Convergence of Social Media and BPO

Today, the social media is the trendiest communicational buzz. As a medium of channel, it has fairly done its job beyond imaginable expectations by standing in as a means of non-commercial interaction among individuals.  Social media indeed, has become a mainstream phenomenon within the last few years and is only working hard to also become now a successful means of commercial interaction.

Over the past few years, the BPO services have made investments in customer-oriented business intelligence and deep analytic tools for their company clients. With the growth of the social or interactive media, it has become possible to critique anything and everything possible. When it comes to business, from launching to marketing to receiving feedbacks from customers, the social media has have been an immense platform. 

Now how BPO services converge with this medium and are useful to both the clients and the consumers?

For instance, if suppose there is a BPO company and its client as say for instance is Idea cellular company, then any item, comment posted on the social media be it in terms of blog, in terms of a comment on facebook, or as a community, and if at all there are any critical or negative comments, or posts or tweets then this BPO company will monitor the content o social media and report it to the company.

What are the advantages?

With the heavy online traffic, even the companies are gaining an online presence and since they cannot look after the social media, because of the already huge workload, transferring this responsibility to a BPO company helps save their time and moreover when a BPO company administers the complaints and feedback of the consumers online, it then with its analytic capabilities, understand the consumer sentiments and behavior and tell exactly what the problem is to the main service provider company. Hence like this, it lessens the burden of the service provider company and through the BPO services, the main service provider company can exactly get to know what their consumers are thinking and what they want, thus only helping the companies DELIVER BETTER!

All in all, this social media monitoring task by BPO service providers are on an early stage of driving value to the consumer-centric analytics.

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Facebook Rolls Out File-Sharing for All Groups [EXCLUSIVE]

Could Facebook become the next Dropbox — or a haven for sharing files without regard to copyright?
The social network has revealed to  that all Groups will now offer the ability to send files. This update rolls out to a small percentage of groups Thursday, and will become available to others during the following days. If you don’t have the feature already, Facebook wants you to know you’ll have it “soon.”
Facebook Groups for Schools, launched last month, incorporated the file-sharing feature — but you needed a .edu address to use it.
Users can upload most file types up to 25MB — the same file size limit as Gmail. The exceptions: music files (sorry, old-school Napster fans) and executable (.exe) files (sorry, hackers). But e-books, comics, music videos and other small movies are fair game.
To prevent the spread of malicious, inappropriate or copyrighted files, “users can report files the same way they can with other content across the site,” a Facebook spokesperson said. Whether a group that wants to share such things will willingly turn itself in remains to be seen.
More than 380 million people use Facebook Groups. Being able to share files was one of the most common requests from groups users, the spokesperson said.
This is how the new file sharing feature will look:

In October 2010, Facebook acquired simple file sharing service drop.io. Unlike Adobe Connect or Dropbox users, drop.io users did not have to register to use the site. They could simply upload a file, create a “drop” with links to files and share it with others.
Drop.io also had free conference call service — so perhaps Facebook can incorporate this technology into its file sharing feature in future.
Do you use Facebook Groups? What do you think about this latest feature? Sound off in the comments.
Christina Warren contributed to this report.

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Facebook Launches Two-Filter ‘Instagram’ on ‘Facebook for Every Phone’

One month after its $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, Facebook has added filters to one of its apps.
Users of Facebook’s app for non-smartphones, “Facebook for Every Phone,” can now tweak their photos with Sepia or Grayscale filters similar to those Instagram offers.
Instagram had nothing to do with the new feature, a Facebook spokesperson told Inside Facebook. Rather, the apps were developed at an employee hackathon.
The New York TImes reported in August 2011 that Facebook was developing a set of filters for its mobile app “with the hopes of drawing off fans of Instagram.”
Given its recent $1 billion acquisition of Instagram, that is no longer Facebook’s motive. But it could help users of phones that can’t run the Instagram app understand what the fuss is all about.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it would be expanding the feature to its other apps.

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8 Ways to Offer Better Customer Service on Facebook

Customers know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and web-savvy customers know that Facebook is the ultimate squeak amplifier. According to Forrester Research, 27% of U.S. online consumers sought customer service support on the web in 2011, and currently three out of four expect a reply to a negative comment posted on Facebook.

Unfortunately, many brands still don’t incorporate customer service into their social strategy, despite the fact that Facebook is one of the best venues in which to turn your customers’ negative comments into brand opportunities.

Here are eight tips to help you improve your Facebook customer support initiative and, in turn, raise your brand’s reputation, decrease your inbound service requests, acquire new customers and turn infrequent customers into brand loyalists. What are your tips? Let us know in the comments below.

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1. Outsource

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“Your Facebook wall is not an adequate customer service platform because it is not searchable, and it puts a negative twist on your main page,” says Jeff Nolan, VP of product at Get Satisfaction. Nolan suggests that brands build an online customer service channel and then funnel the data into their current CRM system. Companies such as Get Satisfaction, Lithium, Moxie Software and Parature enable brands to offer customers a way to connect in multiple online locations, including Facebook.

With these products, companies can streamline their customer service processes and track important customer data, no matter where the customer decides to engage. As these features become more commonplace, customers will begin to instinctively seek them out when they visit a brand’s page, so be prepared.

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2. Crowdsource

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“Identify and develop relationships with influencers who are knowledgeable about your products,” recommends Erin Korogodsky, social strategist at Lithium. “Those superfans are likely to lend a hand when a customer stops by with a question.” Products like Lithium’s LevelUp social suite allow for the peer-to-peer customer support Korogodsky suggests. Cultivation, encouragement and rewards for “superfans” who engage such solutions provide customer service request deflection, which Korogodsky says is one of the best ways you can save money for your business.

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3. Who’s the Boss?

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When it comes to social support, it is not always clear who’s in charge. Your customer service reps are not Facebook experts and vice-versa — that is why the two groups must team up to provide online customers with the best support experience. Have your social media team field Facebook comments and escalate issues to the appropriate customer service representative. Many social media marketing platforms, such as Buddy Media, Context Optional and Wildfire offer moderation features that allow for customer service reps to be pinged and prompted to respond upon assignment.

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4. Transparent Humans

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Users have faith in the transparency of social media and look to it as a place where they can directly contact their favorite companies — and be heard. Create a brand voice that is human and approachable. Do not delete posts, but instead take the opportunity to solve your customers’ issues or complaints on your public page. Each problem is most likely a problem for another customer and if the answer is easy to find, customers will be able to answer their own inquiries. At the very least, page visitors and friends of the disgruntled customer will see your brand as attentive and solution-oriented.

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5. This is Your Time

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Elisabeth Diana of Facebook’ communications team suggests brands take advantage of two new Timelinefeatures: messages and pinned posts. First, users can now directly connect with a brand through brand page messages. This feature can serve as a free online customer service support system for your brand until your volume becomes unmanageable. Customers can also exchange private information with your brand, such as phone numbers and email addresses, which may help you solve their problem faster. The downside is that there will be no audience to watch you turn a negative situation into a positive one. Remember however, that this is an optional feature and can be turned off (which many large brands already have done).

In addition, “Pinned” posts allow brands to highlight certain hot topics by pinning them to the top of the wall. Diana uses TurboTax as an example of a brand that really takes advantage of this feature. As Tax Day approaches every year, TurboTax receives an influx of the same questions. So instead of posting the same answer multiple times, the company can now pin reply posts to the top of the wall, thus reducing the number of incoming inquiries.

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6. Know Your Issues

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As your brand continues to offer effective customer service on Facebook, you will see that the volume of requests will only increase. Take this opportunity to log some of your previously solved issues in order to be more efficient and consistent with future replies (without sounding automated, of course). You may also want to take these most common questions, requests and issues and build a FAQ Facebook tab. Again, if your customers are able to find answers easily, your workload will be lessened, as will negative sentiment on your wall.

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7. Set Up Alerts

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If you have very active Facebook fans and are able to use a social media marketing platform, it’s important to set up alerts for certain keywords to help filter out high priority initiatives. Single out certain terms such as “question,” “customer service” or “frustrated,” and you will receive notifications when related comments are posted. If you are a toy company currently experiencing an issue with a particular toy, set an alert for the product name. Whether the comments are positive or negative, you will be kept in the loop.

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8. Accept Compliments Graciously

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Your mother always taught you to say “thank you” — your brand should do the same. Don’t just respond to negative comments, reply to positive ones, too — you can encourage positivity with politeness and grace. Fans love to know that their favorite brands hear and appreciate their praise, and they will often come back to leave positive comments in the future. These positive comments help shift the overall sentiment of your wall, improve brand reputation and increase Facebook virality … so remember to say “thank you.”

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What to Do When A Potential Employer Asks for Your Facebook Password

Could you imagine a job interview during which your interviewer asks you for your Facebook? Well folks,it's Happening and you should know what to do when it happens to you.
The reason why companies are doing this is to get better insight into who you really are. They will strategically ask you to look at Facebook with them — right there, on the spot. You would think there would be some type of HR regulation in place to prohibit this type of conduct during an interview, but currently there is not — although the state of Maryland is starting to take action in a case regarding the Facebook profiles of student athletes.
With that in mind, what about job applicants in all the other states? Maryland is the first to do anything about this (and it’s currently concerned with student protections), so how long will it take for the job applicant process to be evaluated? Will asking for social networking account passwords be prohibited? The answer is, “There is no answer.” But you do not have to give the information as a condition of employment.
Let’s go over some things you can do to protect yourself on a job interview. Don’t forget: You have the right to a personal life and your privacy!

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              1. Put it Eloquently

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If you are asked for your password, here are some things you can say, in an eloquent and respectful manner, to show you will stand your ground:

• “I am very careful with my personal, private online persona and do not feel comfortable giving out any passwords. But you can feel free to look at my profile as it appears to you as a company right now, if you would like.”                    
• “I would never participate in social media on the organization’s time and ask that the organization will respect my personal social media rights outside of work.”     
• “My LinkedIn network is a great place for you to review my professional experience and see the professional connections that I have that may be of benefit to your organization.”
• “Is that something that is required to move forward with this job interview?”


 

If you don’t like the prospective employer’s answer to the last question (or any of the statements above), you can decide if you would not like to move forward with the interview. It is your profile and your privacy, and you have the right to protect it. So, take control and make it your decision.

 
                                                                                                                                                   


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2. Evaluate the Situation

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You may feel obligated to provide your password, but is it really worth it to you to have a job where you will be watched all the time?
The answer is probably “no.” It would be extremely stressful to feel like your personal life has the potential to be picked apart by your employers at any time. It will already be enough that they will monitor you while at work in other ways.


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3. Take Steps to Protect Your Personal Life

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If you plan carefully and strategically, you can separate business and pleasure. Set up your social media profiles to be only obtainable or known by your friends and family. Here are some things you can do:

• Disable a public web search on your Facebook profile. The default setting allows search engines like Google to pick up your Facebook profile.
• Change your name and go by a nickname that only your friends and family would recognize.
• Take advantage of the new Facebook Timeline to illustrate the personal brand you want to project as a job seeker.
Once you have a job, you should be careful not to jeopardize it by putting ill-willed comments up for all to see. What you say could get you fired if it sheds a bad light on your company. You represent your company, so keep your personal social networking about you and not about work.
Now you know it is okay to take a stand and say “no” when asked for your social networking passwords. It is ultimately up to you to decide what you are comfortable with.
What would you do if your interviewer asked for your password? Let us know in the comments.


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Social Media Job Listings

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Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities.. While we publish a huge range of job listings, we’ve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting!

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Free Facebook Banner downloads site list

12 Free Facebook Timeline Download Cover Photo, Banner, and Template Websites

1. thesitecanvas.com – customize your own Facebook Timeline cover photo. The site requires Facebook log in, choose your personal options, upload to Facebook and add/change cover.
2. myfbcovers.com- create a customize cover with their Facebook Cover Creator. Edit your cover, choose your options, create a photo collage (select up to 24 friends to make a collage Timeline cover out of and apply effects like Polaroid and Panorama.
3. firstcovers.com-this is one of the best websites I’ve come across for downloading Facebook covers and creating your own. Just click on the “make a cover” link under the Cover Makers to start making a cool cover now. You can create your cover onsite using their easy Facebook Timeline cover creator by uploading an image, adding and editing with text decorations. You can use the following Facebook personal cover ideas: collage, quote, Polaroid, scrapbook, heart, kissing booth, original, name and advanced cover makers. You can also download from over 50 select categories and get thousands of Facebook Timeline cover photo pictures. There is a cover of the day and an excellent FAQ section where you can learn how to add, and swap out covers, edit and delete them.
4. fbcoverpix.com- makes it easy to find, share and upload your Facebook cover. Has a short fbcoverpix introduction to using the cover maker. The fbcoverpix uses the Facebook Connect technology so you don’t need to download any software or run any programs. Just log into your Facebook account and you can start creating covers right away.
5. trendycovers.com-hundreds of Facebook covers to choose with cover categories including lyrics, broken hearts, emo, for guys and TV shows.
6. facebook.coversdaddy.com- there are 100′s of Facebook Timeline covers here to use. Just log into your Facebook account and download and add them to yours.
7. designfacebookcover.com- hundreds of free Facebook Cover art to chose from. There is something for everyone here.
8. fcoverphotos.com- has over 20 main categories to choose from with some hard to find ones. There are hundreds of free Facebook Timeline covers with some unique categories like 3D, air crafts, planes, computers, motorcycles and world. I’ve been to many Facebook Cover websites and this one has some truly unique Covers you won’t find on other sites.
9. crosscards.com- has some beautiful christian Facebook covers to select from. These covers are sure to inspire and motivate you and your Facebook friends as they frequent your Timeline page.
10. banorama.com- there are some interesting Cover designs here including an interesting Angry Bird pig Facebook Cover and Halo Reach.
11. 99coverphotos.com-there are some great natural scenic covers and plenty more categories to chose from including cartoons, movies, text, art, scene, sports, and the latest hottest Facebook Timeline covers around.
12. premiumcovers.net-these are quality Timeline covers collected from artists all over the world. There are plenty of categories to choose from and the artists renderings are incredible. These covers are free to download and use on your Timeline within minutes.

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How Facebook Search Could Be a Gift to Google

Facebook’s reported move into search may one day prove a mortal threat to Google’s advertising business. But in the short run, the social network’s new project comes at an opportune time for the search giant.

For Google, the impending arrival of Facebook Search presents a much-needed opportunity to beat back the legions of antitrust authorities circling all around it.

Regulators appeared at the end of their ropes when Google announced “Search Plus Your World” and related privacy changes in January. The FTC chairman soon after described the changes as a “binary and somewhat brutal” choice that forced consumers to give the company yet more of their personal information.

On a legal level, the privacy changes also fueled critics’ complaints that Google was violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act by abusing dominant market power. The company is the subject of multiple investigations in the U.S. and Europe.

The arrival of Facebook could help Google say it is not dominant after all. Google, which controls 60%-70% of the search market, has long tried to refute antirust charges by saying competition is “just a click away.”

Google may need this argument more than ever now that it has jettisoned purely objective search results in favor of promoting more social forms of search. In the past, Google has argued that objective results proved it wasn’t abusing its market power — this argument no longer holds water in light of the recent search changes.

The arrival of Facebook in search could provide Google with a regulatory reprieve but, in the long run, it could also spell trouble. Google makes nearly all its money from advertising and it stands to lose out if Facebook can capitalize on a market for ads based on friend recommendations. Facebook’s own executives have in the past said that such ads are worth three times as much as ordinary ads.

BusinessWeek reported last week that Facebook had hired a former Google engineer to develop search based advertising.

A Google spokesperson declined to comment for this article.

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Facebook Features Marketers Can’t Afford to Ignore

If you have a brand or a business to market chances are you’re using a social media management application to monitor online mentions, schedule updates, and generate reports. But if you really want to be an effective marketer, you need to develop a deeper understanding of which networks are most vital to your company, and what network features are key. In Facebook's case, we’re talking about some powerful community management components that are unmatched by its competitors, and often overlooked by marketing pros. Here are the four that simply can’t be ignored.

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1. Activity Log

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Facebook’s activity log is like a Facebook Timeline for every interaction that fans have with your page. It also includes updates you’ve made, like comments or Facebook Questions. What makes this tool unique and powerful is that it offers an archive of your Facebook interactions that you can review at any time. This is useful for tracking how well you’re following up and engaging with fans, and what kind of feedback you’re getting from them during specific events.

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2. Demographic Targeting

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The manage tab in Facebook Page's admin Panel allows you to publish updates to specific demographic groups. The feature isn’t as robust as it should be, but it lets you reach out to people who, for example, speak a certain language. This is useful if your page serves audiences in different countries.

Netfilx is a prime example. Due to the nature of its content licensing deals, the site offers different movie and TV-show libraries in the United States than it does in Canada. If the Netflix page administrator wants to announce a new movie that’s only available in one country, he or she can hide that update from fans in the other. Other options include making a post completely invisible to people outside of a certain location, or to people under a certain age.

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3.Twitter Linking

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Cross-promoting between social networks is a critical component of any social media marketing strategy. Facebook recognizes this, which is why it offers the ability to link your Facebook page to Twitter for the purpose of publishing updates to both sites.

The one caveat is that the implementation here is slanted pretty heavily towards promoting Facebook. This means tweets that originate from your Facebook page always have a link back to Facebook. If that’s not your thing, you can supplement with a third-party tool.

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4. Smart Moderation

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You probably already know how to moderate individual comments on Facebook, but you can also dive into your Facebook Page’s settings and add specific terms you want to automatically block. While it’s better to allow open conversation on your Facebook page — customers don’t like to be censored — there will be specific situations that call for more control. This tool will give you that.

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