Coming out as LGBT to friends and family is a huge step, and often a nerve-wracking experience. But imagine how daunting it would be to come out to more than 2 million people — via text.
That's exactly what Freddie Bologno did Thursday morning. As DoSomething.org's mobile engagement manager, Bologno — who uses the gender-neutral pronouns "they," "them" and "their" — is used to sending texts to many people. That's their job: engaging youth on social issues via SMS messages.
When texting the organization's 2.4 million-strong mobile audience about campaigns and good causes for more than three years, signing off messages with "Alysha," Bologno has always had a rule of being honest — showing that it isn't just a brand texting, but rather a real person. Now, they're using the platform to show that person identifies as transgender. Read more…More about Mobile, Lgbt, Social Good, Nonprofit, and Gender
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This article is part of SWOT Team, a series on Mashable that features insights from leaders in marketing, brand-building and public relations.
We all know it pays to have a large social media presence (this is a world where companies pay Kim Kardashian an estimated $20,000 per promotional tweet). But short of buying followers or other forms of subterfuge, how can you organically build a powerful following and become a social media juggernaut?
See also: 3 ways brands can engage with shoppers on social media
For my new book Stand Out, I interviewed technology opinion leader Robert Scoble, who has built a massive social media following, including more than 450,000 Twitter followers, 650,000 Facebook followers and friends and a whopping 6.6 million followers on Google+ Read more…More about Google, Robert Scoble, Social Media, Business, and Small Business
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Another quarter, another lackluster earnings guidance from Samsung Electronics. Heralded as Apple’s arch rival in “The Great Smartphone War” just two years ago, Samsung’s performance has declined as competition from a bevy of other Android makers cuts into its market share. Read More
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GlassesGlobalGroup, a Kuala Lumpur-based eyeglass retailer founded by a former Rocket Internet executive, is eyeing expansion across Asia and Europe with its recently closed $3 million Series A. The round was led by Caixa Capital and Nova Founders Capital, and angel investors including Toivos Annus, Uwe Kolb, and Siegfried Drueker. Read More
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Pembient, the startup that creates genetically identical animal parts in a lab, blew up after we first wrote about them. The founders have been inundated with requests, tweets and the startup was even a number one topic on several Reddit threads for a hot second since launching last month. The popularity is most likely due to the startup’s noble goal to upend the illegal wildlife… Read More
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A coalition of home owners and affordable housing activists submitted more than 15,000 signatures today for a ballot initiative in the November election that will more tightly regulate short-term rentals and Airbnb. In response, an organization financially backed by Airbnb called ‘San Francisco For Everyone’ held a rally on the steps of City Hall today urging voters to give the… Read More
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Microsoft will retool the branding of its entertainment apps that live inside of Windows 10, its new operating system and platform.
In a move that I can only describe as curious, if not downright odd, Microsoft is dropping the Xbox branding on its music and video products, changing them, in order, to ‘Groove’ and ‘Music & TV.’
Microsoft’s rebranding… Read More
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You know the story from beginning to end: A regular old website earns popularity, gains top users who are almost celebrities, and then the site dies more quickly than it rose.
A lot happens in between, but those are the basics of it.
Digg was a perfect example of this. Flickr is another. All of these sites have something in common: A fanatical reliance, if not focus, on… Read More
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On this 10th anniversary of the first video being uploaded to YouTube, it’s important to look at how the online video industry has changed in the last two years — because the changes have been as significant as those that started 10 years ago. Read More
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Reddit just admitted it royally screwed up. Not just over the firing of Reddit community manager Victoria Taylor on Friday, but also for not listening to the community over the past several years. Volunteer Reddit moderators systematically shut down threads in protest after hearing of Taylor’s dismissal last week. Many said she was the only moderator who got them and communicated with… Read More
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