Social Media: Commercialization Ramps Up

Commercialization: The Leo Burnett “Office” on Second Life

Introduction: Social Media Gentrification? Or Maturing Market?
Commercialization of any new frontier is usually something between ambivelence to protest by the first movers into any space. The Internet is not different.

But as the dot-com mantra that “Content wants to be Free” has shifted from Google’s “Adwords and AdSense All Content”. And so the same is happening with Social Media.

Instead of greeting it with disgust, this is the time to shape what’s a viable busniess plan, while also asking what’s the acceptable and ethical standards and what is not.

Let’s take a look at what’s been going on this past year:

Pay for Digg (or any other social media-based publishing site):

Via Search Engine Journal: “A site dubbed User/Submitter is taking the manipulation of Digg to higher levels with a service that pays users $.50 for 5 Diggs, and charges its ‘advertisers’ a base fee of $20, then $1 per Digg.”A site dubbed User/Submitter is taking the manipulation of Digg to higher levels with a service that pays users $.50 for 5 Diggs, and charges its ‘advertisers’ a base fee of $20, then $1 per Digg.

A site dubbed User/Submitter is taking the manipulation of Digg to higher levels with a service that pays users $.50 for 5 Diggs, and charges its ‘advertisers’ a base fee of $20, then $1 per Digg.

For-Pay-Bloggers:
At SES San Jose, there were attendees who spoke of making a living via “pay per blog posting”, which included undisclosed endoresements and writeups of products. Basically harking back to the days of early onlin Guerilla Marketing.

This has finally grown into a “network” of for pay blogger at PayPerPost.com:

Via TechCrunch: “You guessed it, it’s a marketplace for companies to connect with bloggers who are willing to blog about a product – for a price. The companies can set guidelines for their requests such as whether a picture must be included and whether they will only pay for positive blog coverage. There does not appear to be any requirement that the payment for coverage be disclosed. There is a requirement that PayPerPost.com must approve your post before you are paid. ”

Second Life:
I’ve covered Second Life various times and the growing roster of big name brands on Secodn Life: Starwood Hotels, Toyata, CNet, Wells Fargo, American Apparel and others. But now, Leo Burnett Worldwide, founded by the man famous for the Golly Green Giant, has become the first agency to establish presence on Second Life. Once a few daring established businesses and their agencies start appearing on Second Life – you know it has a chance of hitting mainstream.

Leo Burnett Office:

FaceBook’s Sponsored Stories:
Via MarketingVox:

The new ad unit, called Sponsored Stories, will occupy the third position within a News Feed, either as a small banner-like placement or as a video clip, writes MediaWeek (via MediaBuyerPlanner). When users click on the ad, the user’s entire network of friends is alerted, and they can then interact with the ad. According to Facebook, the ad will allow advertisers to harness the site’s social-networking dynamic and leverage social-networking behavior.

MySpace and YouTube
MySpace and YouTube are the two names that describe the mainstream social media and web 2.0 companies. There’s really no need for me to give an overview of the commercialization efforts here but here are some links:

• 5 Brands Make Their Mark on MySpace – Nanette Marcus
• NBC, YouTube Create Alliance – MediaWeek
• YouTube has also become a repository for commericals, music videos and the like, which should be treated as alternative channels of distribution (rather than copyright violations)
• Warner Takes The Lead In Dealing With YouTube – TechDirt on YouTube and Warner’s revenue creative sharing deal

If I miss anything major, let me know and I’ll add it.

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