My weekly update of what’s going on in new media marketing, pulled from social bookmarking site Creativing.com:

Why Teens Are Not Using Twitter: It Doesn’t Feel Safe

Some insightful findings from a recent report on how teens are using media. By ‘safe’, they’re referring to knowing who’s reading your posts. Clearly, Facebook’s latest privacy settings are right on the mark. And while the safety thing is big, and something most adults probably overlook, I thought it was ironic that Twitter is seen as expensive. It’s based on the texting charges, which anyone without a smart phone will be hit by when they post. I’d guess it’s the same for Facebook’s status updates, but the bigger point is, when a significant percentage of a group have a strong preference about a communication platform, it makes other platforms pretty irrelevant for that group. Also noteworthy is this post, on TechCrunch, was written by a 16 year old.

The New Online – Keep It Clear

This article reiterates something social media is reminding us on a daily basis. Keep your communications clear. I think this has been a big reality in online for a long time, and social media is perhaps bearing it out more clearly. Consumer’s are both in charge, and impatient. Site usability studies have shown for years that lack of clarity doesn’t breed further investigation, but rather site abandonment. If you can’t get your message across quickly and clearly today, you probably won’t have a message at all.

PR Blackout Challenges Mom Bloggers to Return to Basics

Pretty interesting approach by community MomDot to serve something of a reality check to the mommy blogger group. Essentially drop all paid posting for a week. Paid posting probably won’t be going away, but reminders like this can help bloggers more conscious of why their readers are there in the first place.

The Difference Between Total Users and Active Users

Most sites and web services have far more total users than active users. Writer Fred Wilson states that companies should focus on the active users, making them even more active, than trying to get the non-active users more involved, because over time, many of the non-active users will become active, as they see their friends who are active users getting more involved. This aligns very well with common social media practices. Brands should be focusing on their best customers first. Once they’re on board, then they’ll carry the message on to their friends.

Howcast, a Video Start-Up, Charges Into the ‘How-to’ Web

At first, it doesn’t seem like there’s be room in the crowded video space for a company developing content internally. But these vids are very well done, and are a good reminder that while YouTube may have a lot of HowTo videos, there’s always room for a better product experience.  The branding and styling of the videos are nice, and the production quality is surprisingly good for miniscule budgets.

The Big Idea: Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Good piece on the life or death of ‘the big idea’ in marketing. This subject is as nuanced and fragmented as the marketing industry it’s written about. The truth, as usual, is probably somewhere between the polarities. I don’t think the big idea is dead, but rather we’re looking at a new version of the big idea. Something that has to have a lot more fluidity and scale than anything we considered the big idea in the past.

Web site recreates Apollo 11 mission in real time

On the 40th anniversary of moon shot v1 comes this piece from the JFK Museum: We Choose The Moon. A nice comprehensive piece that seeks to put the moon mission into a more grandiose perspective by going granular. The site is being rolled out in real time sync with the mission timeline. An interesting tactic, although probably not in line with how people consume media these days. Is that part of the retrospective?

Camera screen overlay info for Google Phone – Kicking Reality Up a Notch

Last week I covered new patents being applied for by Apple in which contextual geolocation information is served through a combination of a phone’s camera, GPS coordinate info, and photo recognition technologies. Now here’s a real world example, from The Netherlands. Pretty impressive, and definitely something I’d use.

Postcrossing – Postcards Traveling The World

This is a cool idea. The site matches people from around the world, and initiates a postcard exchange.  A simple yet effective way to connect people in different cultures. Alternately, it’s a bit random, and I think it would be nice to be able to select a country. But a good idea at the core.