So can you predict who’s going to win The X-Factor using social media…?

Our money was on the phenomenon that was Goldie (naturally) but now she’s no longer in the running (boo, etc), we’re keeping an eye on the folks at The Wall, who are analysing every single ‘tweet’, ‘like’ etc, on the social net to work out where we should be putting our money.

And hurrah, they’ve created an infographic – though you may wish to read the full story right here.

It’ll be interesting to monitor whether social media really is in sync with a public phone vote moving forward or do people sometimes just enjoy having something to talk about…?

All-Leo’s Howard Wilmot recently spoke at the Europe Jazz Network General Assembly in Tallinn – yes, we had to ask him where that was too – about what’s going on in social media and digital communications in the music industry and with live events.

Just to prove to us he didn’t just get a nice weekend away in the Baltic States – that’s where Tallinn is folks, Estonia to be precise – here he is in action, well, sort of – together with the EJN.

All-Leo’s ever-increasing obsession with metrics and monitoring of brand audience/loyalty has become increasingly useful in the progressive world of social media.

Over the years, we’ve built fan bases for a huge range of range of artist – from  X Factor pop behemoths, to trendy dance acts, independently-funded rock groups and lifestyle brands. We understand each come with their own idiosyncrasies, characters and issues and we treat each individually.

It’s also important to understand your audiences’ sensibilities i.e Rod Stewart’s new album is unlikely to trend on Twitter… a common oversight!

So……what?!

We’re pretty fired up (nerdy fastidiousness) about the new tools available  to generate analysis based on a combination of  likes, comments, friends, (re)tweets, deep engagement et al. Once combined, these collectively allow us to deliver an ever-richer picture of campaign analysis.

Here’s a quick run down of the new kids on the block:

Next Big Sound – we’ve been aware of for a while; it gauges activity based on social media activity as well as sales, radio play etc, etc. All things to all men basically.

Social 50 – US based, this nabs its social networking data from Next Big Sound but also building in the number of page views to qualify the level of fan engagement with your artist

MTV Music Meter – highlights up and coming artists based on trad and digital media buzz.

An accurate portrayal of an artist’s commerciality is determined by an ever-fluid combination of all of the above and more… though it’s Mr Manager who should be analysing (if and) how they add up in relation to digital sales, tickets sales, airplay and brand endorsements.

Thinglink turns any image into a whole exciting campaign – effectively it’s like making any image into a mini website allowing you to embed links.

This can really allow you to play online, making interactive scrapbooks and flyers, rabbit holes that open up to secret content or even ‘hidden’ competitions.

With this technology an image goes beyond a still photo, as it becomes a base for “search, commerce and social connection”.

Easily embedded into blogs, websites and online magazines, the Thinglink tag editor lets you label interactive hotspots on an image – you can tag a thing (a person, object or place) or you can tag a link (a shop, a blog post, any website you like).

You can even tag music within the image, as Soundcloud and YouTube urls allow a player to appear in that tag.

Not only is the service free but businesses can gain from the real time statistics that are provided like with bit.ly. You will receive weekly emails from Thinglink showing you tag-specific clicks, hovers and views, giving you a clear idea of how successful a campaign is.

All tags appear in a simple white box that does not interfere with your site’s design and can be viewed on mobile and tablet devices, as well as of course being very accessible via Twitter and Facebook.

Those managing music artists or events could use Thinglink to create interactive event flyers, linking to ticket sellers, products regarding the artist and latest album or single releases etc.

Bloggers who like to work from a more visual point, such as fashion or art blogs, can link with affiliate programs and tag shops or important people in the photos too. Great for fashion for example.

Links to suppliers and retailers gain higher value impressions than the traditional banner ads we are accustomed too: Thinglink states that their average image campaign click-through rate can be anything from 1.5% to 5%

Apart from all the above facts businesses should think of Thinglink as a fresh new way to engage with their audiences, giving them a more pleasurable experience than just reading and scrolling down pages of text.

To find out how you can use this great service, click here.