Socialflow
{{Short description|Social media optimization platform}}
{{advert|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Socialflow, Inc.
| logo_size = 200px
| foundation = May 2009
| website = {{URL|https://www.socialflow.com/}}
| founder = Frank Speiser, Mike Perrone
| area_served = Worldwide
| owners = Piano Software
| industry = Internet
}}
Socialflow is a social media optimization platform for brands and publishers. The company uses data from Twitter firehose, proprietary algorithms, and a link proxy to try and improve the delivery of messages on social networks. The company's analysis and data visualization of the way news filtered out around the death of Osama bin Laden via Twitter received international news coverage,{{cite news |title=Lessons from the Osama bin Laden coverage |first=Frédéric |last=Filloux |work=the Guardian |date=May 9, 2011 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/may/09/lessons-from-bin-laden-coverage/ |access-date=August 3, 2011 |location=London}} and led to questions about the role of Twitter in journalism.{{cite news |title=The End Of The Destination Web And The Revival Of The Information Economy |first=Brian |last=Solis |work=Fast Company |date=May 11, 2011 |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1752804/the-end-of-the-destination-web-and-the-revival-of-the-information-economy |access-date=August 3, 2011}}{{cite web| url= https://fmsonlinemarketing.com |title= FMS Online Marketing }} Tuesday, June 16, 2020
On February 10, 2022, it was announced that SocialFlow had been acquired by digital experience platform Piano Software Inc.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-10 |title=Piano Acquires SocialFlow To Build A Social Media Optimization Service For Publishers |url=https://www.adexchanger.com/social-media/piano-acquires-socialflow-to-build-a-social-media-optimization-service-for-publishers/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=AdExchanger |language=en-US}}
History
=Early history=
SocialFlow was founded in early 2009 by Frank Speiser and Mike Perrone, who sought to apply a scientific approach to the task of building and sustaining engaged social media audiences at scale.{{cite web |url=http://www.zeitgeistnyc.com/2010/10/12/interviews-with-smart-people-frank-speiser-co-founder-of-social-flow/ |title=Interviews with Smart People: Frank Speiser, Co-Founder of Social Flow |last=Gallagher |first=Freyja |date=12 October 2010 |website=Zeitgeist NYC |access-date=2023-05-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190315073322/http://www.zeitgeistnyc.com/2010/10/12/interviews-with-smart-people-frank-speiser-co-founder-of-social-flow/
|archive-date=2019-03-15}}
In 2013, SocialFlow was targeted by the Syrian Electronic Army, a hacking and cyber-criminal group organized in 2011 to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. The group gained access to SocialFlow’s social media accounts after sending a phishing email to the company’s employees. The attack resulted in the brief takedown of SocialFlow’s website and publishing platform that lasted about 20 minutes. To promote internet security and account protection, SocialFlow published a detailed account of the hack and their security response in a blog post.{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2013/08/13/syrian-electronic-army-socialflow-nypost/|title=Syrian Electronic Army Targets SocialFlow, Journalists|last=Berkman|first=Fran|website=Mashable|date=13 August 2013|language=en|access-date=2019-08-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2013/08/14/socialflow-hacked/|title=How the Syrian Electronic Army Attacked SocialFlow|last=Murphy|first=Samantha|website=Mashable|date=14 August 2013|language=en|access-date=2019-08-22}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/syrian-electronic-army-fbi-most-wanted|title=FBI adds Syrian Electronic Army hackers to most wanted list|last=Temperton|first=James|date=2016-03-23|magazine=Wired UK|access-date=2019-08-22|issn=1357-0978}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.socialflow.com/a-phishing-attack-on-socialflow-2/|title=A Phishing Attack on SocialFlow - SocialFlow|date=2013-08-14|website=- SocialFlow|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-22}}
=Investors=
SocialFlow announced April 7, 2011, that they had raised $7 million in Series A funding. The Series A round was led by Softbank, with Softbank NY, RRE Ventures, betaworks, Highline Venture Partners, AOL Venture Partners, SV Angel and a group of high profile angel investors participating.{{cite news |title=New Twitter Ecosystem Poster Child SocialFlow Secures The Firehose And $7 Million Round |first=MG |last=Siegler |work=Tech Crunch |date=April 7, 2011 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/07/socialflow/ |access-date=August 3, 2011}}{{Cite web|url=https://culttt.com/2012/10/03/how-betaworks-is-leading-the-new-wave-of-intelligent-media/|title=How Betaworks is leading the new wave of intelligent media|date=2012-10-03|website=Culttt|language=en|access-date=2019-08-22}} On April 16, 2013, SocialFlow announced they raised $10 million round in Series B funding. Fairhaven Capital led the round and was joined by existing investors SoftBank Capital, RRE Ventures, AOL Ventures and Betaworks, as well as new investors kbs+ Ventures and Rand Capital Corporation.{{Cite news |date=2013-04-16 |title=SocialFlow grabs $10M for — what else? — social media marketing |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS52728547220130416 |access-date=2022-11-28}}
= Acquisition =
On February 10, 2022, it was announced that SocialFlow had been acquired by digital experience platform Piano Software Inc. for an undisclosed amount. The transaction was a cash purchase, with funding provided by Updata Partners, Rittenhouse Ventures and Sixth Street Partners, and resulted in Piano acquiring 100% of the shares of Socialflow.{{Cite web |author= |title=Piano Acquires SocialFlow to Connect Social Media Strategies to Customer Journey Orchestration |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piano-acquires-socialflow-to-connect-social-media-strategies-to-customer-journey-orchestration-301479316.html
|date=10 February 2022 |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=www.prnewswire.com |publisher=PR Newswire}}
Corporate affairs
The company announced June 7, 2011, that Peter Hershberg joined the company as President.{{cite news |title=SocialFlow Gets Serious, Makes Veteran Entrepreneur Peter Hershberg El Presidente |first=Rip |last=Empson |work=Tech Crunch |date=June 7, 2011 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/06/07/socialflow-gets-serious-makes-veteran-entrepreneur-peter-hershberg-el-presidente/ |access-date=August 3, 2011}}
=Research=
SocialFlow gained considerable media attention when it published "Breaking Bin Laden: Visualizing the Power of a Single Tweet".{{cite web | url=http://www.socialflow.com/breaking-bin-laden-visualizing-the-power-of-a-single/ | title=Breaking Bin Laden: Visualizing the Power of a Single Tweet | publisher=SocialFlow | date=6 May 2011 | access-date=18 April 2015 | author=SocialFlow}} The study demonstrated how Twitter had evolved into a primary news source, as the death of Osama bin Laden broke on Twitter.{{cite news |title=Timeline: How News of Osama Bin Laden's Death Unfolded on Twitter |first=Brian Anthony |last=Hernandez |work=Mashable |date=May 2, 2011 |url=http://mashable.com/2011/05/02/osama-death-twitter/#13379Keith-Urbahn |access-date=August 5, 2011}}
Their next study "Engaging News-Hungry Audiences Tweet by Tweet" looked at the Twitter audiences of Al-Jazeera English, BBC News, CNN, The Economist, Fox News and New York Times and revealed the similarities and differences between each respective organization's audience,{{cite news |title=Fox News's Twitter Triggers: Crime, Murder, Casey Anthony
|first=Peter |last=Kafka |work=AllThingsD |date=August 2, 2011 |url=http://allthingsd.com/20110802/fox-news-twitter-triggers-crime-murder-casey-anthony/|access-date=August 5, 2011}} while simultaneously demonstrating the true value of audience engagement.{{cite news |title=How The Economist's conversational tweets drive clicks, while Al Jazeera's automation drives retweets|first=Steve |last=Myers |publisher=Poynter Institute |date=August 5, 2011 |url=http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/social-media/141837/how-economists-conversational-tweets-drive-clicks-while-al-jazeeras-automation-drives-retweets/|access-date=August 5, 2011}}
Another study created by SocialFlow looked at the launch of the KONY 2012 video through social media.{{cite news| title=Suspicious Sequel: The Social Flow of KONY 2012 is Not What You First Thought| first= Anthony | last= Wing Kosner | date=April 5, 2012 | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/04/05/suspicious-sequel-the-social-flow-of-kony-2012-is-not-what-you-first-thought/ | work=Forbes}} As noted by Forbes writer Anthony Kosner, a study by the SocialFlow research group showed that, rather than emerging from big liberal enclaves on the American coasts, the initial wave of social media traffic that launched the KONY 2012 video originated in mid-sized, relatively conservative cities in middle America.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.socialflow.com/}}
Category:Search engine optimization
Category:Software companies based in New York (state)
Category:Marketing companies established in 2009
Category:Marketing companies of the United States
Category:Defunct software companies of the United States
Category:Defunct computer companies based in New York (state)