Jul 11
31
Social Landscape Review: Q2 2011
This post originally appears on the Dachis Group Collaboratory; check out the Collaboratory for the full Quarterly Review.
While the majority of notable first quarter 2011 changes in the social space originated from Facebook – from the launch of Facebook Deals and Questions to the shift from FBML to iFrame – this past quarter’s shifts were more balanced across the landscape, and as the months progressed from Spring to Summer, the changes got more dramatic, with the climax occurring in the final days of June. Let’s take a look back at the social landscape from Q2 2011 so we can paint a picture of what Q3 has in store.
For April and May reviews:
See Social Landscape Review: Q2 2011 on the Dachis Group Collaboratory
June
- Twitter Search+Photos (6/1): Hours after the Twitter button was released, Twitter also announced an innovation in photos; users are now able to attached photos to tweets from Twitter.com and from the official mobile app, and are able to search for photos either via hashtag or via username. An example of a third method of innovation – rather than acquiring a tech shop or fully developing the capability in-house – Twitter partnered with Photobucket for media hosting, and has given TwitPic and yFrog something to think about, going forward. That said, Instagram has given everyone something to think about when it comes to creativity in photosharing.
- YouTube Creative Commons (6/2): YouTube hasn’t been a frequent innovator over the past number of quarters, but this update is subtle in its significance. Users are now able to add Creative Commons video clips (think B-roll) to their own videos to make them more robust. This goes with the true spirit of the social web, and it’s great that YouTube is embracing the Creative Commons the same way that Flickr has in the past.
- Foursquare and AmEx (6/23): Toward the end of June, foursquare and AmEx announced a massive partnership on a scale seemingly larger than the aforementioned Starwood Hotels Preferred Guest program. With AmEx foursquare specials, users simply link their credit card and foursquare accounts, checkin at a participating national chain – of which H&M and Sports Authority were the trailblazers – and click “load to card” and the special will appear on your next statement. This will present a massive opportunity for brands for the remainder of 2011, both on foursquare and using Facebook Places. The name of the game is seamless user interaction, and foursquare and AmEx have nailed it here.
- Google and Google+ Rollout (6/28): The biggest announcement, perhaps of the year thus far, and most certainly of Q2 was the rollout of Google’s new social network, Google+. Circles, Sparks, and Hangouts are some of the first features rolled out, and definitely address some of the issues that have plagued other social networks, namely Facebook, specifically in regards to privacy. Google has taken steps to re-examine privacy, collaboration, and sharing, and has put out a product that should have true staying power, unlike some of their other extinct ventures like Wave and the Nexus phone. The most exciting part about G+ is going to be the rollout in the second half of the year for business accounts and profiles.
Looking forward to a Q3 jam-packed with updates and new features from Google, Facebook, Twitter, and the top players in the social landscape. Did we miss any major updates from Q2? Link us to them in the comments!
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