In the online space, the conversation surrounding the IPO has been rich and furious.

From bulls to bears, professionals and enthusiasts alike have been heatedly debating the offering, with no apparent consensus in sight.  As CNBC recently reported, the question of the moment seems to be: will the Facebook IPO be a game-changer or another tech disappointment?

Here at Meltwater, we have decided to tackle this question with our digital media intelligence platform, Meltwater News, which scans over 162,000 online publications worldwide in real time. We want to see if we can gain insights from analyzing the online press published about recent tech IPOs.

More specifically, we thought it could be interesting to compare the volume and sentiment of the online press published 1 month before the IPO of Linkedin, Zynga, Groupon respectively, and contrast that data to the actual IPO performance of each company, to see if there might be a loose correlation between the two.

In other words, could the volume and sentiment of the media coverage before an IPO help us predict its performance?

Sentiment Swing of online articles in the month leading up to each IPO

According to our online media intelligence service, Meltwater News, there have been over 13,570 online articles of the FB IPO in the last 30 days, in the US press alone. Our sentiment analysis gauge shows that, of the non-neutral coverage, 68.53% is positive while 31.46% is negative, giving an overall 36% positive swing to the FB coverage.

LinkedIn received a total 3207 online articles before its IPO, where 73% of the non-neutral coverage was positive, and 27% was negative, giving the company a 46% positive swing in the coverage.

For Zynga on the other hand, there were 5203 online stories published, with 56.5% positive coverage and 43.5% negative, giving Zynga a meager 13% positive swing.

Finally, for Groupon, we identified 4989 online stories, where 41% of the non-neutral coverage was positive and 59% was negative, giving the overall coverage a negative swing of -18%.

If we contrast these figures to the actual stock performance of the companies since their IPO, there is an interesting pattern that emerges.

LinkedIn, whose IPO price was $45 a share, had the lowest overall coverage pre-IPO but the highest positive swing in its sentiment. As of Tuesday May 9^th market close, LinkedIn was trading up 150.24% from its IPO price or $122.7 a share.

On the other hand, both Zynga and Groupon, who had a higher overall volume of press but much more negative coverage than LinkedIn, were trading down 21% and 48% from their IPO price respectively.

This small sample seems to indicate the following loose relationship: The less press coverage (read: hype) a company gets pre IPO and the more positive the press is, the better their IPOs seems to perform.

Of course, this data is in no way robust enough to be indicate a concrete relationship, but it is interesting to notice the pattern.  So what could this hint for the upcoming FB IPO?

Our data shows that FB has received significantly more press than all other companies pre-IPO, but that it is still enjoying a 36% positive swing in its coverage (nearly as high as LinkedIn’s positive swing). Will it experience the same good fortune LinkedIn has?

Only the market will tell. However, the link between online media analytics and finance that we outline here is not a new one. According to the WSJ more and more hedge funds are using social media insights to build trading strategies. In a way, the finance industry is starting to discover the predictive power of online conversations. Perhaps this is a field worth exploring further.

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/ipo-stocks-fared-16305992#.T6mpwe33DgE

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/19/us-linkedin-ipo-risks-idUSTRE74H0TL20110519

http://www.cnbc.com/id/47337372

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304746604577382210530114498.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/12/12/now-trending-turning-tweets-into-trades/

So, community managers, what are you waiting for? Get your brand page on there! But first, check out these best practices and consider integrating Pinterest with your established Facebook community (instead of building your Pinterest community from scratch).

Meltwater Group has gathered a few links, tips and tricks to get you started. Let the pinning for your brand begin!

• Pinvolve: This Facebook app has gained notoriety for upping repins by 150%. The app has a clean and simple UI extremely similar to Pinterest’s UI, that pulls in data from your boards. People can engage with your pins on Facebook whether or not they have a Pinterest account by simply “liking” the pin, commenting on the pin, or they can “repin” to Pinterest. Pinvolve’s basic version is free (for now) but there are upgrades starting at $9.99.

• Pinview: This Facebook app takes a different spin on integrating Pinterest with your Facebook Brand Page. Instead of viewing boards on a tab, it allows you to view your Timeline as a board. Is your mind warped yet? Perhaps the best way to explain this is to check out the photo below:

• A basic tutorial: Self-proclaimed social media and brand strategist Kim Garst provides a quick and dirty tutorial for those of you confident enough to fiddle apps and coding on your Brand Page. This, like the others, will allow users to view your Pinterest boards on a Facebook tab, pulling in data from your Pinterest account.

Need some motivation? Check out how some brands are using Pinterest, some of the hottest and most followed brands on the site, and how others are incorporating Pinterest within their Facebook communities. Don’t forget to follow Meltwater Group’s very own boards on Pinterest for some inspiration and infographics!

According to reports, mom will be spoiled with special meals, flowers, clothing and electronics, despite gas prices peaking. The NRF survey also reports an overall increase in spending, with the average person spending $152.52, up 8% from $140.73 last year.

Many brands are extending a hand this Mother’s Day to help you express your appreciation to the mom figure(s) in your life. From eBay’s “Mother’s Day Sweepstakes” or Whole Foods Market’s “Mom Rocks! Contest” to Major League Baseball’s “MLB Mother’s Day” or Proctor & Gamble’s “Thank You, Mom” initiative.

For last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas, check out the recommendations Meltwater Group has made below.

• Gizmos and Gadgets: Upgrade your mom to a smartphone! Teach her how to stay in-touch via text! Just think… no more dodging phone calls! Pick out cute name-brand accessories for a more budget-friendly gift. Kate Spade and J. Crew made fun floral and polka dotted iPhone cases. Even corporate power moms will love them. They’re just trendy enough to get mom on board, but still classic and elegant so that she doesn’t have to swap it out constantly.

• Flowers: Always a safe bet. Buy local and fresh if you’re in San Francisco (my favorite are Farmgirl Flowers). Or send flowers, a simple potted lily or other succulents straight to her desk. Not only will she give you a glowing stamp of approval, her coworkers will too. (Is mom allergic or not a fan of flowers? Try an Edible Arrangement – who doesn’t love chocolate covered fruit and flower-shaped melon slices?)

• Food: If you’re a somewhat decent cook, treat mom to a nice home-cooked meal! Whether you bring her an already-packed lunch, a weekend picnic, or simply stop over with coffee and whip up some pancakes and eggs, she’ll surely appreciate it. Or take her out! Whatever you do, just make sure you clean up after yourself. The last thing mom will want is a kitchen full of dishes when you leave.

• Jewelry: This is a tricky one, right? Wrong. Keep it simple, basic, and classic. Go for an everyday piece like a simple Tiffany’s pendant in sterling silver, or a pair of pearl earrings. Your pick doesn’t have to be a statement piece – avoid costume jewelry, anything big, bright, bold and outlandish and you’ll be playing it safe.

If you’re tight on budget, a personalized card or DIY craft inspired by Pinterest will undoubtedly put a smile on her face. Regardless of how you express your gratitude this Mother’s Day, showing your appreciation, even via social media (for free!) can do the trick. There’s certainly some truth to the saying your mother always told you… it’s the thought that counts.

Still looking for that perfect gift? Check out our Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Pinterest board for some inspiration!

However, searching news media for personal use can be more overwhelming, even challenging. Staying up-to-date with current events, technology, memes and internet trends is beneficial for networking, job interviews and your career. To help, Meltwater Group put together a recommended subscribe list of 10 media outlets to start with.

• Mashable: The all-encompassing Mashable. This social media newshound reports on all things industry related, no matter how serious or senseless. It’s pretty mainstream and most stories go viral, but this might not be the only perspective you’ll want to read.

• TechCrunch: Writers and editors at TechCrunch work hard to bring breaking news, tech and beyond. Between Internet news, social, startup and tech, it has Silicon Valley covered. TC’s stories usually go viral within the industry.

• Business Insider: A pretty business-heavy perspective, if you can imagine. Big focus on tech and startups, but also money, finance and of course, the latest in business news and analysis.

• Inc. Magazine: Primarily aimed at small businesses, Inc. wants to give you the “tools to grow.” Though, its small business-focused reporting has taken on startups and other mainstream digital news as they ramp up their tech-scene with a recent editorial focus shift from New York City to San Francisco.

• Gizmodo: Self-proclaimed gadget and digital culture guru, Gizmodo delivers. For any news on gizmos and gadgets, this should be your go-to. Also a good spot for digital news and perspectives.

• Wired: Mainstream tech news, with a mainstream spin. This is definitely good for a read when something big happens in the mobile or tech industry.

• ZDNet: More IT-focused news, less mainstream. ZDNet does lots of product reviews and focuses on security, software and more.

• BuzzFeed: Basically your daily dose of Internet memes, LOL CATS, and silly stuff. Usually lists of funny photos, videos, links and embedded Tweets. Think Storify, but one-hundred and ten percent less serious.

• Huffington Post: Your main source for mainstream media. News, videos, memes, really… anything. Just note that most content isn’t original, but instead aggregated which is nice if you want to visit a one-stop-shop for a story, but don’t expect any high-brow prose.

• New York Times: All the news that’s fit to print.

As we track the 2012 election, we’ve leveraged social media to stay up-to-date on updates from the campaign trail. Take Rick Santorum’s campaign suspension announcement for example; we first heard the rumors on Twitter, which were then confirmed by media Twitter accounts, followed by a live-stream of Santorum’s announcement on news site, the Huffington Post.

This real-time access makes it even harder to revert back to the traditional morning and evening cycle. And with social media in your favor, there’s no reason to slow down. Here’s a list of Twitter users we think you should follow for election 2012 updates, analysis and commentary.

The Candidates and Campaigns

Both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are active on Twitter, along with other social sites. In addition to personal Twitter accounts, families and team member actively share news and updates from the ground.

• Mitt Romney – Former Governor of Massachusetts
• Ann Romney – Mom of five boys. Grandmother of 16. Out campaigning for @MittRomney. #Mitt2012
• Michael Biundo – Father, Husband Deputy Coalitions Director, Mitt Romney for President & Former Campaign Manager, Santorum for President (all tweets are my own thoughts…)
• RNC – Updates from the Republican National Committee
• Barack Obama – This account is run by #Obama2012 campaign staff. Tweets from the President are signed -bo.
• Obama 2012 – This account is the official #Obama2012 destination for news, views, and answers to your questions.
• Joe Biden – This account is run by #Obama2012 campaign staff. Tweets from the Vice President are signed -Joe.
• Jim Messina – Campaign Manager, Obama for America
• Michelle Obama – This account is run by #Obama2012 campaign staff. Tweets from the First Lady are signed -mo.
• Truth Team 2012 – Get the facts. Fight the smears.

The Media

Media accounts typically break news before the candidates announce it themselves. For the U.S. election, there are specific Twitter accounts that only cover election 2012 news.

• Politico 2012 – tweeting latest news, analysis and opinion about the 2012 presidential election
• NPR Election 2012 – Election coverage and conversation from NPRnews
• Decision 2012 – Updates about the 2012 presidential election from @NBCNews.
• The Caucus – The politics staff of The New York Times tweets the latest news, analysis and multimedia from the 2012 elections and around Washington.
• The Fix – The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza’s one-stop shop for political junkies.
• Huff Post Politics – The latest political news from The Huffington Post’s politics team.
• FOX News Politics – Follow us for the latest political news and updates!

The Influencers

Want more than just the facts? These news junkies will have you covered. Whether you identify yourself with the right, left or middle; there’s a voice on Twitter for you. Here are just some social influencers we have on our radar.

• Chuck Todd – Political junkie; Reporter and analyst for @NBCNews; host of@msnbctv’s @dailyrundown; Covering politics since ’92; And, yes, I tweet about sports too.
• Ezra Klein – Blogger/columnist for Washington Post, columnist for Bloomberg View, contributor to MSNBC. Eater of food. Hater of filibuster. Lover of charts.
• Bret Baier – Bret Baier is the anchor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He formerly served as Chief WH Correspondent for FNC.
• Colin Delany – Editor, Epolitics.com. Outreach/Online Comms Dir, Nat Womens Law Center. 15 years in digital politics. All opinions here are mine alone, don’t you doubt it.
• Donna Brazile – Veteran Democratic political strategist, adjunct professor, author, and syndicated columnist.
• Ari Fleischer – Former WH Press Secretary. By night a CNN contributor. By day, I run a communications company whose clients are sports organizations, athletes & corporations.
• S.E. Cupp – Conservative commentator, author of Losing Our Religion, NYDN columnist and GBTV host.
• John Dickerson – Political correspondent Slate magazine/Political Director CBS News

What other Twitter users would you add to the list to keep up with election buzz?

Twitters’ first step to overcome the brand page obstacle was in their fall 2011 site redesign which included the ability for a large, customizable header and the ability to pin a selected promoted tweet to stay on top of the timeline (including an embedded image/video). This clearly is not a ‘game changer’ as this functionality is also in Facebook and Google+.

The Dell Twitter page displays a series of high-quality photos for their banner on their brand page and currently uses the “sticky” tweet to highlight the Dell Precision T1600, which was recently awarded by PC Magazine. Dell leverages the impact of visuals on their Twitter page with the combination of a custom background, banner and embedded photo in their “sticky” tweet.

My impression is that this is helpful for brands as they are acquiring new followers. As the brand page has one shot to impress someone, brands must select posts that provide value and/or fun as well as be visually appealing. Yet the challenge remains. Once you’re following the brand you may never return.

It’s been widely reported of additional enhancements coming to the Twitter brand pages (AdAge). Many observers are expecting the ability to add Apps onto a brand page for such thing as ‘experiences’, e-commerce, contests and sweepstakes. These apps would live outside of the brand tweet stream and provide capabilities for interactions without needing to send users to other external applications.

As a brand I’d want this special interactive something if having an enhanced brand page requires a minimum advertising spend or exclusive partnership. Where does Twitter go from here? How can Twitter facilitate having people spend more time on a brand’s page and want to return again? What app could separate the Twitter experience from that found on Facebook or Google+? And how can brands manage the growing number of social content types, especially interactive?

Could this app separate the Twitter experience from that found on Facebook or Google+? I think this expected interactive element could lead people to spend more time on a brand’s page and increase their likelihood to return again. It does bring up a question though – how can brands manage the growing number of social content types, especially content of the interactive variety.

This gives rise to Social CMS (content management systems) applications where brands can not only publish across multiple social networks and post messages on their streams (timelines) but can also develop and publish interactive content. This interactive content has a longer lifetime, higher engagement, and makes all the effort put into a redesigned and optimized brand page worth it. Social CMS applications have been refining capabilities at the same speed of social networks redesigning platforms, so I’m confident that whatever comes next on Twitter will be manageable.

And I think I just found my next blog post subject.

Certain social networks tend to highlight different mediums, whether it is photos (Instagram, Facebook), text (Tumblr, Twitter), image curating (Pinterest), video (YouTube, Vimeo), or others, we’ve long awaited a social network that encompasses shareable audio content the way it should. While there are definitely networks with an audio or music focus, they’re having a hard time competing unless they are integrated with a more popular platform (think Spotify and Faceook). Plus, maybe you remember MySpace, the one and only “social entertainment” site, or even Ping, the failed social network for iTunes?

We’ve written about the digital revolution of music, and the increase of social streaming, sharing and integration functionalities. But why hasn’t there been a wildly successful site, app or otherwise, that has us going gaga creating audio content for our communities? Is it because creating and sharing compelling audio is incredibly challenging? And if so, how can we fix that?

We think content management and social media marketing could change all of that and there is hope yet for the power of audio to be rediscovered. Especially now that we can embed playable audio into Facebook statuses, this could be a whole new ballgame for friends, fans and brands alike. In fact, some predict that the power of being able to physically listen to a brand might just be the next big thing.

Some big brands are already doing it. Most of us can already recognize specific jingles and/or songs. Some of us can even identify a brand’s “voice.” (Think of both the male voices in both iPhone and iPad commercials). Similar to Facebook and Twitter, brands are also using music/audio websites to share songs or curate playlists. Interested in what music these brands are listening to? Find SPIN Magazine, Free People, Jawbone, Team Coco and more on Rdio. Want to go beyond music? Try SoundCloud for audio clips from TNW Daily Dose, KCRW, HarperCollins Children’s Books and more.

Just think, tuning into a Twitter chat that you can actually hear! Imagine not having to scroll through, constantly refresh and update? What about playing instant updates over audio on your morning commute? Considering we’ve always got our earbuds plugged in, the possibilities with integration seem endless, especially with mobile.

Want to see how you can “supercharge” your digital content with audio efforts? What better way to learn than by listening to a podcast? Check out How to Supercharge your Content Marketing Efforts with Digital Audio Content.

Tell us, do you think audio will be the underdog for much longer? Or do you see it taking off? Tweet us your thoughts @MeltwaterGroup!

Social media research reveals UK public “lose trust in the UK”
Fourth Source, April 12, 2012

“The Meltwater Group, a digital media intelligence company, used social media intelligence and marketing solution Meltwater Buzz to analyse online conversations over a six month period.  This involved monitoring online conversations on over 200 million sources across the social web, including blogs, microblogs (such as Twitter), social networks, forums and other social media sites.” – Read the full story on Fourth Source

Editor’s note: Meltwater Buzz

Ghana Challenges Africa’s Software Stigma
Global Atlanta, April 8, 2012

RetailTower, Saya and ClaimSync “are in the incubator affiliated with the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, or MEST, a pioneering institute tucked away in Accra’s East Legon area. It’s funded by the charitable arm of Meltwater, a software firm that started in Norway but now is based out of San Francisco. The two-year program takes a holistic approach to shaping college graduates into software entrepreneurs. No programming experience is required, and there’s instruction at all stages, from the first keystrokes of code to the last pitches for funding.” – Read the full article on Global Atlanta

Editor’s note: Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology

Meltwater Group secures Britain’s Top Employer Success for a second year
March 26, 2012

“Meltwater Group, one of the world’s leading Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, has been certified by the CRF Institute as one of Britain’s Top Employers for 2012, awarding the organisation for its efforts in meeting the highest standards of HR. Identifying Meltwater as front-runners in HR management, the company has been recognised for providing organisations with sharp, fresh insight into their markets and customers. Scoring highly in Career Development, Company Culture and Training & Development, Meltwater is proud of its commitment to its employees, developing and nurturing a pool of talent that is hard-working and ethical, with a strong entrepreneurial flair.” – Read the full release on RealWire

Meltwater takes pain out of online media monitoring
PRWeek, March 12, 2012

Jon Sullivan, Aflac’s manager of corporate communications shares why he’s been a Meltwater News customer for the past three years, “It does for me what I used to have to do with Google searches – put in key words and hope it turned out what I was looking for. It’s very helpful that I don’t have to generate it myself. Before I’m even at my desk, my morning Meltwater News report comes to my Blackberry. It gives me a capsulized idea of conversation that happened the previous day and overnight. “– Read the full story on PRWeek

Editor’s Note: Meltwater News

Overall, conversations across social networks around Romney and VP/“vice president” have already generated over 10,000 discussions across Twitter, Facebook and blogs in the past week. It’s still too early to tell who the front runners may be, but experts and national media reporters have been throwing out a few names including: Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Senator Rob Portman.

Meltwater decided to use Meltwater Buzz to see how these rumored VP candidates are stacking up against each other on social networks including Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

Paul Ryan leads in social media discussions with nearly 15,000 conversations total across social channels, primarily on Twitter. Social chatter spiked after Ryan said that his Catholic faith helped shape the Republican budget plan.

Catholic leaders condemn Paul Ryan’s assertion that his budget proposal was shaped by his Catholic faith: politi.co/HRkhPz

— POLITICO (@politico) April 13, 2012

Marco Rubio, however, leads the traditional media conversation with over 5,000 online news hits in the past week, according to Meltwater News. It could be due to his inclusion in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People In the World list. He is the only potential vice presidential candidate picked by the magazine’s editors.

Social conversations around Chris Christie are high due to a non-election related topic. The Twitter-sphere exploded on Friday, April 13 after news broke that Newark mayor Cory Booker rescued a neighbor from a burning house. Christie tweeted, wishing Booker a speedy recovery and adding; “Brave move, Mr. Mayor.”

Glad to hear @corybooker and all involved in last night’s fire are safe. Here’s to a swift recovery. Brave move, Mr. Mayor.

— Governor Christie (@GovChristie) April 13, 2012

There are certainly many other people on the list of potential running mates. Over the coming months, the news and social media will be keeping a close eye on the VP race. Who would blame them after the surprise of Sarah Palin’s vice presidential candidacy in 2008?!

Today, we definitely have news for you to “like” on Facebook. Facebook has officially named Meltwater a member of its Preferred Marketing Developer Program. Meltwater joins a host of experienced developers and innovative companies who have built numerous Facebook integrations and offer solutions ranging from contests, polls and campaigns to deeply integrated social experiences. Here’s what Niklas de Besche, executive director of Meltwater Buzz, had to say about this news:

“Meltwater strives to be at the cutting edge when it comes to aligning our social engagement products with the power and reach of the largest social networks. Now we will be able to bring new and innovative social business solutions to market even faster than before, providing our customers with a strategic advantage when monitoring their brands and engaging with customers across social channels. We are excited to become a member of the Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer Program.”

Meltwater’s entrance into Facebook’s Preferred Marketing Developer Program is another exciting milestone as we build out our full suite of social media marketing solutions for brands big and small across the globe and industries.

You can check out the official press release here for more details.