Social Media

The Art of Growing Up in Public as @JugnooMe v2.0 is Released

Tuesday April 17 was a big day for JugnooMe, the social business platform from parent company Jugnoo, as we launched a major update to the platform.

Originally launched as a private beta late last year, we’ve come a long way since these early days. A lot of this has been by listening to the feedback of our early beta users, as well as monitoring social media channels to understand the pain points of our target audience(s).

Couple that with a very cool and agile team that’s focused on bringing the most kick-ass social media all-in-one solution to market, and yesterday’s release was a very big step in the Jugnoo journey.

So, what is JugnooMe and what are these new features? Let’s begin.

The JugnooMe Vision

In a nutshell, JugnooMe is simply a way of bringing all the best features of various social media tools on the market today, and having them all live under a single, unified dashboard.

This then helps business owners that struggle with time and resources to manage their time more effectively, which results in them being able to focus more on ther core business and make profits.

It also helps the solo entrepreneur, the blogger, the stay-at-home parents, the franchisors, the non-profits and more be far more effective in their own use of social media, from content creation to distribution and measuring.

Simply put, we’re here to help anyone make the social web simple, accessible and monetizable. Because at the end of the day, while followers and friends are great, the mortgage people don’t let us pay for our homes by retweets…

JugnooMe is the first salvo in this overall goal of Jugnoo’s – there’s much more to come, but for now we’re solely concentrating on our social media dashboard offerings. Which brings us to the update.

JugnooMe 2.0 – More Than Just an Update

For anyone that used our early beta, the change is a pretty big one from that platform. But then, that’s to be expected for any company that wants to grow properly, as opposed to just turning up and hoping early buzz will be enough to gain you success.

For me, personally, it’s the difference between watching a young child struggle to find their balance and a confident youngster that throws away the training wheels on their new bike.

Yes, I’m incredibly biased, but I’m also incredibly proud of the whole team here and the strides they’ve taken. For example:

New and Improved User Interface and Navigation

Our design team completely revamped the experience inside the dashboard, and made the navigation a lot more user-friendly and intuitive. The side navigation is (currently) broken down into two key areas, Activity and Apps. This helps you get straight to the area that matters to you the most.

Our minimized top navigation keeps everything simple and uncluttered, and is more for the maintenance area of your experience, including setting up your business details, websites, social keywords and more.

It’s a far cry from our first iteration and kudos to our designers for the makeover.

It’s All About the Apps, Baby!

As JugnooMe continues our journey to help make social media simple for everyone, one of the ways we’re going to achieve this is by an apps-based system.

While I can’t go into too much detail here, since it’s proprietary and includes some cool new features scheduled for the next update, we want to make the JugnooMe experience your experience.

So, while we might offer X amount of solutions, you would only find benefit from a few. Instead of us cluttering up your dashboard, you now just have the apps that make sense to you.

This could be Social Dashboard, Analytics, Facebook Promotions and Video tools.

We think it’s a more elegant approach and also allows users to create their own plans as we introduce our premium solutions in the next couple of months (the beta of JugnooMe is currently free for everyone to use).

Currently the apps are all active, but the option to pick and choose is most definitely in the schedule for the next iteration.

Social Sentiment Beta

As human beings, we all want to be liked. We can say we don’t, and feign indifference, but criticism often stings while love and cookies make us smile (I think that’s the right comparison). Anyhoo…

Social media users are no different, and one of the ways to gauge whether we’re viewed as cookies or crankies is by sentiment analysis. This lets us know if we’re seen in a positive, negative or neutral light.

As part of this new JugnooMe release, we’ve opened up our sentiment engine (beta version) to our users, to help us educate the algorithm better for your needs.

This will allow you a simple overview of the sentiment behind a tweet or Facebook update, and reply immediately from within the dashboard area.

Our future sentiment engine will also include forums, blogs and other social networks, and offer more interactive features to help you protect your brand reputation whether you’re a business or solo professional. For now, though, it gives you an idea of where we’re going.

Facebook Promotions

While we’ve always had Facebook Promotions from the start in the form of simple coupons for special offers, we’ve significantly increased the number of templates available.

Additionally, you can also create a Facebook Slideshow app, complete with product/service description and URL to your dedicated sales page or store. The Slideshow sits on a tab on your Facebook Page, and you can create as many slideshows as you wish (for multiple products or storefronts).

Again, this is one of our new beta features and is just the start – look out for more Facebook apps in future releases.

Video Killed the Radio Star

At least, it did according to The Buggles. However, even though we know radio is still alive and well, there’s nothing quite like a cool promo video to either highlight your business, brand, products, events or more.

With this in mind, our updated SVM – social video marketing – platform now has more templates than ever before, ranging from Property (perfect for realtors) to Consultant (agency videos), Spotlight B&W (ideal for portfolios) to Simple (great for invites or special events).

We’ll be continuing to add templates with each new release, and may even drop the odd new one is just as a surprise in-between releases!

Statistics and More Statistics!

If there’s one thing we pretty much all agree on, it’s that it’s always nice to have a quick overview of just how you or your business is performing. Sure, individual stats and reports are cool, but a one-pager can be even cooler when in a rush.

Our new Activity Landing Page has a simple yet effective collection of your most important information – Social Search results (including sentiment), Website Analytics, Twitter statistics (for now) and Tasks (not as evil as they sound, but quick tips to get you more effective with our platform and social media).

From there, you can dive into the areas you need more information on, and then make the necessary changes to be more effective and share online via our universal J-Post option, that allows you to update your Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube and Posterous accounts.

It’s Cool But It’s Just the Beginning

These are just some of the main features in the new update. There are more inside – the ability to make default posting profiles (if you use more networks than others) as well as an optional social media plugin in the shape of a toolbar you can display on your website.

This lets visitors share your content as well as connect with you by email or visit your storefront. If you don’t have a business but still want to use the plugin, you can choose not to display your contact or Google Map information.

Note: If you do use the toolbar, it’s currently ad-supported (meaning pop-up ads will display briefly from the plugin). Future versions will allow paid opt-out or ad partnership options.

To say this is a major update would be an understatement – we really have released what is essentially a new product altogether. But it’s just the start.

We have a very aggressive release schedule for the rest of this year, including coming out of beta once our solutions are locked down, with some very cool features and tools coming your way that you won’t find anywhere else (promise!).

Add to that a huge social media event that Jugnoo is hosting in the fine city of Toronto this July (more details very soon!) and we’re definitely looking to make our statement about who we are and where we want to be.

And that includes you every step of the way. We’re always listening to feedback and this release is a result of that – and we’re not going to stop listening. We really want to make a platform that anyone and everyone can use, and want to use because it’s geared towards them.

Ready to have a look at JugnooMe? Check out our video below for a clearer idea on how we can help the everyday business owner, then hop on over to our sign-up page and we’ll get you onboard sharpish – see you on the other side!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQuHRICtXmk[/youtube]

PinPal Wants to Use Your Friends to Create a Sex Meat Market

Strong title? Probably – but then PinPal deserves it.

Currently in private beta, PinPal is a new start-up that looks to create a casual dating network by using the API’s of Twitter, Facebook, Klout and, as the name might suggest, Pinterest.

From the site’s own description:

PinPal combines the visual magic of Pinterest with the connecting power of your favorite social networks to help you find your perfect PinPal!
After you sign up, we?ll search through your favorite social networks to find your friends ? and more importantly, their friends! Up to three degrees of separation!

In essence, it’s a pretty smart idea and one that, when you think about it, is surprising that no-one else has thought of it. But you know there’s going to be a “But…”, and you’d be right.

The Creepiness Factor of PinPal

Note the key sentence that stands out – “we’ll search through your favorite social networks to find your friends – and more importantly, their friends!”. Doesn’t that set alarm bells ringing?

It reminds me of the issues Klout faced ?a while back when they were caught adding friends of their site’s users to their platform, whether that friend was connected with Klout or not. It’s the same ideals, the same methodology.

Haven’t we learned anything from Klout’s failings when it comes to privacy and abuse of it? Apparently not, according to PinPal.

According to the FAQ section of the PinPal site, privacy no longer exists on the web. Their take on users’ privacy concerns?

Let us ask you a question ? is your privacy safe online anyway? We don?t think it is, as much as we?d like it to be. So, to answer the question of privacy, you have as much privacy on PinPal as you do elsewhere online ? we think that?s the fairest way to go.

So, essentially what PinPal is saying is if you trust other online properties – especially the ones we use to gather your information – then by definition you should trust us. Encouraging…

Especially when you see how the service works.

When you access the beta (invite-only at the minute – I was asked to have a look), PinPal connects your Twitter and Facebook account, and not only gets your information but also, as it turns out, that of your friends.

Whether ?they’re locked down in private settings or not.

They then source that against Klout, and determine if the user is “worthy” of being in the system. For instance, you need a Klout score of 40 or more to progress.

Once your influence and worthiness of being a date partner is assessed, your Pinterest account is then brought into play, and PinPal scours that API to find people of the opposite sex that you’re connected to. That’s added to the Twitter and Facebook friend information – and the friends of the user – to create a “hot list” of potential partners for a casual date.

PinPal creates a private board and the pictures of the “possibilities” go on display for all to see. You pick your chosen Pin, and introductions are made.

As a dating site, that would work well. But PinPal isn’t just any old dating site, and therein lies the issue.

You’re On Your Own, Sport

Online dating sites are ramping up security and their process after an alleged rape of a woman using a dating site in Southern California. It’s tragic that something so awful should have spurred this action, but at least they’re trying to protect others from the same fate.

PinPal seems to avoid this major concern, and almost shows disdain for anyone asking about it. Again, from their FAQs, in answer to the question how safe PinPal dates are:

As safe as any online dating service, with the added security that this is all happening with social media, so if something goes wrong you can let people know about it. That?s pretty powerful stuff right there!

So, essentially, because you can tweet about your date, if something goes wrong – heaven forbid, something as serious as the SoCal case – it’s okay, because your tweet will be enough to create a backlash against your attacker…

At its best, it’s naivety – at its worse, it’s gross negligence and abandonment of responsibilities to your users.

So, in a nutshell, PinPal is creating potentially dangerous situations not only for you, but for your friends too, who may not even be aware they’ve been sucked into PinPal’s questionable practice.

Like I mentioned earlier, it reminds me of Klout at their peak of bad practices. But at least Klout saw sense and offered opt-out solutions for anyone not wishing to be in their system.

From the looks of PinPal, once in it’s very difficult to leave. And even if you do, your friends are still on display for all to see.

No matter how you dress it, that’s bullshit.

I reached out to Jimmy Addison, the co-founder of PinPal, for his thoughts on these concerns, but there’s been no reply as of yet.

In the meantime, if you want an example of all that’s wrong with social media, look no further than PinPal. They’ve got to be a lawsuit waiting to happen…

Click now to read the full story on PinPal.

Let’s Talk About Social Business

This post is by Joey Strawn?from Social CRM Insider.

There?s an old example many of my teachers used growing up to display a number of different points.

My teacher would show a jar on a table surrounded by a plethora of different-sized rocks. The task is to get all of the rocks into the one jar. No matter how you try, the only way that works is to put all the big rocks in first, then the medium-sized rocks, then fill the rest of the space with the pebbles.

The point of the exercise is to show the importance of priorities and how to organize your life.

Priorities are key to school, life and, of course, business. We?re going to talk about a major rock today that you need to have an understanding of if you?re going to be bringing in a Social CRM to your company or brand: Social Business.

We?re putting our normal curriculum aside today to address the issue of Social Business which, as you?ll find out, I feel is a larger goal than purely Social CRM.

Building a Business That?s Social

In her book Get Bold, Sandy Carter defines a ?Social Business? as the following:

At its core, a Social Business is a company that is engaged, transparent, and nimble. A Social Business is one that understands how to embrace social technology, use it, get value from it, and manage the risk around it. A Social Business embeds social tools in all its processes, and for both employees and clients?the entire ecosystem. A leadership company explores the social techniques that really matter to its business with a sympathetic approach, by creating a bold, unique Social Business agenda.

That?s one of the best definitions I?ve ever read and I highly suggest Sandy?s book to anyone who cares about creating a business that works with its customers. I?m not going to fill more in with what she said, but I am going to give you a couple seconds to read it again and take it all in??..

??..good.

Social Business is important and it?s vital to your brand surviving the next 15-20 years intact. I?m not going to dispute the fact that everyone needs to be paying attention to this phenomenon, but does Social Business makes Social CRM obsolete?

Social CRM vs Social Business?

A few weeks back, Michael Brito had a wonderful post focusing on this very question. Does the importance and eventual necessity of Social Business negate the need for a focus on Social CRM, or should it all be wrapped up into the same idea and eventually just be called ?business as usual??

Honestly, I agree with Michael?s post in almost every way, even though it seems at first glace we would be in disagreement.

While I may not totally agree completely on every single semantic, I think we will get to a point where Social CRM in the larger context of a Social Business is not only necessary, but expected. If you aren?t starting now with your plans, you will be left behind and a Social CRM is part of that emerging business.

Where Michael and I differ is that I believe it?s not as important to shift focus away from the components that make up a Social Business, with Social CRM being a part of that. Just as 50-60 years ago marketing was a new idea, 60 years before that the telephone was a new idea – but both?are now ?standard operating procedure? in successful companies.

We will always have to understands the components of what we do for the good of our brands and users, while at the same time understanding the larger pictures that encompass all those little things.

Social CRM may be a little component at this point and in the future be a natural aspect of all companies, but we?ll still be supplying top-notch Social CRM advice, innovations, trends, topics and strategies to help your businesses understand it now and in the future.

What do you think? Is there still a place to discuss smaller components of Social Business? Do you agree with Michael that Social Business will eventually be just ?business?? Where does Social CRM fit in?

Thoughts?

This post originally appeared on Social CRM Insider, part of the Jugnoo family of apps and publications to help people and businesses make the social web simple, accessible and monetizable. Joey Strawn is the Blogger in Residence at Social CRM Insider. You can read more posts here, and make sure to subscribe for the latest updates from Joey.