Joel Comm's Blog, page 24

Unboxing the Mevo Live Event Camera

After waiting for nearly a year, I finally received my Mevo camera from the folks at Livestream.tv. The Mevo is an HD camera which you operate from your iPhone. With the ability to produce a variety of camera angles on the fly, the Mevo promises to deliver a fresh take on live event broadcasts. Is it possible to produce an event video with just one camera? We’ll find out when I put the Mevo to the test. But inthis video, I unbox the Mevo and show you what you get with the camera.

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The Best Times to Post on Social Media

When are the best times to post on social media? With “experts” telling us we need to be posting regularly on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, Periscope and so many other places, how do we balance it all? In this video, I explain a healthy and realistic approach to managing your social accounts.

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How to Use Bitmoji in Your Snapchat Photos and Videos

Snapchat, one of the hottest apps in social media, has brought Bitmoji intergrated into the app. It allows you to deliver personalized emojis into your Snapchat pictures and videos. Bitmoji is a popular app that lets you make an avatar customized to look like you and then use it as an emoji. Until now, Bitmojis have been primarily used in Facebook Messenger and text messages. Snapchat bought Bitstrips, the company that created Bitmoji, for $100 million. If you are connected to another person on Snapchat that also uses Bitmoji, you will be able to use Friendmoji. When you communicate with these friends, both your avatars will show in the images. In this video, Joel Comm demonstrates how to use Bitmoji, link it to your Snapchat account and then use Bitmojis with your Snapchat snaps.

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How to Get Verified on Twitter

How do you get a verified account on Twitter? When Twitter first introduced the verified program back in 2009, the invited members to fill out a form and apply for the little blue check mark. The goal was to validate official accounts of actors, musicians, politicians, CEOs, brands, journalists and other public figures. I applied as soon as they made it available because I was having a problem with people pretending to be me. Having a verified account would make it clear which one was official. I was fortunate to have received the mark in September 2009. However, shortly thereafter, Twitter closed the form and was no longer accepting applications for the verified status. Since that time, how someone gets verified has remained a mystery to members. Now, for the first time since 2009, Twitter is inviting users to apply for a Verified checkmark on their account. The following video shows you how to about applying for the coveted blue checkmark.

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Pokemon Go is a Pop Culture Phenomenon

Pokemon Go is not just an app for mobile devices. It’s not just a child’s game either. The explosive growth of Pokemon Go is nothing less than a pop culture phenomenon! In fact, in just one week’s time the app is being used by more people on a daily basis than Twitter. Niantic, who developed the application, has accomplished more in one week than Foursquare was able to accomplish in seven years. And what’s truly remarkable about Pokemon Go is not the number of people using it, but how it is affecting lives. Sure, the media loves sensationalism and tends to focus on the bad things that have happened. (People getting hurt, finding a dead body, getting mugged, etc…) But the positive side-affects are far more pervasive. People are getting out of the house and away from their computer. They are walking. They are socializing with strangers and making new friends. There is a camaraderie that is taking place unline anything I’ve ever seen. Nintendo shares skyrocketed 86% the week of release and businesses are discovering ways to bring new customers to their brick and mortar operations simply by placing Pokemon lures. We are just seeing the very beginning of new ways to bring business in with games! So it’s in that spirit that I corralled some Denver friends and hit the streets for a Pokemon Go party! We spent several hours downtown hunting Pokemon, engaging with others and having a great time. Here’s a summary of what took place in Denver.

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Top Social Media Influencer of 2016 Awarded to Joel Comm

This morning I was wondering who is the top social media influencer of 2016? There are so many lists circulating that put the spotlight on people who are influential. The top bloggers, most influential social media people, most popular internet marketers, and so forth. Even People magazine does their lists of the most beautiful people. Well, as I was sitting here working on my blog today, I received an award that is the greatest honor I’ll probably receive while I am writing this entry. I was named the… wait for it… Top Social Media Influencer of 2016 (named Joel, living in Denver, wearing glasses who and had bacon & eggs for lunch while live-streaming it on Periscope). Hey, I deserve it! After all, I met all the qualifications My name is Joel. I live in Denver. I wear glasses. And I did indeed stream myself preparing bacon and eggs for lunch today. The competition was fierce, but in the end the panel of three judges (me, myself and I) felt we had no choice but to bestow the coveted honor upon myself. My friends Chris Brogan and Jay Baer were briefly considered for the top spot in this list that only has one spot, but in spite of their accomplishments were both disqualified because their names aren’t Joel. (Nor do they live in Denver. Though Jay wears glasses. It is not confirmed as to whether or not either streamed live the preparation of bacon and eggs for lunch.) So, in the spirit of humility and with full recognition that there are people far more capable than I who could also give themselves a fake award any time they want, here is my acceptance speech. “I’d like to thank myself for the privilege of being recognized for my efforts today. I know it isn’t every day that your peers see you as someone worthy of receiving the title of Top Social Media Influencer of 2016. And that’s why it’s sometimes easier to just make up your own award so your blog title gets indexed by Google. In an age where perception is reality, many people believe what they read without truly understanding what they are seeing. In fact, I’ll bet when I post this link on Facebook some people will congratulate me thinking that I really was recognized for something special! Oh, you people do crack me up. Nevertheless, I am proud of myself for accomplishing absolutely nothing of value this morning only to discover that this post is actually pretty entertaining. So maybe I DID do something of value after all. I wonder if I’ll send myself a trophy or wall plaque to commemorate this moment. Nah, I’ll just go play some video games. So in closing, thank me very much.” In case you still don’t get it, this is a parody piece. I wrote it to illustrate how people believe what they hear or read without researching for themselves the veracity of the claims. It was inspired by yet another “news” story that people were sharing believing it to be true, when it fact it was debunked by Snopes.com. Do your homework, people.

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A Woman with a Chewbacca Mask Showed the World How to Sell with Live Video

I’ve been talking up live video for some time now. Whether it’s broadcast through Snapchat, Periscope or through Facebook Live, a live video has become the most engaging way for brands to inform, entertain and build a connection. It’s no wonder that live video has been the talk of this year’s Internet marketing conferences. But it’s taken a stay-at-home mom from Texas to show the world just how powerful live video can be. Candace Payne decided to treat herself to an electronic Chewbacca mask at Kohls. She then filmed herself putting on the mask in her car… and laughing hysterically at the sound the mask made. The video couldn’t be simpler. Her joy at the product couldn’t be more natural. So far, the video has picked up more than 136 million views. That’s right… 136 million views of someone using a product and loving it. How much would traditional advertising have cost to reach an audience that size with a message that wouldn’t have come close to the power of that video? Kohls and its social media agency were onto it in a flash. They sent Payne a boatload of toys, $2,500-worth of gift cards and 6,000 reward points… and they filmed the delivery. That video, too, has picked up over 30 million views. Not surprisingly, Kohls has struggled to keep those masks on their shelves. The success of that Facebook Live video has lessons for all of us. Business owners have always wracked their brains trying to figure out which messages would most resonate with audiences, and looking for creative ways to deliver those stories. Coca Cola spent $3.5 billion in 2014 on advertising to get its messages out there. That’s old school. The fastest way to build trust with an audience is now also the most natural. It’s customers showing their friends and family how much they love the products they’ve bought. It’s brands talking directly to their buyers and broadcasting the exchanges live. It’s not about messaging any more; it’s about the relationship, and showing audiences that the connection between the customer and the product is real and valued and constant. When Candace Payne pulled on that mask and broke down in hysterics at the sight of herself as Chewbacca, when she said that this was the best birthday present she’d ever bought herself, and when she said that the mask was all hers and she wasn’t going to let her kids “confinscate” it from her, she spoke directly to anyone who had ever bought themselves a treat that was utterly silly and yet wonderfully fun. When Kohls showed up with a box of gifts and kept the story rolling, they showed they understood how important live video had become. Every business now needs to be in the business of live video, broadcasting it themselves and encouraging their customers to broadcast it too. They need to be watching live video and they need to be reacting it to it. Live video isn’t just the talk of marketing conferences. It’s also what gets customers talking.

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Bombfell Unboxing – Personal Stylist Sends Me Clothing

I’m extremely comfortable in shorts or jeans and a t-shirt. It’s a far cry from the suit and tie I used to present myself with. But occasionally I do like to dress up a bit more. I’ve considered heading to Nordstrom and securing the services of a personal shopper. But being an online nerd, I thought I would give one of the online services a chance first. I was referred to Bombfell, a men’s clothing service that provides you with customized clothing based on your needs. Following is an unboxing of my first shipment. To save $25 on your first shipment, click here!

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Switcher Studio Pro – Broadcast Live Video with Multiple Cameras from Your iPad

With live video being the most important move in social media since the invention of the smart phone, it seems we are seeing new options for broadcasting on a weekly basis. I recently encountered a method for broadcasting from my iPad or iPhone that allows me to use multiple devices. Switcher Studio is a mobile production suite that allows content creators to use an iPhone or iPad as a portable video mixer. Share your events and engage your audience using the power of video without spending thousands of dollars on expensive cameras and gear. All you need is Switcher Studio and an iPhone or iPad – record the video output to your primary device and stream live video anywhere with an internet connection. In this video, I demonstrate Switcher Studio using an iPad Air, iPad Mini and iPhone 6 as camera video sources. I think you’ll enjoy it as the functionality is pretty strong. The team promises many more features to come.

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New Emojis in 2016

The emoji has found its way into our every day communication. By using pictures in our text messages and via Snapchat, we’ve discovered a new way to express ourselves. I find it amazing that there is actually a board that governs which emojis get canonized into the official Unicode format. But it’s true. And that board has determined that 72 brand new emojis will be included in upcoming updates to iOS 9.0 and Android operating systems. The following video is a walkthrough of the new emojis that you will soon be using. They include new faces, animals, sporting events, foods and more.

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