tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1 2008-05-08T07:06:01Z BuzzLogic blog Movable Type 3.31 tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.273 2008-05-08T06:51:42Z 2008-05-08T07:06:01Z

American Idol is getting down to the wire, with a mere 4 contestants performing Tuesday May 6. The buzz from the influential blogs was on target when it came to who got the boot last week; influential blogs wanted Brooke...

Valerie Combs Brooke White to go, and fans felt the same. After last night’s performances, below is the latest snapshot of the influential blogs and posts discussing the remaining contestants. Please note that though this post is going live Wednesday evening, this analysis was done Wednesday morning, prior to the results broadcast! Contestants after Tuesday night's performances, listed by influential blogs/posts: David Cook: 546 / 6543 Jason Castro: 498 / 8013 David Archuleta: 432 / 10,163 Syesha Mercado: 221 / 7400 There are some interesting numbers, and deltas, here. David Cook has the most influential blogs writing about him, but the fewest influential posts. Syesha is the inverse – she has half as many blogs posting about her, but a large amount of posts. Which scenario is preferable: more influencers talking about a contestant less frequently, or a smaller number of influencers buzzing more consistently? It will be interesting to see how this nets out. Then, there's David Archuleta, whose name is associated with more posts than any other contestant at this stage of the game. Jason Castro is in the middle in terms of numbers and reach of influential buzz, but the influencers don’t have anything nice to say. He is the influencer pick to go home. Other highlights from this week's influencer commentary: Influencers say David Cook had a bad night, but he was not in danger of leaving this week. They note he needs to step it up to have a shot at winning, even after a much liked second song performance of Baba O’Riley. David Archuleta is still getting influencer buzz to win it all; they say he has great vocals, but needs to work on his stage presence. Influencers picked up on the singer closing and squinting his eyes often during his two songs. Influencers thought Syesha gave one of the best performances last night, after David Archuleta. They feel she is safe, with a big factor being she’s the only female left – and some mentioned how hot she looked doing Proud Mary. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.272 2008-05-05T23:54:05Z 2008-05-06T06:03:46Z

As promised, I ran a conversation query in the BuzzLogic application to uncover the most influential sites and posts in the "SOBCon" conversation over the last year. Below is the list; these are the bloggers who are most influential on...

Valerie Combs Liz Strauss comes up as number one (check out Liz's take on this weekend's events here). BuzzLogic’s influence algorithm takes a dozen factors into account when determining the influence of posts and a blog overall – a blogger’s credibility and expertise on a specific topic over time, who is linking in, the quality and influence of all in-linkers and the popularity of a post overall. Congrats to Lorelle VanFossen from Lorelle on Wordpress for the most influential post in the entire SOBCon conversation. http://www.successful-blog.com/ http://lorelle.wordpress.com/ http://makeitgreat.typepad.com/ http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/ http://darmano.typepad.com/ http://www.blogherald.com/ http://www.blackinbusiness.org/ http://carpefactum.typepad.com/ http://blogs.bootsnall.com/ http://www.instigatorblog.com/ http://www.workingathomeinternet.com/ http://bestlife.typepad.com/ http://www.thinkinghomebusiness.com/ http://www.dmiracle.com/ http://www.spatiallyrelevant.org/ http://www.drewsmarketingminute.com/ http://blog.futurelab.net/ http://kentblumberg.typepad.com/ http://geoffreyphilp.blogspot.com/ http://www.middlezonemusings.com/ http://www.christinekane.com/ http://liveslessordinary.wordpress.com/ http://www.problogger.net/ http://www.maryschmidt.com/ http://www.monkatwork.com/ ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.270 2008-05-03T19:55:25Z 2008-05-03T20:00:40Z

Sandra Ponce de Leon and I are attending the SobCon08 event in Chicago this weekend - meeting incredible people and absorbing information left and right. More to come - right now I'm responding to new media/blogger guru Chris Garret's challenge...

Valerie Combs Chris Garret's challenge to write a blog post in 5 minutes. More to come in terms of what we're learning at this event, but for now -- consider this our 5 minute throw down!]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.269 2008-04-30T22:17:36Z 2008-04-30T23:32:27Z

Neil Diamond was in the house with the Idols last night, a treat for both viewers and contestants. However, the overwhelming amount of buzz on the blogs was not about the contestants, but about Paula Abdul's mistake in reacting to...

Valerie Combs Paula Abdul's mistake in reacting to Jason Castro's second song - before the performance even took place. It turns out influential bloggers were underwhelmed with the performances as a whole, and actually appreciated Paula's flub for making this episode memorable. See below the ranking of contestants by number of influential blog posts as of Wednesday (April 30): David Archuleta: 401 sites/ 7,845 posts David Cook: 580 sites/ 7,263 posts Brooke White: 468 sites/ 5,709 posts Jason Castro: 479 sites / 5,296 posts Syesha Mercado: 193 sites / 5,026 posts What do influencers actually have to say about each contestant? Here's an aggregate assessment: David Cook: Influencers liked his acoustic performance better than the first with the electric guitar. He’s still the front runner to win. David Archuleta: Influencers say that his song choices were great for getting votes, and expect his latest pick will pull in a ton of votes in his favor. He’s still neck and neck with David Cook to win. Brooke White: Influencers are not Brooke fans. They thought her second song was better than her first, but have her pegged as the one to leave. Some are still grumbling that she should have gone last week instead of Carly Smithson. Jason Castro: Influencers say that he missed the opportunity to take it to the next level, saying that he was flat and lackluster. It appears bloggers are evenly split between Jason and Brooke as the ones to leave tonight. Syesha Mercado: Influencers still like Syesha, and are talking about her being Neil’s favorite. Influencers say her song selections were smart, and hope that the “pimp spot” will stave off Simon’s negativity and that she’ll be back next week. Who are the influencer picks to go? Again, influencers appear evenly split between thinking Jason and Brooke should go. However, many point to Syesha as the one that will go (undeservedly so), as she has not been a fan favorite. Looking back over the last few weeks, here is what our analysis has told us so far: Influencers and voters don't always agree. In some cases, like David Cook and David Archuleta, the amount and tone of blog buzz matches viewer voting behavior; influencers consistently praise these two, and they remain safe week after week. On the flip side, Syesha continues to appear in the Bottom 3, yet she has a small number of influencers who continue to root for her. Notice how she has half the number of influential sites talking about her as compared to her competitors - yet the sheer number of posts generated about Syesha rival that of other contestants. In some cases, the amount of blog buzz seems to correlate to viewers interest. For example, during her tenure on the show, Kristy Lee Cook was one of the least blogged about contestants. Did a lack of buzz usher along her inevitable departure? Carly Smithson also didn't retain influencer interest; during her last week on the show (April 21) she slipped to the bottom in terms of sheer number of posts, with 4743 in total - the lowest amount she has had since April 8. We'll continue to watch out for this dynamic leading up to the finale. Another interesting trend to note is how the influencer buzz around Brooke White has taken shape over the last few weeks. As April 1st, she was the female contestant with the highest number of influential posts, and overall commentary was supportive. As of April 14, following her performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero", the number of posts containing "Brooke White" continued to escalate. However, the tone dramatically shifted, and influencers turned against the contestant. Bloggers have predicted she would be in the Bottom 3 the last three weeks, and are out and out calling for her to leave the show. Do fans agree? Stay tuned... ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.268 2008-04-28T17:56:38Z 2008-04-30T22:12:04Z

When it comes to spending ad dollars in social media, a recent Brandweek article got to the heart of why marketers are so tempted...smaller emerging networks around niche topics are stronger branding targets nowadays. We're seeing how lesser-known blogs with...

Valerie Combs Brandweek article got to the heart of why marketers are so tempted...smaller emerging networks around niche topics are stronger branding targets nowadays. We're seeing how lesser-known blogs with niche, quality content can perform from an ad perspective - for example, a blogger who has built an audience around his/her organic food expertise would produce better results for a relevant brand than an ad buy on a mainstream portal. So, it makes sense that social networks and community sites wrapped around a shared passion or theme would serve as a better targeting vehicle than, let's say Facebook. As reporter Betsy Cummings points out, it will continue to be a balancing act for social networks large and small to continue to satisfy users and advertisers at the same time. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.267 2008-04-24T00:45:34Z 2008-04-24T01:43:51Z

Musical genius Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber was in the American Idol house last night. After a string of broadway-infused performances, here's how the final 6 are ranked by number of influential posts: David Cook: 7128 **Influencer pick for Top 2...

Valerie Combs David Cook: 7128 **Influencer pick for Top 2 finalist. Jason Castro: 6261 **Bottom 3 pick. The buzz on his song choice -- Cats' "Memory" -- was overwhelmingly negative. David Archuleta: 5988 **Influencer pick for Top 2 finalist. Brooke White: 5748 **Influencers' pick to go home. The start and stop performance put the bloggers over the edge and almost all agree it's time this songbird flew the coop. Syesha Mercado: 5052 **Bottom 3 pick. The influencers talk about the "curse of the first" and many are buzzing about her leaving the show, despite liking her rendition of "One Rock & Roll Too Many" from the Starlight Express 2. Carly Smithson: 4743 **Influencers loved the Jesus Christ Superstar pick and her Simon Loves Me (This Week) T-Shirt. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.266 2008-04-22T11:19:44Z 2008-04-22T17:46:13Z

Today is another big day at BuzzLogic. We officially announced the exciting news that we have acquired the assets of Activeweave – the customers, technology, and incredible minds of Marc Meyer, now BuzzLogic's SVP of Products, and Jean Sini, BuzzLogic's...

Rob Crumpler Today is another big day at BuzzLogic. We officially announced the exciting news that we have acquired the assets of Activeweave – the customers, technology, and incredible minds of Marc Meyer, now BuzzLogic's SVP of Products, and Jean Sini, BuzzLogic's new CTO. What I love is that these guys have built a technology designed specifically to help users prosper on the Social Web - to navigate it, and make their experiences more organized and useful. And they've created fun, easy-to-use applications that deliver on that promise. Their view of the Web - of the social media "conversation," if you will - is parallel with how we've always seen it. Online media is social; content and the people producing it don't operate in silos; the more connected a story is to a network of like-minded voices, the more influential it becomes. Now we are able to merge the idea social media browsing behavior with our existing influence analysis -- our (hopeful) result is that we'll be able to deliver advertisers, marketers and even bloggers themselves a way to not only understand, but really harness that influence in a productive way. It's fun to take a few steps back and look at how all of this progressed. I've been in Jean and Marc's shoes before, back when I sold my company in 1996, and I could almost predict their emotions throughout the process. Kudos to all - Jean and Marc for agreeing to become part of the BuzzLogic family, Todd Parsons for his tireless work in understanding the integration path of the Activeweave technology, John Maley for his tenacity and steady hand in driving the legal aspects (and of course kudos to our excellent legal teams as well). This process moved so quickly primarily because everyone involved felt the synergy from the start. Now, with some amazing technology and people (not to mention 180,000 new customers!) BuzzLogic is well positioned to significantly advance what we're doing in the market. We will continue to move quickly, put our customers first, and drive value out of what we're building every step of the way. The fun is just beginning! tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.265 2008-04-17T17:56:30Z 2008-04-17T18:03:21Z

With Earth Day fast approaching, our latest influencer analysis followed green buzz in the blogosphere. Check out the full story in PRWeek's Media Watch column. Here are a few quick highlights: - When looking at the topic of “going green”...

Valerie Combs PRWeek's Media Watch column. Here are a few quick highlights: - When looking at the topic of “going green” who knows better than mom? Four of the top 10 influential blogs pertaining to going green are written by mother's groups: Boston Mamas, Chicago Moms, Blog that Mommy, and Motherproof. Mothers have picked up the green cause like wildfire, and are discussing all kinds of green topics from food to cleaning. - If you don't have plans yet to celebrate our planet, look to the blogosphere for a host of ideas. Influential bloggers have latched on to green ideas and Earth Day celebrations. Approximately 50% of the influencers have posted information on fund-raisers and special events that will take place around April 22. More than 70% of the influencers discussed Earth Hour, an International campaign that took place last month. - Another popular topic among the Earth Day and green influencers is the cost of “going green.” Costs for green infrastructure – especially in homes – can be prohibitive, and organic food is often expensive. More than two-thirds of the influential bloggers have offered tips on how to go green without breaking the bank.]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.264 2008-04-17T00:50:59Z 2008-04-17T01:08:26Z

It's that time of the week again. After a night of Mariah Carey covers, here is how the contestants rank by order of the most influential posts. David Cook: 6755 **Hands down the influencers favorite performance. Jason Castro: 5839 **Influential...

Valerie Combs David Cook: 6755 **Hands down the influencers favorite performance. Jason Castro: 5839 **Influential buzz centered around his unique arrangement for Carey's "I Don't Wanna Cry" Brooke White: 5664 **Her stock has dropped dramatically. Bottom 3 pick. Carly Smithson: 5387 **Influencers didn't like her performance - or facial expressions. David Archuleta: 5149 **Influencers dug the falsetto. Kristy Lee Cook: 4711 **Influencers are not impressed. Bottom 3 pick. Syesha Mercado: 4447 **Influencers say that her choice of the song "Vanishing" may cause her to "vanish" next week. Bottom 3 pick. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.263 2008-04-10T02:46:27Z 2008-04-10T03:10:51Z

Only 8 contestants left, and after last night's (Tues April 8) performances, it's hard to say who will emerge victorious, and who will sing the good-bye song Thursday. Overall, influencer reactions to all performances are pretty negative. Here's a look...

Valerie Combs Posts 4/8 Posts 4/9 Michael Johns 5952 8529 Brooke White 4375 5467 David Cook 3841 6171 Jason Castro 3204 5706 Syesha Mercado 2890 4122 David Archuleta 2754 4655 Carly Smithson 2522 5051 Kristy Lee Cook 2481 4390 What's the buzz about? -Michael Johns' performance was mediocre, and could land him in the bottom three. -Syesha Mercado's rendition of Fantasia Barrino's "I Believe" could have been the kiss of death. -The most influential conversations around David Cook focus on how bad his performance - and look - were last night. -"Worst Performance of the Night" goes to Carly Smithson. -David Archuleta is still considered untouchable. Stay tuned for an update after Thursday's results show. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.261 2008-04-04T00:06:47Z 2008-04-04T01:04:51Z

MediaPost today reported on a study from Canadian research firm Pollara that concluded people trust friends and family online more than so-called “influencer” bloggers. The conclusion is that blogs may not be as influential as some marketers have been led...

Valerie Combs MediaPost today reported on a study from Canadian research firm Pollara that concluded people trust friends and family online more than so-called “influencer” bloggers. The conclusion is that blogs may not be as influential as some marketers have been led to believe. What's interesting about the study, however, is it positions the recommendations from family and friends online against a product endorsement from a "well known blogger." According to the study, if the two parties were recommending a product, the majority would go with the family member or friend’s two cents – not the blogger’s. Makes sense at first, but when digging deeper, this logic becomes problematic, especially without context. While a trusted relationship certainly serves as a key component to how people are influenced to buy, it's not the only factor. In fact, depending on the context, a trusted relationship may not factor into the purchase decision process at all. If you are thinking about buying a new laptop, would the recommendation from your mother trump advice gleaned from a credible online expert? Even if a family member did have experience with the very product you are looking to buy, does this person have the exact same interests, requirements, applications and expectations as it relates to the product or service? Pete Blackshaw makes the very insightful comment that popularity does not equal influence. We agree: while popularity is certainly a factor in the overall influence equation, we know social media has enabled the rise of millions of niche bloggers who have powerful sway over smaller audiences on very specific topics. However, it appears the report’s definition of influence is indeed popularity (based on the use of the words “popular” and “well known” to describe blogs). So perhaps the conclusion is not that influencers in social media are losing steam, but that the power of influence is simply moving in a new direction. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.260 2008-04-02T17:20:15Z 2008-04-04T01:16:09Z

American Idol analysis has resumed! Leading up to the performances last night (Tuesday, April 1) the top nine ranked as follows, in order of sheer number of posts by the most influential blogs in entertainment. A couple observations: Michael Johns...

Valerie Combs Billie Jean performance was pegged as the highlight of the show to date, and he even garnered a reaction from Chris Cornell, the original creator of Cook's unique arrangement. Stay tuned for more updates as we take a look at influencer buzz leading up to - and following - this week's results. UPDATE #1: Quick look at influencer reactions before the results are revealed, see below for thoughts on the probable Bottom 3. UPDATE #2: Influencers are pleased - Ramiele Malubay was the top pick for the next Idol boot, and that certainly was the case last night. Stay tuned for next week's predictions... Top Nine – ranked according to number of influential posts: Michael Johns – 5646 David Cook – 4278 Brooke White – 3824 Jason Castro – 3165 **Probable Bottom 3 Carly Smithson – 2419 David Archuleta – 2408 Kristy Lee Cook – 2249**Probable Bottom 3 Ramiele Malubay – 2229**Probable Bottom 3 Syesha Mercado – 2187 ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.259 2008-03-31T21:59:48Z 2008-03-31T23:02:08Z

Last week, BL Ochman posted a great story on whatsnextblog.com highlighting the need for awesome creative in blog advertising. This doesn’t mean recycling your traditional creative, however awesome it may be, for the purposes of blog advertising – it means...

Valerie Combs whatsnextblog.com highlighting the need for awesome creative in blog advertising. This doesn’t mean recycling your traditional creative, however awesome it may be, for the purposes of blog advertising – it means thinking about how social media is uniquely created and consumed, and taking into account the psychology of the blog reader. What was also interesting is the recommendation that media buyers should avoid blindly buying all blogs in a network, and instead focus within and across networks, "picking blogs based on their content, reach and branding within the social media community." Excellent criteria: I would add to that the consideration of a blog's conversation footprint - essentially, the network of bloggers who have gathered around a specific piece of content. Which blogs have formed relationships with each other around niche topics, and are sending traffic back and forth? Understanding the trusted relationships publishers have with each other across verticals and established ad networks can also help targeting become more precise, without sacrificing scale. ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.258 2008-03-17T20:56:57Z 2008-03-20T18:59:06Z

We can't believe it's already been a year since last season's American Idol, when the blogosphere was buzzing with scathing Sanjaya remarks and Melinda Doolittle love. Last year, the influencers were tracking with public opinion right to the end, until...

Valerie Combs buzzing with scathing Sanjaya remarks and Melinda Doolittle love. Last year, the influencers were tracking with public opinion right to the end, until Jordin Sparks emerged as the dark horse to seize the title. What's in store this year? We set up conversations tracking each of the contestants to get insight into how the most influential bloggers are talking about the competitors. What is the relationship between what the influencers have to say and the popular vote? And who exactly influences who? Do the bloggers shape voting behavior, or are they one step ahead? Or, perhaps it's collective impact of votes week after week that color the influencers' perceptions? Tune into the BuzzBlog each week as we explore this dynamic, and attempt to pick the winner. UPDATE The votes are in and Wednesday's results episode did hold some surprises. While the influencers were right on about Amanda Overmyer and Kristy Lee Cook being in the Bottom 3, songbird Carly Smithson also was one of the three contenders with the lowest votes. Post show buzz reveals that influential bloggers are relieved rocker Amanda has left the show. There has been a definite rise of influential posts around Carly, with many influencers questioning her place in the Bottom 3. Do American Idol voters know something the online opinion leaders don't? The biggest buzz maker in the last 24 hours was Syesha Mercado - influential posts indicate she is back in the game! The Final 11 performed last night (Tues 3/18) and the judges' reactions were lukewarm at best. As of last Thursday (3/13) the Idol contestant with the most influencer buzz was Brooke White...could this be an indicator of more good things to come for the Mesa, AZ native? As of Wednesday (3/19) morning, she still had the highest number of total posts than any other contestant, despite her less than stellar performance Tuesday night. The influencers remain impressed with her ability to play mulitple instruments (piano and guitar). Here is the breakdown on Influencer Buzz around each contestant: Brooke White – 3528 posts *Blogger and fan favorite David Cook – 2105 posts *Noted by influential blogs TV Squad and Bookmaker to be the Dark Horse of 2008 Amanda Overmyer – 1101 posts *Chastized for her hairstyle and past DUI charges. Lots of posts, but many bloggers want this rocker out of the race. She is predicted to be in the Bottom 3. Chikezie – 853 *Influencers preduict he'll be safe this week Carly Smithson – 750 *Influencers are predicting she'll be safe this week Kristy Lee Cook – 703 *Influencers predict she'll be in the Bottom 3 Jason Castro - 664 *Influencer chatter is a mix of positive and snarky commentary - this could go either way! Michael Johns - 658 *Influencers note this contestant has been slipping Syesha Mercado - 639 *Influencers agree she is out of danger, given last night's strong performance. She is safe - for now. Ramiele Malubay -567 *She is pegged by influencers to be one of the Bottom 3. David Archuleta - 353 *Post for post, David is the least blogged about contestant. However, blog commentary is overwhlemingly positive for this young singer - making him a definite Idol contender. Stay tuned for an update after tonight's results! ]]> tag:www.buzzlogic.com,2008:/blog//1.257 2008-03-17T20:44:34Z 2008-03-17T20:52:58Z

Courtney Cochran, the blogger/book author/entreprenuer behind Your Personal Sommelier and Hip Tastes Events, recently stopped by District Wine Bar to chat with Vino Diaries and provide key insights into her coolness. Over a particularly refreshing glass of Viognier, Courtney shares...

Valerie Combs District Wine Bar to chat with Vino Diaries and provide key insights into her coolness. Over a particularly refreshing glass of Viognier, Courtney shares how she took her blog from a fun hobby to an enormously effective branding and new business vehicle, and offers her perspective into the underlying trends fueling the intersection between social media and all things wine. Grab a glass, and check out: Courtney's Blog, her book, "Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine," and the latest episode of Vino Diaries. Cheers! ]]>