How Social Media Prompts Holiday Purchases

http://mashable.com/2011/12/14/social-media-holiday-purchases/

This article is interesting as it shows just how reviews and what is seen/heard plays a major role in buying these days. Buying is very different now than it used to be.

Trends for 2012

Here are some interesting predictions for where social media is headed in the next year:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/six_social_media_trends_for_20.html

Twitter Begins Brand Page Roll out

interesting change twitter is making

Twitter Begins Brand Page Rollout

Twitter is introducing brand pages and just as many of us haven't yet experienced the new Twitter account changes, the first brand pages being rolled out aren't even necessarily viewable to all. In fact, the demo video of Twitter's account changes has been marked private and you can't even see those. Fortunately, screenshots are available.

Rafe Needleman took a screenshot of Pepsi's new Twitter brand page which you can check out by clicking on the thumbnail above. It's a nice look that Needleman feels beats out Facebook and Google+ on the design front in his three-way brand shootout. He points out that "Twitter gives managers the capability to change the color scheme of the entire brand page, as well as put in their own header art and background image."

The overall format is a nice match for the new Twitter accounts that are viewable as a screenshot in Daniel Terdiman's CNET article on those changes.

In a client letter for Digitas, Donna Tocci breaks down the new brand page layout and features:

Leaderboard - "The leaderboard is the name Twitter has given to the top portion of the brand page. This space allows brands to promote themselves through the use of graphics, written information and links."

Promoted Tweet Area - "At the top of the timeline, each page has a stationary spot for tweets...The brand can rotate this message as often as it likes, but the option is to have this pinned to the top of the timeline."

Timeline (formerly "stream") - "Regular Twitter account streams include a combination of original tweets and @replies...A brand’s timeline will now not include the @replies...However, for brands who are focused on customer service or who want to show their participation with the community, this function can be turned back on."

Mobile Brand Pages - "While Twitter did not unveil mobile brand pages yet, Digitas has been told that they will be consistent with the web version at launch."

Most users won't get access to brand pages until some time first quarter 2012. Tom Edwards, SVP, Digital Strategy & Emerging Technology Red Urban (Omnicom) has more discussion and screenshots.

Free tickets on Southwest Airlines? It's the latest Facebook scam

Every time I go on Facebook, it seems as though there is another scam being posted on my friends` walls or as their new status updates. This morning many of my friends made a status in order to "receive 2 free Southwest airline tickets." This article discusses that we are giving access to our profiles when signing up for these scams. Also, it has a YouTube video discussing how to clean up your Facebook after participating in one of these scams. Privacy will definitely be an increasing issue for social media sites.

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/02/22/free-tickets-on-southwest-airlines-latest-facebook-scam/

Amazon Price Check app draws protests from some retailers

This article highlighted the difficult balance facing companies when using various forms of social media and running promotions to promote their product. This article discusses how some people are upset with the Amazon Price Check ap because it is ultimately taking business away from small businesses. It is interesting to see how companies integrate social media tools into the marketing campaigns because it is sometimes a period of trial-and-error.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-amazon-price-check-app-draws-protests-from-some-retailers-20111209,0,1595833.story

Integrating LinkedIN and Social Media into your job search

This article is again about job searching.  I obviously have something on my mind.

The article gives more insight about the benefits of LinkedIN but most importantly how to link it with the rest of your attempts at marketing yourself via social media.

http://windmillnetworking.com/2010/09/16/reasons-why-your-social-media-strategy-isnt-a-social-media-strategy/

How Much Does a Twitter Follower Cost?

http://mashable.com/2011/12/06/cost-of-twitter-follower/

I thought this article was interesting because I never realized exactly how much a Twitter follower costs to brands who pay for followers. The cost-per-follower rate for Promoted Accounts runs between $2.50 and $4 while the cost-per-engagement rate for Promoted Tweets runs between $0.75 and $2.50. Factors when calculating "engagement" for CPE include clicks, favorites, retweets and @replies.

Gearing up for Job Hunting Season

This article makes some good points about "cleaning-up" your Facebook for professional job searching and how to look prepared using Twitter.  Peterson, the authur is young and realistic.  He highlights a great point about looking up the company's social media before interviews, etc. to get a feel for who they are as a company.  I feel like I've seen a lot of articles like this but this article is straight forward and leaves me feeling less overwhelmed than most.  Hope you find it as useful as I do.

http://socialmediatoday.com/jigsawsocial/401685/social-media-profile-checklist-new-job

The Third of the Triad: Grandma Knows Best

Grandma seems to know best. And by transitive property, so does Mashable?

Here are some social media tips from Chacho Puebla via PSFK. Puebla's great aunt provides some social commentary on what we should tweet, if we should Google less, and how much Wikipedia is really appropriate. Great for a quick laugh on what silly youngins' we are.

http://mashable.com/2011/11/30/social-tips-from-grandma/

QR Codes Don't Have To Be REALLY Ugly

QR codes. You see them everywhere. And yet you'd rather not. This Mashable article by Hamilton Chan outlines ways that companies are utilizing creative QR design to stay in race and stand out. Chan says that QR codes are "malleable and can be redesigned in truly extraordinary ways, while still maintaining their scanability." It's nice that the checkerbox visual is no longer needed and I think it will be an inventive and promising way to implement mobile platforms in the marketing sphere.

http://mashable.com/2011/04/18/qr-code-design-tips/

'Tis The Season for Social Media

Now this story may be dated by a few months (technical problems are mostly to blame), but I think that it is a great example of the power of social channels like YouTube and our viral project earlier in the semester. Kevin Judd's music and light show went viral, his family has been featured in the national press and in the international media, and he was specifically featured on Good Morning America.

He will also be returning on a live broadcast with Christmas-themed decorations and a secret new song choice. LMFAO shot part of their music video at the house live on location. It just goes to show that you never know who's watching!

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-697237?hpt=hp_bn2

Twitter Shares Biggest World News Stories This Year

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/06/twitter-shares-biggest-world-news-stories-this-year/?hpt=hp_t2

I found this article very interesting because I know that since I began actively using Twitter this past summer, the news really has found me rather than me finding the news. I follow CNN on Twitter, as well as other news accounts, and I often check my Twitter feed more often than I check CNN's website or other news sites. Even so, I still feel as though I know much more going on in the world than I did before I became an active Twitter user.

Twitter in the Classroom

Giving Twitter an academic presence?  Food for thought.  Wonder if any of this will become mainstream in the future.  Just like we blog, could there ever be a twitter feed for a class' participation?

http://socialmediatoday.com/adigaskell/398597/can-twitter-ever-have-academic-value?ref=headline_rotator

Facebook turning into Myspace?

Some people are thinking that facebook is becoming less popular, like what happened to myspace. The writer of this article strongly believes that facebook is being used less and by less people. I disagree. I find adults, ages 45+, have been using facebook more than ever. People are still interested in seeing pictures of other people and keeping in touch with people far away. Adults especially enjoy rekindling relationships with their friends from growing up. Facebook may be changing, but I think it will be around for a while.

http://techland.time.com/2011/12/05/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-facebook/?hpt=hp_c3

"Insensitive" Technologies

Found this interesting little slideshow on "insensitive" technologies, such as Siri's apparent stance against abortion (just an oversight) or HP's webcam that cannot track faces of darker users (obviously a mistake as well).

http://mashable.com/2011/12/02/siri-offensive-tech/

CEOs Beginning to Involve themselves in Social Media

Now that it is clear that social media is no trend - it is here to stay - CEOs are beginning to create personal profiles so they can interact with their customers. This is growing largely among the younger CEOs. Social media is becoming a critical component of businesses and the CEOs have taken note, incorporating social media into their various business strategies. Statistics in the article show that company's with social media involved CEOs are benefiting from the practice. It should be no surprise that in the next few years, most CEOs will be involved with social media, especially with the younger generation of future CEOs who have embraced social media the most strongly coming of age.

http://mashable.com/2011/12/02/social-ceo-infographic/

What Would a Publicly Traded Facebook Mean to Users?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/30/tech/social-media/facebook-ipo-effect/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

I thought this article was interesting, especially after discussing in yesterday's class where social media is going in the future. The article mentions that Facebook could raise $10 billion in just its initial public offering. One TechCrunch writer argues that Facebook becoming responsible to stockholders would mean that the site would be less free to innovate and would be more concerned with making a profit than focusing on users' Facebook experience. This would mean that we would see more advertisements popping up than we already do.

Is Facebook Doing Enough to Protect your Privacy?

http://mashable.com/2011/11/29/facebook-privacy-poll/

In one of my other classes today, we discussed a Facebook case and how it has grown since it was first introduced in 2004. It also mentioned how privacy has been a main issue for Facebook since it started, and this article goes further into how Facebook is still dealing with these issues today. They recently reached a settlement with the FTC, that involved whether privacy tweaks in 2009 were unfair or deceptive. Facebook now has guidelines that it needs to follow regarding privacy. I thought this related somewhat to our discussion in class today as well, about where social media is headed, and I think privacy is one of the main factors determining that direction. It should be interesting to see where Facebook goes from here on this issue, especially with them planning to go public in 2012.

Shaq’s Retirement Drives 500k Viewers to Tout in 3 Hours

http://gigaom.com/video/shaq-tout/

Shaquille O’Neal made huge waves in the social media world today by officially announcing his retirement online. And while many have suggested that O’Neal’s announcement was a testament to the power of Twitter, it was actually six-week old social video startup Tout that hosted the video in which Shaq told the world he wasn’t returning to basketball.

I thought this was interesting. I learned of TOUT about 3 weeks ago in an email from a family member looking to expand their social media marketing campaign for real estate.

TOUT allows you to post a 15 second video, kind of like a live, in person status update. Any thoughts?

Three Must-Haves for Using Twitter in a Crisis

http://socialmediatoday.com/chrissyme/397350/three-must-haves-using-twitter-crisis?ref=headline_rotator


This is a bit of a cross-over with other marketing issues, but still intriguing.  This articles is about fixing crisis via social media, which is where everyone looks when they hear the news. Maybe United Airlines could take a tip or two from this.  A very important point for any social media presence whether a sole person to a global cooperation is to "be present consistently.  That doesn't mean you have to tweet every hour, it just means you have a content strategy that fits your goals, and you are committed to it."  The article reviews pre-crisis, crisis strategy and post-strategy.  If you anything it makes for a good interview question when applying for social media jobs.  Do you think twitter will take over press releases in crisis strategy?  Or rather how beneficial is Twitter via a press release in this situation?

Facebook IPO set for April 2012

Apart from the financial implications of the IPO, it will be interesting to see how Facebook will change through this process. Zuckerberg has done an excellent job building his company and his involvement is going to be significantly less after the IPO. I am wondering what direction the new majority owners will take the company and if it will be able to maintain its progress.



http://mashable.com/2011/11/28/facebook-ipo-april-201/

iphone users can trick Siri into updating social media

The hottest new feature of the iPhone is Siri. Siri is a voice command system that allows you to use all aspects of your iPhone by simply asking. Though you can ask Siri "Where is the best place to stash a body?" and you will get results for warehouses nearest you, she is reluctant to update facebook or twitter for you...unless you trick her. This blog reveals how you can trick Siri into updating social media with a few simple steps.

http://socialfresh.com/how-to-use-siri-for-social-media-management/

Google+ and What it Means for Your Business

Hey everybody - I was on socialmediaexaminer.com, a social media blog, and found an interesting article about Google+. The article contains an interview with the author of the book "Google+ for Dummies, Portable Edition", Jesse Stay. I am not very familiar with Google+ and this article helped me understand the benefits of using the program. I think you will find it both informative and interesting.

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/google-and-what-it-means-for-your-business/

47 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

Hey everyone, I found an interesting site with the editor of mashables picks for some of the best web resources. It has a lot of interesting information about social media that ranges from the best and most effective ways to use it to the 10 most retweeted pictures of the week. Also, one of the things that I really liked is that it has some interesting ideas on how to use social media to optimize your resume.

http://mashable.com/2011/11/28/47-digital-media-resources/

Companies/Causes using Facebook to generate donations.

Facebook is discovering functions to partner causes and companies in such a way that creates a tangible benefit: donations.

This includes:
1. Like for Donation

- this is a great idea because people love to be seen doing good things. Liking a cause and giving a donation allows all of your friends to see.

2. Simple Action for Donation

- this asks customers to post a picture for a cause or comment on a brand’s or campaign’s Facebook page in order to unlock a donation. This is great for generating awareness among other facebook friends.

3. Interactive Action for Donation

- these are custom designed applications that are meant to generate interest in a cause or campaign and to share it with other friends. This is meant to make joining a cause seem more appealing to generate donations.

4. Voting Campaigns

- companies promote their image through this method by offering cash to causes in return for the votes of consumers. The Pepsi Refresh project is a well cited example. This is great for companies in promoting their public image.

These methods are all really great at generating donations because they play on the validation people/companies desire of being seen as good people - something that will be done with making donations and sharing it among their Facebook friends.

Here is the article:

http://mashable.com/2011/11/25/facebook-cause-marketing/

Stop Stop Online Piracy Act!

On October 26, 2011 the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was introduced to the House of Representatives. If passed it would allow courts to force companies like Google, Paypal and Visa to cancel any business with websites operating in the grey area of copyright. For a more elaborated description see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

Companies like Google, Facebook and Reddit did not fail to recognize that this bill would have unforseeable consequences both for their content and business model. Therefore a petition has been put into place to stop SOPA from passing.

http://www.webpronews.com/sopa-petition-gains-steam-some-are-less-than-enthusiastic-about-its-prospects-2011-11

Could Facebook Be Ruining Sharing?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-57324406-256/how-facebook-is-ruining-sharing/

Here's an interesting article on how by using its new Open Graph plan, Facebook is actually deterring users from sharing articles rather than encouraging them. The article explains:

When Facebook unveiled Open Graph at the f8 developer conference this year, it was clear that the goal of the initiative is to quantify just about everything you do on Facebook. All your shares are automatic, and both Facebook and publishers can track them, use them to develop personalization tools, and apply some kind of metric to them...The problem, really, is that the plan is turning out to be really annoying in practice. Spotify song sharing is like the new FarmVille, and its auto-sharing turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for folks who didn't quite understand just how frictionless Open Graph sharing would be... In search of "frictionless" sharing, Facebook is putting up a barrier to entry on items your friends want you to see--that is, they're creating friction. Even if it's just a onetime inconvenience, any barrier to sharing breaks sharing...


I know that I find it really annoying when I try to click on a link, only to be stopped with an app request. Since the point of facebook is sharing, I agree with the article in suggesting that the social networking site re-focuses on voluntary and purposeful sharing rather than listing and reporting users' personal online activity.

Credit system added to Quora

So apparently a new credit system has been added to Quora, where you can ask specific people to answer your question. If they answer they earn credits, which they can then use. Or at least that is the rough and simple explanation of the system.

What is Quora? http://www.quora.com/Quora/What-is-Quora-1?q=what+is+quora

Check it out here: http://www.quora.com/credits

Yair Livne, Quora analyst

12 votes by Joel Lewenstein, Samarth Mohan, Kah Seng Tay, (more)

You can earn more credits in a few ways.

Answering Ask to Answer requests: You'll receive credits for answering ask-to-answer requests (an amount equal to the number of credits it takes to send you the request).

Getting upvotes on answers you've written: You'll get credits for any new upvotes on any answer or post you've written on Quora.

Soliciting an answer (via Ask to Answer request) that receives upvotes: Any upvote on a answer you've requested will get you credits.

Credits given to you by other users: Users can give credits to each other whenever they want.

Occasional system refreshes: We'll provide credit refreshes if you go for a while without enough credits to ask the average priced user.

Foursquare's Revamped Website Could Challenge Yelp

http://mashable.com/2011/11/15/foursquares-revamped-website-could-challenge-yelp/

Foursquare announced that on Tuesday they will roll out a new version of their website. No longer will they be just a check-in social media site, but now they are including new discovery features that allow people to find businesses around them- much like Yelp does. Yelp added a check-in feature a few months ago, so now its Foursquare's turn to take a page from Yelp's book. We can only wait to see if this new feature will improve Foursquare's popularity.

Tidbits

New Orleans Tidbits is a social media site similar to Living Social, except everyone can get rewards anytime. Tidbits is unique to each city that it has a presence in. I get weekly emails about events and special sales in New Orleans. Some sales are only available by using Tidbits, but other posts are just information about stores' events and sales. Tidbits sends out 2 emails a week. One is about the social events around the city that week, called "Social Diary" and the other is about different sales going on around town. The emails have clever little "tidbits" about local companies and really appreciate each city's culture. Tidbits has something for everyone (well, mostly just girls). And if you recruit more followers, you get more deals. Tidbits also has a Kidbits for one of its cities, Austin. Tidbits is only in 11 cities throughout the US, but I'm sure it's trying to extend its services.

http://neworleans.gotidbits.com/

Inbound vs Outbound marketing

If you are thinking in what is inbound marketing and what are the differences with

outbound marketing, here is an infographic that explain all the subject in a

fun way.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/30/inbound-outbound-marketing/

LivingSocial Offers Full-Priced Food Delivery

Hello everybody,

I found this site very interesting today on Mashable.com. Living Social has a new feature called the "LivingSocial Room Service" that will ofer "white glove delivery' from local restaurants. The service was created to prevent customers from waiting in long lines during lunch and dinner rushes. But they decided not to hold a discount for this deal. Nevertheless, customers who wish to participate in this service are promised the full restaurant experience in the privacy of their own homes, including high quality tableware, customer service, and dining accessories.

LivingSocial representative stated that this service will allow them to be exposed to a different type of customer, or a type that doesn't like to "get out" as much as others who are willing to try different LivingSocial deals in different parts of the city. However LivingSocial is in direct competition with "Seamless", a mobile food ordering firm that has deals with more than 7,500 restaurants.

So I guess we will see if this new feature proves successful for LivingSocial. The new feature is only being offered in Washington, D.C. so anyone who is interested and from that area should try and check it out!
http://mashable.com/2011/11/15/livingsocial-food-delivery/

"Tumblr Numbers: The Rapid Rise of Social Blogging"

Mashable just posted an article today the rise of social blogging that echoes a lot of the information we covered class. The article notes that Tumblr has grown 218% in the U.S., and an astounding 900% worldwide--which is very impressive, especially when compared to the growth seen in other social networking sites over the same time frame (Linked in, 63%; Twitter, 31%; Facebook, 14%; Myspace, -50%).

The article really dives into what these numbers actually mean in terms of the type of user and their frequency of use. For example, a group labeled "Addicts" is the 2% of users make up 43% of total visits to Tumblr.com. In addition, "Regulars" consist of the 40% of users that make up 44% of total visits, and "Passers-By" are the 58% of users that make up 13% of visits. Clearly, people who use Tumblr are incredibly loyal as the statistics show.

After reading the article, I decided to join Tumbler myself... so I guess I'll be adding to these growing statistics!

Check out the article for more interesting facts and stats: http://mashable.com/2011/11/14/tumblr-infographic/

Forbes Top Ten... Everydody Loves Lists

http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/17/facebook-old-spice-farmville-pepsi-forbes-viral-marketing-cmo-network-social-media_slide.html

Forbes put out a list of the best social media campaigns ever. I really enjoyed going through the slide show because we have discussed a lot of these campaigns in class. The Whopper Sacrifice, the Old Spice Guy, Blendtec, Pepsi Refresh, and the Subservient Chicken all make an appearance on the list. Check it out!

Military Social Media?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda. A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with US Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop an “online persona management service” that will allow one US serviceman and woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world. The Centcom contract stipulates that each fake online persona must have a convincing background, history and supporting details, and that up to 50 US-based controllers could operate false identities from their workstations.

Know your meme

I’m sure you all know the feeling of being the only one in the room who doesn’t get a joke. With the explosion of internet memes, this is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon online. If you have ever wondered who in the world is Good Guy Greg? or what does Mike Tyson have to do with the Herman Cain campaign? then you should check out the site below:

http://knowyourmeme.com/

Know your meme is a site dedicated to documenting and researching the most popular internet memes. You can see what memes are trending, and often get a detailed history of where the meme originated. Thanks to this site, the next time someone asks you if you know the Futurama Fry meme, you can reply, “Nope, it is just Chuck Testa” (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can look up both memes on the site).

Comparing Facebook Pages and Google+ Brand Pages

It's no secret that companies are using social media to promote their brands. A great comparison is between how companies use Facebook Pages and Google+ Brand pages to promote themselves. Facebook has had years to refine its webpage while Google + is using new technology to differentiate themselves. Personally, I believe that Google +'s brand pages are really what can set it apart from facebook and beyond, this is because Google + can actually have live chats with customers, whereas Facebook can only post status updates. Take a look:

http://mashable.com/2011/11/08/google-plus-vs-facebook-pages/

Internships

I just started working on the website www.internships.com. This is a website some of you have probably heard of. It is a great way for students, graduates, and employers to meet. It is designed to help people find internships in companies that interest them as well as help employers find interns that are qualified for the position they are offering. Not only does this website allow you to type your interests and customize a search for internship opportunities, it helps you figure out what to search for. There are career and personality assessments and blogs. The blogs highlight stories and give advice on how to nail an internship. Anyone can post on the blog which can guarantee a wide range of stories and experiences. Check this website out! It’s really helpful.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's take on social networking

I couldn't help but think of our Social Media Marketing class when I watched last week's episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Here's a teaser for the episode, but you can probably find the full-episode online somewhere as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzWjjIYvnYc

What the promo doesn't show is the main premise of the episode, which involves the gang's goal of creating a viral video to promote their bar. Frank (Danny Devito's character) finds out--as we all know from our own attempts--that making a viral video is not as easy as it sounds. Hope you guys enjoy the episode as much as I did!

Hey all,

I'm not sure if this falls in the realm of social media or not, but I thought it was really interesting. There is this new free app called Lunchmeet which works with LinkedIn to help you find professional contacts in your area who are available and willing to meet up for a meal, coffee or drinks. It focuses on the whole idea of its not what you know, its who you know and as much as I hate this saying I think this is still a really good idea fro an application. I know I can always use some new friends who work or have insight into the industry I might work in. If your interested in learning more about it the link is below.

http://mashable.com/2011/11/08/lunchmeet/

Political Polling Meets Social Networking

I thought this related to the Obama case that we did, and how Obama was really the first to utilize social media in his presidential campaign. Pollsters are trying to figure out how to engage the younger demographic that is found through Facebook, Twitter, etc. This company, Tiipz, is trying to create a high level of interaction among this younger generation that has typically been harder to reach.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/political-polling-meets-social-networking-2011-11-09

Take This Lollipop

Just came across a neat little Facebook app that's getting a lot of attention. Take This Lollipop provides a personalized short movie using information and pictures from your Facebook profile. At over 9,000,000 views, it's been quite successful.

I don't want to give away the plot, but as a warning, it is a little creepy. Although the creator didn't intend for it to be anything other than entertainment, it does seem to raise questions about online privacy. Go and check it out. You can always remove the app's access later.

Fixing Tulane's Presence on Social Media

Ever since Katherine from Tulane PR spoke to our class last Wednesday about Tulane's presence on social media, I have been thinking about how we could improve it. I started thinking about other colleges, like LSU, that have huge amounts of followers on Facebook and Twitter. My friends who go to LSU "like" every LSU page on Facebook as fast as they can, but we do not even follow our university's page. I do not think we can fairly compare Tulane to LSU because they simply do not offer the same things. LSU is known for atheltics, and people from all over the state support the school. Many Louisianians attended LSU or have family who attended/attend the school, and many just like LSU and support the university for state pride.

Regardless, Tulane is just not the same. Our students come from all over the country and the world, and we are a much smaller university. We are not really known for our atheltics to the extent that LSU is, but we are more known for our academics. I think it would be best to target our current students and our alumni to keep us updated on the university. Plus I think once I leave I will still want to keep in touch with Tulane. I also think the content on Tulane's Facebook page has to change. I think we should use it as a way to increase school spirit, not another outlet for the New Wave. As someone in our class mentioned, we already receive the New Wave through email every morning. In my opinion, I want to see the fun things that my friends are doing and I want to read humurous things that have happened on campus.

Also, I think many of us agree that we do not like being fans of many different pages because then our newsfeeds get blown up by stuff we do not want to see. I am not a fan of every club and organization I am involved in because I think it's a little ridculous. Like every other member of a club/organization on campus, I receive emails notifying me about upcoming meetings and events...so I really do not need to see these things on my newsfeed. I think it would be better if every club/organization submitted their photos, updates, or other entertaining content to the university's facebook page. Then again, I do not know how we could do that because we cannot tell clubs/organizations that they cannot have their own pages. Anyway, I think this would only require us to follow one page instead of many different ones (that just get in the way of the stuff we want to see on Facebook). Also, using more entertaining content and finding a positive way to promote the university would get Tulane's page more followers. Does anyone else have anything else they would like to see on Tulane's page?

Sour Patch Kids Video Game/Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw7uhVtpI5I

The link above connects to a strange youtube pair: Sour Patch Kids and Method Man from the Wu Tang Clan. Sour Patch is releasing a video game to promote its brand name and diversify into what they consider an attractive market. If that weren't odd enough, the company recruited Method Man to create a soundtrack and music video for the game. The video's surprisingly entertaining and holds as much musical validity as it does marketing power. Since its debut about a month ago, the video has reached nearly 700,000 views and saturated a unique market (Wu Tang and Method Man fans) that Sour Patch certainly would not be associated with otherwise. It will be interesting to see the effects of the viral video on game sales and game sales on the candy line. In the meantime, at least the video's entertaining.

Social Media putting an end to BOA fees

In scrapping fee, BofA hears social media's voice #loudandclear

U-turn on debit card surcharge, Netflix's Qwikster debacle reflect growing consumer power online

November 02, 2011|Phil Rosenthal

In less than half the time it took Kim Kardashian to end her latest marriage, Bank of America, too, had a change of heart.

There was no honeymoon after BofA proposed charging some customers a monthly $5 fee for using its debit cards to spend their own money. The nation's second-largest bank got no farther than the reception, which was ugly and loud, especially online.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-02/business/ct-biz-1102-phil-20111102_1_debit-card-fees-bofa-suntrust-banks

This article was very interesting because it shows the amount of power that social media has given the customers. Social media has given customers a new outlet for complaining--- which Bank of America heard clearly concerning their idea of implementing a new $5 fee for debit cards.

The RadBrad - Social Media Marketing Unleashed

Just recently I stumbled upon this guy's Youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/theRadBrad

He simply plays computer games and comments on them while playing. In total he got 32 million views on his videos. This is impressive for many reasons. First, many people pay good money to play the games themselves. So why should they watch someone playing when they could play themselves? Second, his comments are mostly not related to the game but to this guy's life (interrupted with cussing).

If you look at his channel's landing page links for all major social networks almost jump your face. I don't know if this guy knows what an awsome social media strategy he is running. He certainly puts a lot of time into his channel and by the amount of advertising he does I think it pays out pretty well.

United Breaks Guitars Impact on Delta Customer Service

This weekend I was flying up to New York with a layover in Atlanta. I flew Delta the whole way. In Atlanta my flight to New York was delayed for 2 hours.

After 40 minutes of delay with no explanation they simply told us that the flight was pushed back yet again. Out of frustration I tweeted

"40 minutes after our take off time they finally tell us we're delayed another 40 minutes @delta is the worst airline"

I got no response.

Another 30 minutes or so pass and I tweet this

"Seriously. I never have a good experience flying @delta. About to go all "united breaks guitars" on these jerks"

They tweeted back almost instantly with this message

"My apologies for the delay. Are you making a connection? Pls shoot us a tweet if you need to check on the status."

Moral of the story: If you having trouble with customer service on an airline bring up United Breaks Guitar and the airlines will quickly sing a different song.

Viral Video

Here is an example of a true viral video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YQpbzQ6gzs

I would guess that the fact that it was on television probably helped with making it go viral since he was able to reach the entire country in the course of 5 minutes.

Ford Vehicles Will Now Read You Text Messages While You Drive

Ford is installing a feature in its new cars--and many of its older ones--that can now read text messages out loud. The feature is intended to reduce texting while driving. The feature is part of Ford's voice-activated technology, Sync. Sync is already installed on all model 2012 Ford vehicles except for the Ranger. A Bluetooth connection helps sync phones and alerts users when they receive text messages, reads them out loud and allows users to respond with a selection of standard pre-written messages without taking their hands off the wheel.

Ford hopes that this new technology will become more widely adopted by phone manufacturers. 

The article later questioned why Bluetooth has not already come up with a text-to-voice option? The response is that there are several apps currently, one called DriveSafe.ly and SMS Replier. However, only a few manufacturers such as Ford and BMW has integrated the new technology into their vehicles. 

This seems pretty incredible. Do you think that even though its hands free, it will still distract drivers?...I personally believe that drivers should be concentrated on the road and just deal with their phone calls and text messages when they reach their destination. But, maybe if Ford perfects this technology they will be able to prevent accidents for phone use while driving...

To read the full article: http://mashable.com/2011/10/18/ford-text-message/

Timing Your Facebook Posts

I thought this article had some interesting ideas on how to perfect the timing of your Facebook updates to get the most views. It seems mostly geared towards companies, but I think it could have been helpful if I had seen this before promoting our viral video.

http://mashable.com/2011/10/26/time-facebook-posts/?WT.mc_id=obnetwork

Speaking of how Obama will revamp his 2008 social media campaign….he created a Tumblr! As of three days ago, people all over the country can post pictures, stories, questions, and just about anything else on http://barackobama.tumblr.com/. The team that created it wants it to be a “huge collaborative storytelling effort.”

Going along with Zach’s post below, this is definitely one step towards fostering two-way communication/ interaction. The Tumblr also has links to a new blog called “Young Americans for Obama”

It will be interesting to see what comments the blog facilitators will allow or delete. Alsowonder if they will address deleted comments if people raise concerns about it.

After finishing the viral camp project I figured this was relevant so we can all profit off our wildly successful videos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/technology/personaltech/cashing-in-on-your-hit-youtube-video.html?_r=2&src=tp

Cashing In on Your Hit YouTube Video

By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER

Katie Clem posted a video on YouTube this month of her daughter Lily’s poignant and funny reaction to her sixth birthday present, a trip to Disneyland, for her friends and family. Then it went viral.

In three weeks it has been watched more than five million times, and Lily has become a minor Internet celebrity. Of far more importance, at least to Lily’s parents, the video is poised to make enough money from advertisements to send Lily to college.

Creating a video that attracts millions of viewers and becomes a pop culture phenomenon involves an unpredictable cocktail of luck and timing. A dash of cute babies or people acting like idiots can only help. But once a video goes viral, making some cold cash depends on quick action.

Here is some advice on how to take advantage of your 15 minutes of Internet fame from people who did just that.

MAKE AN OUTSTANDING VIDEO There is no recipe for creating a viral video, but there are a few common traits.

Take the time to identify the video by writing a detailed title and description so people and search engines can find it easily, said Kevin Allocca, manager of YouTube Trends. “Surprised Kitty” (55 million viewings and counting) is far better than “Video of Tigger.”

Share it widely on social networks, he said, and let people embed the video on other Web sites. It helps if a celebrity links to it. “Double Rainbow,” a sensation last year, had only 200 views between its debut in January and July — when Jimmy Kimmel posted a link on Twitter and it took off. Current count: 31 million viewings.

It’s not as easy as it looks, Mr. Allocca said. “Make really good content,” he said. “That’s the one nobody wants to hear, but it’s the truth.”

It seems to help if the videos include funny people (especially old people and babies), animals (especially babies) and dancing (again, especially when the dancers are babies). Make a video that is universal yet original to you, recommends Randy McEntee, who posted an iPhone video, “Talking Twin Babies,” showing his twin baby boys having an animated conversation in gibberish.

“I think the reason it’s caught on around the world is there’s no language,” Mr. McEntee said.

Another common piece of advice: don’t set out to make a viral video. “We didn’t try,” said Ms. Clem, who shot her video on a Flip camera and had never posted on YouTube. “I don’t have any advice because I literally went to bed that night and woke up and our lives were completely different.”

GET MONEY FROM YOUTUBE ADS If your video is on the road to viral success, YouTube, a part of Google, is eager to make money from you. It will send you an e-mail asking if you want to become a partner. If you give your permission, the site will run ads alongside your video and share more than half the revenue with you, sending you a check each month.

Some of the people behind viral videos, like the father of the boy coming down from dental anesthesia in “David After Dentist,” have made more than $100,000 from YouTube ads. Ms. Clem has made $3,000 in three weeks and stands to make much more because Disney wants to use her video in a TV ad.

Early on, YouTube would sign people up as partners after videos had been watched more than a million times. But it has since developed an algorithm, which it calls reference rank, to predict whether a video will go viral when it has had as few as 10,000 views.

The most important element is whether influential Web sites post the video. When Reddit posted Mr. McEntee’s video, for instance, its views jumped from 1,000 to six million in three days. YouTube also analyzes other data, like the number of viewers, how many times a video is shared on social networking sites and the rate at which people comment on the video.

Protect the video with a YouTube program called Content ID, which gives video owners the right to block others from using their videos or to be paid when they do. That helps to prevent people from creating copies that might be watched instead of yours. Parodies, translations or autotuned song versions, however, tend to add to the original’s traffic.

YouTube does not offer live customer service for viral video creators. YouTube said it would be impossible to talk to millions of video creators but it has help forums for people to ask questions.

APPEAR ON TELEVISION YouTube may turn us all into TV producers, but one of the best ways to get people to watch your online video is to appear on old-fashioned TV.

Ms. Clem’s video spiked after she appeared on Fox News and Mr. McEntee’s after he was on “Good Morning America.” It rarely helps to try to contact TV shows directly — instead, wait for producers to call you, which they will in spades if your video is popular and touches a nerve, viral video veterans say.

Remember that a dip in views does not mean your 15 minutes are over. The talking twins video had almost five million viewers on its best day, dropped to 50,000 and now gets a couple hundred thousand a day. SELL MERCHANDISE When the boy in “David After Dentist” asked the camera, “Is this real life?” more than 101 million viewers could relate. David’s father took swift advantage of that, opening an online store selling T-shirts and stickers with the tagline.

“All the top creators do that,” said Shenaz Zack, product manager for YouTube partnerships.

Tracking who watches your video can suggest markets. At YouTube Insight, video creators can see detailed data about their audience, like where viewers come from and which Web sites have linked to the video.

They can also read YouTube Trends, a blog YouTube started in December to analyze what makes videos popular, whether they are about babies using iPads or scenes from the earthquake in Turkey.

MAKE A GAME PLAN FOR FAME The celebrity and money that come with viral YouTube videos are not always fun, say people who have lived through it.

The phone rings constantly with TV producers who want to show the video. Do not sign any contracts without consulting a lawyer, said Ms. Clem, because some of the contracts ask you to sign away your rights to the video.

“It’s so exciting and you want it out there, but it’s dangerous because people want to take advantage,” she said.

Set up rules early on, said Mr. McEntee. For his family, that meant no travel to be on TV, no other videos of the children and “to behave in a way that our children would be proud of,” including letting them remove the video when they are old enough to understand.

Talk to other people who have become YouTube celebrities about what they went through — the father of David wrote on his blog that at first he had worried that people were watching the video because they were making fun of his son, for instance.

“It’s actually a really lonely place because there’s no one out there that really has all the answers,” Mr. McEntee said. “It’s just such a rare thing.”

"The League" Producers Using Reddit to Personally Promote the Show

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/lpt8l/we_are_the_creators_executive_producers_of_the/

The executive producers and creators of the television show "The League" are answering fans' questions on reddit today. Here's the description they provided:


We're Jeff and Jackie Schaffer - the EPs/Creators of "The League" on FX. We'll be coming in and out throughout the day answering questions from set and maybe grabbing the cast and crew to record some video responses to our favorites. (those videos may take a day or two - hey, we are still shooting today)

1245 - OK have to jump off for a bit and shoot a scene with Jon LaJoie - if you've got a question for him post it and we'll have him answer a few. he said oh cool - but we think he meant fuck you get out of my trailer

By answering questions through Reddit, the creators are able to personally connect and interact with their fans. I'm sure that this will create a lot of positive feedback for "The League" as it makes the people behind it (especially the people making the big bucks off of it) seem like they really care about their supporters. And they are even having the actors answer questions. Fans are getting answers to questions quickly and efficiently. Before the internet and social media, fans would have had to mail their questions to the "The League" studio and then wait several weeks for a response, if any.

I'm sure that this creative way of promoting the show will lead to much positive feedback and increased fan loyalty to the show. I've never watched the "The League", but after reading this reddit, I'm definitely going to check it out.

Link Building

Hey Again,

In reference to my post below about our social media marketing internship, I got this information that I'm pasting here from our internship website's blog. It's private, otherwise I would post the link. It is about the last step of SEO, which is link building according to them. I just thought I would share the information and also just mention that I think this is something that is overlooked a lot of times but is very important after good content has been posted.

Pitching Bloggers and Journalists
Building links very much falls under the realm of PR. The key is to pitch a story, not your company. By giving the journalist an interesting story, you are helping them do their job. Mark Hendrickson categorized the common types of narratives he found on the front page of Techmeme, a popular technology news site. While these are more relevant to tech companies, they give you examples of the types of stories bloggers and journalists want to write about. The key is to research who you are pitching to and know the types of stories they are interested in.

1.Competitive or Political Drama – aka “company X releases product Y to kill company Z”
2.Gossip – “CEO of company X gets tangled up in Y”
3.Insight – “trend X will change the world because of A, B, and C”
4.Evolution & Confluence – “service Y is like X for Z, capitalizing on the recent developments of A and B”
5.Success – “company X has created super impressive technology Y, is growing fast, or has made lots of money”
6.Failure – “company X is dying or has messed something up”
Another idea to entice bloggers is to give them exclusive rights to review new products or give them free trials. Again, you are creating win-win relationships.

Start a Blog
No matter what your company does or is selling, it’s still a good idea to blog. Fresh compelling content is the best way to get long-lasting, valuable links. Also, it will keep journalists updated on new releases from your company. I will write more on the topic of starting your own blog in the next series of posts.

This ends the series on SEO. However, I hope by this time you’ve realized that SEO isn’t a small, distinct part of a website’s business. It overlaps with design, marketing, PR, and social media. Often, the return from SEO is difficult to match, and SEO should be integral to a website’s business plan.

Help us please!

Hey Everyone,

I know this doesn't relate to this blog, but Courtney Todt, Nick Shatz and I are doing a social media marketing internship for this company, and our task this week is to promote this new website called freerangechick.com. Basically, our group is in a competition with other intern groups from other schools, and we have a unique link to promote this website, hoping to get the most unique hits. PLEASE help us and just click the link, become a follower/fan if you want. You don't have to stay on the site for this- just click the link once and that's it. I guess this relates to things we are doing because we are trying to get as many initial seeds as possible, hoping you'll spread our link and we'll connect with a lot of networks and weak ties and win the competition!

http://bit.ly/oHv7Sh

Spread if you want :)

Thanks,
Jamie, Courtney, Nick

Obama's Social Media Campaign in 2012

http://mashable.com/2011/10/24/obama-social-media-campaign/

I found this article on Digg about how important social media will be for Obama this time around. The article points to the overwhelming presence of social media today, and how it's so much bigger than it was in 2008. It also discusses how, this time around, every politician will be using social media to gain votes. It pushes the idea that simply recording a video or creating a Facebook page is not enough, like we discussed in class. The article also explains that the interaction needs to be two-way, with communication between both the voters and the politicians. 

• In 2008, Facebook had 100 million users; today it has 800 million.
• In 2008, Twitter had 8 employees; today it has more than 400.
• In 2008, YouTube averaged 13 hours of video uploaded every minute; today it averages 48 hours.
• Foursquare did not yet exist.

Yuri Milner and His Disruptive Investments Into Silicon Valley

I was reading this article on wired:

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/10/mf_milner/all/1

The article was about a russian investor who many of you guys may have heard of, Yuri Milner, because of his many investments into the tech companies of America. Some companies he has invested in include Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify as well as Groupon and Zynga. He is incredibly successful, yet is still considered somewhat of an oddball and outsider to the somewhat hermetic Silicon Valley.

However, I think there is something more critical to note than the worries such as "How is it that an outsider has spotted opportunities that the Valley’s best investors missed?" Instead of worrying about outsiders stealing investment opportunities, I think it is more important to understand the importance of global perspective in these new technologies and media outputs.

A good quote to sum it up: "Who would be more gobsmacked by the implications of social media—the prospect of everyone constantly talking to one another without an arbiter, mediator, or censor—than a citizen of the former Soviet Union? Likewise, who would see it as more revolutionary and valuable?"

I think investments made by people who look at social media as something besides a producer of revenue is really important to how it will be used to shape the world as we know it. I hope I can be optimistic about that.

Trends: Digital Advertising- Adweek

AdWeek revealed its list of six significant trends in digital advertising yesterday. 


They are as follows:

• The end of the click-through rate as an effective measurement of an ad's success is nigh.
• The thin line between mobile and desktop is getting even thinner as Apple has begun to incorporate iOS features into OSX, while ad servers like Google's DoubleClick begin to integrate their desktop and mobile offerings.
• "Supercookie," a file that allows websites to track users even after they delete it in their browsers. Hulu and MSN have come under fire for their use, but AdWeek does not expect the file's use, which is legal, to stop.
• Ad-tech consolidation becoming a real thing.
• The emergence of HTML5 as the heir apparent to Adobe's Flash.
• According a report from ad intelligence company SQAD, specialized content can still be valuable and make money

Read Adweek Article Here

Chime.In Launch Today!

I came across this on Huffington Post.  A new interest-based social network where they pay users in cold hard cash for their input.  The ideas is somewhat revolutionizing.  The app was already leaked but the website was launched today.  They are scrambling to get apps for android and blackberry.  The concept is that not everyone follows a link on Facebook.  The user is suppose to seek out interests and be paid for their interaction and contribution to that interest.  The site is said to police itself like digg.com  and other websites.  Gross, the CEO believe there will be a new level of seriousness  on the site.  Large brands such as E! Entertainment and Bravo have already agreed to work with Chime.in.  I think its a great concept for larger brands.  Facebook is a great interaction but hopefully with Chime.in certain brands can reach more people because there will be more selective updates Chime.in.  Instead of just having a Facebook and a website, people like the Kardashians can have constant access to their fans without be pushed out by 1,000 Facebook friends posting their newest friendships.  Its trendy like twitter but with more options for interactions.  Could be a new outlook on social media?

http://allthingsd.com/20111017/bill-gross-new-social-network-chime-in-will-pay-people-to-use-it/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/chimein-social-network_n_1016634.html#s416146

http://chime.in/

Dove Evolution Viral Video

Hey guys,

Because we just finished our viral videos I decided to post the “Dove Evolution” video featuring a woman of average beauty as she was transformed by hair, makeup, lighting, photography and photo editing. Dove was pushing the idea of natural beauty and it worked. Almost as soon as the video was placed online people were watching it around the world and it’s reported to have earned Dove $150,000 worth of exposure for the company.

Nevertheless, I think the most interesting aspect of this video is how it actually went viral. Dove paid $2.5 million for a 30-second advertisement spot on the 2006 Super Bowl which generated 500 million impressions before and after the big game. But, it was uploaded on Youtube days later and generated more than 1.5 million views. I think this shows how much of an impact social media plays in assisting marketing campaigns to go viral. The campaign worked on an emotional level since it appealed to the average American woman and by sharing this video with others, women felt empowered – therefore, this viral commercial became a real success.

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

New Social Media Search Tool Combines Sentiment Analysis & Content Discovery

I just found this article and thought it was pretty interesting. The article talks about how there is a new social media search tool called Proliphiq. I think what is neat about Proliphiq is that its goal is to connect the right users to the right content at the right time. We talked in class about how some online content is unsuccessful because it doesn't reach the right people. I think Proliphiq has a lot of great potential to really succeed!

Here is the article:

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-engagement/new-social-media-search-tool-combines-sentiment-analysis-content-discovery-012980.php

Facebook? Not Here!

I thought it would be interesting to find out in which countries Facebook is not the dominant social media network. The result of my research can be found here:

http://www.quora.com/Facebook-1/In-which-countries-is-Facebook-not-the-dominant-social-media-platform

You should really visit some of these national social networks, you will be astonished and puzzled at the same time. Most of them just look like Facebook with an exotic interface.

Interesting Deal for Gamers

This Polish game development company is promoting a game called Aftermath which they would like to sell for $1. Their stipulation, however, is that they would like 10 million gamers world-wide to pre-order this game.

This is an independent gaming company and they are trying something completely revolutionary to the industry. It seems that they are trying to go viral with this video to reach their target market. It is an interesting concept but I do not believe they will reach the magnitude that they want. However, it IS a full length game that looks very similar to Half Life (one of the highest selling game series of all time) and it would be available for only a dollar.

Some trailers and gameplay videos are in the related videos section after you click on the link above if you want to check out gameplay.

Social Tatto Project

I found this campaign on the web but what I want to discuss is the probability of been successful. The social tattoo project objective is “to make what the world empathizes with today, what you care about forever”. In the project the volunteers get tattoos about world issues that are choose by twitter followers.

For now they have 591 followers, but I see they have some points against to be successful:

If you get a tattoo choose by another person, does this really mean something for you? Is it what you really care about forever?

It is the part of your body where you get the tattoo visible to give the message to everyone?

A tattoo really helps the social causes?

These points show that there is a problem with the concept of the whole campaign and might be created misunderstood between the possible followers, and weakness for opponents to tattoos.

Just with some time we will see what happen with this social media campaign.

http://socialtattooproject.com/