Social Media IS EFFECTIVE...here are some numbers to prove it

Social media is good...blahh blahh blahh...social media is the new it thing....blahh blahh blahh.

People can talk all they want to about whether or not social media is effective, but the proof is in the numbers. In the early stages it was considered a Fad and now it has its own degree program like I mentioned in the blog below this one. I'm pretty sure it is here to stay, but don't believe me, take a look at the numbers.

Do you believe marketing businesses via Twitter and Facebook works?

Taken from the Wall Street Journal almost a year ago, the posted link is data that shows social media is considered more effective with over 2 times more yes votes than not. Several people who answered the poll question also took some time to comment on what they felt were the benefits to social media and how effective it had been for them. The following is a very good comment that sums up how positive social media can be for a company:

rickey gold wrote:
If done right, social media (and social networking) absolutely works. I see it with my clients who are building visibility and growing business....and might be in trouble this year were it not for the social media marketing they did last year. Which leads me to believe that the people questioning its value are either NOT doing it right or don't understand how it works. As far as cost, a marketing tool that costs hundreds of dollars per month is incredibly cheap when compared to the cost of a print ad (yes, just one!), radio or broadcast advertising or a public relations campaign.

With comments left like that and 64.5% total votes, it is safe to say that YES social media is effective and will continue to be.

Masters in Social Media is no longer a dream

Social media is a very new development on our campus, but in places like Birmingham has already been a full on masters program for almost two years now. The article is posted in a link at the bottom if you would like to check it out. The fact that social media is such a "fad" is an argument that is getting smaller and smaller by the day. Everyone in the business industry is finally starting to realise that this little internet thingy needs some atttention or else your company is going to miss out on a BIGGGG chunk of practically free advertising and marketing. But still, people are skeptical.

"Many educators and students alike have voiced their skepticism in such a degree as social media, stating that the premise for the program is not credible and is just as easily self-taught; its content does not justify a 48-week course and a tuition total of $6,200. However, many others defending the program claim that with the current, monumental changes happening to media, those with public relations, journalism, or electronic media degrees must, as a necessity, keep themselves apprised of the information evolution."

The paragraph above taken from the article makes a good point. Social media is something you very well can learn on your own. You are essentially paying $6,000 for a piece of paper that says you have completed a masters program. Still, it IS something that many fields needs to be well educated in like it also states above. To have a competative advantage, they need to be familiar with social media.

Not only is the masters program in social media smart considering the direction technology is moving, it is also very smart of the schools to get onboard with it. They recognize that social media is not a fad and they can make some extra money in tuition to by joining in on the social media craze.

Read more: Get a Master's Degree in Social Media: The New Wave of Information Exchange - StateUniversity.com Blog http://www.stateuniversity.com/blog/permalink/Get-a-Masters-Degree-in-Social-Media-The-New-Wave-of-Information-Exchange.html#ixzz15YVx6PMa

http://www.stateuniversity.com/blog/permalink/Get-a-Masters-Degree-in-Social-Media-The-New-Wave-of-Information-Exchange.html

Wanna look like a Gossip Girl??

It is now a common thing to see social media being connected to television shows. During commercial break they advertise to get on facebook to see deleted scenes, twitter to see what this star has to say about filming, buy apps on the iphone with quizzes and more. But the latest successful tactic to create more sales has been linking an online store to a facebook page.

Gossip girl is an example of this. On their facebook site you can be linked directly to the official Gossip Girl website to order t shirts and designer wear featured on the show. The CW Store is a website on its own but having it posted on the facebook page is just another way for them to increase traffic.

On a marketing stand point, this is very clever. Not only does it increase potential sales made through purchase, it also increases the amount of traffic the CW Store gets. Social Media is not only used to connect, it is used as a form of sales.



Redbox on your phone!

Most people have seen those large soda machine things outside of McDonalds or Walmart. Only instead of getting a Pepsi you have the option to rent a movie for the cheap price of $1 per night plus tax. Redbox has taken over in regards to movie rentals putting Hollywood video and Blockbuster either out of business or on the verge. Their only main competitor is Netflix with online streaming, and even Redbox is looking into ways they can get on board with this feature as well.

Not only are they trying to set focus on online streaming, they are making a splash in social media as well. They send texts once a week with a coupon for a free movie rental. They have developed an app for iphone that lets you know where the closest Redbox locations are and what movies they have in them. They also post frequently on their facebook page, keeping the customers included by starting discussions based on movies. Toy Story 3 has been a recent topic along with ratings on movies.

From a marketing stand point, Redbox is doing everything they are supposed to right. They are giving out free incentives and are trying to get their customers involved by online discussions. Probably they main reason Blockbuster is now trying to conform to THEIR platform rather than the old uneffective way of renting movies.

Yahoo Integrates Social Media with email

Yahoo has recently launched the new Beta program that allows users to now link their facebook, twitter, flickr, and other social media accounts. This new program is available on all of the latest technology as well; droid, ipad, iphone, all while linking directly to your PC.

Of course, Beta has a lot of really interesting email related perks but the mail thing I am impressed by is how linked it will be to social media sites. Pictures from Flickr can now be opened into email messages. An email can be sent straight to a facebook status update or a twitter "tweet". The use of social media is getting easier and easier. Now it is almost thrown into the consumers face, every possible source for social media is being filled with an ad to "check us out on facebook". Consumers can post or search through websites and company profiles in one simple step thanks to the constant growth of social media. It is slowly proving that social media is NOT a fad, it is here to stay.

US government uses social media to find fraud...

http://www.visabureau.com/america/news/15-10-2010/us-government-using-social-media-to-detect-us-visa-bogus-marriage-fraud.aspx
Hopefully you read the above article since it is really short. This whole idea is crazy! I think it is scary that social media has become so popular that government officials are now using it for very important jobs like this. Not to mention the security issue there, I don't think I want those people creeping around on facebook.

Also, I think this is a very very smart tactic. Its clever to use something considered for free time as a tool to catch people who are lying about their affairs and get a little more perspective on them.
It is very interesting how the article pointed out most of the time the government accounts will be added as friends because the people they are monitoring like the attention. Thankfully I never add anyone who I don't recognize. Just the whole idea that the government is using social media proves even more that it is not a fad and its here to stay.

Old Spice Guy or Monster?

In class last week, we watched the video I have posted below about the Old Spice Guy. A funny 33 second video that has now reached over 1.6 million views, it has turned into an incredibily successful advertising campaign. I honestly don't think that anyone expected it to be as popular as it was. The video started a whole stream of twitter posts and Old Spice actually made videos as a response. The videos circulated all over the internet and email, only giving the company more and more free exposure.
Now, Old Spice is getting more attention on the news and online thanks to the video Grover from Sesame Street posted about "How to smell like a monster." The video clearly spoofs the original and plays off the same jokes only with the childish audience in mind. Of course this is a direct reference to pop culture and I don't excpect any of the kids to understand it. The video is mostly something the parents would pick up on. Either way it is amazing to think that a tiny Old Spice video can make such an impact on the online community. It has now even hit big by having a popular children's show create a spoof about it. Now we as viewers just have to decide who we think is cuter, The Old Spice Guy or Grover...
Smell like a monster  

A little coffee with your social media?

I loooooovvvveeeee Dunkin Donuts.

I really and truly do. I am not a coffee person but when I roll through that drive through and order a number one combo, medium coffee (french vanilla creamer and sugar) and a pink sprinkles donut, you can bet that my day is going to be a good one after I finish that scrumptious little donut.

In class we have been talking about how businesses are trying to get the word spread on facebook by having special competitions and promotions to users. Well, DD is no exception. I don't think you can even imagine how excited I was when I saw this advertisement.

The prize for winning this silly little video contest??
Taken straight from their facebook page:

One (1) Grand Prize:

• A trip for two to Costa Rica, where you’ll visit a coffee farm and have some fun in the sun.
• A trip for two to meet our Coffee Excellence Team, tour our Coffee Lab and learn how we brew the perfect cup at our headquarters near Boston, MA.
• Sixty (60) months of free Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee delivered to your door.
• And of course…bragging rights!

Ten (10) First Prize(s):

• Twelve (12) months of free Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee delivered to your door

I'm really sorry if this sounds horrible to you. NOT!!! This contest rocks!!
All you have to do is submit a 60 second video of you at a DD location. Then people can vote for your video. Right there is a marketing ploy to not only encourage free advertising for DD but they also just politely tricked you into going into their shops for like the one billionth time. In addition to votes DD will rate you on creativity, video appeal, and overall DD passion. It started yesterday and it ends on October 30. So, that means I have exactly one month to get my video together and send it in. Here is a link if you would like to become my competition. But I have to warn you, I am in this one to win.

Dunkin Donuts Video Contest

Lady Gaga + Social Media = Political Influence?!?!

I love me some Bad Romance but I can honestly say that this above statement makes me very nervous. I don’t want some singer who wears lobsters as a hat having anything to do with my politics.  It’s just really weird.

But after I looked into it a little more, I started wondering why the other people weren’t wearing lobster hats and being more like her. Gaga knows whats up.

 

Earlier America was in a buzz about the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) drama going on. Some people agree and some people don’t; your opinion doesn’t matter in this blog post. Please don’t share with me.

What I DO agree with is the extent to which Lady Gaga used her social media resources to get her voice out there and heard. She did a live speech, constant facebook notes dedicated just to resources regarding DADT and frequent twitter updates. Girlfriend wanted to be heard and she was!

Here is a link to her DADT speech if you want to watch it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc

While I like celebrity twitters because it can squash some silly gossip going around, I was really impressed by the way Gaga used hers to highlight something she felt very strongly about. Kinda makes my recent status update about how excited I am for the newest episode of Gossip Girl seem a little silly. Just more proof that social media is everywhere and can really be used as a powerful expression of the user. Whether that’s politics or Chuck and Blair’s relationship.

My Manager is my Facebook Friend

I know I complained in the previous quote about how EVERYONE has a Facebook but now I want to rant a little bit about how EVERYONE, including my manager, is checking them out.

I have worked at Dillards upstairs in the Ladies department for over a year now. My first manager, Tammy, was pretty cool. We would chat and what not, but she wasn't really my buddy so we never got to be too social with each other. The woman who later replaced Tammy, my current manager now, Wendy is a whole different story. She is only about 6 years older than me, very fun, personable, and hip with the times. She also sent me a friend request on Facebook the same week she was promoted to be my manager.

At first I struggled with whether to add her or not. Do I really want my manager knowing when I'm going out to Entourage or when my day completely sucks? I could see the negative side to adding her but I didn't want to be rude and press ignore. Then have that super awkward question about why I didn't add her later.
I decided to go on ahead and add her. But I have to be very careful what I do put on there.

A girl who works in the juniors department downstairs once called in late.  Her manager is also her friend on Facebook. While the reason she called in was because of traffic coming back from her parents house in Clarksville, her manager announced to everyone that she would be late probably because she was partying too hard the night before. Why would he say that? Her Facebook status was something along the lines of how much fun she was having in Nashville with all her girls. It could be a party status, but it also makes sense that she was maybe just hanging out at her mom's house with some high school friends, which she was.
While I think it was inappropriate for the manager to say anything at all, I still think he may not have been completely out of line. She accepted his friend request on Facebook, so technically it is public property right?

The whole moral to this is be very careful what you put on Facebook. Managers and potential employers are on these things and while you would think they would separate personal from work it still does not guarantee that they can't use it against you later or pass judgment.

A MOVIE?? Really?

Everyone uses facebook these days. And I don't think that is a generalization of the public either. You see my mom, aunt, cousins, brother, stepsister, and grandmother all have one. Whats worse is someone once suggested to me that I create a profile for my cat, Annie. I politely declined, I'm not that crazy...yet.  (I did think about it. She is really cute and I bet you would want to add her as a friend.)

But, even though facebook has taken over our lives and everyone and their mother has one, I was still pretty shocked when I found out there is a movie coming out about it. Not a history channel documentary, an actual motion picture sit-in-the-theater-and-eat-popcorn movie. What is going on here?

The Social Network

Its all about Mark Zuckerberg whose Harvard education clearly paid off the night he sat in his dorm and created this billion dollar social crutch. Watch this trailer please so you know what I am talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgSa2tghPaA

Am I going to see this movie? Yup. Is it going to be very good? Not likely considering Justin Timberlake is pretending to act in it. But as a whole, why wouldn't anyone want to see it? This little stalker website has taken over the freetime of so many people in the world, aren't you a little curious about how it all started out?

The whole thing from a marketing stand point is kinda clever. What is better advertisment than a movie? I'm sure brands are lining up to get their ads on facebook and in the previews before this movie comes out. Not to mention the media coverage and overall PR facebook is going to get from this. Good movie/Bad movie?  It is still going to be in the news and probably on People Magazine.

Still the idea that one website, which has already won the hearts of procrastinators everywhere, is now crossing into the movie theater is a little freaky for me. I almost want to scream "stop changing! Just be a website!" However, I am addicted to facebook so you can bet your farmville chickens that I will be in that theater watching this movie when it comes out October 1st. Don't worry I'll update my status and tell you how it is after.