Flippin' Out on Social Media

I bought my iPad in May. Friends challenge me on why I would get this “thing” – and didn’t “get” my explanation was that I wanted a wide-screen iPhone for my sofa to feed my Facebook habit, news habit, and Netflix queue update needs. My real passion now is to use it as a reader for the New York Times – Wake up Sunday, make tea and start sifting through the “un-paper” in an easy to hold, easy to navigate format – one that I don’t have to leave the house for.
Of course this weekend, the Times did not fail to enlighten me; this weekend the NYT tech coverage turned me on to Flipboard, a new app that blew me away. Why?

It’s a digital magazine you can flip through with content from your favorite social media, news, and entertainment outlets – a one-stop platform to check your own tailored digital magazine with a fun interface, intuitive ease of use, and stunning graphics. The linear worlds of Facebook and Twitter are turned into smart layouts. Actually the word “magazine” does not work, as this is a living interactive, very sexy journal of YOUR content.

Facebook was becoming a drag on the iPad; since they have not released an iPad app, and it is really hard to deal with the grainy pictures of friends on the high-res screen. As far as twitter, I am still green to adoption, a casual observer warming up to the way it feed off my news junkie side, and allows me to receive sound bites from stars, thought leaders who make up my little personal tribe

Unfortunately, there is a waiting line to get your Facebook and twitter account integrated; however with the news feeds (Love “cool hunting”) aggregating the latest information from blogs and news sources, this is one sticky app you should definitely give a try.

Of course I have to look at this all from a marketing perspective, and there is great opportunity. We all know that word of mouth “buzz” helps increase sales for great products, services, music; however Flipboard can bank on these conversations immediately by aggregating and serving up direct transaction offers to users at the same time as they get “organic” awareness from a friend's trusted testimonial.

The next stage for Flipboard is the integration of a startup they purchased called Ellerdale, which will enable Flipboard to analyze its users favorite artists, geographies, literature, etc. based on reading and usage patterns. This will allow the site to offer a highly personalized experience akin to Pandora’s music server… the more you use it and provide input, the tighter the content is delivered to your tastes.

There is a social conundrum however… Let’s take a look at Netflix. They used to really know my indie art film tastes and would always give me great recommendations; however those recommendations have been greatly skewed after renting Disney and teen films this summer for my friend’s kids! The implication from a social perspective is if I will now need to edit my Facebook friends to just those with opinions I really value, lest my Facebook inclusions of third cousins, childhood friends, tourists, and those six-degrees of separation folks start skewing my content delivery!

I digress… give Flipboard a try – I’d love to hear what you think, and we’d love to discuss how the changing social media can benefit your business.