How much is your Following Worth?

Since Facebook went public, companies are now able to purchase advertising on this particular platform. These advertisements show up on the far right side of my newsfeed. What exactly is it that these companies are hoping to gain? Do they want me to go to their Facebook page? Do they want me to go to their website? Or do they want me to make a purchase? Apparently there are now 3 different ways that companies can purchase fan likes for their pages. These three are 1) cost per thousand impressions 2) cost per click or 3) cost per action. Respectively each option becomes more specific and ultimately more expensive. Each company has a different value for their fans. For Zara values one of their Facebook fans at $400 while Coca-Cola values their fans at $70. My question is where does the difference in value come from. Is it because Zaras fans are more likely to spend money at Zara? However, it is also pertinent that companies understand that not all of their fans are the same. Not all fans are "created equal." Some customers become fans of companies pages and are going to consistently make purchases, but other customers become fans simply because they have aspirations to make purchases but cannot afford to.

The ultimate question is it worth it for companies to purchase Facebook fans. Honestly, it all depends. Now that is the answer to most business questions, but it is very true. It is up to the company to decide at its core what it hopes to gain from its potential Facebook fans. If the company just wants to have engagement with their potential consumers then it would be very logical to make the purchase, but companies should not just throw away their money simply to increase their Facebook numbers. As social media platforms continue to develop, companies are going to have to seriously look at their budgets and be very strategic when allocating funds to the different platforms. These decisions cannot be made on a wim, but they must be strategic decisions that fall in line with the companies plans and goals for the future.

Vine oh Vine, where are you going

For those of you who don't know what Vine is, it is a mobile app that allows its users to create and post short video clips. These clips can be no longer than 6 seconds. It was created in June of 2012, and it has recently taken off on UGA's campus. Many of its users are sharing live clips of what is going on or funny things that occurred. It allows peoples followers to feel as though they are actually experiencing the clip that is being shared. Often times the clips don't make sense to "outsiders," but rarely to all social media posts ever make sense to everyone. My question is where is Vine going to go from here? Its users are rapidly growing, but is Vine just a phase or is it here to stay? If it is here to stay, how are businesses going to use this platform to their advantage? Will they post mini commercials? Will they share their in-store experiences? There are so many ways that companies could use this platform to their advantage, but it is going to take the "first-mover" to set the tone. 

Recently, the National Republican Congressional Committee released what is believed to be the first political attack ad on Vine. I believe that Vine has so much to offer potential users that it will continue to grow and become a "staple" social media tool for consumers and businesses. However, I personally hope that my Vine feed will not be taken over by political ads come future election times. 

Spring has Sprung, Baseball has Begun

Spring is finally here. What does that mean to so many people across the country? It’s baseball season! That means hot afternoons and warm nights at the ballpark with a hot dog and an ice cold beer. Surprisingly, with baseball season comes the hype on social media. It is quite humorous if you look at a college boys twitter posts. They are probably all about sports games or their favorite television shows. On opening day alone, almost every post on every social media platform was about opening day for baseball. It is unbelievable how many people connect with their favorite teams through these platforms, and especially since the majority of teams do not have any social campaigns. I think it is wierd how sports teams have to put very little effort in to having followers and engaging with their audience on social media, but companies such as Victorias Secret and Coca-Cola must have campaigns and strategies. Why is this? Personally, I believe it is because lots of sports fans are loyal to their teams and very passionate about their performance. These fans want to share their opinions for all to see. They feel a connection with their teams, and they use the different social platforms to proclaim their relationships. 

This week Mashable published an infographic that SilverPop created and some of the statistics are unbelievable. The Yankees have almost 8,000,000 fans, friends, and followers on all of their platforms. That is more than global companies such as Dunkin' Donuts. The two weeks prior to opening day each MLB team had an average of 175 tweets. This statistic surprises me that each team was able to average that many tweets considering their are so many teams. Since the season has just begun, I am going to try and pay close attention to the teams I follow and see what their interactions and engagements with their fans are like. 

Hashtag #Whatdoimean

I recently read an article about the origin of the hashtag and what the heck it means. Honestly, does anyone know what a hashtag is. How do we explain it? My mom has looked at my twitter before and has asked me what the 'pound sign' means. "Mom, I don't really know what to tell you." The hashtag can be used to emphasize sarcastic remarks, sentimental comments, or "inside" jokes. Recently companies have been using hashtags to create trends. These trends can show up on our newsfeed and can drive traffic to their twitter account. These companies also have the opportunity to purchase trends. Personally, I don't know if I agree with companies purchasing twitter trends. Twitter is meant for people to speak their mind in 140 characters or less. When companies purchase these trends they are almost interfering with the natural interaction on this platform.

If I put myself in the companies shoes, then purchasing twitter trends is extremely logical. It allows their company to get into the middle of the action and have significant conversations and engagements with their audience. With large events or new products being put out, companies can use these promoted hashtags and trends to direct the conversation. They are able to tell their audience where they are and what they are talking about. The most successful brands on twitter are constantly giving their audience something to talk about. I love when the brands I follow are constantly educating and entertaining me on twitter. It furthers my loyalty with them in the simplest way.

With Twitter continuing to grow and other social platforms being created everyday, I am extremely excited to see where the hashtag takes us and if it means the same in a year or two.

Kids and their Ipads

Since my older brother and his wife just had a baby in January, I have already taken so much interest in not only my nephew, but in children as a whole. I read an article this week about all of the different apps for kids. These apps vary from both fun and entertaining to educational. It is amazing to me to hear my brother talk about his friends with kids and how they all have Ipads for them to use. That seems so ridiculous to me because I didn't have my own laptop until I was in college. However the more I think about it, the use of technology is second nature to my generation and younger. We all grew up using our parents desktops, and the kids of today are learning through Ipads. So many companies have become successful by developing apps to help kids learn how to read or to multiply. It has only been within the past 3 years that Ipads have become popular, so I can't imagine what the technology and educational resources will be like by the time I have kids of my own. The only thing that truly worries me with these kids is their safety. The internet can be extremely dangerous, and I worry of these kids getting scammed or taken advantage of. If these different platforms are able to offer the privacy and protection that each person deserves, then these platforms will continue to grow and be successful.

Spamming Away

Recently I read an article that Facebook has found a way to target their advertisements to our shopping habits off of the web. What happened to the days of being ad-free? When we could play on our social sites and not have to be bothered by all these advertisements. What has gotten even worse is the way companies are spamming away on our individual newsfeeds. They are finding any way to place themselves in our everyday lives in hopes of eventually getting another sale. This is not the way to make your followers or friends happy. Social platforms have so much potential for brands if they are used correctly, but more often than not brands are failing horribly.

In the professional world, slowly but surely the fortune 500 companies are adapting to the social world we live in. They are hiring social media specialists and creating a team to focus solely on their social strategy. These companies are successful; for example CNN, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Coca Cola. With a social media team in tact, strategies and plans are formed to attract the customer in a way that will create a relationship. I believe the best way to a consumer is to give them something they don't already have; knowledge about what you are offering. By giving them content that is intriguing, they will feel as though your brand has given them something they could not get anywhere else. There starts the loyal relationship. The fashion industry is what has grabbed my attention on social media. I am not what you would consider a "fashionista" but I believe that the different fashion brands I follow have made me much more knowledgeable. Particularly rent the runway has put out several pieces to help me in my current stage of life. If ever I have trouble picking shoes or accessories, their content always has the answers. Because they have offered something for me, I would definitely say I would vouch for their brand. If brands can produce valuable content, then social relationships will be much more powerful than ever before.

Being Who You are Meant to Be

Earlier this week one of my daily devotionals talked about being you and nobody else. We are all intended to be who God created us to be. We are not supposed to pretend to be something we are not. Specifically it talked about how we should not change ourselves so that others will accept us. If someone doesn't accept us then more than likely they were not intended to be in our lives. Each of us have our own brand. It is who we are. It is how we portray and define ourselves to others. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who change themselves for others. They want to be skinnier, or taller, or have bigger boobs. Too often people have a hard time accepting themselves. I believe a lot of it comes from the world we live in today. At least with girls, it is clearly misleading to constantly stare at pictures of actresses on the red carpets or models on the runway because these women make us think that we have to look like them. That is one of the most frustrating things about social media is that it leads us to constantly compare ourselves to others, and we are constantly criticizing ourselves. Part of me wonders if technology weren't what it is today if so many girls would still be getting plastic surgery or be facing eating disorders. However, social media is going nowhere; so I hope that brands targeting women will be very selective in their choice of spokespeople. The right celebrity can make or break a brand. These spokespeople are able to truly make the brand memorable and desirable when they are seen on different platforms using or talking about the products. When women's clothing stores use "real" looking celebrities to endorse the brand it encourages all the women seeing the ads, tweets, posts. etc. One of my favorites is Kate Hudson and Ann Taylor. Kate Hudson has been seen wearing different Ann Taylor outfits, and it makes me want to go to the store and buy that same outfit. If brands are strategic with their spokespeople and how social media is used, they have the ability to become unstoppable.