Online Marketing Insights

OMLogic is the social media partner for OMCAR 2012. The conference on social media being held in New Delhi on 13th January 2012 is a conclave aimed at talking about the scope of social media.

Marketing in today’s times is incomplete without social media. But, the point is that how many businesses or brands actually understand this? OMCAR 2012 aims to bring to forefront the tremendous potential that social media holds as a tool for marketing, across all the industries!

Gradually businesses need to acknowledge the fact that they alone cannot create brand image only via one way communication or marketing messages sent out by them to the masses. The customer is the king and the maker of a brand image. Therefore, genuine customer feedback generated across various social media platforms is the only means to ensure good reputation for brands.

All this and much more about the scope and nuances of social media is on the agenda of OMCAR 2012. The highlight of the event is a special talk by Gillian Muessig, Founding President, SEOmoz and the fact that the conference will see the coming together of various brands to talk about their successes with social media. The event also has other big names on the panel of speakers like Jai Arjun Singh, Sanjay Mehta, Kapil Gupta and Pratik Mazumder amongst others.

Registration for the conference is open and early bird entries can avail special discounts too. Students, marketing professionals, brand managers, entrepreneurs can all attend the conference to know the three dimensional approach to social media and how it can be used and executed for the benefit of various industries.

You could know more about OMCAR 2012 at http://omcar.omcareers.org

Have you been to conferences where agencies come and showcase their portfolios in the name of talking about an agenda?

Have you felt duped at the end of such a conference realizing that all you had gained from it is a handful of brochures and nothing else?

Well, you would probably then better understand what it means to have a conference where individuals come, talk, discuss and debate and not SELL!

OMCAR 2012 is one such conclave aimed at raising questions and finding answers. People who know the Online Marketing world would know that Social Media is a rage that just can’t be ignored. But, the problem is that those who boast of knowing Social Media have a stereotypical spectrum of vision that could just take one up a blind alley.

So, how do you know what social media can do for various domains? Simple, hear it ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’. When some of the biggest brands and entrepreneurs come together to talk about and display what social media has done for their businesses and marketing, you are sure to look at it wide eyed. And, there is no reason for you to not believe them! Yes, of course you can raise questions!

OMCAR 2012 is not about Powerpoint case studies but real life case studies that have actually come up roses.

Social Media in Indian context is what we are looking at. When we talk about Social for India, we must know and understand that we need to look at ‘Social Media with a Difference’. Because, only then are the results possible. Hear some of the biggest brands speak and show how social media has helped them gain visibility, business, reputation and evangelism because they have not done it via a flowchart method but a little ‘differently’.

Also, OMCAR 2012 is not a ‘Sit n Listen’ format; it is ‘Listen, Think n Share’. Chats, discussions and debates are most welcome. Let’s sit and take a look at where Social Media is headed and how can it really enhance the way we have hitherto been looking at Online Marketing.

Agency Professionals & Brand Managers, Entrepreneurs and CXO’s of Small & Medium Enterprises, Online Marketing Professionals, students aspiring for a career in Online Marketing, Marketing Professionals and Social Media Enthusiasts- OMCAR 2012 is for all those who are looking for an insight into the Social Media world and how it can help or it has helped them achieve their marketing goals!

Facebook is going to remove the App Profile Pages by Feb 1, 2012. Migrate your FB apps to traditional FB pages. Developers can now use the Add Page Tab Dialog to add page tabs to their Facebook pages.

Facebook is coming with yet another change in how apps are integrated to its traditional pages and is also going to kill the App Profile Pages by 1st February 2012. The move will help Facebook maintain only its traditional types of pages contrary to its previous management of maintaining two different versions of app pages and traditional pages which only meant different insights, likes, API keys and distribution/ integration channels. The users will now be directed to the Facebook Page Tabs/ Apps directly instead of landing on an App Profile Page first.

View App Profile Page link as it appeared earlier

The App Profile Pages that Facebook is going to kill were generated automatically as soon as any app was made, to show the insights, etc. for the app. The link – View App Profile Page – that you used earlier to add an app on a Facebook Page Tab has already disappeared and from now onwards you would be able to add an app to a page tab using the Add Page Tab Dialog (https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/dialogs/add_to_page/) or a simple link:

http://www.facebook.com/add.php?api_key=[APP-ID]&pages=1

where you just need to provide the API key of your app.

If you are the administrator of an eligible Facebook page (please note that the page name should be the same as that of the app and must fall in the same Product/App category), you will come across an option to transfer the Likes to this page. The message would read as:

Removing App Profile Pages
By February 1, 2012, we are removing App Profile Pages. You can migrate Likes and the Vanity URL of this Page to an existing Facebook Page with the same name and Product/App category. Click here to migrate to an existing Facebook Page.

‘View App Profile Page’ link has already disappeared from the Dev App and appears only on those pages which have already been made. If you want to make an App Profile Page, visit Contact Info section > Create Facebook Page > Confirm. The pages are named as ‘[Your App Name] Community Page’ by default which can be changed later.

Gizmo lovers and techies from all over are sending their entries for the Netbook Mania Contest! When a Netbook is up for grabs, you must understand that it is a chance not to be missed! And those who have understood it well have sent in some amazing pieces of creativity!

The first entry worth a mention is the video created by Deepti Ahuja, who owns a channel on YouTube by the name ‘cutebarbiecurls’. Don’t be fooled by the cute name for the brainy female has put up this great creative on ‘How a Netbook Can Transform One’s Life’ based on the characters of movie Deewar. Originally created as a student project during her Mass Comm days, the video is surely a reflection of her creative bent of mind.

Ally Raj redefines technology in her unique style. The image created by her is inspired by the everyday help that technology and Netbook in specific provides in the kitchen. The best of the recipes are available for just a click! WOW! What a practical thought. It is surely something most of us come across in our daily lives without even realizing.

Next on the list is the video submitted by Ayesha Jain. It is truly a feast for the eyes and ears! With perfect rhyming and cut outs from the movie Dabangg, Ayesha has a super funny story to tell in an even funnier style. She admits that she made it just to kill time at her hostel but it has come out as a perfect integration of a valid message with creativity.

So, don’t be left behind while others are drawing close to winning that Netbook. Your entry could be a simple thought expressed with a pinch of creativity or an out-of-the-box idea. The contest is still open and we look forward to receiving a lot more masterpieces. It seems, it’s really hard to select the best so far!

Planning to buy a new Netbook? Well, you don’t need to when you stand a chance to win one!

Yes! A brand new Netbook could be all yours! All you have to do is participate in the ‘Netbook Mania’ Contest and tell ‘How a Netbook Can Transform One’s Life’ through a story, image, video or presentation. The most creative entry will win a Netbook.

Since their inception in late 2007, Netbooks have gone through a myriad of changes and improvements. From being the little computing machines that lacked certain features, Netbooks have now become the power devices. So, it’s time we take notice of this tiny tech tool that’s making its way in to our lives, with each passing day!

OMLogic, the Online Marketing Experts, are out with ‘Netbook Mania’ Contest on their official Facebook page. Just log on to the page and send in your entries. The contest begins 8th November 2011 and is likely to go on for a few weeks before one emerges as the winner of a brand new Netbook, all for themselves.

So, for all those who love computer in all its forms, it’s time to show the world their love for the latest addition to the ‘wonder machine’ family!

Think, create and share! You never know, your masterpiece might fetch you the ‘tiny tech tool’! And, don’t forget to mention ‘Intel’ in whatever you create because that is the POWER behind Netbook. Just log on to the official page of OMLogic on Facebook and submit your entry for the contest. While you have all the time in the world to create your masterpiece, don’t be too late!

They say, ‘It pays to be creative’. And, here is your chance to get rewarded for your creative self.

So, let the Netbook Mania begin!

Now this is what I call innovation. Facebook has just done something which seems inspired by Google+. It has introduced the concept of Google+ circles in the form of Smart Lists. It has introduced three main improvements, which it is claiming will change the way you interact with your friends.

The three main improvements are as following:

1. Smart lists – Create them yourself and stay up-to-date with the profile info your friends have in common with you.
2. Close Friends and Acquaintances lists – You can see your best friends’ photos and posts at one place, and see less from people you’re not so close to you.
3. Better suggestions – You can add your friends according to your own preference.

Friend Lists are completely optional. If you don’t like lists, you don’t have to use them.

Smarter lists are now available on Facebook

Smart Lists

Initially, Facebook provided the following options to manage the lists:

• Work
• School
• Family
• City

I personally think that this will make things much easier as earlier it was very tough to scroll down the whole friend list to find someone.

Close Friends and Acquaintances Lists:

There are two important lists which have some special properties- one of them is Close Friends list and the other is Acquaintances list. The close friends list will allow you to choose only 5-10 friends that you think are your real close friends and will show/notify you even about their slightest updates. Whereas the Acquaintances List will only show the most important updates of theirs and yes you can add them to yourself.

Read more »

To sustain Leadership in the market, companies have to keep on adding something new in their offerings. Same is the case with social networking giant Facebook. To sustain Leadership in the social networking arena & to maintain popularity among its userbase, Facebook is adding something new to its product line every other day. Recently, it made some changes in its chat & notifications settings, which had a mixed response from the users, and now, Facebook has rolled out big time changes its privacy & sharing settings (few changes have been live & few would get live in the coming weeks).

All of these changes could well be categorized into two parts:

1. changes to its sharing functionality, and
2. changes to privacy settings on user profiles.

Let’s see how these changes would affect the user while using Facebook.

Changes to sharing

These changes are done keeping in mind how you can share your content with others or how you want your content to be visible to others. These sharing changes would fall under two sections:

1. Tagging/Un-tagging
2. Status updates

Tagging/ untagging in Facebook posts

Tagging is a very interesting way to share your photos, videos & experiences with your friends. But it becomes too irritating when some-one tags you in something which you don’t want to be a part of. Now, you would have the option to approve or reject before the picture or video actually gets published. So, you can control people tagging you in their content. Also, you can now approve or reject when someone tries to tag your content, even if they aren’t tagging you specifically. The major change in tagging option is of ‘tag anyone in your posts’, no matter you are friends with the person! Isn’t it interesting?

Shared with friends

This feature would make it possible for you to share your experience with a large group of people inspite of the fact that you are not friends with them. And you never know, once you share your experience with them, they can become your friend. So, with the Facebook tagging feature you can expand your social circle!

Shared with Custom

Another change is of ‘un-tagging’. We think that this is the most sought after option by the Facebook fans. Facebook has tried to improve this feature by providing more options like asking the photo uploader to remove the photo from your profile completely and blocking that person on Facebook.

Read more »

So finally!!! Much awaited Facebook updates have been rolled out. We are pretty happy to see these in particular. It looks like that Facebook has taken some cue from Google+ & a little bit from Twitter. We are going to talk about all the latest features in ‘Keep It Simple Silly’ way. Users who have already used Google+ will easily reckon these features.

View Profile As

Facebook has provided a special feature to their users where they can actually customize their profile according to the various users. Or more specifically, now they can actually decide that how their profile will look to different people. Click on the ‘Profile’ and then on the very right hand side of your profile you will get to see this option.

View Profile As...

When you click on ‘View As’, you will get to see a screen (Image Below), where you can actually type the name of the person and see that how your profile will look to that particular person.

This is how your profile looks...

Profile Control Options

Earlier when you wanted to edit your privacy controls, you had go to the ‘Privacy Settings’ and control the information from there. Now, every section of your profile has the button right next to it where you can instantly select with whom to share and what.

Inline Profile Settings...

Profile Tag Review

Now you can approve photos, videos or posts where you have been tagged. You can go to the ‘Pending Posts’ and control the tagging option right from there. So, instead of getting a notification every time, now it’s in your hand to approve that tag or not.

Profile Tag Reviews...

You have to turn on this feature (turned off by default). To turn on this feature, follow these steps.

Account -> Privacy Settings -> How Tags Work -> Edit Settings -> Profile Review -> Edit.

After following this procedure you will see this screen. Just TURN ON Profile Review there.

Profile Review...

Sharing Control Options

Now this is the complete rip off of Google+ feature. This option will appear only when you want to share something over Facebook. Now you can tag your friends and even strangers. Also you can add your location and select with whom you want to share it.

Sharing Controls...

So these are the main changes in Facebook privacy settings and sharing settings. We personally feel that by rolling out these features, Facebook has managed to reduce the security concern of users quite a bit.

Did you find these features entirely a ‘Rip-Off’ of Google+ and Twitter?

This article was written with the inputs provided by Jitesh Pandey.

Apple's new product

Steve Jobs released his new product “iResign“… The product caused frenzy in the worldwide market, but caused Apple shares to tumble more than 5% in aftermarkets. The product is an auto upgrade on all current iPhone, iPad, iPod and all Apple Mac computers.

The new product is bound to have significant impact on the future roadmap for all apple products.

iResign currently comes with a patch called iTimCook. Every Apple follower is now looking for the upgrade of this patch with a newly expected iCEO product.

Companies like Samsung are very excited about this new product, since they can quickly develop applications on iResign on the same lines as Galaxy. There were frenzied parties in Google and Microsoft offices, and the local pizza delivery companies were kept on their toes.

This article has been written by iKapil, CEO of OMLogic, one of the top social media agencies in India. Bidding adieu to the greatest leader of the last 50 years.

Just 15 minutes back, we noticed a sudden change in Facebook profiles.

The differences which we noticed are:

1. Images seems larger (As in Google+)
2. And a ticker, which is showing all my friend’s & page’s live feeds in it.

As you have already seen in some of the websites, blogs, and RSS feeds, Ticker is the most acknowledged medium of getting real time information. Instead of showing all the live feeds of your friends in your home feed, Facebook has decided to gather all that in a ticker.

Check out the first look of the ticker right here:

New Ticker @Facebook

Also, we are very happy about the way Facebook has decided to show a larger thumbnail of pics, which we use in Posts. We have already seen that with the rise of Google+ and now Facebook seems to follow the same path. It will also help businesses to grab some ‘Much needed’ attention of users.

Check out some of them:

Larger thumbnails in Facebook like Google+

Also,

Another larger thumbnail

So according to us, with increasing social media war between Google+ and Facebook, both key players are trying to bring something new every day. Both tickers and larger images options have given Facebook an extra edge over Google+ for some time. But users can expect some more exciting things to come from the kitty of these big daddies.

With inputs from Jitesh Kumar Pandey.