Hello world! I’m excited to say that I’ve just joined the Invoke team as of yesterday, as Director of Communications.

As a “digital native” and someone that loves to stay in-the-know about the latest startups and social technologies, I’ve always been interested the fresh ideas and fast-moving companies. Over the past few years, I’ve been fortunate to work with many startups that fit into this category — small companies that are growing fast and disrupting markets — and helping them tell their stories to the media.

Now, with Invoke, I’ll be joining a team that’s on the cutting edge of what a digital shop should be today. I’m lucky to be joining Invoke at such a busy, fruitful time (I see stories everywhere!), and everyone has been so welcoming and helpful as I get up to speed with all the campaigns and launches that are underway!

I hope you will follow my additions to the Invoke Blog and you can also find me tweeting at @mikomercer.

Excited for the journey ahead!

image from Mashable.com

This is Part 2 of a two part series focusing on Facebook’s API and using it to create Facebook applications for brands.

With Invoke’s latest application, we were able to develop a highly customized application that maintained the client’s branding and integrated nicely into Facebook’s framework.  The client Invoke was working with already had a Facebook Fan page with a large number of fans but they needed to give their campaign a boost and make the fan page more dynamic and engaging for their loyal fan base.  Invoke saw this challenge and suggested the solution – add an completely customized app seamlessly through a new tab on the fan page.

How did we do it?  By utilizing FBML (Facebook Markup Language), our team created a user experience that made it apparent this application reflected the clients brand within Facebook.  A major challenge was determining what data was available from the API.  For example, we created an interactive Flash Map that allows users to post events on a map that feed into the Facebook database.  On paper it was a simple task, but the solution proved to be much more complex as the format of the API data was not as expected.  Other aspects of development went smoother than expected.  The application uses Flash to load videos and display a counter for donations.  Because Facebook’s API provides strong support for Flash, these flash pieces were easily reusable as “widgets” that could be posted onto Walls and News Streams.

All of these small details enhanced the user experience for both primary users of the application, and passive users who see the news stream postings.  It’s these “small details” that can lead to big results for the client as passive users “like” a posting, visit the page, become “fans”, and hopefully become primary users.  These metrics are used when determining a marketers ROI.  Within a few days of launching, the application we developed experienced this Facebook effect as the application received more than 1000 signups in just a few days.

In the end, our primary focus with Facebook development is agile development, which requires many iterations with wireframing, design, API research, and programming.  Put all of these together, and it’s a fine balance to launch an application that uses the latest offerings from the API and can be maintained for future revisions down the road.   A well conceived and executed Facebook application is a fun and engaging way to deliver a marketing message or organizational facts. The interactive factor (which is demonstrably important for Facebook users) mobilizes existing fans and turns them into active promoters of your message, which in turn builds the fanbase.  These brand ambassadors will then share and interact via the application and the messaging spreads.

Nashville Flood photos via Mashable

From a very captivating video of the Tennessee flood, Federal regulations on privacy, class action lawsuits against virtual worlds, to re-shaping the models of marketing, here is a list of what we’re reading right now.

Tennessee Flooding Inspires Stunning YouTube Video
via Mashable:
“While most on-the-ground videos covering disasters and other world events are hurried and low-quality, this one is beautiful and professional-looking; it was made by a photographer named Michael Deppisch, who used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera. “You don’t see YouTube videos like this very often, and as one commenter put it: “This video so captured the heart of this story… if it doesn’t move someone, they should check their pulse.” ”

Facebook Stirs up Trouble for Silicon Valley
via AdAge:
“Days after Facebook launched its “Open Graph Platform” that extends the social net’s web across third-party sites, the Palo Alto-based social network got a surprise rebuke from New York Sen. Charles Schumer, who wrote a letter asking the Federal Trade Commission to develop guidelines for how Facebookers’ information can be used.  The flap couldn’t come at a worse time for online advertising, facing the very real prospect that it will be regulated in the form of privacy legislation that would require publishers, networks or marketers to receive specific consent to use consumer data for a variety of purposes on the web.”

How Effective are Corporate Social Media Policies?
via eMarketer:
“According to a survey by security solutions provider nCircle, about three-fifths of US security and IT professionals say their company has a social media policy, and two-fifths ban all usage of social media on the job.  Those bans may stem from legitimate concerns, but researchers have warned that security and productivity problems can be combated while allowing employees to harness social media in ways beneficial to their business.”

Gives and takes from #AdtechSF
via Marketing With Meaning:
“Yesterday I returned from the first Ad:Tech event of the year in San Francisco. Here in this post I will share what I shared, as well as some of the highlights from the Tuesday sessions. Including: A New World of Word of Mouth: Using Influence to Re-invent the Impression and Jamie Cohen Szulc—CMO of the Levi’s Brand.” Slideshow by Bob Gilbreath

Second Life Users File Class Action Lawsuit Over Virtual Land
via: Mashable
“A group of Second Life users is suing Second Life’s creator over a virtual land dispute. They say their contractual property ownership rights have been changed and that this alteration of the terms of service constitutes fraud and violates California consumer protection laws.  Second Life’s parent company, Linden Labs, was recently valued at $383 million.”

Happy last Friday in April!  Here are Invoke’s favourite Tweets of the week:

Follow Invoke for top news stories involving: social media marketing, agency, tech, mobile, widgets, design, and more:

Gizmodo: HP Buying Palm for $1.2 Billion http://gizmodo.com/5526620/
Techcrunch: Jon Stewart Rips Into Apple Over Lost iPhone Debacle. That’s Going To Leave A Mark. – http://tcrn.ch/ahbJ0q
Wired: Guy who found the 4G iPhone in a bar ‘regrets his mistake’ http://bit.ly/bW1vmx
Fastcompany: Does Privacy on Facebook, Google, and Twitter Even Matter? http://su.pr/1XslhN

Follow memelabs for the latest in video advertising, video contests, UGC, viral videos:

Mashable:  YouTube’s Video Player Gets a Clean New Design [PIC] – http://bit.ly/c3i0lI
BRIANSOLIS: In Mobile, Women Rule Social Networking http://bit.ly/9auQ7o
Invoke: Developer’s thoughts on Facebook’s API and Customized Applications http://ow.ly/17dz0u
memlabs: Memelabs’ favorite viral video of the week – http://ow.ly/1ESL4 Share your favorite viral video with us.

Follow vidrollr for insight into social TV, interactive TV, branded advertising, audience commenting, and participatory media:

Mashable: Google TV to be Unveiled Next Month – http://bit.ly/aKdoph
Alexkjerulf: RT @zappos: “Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.” -Frank Tyger
Vidrollr: How Well-Stocked Is Your Video Toolbox? http://ow.ly/1DN8G add social media app @vidrollr to your toolbox ^JE
NextGenLog: #MIT’s 10 #Emerging Tech: Realtime Search, Mobile 3D, Solar Fuel, Photovoltaic, Social TV, Green Concrete, Implant, Cloud http://ht.ly/1Fcvz

via Mashable.com

Statistics, partnerships and privacy concerns, here’s what we’re reading right now.

The State of Online Word of Mouth Marketing [STATS]
via Mashable:
“Ray said that when marketers think about targeting influencers, they tend to think of them “like a stew”: tasty, but undefined. He advises thinking about them instead as a “delicious 3-course meal” in which it’s important to savor the flavors of each”

The Wall Street Journal Partners with Foursquare
via Mashable:
“Foursquare’s bread-and-butter is the partnerships that seed the location-based social network with curated content. Now, that includes editorial tips and badges from the renowned business publication The Wall Street Journal”

Re Thinking the MBA [video]
via Harvard Business Review:
“Business schools have focused on knowing, they’ve been highly analytical…much less emphasis on skills or being, and a sense of purpose”

Take your Privacy and Shove It
via MediaPost Publications:
“Going permission-based will not bring the Web screeching to a halt……. Why invade user privacy at all? The presumption has always been that taking advantage of user privacy is good for the industry if you can brush off those pesky privacy advocates in their Priuses and New Beetles”

Brand Advertising Doesn’t Fulfill Consumer Needs
via Social Media Today:
“Traditional mass media advertising has been blindsiding consumers with the “commercial” for almost a century. They are gladly TIVOed out, and still remain at best tolerated, and at worst, an affront, a waste of time”

We’d love to hear what you’re reading! Comments are welcome.