I don't text, I only send instagrams of my faxes [SF Insights]

Instafax should exist. If it doesn’t already. Am I right?

For now… it is becoming obvious that Instagram is the future of social media, for better or worse. Folks are taking #petselfiez. If you really want to follow NY Fashion week, Instagram is THE platform to keep up with. And as dark as it is, the Assad’s have joined Instagram as some weird PR move.

And let’s not forget the big news of Facebook now allowing contests in the news feed. The whole “like this post to win an iPad” is no longer a faux pas, well at least not officially. There is one simple reason for this. The news feed is where Facebook makes money.

But wait, didn’t Facebook just turn down the volume on “low quality” content last week? How much do you wanna bet that contest-based posts start getting penalized as low quality content soon and you will have to pay to promote them?

You will continue to see these two trends colliding. Facebook is learning a lot from Instagram. It is mobile. It is young. It is growing fast. Keep an eye on how Facebook and Instagram continue to learn from each other.

In the meantime, if anyone wants to work on that Instagramming of faxes project with me, let me know.

To the insights!

1. Choosing The Right Contest Prize

Contests are a staple of social media campaigns. But it is hard to decide between giving away an iPad or a Kindle Paperwhite, right? Click above to read a few smart thoughts on the topic by Social Mouths.

2. Create In-Depth Articles To Build Authority On Google

Google called and she is kind of tired of your 300 word summary articles. She told me to share that. And yes, Google is a she. Only a woman could be that smart and helpful. Gini Dietrich has a great writeup here about how to start taking advantage of Google’s new feature that spotlights longer form and informative content.

3. What To Post On Facebook, No Tricks

What if I told you that Facebook only changed two new things in the past month? Yes, you are right. I would be lying. Turns out the new Facebook insights are starting to be available to most people now. And get handy intel about what content is working for you.

4. These Facebook Stats Will Make You A Social Advertising Hero

The way we market on Facebook is changing. Getting fans from the news feed to a conversion page is now a big part of how Facebook can benefit the bottom line for any business. Justin Kistner breaks down some new data for you here. Definitely worth a click.

5. Social Brand Forum 2013

The next Social Fresh Conference is not for 6 months or so. If you can’t wait that long, we know of a few other hot social media conferences that aren’t too shabby. Next up is Social Brand Forum and they’ve got some smart folks coming down to Iowa for this two day social education shindig. Check it out, thank us later. Or now, you know, your call.

6. Angry Airline Passenger Buys Promoted Tweet To Get Even

Ever had a bad experience on an airline? Ok, ok, take it easy. You’ll hurt your neck nodding like that so hard. Turns out one passenger wanted to get even with his airline so much for losing his luggage that he spent $1000 making sure Twitter knew the story. If this becomes a trend, things are going to be interesting.

7. How About 17 Tactics For Gaining More Twitter Followers

We all know if you could just get a few more Twitter followers, life would be a little easier. Well, you’re in luck. SEOmoz, now Moz, has been beefing up their Twitter analytics tool, Followerwonk. It is a little known and high quality Twitter resource. This list is a high quality resource for anyone looking to expand their Twitter success.