Infographic - Social Media Microcosm

I swear this blog will not become a tout for the agency that employs me as head of its social media practice in Canada. But last week's infographic and this one provide a snapshot of the social media microcosm in 2011. Two things stand out in the latest:

1. A lot of social media and digital work is being done in-house today, rather than being outsourced to public relations agencies or digital/social media boutiques.
2. Perhaps because it is the guardian of reputation, the corporate communications function within organizations tends to spearhead social web animation.

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Seek Truth from Facts

(Think about it)

The oddest thing has been happening to my consulting firm, Hill & Knowlton. A tiny agency in Toronto has called us out on Twitter because we have started (only recently) working for a client whose project is the subject of some public opposition. 

The firm and its spokespeople have jumped to judgement about both our role and the 'guilt' of the client, without investigation and without evident balance.

This often happens when dealing with some advocacy groups, which have reasons of their own to be selective about their stories, and can 'message' and 'spin' with the best of them.

But it is a surprise that an agency of communications professionals should do so. I'll give the agency the benefit of the doubt and assume this is not simply a publicity stunt. It does, however, evidence insensitivity to the importance in our profession of seeking truth from facts.

Or, to put it another way from that old master of the left-wing quip: "No investigation no right to speak" (Mao Zedong).

Info-Images + One Cartoon 2010

The images and infographics below struck a cord with me for a variety of reasons throughout the year. And be patient with the scrolling. There are six images in all . .  . and the best one is the last.

Where dweeb, nerd and geek meet. (I sure hope I fit the geek category and not the others.)

The death this year (one hopes) of the self-described social media guru. (And not a moment too soon.)

Facebook rules

Paul Butler, an engineering intern at Facebook, made this image from a sample of 10 million Facebook friendship pairs. The map was created organically from the pairs, and the lines represent human relationships.

Okay, maybe mobile browsers rule (Although personally I find my mobile brower frustrating to use, slow and with insufficient screen clarity. But I guess that's just me.)

Facebook Places versus Foursquare (Some research on what people think about whether Facebook Places will overtake Foursquare, and some who don't care. And apologies to the creator of this graph and academics who have to identify sources in their papers -- I can't find the source for this anymore. If someone would like to point me to the owner, I would be more than happy to give approprate attribution.)

The social demographics of Facebook and Twitter. (Too bad the creators couldn't measure login by the hour: I wonder what the stats would look like then.)

Another Study on Social Media Usage by Business

Valeria Maltoni at Conversation Agent reports on another study from SmartBrief on the use being made by business of social media. I haven't had a chance to look at the study itself, but Ms Maltoni does a quick-and-dirty summary of the study's eight key themes.

One of her conclusions surprises me:

Despite their early presence in social media, communications and PR firms are not the chosen source of advice or consultation on social media for companies. Instead, the majority of companies are using internal resources for developing and implementing their social-media strategies.

It may explain, though, why according to Ms Maltoni's review of the the study most companies are focusing on what she labels "generic topics and mainstream tools" specifically Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and blogs.

Which in turn raises the question whether the topics and tools are being chosen by internal teams as the outcome of a strategic assessment of the social web in the context of business objectives, or random experimentation driven by an executive itch for results that needs scratching.

Twitter Helping Politicians Use Itself

According to ClickZ (via KStreet Café) Twitter has hired Adam Sharp to provide advice to DC politicians and bureaucrats on how to use the micro-blogging platform for the pubic good. Why?

"A Twitter spokesperson told ClickZ in June: 'We are seeing strong growth of government, policy, and political usage of Twitter, and we want to help officials get the most out of our service to better communicate with constituents.' "

(Given Facebook's capacity and usage as a hub for political campaigns, maybe it should be thinking of doing something similar, if it hasn't already.)

Not a bad idea at all . . . social web platforms providing strategies to specific target user groups for getting the most out of them. It should make government relations consultants a bit nervous that platforms are  stepping into their advisory role.