Snapcash Sentiment

Now You See It, Now You Don't 

Snapchat seems to be doing everything it can to stay relevant in the evolving realm of social platforms and to continue engaging their users. The platform has just recently started dabbling in advertisements, and live event streaming. However, these features are still so new that many users have not adapted or adopted the features and the platform seems to still be working on the kinks. I feel that Snapchat has enough of a dedicated and growing following (over 100 million users monthly) to take the time to develop its current features before jumping into another new feature. However, Snapchat must disagree. Snapchat has recently announced a partnership with the finance Square app to create and release “Snapcash”. 

How much is too much when evolving a social platform? Personally, once I read the words “Snapcash” my question was answered. I feel Snapchat might be making a huge impulsive mistake here. The platform is supposed to be releasing this feature to androids immediately. Inevitably, as with any new feature or significant update there will be kinks and bugs that can only be fixed via trial and error. However, trial and error when dealing with users’ money and bank accounts does not sound like the best way to keep their current users happy or gain new users. 

Furthermore I am still having trouble with the concept behind linking Snapchat (a disappearing picture messaging application) with my money. Associating my already shrinking wallet with a quickly disappearing click of my phone is terrifying. I understand that the deal involves a third party app, Square that is “secure” but that doesn’t mean that other consumers won’t jump to conclusions and form perceptions similar to my skepticism. In a world where perception is reality can Snapchat afford any more scrutiny? The platform recently suffered a large scale photo leak upsetting millions of users and causing distrust among the public. I can’t help but assume that the adoption of “Snapcash” may be a very poorly timed and possibly detrimental addition for the platform.

I am eager for the launch of “Snapcash” and to see just how the public feels about this new feature. It will also be interesting to see how this partnership plays out financially for both companies. Unfortunately, I predict the partnership as a flop and that "Snapcash" will be here and gone as fast as the pictures users send and view on the app; in a flash.

Article referenced:

http://mashable.com/2014/11/17/snapcash/?utm_cid=hp-hh-pri

What To Do When Branding Gets Personal

Branding gets Personal

 

If I have learned one thing from all my business courses and extra-curricular involvement during school, it is the importance of our personal brand. I have attended networking sessions, branding workshops, alumni panels, and employer info sessions that time and time again touch on the concept of developing, refining, and presenting our personal brand. This can be an intimidating undertaking, especially as marketing major. We are literally studying branding and social media, so the pressure is on when trying to create our personal brand. Additionally with all of the social media platforms we have access to and hold the responsibility for mastering this branding topic is easier said than done for some. However, I stumbled across a Mashable.com article this morning titled: The lazy person’s guide to personal branding with 10 tips that simplify this process. Here are some of my thoughts and interpretations of the list: 

1. Stop and Think- This is the point where you need to determine, who you are and what you value most. Once and ONLY once that has been identified you can begin establishing what you bring to the table and how that should be advertised as your brand. 

2.Analyze your Idols- A starting place for determining who you are and what you value. I had never considered this as a strategy but can immediately see the effectiveness in this exercise.

3. Find your niche- It is comforting to know that the world doesn’t expect you to graduate as an expert of all things digital marketing. If your niche falls more into social media or even more specifically within blogging for example, this is the time to share and advertise that expertise with the world. 

4. Label your expertise- What is the point of having a specialization if you don’t call attention to it? The post points out the importance of integrating your expertise across all platforms here to ensure you are broadcasting your expertise consistently across all outlets to maximize your reach. 

5. Get your opinion out there- At some point, you have to make the leap and begin posting your ideas, comments, opinions, and responses to current issues and stories in your field. This shows the viewers you have a voice and a desire to be heard. Especially for us in the marketing field, it is important to back up our passion for marketing and interacting with the changing times by posting our thoughts and actions. 

6. Use one photo across the board- I am guilty of making this mistake and do not present a consistent professional photo across all my social media platforms. Sounds like its time to make a change. 

7. Have one username- I find this to be difficult with certain platforms such as twitter and Instagram where many usernames may have been taken or restricted. However, the way I am combating this problem is to somehow incorporate my full name into each of my handles in the simplest way possible to maintain a sense of consistency and increase my searchability. (Follow me on Instagram: @gracehulett Twitter: @gracehulett2015 Facebook & LinkedIn: Grace Hulett) 

8. Audit your existing social media- I agree with this article that we need to be conscious of our previously posted social media and platforms and even go back through and delete inappropriate posts or accounts that are inconsistent with our personal brand. I have recently started a new twitter account that I am calling my “business twitter” and I plan to delete my personal twitter soon in an effort to keep my personal brand professional. I know many sites recommend keeping the personal twitter and just deleting posts to show the time and commitment we have had to one platform. Either way, you have got to start somewhere with auditing your existing social media, considering some of us have had accounts open since 2008 (you  might want to go delete your high school mirror selfies).

9. Leave Amazon book reviews- This suggestion is my favorite because I had never heard of this idea or thought of participating on Amazon as a way to promote and develop my personal brand. The article mentions that these book reviews will come up first when someone searches for you and is an awesome way to show you are serious and passionate about your field and/ or niche. 

10. LinkedIn- LinkedIn is more than just a digital resume; it is now becoming the best way to brand yourself and network. Developing your LinkedIn takes time and I would recommend researching all the features of LinkedIn to discover how best to promote yourself as well as connect with brands, topics, and people in your field to demonstrate your commitment to the field.

All in all, I agree with all of these steps and have determined I could use some polishing in a few of these areas. Although there are many different opinions about social media and how to go about branding ourselves, I agree with this list as a starting block and quick and easy way to establish, clean up, and/or promote your brand.

Article referenced:

http://mashable.com/2014/11/10/personal-branding-lazy-guide/

Roku Impacting Ratings

 

  

 A Manhattan Love Story Without a Happy Ending

      There are few things I love more than piling up on the couch with my roommates to watch our Roku device. Roku has been a game changer for us. We are able to watch Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, HBO Go whenever our hearts desire (aka if our internet is working). Roku is just one of the many popular devices available for consumers with this streaming capability. Last week we were in the mood to try something new and after a lot of debate we settled on a show that looked that my roommate Libby summarized as “looks quirky and interesting…potentially cute” after reading the description of Manhattan Love Story. 

       The concept behind the show was definitely a new twist on a classic romantic comedy TV series. In a sentence, the show follows a new couple as they meet and begin dating by chronicling and narrating their thoughts. This “he thinks” “she thinks” concept sounds funny, however was not as well done as I was hoping for. 

     After the first scene I remember thinking to myself “not sure if I’m going to like this”. The thoughts of the boy and girl were extremely stereotypical as the guy checked out every girl walking by and the girl was analyzing all of the outfits she passed on her walk to work. As the episode continued some parts were funny, but for the most part we found ourselves just waiting for the episode and plot to get better. Unfortunately, it did quite the opposite in my opinion. I should be fair, I have never liked shows with narration, but I continually give them a chance before ruling out the show entirely. Something about the way the two main characters, Dana and Peter interacted seemed so stereotypical and fake. Just a 20 minute episode and my roommates and I could make it thru about 15 minutes before finally caving because we just “could NOT do it anymore”. 

      We found ourselves using the show and characters from the show as the butt of several jokes and recently heard that ABC has cancelled the show. Although, I was not surprised, I am still a little disappointed because I’m always rooting for the underdog. 

      After reading on Adweek about ABCs cancellation I realized Manhattan Love Story presented a unique situation for the network. In the past, networks have been notorious for quickly pulling and cancelling any shows that underperformed after only 2 or 3 episodes. ABC kept Manhattan Love Story running through late October with 4 episodes airing; the show ran longer than any show they have canceled since 2003. I learned that this is because the way ratings work is completely changing due to DVR and on-line viewer who are not watching the show live (aka my roommates and I watching our Roku). These delays views and bumps have dramatically impacted shows ratings among 18-49 age group. How to Get Away With Murder and Red Band Society both nearly doubled in live-plus-seven ratings after using a more delayed response measuring technique. 

       I am no expert in TV ratings and network cancellations, but this is an area of the industry I am interested in exploring more about. It is cool to see how advances in DVR and companies such as Hulu and Netflix are changing the game. As a marketing student, we are always discussing in class how and if digital and online will make TV irrelevant. However, it is encouraging to see the TV networks adapting and adjusting with these companies and their consumers’ preferences to stay relevant. Advertising has been anchored around television for decades and personally, I don’t see this going extinct for many more years to com, especially if companies continue to adapt and integrate multiple platforms to reach their consumer while also adapting to their lifestyles and preferences. 

Article referenced:

http://www.adweek.com/news/television/why-it-took-so-long-abc-cancel-manhattan-love-story-161019 

Follow for a Follow

 

      

   

        After attending the SouthWiRED Digital Marketing Conference in Atlanta last week, my mind was completely blown away with digital and all that is happening digitally in Atlanta. Additionally, this was one of my first digital marketing conferences. I’ve been to more networking events and panels, meet and greets, career fairs and formal recruiting events than I can even count. However, SouthWiRED was my first dive into the digital conference realm. I immediately appreciated the casual environment and was excited to begin following the hashtag for the day: #SWstudent. The live twitter feed quickly filled up with excited students and panelists tweeting about the day ahead of us. Everyone was excited and inviting everyone to join in the conversation on twitter ans Instagram! New and slightly intimidated by this encouraged interactivity, I decided to start small and began with retweeting some of my classmates. By the end of the day I had connected with over 40 of the attendees, panelists, companies represented and discussed. I had a blast posting quotes or questions that inspired me during the panels and a final tweet and Instagram to thank the panelists and hosts for an awesome conference.  I am now extremely excited about the many connections I was able to find and spent some time after the conference adding all these new connections, ideas, and companies on LinkedIn. I have had some great luck reaching out to companies and individuals to stay in touch or learn more about their careers and organizations. 

        I feel that I was able to capitalize on the social media opportunities and now have been able to connect on a professional level with many individuals in such a quick, easy, and almost casual way. I am excited to see where this leads, as these are some of my first connections and experiences networking with digital professionals; especially with some of the best digital and social media marketers Atlanta has to offer!

        Mashable just published an article with tips for utilizing and capitalizing social media when attending a conference. Here are the 5 most important tips for using social media during conferences:

1                                              1.  Play Nice

2                                              2. Get the hashtag right

3                                                                               3. Interact with others online

                                                                                  4. Don’t get carried away

                                                5. Have fun with it

        Personally, I  had the most fun with and benefited most by interacting with others who are posting about the event online. It was so easy to favorite or retweet an account that was sparking my attention during the conference. I was even able to arrange to meet with someone to talk about her career path between two of the panels after I commented on her tweet. I also agree with the article’s statement: “The key to finding that happy medium is posting enough so that it's informative but not so much that it seems like you aren't even really paying attention to the event”. I learned so much from the SouthWiRED conference about starting my career in digital. However, one of the most applicable and personally helpful takeaways for me was becoming comfortable connecting with professionals on social media to engage, listen, and learn through digital conversations. I am excited to continuing engaging in the future with companies and individuals via social media.

 Connect with me on Twitter!

@GraceHulett2015

Article referenced: 

http://mashable.com/2014/10/21/using-social-media-events/