For this weeks install of the Social Media Friday blog I thought I’d take a look at this week and the major events involving Social Media. From grassroots organization via Facebook to outrage in the skies via Twitter we’ve got this week covered.

Betty White – A Lesson in Social Media

Grassroots organization is nothing new these days. With all the tea parties and conservative political groups popping up all over it was just a matter of time before someone got serious about it via Social Media. So I’ve got to be talking about Saturday Night Live right? And Betty White? You’ve got it. Looks like a young man really wants Betty White to host an episode of SNL. So he started a Facebook Fan page to spread the word.

Now in the past you’d just start a letter writing campaign. But today you can create a Facebook Fan page and get your message out. The creator was very smart in the way he went about drawing attention – he asked celebrities to talk about it on their personal sites. Of course it didn’t hurt that Betty White was in a Super Bowl commercial this year. Once the site picked up more fans even USA Today picked up the story.

Looks like Social Media continues to influence Traditional Media.

Google Buzz – Off

Last week Gmail users got introduced to Buzz. Think of it as a Twitter-Facebook-Wave mashup. There is one major difference – if you have a Gmail account you were automatically connected with Buzz. On top of that it automatically revealed your contacts and offered to connect you with them.

Once again we see Google going out on the limb with users’ privacy. Think about it- 11 year old kids have Gmail accounts. Do you want them chatting with a bunch of people they may or may not know?

Yep, we would classify this Buzz mess as a big ole’ FAIL! Come on Google- get your act together.

Oh That Kevin Smith

Where do I begin with this one. Obviously no one at Southwest Airlines saw this coming. Kevin Smith who had purchased two seats on a recent flight (for comfort) was asked to leave the plane due to being a “safety risk”. Outraged, Kevin began tweeting the event. Bare in mind Kevin has over a million followers so word spread quickly.

Southwest used their Twitter account to answer and post policies in an effort to control the message. Next, traditional media picked up the story and created several pieces on the major networks airing the issue. Although many folks seem to be on the side of SouthWest’s response- it just goes to show that brands need to be proactive with their Social Media presence because the could get blindsided by an issue aired all over Twitter. SouthWest however is a great example of how to handle a customer service issue in the SM space.

Well those are our top stories in SM this week. We’ll keep an eye out for news that will affect you and how you use Social Media so stay tuned (I know that’s so traditional).

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