Facebook Launches App to Help You Find New Pages to “Like”  Facebook just launched a new web app not-so-memorably dubbed “Discover Facebook's Popular Pages.” It’s a visual interface intended to help you find more pages to “Like” based on your past selections, what’s popular and what your friends like. The app divides pages into nine categories: Musicians, Sports, Celebrities, Movies, TV Shows, Media, Politicians, Brands and Games. You can view images representing different pages in each category, or you can view pages from all categories, which include other things like local businesses or photographer friends’ pages, for example. On the right, Facebook has included a list of the friends who have the most pages in common with you. Clicking on any of the names will pop up a list of your mutual likes, and you can click on the “All Likes” tab to see the other things they like. You can also look at the most popular pages by country with the drop-down menu in the top right corner of the site. Facebook provides a ton of ways for you to discover new pages to like as it is. You’ll of course see pages in your friends’ news feed updates and profiles, you’re asked to search for pages to like when you create a new profile, and the site regularly displays boxes with suggestions. It might all seem like a bit much, but Facebook wants to be a portal that connects consumers and brands because it can provide services or advertise to both, so we’re not surprised that Facebook is adding new ways to build those connections. [Thanks, Eti] Reviews: Facebook, sports More About: App, browser, discovery, facebook, like, Pages, social media, social networking, trending, web app For more Social Media coverage:
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| Don’t Get Robbed: Burglars Use Facebook to Pick Targets
People said it would happen with Foursquare, it may have already happened with Twitter, and now the trend has continued on Facebook: Burglars in Nashua, New Hampshire looked at updates from Facebook to figure out when one target wasn’t at home. Police caught three young men who had used “social networking sites like Facebook to identify victims who posted online that they would not be home at a certain time,” according to local news station WMUR 9. That said, don’t jump to conclusions. The burglars weren’t using the new Facebook Places location system, despite implications by The Huffington Post and other web publications. Facebook released the following statement published by NECN:
These particular burglars performed more than 50 burglaries but they didn’t use Facebook Places, and they may have only targeted one person by looking at his Facebook page. But it goes to show that you should be careful even if you’re using Facebook’s privacy settings to make your updates viewable only to friends. We’ve heard speculation that burglars would use Facebook status updates to target people in the past, but this time it looks like it’s not just talk. So let this be a warning: Be careful what you include in your social media updates. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Fertnig Reviews: Facebook, iStockphoto More About: burglars, burglary, checkin, crime, facebook, Facebook Places, foursquare, location, please rob me, privacy, social media, social networking, status For more Social Media coverage:
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| Bloglines Will Shut Down October 1
The popular web-based RSS reader and news aggregator Bloglines will discontinue service on Friday, October 1. The Ask.com team that operates the site has essentially said that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook killed it. RSS “pushes” website updates to readers around the world so they don’t have to find them through search or refreshing the site. It was a game changer when it evolved into popular use in 2005 — not coincidentally around the same time Ask.com acquired Bloglines from its founder Mark Fletcher — but social sites of all types from Twitter to StumbleUpon to Digg to Facebook have all but replaced it for most users. While some users still follow their favorite websites on Facebook or Twitter, many people simply rely on their friends and other contacts to share and suggest interesting news on social networks. “RSS aggregator usage has slowed significantly,” an Ask.com rep said in a blog post yesterday. “Bloglines isn't the only service to feel the impact. The writing is on the wall. ” Since Bloglines will remain operational until October, you have about three weeks to export your feeds to another RSS application such as Google Reader. The folks behind the scenes at Google Reader have added social features to that app to try and combat RSS’s reduced prominence. Do you still use RSS, or do you rely mostly on social news sites and social networks now? Reviews: Bloglines, Digg, Facebook, Google Reader, StumbleUpon, Twitter More About: aggregation, aggregator, Ask, Ask.com, bloglines, google reader, News, rss, rss reader For more Social Media coverage:
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5 Tips for Aspiring Digital Copywriters
So you’ve come to the conclusion that digital copywriting is the career for you, but where do you go from there? Write a sparkling resume, pull together a stunning portfolio and craft some superlative cover letters — these should all be obvious entries on your find-a-job to-do list. We can offer some further assistance. We’ve quizzed a select handful of top copywriters, creative directors and content executives from both the U.K. and U.S. for some behind-the-scenes career tips that could well give you the edge on your competition. Have a read of the been-there-done-that professional advice below and good luck with the job hunting! 1. Write! So you want to be a digital copywriter? Great! No doubt you’ve written your resume, organized your portfolio and are actively applying for positions. Don’t stop there. “Being is a matter of doing. Runners run. Fighters fight. If you want to be a copywriter, do what a copywriter does,” advises Dylan Klymenko, junior copywriter at Mullen. “Concept ideas for this space you’re interested in. Write up scripts for video content and then shoot it, edit it and put it on YouTube (who knows? Maybe you can make being a viral celebrity your back-up career).” “Or grab a buddy who knows code — concept and create a website that could win an FWA [Favourite Website Awards] award. The point is: don’t wait. No one is going to ask you to do it, and you don’t need anyone’s approval. Just jump right into the digital fray, get messy every single day and you’ll become through doing.” These sentiments are echoed by Sara Williams, head of content at Made by Many, who implores those looking to get into the industry — “For God’s sake, write!” “When you go for jobs, people are going to want to see your work and you’d better have work to show. No one hires a junior or even a mid-level writer on the basis of ideas, chat and banter. You’ve got to show you know how to write, and ideally show that you can do this across different tones and purposes. Write your own briefs if you have to, but for God’s sake, write,” says Williams. “Once you’ve started writing, share your work, says Williams, “The web makes it ridiculously easy to showcase all your work — portfolio, long copy blog, short copy and image blog, micro blog –- in a pretty package. Don’t be shy about putting your work in front of people.” Not sure how to improve your digital presence? Williams advises, “Comment on blogs, join conversations on Twitter, submit your work wherever you can. The web democratizes communication like nothing else. Want to be heard? Speak. Comment. Tweet. Be funny, be wise, be out there, be heard, be hired.” 2. Get Knowledge It’s a cliche, but knowledge is power. Or in the case of a digital copywriter — fuel. In order to be successful, you need to know the product, your audience and the space which you’re writing for, intimately. The only way you can do that as far as audience goes, says Trisha Brandon, a content strategist at iCrossing UK is to “get in there and be social to be relevant,” after all as she puts it “you’ll need more than the basics (age, gender, demographic) to really get it right.” As far as knowing the product goes, George Tannenbaum, executive creative director at R/GA advises digital copywriters to “cultivate their curiosity.” “Good writers know things. They find out interesting things out about products or services. Things that may be hidden on page 32 of a long brochure. Be curious about everything. Learn all you can about the product you're working on. Go to the supermarket and talk to people who buy the product. Read the buff books. Use the product. Learn the language of the product,” says Tannenbaum. Keeping up with what’s new online can be a challenge (may we suggest regularly reading Mashable as a potential solution?), but it’s essential that you understand the current zeitgeist if you’re going to mastermind the next big meme. “There’s always something new happening online: be it the next big social idea or a funny cat video. It’s your responsibility to be up-to-date on memes and internet pop-culture as much as business developments and technological advancements,” states Klymenko. “Why do people love FarmVille so much? How do they use it? Stop asking questions and learn. Play it for a little bit. How about Chatroulette? Same deal. Let’s talk technology that could be a relevant channel for your brand. Geolocation is all the buzz lately. First you had Foursquare and Gowalla tapping into it, then Twitter jumped on, now Facebook is doing it through ‘Places.’ But you wouldn’t know about any of that if you weren’t paying attention. Read up. Do it up. Know where you live.” And even though you may be writing for the web, don’t forget the offline world. Many lessons can be learned from looking back to a time before online social media. “Today, if you want to get employed and stay employed, you have to be aware of, into and willing to explore every type of media — digital or analog — and maybe even make up a few types of media along the way,” says Tannenbaum. 3. Deal with Rejection If you’re just starting out in your copywriting career and trying to find your first position, then you’re going to have to deal with a certain amount of rejection letters. The simple answer is to grit your teeth and persevere. “Writing is an awesome job that will take you a million brilliant places,” says Williams. “Sure, lots of people want to be writers, but if you’re talented and dedicated to crafting your skills and developing your online brand, there’s no reason you can’t be one of them.” Be prepared for the rejection theme to continue. Once you find your feet on the first rung of the copywriting career ladder, then the next round of rejection starts when your ideas, or copy — or both — will be rejected, either by colleagues, or clients, or both. Knowing when to ditch an idea and when to push it further is something that will come with experience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take on board advice on the topic. “Don’t fall in love with your own copy,” suggests Tannenbaum. “It’s better to throw your work out and start over than to do what many writers do, which is ‘fix things to death.’ If the client is being difficult about approving your copy, keep coming back with better, fresher work. The best revenge is always a better ad.” However, particularly in the digital space, remember that some more traditional clients may need encouragement to take a risk, try something new and be bold online. “While some clients may be less open than others, you, as copywriters, should continually try to challenge them,” says Brandon. “Increasingly, it’s what digital audiences expect.” And finally, when you find yourself in a junior position, be humble, take your lumps and listen to feedback, but know the difference between being a lowly staffer with a lot to learn and finding yourself the whipping boy at the mercy of other people’s egos. “Harsh but fair feedback is part of the game, and so, unfortunately, are sadistic creative directors,” says Williams. “Spot the difference and do everything you can to learn from the former and limit exposure to the latter. A harridan partner once told me that copywriters were hired to be clever and creative, but I was ‘neither clever nor creative.’ I got the hell out of there. Even as a lowly junior, these people are not worth your time or your talent.” 4. Less is More Crucial advice as far as your copy goes is the old adage “less is more,” especially in the online world where attention spans are ever-decreasing. “‘Less is always more’ is good advice for pretty much any writing, but I think it’s particularly apposite when talking about digital copy,” says Lewis Raven, associate creative director at glue Isobar, an advertising agency specialising in digital creative work. “It’s so, so easy for readers to get distracted online. If you make your point with precision and originality your reader will appreciate it. They might even follow your instruction to ‘click here’, ‘roll over’, or ‘buy now!’ Go on too long and they will be straight off to to watch skateboarding dogs on YouTube. I know I would be.” “Remember, if people want to, there are lots of places they can go to read really good, long copy. It might be a newspaper or a favorite blog,” continues Raven. “It almost definitely won’t be a brand website.” Eloise Smith, creative director at Euro RSCG London takes the less-is-more-online wisdom a step further by suggesting that people read copy differently online than they do offline, so advises “writing visually” as something to take into consideration when writing for the web. “Online users view text rather than read it,” says Smith. “They scan, skim and scroll. Normally at high speed. Online text behaves differently from print – it’s clickable, scrollable, copyable and searchable. So part of a digital copywriter’s job is to visually guide the user through text.” While Smith suggests tactics such as indents, sub-headings, super-short paragraphs, bold captions, bullet points and numbered lists, “write less and communicate more” is her main advice:
“Limit your word count,” Tannenbaum suggests. “Copywriters who grew up writing in TV and print grew up with strictures around copy length. So they became parsimonious with words. They learned to make every one count. Writing in digital media doesn't impose those important limitations on writers. So, frankly, they tend to ramble, rather than say things quickly and succinctly.” 5. Write Well “The principles of good writing remain the same, whatever sort of copywriter you are. Cliched metaphors, misplaced apostrophes and unnecessary jargon are just as depressing online as offline. Writing in a way your audience relates to is key to any good writing. If that means writing in a familiar, conversational manner and using the word ‘awesome’ a lot, so be it. Ultimately, to be a successful digital copywriter, you need to be a good copywriter in the first place,” concludes Smith. “And finally — always proofread. Especially your C.V. A C.V. with typos is embarrassing for everyone.” Copywriting Job ListingsEvery week we put out a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we post a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the best copywriting jobs from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!
More Job Search Resources from Mashable
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sturti Reviews: Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter, YouTube, iStockphoto More About: ad agency, advertising, advertising industry, art director, career, career guidance, career hunting, careers, copywriter, creative agency, digital copywriter, Euro RSCG, glue isobar, icrossing, job search, job search series, jobs, Made by Many, mullen, R/GA For more Business coverage:
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| Google Maps and Images Get the (Unofficial) Instant Treatment  A tech guru named Michael Hart has made unofficial instant versions of Google Maps and Google Images, riffing off of Google’s official Google Instant app and Stanford student Feross Aboukhadijeh’s YouTube Instant spinoff. Just like their predecessors, Google Maps Instant and Google Images Instant display search results as you type, without requiring you to submit your query by hitting Enter or clicking “Search.” Google Maps Instant works quite well, though when you’re typing an address it probably won’t narrow down to what you’re looking for until you start typing the city. Google Images Instant works beautifully. It’s quite speedy, though Hart tweeted a disclaimer that it takes a while to get really fast because it has to cache the images locally. Hart put Google Images Instant together in less than two hours, according to TopINews, and he accompanied both apps with a notice that says: “Btw, Google: I’m looking for a job too! Congrats Feross Aboukhadijeh!” He’s referencing YouTube Co-Founder and CEO Chad Hurley’s public job offer to the guy behind YouTube Instant. He hasn’t received a tweet from Hurley yet, but it’s been barely half a Saturday since the apps went live so we’ll see. Meanwhile, All Things Digital spoke with Aboukhadijeh and learned that he he’s already interning at Facebook this summer. Google would have to fight for him, apparently! Reviews: Facebook, Google, Google Maps, TopINews More About: Google, Google images, Google Instant, Google Maps, hart labs, image search, Instant Search, michael hart, Search, search engine, trending, youtube, YouTube Instant For more Social Media coverage:
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| Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]
There was plenty to talk about on Twitter this past week. Sports, holidays and entertainment dominated, with a nod to tech from the Twitterverse as well. College football season kicked off this week in the U.S., stirring up a torrent of tweets from fans, and landing NCAA the number one spot on our trends chart. The deposed king of Twitter trends, Justin Bieber, made another strong showing this week as he reached the 5 million follower mark last Saturday. It’s worth noting that according to an unnamed Twitter employee, it takes a full 3% of the network’s server power just to keep those Bieber tweets flowing. Bandwidth well spent, I say. Rounding out the top three is Google’s radical change to its search home page. Instant Search now dynamically populates your page with relevant links and media as you type, causing nervous Googlers everywhere to spill their coffee on Wednesday morning, then tweet about it as they sopped up the mess. Check out the complete chart below, compiled by our friends over at What The Trend. Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart. You can check past Twitter trends in our Top Twitter Topics section as well as read more about this past week's trends on What The Trend. Top Twitter Trends This Week: 9/4 – 9/10
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ricardoinfante Reviews: Google, Twitter, beyonce, iStockphoto, justin bieber, movie More About: entertainment, football, Google, justin bieber, List, Lists, NCAA, social media, sports, Top Twitter Topics, trends, twitter, twitter trends For more Social Media coverage:
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