Why you need more than just digital “content, content and content.”

A neat article I stumbled across while online today. 
http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/marketers-break-free-digital-content-trap/228544/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AdvertisingAge%2FLatestNews+%28Advertising+Age+-+Latest+News%29

Can Social Media Change The World?

Neat youtube clip! Check it out 😀

Social Media Etiquette

How's your Social Media Etiquette Checklist? Blank Like This One? Read below!

In light of the recent firing of a sportsnet personality, now would be a good time to discuss social media etiquette. Growing up in the technology age you’re no stranger to the internet and probably visit various social media sites. Social media (web 2.0) provides its users with a constant stream of information about your friends, family, and coworkers you’ve friended or follow.

Web 2.0 just like the internet, taken this vast planet and turned it into a global village. No longer do you have to wonder what happened to your friend who moved across the world! There was a time when you had to rely on letter writing and phone calls to keep in contact with those far away. With the internet came email and simplified the art of writing to others. Texting and social messaging services like Icq, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, and Yahoo Messenger brought forth instant text communications. Use of webcams and the desire for face-time despite long distances lead to popularity for services like Skype and Window Messenger Video chat.  With all these increases in technology and social communication it’s no wonder world has been set aflame with all things Social Media.  While Myspace and hi5 are early form of social media, I became enthralled when I discovered facebook and twitter.

Facebook allowed me to get back in touch with friends I knew from grade school and to keep in touch easier with friends from high school.  My first year of university, the word escaping everyone’s lips was facebook.  Everywhere I went I would hear “Have you heard about facebook? Are you on it??  Add me!!”

in 2006, Twitter emerged as a new microblogging service. Twitter didn’t catch on as quickly as facebook as it left people wondering if 140 characters were enough to communicate their message. Now twitter has surpassed 200 million accounts! Facebook too has large amounts of accounts roughly over 500 million http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics  Social media is pretty much everywhere!

How does etiquette factor into social media?

The growth in popularity of social media leads to lots of information sharing.  We can learn about what’s going on with our friends, family, coworkers, favourite celebrities, and preferred news providers.  Information is power and of interest however, if you like to overshare you’re likely to constantly share mundane details or sometimes share inappropriate details like “I eat grapes at the gas station” or “Stacey has a botched boob job.”

A comedic movie Easy A pokes at teens who overshare their lives.  The Teacher Mr. Griffith ( played by Thomas Haden Church) says “I don’t know what your generation’s fascination is with documenting your every thought… but I can assure you, they’re not all diamonds. ‘Roman is having an OK day, and bought a Coke Zero at the gas station. Raise the roof.’ Who gives a rat’s ass?” Quote referenced  Mr. Griffith remark starts off  my etiquette list.

1. Don’t spam or pester by overloading.  If you tweet  like no tomorrow that’s fine just don’t link your account with Facebook.  There is almost nothing more annoying than going to read your facebook newsfeed and it is all filled with one person’s tweets!   Also if you are trying to sell or promote don’t spam in hopes more people will read it because you’ll just annoy connections and be unfriended/unfollowed.
2. Feel free to share relevant information people want to know just think of the acronym  wwtkt  (Who wants to know this?) If you can’t think of people who want to know that information then I would advise against posting it.
3. Are your updates/ tweets emotional?  That’s fine.  It’s okay to share how you feel but beware of overly emotional or catty remarks.  It may feel good to vent your frustrations via social media but you don’t look good to others.  You reconsider before sending an angry or frustrated email, shouldn’t you do the same with social media sharing?  My best advice? Think twice!  Always think twice before you want to post an emotionally charged  update or tweet.
4. Is this your information offensive or discriminatory?  Free speech is wonderful , it truly is, but if you want to post something that is bound to offend others then  leave the opinion to yourself.

   If you are a public figure or are associated with a company and use social media for part of your work, keep your information work related.  Don’t blur the line and cross into personal opinions.

• Good example courtesy Yahoonews from the article Rogers Sportsnet fires on-air host over tweets regarding same-sex marriage  discussing Damian’s controversial tweet in opposition to Sean Avery (New York Rangers forward)  support of same-sex marriage.“I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage,” Goddard tweeted Tuesday. The TV network then issued its own tweet, saying: “Today’s tweet from Damian Goddard does not reflect the views of Rogers Sportsnet.”  On Wednesday, it(Rogers) severed ties with Goddard.”

Bottom line:  Be polite and always think twice before you write, post, or tweet.

The Sean’s Twitter Song! (Kingston and Paul)

As Sean Paul says “This song is dedicated to all my Tweethearts <3”

Active Consumers Seek Corporate Responsibility in the Age of Social Media!

Age of Web 2.0! Age of consumer empowerment!
Age of responsibility?

Consumers are active and participative today. Consumer empowerment for businesses/corporations means no more regarding consumers as passive. They consider actions of businesses/corporations before buying into products. Consumers are looking for responsibility in their product and service providers. What exactly is responsibility for a company?

Business dictionary defines corporate responsibility as:

“A company’s sense of responsibility towards the community and environment (both ecological and social) in which it operates. Companies express this citizenship (1) through their waste and pollution reduction processes, (2) by contributing educational and social programs, and (3) by earning adequate returns on the employed resources.”

If you want a lengthier explanation visit: Reference for business.

Smart companies/businesses target and interact with their consumers. The internet and social media has encouraged the new age consumer who wants to find out more about businesses. Consider coffee: Dark, rich, aromatic coffee that brightens your tired self in the morning. AND afternoon. Maybe evening too. You buy coffee based on taste and advertising, right? The passive consumer does. They go with what they know from what little information they have. What does the engaged consumer do? They research brands online, find out the company’s reputation and what they stand for. Corporate responsibility are two words that may not immediately jump to the average consumers’ mind. Two words stand out for the engaged, vocal consumer: Fair Trade. These two words hold a fair amount of power. It means that the farmers who grew the coffee beans received a fair (regulated) price for those beans.

Thus that farmer doesn’t have to live a poverty-stricken life selling beans well below value because they don’t have a choice.

Businesses who buy their beans through fair-trade can bear the fair trade logo. Since fair trade is regulated, you won’t find businesses claiming to be fair trade that aren’t. The only disadvantage to fair trade coffee is the price to consumers. Fair trade coffee costs more for the consumer to purchase. Without the fair trade logo one might assume it is overpriced coffee but not know why it is. A fair trade logo connected with a business says “we’re a responsible, morally considerate company that appreciates quality.” It also leaves the consumer feeling good about their purchase. Purchasing+ feeling good are a great match. Businesses want their consumers to feel good about making purchase because those consumers are more likely to continue purchasing their product.

My fair trade coffee example highlights how a passive consumer might not have known about fair trade quality or understand its importance. The passive consumer just listens to what the business says and doesn’t really ask questions. A one-way conversation. Ignorance is bliss to the passive consumer.

How is this applicable to social media?

Internet and social media removed the rose coloured glasses from our eyes. They give information that once wasn’t readily available now available to the masses! You can Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, and Reddit (to list a few!) a business to find out what it stands for; find out what other people think about it.

Coffee wise: Companies/businesses who have facebook pages, twitter accounts and webpages can mention their fair trade association and their corporate social responsibility.

Perfect example: Starbucks! They are very quick to brand themselves as a responsible business. “We’ve always believed that businesses can – and should – have a positive impact on the communities they serve.”

Starbucks proudly shares its corporate social responsibility with its consumers throughout social media. For example: You can like Starbucks and Starbucks frappuccino on facebook, roughly 20 different twitter accounts and follow them on LinkedIn. Engaged consumers who are already plugged into various social media they will visit webpages and social media links of various businesses. Consumers want to know the truth and want to feel good about their purchase. Starbucks must know this and use it to further their brand quality. Essentially you can find Starbucks everywhere on social media. You can find them sharing and connecting with their consumers online and off! Thanks to social media!

As a social media specialist and a consumer, I recognize the importance of ethical business practices, corporate responsibility and usage of social media. Social media connects businesses with their consumers. Consumers can share their thoughts with businesses and other consumers. Starting a conversation between businesses and consumers as well as consumers with consumers via social media benefits all. It keeps businesses in the spotlight,responsible to its consumers, and in return it gains loyalty. Thus consumers get to feel good about their purchases and businesses receive purchaser loyalty/longevity.

Thoughts? Share them with me!  😀

The Twitter Song Brightened My Day!

This is by far the best twitter song I’ve heard! The twitter parody is set to the cheery melody of I’m yours by Jason Mraz. 😀

My Favourite Blurb :

“I’ve got the Twitter shakes; guess I could be addicted,
And there’s no moving on until I’m able to log on,
‘Cause I can’t stop tweeting no more,
No more I’m addicted I’m sure,”

Give it a listen and let me know what you think!
http://www.hark.com/clips/blwvtbpmgm-twitter-song

Also! Here is the original song: I’m Yours by Jason Mraz. 😀

Texting: Does It Help Us Connect With Others Or Does It Creative A Divide?

Short answer: I think it helps us connect casually with more people but it is not meant for deep connecting moments.

Long answer: Global news hour recently discussed this topic. Their bottom line: an in-person conversation for 5-10 minutes is better than mass texting. I agree with this statement on the basis of quality over quantity. Face time over texting is always better but does this mean that we shouldn’t text? No ! I think text messages are a great invention. I almost like them as much as various social media applications. ALMOST. As a Social Media Specialist, I am immersed in web and mobile 2.0 to build community, marketing, interacting and share information. My heart and passion belong with social media but when it comes to texting I’m hooked.

Here’s a neat link. Nielson Wire performed a study on primarily teenagers (and other age groups) and their texting habits. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/u-s-teen-mobile-report-calling-yesterday-texting-today-using-apps-tomorrow/
Nielson states that there is an 8% increase in texting from 2009 to 2010. What does that 8% really mean? 3,339 texts a months for the average teenager. Adults texting has increased too, not to the same degree as teenagers but there still is a sizeable difference. Look at the chart below from Nielson Wire.

This is from Nielson Wire: The Nelson Company

I admit, I’m a textaholic. I love texting. I even get my facebook updates via text. I like it because you can communicate with a large group of people instead of being confined to one call at a time. Another benefit of texting is it allows for multi-tasking. Our society is becoming more about time maximization. We even like our devices to have multiple purposes. Look at the once iconic pocket watch, nobody really uses it anymore because it only performs one function. Even its shrunken cousin the wrist watch is declining in popularity; a cellphone/smartphone displays a clock on its screen, which makes a wristwatch redundant (unless you use it as a fashion piece.) To captivate attention and get usage today a device must perform multiple functions. This is why smartphones are becoming increasingly popular as they offer not only phone calls and texting but they also offer internet browsing, emailing, and other various applications.

Another reason why texting is rising in popularity: Texting is simple, fast and to the point. You can get a message to someone quickly and get a response back. For example (in text type): Penny: Car brke dwn. I can’t meet u 4 coffee. Gale: Sorry 2 hear that! Ok, nxt time. This takes about 10 seconds to type and send versus a 2-4 minute phone call explaining the situation in great detail. This way “penny” can focus her energies on arranging car repair and Gale knows not to wait for her. Great example of a casual issue that can arise where texting is beneficial.

I don’t recommend texting for discussing important issues that warrant in-person discussions. Taking in text to discuss a substantial problem with a family member, friend, or a romantic partner doesn’t give proper respect to the problem. Texting is a casual action. Applying a casual attitude to serious matters says you can’t be bothered to take time to work through deep issues. Texting instead of in-person discussions removes verbal and physical indicators and according to Dale Carnegie s 50% of all communications are non-verbal. This means 50% of the communication is missing during a textual argument. It may be easier to type “I’m sorry” than to say it but it doesn’t mean the same. You’re avoiding conflict and emotional baggage by texting and it will only disrespect your family member, friend, or romantic partner. I may love technology and social media but I would not want to have a relationship with someone who would rather discuss serious problems via text. There is a reason why texting is called SMS because a short message service is meant to be short not in-depth which relationship issues require. There is even a facebook group dedicated to the matter: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Texting-is-NOT-an-acceptable-way-of-discussing-deep-relationship-issues/315662067102

Bottom line: Texting is great for casual interactions. It provides us with a way to interact with a multitude of people at the same time while performing other activities. I love texting for the aforementioned good reasons but don’t hide behind your phone instead of talking to a person; when a problem happens TALK it out don’t type.

Today Is…..

NYC Mayor Bloomberg declares that April 16th is Foursquare day in the city. This means there are roughly 300 cities celebrating the holiday.

The location tracking social network gets its own day in New York City. Bloomberg delivered his endorsement on April 14th to the NYC based social network. It is no surprise to hear that New Yorkers as well as many others around the world are enamored with FourSquare. Eight million users strong, FourSquare allows you to ‘check-in’  through your smartphone app or sms. Every time you check in you’re awarded points, which earn you badges. here’s a list of badges. For example: If you earns the badge of mayor it means you have visited that specific venue the most out of others who have checked in at that venue over the past 60 days! The person of this award is continuously changing  and some businesses like to offer special discounts or deals to their current  FourSquare ‘Mayor’!

Popular FourSquare continues to gain new members.  According to FourSquare’s blog they grew 3400% last year! Check out the neat info graphic @ http://blog.foursquare.com/2011/01/24/2010infographic/

So, one question remains… Where will you spend April 16th?  If you are curious about where others will be spending their day check out : 4sqday   and  geek.com

Cheers!

Should Twitter Have a Like Button?

Should Twitter Have A Like Button?

This is the question that came to me last night. I’m pondering the possibilities and the implications. Facebook and Google both have their own type of like button, why doesn’t twitter? Throughout my experience with like buttons I’ve come to greatly appreciate them. Like buttons support the concept of community building.

How you ask?

Google recently started their +1 recommendation to give browsers more confidence in their search efforts. +1 is available to those who have a public Google profile. You can ‘like’ or in this case ‘recommend’ places or links to your connections. When I go onto Google and search a topic, if a connection has recommended one of the search results I see it! This is more of a search related liking and less of a social aspect but it brings a social aspect to web searching.

On Google’s website: http://www.google.com/+1/button/ they describe +1 as such : “Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval. Your +1’s can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search.” The way I see it is helping others strengthens us all. It helps foster support and builds a sense of community.

Facebook’s like button serves more of a social, community aspect of liking. As a social media specialist, I love to post updates and links to interesting content on my facebook account. I experience a rush of excitement when someone likes one of my status updates or links I’ve shared. Liking a post says “I agree” or I appreciate what you’re saying and I’m publically stating it to our social world. Liking on facebook builds a positive connection with your friends and it encourages more socializing. People tell me they are more likely to share links and post updates if they receive likes because it makes them feel their efforts are appreciated. In other words: they like feeling popular.

Everyone likes to be liked. Liking someone’s link is an extension of liking that person. Facebook capitalized on this by allowing businesses to have a fan page or facebook page for businesses. The like button can be placed on external sites as well encouraging site visitors to ‘like’ them on facebook (this shows support for that business and it benefits facebook as ‘likers’ are using facebook more.) Another recent development is the connection of television advertising to internet browsing. For example: On a tv commercial Aquafina flavoured water advertises its product then encourages viewers to find and like them on facebook. Currently, there are 13,039 people who like Aquafina on their facebook page.  coincidence? I think not.

So this raises the question should twitter have a like button?

I’ve been discussing this topic and received mixed opinions. I’ve been asked what about retweeting? Isn’t that the same thing as liking? Does liking on twitter even fit what twitter is?@xMediaOutlet said “NOPE, retweet is much stronger action than like.” On the other side I’ve heard that it would make twitter even better. @ davemossop called it a “ magic switch.” I fall on the supporter side. I think a like button on twitter would even further foster a sense of community.

To answer a previously stated question: retweeting? Isn’t that the same thing as liking? No it is not the same. Retweeting, while it is a way of sharing a tweet you like its main focus is on information sharing. Liking does not share the link with others, it would tell the tweeter that you like what they are sharing. I believe these two functions could operate independently of one another and improve the already great twitter.

Who wouldn’t like to see “your tweet was liked by….”? 😀

Bottom line: I would like to see a like button for tweets in the future but is it necessary for twitter’s survival? No. It would be a neat perk I’d really like and I’m not alone on this! 😀

Another Earthquake? Japan Needs Your Help!

Another earthquake hit japan and to make matters worse there is another potential tsunami.  I’m asking that if you haven’t donated to the red cross you can do so now @  http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000043&tid=016 .
The Black Eyed Peas  who shot this video just before the first  earthquake in 2011.  They dedicated this song to Japan.  Listen 🙂