360DigitalInfluence

There is this new startup on the block aptly named Hipster. You probably have not even heard of it yet, but that’s okay because once it has gone mainstream it may be obsolete to its audience anyway. Even so I think this one actually has a chance.

This social networking site is currently creating quite a buzz, while still catering to a young audience that revels in irony, rejecting mainstream culture, listening to noise rock, wearing cardigans from American Apparel, and generally being edgy in all the same ways. Just dropping this term creates a lot of differing opinions and loyalties. But this new site is coming onto the scene with confidence and may well be the talk of the town at SXSW this year. The site boasts itself saying, “hipster is the best resource for anything and everything in your city.”

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iTunes Ping

iTunes Ping, or Ping, launched this September to so much fanfare that I was reminded of last year’s Google Wave launch. However, like Google Wave iTunes Ping is an interesting concept that is proving difficult to execute.

Ping, not to be confused with the social network manager Ping.fm, is a software-based music oriented social networking service that is deployed and operated by Apple, and allows users to follow and interact with friends and artists. Ping was released as part of iTunes 10 and can only be used on the music player. The service launched in 23 countries and has gained over 1 million members so far.

When Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced Ping he explained the service as “sort of like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes…[except that] it is not Facebook. It is not Twitter. It is something else we’ve come up with. It’s all about music.” This is definitely true, and Ping’s list of features includes the ability to see follow friends and artists to see what music they like and what concerts they are going to. Users can also post reviews of music, the songs they’ve purchased, and see custom song and album charts based on their own networks. Artists can also post videos and photos for fans to enjoy as well. According to Apple’s Ping announcement, Ping is based around the idea of social music discovery. Social music discovery is great, and I loving using tools that facilitate it, however I’m not too sure that that’s actually what Ping does.

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Over the last year, location-based social networks such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Brightkite have exploded among early adopters. It’s no question—with increasing adoption of smart phone usage, location-based social networks are rising in popularity every day.

Recently covered in GigaOM, CNN, Ad Age and The New York Times, Foursquare is currently one of the most buzzed about location-based mobile social networks. Intel and Ogilvy recently used Foursquare to drive traffic to and create buzz around Intel’s offline events and activities at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month.

For CES, Intel created a branded Foursquare page, featuring locations where Intel had activity and tips for Las Vegas visitors. Intel also rewarded check-in’s to key events with branded badges, paired with the chance to win an Intel-powered netbook for all badge recipients.

This exclusive collaboration allowed Intel to track and build relationships with online influencers active on Foursquare at CES. With more than 400 cumulative check-in’s to Intel-affiliated locations and events, the collaboration was a breakout success and proved to be an interesting event-based model for brands looking to work with Foursquare.

We interviewed Tristan Walker, head of business development at Foursquare, to learn more about their vision for what’s to come for brands, businesses and Foursquare.

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Is this how you engage your social networks?

As a digital strategist and frequent blogger, I spend a lot of time engaging with friends and brands while facing a computer screen or holding a mobile phone.  Always seeking new ways to connect, I’ve discovered tweetups as a great way to connect with influencers, yet make more of an impression than an online interaction.

What’s a tweetup?  A tweetup is an in person event where brands or individuals who share a common interest get together.  Usually, tweetup participants are active on Twitter, but that is by no means a requirement.

As a tweetup enthusiast and a creator of tweetups myself, I’ve seen what works well and what does not achieve the desired result.  For those considering tweetups as a means to connect with a key audience, I ask - is a tweetup the right forum for your brand or cause?

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