Tech: Social Media

Matt Silverman at Mashable recently published a helpful article about social media resources and how businesses can benefit.  Check it out here.

Personal: NY Adventure (cont.)

I am sitting at JFK reflecting on a terrific weekend. This city is truly unlike any other I have ever visited. Saturday we celebrated my sister’s birthday with brunch at Freemans (truly a hidden gem). Then continued the celebration on into the evening at a speakeasy appropriately named Backdoor. Everyone drank champagne from tea cups or paper bagged beer bottles. Sunday we decided to explore the city before catching the Broadway musical In the Heights. I’m sad the weekend has passed, but I trust it won’t be long before I visit again. Happy birthday sis!

Personal: Penn Station Train in NY

Fifteen minutes on the train followed by a ten minute subway ride and I’d be at my sister’s apartment in New York. No problem, right? WRONG! In my haste to catch the train, I forgot to buy a ticket, something I realized just as the conductor began making his way through the cabin. He stamped one ticket after the next until he reached me. I sheepishly told him that I must have missed a step before boarding the train. He asked for my ID and began filling out one of his chits.

A beautiful six-foot blonde that I just so happened to sit next to (lucky me) stopped the conductor and offered up her extra pass on my behalf. She even walked me to the subway line I needed to catch before heading off in the opposite direction. Between the chaos of the NY subway station and my less than stellar introduction… I somehow forgot to ask for her number.

–So, to Caitlin from Long Island, I am sorry. At the very least, I owe you a drink. I hope to cross paths if not this weekend, then when you are visiting grad schools in California.–

What a way to begin my NY adventure. Off to bed for now, later today we celebrate my sister’s 30th birthday… look for more stories to come .

Tech: Twitter

I have engaged in many conversations from people either unsure of Twitter and its capabilities or enamored with all the advantages the site can offer.  Claire Adams, a fellow APOC student, had an “aha” moment that she shared on her blog about the most recent earthquake in California.

In an effort to increase these “aha” moments, Twitter created guides to help shed light on the subject.  Twitter Media is the newest guide for media organizations unveiled earlier this morning.  The goal is to show how the knowledge and tools on Twitter can  help transform media, entertainment, and journalism practices.  Another helpful page I refer to often is the Twitter 101–Best Practices guide.  It targets business people, who want to capitalize on the enormous audience that frequents Twitter.  Check ‘em out and see if they can help you.

Week 14: New Developments in Mobile and Gaming

Guest Speaker

Speaker: Josh Levison, practice lead for Mobile & Gaming at IPG Emerging Media Lab

The Inter Public Group (IPG) Lab is a holding company of advertising agencies that is harnessing innovation to further technologies.  A few of the emerging media that they work on: mobile, gaming, online video, and social media.  Josh’s job is to be a digital strategist with a focus on mobile and gaming.  The discussion we had was amazing.  There is a lot of emerging technologies that makes these two fields particularly exciting.

MOBILE

Infrastructure: Soon mobile phones will be your primary computing device.  People need to have technology in hands.  It needs to be simple to use.  And the network needs to support that technology.

Behavior: People are adapting new behaviors with their phone.  Already 40% of iPhone users browse the web more on their phone than on their PC (3 years down the road, this could be pretty telling).

4G: Speed of network is staggering—20x faster than average US Broadband speed.  Expect phones to run your Internet and TV connection by the end of 2011.

Location-Based Movement: This allows you to figure out the person as an advertiser and target content specifically to meet their needs.  For example, if someone is reading about iPhones, then have an ad about the phone.  Better yet, if someone is in a movie theater, target he or she with an ad about a Bose surround sound home entertainment system.  Location-based movement allows you to target people that are more inclined to buy your product.

GAMING

Things to consider: How does a brand interact physiologically?  If you are petting a dog on a touch screen for an ad, are you paying per click or per pet?  In-game marketing is an advantage to advertisers.  Farmville offers you the ability to unlock certain things if you participate enough on the fan page.  This is a model that will be used more frequently down the road.

Things to check out: MIT 6th Sense Project and Project Natal (Milo)

Karen’s Corner

• User experience is everything.  Always think about how easy it is to start up and use your site.
• Don’t give up on Email.  It is still very useful in business, and is a good way to get your message out.  Even if spam mail, people will read the subject line.
• People by nature (social norms)

• Diffusion of responsibility—point out someone to do something instead asking a group of people to do something (people will place differ the responsibility to others in the group instead of taking it on themselves)
• Law of reciprocity—if someone gives something to you… you’ll likely want to give back
• Reactants—reaction you have when someone forces you to do something (you react back and don’t want to do it)

Personal: Nexus One Update

Last time I spoke of my new favorite piece of technology, I had nothing but positive remarks.  The novelty has not quite worn off either.  I love this thing!  I’ve never been so organized with my Google Calendar, so connected with my Facebook and Twitter apps… I’ll even write a blog post or two via my mobile device.  It does it all!

• Newest app: Digg… Finally, a news app that makes staying current in the world fun.
• Most played app: Real Blackjack… I’m off to Vegas this weekend for my birthday, so let’s hope all the practice pays big money!
• Most useful app: Pandora… I use to have a nasty habit of over playing new songs, but with Pandora I never have that problem (I have not been compensated for this endorsement, but will accept any and all offers).
• Most desired app: Words with Friends… Does apple have exclusive rights to this game??

I know there are a lot more great apps out there…  let me know which one’s have simplified your life.

Reading: The Age of Conversation

The Age of Conversation edited by Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan is a collection of 100 voices (authors) having one conversation.  Topics discuss how marketers, bloggers, companies, and just about everyone else can benefit from having a simple conversation.  Marketers need to listen to consumers.  Bloggers need to listen to their followers.  Companies need to listen to their customers.  Thanks to the Internet, everyone has a voice and it is time that people listen.

Here are a couple of stories that I wanted to highlight because they are particularly relevant to what we are learning in the APOC program:

“Using the Tools of the Web to Build Relationships Online” -Jordan Behan

• Speak to your visitors
• Share plenty of information about your business, your people and your process (it will attract even more consumers)
• Skip the mission statement & brochure-like hard sell
• Blog strategy: mix in healthy doses of personality and a focus on value for readers (I’m working on it… I know my blogging is a bit dry)
• Let everyone in your company have a say
• Social networks
  • You are joining your friends at their party, on their terms
  • Become an active member and add value
  • If you cannot do this, don’t join
• Be transparent in any marketing that you do
• Be yourself

“Speaking Through Action” -Mark Blair

• Target your attention
• Learn to use Technorati and del.icio.us so that you can pinpoint the conversations you need to be apart of… this is your community
• Do more listening than talking
  • Engage in other blogs
  • Ask a lot of questions
  • Understand the dynamics at work in the community
    • Identify what motivates these people
    • Identify what they are passionate about
  • Find the social magnets in the community
    • See what they did from the start to develop that popularity
  • Identify your community needs
    • Ignore your agenda
    • Figure out what will make their lives easier, better and more entertaining

Other notable concepts:

• Have a clear and concise message.  It will improve retention and reach. -Roger Anderson
• Maintain strong customer support through open dialogue with consumers. Then, address their needs. -Becky Carroll
• Communication leads to understanding.  When a company understands the wants and needs of consumers, it can more effectively market its products to them. -Mack Collier
• To keep your employees engaged use a heavy dose of honesty, respect, fun, variety, shared value and vision, and time for each other. -Anna Farmery
• Say who you are working for.  Say what you mean.  Never obscure your identity. -Kris Hoet’s
• If you want to get the conversation started and if you want to keep it rich and rewarding, get opinionated. -Richard Huntington
• People that were once hopeless and voiceless are empowered through social networks.  As a result, we can communicate, touch and affect others in ways that in years past we could not have dreamt of. -Cord Silverstein

Week 13: Building Community on the Sunset Strip

Guest Speakers

Speaker(s): Marjorie Kase of MarKyr Media, and Alf Lamont of The Comedy Store spoke to us about the dynamics that went into creating The Social Strip.

The Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard has always been a great venue to see live performances from some of the most popular bands in the world.  Marjorie helped build the social following for the Roxy Theatre.  She started with a blog, and eventually set up accounts on Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.  The Roxy online built a strong following.  Hoping to mirror that same success, the Viper Room launched its own Twitter and Facebook accounts.  The Roxy reached out to the club in a tweet that read, “Welcome our friends the Viper Room”.  Then, the Comedy Store was next to join in.  The Roxy again reached out, “Welcome our friends the Comedy Club”.  The clubs decided to band together to create The Social Strip.  The decision turned out to be a very smart one.  They’d have contests and promotions to get people back visiting the Sunset Strip.

• MARJORIE’S KEYS: Respond to every person who replies to a post.  Be consistent.  Once you start putting content out, don’t stop (people’s attention span is way too short).  Post once a week and do that regularly because you cannot go from posting five times a day to once a week.  Talk with, not at.  Plant the seed on Facebook to get that fan following, then launch site.

The social media tools used online saved the Sunset Strip.  The nightlife on the East side was taking business away from the Strip.  Businesses needed to find a way to reach out to their fan base, while also giving people an incentive to visit the Strip.  The Social Strip met that need.  From tweet crawls–similar to a pub crawl–to music festivals, the Strip is thriving once again.

• ALF’S KEYS: Be transparent.  Be sincere.  Reach out to people.  Bring the relationships you build offline and bring them online.  Similarly bring the relationships you build online and bring them offline.

Karen’s Corner

Customer service is so important.  People are so happy to tell the negative story because it is juicier, but if you deal with it well and appropriately it will inevitably help you out.

Week 12: Introducing Social Media into Your Workplace

Guest Speaker

Our very own Clinton Schaff, director of new media at Roll International and co-professor for the Introduction to Online Communities APOC class, gave a terrific presentation on how to market yourself as a social media expert.

Clinton’s advice about marketing yourself to get the job you want is simple, yet very insightful.  He stressed that you must have expectations—for yourself, and for the company or business.

Make a job description:

1. What are the expectations of the company?

2. What do they want you to accomplish?

3. What are the goals of the company?

Find out the business objectives of the company. Then prescribe in detail how you are going to build their online community or network.  Ask the question, “What they would like support doing?”  Tailor your answer to meet their needs by outlining ways you can help them achieve their goal.  Explain that managing social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are great opportunities to listen to consumers.  Have solid examples of how effective these communities can be.  Target your pitch.  If you are interviewing for a healthy lifestyle company, it might be worth seeing what the competition is doing to promote their brand.  Find a way to build on that.  Ask the question, “What are we sharing?  Is it volume or is it traffic?”  This is important to consider when you are talking Return on Investment (ROI).

• CLINTON’S KEYS: Find out the business objectives of the company.  Provide solid examples of similar companies effectively using social communities to reach customers.  Ask questions.

Karen’s Corner

This week Karen touched on lead generation, and how it is being used to get people to sign up for a service.  The example she used was Farmville and Netflix, who partnered up so that if a user signed up for Netflix, they would get Farmville money.

Questions

1. Will we see widespread lead generation?

2. How can other companies benefit from lead generation?

Tech: Google TV?

The New York Times reported that Google, Intel and Logitech have linked up with Sony to tap into the TV foothold (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/technology/18webtv.html).  The companies are hush, hush on the matter, but if this proves to be the case I think it is a smart move for all parties involved.  It has the potential to change the way we watch and participate through television.  My friends already use their TV screens as giant monitors to play music, check out new videos and occasionally do work.  Google needs to find a way to build on that model while enhancing the features to stimulate users even more.  I love the idea and can’t wait to see how it turns out!