Since their announcements at F8 about Open Graph Protocol (OGP), I’ve been following Facebook far more closely that I normally do.  Why? From the moment I watched the videos about what OGP does, I knew that the way the internet works will be changed forever.  Today I saw something that confirms that Facebook now controls the internet. No, I’m not saying that to be sensational or dramatic, I believe it to be true…a shift has occurred with OGP that will forever change how brands and consumers interact, and Facebook owns it all.  How do I know? Because long time rival Google is already embracing Facebook’s new protocol.

More about that in a moment. But first, if you are not familiar with what Facebook has done, let me give you a very brief overview.

What Does Open Graph Do?

Websites can now be uniquely dynamic, not globally static.  In other words, each visitor to a site will experience it in a way that no other visitor ever will.

For example, when a visitor goes to a website and logs in using Facebook, they will see which of their friends “like” the site, a single page or even an individual product. In addition to the “like” feature, any site can customize the user experience by displaying personally relevant information like upcoming birthdays, events or hobbies of their friends. In all, there are sixteen categories of personal information that can be shared on the site, creating an experience that is unique for each visitor.

As a brand marketer that focuses on social media optimization (here is a list of companies that I currently or recently have worked for), I’m incredibly excited about how this changes the scope of how we can interact and engage with consumers.  It’s a brave new world.

Proof That Facebook Now Controls The Internet

Given what websites are now able to create unique and very personal experiences on their sites, it’s no surprise that many are clamoring to understand and incorporate Open Graph Protocol into their online communities. I wouldn’t think that every company would be anxious to use OGP, however; companies that view Facebook as competition in any way are no doubt less-than-thrilled with this announcement.  One such company is Google.

It’s no secret that there is more than a little competition between Google and Facebook.  This Wired piece from February 2010 says it well, “this time it’s personal”.  It’s not a new rivalry, there are many articles going back several years that describe a similar cut-throat mentality of competition.  Given this, I’m truly surprised that even Google has started to incorporate Facebook’s Open Graph Protocol into some of their sites.  Today, I discovered that YouTube, a company that is Google owned, is using OGP is a very creative way.

My friend and social media pro Josh Groth put up a link to a video on his Facebook page today.  I thought it sounded interesting, so I clicked the link that brought me directly to the YouTube page and started watching (the quite excellent) ukulele rendition of MGMT’s Kids.  That’s not the amazing part…what I was shocked to see was the prompt just below the video encouraging me to log into YouTube with my Facebook account! Facebook Connect for YouTube isn’t new, it was implemented last year.  However, this move appears to cement into place the premise that YouTube (and therefore Google) needs Facebook.

Although I didn’t log in, it’s a brilliant move by YouTube, and I’m sure many companies will follow.  If I had permitted the application to log me in via Facebook, I would have given YouTube full permission to contact me anytime via email, and to pull my personal information (and that of my friends) from Facebook whenever they wanted to, day or night. I would be giving them the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.

I asked somebody to log into the same video, first by directly visiting the URL in their browser without going through Facebook.  The result? There was not a prompt to log in with Facebook.  Next, they clicked through the link for the same video (same URL) that I had posted on my wall in Facebook.  This time the prompt for them to sign in via Facebook was there. Want to see for yourself? Click the link here to go directly to the YouTube video page, then click the link here to go to my Facebook social media page so you can click through to the same video, but from Facebook. Do you see what I see? The prompt to log in only displays (for now) for the traffic that comes directly from Facebook.

This means that YouTube is using referral data (how you get to there site, where you are coming from) to determine if you will see the prompt for Facebook connect.  It stands to reason that if you are going to YouTube directly from Facebook, you will be more likely to log in using the Facebook method…which of course increases the amount of information that YouTube can gather, store and use about you.  All in all, it’s very clean and smart marketing.

What This Means

As much as I can appreciate the fact that YouTube is really embracing Facebook’s Open Graph Protocol, it’s hard for me to look past that fact that it is really Google using it.  In my mind, Google’s continuing embrace and use of technology that clearly incorporates and benefits Facebook is quite telling: Facebook has rolled out something that is so beneficial to every brand and company that has a web presence, Facebook now controls the internet.

Checkmate. Well played, Facebook.

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HubSpot created a very good graphical timeline on inbound marketing. For those who do not know what inbound marketing is, Wikipedia define it as “Inbound marketing is a style of marketing that focuses on getting found by customers”. HubSpot started the timeline with the invention of search engine in 1994 and end with 220,000,000 iPods sold worldwide.

Take a look at the timeline and you will realize the demise of traditional marketing and the importance of inbound marketing.

Source: HubSpot

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With the Haiti disaster fresh in our minds, most organizations are now scrambling to bring as much aid as possible to the victims there. Many charity organizations are also creating social media sites to encourage people to donate and help as much as possible.

With so much going on in my Facebook about the disaster, how can I not be doing something right? Well, this post isn’t about how you can help (ok maybe a small part of it is), but I want to let you know why you should help, on top of that, I want to point you to the right direction too. The most significant part though, is for you to observe how social media tools have changed the way donations are been made and how lives can be changed from a click of the mouse. So let’s begin.

Where is Haiti?

The official name of the country is called Republic of Haiti. According to Wikipedia, it is a french speaking Caribbean country situated in Greater Antillean archipelago. They have a total mass area of 27,750 square km and they have a very unique history. For example, they are the first independent country in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion.

The Current State of the Country

Despite their glorious past, they are now one of the poorest country in Latin America. It’s nominal GDP is 7.018 billion USD (as of 2009) with a GDP per capita of 790 USD,  or about $2 per person per day. Since 2003, it’s estimated that about 80% of it’s 8.7 million people lives in poverty. The poverty was so bad that it had forced almost 225,000 children into slavery as unpaid household servants.

Their literacy rate was at 65%, one of the lowest in the region. The enrollment rate for primary school is 67%, and fewer than 30% reach 6th grade. Secondary schools enroll 20% of eligible-age children.

The Impact of Recent Earthquake

The recent earthquake was one of the biggest, with a measurement of 7.0M. Thereafter, there are about 14 aftershocks measuring between 5.0 – 5.9 M. The International Red Cross estimated that about 3 million Haitians were affected in the earthquake. Death toll by the Haitian officials state as many as 200,000 people dead.

The living conditions after the quake was even worse. It was reported that many people in Haiti slept in the streets, on sidewalks, in their cars because either their houses were destroyed or they are afraid that the building that are standing can’t withstand the aftershocks.

The slow distribution of resources after the disaster have also resulted in violence, as groups attempting to dispense food and other aid were attacked, including an attempted carjacking of aid vehicles. Some frustrated with the lack of aid made roadblocks out of bodies.

Here is a video of the aftermath by CBSNews

How You Can Help

Over at Mashable, you can find a list of legit organizations that are encouraging people to donate and help the poor and needy at Haiti. Be careful as there are also many callous individuals out there creating charity social sites that doesn’t benefit the people there.

You can also use Google’s crisis response page to response to the call of duty. Willis Wee of Penn-Olson have made a contribution and here is the screenshot that he made to show us how easy it is to lend a helping hand.

That’s about it. I hope this post can inspire and educate you but most importantly,make you take action. In this digital age, a click of a mouse can mean alot to the people in Haiti. Do your part while I go do mine Cheer!

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Hi all, I thought it would be a good idea to let the readers here know what we are doing over at our Facebook and Twitter page since not all of you may be following closely to all the 3 platforms we have presence in. So here are the  updates we have for you.

Facebook Page

We have just launched a Facebook ad campaign to boost the numbers on our Fan page and will be tracking the response over the next one month or so. The objective is not much of growing the community but more of finding out if there is any impact when we add ads into our existing marketing model. We have grown approximately 200 members over the last month, most of them organically (probably with the help of the fan box on the right) and will hope to double or even triple that with Facebook ads added to the mix.

To improve the content experience of the readers (both for the blog and fan page), we have also added a Twtpoll to ask for feedback regarding your interest in social media. You should see the question pop up over time in the status update because we really want to know how to create relevant content here and on Facebook. In fact, if you have 5 mins to spare, do head over and give us your feedback now.

In 140 Chars or less, tell us what is the biggest challenge businesses face when it comes

Twitter

Over at Twitter, we have regularly been updating news regarding social media. If you are following us and is finding our tweet interesting, please feel free to retweet them to your colleague or associates. besides that, we have also created a hashtag called #smvocab. It is short for ‘social media vocabulary’. The idea is to use this as an educational tool to teach anyone who are new about social media. Each day, there will be a new vocab introduced and you are free to retweet them to your friends too.

One-on-One Coaching

Yes, time for a little promotion. We are delighted to announce the launch of our private coaching program One-on-One Coaching. As the name suggest, we want to work with business owners on a regular, one on one basis to help them navigate the social web and understand the use of social media. This program will give them a framework to work on so that they can use it to produce consistent results month after month, year after year.

Since we’ve just launched the program, we are giving away 10 slots at a huge discount. Visit the tab above to learn more about the program and how it can benefit you.

Coming up

Within the next few weeks, we will be annoucing our affiliate program structure for both the coaching and training programs we have. If you or your friends are interested in making some money by referring clients to us, do check back and see what we have in store for you. Cheers!

That’s all the updates we have for you. Hope you find the content in this site insightful and if you have any feedback, please do not hesitate to write on the comment box below or contact us directly. Cheers!

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As 2009 is coming to a close, I realize I have been blogging on this site for slightly more than a year now. I just want to say to everyone here who have been following me on Facebook, Twitter and this blog a very big thank you to all of you. Without your support, I won’t be writing so consistently over this past one year. So this post will showcase the top 10 posts for 2009. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward t0 write better quality posts for 2010. Cheers!

Expeditus Media Top 10 Posts For 2009

1. How Can ‘Dr’ Clemen Chiang Make a Comeback?
2. Barack Obama and Facebook
3. 5 Steps in Setting Ad Space Price for Your Blog
4. True Spa – Local Case Study on How Social Media is Use to Bring Companies to Their Knees
5. How Does Twitter Actually Help a Business
6. How to Promote Your Products Through Social Media
7. How Businesses Are Using Twitter
8. Dell Said They Made $3 Million Dollars Using Twitter
9. New Facebook Pages: Changes Will Help Optimize Business Page
10. 5 Ways Businesses Can Use Micro-Blogging

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Hey there,

If you are a regular reader on this blog, you will realize I have been making a few changes here and there. This blog layout was actually the original layout I used when starting Expeditus Media. Subsequently, I have changed the layout to a more personal one. However, I realize that I still like this layout more as it provides a very clean and easy way of navigating the site. It also gives me alot of flexibility in adding new features to it. So, hopefully this layout will remain throughout 2010.

Besides the change of layout, I also want to take this opportunity to update you on several things that I have been planning for 2010.

Facebook Page

Originally, Expeditus Media have already got a Facebook page months ago. At that time, I was running a Facebook group and was not sure what am I suppose to do with page. Now I have a clear idea of what this page is going to do. I will be using the Facebook page to provide industrial updates, blog posting and sources to download free reports. It will also include polls, case study videos and a discussion forum for everyone to share and give comments of social media.

The intention of this page is to educate fans about the social media industry and to witness the evolving social media landscape. The updates provided will be useful for marketers, community managers, business owners and social media enthusiast as these updates will be geared towards achieving business objectives. Therefore, you won’t see funny videos or pictures on the page but strictly business oriented content.

I will also phrase out the group and channel them to the fan page I have created.

What About My Facebook Profile?

The original intention was to use my profile page as a mean to connect to individuals at a deeper level. It will still be open to everyone who wants to connect and share insights with me. But I will not be sharing as much social media information on my profile page as I do in the past.

My profile page will still contain informative content (you don’t need to know what I had for lunch yesterday, and which toilet is unclean right?). I still share entertaining videos, pictures and some things I learn along the way. But will be strictly personal.

I believe in this way, it is much easier for those who are reading my status updates regularly. I also believe it’s much easier for me to identify those who wants to know more about social media marketing and to be gathered in to one community.

Twitter

Currently, I have no plans for my Twitter account. I will still be using my personal Twitter account to share about social media content since most followers comes from the marketing, social media and business background. So if you want to get industry news about social media or you want to get connected with me, do follow me @rodericklow and start chatting.

My Blog

Besides changing the layout. 2010 will also be the year where I will focus most of my energy on creating and publishing content. In that, I mean creating more how-to ebooks for download in Free resources, videos and slides to share about social media. The style of the blog posts will also change by 2010. In the past, I use to write about everything I read on social media. By next year onwards, it will be geared towards business owners and marketers, community managers etc. That will be the target audience I hope to attract to my blog and Facebook Page.

So don’t be surprise if you read about insights, complex methodology and statistics dominating the site.

I believe a website should be easily navigated and not confusing for the users. Therefore the features of the site will remain largely unchanged except maybe some additional features along the way.

I am also keen to come up with products for sale in the later half of the year. I am still not sure what products I am going to come up with but the one I am certain will be the book I am currently writing now. So do look out for the announcement in the middle of next year, will reveal more about it when the time is right.

Conclusion

2010 is certainly going to be an exciting year for me and Expeditus Media. I hope to contribute more to the marketplace with my skills and hopefully more organizations will make use of social media to not only make money from it but do social good too.

Have a happy holiday,

Rod

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