The On-Going Conversation

The Mobile Explosion

Mobile is expanding at a phenomenal rate and according to some predictions, mobile internet usage will overtake desktop before 2015.

Visa: They're Everywhere Customers Want Them to Be

Visa recently announced the ability of U.S. Visa cardholders to send and receive funds from other customers throughout the world, which may make the financial market even easier to navigate.

However, will this potentially put the market at an even more volatile state, with more financial transactions taking place between consumers. I am guessing that customers will be more than satisfied with the recent development, but could there be ramifications for such a decision?

Read the full article at Fast Company

A Social Deal Super Bowl

LivingSocial surged traffic by 80% with a lone discount for Amazon.com during the Super Bowl, while Groupon only managed a 3% increase.

Read the full article via Fast Company

A Showdown: Amazon. Netflix and Hulu Style

Amazon launched Instant Video, a streaming movie and TV service, which is less expensive than subscriptions to Netflix and Hulu.

Read the full article via Fast Company

A New Type of Marketing

Using location-based marketing to deliver messages allows businesses to reach potential customers based on their geographic location.

Newspapers Proceed with the Speed of Technology

The 1st iPad-only publication dubbed The Daily from News Corp's Rupert Murdoch is expected to be unveiled next week, after an iOS refresh.

The Nature of Cell Phone Usage

Cell Phone Trends in 16 Countries: Source: Pew Research Center. The median % of people who own a cell phone has increased by 36% since 2002; the current median is 81%.

The Importance of a Social Media Strategy

Social media continues to become increasingly connected to business and the way in which it is conducted. Despite the juxtaposition of social media and social businesses, the phenomenon remains relatively new and wasn’t even part of the picture ten years ago. As a result, it can be challenging to decipher what is to come and where the world of social media is headed.   

Regardless of the implications, I am intrigued by the possibility of what’s to come and where the trends will ultimately lead. However, even with excitement there comes a degree of obfuscation. One can never truly predict the course of time and we will have to wait to see where the developments in digital technology occur.

Nonetheless, social media has already brought about innovation and has even changed over time to become more user-friendly. Individuals now have the convenience of updating one aggregate site, which will post a message on a collection of different social environments.

Who would have thought this could become a reality in the digital world, especially considering the social media advent is to some extent, still in its youth? Even though it may seem unexpected, the ability to cross-post is evident and I don’t believe it’s going anywhere in the near future; at least as far as I am concerned.

For example, I facilitate posts with HootSuite and Ping.Fm, which allows me to maximize efficiency, by taking less than five seconds to express my ideas on approximately fifteen social websites, simultaneously. In my case, the updates generally include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo, Orkut, Digg, GoogleBuzz, Delicious, Friendster and LinkedIn, just to name a few.

 Social media has also continued to become more interconnected. This means that most platforms have the option of syncing with other sites. I even have the option of connecting my blogs to HootSuite as well, which can create a haven for news aggregation, information and continual communication.  

Moreover, social media junkies can continue to update their status and post a message on as many networks as they would like. This can even be more beneficial for businesses; they can have one individual responsible for social marketing and allow that individual to do it with utmost convenience and efficiency.

HootSuite even allows you to schedule messages periodically. This means that businesses can determine a network strategy and post messages automatically, regardless of the time of the day. With this in mind, organizations can specifically target messages to individuals that are time-sensitive and relevant to the business itself.

The reason this is so important, is because social media doesn’t necessarily influence sales or participation; it is more of a vehicle to increase recognition, awareness, web-influence and potentially SEO (search engine optimization).

Business can also establish credibility, integrity and a degree of trustworthiness, merely by interacting with a niche portion of the population on-line. Obviously, it needs to be in a positive and helpful manner, to yield the results that companies are striving for. Nonetheless, a companies’ approach is generally dependant on their particular organizational mantra and overall goal structure.

All-in-all, businesses should consider commencing a social media strategy, if of course they haven’t already. The strategy doesn’t necessarily need to be perfected from the onslaught either. Through time and social participation, businesses can literally generate a social prescription for the company, which speaks from experience and contains a frame of reference for comparison.

Basically, this prescription will become a remedy for the company and involve a transformation, once businesses have an understanding of the landscape they are working with. Just remember, there isn’t necessarily an incorrect way to conduct social marketing – just give it a try and see what happens. There are no rules to abide by and the conditions are still relatively new.

 

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Contributing Blogger on Social Email Marketing

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Social Media: Expose Your Company to the Light

As cliché as it sounds, you never know until you try.

This day in age it has become increasingly important for businesses to harness social media. You don't necessarily need a perpetual approach either, but at least give it a try and see where the outreach takes you. It is also relatively effortless and economically feasible as well; it only requires time and dedication. Not to mention, the benefits overwhelmingly outweight the time and energy that organizations must be prepared to devote towards the social ecosystem.

The social media environment is constantly evolving and changing as well. As this occurs, social media continues to become increasingly connected to business and the way in which it is conducted. Despite the juxtaposition of social media and social businesses, the phenomenon remains relatively new and wasn’t even part of the picture ten years ago. As a result, it can be challenging to decipher what is to come and where the world of social media is headed.

Regardless of the direction that social media may travel, I am intrigued by the possibility of what’s to come and where the trends will ultimately lead. However, even with excitement there comes a degree of obfuscation. One can never truly predict the course of time, and we will have to wait to see where the process goes next. Personally, I think that location-based networking services will continue to expand and increase the overall level of personal transparency. For example, Foursquare would be classified as a geographical social media network.

Moreover, if companies neglect to commence a social media strategy, they may be failing to connect with a niche portion of the population. This niche segment could potentially become customers, which may even help cultivate more customers, merely through word-of-mouth marketing.

All-in-all, I believe the benefits of social media are hard to decipher and classify. However, I wanted to showcase an assortment of ways that social networking can benefit companies of all sizes. Who knows, maybe you will experience the benefits first hand and create a tangible way of classifying your own social advantages.

The Three Benefits of Reaching Out -- Socially and Strategically

1. Transparency -- Companies now have the ability to be more open than ever and connect with customers in mere seconds. It can also function in a reverse manner, with individuals being able to communicate with companies online, aside from the barriers of an organizational hierarchy. For the most part, prospective customers want to feel as though companies have the utmost credibility and conduct business in an honest fashion. With this in mind, social media can be an avenue to accomplish this, by opening the gates of communication to any individual that would like to correspond directly with the company.

2. Awareness -- Businesses can build an online identity, which hopefully generates more involvement from ordinary individuals. Social media can also be a primary avenue for news on events, contests and information that correlates the organizational mentality and overall mantra. This will allow companies to control the message and the fashion in which they convey themselves. Ideally companies want to present themselves in a professional manner, plus social media can help document the tech savvy nature of an organization, by showcasing their ability to utilize online avenues of expression.

3. Special deals and contests -- Ann Taylor for example is using Foursquare in a recent effort to harness social media platforms. Their campaign specifically allows individuals that are mayors at specific locations in New York City, to receive 25% off of their total purchase. Depending on the successful of their campaign, they may even attempt to expand the approach to all stores nationwide. Not to mention, there are specific social media programs that will allow to trigger messages at specific times. By having the option to schedule a message, businesses can determine when they would like prospective customers to be made aware of certain information. This means that social media in a sense, is more tactical than ever.

Business can also establish credibility, integrity and a degree of trustworthiness, merely by interacting with a niche portion of the population on-line. Obviously it needs to be in a positive and helpful manner, which will help yield the results that companies are striving for. Nonetheless, a companies’ approach is generally dependant on their particular organizational mantra and overall goal structure.

All-in-all, businesses should consider commencing a social media strategy, if of course they haven’t already. The strategy doesn’t necessarily need to be perfected from the onslaught either. Through time and social participation, businesses can literally generate a social prescription for the company, which speaks from experience and contains a frame of reference for comparison.

This prescription will hopefully become a remedy for the company and involve a transformation, once businesses have an understanding of the landscape they are working with. Just remember, there isn’t necessarily an incorrect way to conduct social marketing – just give it a try and see what happens. There are no rules to abide by and the conditions are still relatively new.

Image Credit: Social Media Marketing -- Enough is Enough by: Jennifer Mattern - July 2009

Communication is the Only Way

Communication is tool that each and every one of us is required to utilize on a daily basis. Without having the power to voice your opinion, it can be challenging to connect with people on a personal level. We not only need to connect with people on a personal plateau, but a majority of us are also responsible for establishing common ground in a professional manner.

That is why it is crucial to create a degree of confidence with your communication skills. Like anything else in life, your communication skills can be honed and you can become proficient with perpetual use and practice.

It is also applicable and arguably a requirement for business interactions. Without communicating in a professional manner, businesses can fail to connect with prospective customers. You not only need to create an environment of trust and dependability, but you also need to assure the potential client that you will have their back throughout your relationship.

Moreover as a public relations and mass communications graduate, I feel as though I fully contemplate the importance of credibility, honesty and transparency, which can be facilitated and help establish relationships with the individuals you interact with.

Listed below are a few recommendations for creating a quality first impression that will hopefully enable sustained interaction in whatever capacity.

1. Make eye contact and make sure they feel utterly comfortable. This will help convey a degree of confidence. It also helps assure that they feel as though you are fully engaged and respect the elements they are corresponding about. Especially with organizational interactions; because you want them to feel completely confident in your ability to aid them along the way. I would say that your initial reaction towards a person will create a lasting persona, which may be challenging to change once the thought has entered their mind.

2. Stand up and shake their hand. This documents your willingness to truly connect with them and allows you to establish common ground from the commencement of your dialogue. You can even impress them with the hand shake alone, depending on the firmness of your shake. Practice with your close associates and make sure they would be willing to work with you, based on the demeanor and attitude that your represent. You may not think this can be illustrated with a mere hand shake, but you never know.

3. Ask them if they need anything and assure them that they are the focal point of all your energy. This will allow them to see your utilitarian nature and willingness to help. People want to feel as though your relationship or pending interaction is valuable from your perspective. The goal should be to convey a degree of professional and maturity, regardless of the avenue for connection. It could either be regarding personal matters or even a professional acquaintance; it really doesn’t matter and you should strive to remain affianced nonetheless.

4. Follow-up and make sure to thank them for their time. People love to hear that you fully appreciate their ability to meet and take time out of their busy day. We all more than likely have families and a collective of obligations, which can make it difficult to allocate time towards opposing individuals. This can be especially challenging in the digital world that we live in. Even if it is merely a phone call, it is better than nothing. Personally I would recommend a hand written note or email expressing your gratitude. They won’t necessarily expect it, but maybe you will make their day slightly more optimistic.

Just remember that communication can be a vehicle to success or even impediment. Remain confident and never doubt your ability to connect with people from varying perspectives. At the root of it all, we are all human beings and we require others to fully experience life.