Last October, Facebook introduced the “People Talking About This” metric as part of its Insights offerings – but many people don’t even know what it means. Let’s see if we can’t end the mystery.

In short, “People Talking About” measures the number of unique users who have created a “story” about a page in the past week. A story can be anything that can appear in a user’s News Feed, for example:

• Likes
• Wall posts
• Post Likes
• Comments
• Shares
• Question answers
• RSVPs
• Page mentions (using the @ tag)
• Photo Tags
• Check ins
• Recommendations

The metric focuses on unique users talking about the Page, not total stories created. For example, if a user Likes a post, comments on it, and then Shares it — this will only count as one addition to your “People Talking About” total. Individual posts also have a People Talking About This metric attached to them. It measures the unique users who Like, Share or Comment on that post.

So why should community managers care about this score? One, its public. Everyone (including your competitors) can easily see this score. Two, success in social media is massively dependent upon sustained engagement – not fan count. The “People Talking About” metric is one way to measure your active engagement.

For instance, Kenneth Cole currently has 185,000 fans compared to J.Crew’s 400,000 fans. Would it be fair to say that J.Crew is more than twice as successful as Kenneth Cole on Facebook?

Not so, according to the People Talking About metric. This shows nearly identical number of actively engaged fans. And Kenneth Cole is accomplishing this with 46% of the total fan size.

It’s important to remember that many of Facebook Insights metrics are not delivered in real time. The “People Talking About” measurement is no different. The most recent data you’ll be able to see will be from two days prior.

Do you like this new metric? We’d love to hear your best tips for keeping engagement up on your Page!

We love a new pair of shoes any time of the year, but this month Vince Camuto chose enter:new media to concept, develop and execute a solution to boost viral engagement and fan growth on its Facebook Page and we responded by creating a Daily Giveaway application! To celebrate the new year and reward its fans, Vince Camuto gave away a pair of shoes every day for two weeks!

The campaign included a fan exclusive application that let users choose their favorite Vince Camuto shoe and share their love on their Facebook profile. Each day, Vince Camuto would select a winner who was gifted their favorite pair of shoes. The application has enjoyed fast entries and has helped the brand surpass their goal of 100,000 fans!

Users access the application first by Liking the Vince Camuto Facebook Page. Users are prompted to enter their name, email and agree to the terms and conditions before they are taken to an instructions page with three pairs of shoes. Users choose their favorite shoe by entering the name in the comments box below and why they LOVE them. Once they hit Post they are instantly entered to win their favorite pair and the post appears on the application’s feed.

But here’s what makes the application viral: their comment is posted to their Timeline and friends’ News Feeds encouraging them to Like the comment. Users who Like the comment have their “Like” posted to their own Wall. The user with the most Likes wins their favorite pair of shoes.

At enter:new media, we love creating custom solutions for our clients! This week, we’ve teamed up with Real Simple to launch a Facebook application in support of their Be Nice On The Internet Week campaign. Real Simple is redefining those rude acronyms which people use in day-to-day communications (WTF, KISS, FU etc.) in an attempt to re-introduce some civility to the web.

The application encourages users to share new definitions of NSS (negative social shorthand) that Real Simple has created in the form of e-cards. For example, they’ve redefined WTF as “Why, That’s Fabulous!” In addition, users are encouraged to create e-cards that include their own new definition of these negative acronyms. Users can then vote for their favorite fan-created cards in the gallery, and encourage their friends to vote for their card. The four cards with the most votes at the end of the week will be featured on RealSimple.com.

Real Simple is driving to the application through a link on its homepage as well as through site promotion, magazine promotion, status updates, tweets and newsletters to its social communities.  The application has become very popular with over 2,300 cards created in the first few days.

Please join us tonight at the enter:gallery for drinks and hors d’oeuvres to celebrate the closing of Wesley Berg‘s “Fair Chase”, a collection of charcoal drawings. See more of his amazing portfolio here.

Bergdorf Goodman Gets On Google+

Bergdorf Goodman isn’t a stranger to social media as the department store is on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, among others and now they are taking on new social contender, Google+. By intertwining exclusive content, brand voice, and in-store and product announcements, the retailer is aiming to continue to connect with consumers on the additional platform.

Read more at Luxury Daily.

Holiday Online Shopping Stays Strong this Season

ComScore Inc. estimates that online spending from November 1^st to December 9^th has increased 15% over last year, totaling $24.6 billion. December 16^th will mark the fourth annual Free Shipping Day that collected $943 million last year in sales. Not to forget Cyber Monday this year that brought in $1.25 billion.

Read more on Internet Retailer.

The Power of Pinterest

Whoever said a picture is worth a thousand words wasn’t kidding, and Pinterest is a prime example of that; except with a whole lot more pictures (we’re big fans!). Steadily equaling growth to Facebook circa 2006, the photo-sharing platform has acquired 3.3 million devoted users – and everyone is starting to take notice!

Read more on Business Insider.

L.L. Bean’s Customer Service Goes Social

Customer service won’t only be provided through phone calls this season for Maine retailer L.L. Bean. The company aims to provide additional assistance with a 10 member team specifically through social media channels. Social media shy is not what the brand’s customers can be considered as the company has received 50,000 brand mentions on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in a month.

Read more at NY Times.

Retailer Uses Instagram For Editorial Shots

Who says you need an expensive DSLR camera to shoot fashion editorials? A vintage fashion store based in Sao Paulo, B.Luxo, has used Instagram to shot an entire fashion editorial, sharing to their followers immediately.

Read more on TheNextWeb.

By: Rebekka Rashell Schuman

Are Shazamable Films The Future?

Shazam is getting cozier with the TV and film industry, partnering with 20^th Century Fox to promote the new Chipmunks movie “Chipwrecked”. When the film is tagged using Shazam, users can access exclusive content such as music downloads, trailers and additional clips. Shazam has previously partnered with ABC to create taggable promos for Grey’s Anatomy.

Read more on The Next Web.

YouTube Implements a TV-like Redesign

YouTube has unveiled its largest redesign yet in an attempt to compete with television using original, professionally produced videos. The site has upped its offering of channels and original programming from celebs like Ashton Kutcher, Madonna and Jay-Z. There’s also Facebook and Google+ integration so users can connect their accounts to see what their friends are sharing.

Read more on the Wall Street Journal.

Netflix Will Finally Gets Facebook Integration

After a big announcement at F8, Netflix will soon be integrating with Facebook to allow users to share what they’re watching via the Ticker in the same way Spotify allows users to share their music. The reason is that Netflix has been lobbying Congress to repeal a US law heralding from the days of video tapes which forbids video providers from revealing what people are watching, even if they allow it.

Read more on Lost Remote.

Flipboard Launches iPhone App, Crashes On Same Day

Everyone rejoice! This week Flipboard released an iPhone version of its popular iPad app, only to have its service go down for a few hours due to excessive traffic. The app presents content aggregated from Facebook, Twitter, news platforms and blogs in an attractive, flip-able format. The iPhone app is similar to the iPad app, but features a vertical flip rather than a horizontal flip to suit the dimensions.

Read more on CNET.

5 Best Twitter Practices for Film and TV

Our friends at Mashable have summed up a few ways the film and TV industries are using Twitter for promotions.

1. Premiering content – Sundance Channel was the first TV network to ever premiere a show on Twitter
2. Second screen apps – Disney and USA use third party applications to gather second screen content including Twitter feeds
3. Connecting with fans – CBS ran a Social Sweeps Week where the network’s stars took over their Twitter accounts
4. Being part of the show – User voting on The Voice and X Factor
5. Spreading the word – Twitter was central to The Muppets comeback

Read more on Mashable.

By: Kate Collinson

Rebecca Minkoff Offers Ebay Exclusive

Rebecca Minkoff goes geek-chic with her tech-driven designs exclusively for Ebay’s Fashion Vault. From a studded iPad envelope clutch to a cheetah-printed iPhone case, this online-only event offers trend for the techie.

Read more at TheFind.

Marc Jacobs Requests User Generated Content

By using the #MarcFam hashtag on Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram, Marc Jacobs Intl. is offering the opportunity for consumers that contribute to the campaign to win Marc Jacobs items. Additionally, all tagged photos from all three channels are added to the campaign-collage gallery on the brand’s website.

Read more on Luxury Daily.

A Look At The Pose iPhone App

Looking for a mobile fashion application to easily shoot, tag, and share everyday style? Pose may just be the answer. The Los-Angeles based startup has gone through numerous changes since its beta launch starting as a shopping-assistance tool shifting to its now focus on the poser’s OOTD or “Outfit of the Day.”

Read more at Mashable.

Net-A-Porter Launches Karl Lagerfeld’s New Label

Online retailer Net-A-Porter has teamed up with Karl Lagerfeld to launch a new fashion brand named Karl. The pieces designed by Largerfeld will be only available online and aims to be a more accessible and affordable collection. The Net-A-Porter website currently offers the ability to sign-up to be updated about information regarding the newest project, set to launch on January 25^th.

Read more on Tech Crunch Europe.

By: Rebekka Rashell Schuman

The Cure to Monday Blues? Spending $1.25 Billion in Green for Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday has made another mark in online sales history totaling $1.25 billion, a 22% increase from the previous year’s numbers. According to IBM, dollar spent per person increased 2.6% from last year with average spending $198.26 in 2011 compared to $193.24 for 2010.

Read more on Mashable.

Hugo Boss Launches Contest on Foursquare

Hugo Boss has launched a campaign to encourage consumers to check-in on Foursquare to be entered to win an exclusive shopping trip to New York. The fashion brand is utilizing Foursquare to promote visiting a Hugo Boss store and scanning provided QR codes for eligibility. The contest is live until December 6th.

Read more on Luxury Daily.

Small Business Saturday goes Social

American Express encouraged shoppers to shop small last Saturday; small businesses that is. The campaign utilized social media to urge consumers to support local merchants. The designated Facebook page increased from 1.2 million to 2.6 million for the second year of Small Business Saturday and on Twitter the #SmallBusinessSaturday hashtag trended.

Read more on Business Insider.

Calvin Klein Gets Cozy With Shazam For the Holidays

Calvin Klein is offering an interactive experience for their Holiday campaign by providing exclusive content accessed through in-store audio installations. By partnering with music identification application Shazam, consumers are able to tag the displays in Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear stores to receive content such as promotions or the brand’s holiday wallpaper.

Read more at Luxury Daily.

By Rebekka Rashell Schuman

Today Brahmin’s Holiday 2011 Style Guide is featured in one of our favorite fashion sites, Luxury Daily! The Brahmin catalog features six real New York residents – everyone from writers to bloggers to attorneys – to capture the essence of Brahmin in everyone’s unique style. Each page of the catalog features close ups of the bag and, on the other page, the bag styled by a New Yorker.

enter:new media worked with Brahmin to develop the creative concept and produce the shoot in the streets of New York.

Check out the catalog on Brahmin’s site.

Let’s face it, we’re all dreamers deep down and we’ve got to let you in on our office addition over here at enter – it’s a relatively new social platform called Pinterest. If you’re a lover of everything style and design, cute quirky gifts and Anthropologie-esque girlieness, then you will love this site.

The internet is a vast place and when you see something you love or which inspires you, it can sometimes be difficult to return to or remember. Pinterest is the home of the collector. Users can “pin” anything they find on the internet to various pin boards on a range of topics – anything from favorite recipes, to inspiring quotes, to wedding planning to fashion and DIY projects. It’s one of the top drivers to Etsy.com and has already amassed an estimated 3 million monthly active users since its launch in March 2010, even though it’s still in invite-only mode.

And brands are noticing – Pinterest presents a great opportunity for product exposure, traffic driving and building brand culture. Fashion brands find it particularly attractive due to its primarily female user base. Here’s how it works for brands:

• Users either pin content from around the web, but the easiest way to explore seems to be within Pinterest, by repining other users’ pins – the potential here for viral sharing is brilliant

• When brands put their products into Pinterest, they provide content for users to repin onto their own boards for their friends to see and likewise repin.

• Each item pinned automatically links back to its original source website.

• Pinterest pulls price information from e-commerce items and displays it as a little tag in the top left corner (see below).

Pinterest is a natural fit for some brands more than others and it all comes down to taste-making – a brand can’t throw a few screen captures of a movie and expect them to catch on. But a board of fashions or gorgeous locations featured in the movie? More likely. Here are a few initiatives we’re admiring:

Nordstrom This retailer is using Pinterest to drive buzz around seasonal trends (eg. “70s style” and “Bold Colors”) and new boards for lesser known services such as its in-house spa and salon and new lines of products.

West Elm This homewares brand knows an opportunity when it sees one! Its boards are organized according to a person’s home style, mixing West Elm products with home design photography (eg. Modernist, Naturalist, Globalist). Staff also feature in a “Smilebooth!” category.

Real Simple Our favorite home ideas mag is an example of a perfect fit for Pinterest. Food is a great example of inspiring users to repin – such as  “Thanksgiving Turkey”, “Thanksgiving Dressing”, and “Thanksgiving Cranberry”. Other boards pull images from each feature article on RealSimple.com such as “Fave Beauty Products” and “New Uses For Old Things”.

By: Kate Collinson