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Track What's Mentioned on the Social Web with SocialMention

I read a great blog post by David Berkowitz today on Blog Search Stuck in Beta and it really captured a long-time complaint I've had about search engines, specifically for blogs and blog content. Whether you use Google or a micro-search specifically for blogs, overall they have been very ineffective in my experience.

Taking a look at the blog search landscape, Berkowitz finds there is a lot missing to the search experience, particularly "a sense of understanding a user’s purpose." (Big cheers! Smiles! Total agreement!)

 

Ending my day today, I learned of SocialMention, which I feel starts to address the Social Web and how blog and micro-blog content is out there and in the mix. Not unlike other cool search tools, like Lijit, SocialMention really does everything on my "nice to have" wish list for a Social Web search engine. SocialMention provides search results that are organized by blogs, micro-blogs (like Twitter mentions, Brightkite and Posterous posts, etc.), bookmarks, comments and so on.This is not just a search for blogs, but when we searched one of our own, Extraordinique we were so pleased with the immediacy and comprehensive return of results.

Our experience with SocialMention exceeds any results we've ever been able to extract from Google, Google Blog Search, Technorati and others.

In seconds, SocialMention had every post we've done on Extraordinique, all of our micro-blog conversations involving "Extraordinique," social bookmarks in Digg and Del.icio.us, comment threads, including FriendFeed, and the list goes on. It is the next great aggregator of numerous social media sources remixing it into a single stream of really useful and valuable information.

It is a thing of beauty to see all of this information indexed so quickly and so well organized. It will be such a useful tool for brand and community managers to keep up on all "SocialMentions."

Great idea. Great execution. Great results!

I imagine this will show up in SocialMention's "socialmention search query," so while I have your attention -- Thanks! You rock! And why no @SocialMention? Your fans and your critics want to include you in the conversation while they learn about you and endure some of the heavy loads. :)

Status Stories & Social Media

There is an excellent report out from Trendwatching as a follow up to their TRANSUMERS, THE EXPECTATION ECONOMY and STATUS SPHERES briefings. Trendwatching identified STATUS SPHERES as one of the Top 8 trends to watch for in 2008 and now drills in more into STATUS STORIES.

One of the interesting things we see with Extraordinique is that people naturally rally around things that their peers, friends and other influencers think are cool and remarkable.  Look at the cool factor of all things Apple (iPod, iPhone, Macbook Air) and how these devices become mainstream "status stories" as the first-to-have, must-have technology of the day. In more niche markets, many of the emerging products and brands listed in STATUS STORIES will do the same, but on a micro level -- retaining a more exclusive "status" and appreciation by a select group of "fans."

Brands are vying for attention and are looking for that angle to be "extraordinique." Extraordinique is about early-adoption consumers who are searching for the next best thing. Who are looking to be impressed or be impressive. Items we feature as "extraordinique" are typically creations that fuel a passion, i.e. for foodies, techies, fashionistas and "all of that combined" with the savvy, socially-connected (online and off) mommies and SavvyAunties.

Updated: I like that Trendwatching's STATUS STORIES briefing includes the element of ‘cache and cast’ and addresses the fact that online social networks are becoming a key factor in the Status Story.  Social Media outlets are creating a lifestyle status of the "connected" and even more so within the "connected." There are the early adopters, the influencers, the authorities -- also categorized as Egos on Alltop, who by nature of their leadership, credibility and "status" (# of followers, fans, friends, etc.) create a STATUS SPHERE people are drawn to. If you are in certain social circles and have the means to connect from anywhere, anytime -- these privileges become part of a larger status story. It is status within professional circles just as much as it is in private social circles (family, friends, friends of friends). It is about how much you participate and with whom. Social Media, in some ways, is a STATUS STORY all to itself.

Speaking of Design...

There's been some really good articles noting the current and progressive thinking about Web design.

Today, PSFK did a post on the Top 10 Pantone Colors Used by Designers This Season, showing 18-3843 Blue Iris being Pantone's 2008 Color of the Year.

Smashing Magazine also did a comprehensive article on new treatments in visual design, coined the Grunge Style in Modern Web Design.

Logo exploration for Extraordinique, created Fall, 2007

Another awesome post from Smashing Magazine outlines the 10 Principles of Effective Web Design. They are the core principles, but show great and current examples of what "effective" truly means today on the Web.

A site worth mentioning for their dedication to typography is "i love typography," which really specializes in shedding light on new font designs. In following this site, you get a great sense of where typographic style is going.

Overall, Computer Arts also put a great post together in Trends 2008 for what top designers predict and why most feel the industry desperately needs a shake-up.

The design community is going all out, completely spilling "out of the box," like WebDesigerWall, for example, a nominee for the 2008 Bloggies. These desigers and their creative are forging new trends, leading to more stimulating opportunities in design. What I like to see is that we are carrying forward the best elements of the Apple-esque style of Web 2.0 design with a whole new twist for 2008.  It's an awesome treat.

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