The Open Graph

With its development of the Open Graph API, Facebook is giving publishers a toolset for connecting content on their sites with Facebook in a more integrated fashion.  In general, the social plug-ins are extremely useful but almost completely un-customizable; for now they’ll look exactly like they look on the preview page.

The Graph API looks like it has much of the same functionality as Facebook Connect, but all the API calls can happen on the PHP side instead of the Javascript side, which gives us more flexibility and makes it faster for the end user.  What that means in English:  the new API works like Facebook connect, but is a lot more elegant.

Some of these new tools are drag-and-drop and don’t need any backend integration and the rest require some backend work on the same level of work as implementing Facebook Connect. We’ve separated the reviews by type.

Like Button & Like Box

Instead of becoming Fans, users on Facebook will now “Like”Pages on Facebook, as well as sites and sub-pages elsewhere on the web.  Off-Facebook “Likes” will permanently link the liked web page to the user’s profile.

Activity feed

This shows the five (or so) most recent Facebook actions that occur on a site (i.e. people liking or sharing sub-pages of a website). It’s pretty useful and easy to set up, it also reports all activity on your domain.  This is a great tool for sidebars and homepages and other places with a site-wide context. Each entry is what a person does, as opposed to…

Recommendations

This shows the top 5 or so pages on a domain, ranked by how many people like or share each. Again, this is a good tool for sidebars or homepages.

Comments

This brings a comment board to any page. It’s especially useful because Facebook introduced an API call that lets you see all the comment boards you used, so we have more options for administering the boards. There’s no spam protection though, which makes it less useful than a  Wordpress as a commenting system, which blocks spam.

Live stream box

This is the same live stream box and has not changed.

Login with Faces

This just pretties up the FB Connect login button with friends who are also on the site. This creates a social incentive for users to sign up if their friend’s already have. Using this unit means implementing Facebook Connect.

Facepile

This is just Login with Faces without the Login button.

As we discussed here, The age of the Community page is upon us. Around 3:30 today, Mashable posted three important clarifications:

Community pages will aggregate user content:These community pages aren’t run by individuals, so they don’t have a wall and don’t send updates to users’ feeds. Instead, they import streams of related, public content from user status messages.

Status text is split into updates from friends and updates from all Facebook users. E.g., if I write in a status update to everyone, “I love this new hip hop album,” Facebook recognizes the term “hip hop” and imports my public update to the hip hop community page. Community Pages also include relevant information from Wikipedia under a Wikipedia tab.

User profiles connections to pages will be more prominent…oh, and Facebook will recommend pages based on your profile.

With today’s changes, “liked” pages and community pages can be linked to user profiles in categories of the “Likes and Interests” section of the profile. Instead of being merely static text, the profiles can display links to active community or brand-owned pages. Each page’s link will open up a hovercard with more information on the page. The pages you already like will be linked to your profile in the appropriate category, such as music or movies, and interests you’ve stated can be linked to related community pages.

Also, users will be given additional privacy controls.

Of course, since information around pages is public, privacy and sharing settings for these new settings are editable. In a new profile editing workflow, users will be given page suggestions when they add text to their profiles. Pages can be dragged and dropped from the profile, or even hidden if the user doesn’t want his profile to be a billboard for that particular page.And privacy settings will be changed, as well, for “friends, tags and connections” so users have more control over who sees what areas of their profiles, including friends lists, cities and pages.

@MarkatEnter
President of enter:marketing and enter:new media. Social media, PR, direct marketing, fashion, entertainment, sports and technology are all fair game

 
 RT @Versace Emma Roberts is wearing a white leather dress with metal studs in the latest issue of @InStyle US. http://twitpic.com/1co07n 1:21 PM Apr 2nd

Wholefoods Facebook Scam – Technorati   http://bit.ly/bs6yEB 10:10 AM Apr 3rd 

We are so going to start using Hot Deals! RT @seattleweekly Science Explains Why You Always Buy Too Much Stuff @Costco http://bit.ly/9q6ehA 10:45 AM Apr 3rd   

Trying to figure out how to use this girl for any of our clients…RT @mashable Soloist Performs on 4 iPhones [VIDEO] http://bit.ly/adZAxX 4:35 PM Apr 4th 

Thoughts for the day: “Conversation is king” and “Feedback is frictionless.” Discuss amongst yourselves. http://bit.ly/c285wC 7:54 PM Apr 5th via web   

Augmented reality is a hot topic in the office. Is the fad over…or has it just begun? Fun little example from Avatar: http://bit.ly/OWjSm 9:49 AM Apr 7th via web

RT @missphenom Versus is back! Get on the revamped @versaceVersus clothing mailing list here: http://www.versusspringsummer.com/ 4:39 PM Apr 7th

 RT @YMIjeans @reply us to be featured in our YMI UTweet spot! :) http://bit.ly/blDGPW  5:29 PM Apr 7th

Florence + The Machine got a second listen today thanks to my more fashion forward friends – and I can’t stop listening. #fallinginlove  11:22 PM Apr 7th

Getting this camera to capture horse-mounted HD video for our famous polo-playing client. Can’t wait for the footage! http://bit.ly/ejZTy 11:33 AM Apr 8th

Lauren Merkin is looking to increase bag sales on their website with a little help from your friends…

In today’s challenging retail environment, brand marketers are looking for creative ways to engage with their target audience in hopes of getting their products added to more holiday wish lists.  Now, new evidence is driving brands and retailers to embrace social shopping. According to a recent article by eMarketer, nearly a third of social network users regularly share their views on products with their friends. This is creating a significant window of opportunity for brands to become a part of the social conversation.

Lauren Merkin is embracing social media by working with enter:new media to create a branded, custom social shopping experience on their Facebook page.

The new Lauren Merkin shop on Facebook allows users to view items from the Lauren Merkin holiday collection and share their selections with their friends. Unique and customized messaging will accompany the share post and allow users’ friends to provide their opinions and even select their favorites.  For an extra twist, Lauren Merkin even offers a “boyfriend button” designed specifically to show that special someone how to find the perfect gift for you.

According to Lauren Merkin, when approaching social media, the goal was to create a fresh and new online experience. “Shopping for handbags with your friends in a boutique or department store is a fun, social experience. Why shouldn’t that be the case for shopping online? For our Facebook initiative, we wanted to break the grid structure of a typical ecommerce experience, get friends involved, and give it our own unique twist.” The company is even offering an exclusive handbag that can only be accessed through the Facebook page. “We want our fans to feel special,” explains Ms. Merkin.

enter:new media’s work on VH1’s Facebook fan page was recently highlighted by the German blog FacebookMarketing.de as a prime example of multiple best practices including a strong call to action, fan exclusive content, and integrated use of an application.

While we may still rank far behind David Hasselhoff in the hearts and minds of Germans, we still really appreciate the nod.

“We truly believe that everyone working at enter:new media, whether on the communications team, or as a producer or designer, is first and foremost a marketer. We all work together, even when we talk to companies or brands about our services. The clients really love that it is all done collectively together.”

Check out the full interview here.

It wasn’t enough that virtually everything else changed about the business pages this week – they even changed the name. Business “Pages” are now called “Public Profiles.”

Our clients include three main industry segments. We work with teen-focused brands including Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, Do Something, Virgin Mobile, US Cellular, and the Class Ring Council. Our entertainment clients include VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Luxology. We also work with a growing number of lifestyle brands including Rodale, WeightView, Giftybox, and RealSimple.

For more on how we are helping brands build and grow communities online, become our fan on Facebook! http://bit.ly/enm_facebook