One blur Friday morning, Facebook Changes Facebook Pages
Woke up at 4am this morning and decided to surf the web cos I couldn’t sleep, and then when I opened my department’s Facebook Page, I got a shock – the layout had changed and there was this new shiny “Login As Page” button on the top of the page.
Login as Page. Page Admins can now Login as Page. (CAUTION: Try this with caution – you may experience problems logging back as your own personal profile. See later for instructions on logging out). Some initial implications of this change:
(1) You can now post either as the page (e..g., SonySingapore) or as yourself.
(2) When logged in as the page, you can receive notifications and updates (e.g., XX Liked your Link).
*To log out from page, you’re supposed to go to Account > Switch Account. If this causes problems for you, you will have to clear all cookies and temporary internet files and re-launch your browser.
Layout. Tabs are gone, instead links are on the left-hand column under profile pic. Implications:
(1) Unique tabs e.g., Static FBML, YouTube may not be as visible as before, especially since they’re on the left-hand column under profile pic instead.
(2) I can’t seem to choose which Tab to be default “landing” Tab.
(3) Don’t really know how third-party application developers e.g., WildFireApps are going to change their apps, or whether these apps are now broken cos of the change.
Looking forward to experiencing the changes. I can SO imagine Facebook community managers scrambling now to figure out what might have broken on their pages and figuring out how to use the new features to their advantage (quite a funny picture if you ask me!)
So my wife and I were just sitting around in our living room this evening and we started talking about National Education (NE).
Yes, it’s a quite a strange topic for two people to suddenly start talking about, but to give you a bit of background, both of us used to work in Nexus, the central coordinating agency for NE. When we were there, we were both in the National Education Development Branch, which oversaw the strategic planning and coordination of NE efforts. While it wasn’t explicitly our mandate, we also tried to do some scenario planning for NE. However, because it was never explicitly our mandate, we never had enough time to think about these future scenarios. It was quite disappointing to us sometimes, because we thought that if we had embarked on scenario planning a few years ago, maybe we could’ve predicted the current problems Singapore is facing in terms of the Foreign Talent/PR/Singaporean Citizen divide.
You’ve probably seen it on your Facebook news feed recently – your female friends, relatives, colleagues updating their statuses with innuendo-laden sentences, for example, “I like it on the couch”, “I like it on the study table”. No, the female world didn’t just suddenly get kinky (although that would be rather cool). It’s an internet meme that’s gone viral with the aim of raising awareness for breast cancer. Your female friends are just stating where they like to place their purses, not the places where they want to being making out.
Now, I gotta give the meme credit for spreading so far and wide, even picking up a mention on Mashable. However, in the words of my darling wife, “I think it’s dumb” (yes, that’s her reaction to the campaign).
As a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer, I hardly see the connection between where you wanna put your purse and breast cancer. In terms of whether it actually gotten anyone to actually schedule a breast cancer checkup/screening because of this initiative, I don’t think that it really has been effective. Although you might argue that this campaign was really low cost and there may have been a number of women who started thinking about the need for regular screenings.
This is what my colleagues and I are now describing as the “T-Mobile” phenomenon. You must of course remember the famous viral video of people dancing in the Liverpool Street train station. If not, here you go… add to the 23 million+ views this video has:
The case-studies and reports focus on how much free buzz this ad created for T-Mobile, with some referencing increases in sales (22% sales uplift in this article and 52% increase in yearly sales as mentioned in this article).
Now, this all seems very good, but how much of the sales can be attributed to this ad? The statistics show correlation, not causation. However, these articles seem to imply that the sales were directly affected by this particular T-Mobile ad, which may not be the case. Ultimately, the decisions consumers make will depend on the reliability and cost-effectiveness of your product, or at least I’d like to think so!
What this highlights is the problem facing social media engagement at the moment. It needs to be measurable. Actually to correct my earlier sentence – it’s a problem facing all forms of marketing/pr communications. How do you design a campaign which is effective in inducing your intended change in your target audience’s behaviour? If you don’t have this in the back of your mind when embarking on a campaign, it’s like firing a whole bunch of bullets in the direction of your enemy, and hoping that one of them hits its target.
Hence, I find it increasingly important to do analysis on your intended target audience, and set up reliable measures of effectiveness. The problem is that I find that this takes significant amount of research, time and resources, which many people aren’t willing to invest.
So is this the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? i.e., unattainable? I don’t know. If it was attainable, why aren’t PR/Ad agencies using this method?
You should’ve! If not, you’ve missed two chances to win a return ticket to HK! Nevermind. I know you’ve got some cheem mathematical formula to determine the best time to be a fan.
By MayraIng [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL, from Wikimedia Commons]
My view – just do it now lah!
Besides, you can also take part in the Bank Anywhere with Citi Mobile Photo Contest and win a return ticket to anywhere in the world and pick up any Sony Vaio you want!
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Digression: It’ll be kinda funny if it wasn’t a return ticket to anywhere in the world – imagining me being stranded on an island resort. Hm.. actually that’s not too bad)
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It’s simple. I’ll repeat the steps for you now.
Taking part is easy, winning is difficult. That’s why I have the Kelvin “KarateKid” Lim’s Art of Photo Contest Kung Fu!
Adapted from an artwork by Martin Kingsley [CC-BY 2.0from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/coyotejack/364341836/]
Hiiiiiiya!
Are you ready to take up the challenge?
Photo Contest Kungfu Tip #1 – Location, Location, Location!
Fengshui isn’t just good for homes and workplaces. You should pick a location that is distinctive, and special. No point taking a shot in the toilet (Unless of course it’s a special toilet – e.g., one with gold taps for example).
Photo Contest Kungfu Tip #2 – Pick a good (phone) model
It’s going to be really difficult to see the Citi Mobile homepage on a tiny screen. Large touch screen phones are ze best I guess.
Photo Contest Kungfu Tip #3 – Put some action into your shot!
Please be a bit more creative in terms of your photo. Put some action into the shot!
Adapted from an artwork by Marvin Kuo [CC-BY 2.0 from Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/marvinkuo/3178180635/]
Puzzling over an upcoming work project tonight and trying to get some ideas for it.
Which leads me to the question, “What’s the next big thing?”
In the early days of the Internet, the thing was websites. Personal websites, corporate websites, marketing campaign related websites. I remember this quite well, I was trying to learn HTML on my own, and in university was picking up Dreamweaver and website design. Alongside this was CD-ROM development.
The next thing for me was dynamic websites or database driven websites. In my fourth and final year of uni, we started creating websites which pulled data dynamically from databases.
Then came NDP04 which I was part of, because of my remaining NS liabilities. Started thinking about content development and chasing the online news story.
My first job after NDP04 was in an interactive agency as a suit (project management and sales). Started to see the marketing aspects – so SEO, SEM, banner ads, clickstreams, EDMs.
Then my government job and the beginnings of new/social media. Friendster, then Facebook.
Now, social media is quite entrenched, so what’s the next step? What’s the next big thing? Are corporate websites still relevant today?
Perhaps the question is who is my audience and what do they need? What do I want to communicate to them?
I remember the first ever credit card which I applied for (and received). It was a Citibank Clear Platinum, and that was just around the time when I got my first job in my current organisation.
The Citibank Clear Platinum really meets the needs of a young working adult (IMHO) – with great privileges at cafes, cinemas, nightspots (yeah!) and books/music stores, and I guess that’s why I was so eager to get that card (wanted to get drunk and wasted party hard!).
Anyway, the Citibank Clear Platinum is a real testimony to how Citibank understands the audience it is trying to reach out to, and how it really stands out in Singapore banking.
Now with the proliferation of social media, Citibank Singapore now has “upped” its game in reaching out to the younger, more connected audience, with a social media presence – Citibank Singapore in Facebook!
As you all know (yes, my faithful blog followers – all 3 of you, hur hur), I’m a social media addict, and check my FB and Twitter on an almost obsessive basis. I’ve been noticing lots of my friends becoming fans of Citibank Singapore in Facebook.
*dramatic pause*
You should be a fan too! *fanfare*
Now, you may ask, “Why? I’m already a fan of a gadzillion other pages, I don’t need any more!”
To that, I’ll just say, because Citibank Singapore is giving away a return ticket to Hong Kong every week! There’ll be 7 lucky winners in total. First draw is on 24 Sep 10 at 3pm.
Win a getaway to HK every week!
Fwoah!
It would be great to win this – cos I’ve never been to HK!! Also wanna have a quick getaway with the missus too, and this would be perfect, but I’ll be gracious and let all of you have a chance too – fan Citibank Singapore in Facebook lah, and refer your friends, family, friend’s cat (*winks at @yuniko10).
Draw dates will be:
Draw 1: 24 September 2010 (over.. darn)
Draw 2: 1 October 2010
Draw 3: 8 October 2010
Draw 4: 15 October 2010
Draw 5: 22 October 2010
Draw 6: 29 October 2010
Draw 7: 8 November 2010
Alas, I’ve never been a very lucky person. I once won $300+ in a lottery when I was studying in Sydney and lost my wallet, including the lottery ticket. Sian.
So what about those of you who are like me – not that lucky, but are somewhat creative?!? Esp. those photographers out there!
Well, listen to this… you can win a trip to ANYWHERE in the world (and ANY Sony Vaio too!) by taking part in the Citi Mobile Photo Contest.
Ok. Recovered from the shock at such a great contest yet? Here’s how you take part:
How to Take Part in Photo Comp
Things to take note
• Submission Phase: 14 September 2010 – 25 October 2010
• If you’re shortlisted by the powers-that-be, get your family, friends and cats to vote for you anytime from 2 November 2010 – 15 November 2010
• Must show the Citi Mobile page on your mobile while snapping (otherwise, it’ll just be a photo of your hand, and the phone, which is rather meaningless don’t you think?)
May the Force be with You!
Ultimately, even if I don’t win either contest, I’d be really happy cos I’ve now found a new way of banking on the go. Citi Mobile. Fantastic. Now, I’ll just have to steal borrow my missus’ iPhone muahahah.
I’m sitting at my computer now at 1.11am in the morning, keeping my lovely wife company, as she works on her new business venture. Kick-started this blog post as a tribute to her.
In the past few weeks, work has been getting me extremely busy. Those who know where I work will definitely know what the pace is like!
Anyway, all this while, my wife has been there for me, supporting me in many different ways – she’s been doing majority of the housework, making sure that my shirts and pants for work are ironed, doing the grocery shopping and making fantastic meals just like this one -
In addition to all of that, she’s also been my sounding board for ideas about work (she’s damn intelligent and also has tremendous experience working in my department – which she left to pursue her dreams).
I just wanted to take a moment to thank her for supporting me and I will make time to give back to her in whatever way she needs.
Thank you, Mrs Lim!
(hmm… sure to get tekan by her for calling her that! hee hee).
Yesterday was Friday the 13th. To most pantang* people, it has an association with bad luck (however, I must admit, it’s more of an ang moh* thing).
However, to 43 people (myself included), every Friday the 13th brings back good memories. That’s because Friday the 13th is the day that we decided would be OUR day.
The 43 people I’m writing about are the members of the Victoria Junior College 13th Students’ Council. We were councillors in 1996 and 1997. This year marks 14 years of friendship.
Last year, we tried to organise a larger outing because it was 13 years of 13th Council, but I was too busy with work to make it work. I think many of my fellow councillors are also extremely busy, either with work, or with their new families (lots of children born last year). All in all it was a decent turnout.
(Standing L to R: Me, Victor, Salik, Zhengshao, Dehui, Val Lai, Dino
Seated L to R: Govind, Wei Lee, Lu Ping, Mei Kuen, Tong Teck)
(L to R: Victor, James, Dean, Wei Lee, Salik, Govind, Lu Ping)
Looking back, I’m really glad to have met this group of people. Although we’re all in various parts of the world right now, some with families, some newly married, we will always remember our days as the 13th Students’ Council.
Happy Friday the 13th.
Afternote: Did you know that there will always be at least one Friday the 13th each year? Also, if the first of a month is a Sunday, that means the second Friday will be on the 13th!
For those who don’t already know, the Navy Open House 2010 will be taking place this Saturday and Sunday 22 and 23 May 2010 at the Changi Naval Base. Visitors will get to see the different vessels including the Victory-class Missile Corvettes, Fearless-class Patrol Vessels, Mine Countermeasure Vessel, Landing Ship Tanks and the mighty Frigates.
Frigate
Missile Corvette
For the ladies, you might be interested in seeing the very muscular and tanned Naval Divers!
