The video site that acts like a bunny....

Anytime a group of friends are looking for a clip from last night’s Simpson’s episode a quick search picks up user generated clips of just about anything from the show. Need to see the latest Starbucks SNL skit? It’s there. Why is YouTube so popular and successful? “Possibly the biggest reason why YouTube is so popular is that it is FREE. Yes free for anyone to upload, share and view videos in high definition resolutions.” (http://whyisyoutubesopopular.com/why-is-youtube-so-popular/). By giving the globe a giant wall to post anything on users started flocking in. As the site streamlined the uploading process and started integrating across programs and phones it became the natural way to share everything and anything. Uploading and buffering a video only takes a few moments and at the end of each video you are given recommendations of what else you could enjoy. By watching what users view and sharing that play list, YouTube becomes a perpetual motion machine.

We watched a video of a Blendtec blender turn an iPhone into “iDust” in a matter of moments. What other videos on their page did you watch? The one where they blended up superglue? What about the roses? The video of six Bic lighters being blended really requires several watches to enjoy correctly. Not to mention how many other people you might show it to or talk about it with. Starbucks used Blendtec blenders at one point and I didn’t understand why they were so noisy or expensive. The company (to my knowledge) has switched to a cheaper quieter blender that typically lasts a year before the gear connecting to the pitcher strips out completely. These videos did several things for me. I desperately wanted to get my hands on several blenders to do some of the experiments (after melting a lawn mower a blender sounds like a great next step.) that they recommend you try at home. I saw the blender as a better investment for the company and I share the company’s story. I showed the videos to others. I talked about it at work. I thought about the product. I was a part of the groundswell for Blendtec.

This is what YouTube can do professionally. Personally it’s a great and easy way to share family videos in the blink of an eye. You might not have the time to Skype when someone else is so many time zones away but you can watch videos when it works for your schedule. Homework in my other classes might show up on my YouTube page in the future instead of trying to load the whole video on the Blackboard server because YouTube is so easy to use. YouTube has become a part of the groundswell and helped get attention for things that could have been stuck at a local or private level. Just ask United Airlines. Or Southwest Airlines and Kevin Smith. The examples just keep going, and going, and going....

Not Just Another SNS

LinkedIn can be a valuable new tool.  Granted, all the social networking sites we have been using could be valuable new tools.  I don't think I would call LinkedIn just another social networking site though.  Linked in offers groups, polls, and practically writes a resume for you.

Unlike Facebook, which offers new games to play, LinkedIn tells me that I might be interested in particular jobs.  I can click on News and get information that will tell me how to find a job with LinkedIn or BYOD.  These are things that I think about in my day to day work life these days.  I can connect with professionals, not my family, especially not my children's friends.

The polling experience was very interesting.  I asked a very open question and got a good response, but with feedback from my classmates, I thought of ways to refine my question so that I might be able to use LinkedIn for my Twitter paper.  And from my informal survey, 22 of 43 or 51%, of the respondents preferred Linked in.

My husband, Butch, who finally joined the 21st Century and joined LinkedIn as his first SNS.

LinkedIn and Log on

LinkedIn was another social media site I knew of but had no thought to join prior to this class. As I started looking at connections it dawned on me that this site could come in so very handy when I look to move across companies and careers. I’ve talked with several acquaintances and friends about working for Disney. The response is almost always the same from any of them. It’s all about networking; getting to know someone on the inside that can help you get that first contact and interview. I’m working hard on my end to get the paperwork and knowledge I need to qualify for the work but I have little to no way to make connections in Florida, until now. I’m working through the site to build a better profile and resume.  If Twitter is being used for interviews then LinkedIn will be just as vital to the job hunt.

I prefer the LinkedIn mobile app for most of what I do because it is visually cleaner. The top of the page on the full website always asks me if I want to find contacts through my email. I’ve done this twice and can’t get the dialog box to go away.  This really made the site feel cluttered. I can’t view the articles they post from the mobile app so I do visit the site to read them from time to time. I think I’ll use the site more as I get closer to graduation and my big move.

I did enjoy posting the poll but wanted better information about who took part in it. Were they company partners? Male or female? How often did they visit the stores? I really felt that the poll could be a great tool to gather information but it didn’t give a very strong picture of the demographic I was reaching. I do like that the site warns users not to add someone they don’t know well. I also liked that you could endorse one of your contact’s experiences and job skills. I’ve learned a large number of things in my time at Starbucks that are difficult to express quickly on paper. The site gives me a string of keywords I can use for this and also promotes me during a search.

This article from The Huffington Post is an interview with Josh Turner, who has started his own business using LinkedIn to create marketing campaigns. I would be happy to take his class on LinkedIn provided it was at a reasonable cost. LinkedIn is a underutilized tool for many of its users. Some of it is a lack of time where some of it is a lack of knowledge on the site’s uses. As Josh states “I would never say LinkedIn is the best thing since sliced bread and all you need to do. You need to do what's right for you, and it's not the same for everybody else.” (Huffington Post)  If LinkedIn will get you the contacts you need to help your career then you really should make the time and log on. If face to face work will do it, get out there. Take an assessment of what your goals are then look for the tools you need. Finding a million tools doesn’t help when you don’t know what the job is.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-kanalley/how-to-use-linkedin-effectively_b_2744857.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/15/twitterviews-resumes/1919305/

  

When we think of the various websites and social media sites it is easy to ask ourselves which of the sites will serve our purpose best. The question is certainly valid and best answered by asking ourselves some additional questions for clarification first.

Perhaps the obvious starting point would be what do we want to see happen? What would success look like when we see it? In other words what is your purpose.
Knowing who you are and what your purpose is will greatly define how you select the social media site to present you, your business, your products and services. If for example I wanted to use media to reach friends and family about music, movies or entertainment I would be inclined to use Facebook. If however, I was looking to present myself to prospective employers I would certainly want to use Linkedin.

For those on another planet or for those who have never heard of linkedin, Linkedin is a social network where people can provide information about themselves and find information about potential employers. This is where those who use Linked in get a chance to contribute to, or build their personal brand.

Who are you? Who do you know? This is also a place where you can join groups that have discussions about the topics you are interested in. The user can be as involved or un-involed as they choose to be. The nice thing about Linkedin is it is very user friendly. If you need to know how your product is received, or if you want to know if your idea has merit with the public you can easily post a survey or poll with the tools provided to do so.

If you want to find Linkedin all you need do is type Linkedin into your internet browser and you will soon be on your way. If you have never checked into what you can do with Linkedin then you owe it to yourself to get connected. In the picture above I have placed myself in a picture with the president. I look connected but actually I would be better served to use Linkedin so that I would be actually connected to the businesses and people who can make a difference for me and my company. Linkedin gives people a way to get to know you.


Jeff Arnold

LinkedIn: A Community Worth Being A Part Of.

I have been a member of the SNS LinkedIn longer than any of the other SNS.  Come to think about it, I believe I have been participating in LinkedIn for more than 10 years.  Until recently, I have done relatively little with my profile, or with the site in general.  What I prefer about about LinkedIn is the professional demeanor of those on the site.  Here, I am able to connect with people who belong to a variety of professions and share a multitude of interests. 

What LinkedIn has taught me, is that the value of being in a community is priceless.  It is a community that is worth taking the time to be a part of.  There are several reasons behind this thought, but predominately, it is a way to quickly stay connected to what is going on in communities that matter the most to me.  What I love about LinkedIn is that typically people connect with others that share the same or very similar interests.  I can search for groups that will talk to me and I can talk and share information that might be viewed by another as important.  It is a place I can go to learn and skill build.  I can read articles posted by leaders at the top of their industry; the same day that they are posted.  For me, having access to these resources are invaluable.   

In addition, LinkedIn is a great place to go to network with professionals that may be interested in hiring you, or, as a quick and easy way to learn if the market in your particular industry is strong or weak.  Are employers in your industry hiring?  Is there a decrease in recruitment in your field?  What does this mean for you; for your salary?  LinkedIn is a fantastic resource to use for market analysis and to ensure you are at the top of your game by staying connected to others in the same profession. 

As I continue to explore and learn the ropes of LinkedIn, I hope you will join me and become a part of a community that is worth being a part of.
      

Twitter, twitter everywhere...

I have 6 followers on Twitter at the moment and only three of them classify for “real” person status. I’m fairly sure one is just a spam bot because I have never had anything to do with a bankruptcy firm, let alone one from California. I haven’t really used twitter very much until this class needed it. I had an account that I left alone for nearly a year. All my friends are active on Facebook and there are only two people on both my pages but neither one is active.  

The site is a great way to look at what celebrities are doing and projects they enjoy. I saw a clip of Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Sesame Street teaching the word “reinforce” because he posted it. I’d have never seen the clip without Twitter. Neil Patrick Harris has been doing videos called “Neil’s Puppet Dreams” (NSFW) that Nathan Fillion tweeted about because they did one together. It’s been a great spot to catch new Hollywood gossip or videos that I would never see till months and months later. I do have to be careful with how much time I spend on Twitter as I’ll just keep flicking back because I’ve started reading someone’s profile like a book.

I suppose that is the real risk with Twitter. As Re pointed out in her blog post, the Library of Congress is keeping any tweet that has been sent since the site started and is passing the information out to researchers or interested parties. The paranoid part of me flips out at this. “Osterberg wrote that the library has completed digitally archiving all of the tweets it currently possesses and is now working on how to best make them available to the public. The library already has received about 400 requests from researchers all over the world looking into topics ranging from the rise of citizen journalism to tracking vaccination rates to predicting stock market activity.” (CNN.com). It’s a little silly when you think of it. It’s a social media site that is visible to anyone the world over and anything online will stay there forever. It’s one thing to have these tweets archived on the company’s servers but appears a great deal more worrisome to know they are printed at the Library of Congress. I can close my account, delete every tweet and erase myself from their servers but not from the library. That means the silly little tweets I’ve sent are no longer under my complete control. I can say this will change the way I use the site.

On the other hand, something I wrote is IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS!!!!! How cool is that for a writer?!?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/tech/social-media/library-congress-twitter

Hello there, old friend!

This week’s Twitter refresh has caused me to realize that I have completely checked out from my Twitter account and am committing the most annoying Twitter faux pas. Most of my tweets are posts from Instagram or scheduled posts from Buffer. I am often unresponsive when people reply to these comments, because I hadn’t even opened Twitter on my phone in ages, before I started focusing on it for this week’s lessons.

I was surprised to come back to the platform and remember how much I love having hundreds of tiny snippets served up for me, every few minutes. This medium used to provide me with news, entertainment, and snippets from my friends’ lives. I had completely forgotten why it was valuable to me, at one point.  I even used to tune in for encouragement and uplifting in my day.  Some of my favorite Twitter accounts to follow for a daily boost are:

https://twitter.com/tinybuddha

https://twitter.com/Kurt_Vonnegut

https://twitter.com/energy_project

https://twitter.com/fitbottomedgirl

The net outcome of my time invested in Twitter this week wasn’t so much learning anew, as it was remembering why I liked the medium in the first place. It was like visiting with an old friend and reminiscing about “the good times.” I look forward to picking up the baton and running toward discovery of my personal brand, however dysfunctional and scatterbrained it might be!

Tweeting Away

Learning about tweeting wasn't as difficult as learning about Facebook or blogs/wikis.  I like the brevity.  Give me a short, quick headline, a link and a picture over a long rambling story any day of the week!

Since I haven't put much out there yet, I probably won't be sending a lot out until I learn some more.  Since Twitter is my topic for the paper, I will be learning more soon.  I also want to pay attention to what Professor Joe said about what it is we are tweeting and what I want my followers to hear about me.

The next few months will be bringing changes to my job, even if I get to keep it.  I think I want to see if I can use theses tools I am learning to make the transition easier for me and my teammates.  Just one search gave me tons of useful results, maybe I try it for transitions.

Soon I will have everyone eating out of my hands just like this peacock in Kauai last year.

There are disadvantages to my iPad!  I had to upload to Picasa and share with everyone, but now I have blogged from my work computer, personal computer, and iPad.  I also don't see the way to make this small or left.

FOLLOW ME!!

Reanna Okazaki@RoCoM465

    I think I have previously mentioned that I am studying communications and the degree is with emphasis in Social Media.  Ironically, I didn't start out on the path towards social media.  I actually started out with hope to obtain a degree with emphasis in strategic media.  Then...after my first quarter, the direction of the program switched and I found myself asking why would anyone want to major in social media?  The question now is: what happens when you introduce a communications student to Twitter for the first time?  In my case, it was like indulging in my favorite snack...addicting!  I could also compare it to immersing myself in front of my favorite television show...eventually finding that I've spent hours and didn't even realize it.  Yep, I am now an official Twitter fan and have spread my wings (pun intended) this week to try yet another adventure.  I now ask...Why was I so opposed to joining Twitter?  Could it have been fear of the unknown, or  venturing down another potentially scary and overwhelming path of exposing myself to complete strangers? Or is it because it adds to the collection of yet another tool that I have to try and maintain?  If I answer honestly, it is because of all of the above.  But what I learned from Twitter this week is far more rewarding and I now wish I had been brave enough to try it sooner.

    Twitter is a great resource to get a small amount of information out to a group rapidly.  What I love about this is that it potentially could be easier to keep attention on your product longer if used properly.  As an example, by creating a creative heading for your Tweet, instantaneously you can capture the interested demographic and lead them to your website where they will find information they were looking for.  This is very fascinating to me because as a consumer, I am much more likely to "Follow" a product that I am already interested in and a lot less likely to expereince saturation because I have chosen to follow the product.

    What I really loved learning about Twitter is how easy it is to share vital information.  Using Twitter to reach potential patients, in this case, sharing really is caring.  I can use it in my company to quickly pass along information pertaining to health conditions that ultimately could end up saving a life.  For example, if I could convince one person to get screened for cancer, then I feel that I saved a life!  Maybe they will tell someone else to get screened by retweeting the Tweet.  

The anxiety I have about Twitter is that the Library of Congress catalogs all Tweets.  I always try to use good judgment and post things that I won't regret later.  The fact that information is completely accessible by anyone at anytime and can be used against you at any time is somewhat unnerving.  But for now, I will keep studying Twitter and will hopefully become more comfortable posting.  I feel like I am all of a sudden on stage and everyone is watching....I feel very exposed and it's a tad uncomfortable; something I'm not used to!  All of these things aside, I really have enjoyed my Twitter experience and can't wait to learn and do more with it. 
  

   

Facebook My Adventure in Learning

 My excellent adventure with facebook was a fun experience that gave me an opportunity to learn about facebook and the people who use it. Being a person who likes movies, and more importantly producing amateur movies it was easy for me to find like minded people on facebook.

I quickly learned that the facebook format serves many purposes for many people. Some people use the medium as a way to communicate with friends and family. Others use it to vent their political views while other use it to advertise their products. No matter your interest facebook will likely give you a way to communicate with like minded individuals. 

I experimented using an Iphone application with facebook. I sued an app called face in the hole. The pictures below are composite pictures putting my face in a previously created picture. Of course I don't own an American flag shirt, and I definitely don't keep company with the president, and no I'm not Secret Service.  I am just a novice at facebook, and writing blogs

Well, as usual I find myself uncomfortable but learning about social media. Anyone with me on the idea that I am not a big time blogger. I have been doing it for a social media class, but I am a bit like an elk out of the woods, so to speak.

This week it is twitter that is being explored. I must admit that when it comes to twitter and blogging I am a novice among novices, in fact in a room full of novices, they would look at me and say, "Dang that boy is a twitter novice!"
This weeks learning began much like a new workout at the gym, slow and painful, but with the promise ,of results on the horizon I continued step by step. I visited several websites and links including ones presented in this social media class. I have listed some of the links at the bottom.

I then tried my hand at twitter posting the five required tweets as they are called. I find that twitter as definite limitations. With a 140 character limit you better know what it is you want to say, and you better be a person of few words, or very powerful words. Brevity is key here.

I learned that twitter is kind of fun once you get past the fact that you can't rant, pontificate, or bloviate. Short quick messages are what twitter is about so take long winded stuff elsewhere.

So why does this work for the business minded? Precisely because the messages are limited in length, which is "not" the same as being limited in effectiveness. Today people are pressed for time. Most do not want to read long pages. Case in point, are you even still with me?

Learning about twitter will require minimal time if you just want to sign up and tweet. It is free and easy and it just takes 20 minutes literally. 

If you want to follow the growth of a new twitter account you can follow me on twitter at Jeffrey W. Arnold@787Arnold  I have room for more followers so there is no danger of over crowding. See below for a picture of my twitter page. Pretty pathetic, but I am a novice remember?

http://business.twitter.com/basics/what-is-twitter

http://business.twitter.com/basics/best-practices

http://business.twitter.com/