I'm Now More Addicted to Craigslist

So I have an obsession. It's called Craigslist. I can spend hours for searching for deals on things I never really needed. However, I've recently been very conflicted between my Craigslist apps and browser applications- is it too much to ask to view previews?

Today, I found the answer: Craigslist Helper. (Alright, I agree, the name is about as boring as the typical Craigslist site but it gets better.)

Users can efficiently preview and zoom through their browser, greatly increasing the efficiency for addicted deal-seekers like myself.

Still needing your social networking fix to be impressed? Check out Keepio, a selling site that emphasizes a community to "sell, share, or swap" with a network of your own friends.

And, hey, there's always a garage sale!

Social Media's Surge: Is It Really Smart?

I referenced an awesome article I found naming the top ten "dum" social things people do. Jay Deragon put together some convincing opinions but the overwhelming comment that stuck with me:

It is becoming apparent that everybody is selling something while nobody is learning anything.

There is such a whirlwind around social networking right now, including a booming job market for those who can successfully deliver a winning strategy.

 Indeed currently shows upwards of 2000% growth for social media jobs. In reality, is our focus to truly engage customers or just get a certain number of "Likes"?

Minor Panic Attack

Sorry for the delay. I am currently trying to refrain from throwing my computer out of the window.

In the past several days, I have run into issues uploading pictures/content. Whatever, no big deal, right?

Well last week I expressed my excitement over my new Facebook Page. And since then I've gotten absolutely no where. So much so that I actually created a new admin account, just to see if I could trick it into doing something. No such luck.

On the upside, I was able to create a pretty snazzy Welcome page for all to see. Still trying to figure out if a bug is preventing it from becoming my landing page though. Got the FB App Networked Blogs, but was unable to add any blogs to it.

How about Liking some other Pages? At this point, I'm just sad signing in and seeing all of these blank areas on the screen. And then, just like Ashton punking Justin, I see this:

I'm posting this before I lose my internet connection and my screen shots are lost. Breath in, breath out...

Facebook v. Twitter: Social Sharing is Caring 'Likes' Both

Houston- We have a Facebook page.

Yes, that's correct, I've joined approximately 61% of Fortune Global 100 companies. You're probably thinking, "So what?" Consider though that 77% of these companies have Twitter accounts and only 36% have corporate blogs. 

While Twitter may carry the most business users, there is no denying the impact of a successful Facebook page. A simple Facebook "Like" can serve as an ambassador to spread your company's message. A recent study by Eventbrite estimates the average "Like" to bring  in $1.34 versus the $.80 the average tweet drove in ticket sales. The question is why. What do you feel makes the Facebook News Feed different from the Twitter Timeline?

Quality over Quantity: Twitter for Customer Service

Although a slightly older article (2 years! madness!), I was still impressed when I read comments made by a Jet Blue manager, Morgan Johnston, regarding their social media philosophy. The important points:

• be driven by its followers
• grow naturally with the Twitter audience
• encouraging new users who may not understand how Twitter works makes JetBlue hesitant to promote the account to passengers.

In short- I couldn't agree more. It goes back to my recent thoughts on the Comcast Twitter strategy, which argued that customer expectations may create a gap and be disadvantageous. It is not enough to simply participate in the social media area. Due to the natural growth of the Twitter audience, a failure to adequately meet customer expectations is just a detrimental as having poor customer service over the phone. In fact, because of the viral nature of social media, brands must start placing emphasis on the quality of customer service provided and not just how to incorporate its use.

Comcast Does Care. Why Isn't It Enough?

During a recent assignment in a marketing course, I reflected on the frequent reference to Comcast's exemplary use of Twitter as a customer service medium. After monitoring tweets for a short period of time, I couldn't help but question the effectiveness of the current Comcast social media strategy. (You can find my entire commentary on the issue here.) I was somewhat surprised to find a response to my critique from @ComcastBill:

Interesting post. I saw a few things I wanted to comment on that I read in both of your students feedback.  
 
I completely agree on providing better customer service from the first phone call and all the way through the install and far beyond the customers’ expectations. We do have employees who monitor Social Media as a whole not just twitter, as myself being one of them. I do run the @comcastcares handle as well as the @comcastbill and I was shocked about hearing we were not personal as we get applauded for the great efforts of being real “humanizing the brand”. There was also another comment about not having enough handles to monitor the Twitter stream. I can honestly say we respond to just about everyone and try to help with all issues. Our team is built of 8 members from all around the company. We have some from business services to engineers and even our CDV guru. The reason the team is built this way is to provide a fast resolution time. I know that was another comment one made.  
 
Anyway, it’s good to hear teachers are including SM in their lesson plans. If you would like to chat further my email is William_Gerth@comcast.com

Even in the response, I get a pretty good feeling of the personal and human nature of @ComcastBill. I also think it's important to clarify that the major flaws I noticed during my observations were created by customers. During the initial phase of the @ComcastCares rollout on Twitter, I would argue that this was a brilliant move- considering your clients, going to where they are to provide service, all while creating a more personal connection. However, [for the record, I did monitor for a few hours before writing this post as well and witnessed the same thing] when I search #Comcast on Twitter right now and scroll through all of tweets displayed for the last nine hours, they are 95% negative. 

That doesn't mean @ComcastCares isn't working. Doesn't mean @ComcastCares isn't resolving a mass amount of customer issues. Or that 90% of the 95% negative wasn't absolutely ridiculous ("why did you turn my cable off after only being 1 month late?", "damn you for my internet going down for the past 5 minutes", etc.) 

What I am saying- as a casual observer, I'm not longer impressed by simply your presence on Twitter. Because it's now rather common, I'm now much more prone to judge the quality. And, IMHO, it appears as though customers are still demanding more.

Apps and Extensions Revisited: All About the Chrome Bandwagon

So TweetDeck was a massive #fail. (sorry, couldn’t resist!)

All in not lost though. A few weeks ago, my company decided to convert to Gmail for their email hosting. It was a difficult transition for some (they literally had to remove Microsoft Outlook from computers), but I was pleasantly surprised by the move. This was [very] largely due to the fact it was highly suggested we access our Gmail through Google Chrome. And Chrome = more insanely useful, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that apps! To make up for last week’s TweetDeck enthusiasm, check out these applications and extensions which really do deliver on the promise to make life a little easier:

IE Tab: Not interested in Google Chrome? Do you need Internet Explorer to access a particular site? No problem. This extension allows you to open a single IE tab in your Chrome browser. On to the next problem...

StayFocusd: Now that you have Chrome, all you want to do is browse and explore (and basically anything else that allows you to procrastinate from the task at hand)? This extension lets you set a time limit on certain websites. If you are an avid random searcher like myself, you can set up this up to allow only certain sites. Where has this been all my life? 

Google Quick Scroll: I know you can relate to those times when you are searching for something, only to find what appears to be a quality result. You click on the link and are brought to a page with 8 pt. font that seems to go on forever. And somewhere in there is the answer to your search. With Quick Scroll, you have the option of going directly to that point on the page. Yatzee!

I would offer more suggestions, but my time is about to run out! (Thank you StayFocusd.) I'd love to hear of any apps or extensions that have wowed everyone else-

Twitter: Back to Basics

So I'm slowlyyyy trying to reintroduce myself to this wonderful social networking world, and I've decided it may be a good thing to start out with the toughest hurdle first.

Twitter.

Even though I use it, I've got to be honest. I just don't get it. I've always felt like it was a lot of work, that it required way too much active participation. But I've had a revelation.

I think it's one of those stereotypical "if-you-don't-know-of-course-you'll-never-understand" type of things. After reading a couple of pretty standard Twitter How-To articles, I realized that there have to be people out there using Twitter just like me. This idea is further substantiated by all of the Twitter applications that are out there to help! A few of the most exciting for the slightly unenthusiastic Twitter users like myself:

Timely allows you schedule your tweets. (Hello not having my phone on me at all times!)


Proxlet helps block out some of the extra "Twitter noise". I wish I would have known about this when I decided to follow Charlie Sheen for 1.5 days.

TweetDeck is like the streamline planner of Twitter. Instead of being overwhelmed by the never ending stream that appears when I normally log in, everything is nicely organized how I want it to be. 

Knowledge is power. I feel better already.

I'm backkkkkk

It's one of those things. Where the fear of facing your opposition exponentially gets worse with every day you avoid it.

My opposition? This blog.

Yep, I said it. It came out of nowhere, a whirlwind of extenuating circumstances that initially kept me away. Then it started snowballing, and I got as close to completely signing offline as I have in the past 5 years. Soon, I was scared to sign on and see what I missed. This finally led to acceptance and then empowerment. I knew what was going on in the world because I watched CNBC, not from status updates on Facebook! I only had to hear about Charlie Sheen occasionally, not constantly as a #trendingtopic. [#winning became more irritating than Chuck Norris jokes- if you don't know what I'm talking about read this.]

So here I am, at my current point. Where I'm checking back into the social networking scene because I feel like I have too. I'm scared I missed a message, post, or tweet that would have seriously changed my life.

I didn't. [One of the most interesting/ironic things I found during my catch up session: social media's plateau.]

Social Network to Seal the Deal at Oscars

We are just hours away from this year's Academy Awards and the social networking sites are trending and status updating accordingly.

Although I already expressed my lack of enthusiasm for The Social Network, it's obvious the Facebook revolution has won in a big way.

No, not these handsome young men portraying the roles of the average Joe. To try to give an accurate summary of the "Facebook fallout" would be crazy to try to do in one post. Instead, I'll be checking in everyday this week to provide commentary! 

In the meantime, check out this truly impressive tribute to the Oscars, hosted by the folks at JoBlo.com-

Be sure to check back in tomorrow!

Personal Information: The Sites that Serve Yours on a Silver Platter

 :::Immediate Reaction:::
Sure thing- my personal info is out there on a random site. Just like I'm sure I have messages waiting from people trying to reconnect with me and won $5000 by clicking on an irritating pop-up ad. In an effort to prove I was an exception to this claim, I went ahead and searched myself via Spokeo.

So there I am. Beneath all of the blurred portions- my address, phone number and names of my family members. What's that? You want to actually see a bird's eye view of my house? Under the Property tab (thankfully disabled after the screen shot), you can choose between that bird's eye view, street, and satellite.

Aggregating websites such as Spokeo and Intelius are leading the pack in the development of this controversial market. They work by gathering data from just about every online record a person has and then compiling into one handy little report [silver platter] that is available for purchase. I would assume it's not very little actually, considering all of the things mentioned in my Spokeo report were included in the free "preview" of the results.

From a business perspective, I do see the benefit of compiling personal information into one easily accessible database. Another common contention- none of the data provided is private. Information is pulled from public records, phone books, social networks, mailing lists, and other third-party sources.

Now from the human perspective, I see it as just another loophole. Although I'm aware it's simply an issue of presentation, I have a hard time believing these companies can really have a clear conscience. Spokeo was relatively easy to remove myself from but Intelius has a conveniently drawn out process that requires any opt-out request be made by fax, which then leads to 4-6 weeks of processing time. They specifically say requests by phone and/or e-mail will not be processed. If companies like this continue to claim their innocence, I guess that means I'll might actually have a chance at winning that $5000.


If you would like to hinder your personal information's silver platter, you can remove your listing from Spokeo here and read through paragraphs of fine print to get removal information from Intelius here.

Watch and Learn: Lil Wayne

On Wednesday, Lil Wayne destroyed the Guinness World Record by clocking almost 600,000 Facebook 'Likes' in a 24 hour period. Just hours before, Oreo was celebrating that record with almost 115,000 'Likes'.

Once again, Lil Wayne is proving there is a serious business tycoon behind the tattoos. Back in 2009 he was already reaching out to his mass of Facebook fans, partnering with AT&T to bring the first live streaming concert to social media. Since then, the number of Facebook users has grown by 100,000,000+ in the U.S. alone. Before Facebook, Lil Wayne had earned the honor of Top Ringtone for 2008. See the pattern?

At a time when social media outlets are becoming an absolutely essential business tool, Lil Wayne continues separate himself from any competition. His last full album release was back in 2009 [he actually spent most of 2010 in prison] yet he has continued to stay relevant. And rather than being restricted to the "rapper" tag, experimental music style has allowed him to reach markets far outside the walls of hip-hip. Take notes executives- the Best Rapper Alive seems to always be two steps ahead of the game.

After the Super Bowl

During last week's post, all I could do was speculate about the upcoming Super Bowl commercials.

An update:
Although I did look for a code during the Angry Birds commercial, I came up with nada (and wasn't motivated enough to continue my search on YouTube).

The Groupon commercial? I almost missed it. After a run of really impressive ads that had been conversation starters (we actually watched the Chrysler one several times), I was bored with several unimpressive actors speaking blankly into the camera. And in the middle of their monologues, they would mention Groupon.

The punchline was just lost on me. And apparently on the majority of the general public, as Groupon announced on Thursday it would be pulling the ads, in addition to apologizing for being offensive to some.

What? Referencing social/political tragedy is offensive to people? While Groupon continues to profit?

Speaking of which, check out one business owner's not-to-positive Groupon experience- one of the most interesting reads I've come across recently.

One Very Excited Student and Some Textbooks

I woke up this morning like it was Christmas. My internship seemed to last forever. But at noon I was out of there, flying down the highway on a serious mission.

I had an iPad to pick up from FedEx.

Until recently, I was happily a part of the iPhone-only nation. It wasn't until I started pricing my textbooks for the Spring semester that I had a change of heart. Enter CourseSmart, a digital textbook provider offering course materials that can be accessed via Internet or one of Apple's addictive devices. Not only are these ebooks cheaper, but I can actually fit more than one in my bag when I head to the library. Yatzee!

With the increased popularity of other readers such as the Nook and Kindle, I was under the impression my decision was a reflection of the current market trends. A little research has proved me wrong though: even with the recent growth, the Book Industry Research Group reported ebooks account for only 8% of fiction sales in the 4th quarter of 2010.

Educational Marketer published a similar sentiment, citing that textbook rentals were still growing much more quickly than ebooks.  Personally, I don't care how easy it is the return my textbook rentals. After boxing and lugging the box to be shipped, too much work for me. But I want to know what current students think- will the standard textbook option become obsolete in the near future?

via Daemonsbooks

It's Almost Here- Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

And on this glorious Sunday, February 6, thousands will be glued to their television sets.

To get the code to unlock the secret level of Angry Birds?

Let me begin by saying I actually am a huge football fan, so I'm a little biased. I've also had conversations with Angry Bird enthusiasts, but I just don't get it (kinda like True Grit...I don't care how many awards it wins, I'll pass). However when I heard about this advertising scheme on the radio, I will admit it caught my attention.

It's fairly common knowledge that Super Bowl commercials run advertisers a pretty penny, to the tune of $2.5 million for 30 seconds of time with the viewers. Just to really break it down for you- $83,333.33 per second. The folks behind the hit mobile game app Angry Birds have partnered with the folks behind the animated movie based on Angry Birds (still with me?) to...well...get a whole lot of people to watch their Super Bowl commercial. In slow motion.

By embedding a code that unlocks a secret game level, the creators suggestion to watch the 4th quarter commercial- frame by frame- can almost be taken seriously. [To anyone at my Super Bowl party: plan on going to YouTube after with everyone else who missed the code.]

While I'd be interested in seeing what type of code Fox is expecting me to find hidden a la Highlights (remember that magazine?!), I'd rather be see what the heck Groupon plans to do with the ad time they managed to score. Oh, and did I mention- the score of the actual game?

Relax- It's Still Business.

And just to prove how brilliant I really am (just kidding- sorta), we witnessed...

Mark Zuckerberg,
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network Mark) and
Andy Samberg (The Saturday Night Live Mark)
take the stage for our holy-Facebook-overload pleasure during SNL's opening monologue last night. (In case you missed it, check out the clips at Mashable- I can't bring myself to further the overload here.)

Best Week Ever.

In all seriousness, it really is impressive to consider how much Facebook has achieved, while all throughout staying true to their "roots". As demonstrated by the proposal of social CAPTCHA, the social interaction aspect of what they are doing continues to be the concentrated focus.

In a recent article discussing Twitter for business owners, I was left somewhat disappointed by most of the advice given. The overwhelming adage given by young entrepreneurs is to recognize you are using a social tool to promote your business.  No one wants to follow a business that is just self promoting. Customers want a personal connection, so use these new mediums to create this relationship with a much larger audience. Um, forgive me for being harsh about this, but isn't a very basic principle in business interaction [selling] to focus on the customer versus the product? To find out what customers want and developing a solution to their needs? How about to establish a relationship that keeps people returning?

Facebook has continued to find innovative ways to reinforce their central focus. Basic, basic business. Our resources may be evolving, but it doesn't mean your mission statement should be disregarded like a copy of The Yellow Pages.

Facebook Having the "Best Week Ever"?

Leave it to VH1 to be MIA when you need them to cover the big stories...

Just over a week ago, The Social Network brought home the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture- Drama (in addition to several other categories). Although I'm just as enamored with Facebook as the rest of the world, I am apparently alone in my opinion that the movie "portrayal" is neither dramatic or award-winning. This is evidenced by Tuesday morning's reception of 8 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

Fast forward to the State of the Union Address Tuesday evening. President Obama references Facebook as he discusses the major innovations affecting our economy.

But what I am most impressed by with Facebook is the continued ability to remain focused on the "social interaction" aspect of its users. Apparently the application for the patent was filed in September but social CAPTCHA has just recently received quite a bit of attention. Instead of the blurry or warped letter/number combos usually used in security features, Facebook refers back to what it knows- the pictures that drive the site. A person wishing to change their password or log-in on an unfamiliar computer will be prompted to give the name of their friend in the random picture generated.

via The Facebook Blog

Do I think it's without fault? No.
Do I think it's yet another really cool idea from the people who show no signs of slowing down? Absolutely.

The Internet of the Future

I found it extremely interesting that in an interview with Sarah Kessler, several individuals referred to the "internet of the future" as a utility.

Just as the evolution of the telephone has led to so much more than the standard call, the prediction is that the internet will become a sort of assumption. For businesses, not a matter of “Should we participate?” or even “How do we use social media?” I believe that there will eventually be a point where these decisions will be considered some of the most basic an organization will make- almost as basic as the products and services being offered. 

That does not mean that its effects should be ignored. Just as companies find success and failure in the traditional landscape, it is really just a matter of using the tools available as effectively as possible. In a University of Maryland's Smith School of Business study, small businesses reported the following regarding their social media usage:

image credit: mfinelydesigns via Mashable

 Imagine a survey that reported usages for tools such as:

• Telephones
• Customer Databases
• Print Advertisement
• Employee Training

I would say it's a safe assumption that successful companies employ all of these. My prediction for the future has similar characteristics: the most successful companies will use all of the tools necessary to reach their objective. The one difference- the scope of tools will be exponentially wider.

Speaking of Outdated...

via Mashable

Who Even Uses the "Phone" Option on the iPhone?

A few days ago, I noticed a new copy of the Yellow Pages outside our front door.

I should be honest.

A few days ago, I finally contemplated picking up the new copy of the Yellow Pages outside our front door. It had actually been there for a day or two. And this is coming from someone who was at one time a big fan of the Yellow Pages back in the day. (True story: I casually flipped through it as a child- don't judge me.) My problem is not with the book itself. My problem is that it encourages the use of another device, i.e. the phone.

My boyfriend, we'll call him Doug, makes me feel guilty every single time I ignore a phone call (which it pretty often). I've tried explaining that I feel pretty confident in the people I need to be communicating with and they also appreciate efficiency. No longer do I feel burdened by answering the standard "What are you doing?" that follows every initial greeting. I'll admit it- out of habit, half the time I respond, "Nothing. What are you doing?" Text allows me to address things directly while I give bonus points for apps that allow me to complete tasks! Doug is not convinced. So for his sake, and anyone else who may be offended by my resistance to a good 'ole phone call, I give you these equally awesome alternative phone uses:

• The ability to fake more important people to talk to with The Fake Phone Call. (I was surprised to see it in the instruction manual though!)  

• It will buy your Starbucks. Not to be confused with pre-ordering your Starbucks. Mobile Payment allows you to literally pay with your cell phone.

• The chance to avoid another one of life's greatest pleasures: a trip to the bank. (It's crazy to me that 98% of the time, the bank is in the opposite direction you are traveling/other side of the road/super busy intersection, etc.) No hassle for me today- just a quick front and back picture of the check and the funds were immediately in my account. Kudos Chase Quick Deposit!

Which brings me back to my first point- the Yellow Pages? I'm actively searching for ways to use my iPhone for anything but the phone. Suggestions?