Today's Buzz

The incredible disappearing social network
Snapchat, a social application that lets users send photos that self-delete shortly after being viewed, is part of a wave of apps that aim to provide a fleeting, ephemeral social experience, experts say. The tool goes against the model of the major social networks, which typically preserve users' interactions to better leverage them for marketing purposes. "There is a real demand out there. Facebook has really failed on this front because Mark Zuckerberg, in his DNA, thinks that all data has hidden value and preserving this stuff is really, really important," says Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, a professor at the University of Oxford. Bloomberg Businessweek (2/7)
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Network Update

Vine isn't for young eyes, Twitter says
Twitter has given its video-sharing service, Vine, a 17-plus age rating on Apple's application store in response to complaints about the tool being used to share inappropriate content. The service was launched as a family-friendly "Instagram for video" tool, but quickly became flooded with mature-themed hashtags. The Telegraph (London) (tiered subscription model) (2/7)
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Ideas in Action

Mattel turns to social media to prolong election-themed campaign
Mattel scored a viral hit by having Barbie launch a presidential run in 2012, but now the challenge is to keep the buzz going. Mattel was smart to use Tumblr rather than a custom site, allowing it to spin off its following into other campaigns, Andy Sernovitz writes. "They saw this as a great opportunity for earning followers and keeping their attention," he writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (2/7)
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"House of Cards" challenges social TV's framework
Netflix's decision to put all 13 episodes of "House of Cards" online simultaneously is causing problems for viewers who like to discuss hit shows on social networks, experts say. People are watching the show at different paces, making it hard to discuss episodes without spoiling them for others. "We need to invent new communication systems, where only people who have made it through Episode X can discuss with others who have made it exactly that far," blogger Dave Winer wrote in a post last weekend. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/5)
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Research and Reports

Analysis: Social media's ROI lies in its WOMM potential
Word-of-mouth marketers have an easier route to demonstrating their campaigns' return on investment than social media marketers do, a study says. Combined online and offline buzz produces improvements in general marketing performance and leads to increases in real-world sales, the study found, with offline chatter having the biggest effect on sales. Spanish-language content targeted toward Hispanics tends to have especially strong results, another study says. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model) (2/6)
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The Takeaway

How to keep Twitter from overwhelming your business
Brands need to keep a careful eye on Twitter to stay abreast of their mentions and their followers' conversations, Matt Owen writes. Monitoring tools make it easier to keep track of essential data streams, although free tools will only get you so far, he writes. "If you're a business with multiple brand names and terms ... then you'll definitely need to invest in an enterprise level monitoring solution," Owen writes. eConsultancy.com (2/6)
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Fix your Twitter feed by employing a content strategy
If Twitter isn't working for your business-to-business brand, it might be because you don't have a content-marketing strategy in place and you're not tweeting with enough regularity to move the needle, writes Brainshark's manager of content marketing, Brendan Cournoyer. Become a trusted thought leader with five to 10 tweets per day during weekdays. But don't concentrate on yourself -- use the 4-1-1 ratio, where only one of six tweets is purely self-promotional, Cournoyer writes. BtoB Magazine (2/6)
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Social Shareable

The wide world of exotic fashion subcultures
Young men in northeastern Mexico try to impress the ladies by dressing up as cowboys, but using extra-long boots, sometimes with glitter and flashing lights. These "Botas Picudas" are among several unusual fashion subcultures around the world cited in this article, which also includes Japanese truckers with elaborate vehicle decorations and Congolese men's fashions. BuzzFeed (2/4)
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Editor's Note

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SmartQuote

To make something self-destruct for real is very difficult. I would say Snapchat only offers the illusion of self-destruction." -- Nico Sell, co-founder of Wickr, as quoted by Bloomberg Businessweek Share: