Social Media in the News

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/02/justice/texas-stabbing-videochat/index.html?iref=allsearch

In this case Face Time was used to save a woman’s life. Rachel Poole was stabbed while Face Timing her husband, who was deployed in South East Asia. A few weeks ago this woman walked into her home at night and was attacked by another soldier, who apparently owed her and her husband money for vehicle damage. While being attacked the woman was able to scream out her attackers name and her husband heard it and posted the picture of the attacker on Facebook asking help to find him.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/us/social-media-suicide-stop/index.html?iref=allsearch

            In this case Facebook was used to reach out to a potential suicide victim and save his life. Police from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department were informed of the teen’s suicidal posts hinting at jumping off a local bridge. They downloaded his profile picture and handed them out to local officers who went searching for the teen. However unsuccessful that attempted was they did not give up. Police directly posted to his Facebook profile urging him to call them, even other friend on the social media site posted comments to him. Soon after he actually did receive the messages and met with one of the officers who helped him check into a hospital.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/13/justice/pennsylvania-teen-charged-twitter/index.html?iref=allsearch

                A teen in Pennsylvania used twitter to expose witness information about a 2012 shooting. Now this teen is being charged with witness intimidation and making terroristic threats. Using pictures from another Instagram account this teen posted information that could potentially hurt criminal cases. Obviously not much detail about the actual post could be provided, but it does make you wonder how much damage social media can do in certain instances.  The uses of  social media tends to be like a double-edged sword; with both positive and negative repercussions. 

Arab Spring

I feel that social media encouraged the Arab Spring. If there had been no social media with the ability to spread the injustices that it probably would not have gotten such coverage. Yet the people in the countries would still be facing the issues, just without international attention. If there had not been cell phones there that day when Mohamed Bouazizi lit himself on fire to protest the government corruption, would people outside the country even be aware? I think the problem and probably the protesting would be there regardless of the social media, it’s just that social media is a great tool to spread the news faster.

 Social Media can spread information at lightning speed. Information is power. Different groups of people are fighting for the power, so it makes sense that both groups try to use social media to convey their information to the rest of the world. In this case, similar to Egypt, protesters used real time video to show the cruelty of the regimes in power. Both the government and the rebel groups use social media tools to spread their propaganda.  

I personally have never used to social media to organize a group but I could see where it would be useful. Using Facebook to promote and encourage participation in a fundraiser or nonprofit organization is a great example. Social media, for the most part now, is free so using it to spread information can lead to great outcomes. People are now able to know or at least be aware of many things they otherwise would not have found out about. 

Webinar Review

It was sponsored by LinkedIn but hosted by Lindsey Pollack and a moderator. The main topic of this Webinar was utilizing LinkedIn in the job search process. It covered how to enhance your own personal brand, getting connected (networking), and actually finding opportunities for potential jobs.  

They talked about the fact that 70% of employers have rejected a possible job candidate because of a negative online image. It makes you really think twice about what you post on social media sites. That kind of stuff really comes back to haunt you, if you are not careful. So they recommended having professional sites, like LinkedIn, because it will be one of the top results they would notice when they google you. Again they also talked about managing your profile with descriptive skills and also have manager recommendations for each previous job you have held. Another aspect was that you can message people to connect to you on LinkedIn. Making the extra effort to connect to people individually will make them more likely to help you in the future. Joining and being active in groups also give you a step on the job search.

We probably wouldn’t use this for the project but this would be a great webinar for college students. I have a LinkedIn account but have not maintained it because I really had no idea how to use it so this definitely helps. This site is important for making connections, networking, and counterbalancing the negative connotation that maybe you have on other social media; because it is more of a professional environment. 

White Paper Roulette

Michael Stelzner’s “2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” covers the broad topic of how the marketing industry is using social media to advertise and promote their businesses. The report covered a great deal of information such as the time spent on each site, the most used by peers, the benefits of using the sites and comparisons between businesses.

According to the report 97% of marketers are using social media. But they all seem to have similar questions about what is the most effective platform and how to better use social networking sites. Again something I found interesting was although 97% use social media sites only 26% or one in four actually believed they were getting a return on investment. An interesting comparison was the expertise on the sites. The beginners, of less than a year using the sites, 50% of them only go on it 5 or less hours a week. But those who have used it two years or longer spend 6 hours or more on the sites as well. So there is only roughly an hour difference between the beginners and the experienced. I believed that the more experienced would have used less time on the sites because they would be more aware of the tricks and such on the sites.

Something important to note for search engine optimization was that businesses who have been using social media for at least two years had a 62% rise for SEO ranking. This is important exposure for businesses because SEO is one of the best ways for a business to get notice by customers online.

One of the findings was that those spending 40 hours per week 63% of them were under forty; this makes sense because they were raise with the changing technology making it easier for them to learn quicker. Another interesting fact from the report was that those who spent 40 plus hours a week focused on Pinterest Google+, Instagram, YouTube, and blogging. Again one of the more interesting conclusions was that YouTube is the top area that marketers plan to utilize in the future. What I thought was not being fully utilized was the photo sharing sites. These sites are targeted towards a younger audience who are prime targets but only 38% of markers claim they will be increasing use on these sites. With the growing popularity I thought there would be more of a rise in use for businesses.

Overall the report concluded that there was a significant benefit for businesses to use social media sites. There were increased sales, increased exposure just within the past few years. The report even noted that half of marketers who spent at least a year on social media sites gain new partnerships for their businesses. They also noted that 63% of business found it helpful in gaining a loyal fan base. Something not surprising was the list of popular platforms used by marketers; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, and YouTube. I did notice that 69% of marketers plan on increasing YouTube activity which made it the top area marketers will invest in 2013. But 62% of marketers also wanted to learn more about blogging, which was surprising because I thought compared to all the other sites this would be the least timely or interesting for businesses.  

Stelzner, Michael A. "2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report."SocialMediaExaminer.com. Social Media Examiner, May 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Corporate Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crTCgkjX9K0 Captain Morgan This advertisement, started off as though it was going to be part of a small comedy sitcom. The company used the typical situation of a husband getting caught lying to his wife about skipping a family wedding. Everyone in the bar band together to convince the wife that he is really at home watching TV. This gives off the spirit of togetherness that Captain Morgan provides. The way the company lays out the commercial it leaves the potential for the viewer to remember an instance when they were caught lying, and could have used some back up from friends. This ad leaves the viewer feeling a sense of comradely with those who drink Captain Morgan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_u_AZjYm0 Playstation This ad seems to be a bit more confusing. The first and only scene is of a white empty room with a baby doll sitting in front of a dark black PlayStation game. The commercial, even though strange and hard to understand, does an effective job of marketing this new version. Similar to celebrity fame, any publicity is good publicity. So even though the commercial doesn’t seem really that connected to PlayStation however it gets the viewer to talk about the product; when you see a confusing commercial don’t you discuss it with your friends?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OST_yFbuDrk&feature=pyv&ad=3118331431&kw=shamwow%20dub Sham Wow This commercial is for the Sham Wow towel. The character is using the towel in all kinds of conditions to show how powerful it is. He uses it on boats, cars, dishes even carpets. This one uses the product in the multiple ways to get the viewer to believe in the ‘power’ of the Sham Wow. It uses examples like spilling a drink on a carpet, because for most of us that has happened at least once. This get the viewer drawn in with the hopes of buying the product. The company does a good job of making the video go in enough detail to show the value of the product.

Youtube Video

http://youtu.be/SpsiauRJzcA

Smuttynose brewing company

Check out Smuttynose Brewing Company FB

The main cover picture is just a simple picture of the building and the profile picture is the logo. It seems to me that the cover photo could be something a bit more interesting to grab the viewer’s attention, and save a building shot for the photo album. On the page there are basic posts; one of interest happened on Friday the 13^th. They add humor to a post; which will engage viewers. They reference a classic horror movie, Friday the 13^th, but also advertise a brewery tour in the same line. As a horror move fan, it caught my attention. 

           Later in the page they adhere to the info, call to action, invitation to interaction model. Taken from the Facebook page, “Charley from New Mexico shot this photo while vacationing in Rockport, MA. Do any of the rest of you have any Summertime Smuttynose photos to share? We'd love to see them.” Added next to the post was a picture of the beer with a beach in the background. 

Overall on this page I think they do a good job at marketing their business. They use the basic Facebook post model, add pictures, even videos to get attention and activity on the page.

Flag Hill Winery& Distillery

Flag Hill Winery Facebook

           The main issue was that the link to Facebook, on the website, leads to your own homepage and then from there you had to search the name of the business. When it brought you to the home page of the business there was no profile picture or cover picture. It seemed that they had created a Facebook but did not have anyone to post or add to it. Clearly this page does not do a good job marketing the business. However I did notice there was a link to Twitter, and that account was active and well used.

Duncraft

Duncraft Facebook

          This business is all about backyard bird feeding and little critters. Once you click the link to the Facebook page you see a huge picture of two birds and flowers. The profile picture again is the simple logo of the business. The posts are all centered around the hobby, bird feeding. The information section is nicely filled out, informative but brief. What is also interesting is that this business hosts a blog. It creates Facebook posts that entice the reader to click the link and visit the blog. They are definitely involving the audience, trying to grab interest but also advertise new products they have out. They do a good job marketing their products and trying to engage viewers that are coming to their pages and blogs. 

One of the posts adds a picture but also advertises for the business's blog. It reads, "The old wives' tale about birds and weather predictions might not be entirely true, but our avian friends still offer useful indicators of impending weather. Find out why and how below. Do you ever use birds to help you figure out future weather?http://blog.duncraft.com/2013/06/24/can-birds-predict-the-weather/"

Post 2: Three ways to get Facebook business page noticed

I found that cover images on Facebook pages are actually important. They are the first thing that someone notices and should reflect the business in a unique way. Having an accurate and clear picture that relates to the business, such as a recent event or product, easily engages the viewer.

Also filling out the 'about' section on your business profile is a good way to have people understand your business. You should fill it out with the right key words and keep it brief so people can read or skim it fast.

Another important aspect to maintaining a successful Facebook page would be to obviously make memorable posts.  A good idea would be to post quotes, comments, and questions. Posting riddles or questions that make the reader answer or at least get a laugh out of it, makes it more likely they will remember your business.  You want to show the viewers that your business can relate to and actually care about the community and its people.  Remember that the variety of posts also matter; include videos and pictures not just text. 

Blog Post 1

Did you find any of these statistics surprising? Why or why not?

I did not find the statistics that surprising. On certain sites like Pinterest, it is pretty well known that the majority of users are women. Plus the fact that the most people used social networking sites in urban areas was not surprising. I could think of a few reasons why, such as they have a better connection or access to the internet and they are surrounded by advertisements for numerous websites. The people in the age range of 18-29 used social networking sites 83% whereas people ages 65 and older only used it 32%. The younger age group was raised with this technology and older generations have a harder time adjusting to the constant changes of it.

List what you find to be the three most interesting facts you learned from these reports

They claimed that Facebook users are more trusting than others. I felt that was interesting because people often post things that have been embellished or outright false. People on Facebook tend to post before they think, personally there have been times when someone posts something and it definitely makes me doubt their character.  Seven in ten seniors own a cell phone. I was surprised by this; I thought it would be considerably lower. It seems to have gone up slowly these past few years.  Another interesting fact I read was that the average user of social networking sites is half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American. This seemed odd to me because using the computer to me has typically been seen as a solo activity. I suppose that you may be able to communicate with others more however physically you can’t. I like the ability that it gives us to communicate but not the lack of actual contact and the level of laziness it allows.

Describe how you’ve seen differences by age in your family in how they use social media—for example, your parents’or grandparents versus you or younger siblings

My parents are technology deficient. But that makes sense because they were not brought up with it as rampant as I was. My sister and I are easily able to adapt to new changes throughout social media. My mother recently got a Facebook however she still believes that we shouldn’t show any personal details, like having a profile picture of ourselves, because someone could track us down or even kidnap us. My sister and I think this is ridiculous because the purpose of sites like Facebook is to show some personal details, assuming you are safe and smart about who you talk to. Clearly for my mother it will take some time to adapt to these sites; I still have to explain that you can get email from any computer, not just our home computer.  My father on the other hand, even though he works on a computer all day, refuses to get a Facebook. He claims that if anyone wants to get in contact with him, all they have to do is look in the yellow pages. It is very easy to see the differences in opinions about social networking sites in my family.