Archive for the ‘ Social Media ’ Category

Bacon….And Other Trends That Must Go in 2013

Author: Cedar Brown

Dec 17

Every year, a few crazy trends take the world by storm and eventually leave us wondering why the hell we ever liked that trend in the first place. Some things are always around, but have one really big year and disappear again. Others come and go with no explanation at all. Regardless of how they arrived, here are 10 trends that were big in 2012 that I think will wither away in 2013.

 

Bacon

Bacon trends

I love bacon, but there has been more bacon-related talk than just about anything this past year. I have no idea how it got so popular all of a sudden, but there is a clear obsession. Even the Huffington Post did a 2012 wrap-up of bacon! Although delicious, I don’t think its internet popularity will stick around in 2013.

 

Facebook

Facebook is dead

In 2013, Facebook will start to see its first real decline in users since it first began in 2004. With the rise of sites like Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, MySpace and Twitter, Facebook cannot afford to keep making huge mistakes and expect to retain their user base. Constant problems with privacy issues, a failed IPO process and EdgeRank, these are just a few of the major problems angering users and causing headaches for Facebook. I predicted their downfall after watching Zuck present Timeline two years ago. Although I was wrong on that, I knew it wasn’t far away.

 

Instagram

Instagram trends

Seriously, one billion dollars!! Facebook bought them for $1B! They overpaid big time, in my opinion. Rarely does a startup remain once purchased by a larger company, this is just another example with a different reason. As of yesterday, many believe Instagram just destroyed themselves by releasing a new “terms of service”. They were all the rage once offered on Android, but trends can only be cool for so long until something better shows up, i.e. Snapseed or Camera+. Besides, all the pictures of people’s food, skies and bathroom mirror selfies took away any coolness it had left.

 

YOLO/Swag

YOLO Swag

STOP IT! Saying this does not make you cool, no matter how old you are. Justin Bieber and other pop stars do not dictate the English language, a proper education does. This better not be around next year.

 

Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber trends

I’m not going to lie, he’s a talented kid, but I just wish he’d go away. Social media is what made him and is keeping him popular, damn beliebers!

 

Call Me, Maybe/Gangnam Style

Carly Rae Jepsen and Psy

These were pretty much the ultimate viral song and video of the year. WAY too many parodies of both songs and I’m about ready to never hear either again. To remind you how bad they are, check this out.

 

Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore

This is, quite possibly, the worst show on television. I am not a fan of reality TV, but this takes it to a new low. I get annoyed when my friends shout GTL (Gym, Tan, Laundry) because they know it agitates me. How can a show this bad last so long on TV? I hope 2012 is the last year that cast is ever in the spotlight.

 

Apple Euphoria

Long line for Apple iPhone 5

Apple has been the top dog in many industries for many years. I think the iPad is the best product they have across their product line, but not for long. Every year, Apple fanboys would wait in line for hours or days to get the next generation iPhone or iPad, but I believe 2013 will be different. I think Apple is no longer the best product available, I think the competition has finally caught up. In 2012, the best smartphone on the market was the Samsung Galaxy S3 with Android. Google has started to compete head-on and even surpass Apple products quite a bit this year and I believe the torch has changed hands. So far, Apple owns the tablet market with the iPad, but the Google Nexus is making a name for itself. Although Apple euphoria will never leave, it will certainly be toned down for this coming year.

 

Honey Boo Boo

Honey Boo Boo

Seriously, why do people support such garbage? I’m not sure which is worse, Honey Boo Boo or Jersey Shore. I believe that shows like this are part of the problem with our society, but that is for another conversation. I really hope that Honey Boo Boo doesn’t stick around for another year, for everyone’s sake.

 

Caturday

Caturday trends

Caturday happens every Saturday and takes place mainly on Google+. If you look here, you’ll see how crazy it is, especially on Saturdays! I don’t hate Caturday, but it has gone down the same road that bacon has on the internet. There are entire blogs, Tumblr accounts and even Google+ accounts devoted to cats and Caturday. What the hell did cats ever do to get so popular? I suppose, being a dog person, of course I’m confused on the whole subject. Anyway, I think the obsession will subside in 2013.

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Lists, Circles and Interests: How to Stay Organized in Social Media

Author: Cedar Brown

Oct 17

Social media users, both rookies and veterans, know that staying up to date and managing multiple social media accounts is a very difficult task, almost impossible at times. For some platforms, like Twitter, you may be connected to tens of thousands of people! Who in their right mind could keep up with everything going on with everyone they follow? Nobody! And that is just on Twitter. Imagine being active on Facebook and Google+ as well, trying to distribute unique content to each while attempting to engage and follow what people are posting is tough. How is it even possible to stay organized on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook? Luckily, for users, each social network offers a way to group your connections and accounts you follow into categories. These include Twitter Lists, Google+ Circles and Facebook Interests.

By organizing people and accounts into categories, you’ll be able to filter out much of the noise so you can still follow along with the things you find important. Hootsuite is a great tool to help view multiple social networks in the same place. It’s a social media management platform to help you manage your accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. Hootsuite also allows you to sync up certain social media accounts and create running streams for each tab. Streams can include your Twitter Lists or @ mentions, Facebook keyword search, etc. Currently, you can only view streams for Twitter Lists, but not Interests or Circles. For some more help on Hootsuite, check here. Below is a brief explanation how to create and use Lists, Circles and Interests.

TWITTER LISTS

Some Twitter users follow 500, 10K, even 100K people. Following a high number of users makes it practically impossible to scroll through the stream to find relevant content. Twitter Lists offer a bit of refuge from the clutter. By clicking on your profile page, on the left side is a tab for Lists. Once there, you can view lists you’ve created, subscribed to, or are apart of. Learn to create Lists here. Organize them any way you’d like, by location, company or similar interests. You don’t have to be following people to add them to a list, although they are alerted once added. One thing I don’t like about Lists are the limits Twitter places on users. Each user can create a max of 20 lists of 500 or less people.

You may be wondering how you can create Lists for the thousands of people you are connected to, without it taking an entire lifetime. There are two amazing tools to use to help manage your Lists. Twitlistmanager is by far my favorite List manager. It allows you to view your followers in a long list (like a spreadsheet) that includes Lists you’ve created and easily select large numbers of people to add to Lists at one time. Socialbro also offers a more in-depth way to create and manage Lists. You can search Twitter, with the numerous filters Socialbro offers, and add people to lists in a very simple manner. If you’d like to search for Lists to subscribe to, or even submit Lists you’ve created, check out Listorious. Here you can find Lists that are the most popular or even by category. All of these tools are great ways to find new connections and build your network.

GOOGLE+ CIRCLES

Google+ Circles work slightly different than Lists. Here, you can choose which Circles can view your G+ posts, whereas with Twitter, everyone can see your tweets. Remember, when you follow an entire Circle, you automatically follow everyone in that Circle as well, not so for Twitter Lists. Each G+ user begins with 5 default Circles, but you can easily edit them as you wish. Head to your G+ page and click Circles, and there you can manage your Circles any way you’d like. You can only follow a maximum of 5,000 users and when you “share” Circles, you can only share a max of 500 users in each.

There are many tools to help manage your Circles, including numerous Chrome apps. I enjoy using the unofficial G+ directory, FindPeopleonPlus, to find users through specific filters. This tool also allows you to view which of your Twitter and LinkedIn connections are on Google Plus. Another great resource to search for users is “Recommended Users“, also a few Circles to follow. Here is a small list of tools for Circle management, profile analytics and G+ influencers.

FACEBOOK LISTS/INTERESTS 

Facebook Lists and Interests are basically the same thing, but Lists are private and Interests are public. Lists allow you to group your friends, Pages and subscriptions by categories such as Close Friends, Family, Acquaintances, Restricted or whatever you feel. Like Google Plus Circles, you also have the opportunity to share your posts to the public, lists you choose or all of your friends. On your main page, on the left side click “More”, where it says “Friends”, and you can edit your Lists. By clicking on any of the Lists created, you’ll only be able to see posts by accounts you’ve designated for that List. I like this option because you can see posts by people you’ll never see flash through your News Feed.

Facebook Interests work the same way, but are public. Instead of creating lists of your friends (typically) you are creating lists of accounts you’ve subscribed to, friends or Pages you’ve “liked”. Here is an example of an Interest List I’ve subscribed to. Another example, as a job seeker, I’m working on a list that includes job accounts and companies I’d like to work for. On the left side column of your homepage click “More”, where it says “Interests”, and you can edit your lists there. Most people create lists by a category, but you have fun and be creative. Tip: You don’t have to “Like” the Pages you add to your Interest Lists, which can give you more free reign with your creativity.

And there you go. With the craziness that is social media, I hope these tips and tools can help you organize your connections. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of utilizing Lists, but once you do, you’ll wonder what took you so long to do this.

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Roger Goodell and the NFL: A PR Crisis for the Ages

Author: Cedar Brown

Sep 25

They say Roger Goodell and the NFL are all about image. Well, that all went out the door tonight, the moment the Seattle Seahawks were declared the winners over the Green Bay Packers. While the normal NFL referees are on strike, the replacement referees have stepped in and made a complete joke of the NFL. (I do feel bad for them. The job isn’t easy and the world hates them. They are people, just like you and I, but the NFL needs to get the real refs back in the game before this crisis goes any further.) Roger Goodell has officially lost control and respect from the league, with zero chance to earn it back. While the NFL is spiraling out of control and into complete chaos, we think, how can this get any worse?

Enter: Twitter and Facebook. Never underestimate the power of social media. By giving the fans a voice, and players too, the issue of replacement referees has been escalated to DEFCON 1! Twitter was ablaze all game long with tweets about poor play from the Packers, great defense from the Seahawks and the pitiful calls from the replacement refs. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. From the moment Seattle was declared victorious, until the wee hours of the night, Twitter likely broke records regarding “the call” from the replacement refs. It became ugly when celebrities from Hollywood and other pro sports chimed in via Twitter, but worse when Packer players did as well. To add fuel to that fire, Clay Matthews posted on his Facebook page, the phone number of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. That number, by the way, is 212-450-2027. I am unsure of the validity of the number or if Clay Matthews actually operates that page, but it did its job. By 2:30 am, there were over 13,000 Likes, 1,400 comments and 3,300 shares and many more on Twitter.

The real social media crisis began when the NFL posted inaccurate images and captions to their Facebook page and deleted a tweet. Mashable did a great job finding this information, read the article here. They know their employees (the replacement refs) created a major blunder, in an attempt to eliminate some tension they posted a catch from that game and called it the winning catch, but the image didn’t match up. They changed the caption, which was strike two, and strike three came as they deleted a tweet. Haven’t we learned anything from past social media mishaps? Deleting posts label you as guilty (someone always has a screenshot), lack of transparency strips you of credibility and not admitting your mistakes gets you pigeon-holed for quite some time. At any company, especially larger ones, it is important that all departments and levels are on board with your social media efforts, otherwise risk of a social media goof are high. I have a good feeling that most of the time Roger Goodell doesn’t pay much attention to these accounts, @NFL or NFL on Facebook, but may think a little more about it in the future. There is so much bad publicity for the NFL and Roger Goodell, I’m not sure how they can put out those flames. The lack of transparency is evident, the answer is clear, but will they make the right move before any more damage is done?

If you haven’t seen it already, this is the best look at the apparent interception that was ruled a touchdown. You make the call (hint: there’s only one right answer):

Below are a few tweets from some recognizable names regarding the blown call from tonight’s Packers/Seahawks game.

Not too classy from TJ Lang. Michael Strahan feels for the refs, but probably not much.

Mr. Classy, Drew Brees, delicately addresses the issue at hand. While Troy Aikman gets right to the point.

Greg Jennings, who has a right to be frustrated, vents on Twitter. Tommy Chong says “chill out man”.

Jermichael Finley still can’t catch a ball nor did he appreciate tonight’s officiating. Adam Schefter simply agrees.

I don’t believe coaches should have an NFL-related Twitter account, but Pete Carroll still thinks he’s at USC. Although they didn’t say anything bad, I don’t think him nor Russell Wilson should have touched on that subject so publicly, but hey, they won so who cares, right?

Lebron James offering support. He skipped college so he’s against Carroll over at USC. And perhaps my favorite tweet of the night:

Perhaps the most overly-obsessed thing on social media these days are the barrage of memes created every minute, especially if from live national television. Below are a few funny memes that I saw once the game ended:

 

What is your take on the Packers/Seahawks ending?

 

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If You’re Going To Automate Posts, You Need To Pay Attention To Avoid A PR Crisis

Author: Cedar Brown

Jul 20

Today, July 20, 2012, is a very sad day in US history. The shooting in Aurora, CO was an unforgivable, heinous act of cruelty against humanity. Though it seems not everyone was aware of the situation at hand earlier today. @NRA_Rifleman and @Celebboutique were clearly present when they tweeted messages this morning, weren’t they? Probably not. Let the PR crisis begin!

 

I’d put money on it that @NRA_Rifleman scheduled this tweet ahead of time and was nowhere near this Twitter account when it was posted. Lesson 1: Just because you schedule posts on social channels doesn’t mean you can just forget about it and go on with your daily life. You always need to be aware of what is being posted every single day. Soon after this post was made, it was retweeted and condemned by many and was quickly deleted. A little while later, we learned the account was deleted, in a very cowardly fashion. 

Here’s another winner. You can tell this wasn’t automated because it mentioned a current trending topic, #Aurora. I had seen this retweeted in my Twitter stream shortly after it happened and was flabbergasted! I thought, “what idiots!!”. What ensued was an onslaught of negative replies chastising Celeb Boutique for the insensitive post they just made regarding #Aurora. Later, as @Celebboutique tweeted 4 more times apologizing for their blatant stupidity, we learned that they outsource their PR efforts overseas. Lesson 2: If you’re going to outsource your PR or social media work, make sure you are all on the same page! The worst part about this was it seemed they knew what they were doing by putting in a “wink” ;) face, playing off the #Aurora trending hashtag. They claimed they didn’t know what the trending topic represented, but few believe that “hot air” statement. Lesson 3: If you’re going to use a hashtag in your tweet, especially a trending one, you better damn well do your research about what it represents or why it’s trending or you’ll be dealing with similar problems that Celeb Boutique is fighting with today.

RECAP:

LESSON 1: You always need to be aware of what is being posted every single day on your social channels, especially if it’s scheduled ahead of time.

LESSON 2: When outsourcing your PR or social media work, especially if outside the US, you still need to be in the loop of what is being posted or you’ll be dreadfully surprised with negative PR for a long time if something goes wrong.

LESSON 3: It takes a matter of seconds to research a hashtag’s meaning, take the time and learn. Just because it is trending, that doesn’t give you the immediate go-ahead to jump on that bandwagon.

The big takeaway from this is your company’s decision to automate their social posts or outsource their PR or social media efforts. Most companies build an editorial calendar with social content and often throw posts into Hootsuite or Buffer and go on willynilly. This is normal, but you cannot forget what you put in there each day because events like today happen at random. If you work in public relations, social media or operate social channels for a company you always need to be aware of what is going on in the world when posting to a social account, especially Twitter. Social media and PR never sleep, which means you always need to be prepared and aware. Crisis management in social media and public relations is something everyone should learn how to deal with, because it can happen to anyone.

Will we ever learn?

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Does Giving Your Brand’s Social Presence A Face Matter In Your Strategy?

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 27

Have you ever interacted with a brand on Twitter or Facebook and wondered who you were talking to? Ever thought that if you knew it was a 50-something male or a 20-something female that you’d approach with a different tone? Would it even make a difference?  Many people probably wouldn’t care, but those that do are pretty split on this. I am a big believer in promoting the faces behind the account to help make communicating with the brand a tad more personal. Logos just aren’t enough.

I haven’t done research or found stats that prove why showing off your community manager could be helpful for your company, but I believe it would help give your brand a more human voice when posting and conversing with fans. ‘Humanizing your brand’ is the new thing these days and has been adopted by few companies, but is a growing ideal. Some brands that are promoting their operators include @UPS, @Dominos, @Southwestair, @JetBlue and @Starbucks by putting the names and/or Twitter handles in the company’s profile. @Dell is the only one I’ve found that adds their community managers on the background image of their Twitter page. It’s tough to do the latter because of the lack of real estate available, but is a great way if you can! I suggest keeping the logo in the avatar and adding your operators in the company’s Twitter profile or in the background image, like the brands mentioned earlier.

I always feel comfortable when conversing with a brand that does this because I can see who I’m talking to and I’m willing to bet that others feel the same way. When I’m only talking to a logo it often feels like I’m talking to an old corporate codger who is grumpy all the time or a lawyer who is way too worried about each word posted. Personally, I like to chat with the brand’s community manager on my own Twitter account because I am in the same career field and like to learn from others like myself. By doing this, it also allows me to chat with the company like I am with one of my friends, with a more relaxed feel. This is the type of thing all brands hope for in social media, to interact with fans on a deeper, more personal level. The goal is to build a community with your following, but you need to be transparent and open about your goals and intentions. Letting people see behind the curtain of your brand’s social channels is a must, in my opinion, because it can really help attain that goal, or at least steer it in the right direction.

Just my short, quick opinion on the topic, but I really believe it can be a valuable asset for a brand’s social strategy. What do you think?

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While Twitter Was Down, May It Be A Lesson Learned

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 21

I don’t know about you, but when Twitter was down today I was affected. Much of my work revolves around social media and when there is a technical problem, I get anxious. Today’s outage was the biggest in 8 months, but much different than others in the past. It made me realize how far off our world has come with technology. Reminded me of that South Park episode (Season 12, episode 6) where the internet went down and the world went nuts. Randy took his family to Silicon Valley where millions of others flocked and were put into fenced off camps, similar to the movie Red Dawn, and the internet was being rationed in 45 second intervals per family; hilarious!

I really believe the world will end when the entire internet goes down permanently. It’s sad how much we were shaken due to the Twitter outage. I was watching other social media sites during the “blackout” to see what was being said about the issue. The majority of people flocked to Pinterest and Facebook, mainly to complain about Twitter not working. I realize that if the internet went down, most people would seriously have no idea what to do. I’m from a small town in Wisconsin and know that Twitter is virtually unheard of and certainly not used, so this entire issue has not forced anyone there to even bat an eye at the mention of a “Twitter blackout”. But in most cities, this was a major problem. I understand Twitter being down hurts a lot of people’s work progress, but I’m just pointing out a larger issue.

My point is is that our world revolves around the internet and social media so much that when it is MIA we are like blind camels wandering the desert with no idea what to do. Let this be a lesson, that there is more to our lives than the internet and Twitter. Ration your time better and spend it with friends and family more, get out and experience the world or take on new hobbies. If what you are doing on the internet isn’t helping you become better somehow, leave it alone. With the right efficiency, you can have done on the internet what you need done in a much shorter period of time if you try hard, but most would rather surf the net. Lucky for me, I grew up in an area where being outdoors was all we ever did and even now, outdoor activities still consume my life much more than the internet does.

By no means is this a rant, I just want to point out how dependent on technology we’ve become. That needs to be fixed. That being said, check out what was said with the hashtag #WhileTwitterWasDown on Twitter. I was too lazy to put together any sort of curation revolving around things being said about it, but look forward to Mashable finding the funniest things mentioned. What are your thoughts on this and what were YOU doing during the infamous “Twitter Outage” of 2012?

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Milwaukee IndyFest: IndyCar Racing Getting Social At The Milwaukee Mile

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 12

It’s finally here folks, Milwaukee IndyFest begins this week at the historic Milwaukee Mile. This Father’s Day weekend, 26 drivers from the IZOD IndyCar series will roll into town for one of the most exciting races on the schedule. Only this time, there is added excitement found behind the scenes.

With the ever-growing popularity of social media in sports, you can now chalk up IndyCar racing as another group joining the club. Andretti Sports Marketing and ExactTarget have partnered for a new campaign to grow brand awareness and excitement for the veteran race track. Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Sports Marketing and former IndyCar driver, has always been a fan of the Milwaukee Mile and is working hard to bring it back to prominence. Together, they have chosen the 26 most influential social media users in the Milwaukee area for 2012, I was quite humbled when chosen for this list. Andretti wants to use social media to give fans a never-before-seen look into the energy, passion and real-time decisions that make racing such an exhilarating sport. The goal is to make this race the most socially connected race in the IZOD IndyCar Series. ExactTarget has paired each social media user with a driver so that, in the days/weeks leading up to the race, they can continue to build buzz around IndyFest and a specific driver (plus it gives each person someone to root for).

This sport is popular all over the world and IndyFest will have fans from around the country joining in on the fun as well. Because many are not from the area, and IndyFest is a 2-day event, part of our job as 26ers will be to provide tourism information such as great lodging spots, ticket information, dining options, local hot spots and the fun night life we have. Each person has the job of promoting IndyFest through such channels as social media accounts like Twitter and Pinterest, blog posts and whatever else their creative minds can think of. One spunky 26er (Carrie Keenan) even created a Spotify playlist for the big race! I’ve even seen Pinterest boards specifically for this event, mine included (“shameless self-promotion”). Wednesday, June 13, Social Media Club Milwaukee will have their monthly meeting as well as an IndyFest tweetup at Translator Digital Cafe.

Follow the hashtag #INDYFEST on Twitter for all the city/race info you need as well as some of the best IndyCar commentary you’re ever going to find! Please feel free to join in on the fun conversation with the Social 26ers as we discuss all the racing fun you can handle.

Milwaukee IndyFest is definitely the perfect family event to attend. The Thursday before the race, there will be a free street party for anyone to attend, hosted by Marcus Hotels and Resorts. There will be driver appearances, live music, the “Kid Zone” and much more. The full schedule of events for the street party is available here. Friday will include autograph sessions, driver practice and race qualifying, with free grandstand seats Friday only. Saturday, the nationally televised race will begin at noon and will be followed with a post-race concert by Smashmouth, free for ticket holders. Full list of the weekend schedule can be found here.

The main issue around this is that having a race at the Milwaukee Mile is a big deal. The economic impact of an IndyCar race in Milwaukee is equivalent to that of an NCAA Final Four. In recent years, the attendance for the annual race in Milwaukee has declined significantly, and even went on hiatus in 2010. The Milwaukee Mile is the oldest continuously operating race track on earth, since 1903. I believe it’s important that Wisconsinites and IndyCar fans everywhere attend so that we don’t lose such a significantly historical place. Come on out, say hi and have some fun!

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5 Online Tools Worth Checking Out This Week!

Author: Cedar Brown

May 3

Each week, whether it’s during #toolschat (a fun Twitter chat on Wed. at 10 pm ET) or through my own web surfing, I learn about new tools that are always great to use. Here are a few online tools I think you should certainly look into.

RAPPORTIVE

This is a great social CRM tool to have for your Gmail. When you email someone and are composing your message, you will see this picture (left) on the right side of the email of the person you are emailing. Rapportive provides an image of the person behind the email address, location and what they do. It also shows links to their social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Google + and LinkedIn. If you hover over the icons for the social networks it will show the most recent posts too. What I like best is that it makes the email feel more personal. Seeing the face of the person I am emailing creates a whole different feel to the process. A valuable relationship management tool I believe you will find useful in your career.

 

EMBEDLY

I first learned about Embedly in a blog post from the great Jeff Bullas. It is a great resource and time saver when scrolling through your Twitter stream. It allows you full media previews of tweets with links. Click the tweet and it will open up and show a snippet of an article, video or image. Being able to read the first paragraph or two of an article, without having to click to view the entire page in a new window, is a great option to have available. Note, I believe it only works as a Chrome extension.

 

HUNTSY 

If you’re a job hunter, like myself, then you NEED to be using this bookmarklet! I recently came across this site in an article on Mashable and boy am I glad I did. The main goal for Huntsy is to keep your job hunt organized. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had 20 or more tabs opened on my browser at once because I didn’t want to lose that job listing. First, you have to download the bookmarklet or Chrome extension for your browser. When you begin searching for jobs and come to a position you want to apply for, click the Huntsy tab and a small screen will slide down on your page and fill in the appropriate boxes provided, which include company, title and job description — by extracting it from the position listed. When you are in the dashboard you have options to schedule events like interviews or set reminders as well. For more a more in-depth look at Huntsy, click the link to the article from Mashable (above) or download the extension and toy with the options. This is a highly recommended tool for anyone in the job hunt or professional keeping their options open.

 

POCKET

Pocket is one of my favorite new Chrome extensions. Whether you’re surfing the web or clicking on, and loading up, numerous articles from your Twitter stream, it never fails where I have too many articles to read and not enough time. Formerly “Read It Later”, Pocket is a superb bookmarking tool to help save time and can also be used as an extension for Twitter. Actually, Pocket is integrated in over 300 apps. When you are viewing an article you want to read later, click the Pocket bookmarklet and a screen will pop down to let you know it is saved. It will also give you the option for tags to sort through saved articles. To read articles you’ve saved, go to GetPocket.com and click on “My List”. The image below is an example of what I have in my Pocket at the moment, I can’t wait to finally read them!

 

CROWDBOOSTER

Of the five tools listed, Crowdbooster is by far my favorite. Although this isn’t something new, I just started using it recently. Crowdbooster is a social media analytics dashboard that provides stats and recommendations for Twitter and Facebook accounts. Some of the things measured include followers, tweets, mentions and retweets for Twitter as well as fans, comments, mentions and likes for your Facebook page. There are graphs and tables to provide input during certain dates as well. You will find graphs and tables for follower growth, impressions, top retweeters and engagement for each post. This allows you to tailor your content for your fans to maximize engagement. The free version allows you to manage three accounts at once. I’m new to this platform so I haven’t been able to fully utilize all the features available.

 

If there are things I have missed, other great tools you know about or feel like offering your thoughts on tools reviewed please feel free to comment below. I appreciate all feedback!

 

 

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Leaving Instagram So Soon? Here’s A Few Options To Check Out Instead

Author: Cedar Brown

Apr 19

When news broke that Facebook was acquiring Instagram for $1B, Twitter went all Charlie Sheen for the next couple hours while I sat there doing my best Dr. Evil impression for the next 30 seconds. Over the next few days, people began to claim they were deleting their Instagram account because of Big Brother, I mean, Facebook. I don’t disagree with deleting your account, but I also don’t like Facebook for their bloodsucking, data-collecting and monopolistic ideals. If you are interested in switching platforms, there are numerous comparable photo apps available. I rate Instagram a 3.5 out of 5, personally. Here are a few that I have personally dabbled with and believe will grow now that image-based platforms will continue to increase in value.

STREAMZOO

Streamzoo is a versatile competitor to Instagram because it has pictures AND videos, badges to achieve and more filters and effects to choose from. They also have share options to other sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. Options for viewing an image include ‘like’ the image, see who liked it, share it, follow any streams or hashtags that the image references or view the profile of the image owner. Streamzoo is both free and unique in a way that it is also a social gaming app, which allows it to build a larger community faster. To earn badges, you need to score points. To score points, you need to ‘like’ people’s photos, comment on their photos, upload your own photos, follow people and have people follow you back. There are daily and weekly leaderboards that show users with the most points and you can find friends in a similar fashion as Instagram. The best part is that you can use this app on its own website, where Instagram is purely mobile. This is a great app for both iPhone and Android phones and an app I will continue to use in the future.

4.5 out of 5

PIXLR-O-MATIC

Pixlr-o-Matic is amazing AND free! Although it isn’t a social platform or hub for your photos, it is a photo editing app that shares your photos to numerous sites including its own site, imm.io. And like Streamzoo, you can edit photos on the website as well as the mobile app. What makes this such a great choice to use is the uber amounts of editing options such as colors/hues, frames and effects. You can also download MANY more filters and effects to increase the coolness factor of the app. I suggest to download the ‘creative’ filters, which are pretty cool to use! Pixlr-o-Matic also has a fun shuffle button to use a random selection of filters and effects to any image you choose. If you’re on the website, there some more great options. Pixlr Grabber allows you to download an extension on both Firefox and Chrome so that you can right-click any image and send it into the Pixlr Editor, similar to Pinterest in a way. It was awarded the 2011 “Best App Ever” award for the Best Photo Editing App on Android by 148apps.com. There are over 2M combinations to use with the filters offered. Pixlr-o-Matic is offered on both Android and iPhone.

4.5 out of 5

HIPSTER

Recently, AOL acquired Hipster to work with their mobile team. You may have also heard that they acquired Huffington Post too. Doesn’t matter, AOL is so 90′s anyway, ha! Back to the app, I must say that I very much like the images created by Hipster. There are 17 filters available, which isn’t much, but more than Instagram. You’re able to share images with friends, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare and Flickr. The main gimmick with Hipster is that you’re creating virtual postcards to send to friends or share on your networks. Each preset filter has space for a caption which, by default, contains your location and made to look like a postcard. You can easily edit the caption, and your text will carry through all of the presets as you pick what you like. The geo-tag option can be toggled on/off, thankfully. Hipster almost works as a Instagram/Foursquare combo with its photo editing and location-based connection. Unlike Instagram, Hipster has a website that allows you to view yours and others photos, find friends and even shop for stuff you’ll never want. When you view your image you will be able to see who has commented, “liked” and who is viewing your photo, something different than the other apps. Because this is a location-based app, they give you the option to see images posted from nearby your current location. Hipster is free and available for both Android and iPhone.

3 out of 5

CAMERA +

I have never used Camera Plus, because it is only for iPhones, but I hear it is much better than Instagram in every way. There is a free version and a pro version that costs $1.99. Because I have never used this app, I cannot properly review it. After reading the website and another 3rd party review, I am convinced that Camera Plus sounds like the greatest photo app ever made! I have talked to many people who use this app and they say they will never use another app again. I suggest you check the website and/or download the app yourself.

I know there are an uber amount of other options to choose from, but these are the few that I’ve used and can properly review. Plus, I have an Android phone. If you know of some other great options, please share them and your favorites!

 

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Is Your Company Being Antisocial?

Author: Cedar Brown

Mar 23

Now I’m not going to go out there and track down all the factual numbers of companies using social media vs. companies that don’t. I can, but I won’t. I will, however, tell you that there is a major correlation of success between the companies that do and don’t. There’s a saying out there, “companies not using social media will cease to exist in five years.” Too many executives refuse to buy into the ‘social media fad’ or don’t believe in a true online presence. Many are learning to accept, but some are still behind the times. It’s not about shifting your entire company’s marketing plan to social networks, but instead creating a social presence to connect with your customers. Being social allows you to listen, learn and change strategies accordingly. Understand this, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Building a solid social presence will not happen overnight. You need patience, confidence in your employees and an innovative thought process to accept the fact that social media can, and will, help your brand. DON’T BE ANTISOCIAL!!

There are a number of reasons your company should be using social media. But first, know that there is a major difference between having a social presence and being social in that presence! Too many companies say “Well, we’re on Facebook, but it’s not working.” YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN EFFORT!!! Create posts or contests that have calls to action and consistently write content that will create conversation! Facebook and Twitter are very different for a brand, when conversing with fans. For example, if you tweet 50 times a day, with only 1-2 being posts and the rest being @ replies, then you are being social. But it’s different on Facebook because you’re not posting 50 times a day. Target or Coca-Cola may post once a day and get 1-3K ‘likes’ and 100-500 comments on any given day, but may only reply once or twice per post in order to keep the conversation going. If you are a smaller company, you may only get a few comments and ‘likes’ in all, but replying to each comment is unnecessary. Answering questions or trying to prolong the conversation is a good time to reply on Facebook. Whether you’re on Twitter, Google +, Facebook, Pinterest, MySpace, LinkedIn or running a blog, the one thing you need is consistency!!

There are numerous social networks out there, but you don’t need to be on all of them. By now you should already know your target audience and the type of social networks they are using. Don’t attempt to be on more networks then you can handle. If you can only handle one or two, pick the site where your customer is most likely to be at. Quality over quantity! One VERY important thing: DON’T CREATE A SOCIAL ACCOUNT IF YOU WILL NOT KEEP IT ACTIVE!!!! If you are not confident that you can keep a social site active for more than two years, don’t create one. If you know your company has an account and it’s not being used, do one of three things:

1. Delete it, plain and simple.

2. If you are creating a different page, leave a note on the current one for your followers that says that you’ve moved and leave a link. Also, leave a message saying the account will be deactivated within a month.

3. Leave a message on the profile saying that you are on hiatus and will be back in action again soon.

Nothing annoys me more than a company who has an inactive social account. In fact, I sometimes refuse to use that product or shop at that store because I consider them lazy for this issue. Yes, I’m hardcore with this, but I’m also very passionate about what I do and it bothers me to see companies failing at the social level.

It’s important to remember that having social accounts helps boast your brand’s online presence and can help/hurt your brand’s reputation as well. If you’re active and social on your networks, then your brand can certainly have a great reputation online. But if you aren’t, or are doing it poorly, your reputation can be taking a hit. When your company is active online, one of the most important things you need to do is build social relationships. Building a community of followers can, and will, establish trust and confidence in your brand, from your followers’ perspective. With this trust and community you have built, you then create brand advocates. Key things to remember when you are building, and nurturing, your community is constant interaction and communication with your followers! Your fans can be your greatest asset or your greatest enemy. So be fun, be social, build these relationships and never underestimate the power of social media!

 

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