Trending topic on Twitter – How many tweets to reach the top?

According to Twitter statistics, the average number of tweets daily is a little less than 2 million, updated by around 630,000 unique Twitter users.

The idea of having a real time search is possible through the Twitter search engine, found at http://search.twitter.com. When a user search for a given topic, the results page shows what is been tweeted about that issue in real time.

The “Trending Topics” shown in the home page reflects the 10 most tweeted topics in real time. They are refreshed every 5 to 11 minutes.

But, the million dollar question is: How many tweets are needed to trend on Twitter?

It actually varies according to the time of the day. As mentioned above, a trending topic is refreshed periodically. So, to figure at the top ten, the topic must be tweeted in a short period of time. It is necessary around 1200 tweets from 12am to 6am PDT to reach the top 10. From 6am to 12pm PDT, 1700 tweets. From 12pm to 6pm PDT, 1500 tweets. And 1900 tweets from 6pm to midnight PDT.

The number of unique users tweeting also plays an important role in the equation, it ranges from 600 to 900 users.

Lately we have seen some movements to make a topic trend, as I mentioned in this blog on July 14th, when Brazilians mobilized to have the Jonas Brothers back for a new tour, posting hundreds of updates with the tag #BrazilwantsJB. Check it at http://pl0.sl.pt.

As a marketer, update an interesting message and hope that some 900 of your followers retweet it at least twice or, better yet, 1800 followers retweet it once. The reward: 5 to 10 minutes trending on Twitter, viewed by millions of users. Good luck!

Twitter’s first step to truly monetize its platform

On Thursday, July 23rd, Twitter made available the Twitter 101 for Business – A Special Guide, a step-by-step guide on how to effectively use the platform and case studies of successful strategies some well-known companies are using on Twitter.

Right on the top of the Special Guide you will find the following statement: “Every day, millions of people use Twitter to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to Twitter as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too. From local stores to big brands, and from brick-and-mortar to internet-based or service sector, people are finding great value in the connections they make with businesses on Twitter.”

“If you intrinsically see some value in Twitter, you will want to pay more to get more”, said Anamitra Banerji, manager of commercial products at Twitter.

You will notice the link for the Special Guide at the bottom of your Twitter page.

Lets see what comes next.

Barnes & Noble opened it’s e-book store

That’s right: Barnes & Noble has launched its electronic bookstore with more than 700,000 titles. The company is landing in a marketing fully dominated by Amazon and its Kindle with 300,000 titles available.

The e-books cost $9.99 and are compatible with iPhone, iTouch, BlackBerry smartphones, and other devices. Barnes & Noble offer free download of the eReader for these devices and for PC and Mac.

The company estimates to make more than 1 million titles available by the end of this year. In addition, Barnes & Noble announced that it will be the exclusive e-book provider on the forthcoming Plastic Logic eReader device, an ultra thin 8.5 x 11 inch wireless eReader, which is expected in early 2010.

The B&N Bookstore ap for iPhone and iTouch is the #1 downloaded book app in Apple’s App Store. Its features include enabling customer to place orders for books, movies and CDs; it also lets users snap a photo of book’s front cover and get product detail, reviews and customer ratings.

Facebook's new tools to secure your account

Facebook has announced through its blog new tools to secure compromised accounts. Most part of the new way Facebook is fighting against cyber criminals is better guiding the user whose account has been attacked through the steps to fix the problem. Emails are being sent explaining what happened and providing useful links.
A new security model is also being used to ensure that the person logging is the true owner of the account.
Facebook does not give the percentage of accounts that have been hacked, but it assumes it's a tiny number. In its security tips page Facebook gives some useful information on how to prevent your account from being attacked:

• If a link or message seems weird, don't click on it.
• Be aware of where you enter your password
• Report any spam or abuse you see on discussion boards and Walls.
• Don't use the same password on Facebook that you use in other places on the web.
• Never share your password with anyone.
• Don't click on links or open attachments in suspicious emails.
• Add a security question.
• Be wary of unusual stories.

If you try to log in and get the message saying that your account has been temporarily suspended due to suspicious activity, don't freak out. Just follow the steps to remedy the situation.

Ning – Online Social Networking made easy

Ning was launched in February 2007. It lets members build their own social networking platform. And better yet: it’s free.

Ning has over 1 million social networkis created and more than 27 million registered members. The members can create a unique profile and join all kind of networks within the platform as well as create a completely new network, according to their interests and passions. The networks can be open or by invitation.

Usually people who join this communities are really interested on the especific topics and tend to be less noisy than in Facebook and Twitter, what makes the conversation more meaningful. The easy personalization of the members page plays an important role in keeping people more confortable with the platform.

The networks can be very interactive, featuring chat, events, media sharing, forums, etc. I came to Ning when I decided to create a social networking site for the youth group in my Church. My teenager simply loved the concept: a private networking site where he can share his thoughts with his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Some successful brands on Twitter

There are some companies branding on Twitter in an amazing way. They’re not limited on telling the followers about new products or services. Here are some good examples that are worthy to follow:

• JetBlue (890,000 followers) is using its Twitter account mainly for customer service.
• Dell has several Twitter accounts, but the most popular is DellOutlet (860,000 followers) where the company attract tweeple to their outle webpage.
• Starbucks takes suggestions from followers and participate in discussions with them at My Starbucks Idea (6,500 followers).
• The Home Depot (10,300 followers) and HR Blocks are also using for customer service, answering followers’ questions and following up with them.

These are just some of the companies that already moved from the static informative web sites to the interactive world of social media. Social networking sites are a great opportunity to promote their business at low cost. The secret: do it right.

Facebook doesn't comply with Canadian Privacy Laws

In a PR from the Canadian Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, Facebook is to fix privacy gaps in the site. According to the PR, the investigation started after a complaint from the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic.

One example of the violations is that you cannot delete an account. You can only deactivate it, what means that your information will always be at Facebook's servers. The way that Facebook shares users information with third-party developers creating applications is also a big concern.

Facebook has agreed to adopt many of the recommendations steming form the Privacy Commissioner's investigations. But, in some cases, Facebook is proposing alternative measures and in others it hasn't agreed yet.

There will be a review after 30 days to make sure that Facebook is complying with the Privacy Laws. The commissioner has the power to go to the Federal Court to seek to have her recommendations enforced.

Lets see how this issue will end.

To read with more details, go to http://n.bd.sl.pt .