Pin It
How much would you pay for all of your friends to see one of your posts on Facebook?
Facebook is currently testing out a paid highlighted post system. This feature allows users the ability to pay to have their posts highlighted at the top of the timelines of their friends and fans. This is obviously a HUGE shift on both the future of Facebook for the users and how organizations market on Facebook.
Facebook ads already exist as a way for companies to encourage people to find their products and their page. Even with the addition of highlighted posts, this will still exist as a way to attract new users to a page. The ability to highlight posts expands the reach a company can have once they have gotten a fan to like their page. This change is pretty huge, because in the past the amount a user would visit a page after they liked it would be pretty low. Highlighting posts will lead to much higher levels engagement and retention of fans, which is great for businesses.
Facebook has been aggressively pursuing new and different products before their upcoming IPO. With the purchase of Instagram and Glancee, and now the addition of paid highlighted posts, they are making moves to position themselves in a stronger role in the social media marketplace. They are improving the experience for personal users (the purchases of the two companies) and for businesses (highlighting posts) to keep users on and more engaged within their site.
Highlighted posts are going to push Facebook into a different direction, with paid posts becoming a tool for companies to keep fans on the line once they are hooked. Imagine a company that posts a link to a special sale only in a highlighted post. They will be able to drive traffic through their Facebook page to their website and generate sales leads that they could not have before. Users need to get ready for highlights, because it is going to shake up how everyone uses Facebook.
Pin It
With Facbook acquiring social discovery app Glancee, there is a huge discussion now on the future role of social networks and social discovery. Social media is evolving into different areas and social discovery is one that will be huge for users that are looking to connect with new people.
Social discovery is hot new phrase in the social media world; it is going to be the next generation of social networking. Social discovery is defined as a social networking apps and websites to connected users based on interests or other factors. One of the biggest social discovery networks on the web is Tagged. A recent study has shown that it is the most engaging social network on the web. It is second in both visits and time spent on the website of any social network. Tagged is designed to introduce users to one another, users can both play games and meet others based on their likes and interests.
An important difference to think about between a traditional social network and a social discovery website is that social discovery is less built around connecting with your friends and learning about their life, and more about finding users to connect with. Facebook is about keeping in touch with your friends and connections, social discovery sites are more about finding the people that are interested in the same things you are.
Within traditional networks, there exist social discovery tools for users. The most common one is one that everyone sees when they log into Facebook, is the People You May Know function. Based on your friends and interests, Facbook recommends with accuracy people that you know that you are not currently friends with. Another popular social discovery tool is Twitter hashtags. By looking at #tigers you can meet other people that are Detroit Tigers fans.
Social discovery is not going to be about connecting users the way that Facebook and Twitter do, but it could provide users a chance to find businesses within an area. If you are able to manage a page within a social discovery network, then users will find and connect with you, leading to potentially more customers down the road.
Social networking is going to begin to blur with social discovery in the future. Instead of using social media to stay connected with friends, more and more new connections will be made. This is a huge change that will impact how people and businesses connect in the future.
Pin It
Marvel’s The Avengers made an astonishing $200.3 million in its opening weekend, making it the largest opening weekend ever and smashing the previous record held by the final Harry Potter film. The Avengers was a geek’s fantasy with director Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly fame, and a full cast of Marvel superheroes filling up the screen. This gigantic success emphatically says one thing: anything niche can now go main stream.
Social media and the internet are both pretty important in making this happen. More than just with geek culture, niche media has been able to build on momentum from social media to grow. TV shows like Community and Mad Men were able to capitalize on buzz from Twitter, Facebook and critical support to come back from hiatus with some of their highest ratings ever. Both of these shows have pretty cult followings and their recent successes are a huge signal that the new king is quality. No matter how niche your show or product is, if it is great then people will find it and show others.
With the rise of social media and the internet, anyone can find anything. Obviously this is well known, but now it is becoming profitable and major corporations like Disney and NBC are seeing that working with niche culture will pay off for them. This change means a lot for everyone, not just those in the media industry. Think about how you can make the success of the “geek culture” work for you in your business.
This is big to think about. You don’t need to have a cool product, or be a cool company. Simply find your niche and grow from there. Attracting a small and core group of rabid fans that will push you out front is huge. Apple has done this to great success. Despite having a tiny part of the market share for computers, they are able to appeal to people who want to be considered hip.
You don’t need to try and latch onto everyone, just your little group. The internet allows little niches to survive while competing against major corporations. With global access and shipping you can be focused on a hyper-specific product in a small area and still be able to make money as long you can successfully appeal and sell to your niche.
Pin It
What is Inbound Marketing?
A hot new advertising company? Using a basketball player to sell products? That moment during TV shows right before they cut to commercial?
Surprisingly it is none of those things. Inbound marketing can basically be summed up as marketing through content creation and media. Traditional, or Outbound, marketing includes creating commericials, telemarketing and sending out mail, inbound marketing is designed to use the web to bring people into you, instead of reaching out to them. Using your own content, this allows you the opportunity to post content on a variety of social media websites that will get people to share and promote your content for you.
Through white papers, blogs, videos and podcasts companies can reach customers by providing excellent resources about their products and their field. Imagine you are an auto shop, maybe a podcast about cars and car care would attract people to come in if you show you are knowledgeable; if you are a restaurant posting a recipe or a how to cook for a popular dish would help out people who are into your food. Whatever you want to do, there is one thing that is important to remember above all else: QUALITY IS KING! Users don’t want bad products and they don’t want bad content. Even if it is only once a week or once a month, creating some kind of quality content for the web will help build your company’s reputation and build sales.
With inbound marketing you can reach customers globally that you couldn’t reach with a traditional ad campaign. Additionally it is much more cost effective than buying ad space on TV, in newspapers, or on billboards. People have been trained to just tune these things out, so why would you continue to spend money on them. Instead you can provide a product that advertises your business and your own products.
Obviously inbound marketing is a relatively new term and will take a little bit before it is more recognized and understood by the mainstream public and by companies, but it is pretty obvious how a company can use it (hint: think about what you are doing as you read this sentence).
Pin It
Everyone knows that companies are trying to utilize Facebook and Twitter. But there are plenty of other social media networks that companies can utilize to build their brand and to encourage their customers to shop with them.
Youtube
Youtube lets you share videos of your company in action. Letting people see what you do is much better than telling them about it. If you are out there doing things in the community then shoot some video of your latest community event. People know the effectiveness of TV commercials; Youtube allows users to take the commercial, expand on it, and do more to promote and celebrate their company and products.
Youtube can be used for customer acquisition by showing your customers who you are, what you do and how you do it. Being open and honest with customers is a great way to engage them. Sharing and connecting people with videos is a huge piece of what Youtube does. If a video goes viral and you can get people to share it, you are getting word of mouth buzz while effectively promoting yourselves.
Pinterest
The newest social network allows users to share images and links to their fans and followers. Pinterest encourages users to create visual collections of products through “pin boards.” This is a huge avenue for growth for companies that are looking to stand out because it is a relatively untapped market.
The key for companies to realize with Pinterest is that unlike most other social networks and will not work for everyone. While most social networks are good at connecting companies, no matter how abstract their products are with customers, Pinterest works best tangible products. A software company is not going to be able to utilize Pinterest to the best of their ability, because they don’t have things they can show off. The best companies for Pinterest are apparel, restaurants, designers, and artists. A restaurant could have pictures of everything on their menu or a clothing store could post pictures of their latest designs. Designers and Artists can post pictures of their latest creations.
Pinterest can be used for customer retention as well. You can use it to retain customers by showing off new products or by sharing things from others on Pinterest that you find interesting. It is a great place for people to branch out to and could pay huge dividends if it is used correctly.
Google+
The key to getting the most out of Google+ is not in doing things with promoting your brand or cool images. Google+ users have personal search results and if you are connected with them, you will appear higher in their personal Google results. This is important, because it allows you the opportunity to leverage a huge advantage you already have, these people already support you and an inflated search engine rank among them to keep them coming back to you as customers.
Obviously, this is a great tool to retain customers. If you are continuously appearing on their search results whenever they search for products like yours then obviously it is much easier to keep them coming back for more. If you can get ten customers to buy your products a second time, it is just as good at getting ten new customers to buy your products a first time.
The world of social media is constantly evolving and companies are still trying to find their way in the world. It is hard to keep track of all of these different outlets, but utilizing new and different ones is a way you can stand out in the crowd.
So, how is your company utilizing all the "other" Social Media networks?
Pin It
There are a lot of browsers out there and users have plenty of decisions. People are not as tied to the browsers that come with their computers as they had to be in the past. So why do users choose to live in the past?
Internet Explorer 6 was once the cutting edge of internet accessibility. IE6 drove the browser market in a time when no one knew what an iPod was. Now even the creators of IE6 are trying to get people to stop using the browser and upgrade to something from this decade.
The issue with IE6 and older browsers is that they do not always render modern websites correctly. This is a nightmare for web designers and their clients. The accessibility of the website is much lower, the layout becomes harder to use for older browsers and overall the website is just looks like it is lower quality. It takes a lot of work for designers to program their website to be able to function the same way with both IE6 and modern browsers.
Users can easily upgrade to other web browsers and even upgrade to newer versions of IE. In addition to the issues of old Internet Explorer, there are issues with the current Internet Explorer rendering CSS and other code. It is important for users to recognize that there are going to be display issues with IE or any other browser that people use. If your website does not display correctly in one browser, alert your designer, but then look at it in a different browser to make sure it works for you.
Users have plenty of free third party options that are significantly better than Internet Explorer. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera are all fine options that anyone can download and use. Pick any of these options and you will have both an up-to-date browser and with that the ability to actually handle most modern websites.
Pin It
LinkedIn has 150 million registered users and is one of the top 5 most visited social networks. BranchOut is a Facebook app, with 25 million users. Why should LinkedIn be afraid? Well, BranchOut has just raised $25 million and is rapidly expanding to take on the social networking giant.
BranchOut was started because of a simple issue within Facebook. All of your friends list where they work and what they do, but you can’t search them. BranchOut solves that problem. By installing the app, users can network professionally on Facebook. They can see where their friends work, search for businesses and see their connections within those places. Along with the users, BranchOut is creating tools for businesses on Facebook to alert fans of potential career opportunities within their business. All in all, BranchOut is increasingly challenging LinkedIn’s ability to connect job seekers to jobs.
In an interview with Forbes, BranchOut president Rick Marini said this about the two, “LinkedIn is focused on the white-collar segment, but this is only 10% of the market. We’re providing a professional profile for the Facebook generation. That’s not only senior executives, but also recent college grads to nurses, teachers and cashiers.”
This puts LinkedIn in an awkward position. They are currently six times bigger than BranchOut and still offer great networking opportunities for professionals both young and old. But the huge advantage BranchOut has is the ability to tap into more than 850 million registered Facebook users that are just waiting to connect with others professionally and to tap into the part-time job or minimum wage market.
Is this an Instagram/Facebook situation brewing? LinkedIn is the leader in online professional networking and has the advantage of having its own website and network, but BranchOut an up-and-comer attacking some of the holes that LinkedIn has (LinkedIn is not well integrated within Facebook connections/not very effective for young professionals or low skill businesses) while offering the same kinds of jobs and opportunities. LinkedIn users might decide they don’t need a LinkedIn account when they can just use BranchOut within their Facebook to do the same things.
LinkedIn has to decide if they want to try and compete with BranchOut or if they want purchase BranchOut. By buying BranchOut they can increase their positioning on Facebook and better provide for their younger users. If they compete they can try to incorporate the things that BranchOut is doing on Facebook while improving their own offerings within their website. The online professional networking market is getting more crowded, will LinkedIn step up and try to branch out in new ways or will they link BranchOut in to their services.
Pin It
With most universities winding down for the semester and students running around trying to find internships for the summer, here are a few tips from one intern to future interns at other places.
DO: Find somewhere you will enjoy
WHY: Having worked at a few places, I have found that the key to a good internship is to find an environment where you want to work and will enjoy coming into work. You will learn more and get more out of the experience if you find a workplace where you aren’t dreading coming in every day. This sounds self explanatory, but I have heard of several people taking internships where they are miserable just because “It will look good on my resume.”
DON’T: Be afraid of doing something you don’t know how to do
WHY: If you only take internships where you are doing things that you already know how to do, you won’t actually learn anything or improve your skills. Obviously, you shouldn’t take a computer programming internship if your background is in kinesiology, but take an internship somewhere that will allow you to do new things. It is important to use internships as a learning experience and to build upon the skills you already have.
DO: Treat this like a real job
WHY: You are working in an office and are a member of whatever company that decided to hire you, even if it is only in a temporary role. This isn’t class where you can just sit in the back surfing Facebook and ignoring what is going on (not that any college student does that). Show up on time and dressed professionally. Act like you are a member of the company while you are there, no matter how small your role is. Finally, contribute like a normal employee; you have deadlines, keep working and take care of your business.
DON’T: Ignore unpaid internships
WHY: There are plenty of paid internships out there for people who need money and want a professional work experience to go with it. But don’t just ignore a position because it is unpaid. You can get just as much, if not more, from a position that is unpaid than a paid one. In an unpaid internship, the company is a more likely to let you latch onto specific projects that interest you, instead of focusing on one because they hired you specifically for a position. This will keep you in involved and interested because you will be doing things you are interested in and also able to do new things. Also, doing several unpaid internships can build to a larger position down the road.
DO: Make connections and keep in touch
WHY: Take advantage of your time within a company by making connections and building contacts. More and more people are moving around to different companies throughout their career, so maintaining connections is important and highly valuable for you. With any luck, your internship with one company could lead to connections with two to three additional companies so you can hear about open positions in those companies as well. Especially keep in touch with other interns that you work with, since they will be in the same phase of their careers as you are and can help out later.
DON’T: Waste an opportunity
WHY: Internships are an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and skills in a practical setting. You can take what you already know and get feedback on how to improve from your bosses and co-workers. Reach out and take on more projects. When you finish with one thing, move on to the next one. No matter how well you have done in classes, until you have succeeded in a professional setting you haven’t done anything.
While you're here...why not apply for an internship at UZoom Media?! Just click HERE and you will have taken step one towards interning at the coolest office in Lansing! Did we mention we have a slide?!
Pin It
In the era of social media, users give their instant reaction to plot points on TV shows, movies and books. But more and more, users are able to watch things whenever they want. For those that are trying to watch things after they are on the screen, spoilers are always a concern. How would people remember Citizen Kane if the two weeks prior to seeing the film, the biggest trending topic on Twitter was that Rosebud was his sled?
Social media is bringing fans of shows, movies and books together like never before. Fans don’t need to wait until the next day to discuss shows at the water cooler with co-workers and friends. Now fans are discussing what is happening in real time with others from around the world in ways that never existed before. Fans that are one step behind need to quickly catch up while avoiding potential spoilers.
It seems like a process that is easier said than done. Celebrities, members of the cast, bloggers and even friends will be posting about the show. Ignoring your Twitter or Facebook until you catch up is one method, but leaves you disconnected from what else is going on. You can try and catch up whenever the episode goes live, but that involves either staying up late or waiting it out. It is an even bigger issue on the West Coast where shows on the East Coast have already aired three hours earlier. So if you are waiting on a show, you might need to just bite the bullet and see a spoiler or two.
Interestingly, companies are trying to using spoilers to capitalize on social media. Paranormal Activity used Facebook and social media aggressively to force a wider release of the film. The film engaged viewers to tell their friends about the movie and encourage horror fans to call for a wide scale release. NBC TV show Community, engaged their users to try and drive up viewers and help get the show back on the air after it was put on hiatus. Cast and crew members interacted with fans, using lines, jokes, and giveaways from previous episodes of the show to encourage fans to promote the show to their friends.
In the digitally connected age that we are in, it is practically impossible to avoid spoilers. You cannot blame your friends for spoiling things, simply because you have not seen something doesn’t mean that no one can have a public conversation about it. It isn’t even hard to legally catch up, with streaming services like HBO GO or Hulu. So next time you get mad about a spoiler, know that it is just a part of the discussion around the show for you to get involved with.
Pin It
So you needed a website and your brother in-law offered to help. He isn’t a web designer or a graphic designer or a professional, but he is nice, you like him and you don’t want to upset your sister. Or you have your niece helping you with your Facebook page because she is in high school, so she has to know how to manage a Facebook page right? But then your business starts to grow and your family members don’t have the time or the knowledge to help you actually manage your web presence so you want to hire professionals. How do you let your family know you are going to fire them?
-
THANK THEM - Thanking them for their help is important. Just letting them know you appreciate what they did for you is going to make them feel better. Explaining how what they did had helped in the past and how you are building from there is important.
-
EXPLAIN THE SITUATION - Calmly and reasonably explain that you want to grow your business and make sure they understand that it is not their fault. Be reasonable and patient with them and do not get confrontational about the situation.
-
EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE PICKING THE PROFESSIONALS - You want your family members to understand your reasoning with what you are doing. This decision cannot be made without a serious commitment and preparation.
-
BE FIRM - Obviously once you have made a decision and told it to them, you cannot change your position. It is important to stay consistent and don’t give in to them. Yes, they are family, but once you have made the decision, stick with your decision.
Bringing in web design professionals to improve and manage your web presence does not have to be a bad thing. Being able to have a positive and professional website is more than just a free Google or Wordpress site. You can build on what your family member did and go from there!