engagement in their circles may not be as deep as on Facebook or Twitter, but millions have come to love it's ease of use.

And those Google Plus hangouts are pretty cool. Why? Their video chat tool has fueled somewhat of a journalism renaissance by some news organizations. While so far it's mostly television-driven, it's easy to imagine how newspapers can easily hop on board by using the exciting feature.

Sarah Hill (pictured above), a nine-time Emmy award winning reporter and interactive anchor at KOMU-TV 8 in Columbia, MO is leading the charge and has weaved Hangouts into her daily newscast.

Enjoy this video where she explains everything you need to know about the tool.

More Google Plus reading:

• The 10 Commandments of Hangouts

• How Journalists Should Set Up Google+ Profiles

• How News Brands Should Set Up Google+ Pages

• The Basics of Using Google+

Reynolds Journalism Institute Talks Google Plus Hangouts

This presentation to the Reynolds Journalism Institute delves into how television journalists are using Google Plus Hangout On-Air to connect with viewers. They're using it as a free satellite truck and it's redefining traditional TV markets.

* While this is mostly television-centric, there are plenty of nuggets to take from this.

Embrace those Twitter Lurkers

Ted Rubin, a leading social marketing strategist and chief social marketing officer at Collective Bias, urges people to NOT unfollow Tweeps who are inactive -- no matter how long it’s been.

He maintains that "there are many lurkers, searchers and readers who may never tweet, but still have a great deal of value..." Read more of his Mashable op-ed piece HERE.

Scheduling Posts in Facebook

If you manage a Fan Page for your department of the newspaper or are an adminstrator of a page, Facebook recently rolled out a nifty feature that allows you to schedule posts and backdate posts.

The video below, provided by Social Media Minute, explains more:

'Dark Knight' Theater Tragedy Unfolds on Social Media

We've seen in countless situations how social media can be a tool in the field as well as an informative window into tragic events or news.

A prime example of the above is the July 19 shooting when a gunman killed 12 in Colorado theater during a midnight screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises.'

CNN explains how the event unfolded on social media. Click HERE to read.

Social Media Minute: Getting Started on Pinterest

If one thing is certain, Pinterest is a social media force to be reckoned with. But some people may be confused as to the value of pinning 'just a bunch of photos.' The proof is in the pudding: In March 2012, the network snagged 2.3 billion page views (more facts HERE).

Carl Lavin and his stupendous blog, Carl Lavin: The Business of News, posted a wonderful piece detailing seven ways journalists can use Pinterest. Read it HERE.

If you're on board with the fastest-growing social media web site, the video below can help in getting you started.

What NOT to Post in your FB profile

A new web site We Know What You're Doing has collected hordes of status updates that have been posted publicly. Many of them delve into FB users who are hungover and hate their boss.

Site developer Callum Haywood tells CNN: "I created the website to make people aware of the issues that it creates when they post such information on Facebook without any privacy settings enabled. The people featured on the site are most likely not aware that what they post as 'public' can be seen by absolutely anybody, and that Facebook will happily give away this information to other websites via its Graph API."

In short, check your privacy settings and think before you press the 'ol 'POST' button.

Facebook Reminder...

... Despite what a plethora of rogue apps may claim, there is NO WAY to tell who is visiting or has visited your Facebook profile. Read more HERE.

Fun Stuff: Howard Stern Interviews Twitter Founder Biz Stone

Antics aside, shock jock and current "America's Got Talent" judge Howard Stern has long been considered a master interviewer who can often get his subjects to disclose much more than they originally intend.

Here, in this fascinating 45-minute interview, Stern chats with Twitter founder Biz Stone. It's highly entertaining - especially when the topic turns to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

(iPad and iPhone users, click HERE)

Social Media at the Chicago Tribune

Enjoy this 28-minute audio interview between social media consultant, online journalist and blogger JD Lasica and Chicago Tribune general assignment reporter James Janega. They discuss Janega's use of social media tools in his reporting for the Chi-town daily. (The Internet Archive)

NPR's Experiments with Social Media

"Part of what I do at NPR is to really help our journalists think about how can online communities be used to improve the quality and diversity of our journalism," says Andy Carvin, social media strategist for NPR.org.

In this video, he dictates the innovative approaches he employs at National Public Radio to help cultivate high-quality journalism as well as better engagement with his audience.

ASNE Issues Guide to '10 Best Practices for Social Media'

In this age where both the Twitterverse and Facebookland are becoming serious tools for journalists, The American Society of News Editors is attempting to make it easier for their members who are wrestling with some sticky situations when it comes to the social networks.

They've reviewed the social media rules of leading mainstream news organizations and came away with these 10 key teachable moments:

1. Traditional ethics rules still apply online.
2. Assume everything you write online will become public.
3. Use social media to engage with readers, but professionally.
4. Break news on your website, not on Twitter.
5. Beware of perceptions.
6. Independently authenticate anything found on a social networking site.
7. Always identify yourself as a journalist.
8. Social networks are tools not toys.
9. Be transparent and admit when you’re wrong online.
10. Keep internal deliberations confidential.

Here is a link to the entire 50-page document.

For a lively discussion about these guidelines, click HERE.

Social Media Gender Balance: Which Network Is Right for You?

A columnist who wants to engage with readers really must choose their social networks properly. For example, if you write mainly about women's issues, parenting or other specific gender topics, there are certain social media brands you should be paying more attention to.

AllTwitter (via Information Is Beautiful) took a deep look at the gender balance on social networking sites and which ones appeal heavily towards men and women.

Read more HERE.

Fun Stuff: 25 Things to Do When Twitter Goes Down

So the world was a-twitter yesterday (couldn't help it) when the massive social network went down. What to do? Lauren Dugan came up with a hilarious list of activity suggestions for the next time. (AllTwitter)

Read more HERE.

New Law: Sex Offenders in Louisiana Must State Status on Social Networks

This will certainly have interesting implications for newsrooms. A new Louisiana law says that sex offenders have to disclose their criminal status, conviction location and a physical description of their characteristics on all their social networks. Will more states will follow suit? (CNET)

Read more HERE.

Pinterest: Six Tips from Power Users

So you took the leap and started a collection of pinboards on Pinterest. Now what? Here are six power tips on using the fastest-growing social network (Mashable).

Read more HERE.

Study Delves into Social Media Buzz and Movie Success

This little tidbit may be interesting for those covering entertainment. A new study as highlighted in The Hollywood Reporter collected data on 25 movies (blockbuster and indie) and found "a direct correlation between the number of social media postings about a movie on a given day, and the number of people who intended to purchase tickets."

It's certainly an interesting study and one that can, at least gauge what people will be talking about. Social media heat may also explain why full page ads have seemingly vanished for tentpole films of late in many papers.

Have You Noticed??

... That your Facebook app isn't as quick or responsive as it once was? Kinda hard to utilize the tool in the field when it's slowing to a crawl.

HERE'S WHY...

To Tweet or Share ...

...That is the question.

For those who also are concerned with driving traffic to their news sites, how does the click-per-share ratio compute when using the two very different social networks?

Facebook's Vadim Lavrusik tried to answer that very question when he worked at Mashable in 2011. Here's what he had to say.

Facebook + Journalists - The Los Angeles Times

Facebook + Journalists: The Los Angeles Times hosted an event to talk about journalism, technology and Facebook at the L.A. Times building in downtown L.A. in 2011. (Source: YouTube)

Journalism in a Social Media world: IYCF 2011

Can social media change the nature of the news business? Are we as journalist up to the task in responding to the changing social media landscape or will citizens and users dictate news content and its direction?

Jahanzaib Haque, Web Editor The Express Tribune explores the ever-changing nature of online dialogue and the impact of citizens on journalism. (Source: YouTube)

Fun Stuff: What if Facebook were invented in the 90s?

It just may have looked like ... this. Mr. Zuckerberg would be proud.

Biz Stone on the Future of Media

Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone chats about the future of media in 2011 at the C Squared Festival of Media.

The Benefit of Social Media to Newspapers

Mark Luckie, editor, founder of the digital journalism blog 10,000 Words shares why he thinks social media and social networking sites are important to print journalism. (Internet Archive)

Facebook: Better Engagement Practices

We all want better engagement on our Facebook pages. Easier said than done, right?

Social media guru Dan Zarella probed over one million Facebook posts, found the 'most liked' and has released some pretty amazing fundamentals on which kinds of posts get the most shares, likes, and comments. (Mashable)

Read all about the fascinating findings HERE.

Newspapers on Pinterest

Pinterest is quickly becoming the fastest-growing social network. It's easy to see why. It's purely graphical, addictive and easy to use.

For those interested in which newspapers are on the booming social network, click HERE.

Also: Pinterest Power: How to Use the Third Largest Social Media Site

Want more on Pinterest? Watch the video below for a primer...

Facebook Journalism 101

A virtual treasure trove of information written by Facebook's Journalist Program Manager Vadim Lavrusik.

Ethics and Professionalism for Journalists in the Social Media Age

These videos delve into many aspects of the social media discussion and features: Prof. Catharine Lumby, director of the Journalism and Media Research at the University of NSW; Leigh Sales, ABC Presenter, Lateline; Associate Prof. Kate Crawford; Digital Media Researcher, Journalism and Media Research Centre, UNSW; Chris Warren, MEAA; and John Bergin, Deputy Director of Digital News, Sky News. (Vimeo)

Ethics & Professionalism for Journalists in the Social Media Age (1/2) from media140 on Vimeo.

Ethics & Professionalism for Journalists in the Social Media Age (2/2) from media140 on Vimeo.

Are Photos on Social Media Sites Fair Game?

Should news outlets use photos from a person's Facebook or Twitter page? It's a highly-debated discussion and one that's always interesting. Australian reporter Lauren Day explores the subject.(The Internet Archive)

Social Media Minute: Facebook's Expands 'Admin' Feature

If you run the Facebook page for your newsroom, you'll notice that Facebook has changed the way administrators can define roles with different editing capabilities that include:

Manager
Content Creator
Moderator
Advertiser
Insights analyst

Social media tip: Don’t Auto-Connect Your Facebook and Twitter accounts

More and more social networks have made it quite simple to link several accounts but it's usually the kiss of death. In this post from All Twitter, find out why cross pollinating your feeds is not a good idea.

Newspapers and social media: Still not really getting it

Mathew Ingram at Gigaom says "Newspapers seem to have a hard time accepting the 'social' part of social media -- a case in being the new policy introduced at a major Canadian newspaper, which tells its staff not to express personal opinions and not to respond to reader comments."

Read his entire piece HERE

Should you use a social media dashboard?

Social media dashboards are a great way to group together multiple social networks in one place. They allow users to update several Twitter, Facebook as well as other accounts all at once. What's more, they also provide powerful tools and analytics to manage your interaction with followers at almost every level. Granted, these dashboards can be jarring and they're not easy to use. But once you get past the slight learning curve, there's usually no going back.

Fun stuff: I want to be a journalist

So You Want to Be a Journalist
by: BrooklynLee

Live Tweeting: A Twelve-Step Primer

While there's always some discussions in newsrooms about the merits of live tweeting versus live blogging, here is a decent link that explains exactly how to live tweet should there be a time you need the skill.

A twelve-step guide on how to live-tweet an event

New to Twitter? Here Are 12 Tips from the Community

Journalist Program Manager at Facebook Vadim Lavrusik recently asked his Twitter followers for any advice they'd give to new Twitter users.

Here's his link to the top dozen answers: New to Twitter? Here Are 12 Tips From the Community

Social Media and Uprisings

A journalism panel examining the role that social media has played in the various uprisings taking place in the Arab world and elsewhere. (Vimeo)

Moderator: Jim Clancy, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN International, Atlanta.

Session IV: "Social Media Revolutions: The Media and the Uprisings in North Africa, the Middle East, and Elsewhere" from IPI Congress on Vimeo.

The 'New Journalists'

David Johnson, Jim Brady, Mark Pretson and Andrea Spiegal chat about social media, journalism and the rise of citizen journalists. (Vimeo)

The new journalists from Glenn Luther on Vimeo.

Social Media Skills and Branding for Journalists

Amani Channel shares his story at a recent gathering of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. Topics of discussion include new media and production trends, applications, sites, and resources that journalists can use stay relevant in the changing media landscape.

Social media skills and branding for journalists (PABJ Presentation) from Web Video Chefs on Vimeo.

Should Journalists Be Pitched Stories On Twitter?

During Padilla Speer Beardsley's 'Meet the Journalist' program, WCCO's Jason DeRusha and Mike Caputa discussed how they feel about being pitched stories by Twitter. (Vimeo)

Meet the Journalists: How do you feel about being pitched via Twitter? from Rich Goldsmith on Vimeo.

Twitter Tips for Journalists

Twitter's Robin Sloan shares the three top tips he gave to journalists who use Twitter at the Online News Association PLUS in 2010." (Vimeo):

Twitter After Hours from Online News Association on Vimeo.

Facebook: Now What? (podcast)

Planet Money podcast. (Worth listening to the end; talks about values and challenges of likes)

Via NPR: "On today's show, we follow a couple guys who run a pizza shop in New Orleans as they buy their first Facebook ad. We visit a business in New Jersey that sells Facebook "likes" in bulk. And we check in with a business school professor who explains what Facebook would have to do to live up to its valuation — which, even after its post-IPO fall, is still roughly $90 billion."

Welcome to the blog

Welcome to the wonderful world of social media.

This blog that will aim to help and educate journalists and newsroom administrators on handling their Facebook and Twitter accounts (among other social networks) through the videos aggregations and discussions posted.

Sit back, grab a cup of Joe and enjoy the oodles of content.