The three most significant Instagram headlines of 2012 are:

• Facebook Acquisition
• Twitter War
• Privacy Policy

Facebook Acquires Instagram for $1 Billion:

In April, Facebook purchased the photo sharing platform for a mere $1 billion. The purchase brought the mobile platform and its staff of a mere 9 employees under the Facebook umbrella. At the time, Mark Zuckerberg declared that the sharing capabilities of Instagram would not be limited by Facebook, and users would retain the ability to follow users who were not necessarily their “friends”. Sharing, too, would remain available on other platforms outside Facebook (i.e. Twitter).

The Instagram team seemed stoked about the new developments, sharing on the site’s blog:

“We’re psyched to be joining Facebook and are excited to build a better Instagram for everyone.”

When Facebook Camera launched the following month, there was speculation the social media giant would kill off Instagram to make way for its own application, in spite of assurances from Instagram that it would not happen. This turned out to be false, and both apps are available for download today.

Instagram Wages War With Twitter:

On December 9, Twitter announced via its blog that Instagram had disabled photo integration with Twitter. While users can still share Instagram links on the site, the images can not be previewed on Twitter. That means when I shared a TwitPic photo on my Twitter account:

And tweeting an Instagram photo gives you this:

Followed by a trip to Instagram.com:

While the change isn’t the end of the world, it does remove a level of convenience that existed with the previous method. Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom maintained that the company would always remain integrated with Twitter.

In a statement to Mashable, Sysytom announced,

“A handful of months ago, we supported Twitter cards because we had a minimal web presence. We’ve since launched several improvements to our website that allow users to directly engage with Instagram content through likes, comments, hashtags and now we believe the best experience is for us to link back to where the content lives.”

December 10, Twitter announced on its blog the ability for users to add filters and edit photos from directly within the app, without relying on Instagram. The upcoming filters were first reported in November, and are now available when tweeting photos directly from Twitter.

The back-and-forth “improvements” and changes will continue to develop into 2013, as Instagram claims it continues to evolve in the interests of the best user experience.

Instagram Publishes New Privacy Policy:

If the average user has heard anything about Instagram this year, it is most likely the updates to the Privacy Policy that will take affect in January 2013.

Language in the updated policy implied that the site and its owner, Facebook, would be allowed access to a users information, photos, and data without compensation for purposes including advertising. Backlash was swift and loud, with users preparing to delete their accounts and wondering how to remove all of their photos from the site permanently. Some were less than concerned.

The updates coincide perfectly with Twitter upgrades and a revamped Flickr, giving users plenty of options if they decide to jump the Instagram ship.

Instagram quickly took to its blog to defend the intentions of the policy and assure users that their complaints were heard. Asserting that the sale and use of users photos for advertising purposes was never part of the plan, the company vowed to remove the language from the policy before it is implemented on January 16.

Moving Forward in 2013:

After a year of controversy and putting out fires, Instagram can hope to start 2013 with a clean slate. Assuming, of course, the world doesn’t end tomorrow.

The post Instagram Faces Challenges And Changes In 2012 appeared first on Clix.

Secret Boards allow users to pin items that they don’t necessarily want to share with the world. This could be anything from gift ideas to behind the scenes party planning efforts. Pins to Secret Boards are only viewable by the creator and any collaborators, and do not appear anywhere else on the site.

To start using Secret Boards, visit the Boards section of your profile page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see a new section for Secret Boards.

You can also create a Secret Board by selecting the Add + tab in the menu bar. Select Create A Board. In the board information, switch the Secret tab to “on”.

Once you have created the board, you can start adding pins. For the purposes of testing the new feature, I decided to start making a list of Christmas gifts I need to buy.

*If my family is reading this, these are not your actual gifts, sorry!

In the descriptions of the pins I added who the gift was meant for and whether or not I had made the purchase. This is much easier to maintain than a piece of notebook paper with ideas scratched off as I made purchases, and will be especially helpful if you (like me) plan to do the majority of your holiday shopping online this year.

The limit on Secret Boards begs the question, if I delete a Secret Board or decide to make it public, will I receive a new board to replace it? The answer is yes. After I complete my Christmas shopping for 2012, I can delete my board and start planning ahead for 2013!

Secret Boards could prove to be advantageous for business owners incorporating social media as well. For example, a kitchen design company could use a Secret Board to share design ideas and collaborate with a client without using email. This keeps all of the images in a single location, and eliminates the need to open files every time you need to view a photo.

Secret Boards can also be used within a company to share ideas and inspiration for new products or pitches.

What do you think- will you use Secret Boards in your social media strategies? Let us know in the comments!

The post Pinterest Adds New Feature, Secret Boards, In Time For Holiday Shopping appeared first on Clix.

The tweet was swiftly deleted, but but many of the brands 25,000 followers had more than enough time to see the post and retweet to their own followers. Obama’s grandmother passed away in November 2008, just before her grandson was elected President.

This latest social media management mistake made me think about other times in recent memory when posting for a brand accidentally or in bad taste has resulted in negative backlash. The cause of the tweet, degree of offense, and response make these seven social media #fails cautionary tales for brands and social media employees.

Insensitive Posting:

Insensitive posting on behalf of a person or brand can negatively impact both their own image and that of any companies they represent. In the case of public personalities, personal twitter feeds aren’t really personal and jokes meant for friends can be shared with the world. These four learned the hard way:

     1. Gilbert Gottrried

In March 2011, as Japan struggled to recover from a devastating Tsunami, comedian Gilbert Gottfried responded with jokes on Twitter. The series of tweets landed the voice of the Aflac duck in the hot seat, and he was swiftly fired. Poorly timed and intended to be offensive, Gottfried’s tweets came as no surprise to those who love the comedian. In this case, the social media failure may almost be directed to Aflac, despite the fact that Gottfried was using a personal account.

Selecting a spokesperson gives them the power to influence your brand message with their personal tweets. In this case, Aflac should have expected that Gottfried would not toe the line.

     2. Roger Ebert

In June 2011, “Jackass” star Ryan Dunn and a passenger were killed in a car accident after Dunn posted photos of the two drinking on Twitter. The following morning Roger Ebert’s response drew fire from the “Jackass” stars and fans alike, accusing him of insensitivity and lack of respect for Dunn. Ebert, who is notorious for offensive opinions, later discovered that his Facebook page had been removed for violating Facebook’s Terms of Use. Speculating that he had been targeted by fans of the “Jackass” series. Rather than apologize for his tweet or remove it, Ebert took to his blog to explain his side of the story.

Toxicology reports later revealed that Dunn’s blood alcohol level was at .196, double the legal limit in Pennsylvania, and he was driving at speeds between 132-140 mph at the time of the accident.

     3. Ashton Kutcher

     4. Kenneth Cole

Mismanaged Accounts:

Managing a brand account is not possible for every company owner to manage personally; however, hiring a social media company or choosing an in-house team to manage your social media is not to be taken lightly, as these companies learned.

     1. Red Cross

Passing the keys to social media accounts can be dangerous, as the Red Cross learned in February 2011. An employee accidentally crossed their accounts while learning to use Hootsuite. The Red Cross swiftly responded by removing the tweet and responding in good humor.

This case of crisis management done right earned the Red Cross kudos from the Twitter community, and even sparked an influx of donations. Their blog explains the mistake, and thanks supporters for their increased donations.

2. Chrysler

While the Red Cross was remarkably understanding, Chrysler and its social media company, New Media Strategies, were certainly less forgiving of the employee who confused a personal handle with Chrysler’s account after a stressful morning commute. The tweet in March 2011 was directly contradicting Chrysler’s focus on promoting Detroit at the time. Chrysler responded by firing New Media Strategies and sharing a blog to clarify the situation. New Media Strategies in turn fired the employee responsible for the tweet.

The response to this situation gained negative publicity for Chrysler not only for the tweet, but for allegedly demanding the firing of the employee and claiming to promote Detroit while selecting Eminem to star in their Superbowl ad. Chrysler is a cautionary tale for any social media manager- you could pay for a single tweet with your job.

3. Celeb Boutique

One of the more recent social media outrages was sparked when Celeb Boutique attempted to hijack the #Aurora trending topic in the wake of the Aurora movie theatre shooting in July 2012. The social media company behind the handle had not checked the reason for the trend before making a joke to promote a product.

Celeb Boutique responded with a series of tweets explaining that they use an outsourced company who was unaware of the shootings. This explanation did not stop boycott groups from forming in protest.

Lessons Learned:

Assuming responsibility for a brand’s social media is not to be taken lightly. Always proofread, double check your accounts, and do your research before posting. Brands should understand that mistakes happen, and the result has more to do with your response than the tweet itself.

The post Social Media #Fails: Lessons For Brands appeared first on Clix.

As a social media company, we believe it’s crucial to stay involved in all of the latest developments in technology and sharing, so naturally this latest development caught our attention.

What’s The Big Deal?

According to the Apple Store’s description:

“With Camera, you can share photos on Facebook faster than ever, and see what friends are up to in a feed of nothing but their photos.

–Post a bunch of photos at once

–See friends’ latest photos in one place

–Play with crops and filters

–Tag friends, add captions and say where you are

–See photos from different apps”

But isn’t that what Instagram already offers? The difference is in the style of sharing and the quality of the product. Instagram gained popularity as the first in its field to really take the concept of making ordinary mobile photos look professional, and Facebook Camera plays on essentially the same concept.

The Sharing Style: Friends Vs. Followers

Instagram gives users the option of selecting to post public or private profiles. A public profile in this sense is much like the style used for Twitter. Users have the option of “following” others who they think post good content. There is not an approval process, and just because User A follows User B, User B does not necessarily have to follow User A. It means that you can follow anyone you want with a public profile, not just those with whom you share personal connections.

Facebook Camera, on the other hand, operates in the traditional Facebook “friend” format. Two users who have mutually accepted a friendship on the social network will show up in each other’s respective feeds. This means that the content you access will be limited to those you are already connected to. You’ll see the same photos that appear in your newsfeed already, but with a more stylized appearance.

Bonus: Instagram allows users to connect their social networks and share to all simultaneously. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Tumblr, and Foursquare are all connection options. Do you know what that means? Instagram is already sharing on your Facebook account if you want it to.  Two birds with one metaphorical stone, if you will.

Quality: Filtering Out The Good From The Bad

Instagram gives users 18 basic filters to apply, along with blurring and border options. The names are relatively creative, and the editing quality dramatic. The filters and blur options add an artistic quality to the service aside from just improving the image.

Facebook Camera has 15 filters. That’s about it. The filters primarily highlight different elements of the image and focus on lighting. A quick breeze through the line of filters makes it obvious that the focus is improving the basic, visual quality without the artistic element.

And The Winner Is…

Facebook clearly comes out on top. No, not Facebook Camera: the company itself. Owning both Instagram and Facebook Camera means that the social network has purchased its greatest competition and now has the ability to control its promotion. Facebook can choose to promote both platforms simultaneously, singularly, or scrap one of the apps all together. It seems that Instagram has the stronger case for surviving such elimination.

It’s far too likely that Facebook Camera will go the way of Google Video after the acquisition of YouTube and disappear quietly into the night.

The post Facebook Camera- An Instagram Challenger? appeared first on Clix.