The most read sports social media stories from this week’s #Sports include the hilarious LA Kings Twitter account, the success of Lebron James and Kevin Durant on Instagram, how the NBA Finals will dominate the social world, some amazing statistics on the most popular social media platforms, and what CMOs can learn from social media. (more...)

2012 was a big year for big data. According to Gartner Research, big data drove $28 billion of global IT spending in 2012 and is forecast to drive $34 billion in 2013. The definition of “big data” encompasses many concepts, but for this post we will be focusing on how it relates to user information shared across social media channels and how that information is analyzed and acted upon by brands. (more...)

Last year many predicted the rise of second screen, but few foresaw how much it would dominate the social media landscape. The biggest social media moments of 2012 coincided with live televised events (Super Bowl, Grammys, VMAs), proving that second screen was no passing fad. In 2013, sports brands and teams will find new and more powerful ways to reach fans and consumers through second screen capabilities. (more...)

This past year, we saw the beginning of the content revolution for brands. For years, many have claimed that content is king. Now more than ever, it has a rightful claim to the throne. As proven by Oreo's Daily Twist and Red Bull's Stratos project, thought by some to be the most successful marketing campaign of all time, social media has turned brands into full-fledged publishers. (more...)

A recent infographic released by online advertising network Chitika reveals some interesting trends related to the popular London 2012 Olympics. Despite the recently sad demise of WPS (Women's Professional Soccer) in May 2012, the American footballers were actually the most-searched sport in the United States during the week leading up to the Games. (more...)

It seems nearly every major sporting event in 2012 has been dubbed the “Most Social” of its kind.   The hype surrounding the NBA and NHL Finals, the Men’s Wimbledon Championship match and the fast-approaching London Olympic Games has sparked a seemingly endless conversation about each event’s predicted social clout.   The 2012 MLB All-Star Game was no different.   (more...)

After its launch in June 2011, the Google+ social network intrigued the world of social media as a platform that had the potential to overtake Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook juggernaut.     If you were anything like I was, the novelty and excitement of Google+ wore off about five minutes after creating a profile.   After the network quickly gained over 2 million unique users only three weeks after launching, user interest dropped just as rapidly. According to traffic management reports from Experian Hitwise in the Los Angeles Times, the site's visitors dropped by nearly 42% over the following nine weeks.   So why make the switch?   According to the most recent Hitwise reports, total visitors to Google+ shot up to 61 million in March, up 27% from its numbers in February.   Additionally, Google+ integrates other Google services you probably already utilize, such as Gmail and Google Docs. The network also boasts the Google Hangout video chat feature, allowing users to make free video calls to both individuals and groups.   The following infographic makes a case for why Google+ is worth embracing. Here are some of the highlights we find interesting:

 
• An active network of 100 million+ users
• Nearly 70% of users are male
• Over 120 integrations of services including YouTube, Google Search and Android
• Britney Spears is the top G+ user with 2,673,596 followers. Snoop Dogg, Larry Page, Ashley Tisdale and Hugh Jackman round out the Top 5
• Assign a privacy level to every piece of content you share
• No friend requests: Add or remove whomever you want from your circles at any time