As we have learned, social media takes on many different tehnologies- blogging, micro blogging, social blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs, video, etc.. Besides all of that, there is now mobile social media, which is vastly growing and (in my opinion) is becoming more widely used than regular social media. With all of this new technology, there is room for so many different options and room for growth.
Social media is ever changing and evolving every single day. The social media world constantly opens more doors for online marketing than traditional marketers could have ever imagined possible. When researching new technologies for social media, I came upon one that caught my eye.
SocialFlow is a fairly new platform used for online marketing.
The cool part about it, is that it optimizes a brand's social media presence by determining the best times for brands to post certain content. They also determine which messages to promote and on the proper platform.
SocialFlow consists of 2 different products: Cadence and Crescendo.
Cadence helps companies manage the messages they tweet or post to facebook. The technology uses algorithms that calculate when the brand's audience will be most receptive to the message(s).
Crescendo uses the same algorithms to figure out the best options for ads.
Companies like this show just how far social media has come and how many things we have seen that we never thought possible. Who knew a few years ago that companies would be making millions off giving brands advice on social media?
Sources: http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/16/socialflow-series-b/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
Monday, April 15, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Apps
QR Codes, text messaging, apps and the smartphone boom have all changed the marketing world drastically. Think about how many times a day you check your phone, whether there is a text or not. According to this article, texting is the second most used feature on a phone (the first is checking the time).
SMS texting has been around for over 20 years now, and isn't going anywhere soon. Recently, there has been a huge boom in group messaging apps, conversations around images, embedded chat functions and cloud integration.
Texting has become a huge part of the marketing world. Marketers are beginning to get a hold of numbers and market via text messaging.
Another huge player in the marketing world is applications, or "apps." There are apps for anything and everything now, including copycat apps for most popular ones. People are constantly on their phones, whether it be checking the time, using an app, texting, or searching the web.
Perhaps the newest addition to this category is the QR code. They are simple to use and generate, but sometimes not always the best way to market.
this article gives tips for the best practices for using a QR code in marketing. These best practices may also be used for texting as well.
1. Make sure it serves a purpose. Think about if your QR code or your text actually serves a purpose. Don't just slap it up because you think it works.
2. Don't link to a desktop site. QR codes are MADE for phones. The linked content needs to be made for mobile optimization.
3. Think about placement. a bus or a train probably aren't the best places for QR codes since people won't have time to stop and scan it.
4. Use a URL shortener. The longer the URL, the more dots the QR code will generate.. which then makes it tougher for smartphones to read them.
5. Tell users what they stand to benefit. scanning a QR code is not easy, it is kind of a chore for people to pull their phone out and scan something. Make it worth it!
6. Test it. Make sure it works before you place it on marketing materials.
7. Track it. Be sure to track uses to see if it is something your consumers are using.
It is amazing to see how far technology has come and how it affects marketing. We are lucky to have all these new options, but sometimes more is worse. It can become stressful, but it all comes down to knowing your audience and knowing what works for your brand.
SMS texting has been around for over 20 years now, and isn't going anywhere soon. Recently, there has been a huge boom in group messaging apps, conversations around images, embedded chat functions and cloud integration.
Texting has become a huge part of the marketing world. Marketers are beginning to get a hold of numbers and market via text messaging.
Another huge player in the marketing world is applications, or "apps." There are apps for anything and everything now, including copycat apps for most popular ones. People are constantly on their phones, whether it be checking the time, using an app, texting, or searching the web.
Perhaps the newest addition to this category is the QR code. They are simple to use and generate, but sometimes not always the best way to market.
this article gives tips for the best practices for using a QR code in marketing. These best practices may also be used for texting as well.
1. Make sure it serves a purpose. Think about if your QR code or your text actually serves a purpose. Don't just slap it up because you think it works.
2. Don't link to a desktop site. QR codes are MADE for phones. The linked content needs to be made for mobile optimization.
3. Think about placement. a bus or a train probably aren't the best places for QR codes since people won't have time to stop and scan it.
4. Use a URL shortener. The longer the URL, the more dots the QR code will generate.. which then makes it tougher for smartphones to read them.
5. Tell users what they stand to benefit. scanning a QR code is not easy, it is kind of a chore for people to pull their phone out and scan something. Make it worth it!
6. Test it. Make sure it works before you place it on marketing materials.
7. Track it. Be sure to track uses to see if it is something your consumers are using.
It is amazing to see how far technology has come and how it affects marketing. We are lucky to have all these new options, but sometimes more is worse. It can become stressful, but it all comes down to knowing your audience and knowing what works for your brand.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Viral Videos
We have all seen them, laughed at them, rolled our eyes at them, cried at them and absolutely hated them. Viral videos are a fairly recent internet trend that some spend hours watching every day.
What exactly is a viral video?
According to this article on Mashable.com, a viral video is a video that becomes popular through internet sharing.. hence the term "viral." The content is usually humorous, but many serious videos have become viral through stunning content such as the Kony 2012 video and eyewitness events. In my opinion, some are just plain stupid (Cue Gangnam Style).
Viral videos first began circling the internet through e-mail. Remember the nice German car commercial where the scary face pops up and scares you? Or the e-mail that told you to focus on the haunted house to see the ghost, and the same thing happens where the face pops up? I remember those videos being shared via e-mail long before YouTube or Vimeo were around.
Today, websites like Vimeo and YouTube contain millions and millions of video content for users to search.
Viral videos can and are huge for online marketing. Brands have the ability to either monetize popular videos to get their name out there, or even attempt to create viral videos of their own. I personally think it is a crucial part of social media marketing. It is important to study the trends, as well as think outside of the box to create viral material. Usually the most ridiculous things go viral. According to the article Brands Gone Viral, columnist Alex Rowland suggests that it's a recipe of "the perfect combination of creative genius, market timing, and emotionally engaged audience."
Old Spice is a perfect example.
Videos are becoming more and more popular. They can be used for entertainment, information, as well as marketing.
What exactly is a viral video?
According to this article on Mashable.com, a viral video is a video that becomes popular through internet sharing.. hence the term "viral." The content is usually humorous, but many serious videos have become viral through stunning content such as the Kony 2012 video and eyewitness events. In my opinion, some are just plain stupid (Cue Gangnam Style).
Viral videos first began circling the internet through e-mail. Remember the nice German car commercial where the scary face pops up and scares you? Or the e-mail that told you to focus on the haunted house to see the ghost, and the same thing happens where the face pops up? I remember those videos being shared via e-mail long before YouTube or Vimeo were around.
Today, websites like Vimeo and YouTube contain millions and millions of video content for users to search.
Viral videos can and are huge for online marketing. Brands have the ability to either monetize popular videos to get their name out there, or even attempt to create viral videos of their own. I personally think it is a crucial part of social media marketing. It is important to study the trends, as well as think outside of the box to create viral material. Usually the most ridiculous things go viral. According to the article Brands Gone Viral, columnist Alex Rowland suggests that it's a recipe of "the perfect combination of creative genius, market timing, and emotionally engaged audience."
Old Spice is a perfect example.
Videos are becoming more and more popular. They can be used for entertainment, information, as well as marketing.
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