Emily - Tell me a little about your position and the type of company you work for:
Dave - I work as a Corporate Communications Specialist for Food Lion LLC, a grocery store company with 1,200 stores in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, under five banners - Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid’s. Our department handles all internal and external (media) communications for the company. There are currently six of us.
Emily - Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
Dave - Yes
Emily - Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
Dave - Yes. Everyone is doing it. If you're not moving forward you become stagnant.
Emily - What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
Dave - E-mail blasts, coupons especially for customers who sign up for certain online programs through our Web site.
Emily - Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
Dave - Twitter and Facebook. These are the "hot" sites currently. I'm sure if others gain steam the company will jump on their train.
Emily - Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
Dave - Both. The good aspects of your company can be easily spread online, but so too can the bad. It forces your company to always be on its game. "Information travels faster in the modern age." Death Cab for Cutie
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Friends with a Celebrity?
With advancements in new technology and innovative social networking tools comes the increase of competition among those who strive to rise to the top. People are constantly trying to be the first person to introduce a new idea to a culture craving groundbreaking advancements in technology. One area of social networking that is appealing to the masses is the ability for the normal, everyday person to find out instant updates about their favorite celebrities. Websites like Perez Hilton, Celebuzz, NameDrop and Twitter are frequently visited by tech-savvy individuals looking to learn the latest gossip on famous athletes, actors, and musicians. While Twitter is probably the most popular mobile applications used in this regard, NameDrop recently created a mobile application for their services.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Citizen Reporters Take Over Social Networking
While social networking sites are most commonly used by our youth as a way to stay in touch with friends, they are also being utilized as mediums for citizen journalism. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Flickr are used daily by people of all ages, spreading news stories to the community, sometimes before newspaper and TV reporters have a chance to cover the story. Because this information can be disseminated by anyone, it’s important that users don’t believe everything they read and check their facts.
When US Airways Flight 1549 miraculously landed safely in the Hudson River in New Jersey, Janis Krums snapped a picture from a nearby ferry that he instantly posted on Twitter. It wasn’t until later that he realized how many people reacted to his TwitPic, which resulted in the server crashing due to the overwhelming amount of views. Krums wanted to share what he considered to be a breaking news story with his followers on Twitter, and people were made aware of the story before news reporters had a chance to arrive on the scene. Twitter and other social networking sites are making it possible for people all over the world to spread news stories almost instantly.
Not only are social networking sites useful because of their ability to spread news faster than ever, but also their reach is continually growing. As of December 2008, Twitter had approximately 4.4 million users. Over 150 million people had joined Facebook, and Flickr had around 34 million users as of January 2009. Because of the massive amounts of users on social networking sites, the rate at which news stories spread is rapid. While citizen reporters may be spreading news faster than ever, the question of how much information is being disclosed depends on the social networking site.
Twitter and Facebook both have a limit as to how many characters one can write at once. Users of Facebook have a lot more room to elaborate on breaking news than people using Twitter, which limits a person to a maximum of 140 characters per message. Of course multiple Tweets by someone in succession could get around this problem, but the fact that the reporters message has boundaries could be viewed as a setback. The ability to post pictures alongside messages gives users more room to work with and could prove the authenticity of the information provided.
The chance of false information spreading instantly all over the world is a downfall with using social networking sites as a news source. While our generation seems to be adamant about checking facts, it’s important that people make sure the information they’re reading is true before they tell their friends about it. This sort of false news reporting could affect the reliability of people on social networking sites for information. However, the main objective of sites like Facebook and Twitter is to spread information about people and events, but they are not classified as news sites. If you are intelligent enough to use social networking sites, then you should be capable of siphoning through the information posted on them.
In my opinion the growing capabilities of social networking sites are improving the way people receive information today. I’ve never been a fan of reading the paper, and I didn’t start paying attention to news until I was a sophomore in college. However, ever since I joined the Facebook community, I would consider myself the most aware I’ve ever been in my life. Because I don’t think watching the 5 o’clock news is appealing to most kids growing up, if they are alerted of news stories via social networking sites then at least they’re becoming aware of current events. As I said earlier, users should have the common sense to check the news they read on Facebook and Twitter before they start believing it. As with any form of learning, everybody is different in the way they interpret messages. Social networking sites are giving people a more interesting way of receiving information on current events all over the world.
The January 2009 CNN article, Social-networking sites share breaking news, by Lisa Respers France inspired this blog entry:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/22/social.networking.news/index.html
When US Airways Flight 1549 miraculously landed safely in the Hudson River in New Jersey, Janis Krums snapped a picture from a nearby ferry that he instantly posted on Twitter. It wasn’t until later that he realized how many people reacted to his TwitPic, which resulted in the server crashing due to the overwhelming amount of views. Krums wanted to share what he considered to be a breaking news story with his followers on Twitter, and people were made aware of the story before news reporters had a chance to arrive on the scene. Twitter and other social networking sites are making it possible for people all over the world to spread news stories almost instantly.
Not only are social networking sites useful because of their ability to spread news faster than ever, but also their reach is continually growing. As of December 2008, Twitter had approximately 4.4 million users. Over 150 million people had joined Facebook, and Flickr had around 34 million users as of January 2009. Because of the massive amounts of users on social networking sites, the rate at which news stories spread is rapid. While citizen reporters may be spreading news faster than ever, the question of how much information is being disclosed depends on the social networking site.
Twitter and Facebook both have a limit as to how many characters one can write at once. Users of Facebook have a lot more room to elaborate on breaking news than people using Twitter, which limits a person to a maximum of 140 characters per message. Of course multiple Tweets by someone in succession could get around this problem, but the fact that the reporters message has boundaries could be viewed as a setback. The ability to post pictures alongside messages gives users more room to work with and could prove the authenticity of the information provided.
The chance of false information spreading instantly all over the world is a downfall with using social networking sites as a news source. While our generation seems to be adamant about checking facts, it’s important that people make sure the information they’re reading is true before they tell their friends about it. This sort of false news reporting could affect the reliability of people on social networking sites for information. However, the main objective of sites like Facebook and Twitter is to spread information about people and events, but they are not classified as news sites. If you are intelligent enough to use social networking sites, then you should be capable of siphoning through the information posted on them.
In my opinion the growing capabilities of social networking sites are improving the way people receive information today. I’ve never been a fan of reading the paper, and I didn’t start paying attention to news until I was a sophomore in college. However, ever since I joined the Facebook community, I would consider myself the most aware I’ve ever been in my life. Because I don’t think watching the 5 o’clock news is appealing to most kids growing up, if they are alerted of news stories via social networking sites then at least they’re becoming aware of current events. As I said earlier, users should have the common sense to check the news they read on Facebook and Twitter before they start believing it. As with any form of learning, everybody is different in the way they interpret messages. Social networking sites are giving people a more interesting way of receiving information on current events all over the world.
The January 2009 CNN article, Social-networking sites share breaking news, by Lisa Respers France inspired this blog entry:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/22/social.networking.news/index.html
Interview with Nick Bobetsky at Milan Records
Emily: Tell me a little about your position and the type of company you work for:
Nick: I am SVP of Milan Records. We are an indie record label that speciazlizes in a diverse group of developing and emerging artists, soundtracks and world music.
Emily: Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
Nick: Extremely. I have over 1,000 music blogs that I share new music with. I encourage the blogs to give the mp3 away. I consider this extremely valuable marketing for the entire record, project and artist's career. In addition, with the slow death of print, the struggling and poorly run radio and the ever increasing competitiveness of television, the Internet is an efficient and effective way to put new and interesting music in front of people who appreciate it
Emily: Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
Nick: I do. Myspace is dying and Facebook is not media-heavy enough to really be a substitute of the music haydays of Myspace and I'm not sure who is going to step up. Lala, Imeem, Pandora, ILike etc are all great sites - I think Spotify is going to be the future. Social networking is so important because to have a truly successfuly campaign online, you need it to go viral. Therefore, social net sites are an integral part in encourage open and creative communication between FANS - not advertisers and consumers
Emily: What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
Nick: Giving away music, publicizing videos on sites, pushing tour dates online, tastemaker sites such as Flavorpill, LAist, Chicagoist etc... The Internet gives me the opportunity to share music - which is the most valuable asset I have... Therefore I look for any opportunities that helps me appeal to the band's fanbase and also explore new avenues, genres and communities of people
Emily: Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
Nick: All of the big ones - We are not actively looking to brand Milan so we do not put a huge amount of effort into them... However, we are present to try to aggregate our music
Emily: Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
Nick: I think that digital downloading turned the music industry upside down in the turn of the century and the music industry completely screwed up. I think things are getting very exciting - but the discrepancy between content and profit is nowhere near what it used to be. However, good music, if handled correctly will always see the light of day. Internet Marketing and Social Media create new and interesting ways to do that - you just have to think differently and expect to work much, much harder to yield the same results. However, the dinosaurs that once ran the music industry are slowly dying - In my opinion it can only get better and provides a world of opportunity.
Nick: I am SVP of Milan Records. We are an indie record label that speciazlizes in a diverse group of developing and emerging artists, soundtracks and world music.
Emily: Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
Nick: Extremely. I have over 1,000 music blogs that I share new music with. I encourage the blogs to give the mp3 away. I consider this extremely valuable marketing for the entire record, project and artist's career. In addition, with the slow death of print, the struggling and poorly run radio and the ever increasing competitiveness of television, the Internet is an efficient and effective way to put new and interesting music in front of people who appreciate it
Emily: Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
Nick: I do. Myspace is dying and Facebook is not media-heavy enough to really be a substitute of the music haydays of Myspace and I'm not sure who is going to step up. Lala, Imeem, Pandora, ILike etc are all great sites - I think Spotify is going to be the future. Social networking is so important because to have a truly successfuly campaign online, you need it to go viral. Therefore, social net sites are an integral part in encourage open and creative communication between FANS - not advertisers and consumers
Emily: What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
Nick: Giving away music, publicizing videos on sites, pushing tour dates online, tastemaker sites such as Flavorpill, LAist, Chicagoist etc... The Internet gives me the opportunity to share music - which is the most valuable asset I have... Therefore I look for any opportunities that helps me appeal to the band's fanbase and also explore new avenues, genres and communities of people
Emily: Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
Nick: All of the big ones - We are not actively looking to brand Milan so we do not put a huge amount of effort into them... However, we are present to try to aggregate our music
Emily: Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
Nick: I think that digital downloading turned the music industry upside down in the turn of the century and the music industry completely screwed up. I think things are getting very exciting - but the discrepancy between content and profit is nowhere near what it used to be. However, good music, if handled correctly will always see the light of day. Internet Marketing and Social Media create new and interesting ways to do that - you just have to think differently and expect to work much, much harder to yield the same results. However, the dinosaurs that once ran the music industry are slowly dying - In my opinion it can only get better and provides a world of opportunity.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Interview with Lyndsey Hayes at Wesco HMB, Inc.
1. Tell me a little about your position and the type of company you work for:
I work for Wesco HMB, Inc. as a Marketing and Advertising Assistant. We are in the fire suppression field and deal with buying, recycling, and selling Halon and other clean agents. Our business is worldwide in scope and is counted on by the largest and most demanding companies and organizations in the aerospace, defense, petrochemical, marine, and fire protection industries. I have a lot of responsibilities at this job including creating the advertisements, marketing materials and organizing tradeshow information. I also run all of our social media and am in charge with maintaining the website. I also create and send out the monthly email blast and write for our E-Newsletter.
2. Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
When I was hired, it was because I assured the owners that I could help them increase traffic and visibility on the internet. I don’t know anyone who picks up a phone book anymore, so if you don’t have a web presence you could potentially be missing out on a lot of business. I implement internet marketing on various levels to help with search engine optimization.
3. Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
The hardest part about my job is convincing my boss that I’m doing something beneficial for him and the company by spending a few hours each day on Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook, and LinkedIn. People of different business may not understand how this will help them, but opening a door of communication is beneficial for everyone. Business is built on relationships, so if you can think of a way to communicate more with your customers, do it. That is why social networking is helping our business and helping to connect to our associations that we belong to and potential leads for new business.
4. What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
Like I mentioned, we have a very successful Adwords campaign running, where we are ranking in the third position. By this I mean when you Google one of our many keywords, we come up first or second on the side bar in Google. I have been slowly but surely changing all of the meta description tags on all of the pages of our website to increase website visibility. I also have compiled a list of keywords that does well for our industry, and have been writing in our blog and twitter using them. We have also bought multiple domain names to try and dominate the search field for Fire Suppression Clean Agents. Link building is also a key factor, because Google deems you more ‘legit’ and with a higher ranking when a link to your website appears on another. Of course Social Media is playing a large part in all of this and we’ve been having a ball tracking our extra sources of clicks from these sites. We’re basically just trying to get our name out there.
5. Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
Wesco has a Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress Blog, and LinkedIn. Twitter is the one I try to use the most because people interact the quickest on there. They seem to generate the fastest responses and it’s easy to find people in your field. I have read hundreds of great article already because people that I’m following have posted them. It opens a very non-formal door to potential customers and keeps your name in their head. Our blog is a great news outlet because we can update it with thoughts, company news, or other stories that we find beneficial to our industry. It can be as long as we want it and people can comment as long as they’d like also. That is the one downfall to Twitter, how much you can write. We’re working on a website revamp (as you’ll see we need it!), so we will be running a direct RSS feed on our homepage which will automatically update as soon as we update our blog. Again, with LinkedIn, our blog is directly correlated to our page, so that any news updates show up automatically as well.
6. Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
No one thought that we’d find people in our industry on here, but to our surprise there are thousands of them interacting with each other through social media. I have only been working here for a month and implementing the social media for under 3 weeks. Already we have seen 4 big leads come out of it. I have created relationships with some big counsels and associations; As well as been able to make a presence in a couple of new markets that we are pursuing. It has given us the chance to have a voice and opinion, and let people respond as well. Our SEO is improving already and we have just moved up one level in the Google search, above one of our major competitors! That is huge and that is largely in part to keywords being used on our social media sites! Hopefully with the launch of our new user friendly website, to come in the following months, we will have even more increased traffic with the integration of our blog and other social media sites which will be linked on our front page. We have created a circle of media around ourselves and our websites. I hope that we see our success continue to grow by using these techniques.
I work for Wesco HMB, Inc. as a Marketing and Advertising Assistant. We are in the fire suppression field and deal with buying, recycling, and selling Halon and other clean agents. Our business is worldwide in scope and is counted on by the largest and most demanding companies and organizations in the aerospace, defense, petrochemical, marine, and fire protection industries. I have a lot of responsibilities at this job including creating the advertisements, marketing materials and organizing tradeshow information. I also run all of our social media and am in charge with maintaining the website. I also create and send out the monthly email blast and write for our E-Newsletter.
2. Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
When I was hired, it was because I assured the owners that I could help them increase traffic and visibility on the internet. I don’t know anyone who picks up a phone book anymore, so if you don’t have a web presence you could potentially be missing out on a lot of business. I implement internet marketing on various levels to help with search engine optimization.
3. Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
The hardest part about my job is convincing my boss that I’m doing something beneficial for him and the company by spending a few hours each day on Twitter, Wordpress, Facebook, and LinkedIn. People of different business may not understand how this will help them, but opening a door of communication is beneficial for everyone. Business is built on relationships, so if you can think of a way to communicate more with your customers, do it. That is why social networking is helping our business and helping to connect to our associations that we belong to and potential leads for new business.
4. What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
Like I mentioned, we have a very successful Adwords campaign running, where we are ranking in the third position. By this I mean when you Google one of our many keywords, we come up first or second on the side bar in Google. I have been slowly but surely changing all of the meta description tags on all of the pages of our website to increase website visibility. I also have compiled a list of keywords that does well for our industry, and have been writing in our blog and twitter using them. We have also bought multiple domain names to try and dominate the search field for Fire Suppression Clean Agents. Link building is also a key factor, because Google deems you more ‘legit’ and with a higher ranking when a link to your website appears on another. Of course Social Media is playing a large part in all of this and we’ve been having a ball tracking our extra sources of clicks from these sites. We’re basically just trying to get our name out there.
5. Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
Wesco has a Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress Blog, and LinkedIn. Twitter is the one I try to use the most because people interact the quickest on there. They seem to generate the fastest responses and it’s easy to find people in your field. I have read hundreds of great article already because people that I’m following have posted them. It opens a very non-formal door to potential customers and keeps your name in their head. Our blog is a great news outlet because we can update it with thoughts, company news, or other stories that we find beneficial to our industry. It can be as long as we want it and people can comment as long as they’d like also. That is the one downfall to Twitter, how much you can write. We’re working on a website revamp (as you’ll see we need it!), so we will be running a direct RSS feed on our homepage which will automatically update as soon as we update our blog. Again, with LinkedIn, our blog is directly correlated to our page, so that any news updates show up automatically as well.
6. Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
No one thought that we’d find people in our industry on here, but to our surprise there are thousands of them interacting with each other through social media. I have only been working here for a month and implementing the social media for under 3 weeks. Already we have seen 4 big leads come out of it. I have created relationships with some big counsels and associations; As well as been able to make a presence in a couple of new markets that we are pursuing. It has given us the chance to have a voice and opinion, and let people respond as well. Our SEO is improving already and we have just moved up one level in the Google search, above one of our major competitors! That is huge and that is largely in part to keywords being used on our social media sites! Hopefully with the launch of our new user friendly website, to come in the following months, we will have even more increased traffic with the integration of our blog and other social media sites which will be linked on our front page. We have created a circle of media around ourselves and our websites. I hope that we see our success continue to grow by using these techniques.
Does Google's Mobile AdSense Make Sense?
While participating in one of my weekly “Scramble-off’s” on my iPhone against my father last month, I couldn’t help but notice a variety of banner ads that appear when I open up the word game application. Of course in an accidental panic to commence the next round with a 3-2-1 countdown, my finger touched one of these ads with an unexpected trip out of my gaming experience to a browser window. Although I may be annoyed by the placement and frequency of ads such as these while I’m trying to participate in a leisurely iPhone activity, I wonder if I could potentially find this sort of Internet advertising beneficial while surfing the Internet on my mobile device, especially with the implementation of Google’s newest Adsense format geared towards “high-end smartphones”.
Taking advantage of the latest cell phone technology, Google has created an optimized mobile ad format for its market-targeting tool, AdSense. The Apple iPhone, Palm Pre and Android phones are among the lucky smartphones chosen to operate this platform, which aims to place targeted advertisements from Google’s ad network in web browsers while users are surfing the Internet on their mobile devices. Companies will be able to earn money by displaying these Google ads on their page and collect money from click-throughs. But how much will these display ads affect the ease of my mobile web surfing?
Because Google’s intentions are to ease the interaction between business and consumer, experts have created a high-speed format that will load at a bearable speed for users. There is less bandwidth available on mobile networks so the Javascript snippet was written with fast code in order to ensure a speedy mobile display. These snippets are able to identify when a high-end phone user visits certain web sites. It sends a code to the site and then displays an advertisement on the mobile device’s browser page.
While I think some Internet ads are beneficial to consumers, especially when the messages are targeted, I find mobile advertising to be more intrusive because of the smaller browser window. It’s already difficult to read the text on some web sites without extreme zooming, but if I’m unable to see the information I intend to view because of a banner ad, I might get frustrated. This could cause consumers to view a brand in a negative light due to the inconvenience their advertising caused.
Mobile marketing is becoming more and more popular and is becoming one of the most effective ways for businesses to communicate their messages to consumers. Juniper Research has estimated a rise in mobile advertising to go from $1.4 billion in 2009 to around $6 billion in 2014. With a prospective increase in mobile advertising like that, it’s no wonder Google is hoping to take advantage of this shift from traditional marketing to interactive methods.
While I realize the time people spend with their phones is becoming more intimate than their relationships with their loved ones, I’m not sure how people will react to Google’s new AdSense format. I understand these ads will target niche markets, but I think it might be hard for consumers to maneuver around these ads on a mobile platform. The personalization of Internet advertising makes it bearable for users because of opt-outs, but I find mobile marketing to be more intrusive and harder to avoid, which could lead to frustrations by users. I agree that the mobile scene will be an important place to market to consumers in the future. I think as long as the platforms are manageable for users, they’ll be a success for both businesses and their consumers.
An internetnews.com article by Michelle Megna inspired this blog entry: http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3842391
Taking advantage of the latest cell phone technology, Google has created an optimized mobile ad format for its market-targeting tool, AdSense. The Apple iPhone, Palm Pre and Android phones are among the lucky smartphones chosen to operate this platform, which aims to place targeted advertisements from Google’s ad network in web browsers while users are surfing the Internet on their mobile devices. Companies will be able to earn money by displaying these Google ads on their page and collect money from click-throughs. But how much will these display ads affect the ease of my mobile web surfing?
Because Google’s intentions are to ease the interaction between business and consumer, experts have created a high-speed format that will load at a bearable speed for users. There is less bandwidth available on mobile networks so the Javascript snippet was written with fast code in order to ensure a speedy mobile display. These snippets are able to identify when a high-end phone user visits certain web sites. It sends a code to the site and then displays an advertisement on the mobile device’s browser page.
While I think some Internet ads are beneficial to consumers, especially when the messages are targeted, I find mobile advertising to be more intrusive because of the smaller browser window. It’s already difficult to read the text on some web sites without extreme zooming, but if I’m unable to see the information I intend to view because of a banner ad, I might get frustrated. This could cause consumers to view a brand in a negative light due to the inconvenience their advertising caused.
Mobile marketing is becoming more and more popular and is becoming one of the most effective ways for businesses to communicate their messages to consumers. Juniper Research has estimated a rise in mobile advertising to go from $1.4 billion in 2009 to around $6 billion in 2014. With a prospective increase in mobile advertising like that, it’s no wonder Google is hoping to take advantage of this shift from traditional marketing to interactive methods.
While I realize the time people spend with their phones is becoming more intimate than their relationships with their loved ones, I’m not sure how people will react to Google’s new AdSense format. I understand these ads will target niche markets, but I think it might be hard for consumers to maneuver around these ads on a mobile platform. The personalization of Internet advertising makes it bearable for users because of opt-outs, but I find mobile marketing to be more intrusive and harder to avoid, which could lead to frustrations by users. I agree that the mobile scene will be an important place to market to consumers in the future. I think as long as the platforms are manageable for users, they’ll be a success for both businesses and their consumers.
An internetnews.com article by Michelle Megna inspired this blog entry: http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3842391
Monday, October 19, 2009
Interview with Eric Jones at Leading Edge Gifts
1. Tell me a little about your position and the type of company you work for:
I am a partner in a small business called Leading Edge Gifts. My base sites are http://www.giveacaricature.com/ , http://www.myfaceicons.com/, and http://www.giveamasterpiece.com/. We specialize in custom caricatures, icons, and personal works of art in an all digital format. Our biggest demo target is "deeper pockets", corporate, medical, universities, etc.
2. Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
Web marketing is the lifeblood of the business. Our demographic does over 50% of it's gift shopping online, and since our products are in digital format, the web is the most logical, effective method for marketing.
3. Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
Typically the online gift business emulates the storefront window display. It's about offering a product that's unique at an instant glance, social networking doesnt contribute to our business (but we haven't ruled it out) as much as basic web traffic and of course the perfect niche.
4. What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
We target high traffic gift sites, and we play with google adwords, msn, and yahoo. We have found that people tend to do their online gift shopping through the use of big, reputable gift specific websites rather than individual retail modules. gifts.com and findgift.com have a great reputation for customer service and narrowed browsing, which helps people find what they want quickly.
5. Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
We belong to LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter as more of a formality than an effective marketing tool. We have to expose our products to thousands everyday to land a few orders a day.
6. Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
Internet marketing has of course. The entire business depends on it. It's our only source of public exposure. We do virtually no tangible marketing. The social Network world hasn't had an impact yet, but we think it may in the future as the masses of web traffic start to streamline into finer formats.
I am a partner in a small business called Leading Edge Gifts. My base sites are http://www.giveacaricature.com/ , http://www.myfaceicons.com/, and http://www.giveamasterpiece.com/. We specialize in custom caricatures, icons, and personal works of art in an all digital format. Our biggest demo target is "deeper pockets", corporate, medical, universities, etc.
2. Do you think Internet Marketing is important to your business? Why or why not?
Web marketing is the lifeblood of the business. Our demographic does over 50% of it's gift shopping online, and since our products are in digital format, the web is the most logical, effective method for marketing.
3. Do you think Social Networking is important to your business? Why or why not?
Typically the online gift business emulates the storefront window display. It's about offering a product that's unique at an instant glance, social networking doesnt contribute to our business (but we haven't ruled it out) as much as basic web traffic and of course the perfect niche.
4. What types of Internet Marketing tactics are used by your company?
We target high traffic gift sites, and we play with google adwords, msn, and yahoo. We have found that people tend to do their online gift shopping through the use of big, reputable gift specific websites rather than individual retail modules. gifts.com and findgift.com have a great reputation for customer service and narrowed browsing, which helps people find what they want quickly.
5. Does your company belong to any Social Media sites? Which ones and why?
We belong to LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter as more of a formality than an effective marketing tool. We have to expose our products to thousands everyday to land a few orders a day.
6. Do you think Internet Marketing and Social Media have influenced your company either positively or negatively? Please Explain.
Internet marketing has of course. The entire business depends on it. It's our only source of public exposure. We do virtually no tangible marketing. The social Network world hasn't had an impact yet, but we think it may in the future as the masses of web traffic start to streamline into finer formats.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Staying Tangible [Even After Death]
Have you ever wondered what would become of your online assets if something were to happen to you, heaven forbid? Me either. However, I think it’s a valid consideration due to the shift in our generation’s obsession with the digital world and its job as a record keeper of our everyday lives. No longer are diaries, photo albums, and letters that track our interactions with friends and family being stored for keepsakes to show our children someday. All these pastimes are being replaced by blogs, photo sharing sites and e-mails and are stored on Internet databases with questionable lifelines. Because our intangible Internet memoirs can’t exactly be buried 6 feet under with us, it’s important to know what will become of our personal information after we pass.
After the tragic Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, social networking site Facebook was confronted with the issue of what to do with individuals’ accounts after they’ve passed away. Students and family members would turn to the victim’s Facebook accounts to remember and honor them, leaving messages on their pages and clicking through photo albums. In lieu of the Virginia Tech shooting, Facebook developed a “memorial state” for deceased account holders, where only established friends of the user could view the page and post comments. Alongside this policy came the issue of family members who may not have been a part of the online community but wish to access the account. Facebook has stated that a deceased user’s passwords will not be given to family members, maintaining the privacy of information stored on the site. However, they will take down the profile if requested by a family member.
E-mail providers have developed varied policies concerning the distribution of information to family members of the deceased. While e-mail could be an effective way of contacting friends of a late loved one, the issue of privacy plays a big role in the dissemination of people’s passwords without consent. Hotmail will distribute a CD with a person’s e-mails to family members as long as they present a death certificate and proof of power of attorney but will not give out passwords. Similarly, Gmail will release the same information with a copy of an e-mail the deceased sent to the person requesting the information, a death certificate, and proof of power of attorney. Yahoo! Mail keeps their users’ information private, but this documentation has been released to family members in the past through court orders. This sounds like a hassle for someone to have to go through after they've just experienced a death in the family.
While people usually don’t consider writing their will until late in their lives, it might not be a bad idea for younger generations to consider documenting the distribution of their online assets in case of a tragedy. This could be an uncomfortable process for those of us who have yet to face the reality of dying, but companies like Legacy Locker, Asset Lock and Deathswitch are encouraging people to expect the unexpected. Passwords and other personal information can be stored on Asset Lock and Deathswitch, ensuring their confidentiality. For a fee of $30 a year, Legacy Locker will manage the details of an individual’s online assets.
If you’re not uncomfortable enough yet, listen to how these companies determine whether or not subscribers are still alive. Legacy Locker’s users designate “verifiers” who will be called upon to confirm a person’s death before information would be released to the allocated recipient. Deathswitch will send out e-mails regularly to its subscribers asking them to verify that they’re still alive. If you do not respond to a certain number of messages, they will assume you are deceased and release your information to your designated receiver. Is it just me or does it sound like these companies are counting down the seconds until users bite the dust?
While I know people consider the information they post on the Internet to be near and dear to their heart, there are more manageable ways to back up this information without relying solely on the web. Burning photographs to CDs or printing pictures and storing them in photo albums are good ways to ensure these memories are kept safe, and tangible. Blog entries and personal emails can be printed and stored in a diary or journal. Just because all our personal information is now available to the public via the Internet, it doesn’t mean that we should rely on the web to publish our biography after we pass. I’d prefer to control what information my friends and family members see after I die. If I have tangible possessions like photo albums, then there’s no need for anyone to go snooping on the Internet for more memories. Let the scrap booking parties begin!
A Time Magazine article by Gaelle Faure inspired this entry: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1916317,00.html
After the tragic Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, social networking site Facebook was confronted with the issue of what to do with individuals’ accounts after they’ve passed away. Students and family members would turn to the victim’s Facebook accounts to remember and honor them, leaving messages on their pages and clicking through photo albums. In lieu of the Virginia Tech shooting, Facebook developed a “memorial state” for deceased account holders, where only established friends of the user could view the page and post comments. Alongside this policy came the issue of family members who may not have been a part of the online community but wish to access the account. Facebook has stated that a deceased user’s passwords will not be given to family members, maintaining the privacy of information stored on the site. However, they will take down the profile if requested by a family member.
E-mail providers have developed varied policies concerning the distribution of information to family members of the deceased. While e-mail could be an effective way of contacting friends of a late loved one, the issue of privacy plays a big role in the dissemination of people’s passwords without consent. Hotmail will distribute a CD with a person’s e-mails to family members as long as they present a death certificate and proof of power of attorney but will not give out passwords. Similarly, Gmail will release the same information with a copy of an e-mail the deceased sent to the person requesting the information, a death certificate, and proof of power of attorney. Yahoo! Mail keeps their users’ information private, but this documentation has been released to family members in the past through court orders. This sounds like a hassle for someone to have to go through after they've just experienced a death in the family.
While people usually don’t consider writing their will until late in their lives, it might not be a bad idea for younger generations to consider documenting the distribution of their online assets in case of a tragedy. This could be an uncomfortable process for those of us who have yet to face the reality of dying, but companies like Legacy Locker, Asset Lock and Deathswitch are encouraging people to expect the unexpected. Passwords and other personal information can be stored on Asset Lock and Deathswitch, ensuring their confidentiality. For a fee of $30 a year, Legacy Locker will manage the details of an individual’s online assets.
If you’re not uncomfortable enough yet, listen to how these companies determine whether or not subscribers are still alive. Legacy Locker’s users designate “verifiers” who will be called upon to confirm a person’s death before information would be released to the allocated recipient. Deathswitch will send out e-mails regularly to its subscribers asking them to verify that they’re still alive. If you do not respond to a certain number of messages, they will assume you are deceased and release your information to your designated receiver. Is it just me or does it sound like these companies are counting down the seconds until users bite the dust?
While I know people consider the information they post on the Internet to be near and dear to their heart, there are more manageable ways to back up this information without relying solely on the web. Burning photographs to CDs or printing pictures and storing them in photo albums are good ways to ensure these memories are kept safe, and tangible. Blog entries and personal emails can be printed and stored in a diary or journal. Just because all our personal information is now available to the public via the Internet, it doesn’t mean that we should rely on the web to publish our biography after we pass. I’d prefer to control what information my friends and family members see after I die. If I have tangible possessions like photo albums, then there’s no need for anyone to go snooping on the Internet for more memories. Let the scrap booking parties begin!
A Time Magazine article by Gaelle Faure inspired this entry: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1916317,00.html
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wanna Bump?
I admit that at times I’ve taken him for granted, underestimated his capabilities, and used him to get ahead. I haven’t always taken the best care of him, and I only pay attention to him when I need something. Sounds like a typical girlfriend, right? Actually, I’m referring to my relationship with my Apple iPhone. As I approach my 2-year anniversary with the iPhone, I begin to think that our relationship could use a little spicing up, and what better way to add a spark to our relationship than downloading some new apps.
One of the best capabilities of the iPhone is the availability of thousands of applications, better known as apps, to be downloaded with the touch of your finger. From Zynga’s Word Scramble to Zippo’s Virtual Lighter, the iTunes App Store covers a wide range of games and services that aim to entertain and inform users. While a variety of applications force users to pay a fee for their services, overall they are usually very inexpensive, some free, making them extremely accessible to consumers.
I recently read an article about an iPhone app called Bump, which is a way for people to exchange business information by simply tapping their iPhones together. The app acts as a digital business card in which users input personal information such as name, phone number, address, email and even pictures. When the application is open on two iPhones or iPod Touches, the devices can be held in the fist and bumped together. An exchange of information transfers from one phone to the other via location-based technology and WiFi. As of now, this application is free and has proven to be an effective business partner for those who have tested its waters.
While Bump is a convenient aid to those who acquire the app, it’s not feasible to assume that the days of carrying business cards are over. What about those who don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Or how about those who do have one of these devices but don’t know about the Bump application? The “Share Bump” feature on the iTunes App Store allows people to send links to anyone via email, which spreads the word to potential users fairly easily. However, it appears to be a little too early to throw out our traditional business cards to rely solely on the aid of Bump to exchange contact information.
Another questionable obstacle to the Bump app is how to appropriately ask a potential client or business partner if she or he would like to Bump. While the name of the app is fitting for the interaction that takes place between phones, the innuendos that could be associated with the term “bumping” could turn a formal meeting into a disaster. However, I believe when put in the right context, the action of Bumping with a business associate is a very personal way to interact and could be somewhat of an icebreaker and the first step to building a long lasting business contact.
Privacy is always a concern when it comes to exchanging personal contact information. Unless you have your information open on your phone and hit it against a device with the app also open, the user’s information is completely secure. Contact information cannot be exchanged any other way via Bump. The chances of accidental Bumping should not discourage anyone from taking advantage of this service, because it is highly unlikely.
I’ve found Bump to be one of the most relevant apps in terms of social networking available in the iTunes App Store today. While apps for other networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are available free of charge, Bump was recently ranked as the top social networking tool available from the iTunes App Store. Although as of today only a limited amount of information can be exchanged via Bump, the platform has already been established with a growing user base. Simple and personable, Bump is an effective and fun way for business professionals to exchange their most important contact information.
One of the best capabilities of the iPhone is the availability of thousands of applications, better known as apps, to be downloaded with the touch of your finger. From Zynga’s Word Scramble to Zippo’s Virtual Lighter, the iTunes App Store covers a wide range of games and services that aim to entertain and inform users. While a variety of applications force users to pay a fee for their services, overall they are usually very inexpensive, some free, making them extremely accessible to consumers.
I recently read an article about an iPhone app called Bump, which is a way for people to exchange business information by simply tapping their iPhones together. The app acts as a digital business card in which users input personal information such as name, phone number, address, email and even pictures. When the application is open on two iPhones or iPod Touches, the devices can be held in the fist and bumped together. An exchange of information transfers from one phone to the other via location-based technology and WiFi. As of now, this application is free and has proven to be an effective business partner for those who have tested its waters.
While Bump is a convenient aid to those who acquire the app, it’s not feasible to assume that the days of carrying business cards are over. What about those who don’t have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Or how about those who do have one of these devices but don’t know about the Bump application? The “Share Bump” feature on the iTunes App Store allows people to send links to anyone via email, which spreads the word to potential users fairly easily. However, it appears to be a little too early to throw out our traditional business cards to rely solely on the aid of Bump to exchange contact information.
Another questionable obstacle to the Bump app is how to appropriately ask a potential client or business partner if she or he would like to Bump. While the name of the app is fitting for the interaction that takes place between phones, the innuendos that could be associated with the term “bumping” could turn a formal meeting into a disaster. However, I believe when put in the right context, the action of Bumping with a business associate is a very personal way to interact and could be somewhat of an icebreaker and the first step to building a long lasting business contact.
Privacy is always a concern when it comes to exchanging personal contact information. Unless you have your information open on your phone and hit it against a device with the app also open, the user’s information is completely secure. Contact information cannot be exchanged any other way via Bump. The chances of accidental Bumping should not discourage anyone from taking advantage of this service, because it is highly unlikely.
I’ve found Bump to be one of the most relevant apps in terms of social networking available in the iTunes App Store today. While apps for other networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are available free of charge, Bump was recently ranked as the top social networking tool available from the iTunes App Store. Although as of today only a limited amount of information can be exchanged via Bump, the platform has already been established with a growing user base. Simple and personable, Bump is an effective and fun way for business professionals to exchange their most important contact information.
As a working professional in rural Western NY, I downloaded the Bump App a few months ago as more of an experiment than an intended business tool. Like many apps, I think Bump may be a more practical tool for a city slicker than a country bumpkin, ironically enough. Regardless of the intended audience for Bump, the potential for people from all demographics to take advantage of this app is just one of its many attractive features.
This blog was inspired by following article published by Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor:
Monday, October 5, 2009
I'm beginning to learn the importance of social networking sites to the prominence of a brand's presence in the media world. Something as simple as a blog can show the personality of a brand and have a big influence on the future of a person, place or thing. While Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are sometimes underestimated by those who use these types of networking sites simply to share photographs and communicate with friends from college, they are an easy and efficient way to create business contacts and find out information about potential competitors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
