Erik Qualman's Blog, page 564
February 16, 2015
Shorty Awards 2015 #BusinessBlogger
What music is to the Grammy’s, the Shorty Awards are to Social Media. Like the Grammy’s the Shorty Awards honor the best people and organizations on social media. In it’s 6th year, the online nomination process has attracted influencers such as Guy Kawasaki, Jerry Seinfeld and fashion blogger of “The Man Repeller,” Leandra Medine. Thanks to creators of the awards, Sawhorse Media, this year is predicted to be it’s biggest one.
Lucky for me, I’ve been nominated to win a Shorty Award under the category of #BusinessBlogger and I can use your help! The more nominations on Twitter, the more of a chance I have to win the award. Here’s how you can help:
With the help of my loyal followers on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the entire world wide web I can be the 2015 Shorty Award Recipient of #BusinessBlogger. For every person that nominated me on Twitter before the deadline of February 19th, I promise to send a digital hug your way!
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Social Media Marketing for Adult Businesses
There are often difficulties in getting likes/shares and tweets about adult topics such as the Hitachi magic wand or other adult toys and items. Some people are shy about publicly liking these types of sites and products so it can make promotion on social media even more difficult. Sex sells. We know this. However, when we talk about it openly (on social media) admitting what it is we’re buying, it’s a different story.
Tips for Social Media Marketing for Adult Businesses
Google’s search algorithms are not friendly to adult-oriented topics so marketers have to get creative in the ways they choose to advertise and grow a following. Finding indirect ways to draw attention to your page will also attract more followers since most people prefer to keep their personal life in the bedroom and not share information about what they like online.
Here are some tips for social media marketing for adult businesses:
Choose an adult friendly platform such as Tumblr, Twitter or even Instagram to market your business. Facebook is the least friendly site for adult businesses.
Learn your audience so you’ll know what appeals to them the most and it will make it easier to find content that grabs their attention.
Most of your content should provide or link to information that is useful or entertaining. The goal is to provide something of value for your followers so they will want to share it with others.
Make your products seem more innocent by using humor, comics or photos of cute animals but only post photos and content that is in good taste and non-offensive.
Look for posts that you find interesting and then like, share and comment on them to help draw attention to your page.
Ask questions or ask your followers to share stories or information they find interesting to encourage engagement.
These tips can help increase the number of likes/shares and tweets your page receives, which in turn will help your business grow.
Humanize Your Profile
When deciding whether to follow your website or not, potential followers will go over your profile. The first thing they’ll look at is your profile picture. It needs to be a real photo that helps them see the human side of your business. This is important for all types of businesses but especially for those that sell products like the Hitachi magic wand massager, since items like these are a sensitive topic that people don’t like to talk about.
In the About Me section, provide information about your company that will help users understand who you are. Explain what your company is all about, why you started it, how your products can benefit them and then provide links to your website where they can obtain more information.
Remember that you can get the most form social media platforms when you take a social approach. The time will come when you’ll get the chance to promote your business but first, you need to concentrate on connecting with others and making friends. This is the primary use for social platforms and you’ll lose followers if you’re too promotional.
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The Surprising Fact About Gaming Your Mom Doesn’t Want You to Know
Whether you’re a teenager or a man in his early 30s who grew up on classic video game consoles like Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and PlayStation, there is something about gaming that you may not know – and that your mother may not want you to know! Namely, that adult women are now the largest single demographic of gamers. In fact, adult women significantly outnumber teenagers, and come second in total numbers only to ALL male gamers combined – adult and minors, alike. This change in gamer demographics is no small footnote; it has the capacity to fundamentally change the gaming industry, and is already being felt, both in console and mobile gaming markets. But how did this come about?
The Emergence of Mobile Gaming and Its Impact on the Industry
With the explosion of the iPhone onto the market in 2007, and subsequent launches from competitors far and wide, an entirely new industry was born: mobile games. Available through app stores, often for free, these relatively simple games gave up much in terms of performance and graphics to their computer and console counterparts, but more than made up for these shortcomings in playability, accessibility, and fun quotient. Put simply, because mobile games initially weren’t very good on a technical level, they had to be stripped down to their core elements – and in the process, they became really appealing.
This new gaming industry attracted a whole new demographic of gamers. Moms, grandmothers and adult women started flocking to these new mobile games (and, with the rise of Facebook around the same time as the smartphone, social games as well). By 2010, these women accounted for 40 percent of all game players; now, in 2015, that total is up to 48 percent. Teenage boys by comparison? They account for just 17 percent of video gamers. These numbers illustrate two things: 1. stereotypes aren’t always based in reality (in fact, they usually aren’t); and 2. the video game industry has changed radically, and perhaps for good. So what’s in store for the future?
Game Companies Everywhere are Starting to Make an About-face
We can expect two major developments in mobile (and console) gaming in the near future. The first will be the industry-wide adoption of these new female gamers.
In-game ads will become more egalitarian, if not outright female-centric, and games themselves will start to be tailored to female audiences. Though it may be some time before scantily clad female warriors are absent from games altogether (and in fact, may never be), we can expect more female protagonists, more titles developed with the casual gamer in mind, and a greater implementation of advertising and digital sales into mobile and console games. Post-transaction sales (that is, sales made after the game is purchased or downloaded) are now a staple of the video game industry, and with adult women (i.e., individuals with disposable income, unlike, say, teenagers) now the largest gaming demographic, this tactic is only going to become more pervasive.
The second development, and one that is already taking place, is the further encroachment on console gaming by mobile and social media titles. With Snapdragon’s advanced mobile technology capable of producing beautiful, real-life graphics on mobile hardware, gamers are no longer reliant on consoles for titles that are visually resplendent and rich in gameplay. In fact, many console titles, such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, have already made the jump. In the very near future, the line between console and mobile gaming may be indistinguishable, even to the hardcore gamer.
It’s a New World Out There – Embrace It
Women gamers are here to stay and the gaming industry must and will change to reflect this new consumer demographic. So face it teenagers and young men – your moms are now hipper than you!
Thumbnail image from shutterstock.com
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February 15, 2015
Click on Improved Social Media Promotions
How would you rate your social media efforts and ultimately results as a business owner?
If you were to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being awful and 10 being great), where would place your social media outreach over the last year? While many might say somewhere in the middle or a little higher up, others, unfortunately, would be near the low end.
When you stop and think about it, why is your social media dragging you and your business down?
Focus on Time and Effort
Like many tasks in life, it essentially all boils down to putting the maximum amount of time and effort into your social media strategy.
For those who choose to do just that, the rewards can be rather terrific. On the other hand, those choosing to do social media here and there will oftentimes find themselves a day late and a dollar short.
In order to boost your social media results in 2015 and beyond, keep in mind:
Focus – First and foremost, where should your social media focus be in 2015? That starts with what kind of products and/or services you offer the public. If you offer http://frontierinternet.org/internet/ or another likewise company, your focus should be on families, individuals running businesses out of their homes etc. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t approach some senior citizens, but many older people are probably watching their dollars, not to mention many of them are not heavy Internet users. Focus on your demographics (make sure you know your demographics for starters) and know who you stand the best chance of reaching with your social promotions;
Implementation – Once you know where your focus should be, how will you go about implementing your social media pursuits? Some choose to do it in-house, others opt for outsourcing it. If you do the former, make sure you dedicate the time needed for a viable social media program. You can’t do occasional tweets, shares, and pins etc. and hope to strike gold. Set aside some dedicated time to really make it work. If you select the latter, make sure you choose a qualified social media company, individual etc. Do some background researches on them before you take them on board. Do they produce results? How is their customer service? Are they looking forward with their social media ideas instead of standing pat? These are all things you need to understand;
Learn – Lastly, don’t hesitate to look around and see how others (including your competition) are doing social media. While you are not best served in emulating everything your competition does, you can learn some things from them. Also don’t be shy about surfing the Internet for blog posts on social media, especially from some of the better-know experts. All the information may seem a tad overwhelming at first, but you can ultimately benefit from such knowledge. Knowing which sites are best to use, the prime times to use social media, how to avoid negative customer interactions for the entire world to see etc. are all things you and/or your social media provider should understand.
If your social media program hasn’t been clicking in recent times, refocus your efforts and make it click this year and beyond.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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February 13, 2015
Netflix is Flawsome
On Wednesday, Netflix accidentally released the third season of “House of Cards” two weeks before the release date. A Netflix rep told PEOPLE, “Due to a technical glitch some Frank Underwood fans got a sneak peak. He’ll be back on Netflix on Feb 27. #nospoilers.” Naturally, fans of the Netflix original series went to Twitter to share their excitement and emotions about this unexpected early release. The 10 out of 13 episodes that leaked were only up for about 15 minutes before Netflix realized the mistake and took the episodes down. House of Cards acknowledged the mistake and embraced it by sharing a funny tweet with their followers.
Image from twitter.com
#Flawsome
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Google and Mattel partner to create new View-Master toy
Jared Newman from PCWorld said today that if you’ve tried Google Cardboard and are over the age of 30, you’ve probably noticed some parallels to those old View-Master stereoscopes. Now, Mattel is embracing the comparison with its own virtual reality headset.
Starting this fall, Mattel will sell a virtual reality version of View-Master using the same software as Google Cardboard. Instead of sticking slide reels into the plastic frame, you’ll plop in an Android phone. Instead of seeing static images, you’ll use apps to explore virtual worlds.
Mattel isn’t totally abandoning the concept of reels. They’re just being re-purposed as augmented reality portals. Throw a few reels on the table, and they’ll project miniature worlds when viewed through the phone’s camera.
Flicking the View-Master’s levers while looking at a reel will then take you straight into the scene, so you can get a close-up on things like the solar system, the dinosaur age, and the sights of San Francisco. Mattel says it will try to create new reels using some of its old View-Master footage, potentially offering scenes from Star Wars, Star Trek, and old music concerts.
The View-Master will cost $30, and will include one sample reel, with additional reel three-packs selling for $15 each. If you already have Google Cardboard, it sounds like you’ll also be able to use the reels without buying the View-Master itself.
USA TODAY said Google says dozens of companies are making Cardboard devices today, not all made of cardboard. “The whole goal of Cardboard was to make immersive virtual reality experiences as accessible as possible for everyone,” said Mike Jazayeri, product director for Google Cardboard. “This allows you to do it in a bite-sized (way). That is the most natural way for people, particularly kids, to experience this technology today.”
Article from pcworld.com and usatoday.com
Image from businesswire.com
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Social Media Loans You Some Options
If you’re in search of a home, car, or small business loan, social media can help you during the financial hunt.
Many loan providers use social media to inform current and potential customers on the lending process, which makes it a valuable and informative resource.
Here are just a few ways you can use social media to lock down the right loan for your needs:
Finding a Mortgage Using Social Media
With all of the options available, it’s harder than you might think finding a mortgage provider.
Luckily, social media is a great place to start the mortgage loan process.
Many mortgage companies are using social media to post client testimonials as well as links to convenient mortgage calculators.
Likewise, mortgage lenders are also turning to sites like Facebook and Twitter to answer your questions about the mortgage lending process.
Although they can’t offer advice on financial decisions, they can suggest which options you can take when acquiring a mortgage.
You can also use social media to contact mortgage agents and further the conversation.
Social Car Loans
Social media can also steer you in the right direction when searching for a new car loan.
A large number of auto loan lenders and qualified dealerships have Facebook business pages and fan pages where they post the latest information on loans and promotional offers.
As the following article shows, because auto loans in a changing market are difficult to track, following lenders and dealerships on social media takes the headache out of the equation.
Social media is a one-stop shop when it comes to following dealerships and getting a better idea of the loan programs they offer.
Business Loans and Social Media
A greater number of smaller business loan providers are taking the social presence of entrepreneurs into consideration when choosing loan candidates.
By keeping up with your social accounts and building future business relationships, you can prove to lenders that you are serious about your business endeavors.
Whether your business is already in place and you just need a small loan to expand or you’re starting from scratch, you can begin building your presence now. By spreading the word about your new business and building your followers, you can prove to lenders that you already have a strong customer base.
With a healthy following and active social media profiles, you will also prove to lenders that you’re serious about the success of your business.
Social Outreach
Following lenders via social media is a great ways to gain a better understanding about the loans they have to offer. With that said, reaching out to your friends and family for loan advice is another effective way to make your way through the lending process.
Maybe you have a friend who just bought a new car or you have a social acquaintance that just went through the business loan process.
Simply seeking out and asking your social contacts about their loan experiences can better inform you about the lending process.
Finding a car, business, or mortgage loan is easier with a little help from social media.
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February 12, 2015
Do You Have the Social Drive to Save on Insurance?
Whether you are in the need for auto, home, life, health or other kinds of insurance, are you turning to social media to assist you?
While the answer is likely yes to that question for many consumers, many other consumers are still in the slow lane when it comes to putting social media into play to save them money.
So why is that?
Become More Socialized
In some cases, you have consumers who basically want nothing to do with social media. For this reason or that reason, they find social media to be a fad, something just young people play with.
Others, meantime, may find social media to be too intrusive, not wanting others to see their tweets, shares, pins and more. Even though they can lock up their accounts and protect them, they’re still not going to become very socially active.
Lastly, you have the group who wants nothing to do with not only social media, but computers and the Internet in general. For them, they’ll do their insurance searching the old-fashioned way, through phone calls, traditional mail or even word-of-mouth.
While you do not have to be a social media junkie in order to reap the rewards when it comes to getting cheaper insurance prices, you should devote a few hours if not each week, then each month and see all social media has to offer.
Sifting Through the Jungle
Face it; there are countless insurance providers on the various social media sites.
Whether you are searching for auto coverage through a provider such as CompareAutoInsuranceNow.com or one of the others offering a similar product, take the time to see the social profiles of any companies you are interested in.
Look to see if they update their social pages regularly. Do they provide relevant content and links to such information on their pages? What kind of responses and time tables do they have when it comes to responding to consumer inquiries and/or comments?
You also want to see if their social pages are generally positive or have some negativity to them. Such negativity can include unprofessional responses to consumers and/or being followed or following questionable people and/or sites.
Stay on the Social Train
Once you begin to use social media to help you in the purchasing of different goods and services, keep using it.
Social media is a great vehicle with which to read consumer opinions on a whole host of products and services. The more you network, the more you can learn about not only the businesses you associate with, but also some you may never have even considered in the past. As a result, you open up your world to potentially saving more money over time and getting better customer service.
More and more companies today know that social media isn’t a marketing option, it is a necessity.
Take the time to be socially active yourself and reap the benefits.
Photo credit: Image courtesy of Toa55 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Expedia buys Orbitz for $1.3 billion
Last month, Expedia bought rival Travelocity for $280 million. The New York Times reported today that Expedia agreed on Thursday to buy Orbitz Worldwide for about $1.3 billion in cash, striking its second acquisition of a fellow online travel company in as many months. Under the terms of the deal, Expedia will pay $12 a share, 24 percent higher than Orbitz‘s closing price on Wednesday.
With the Orbitz transaction, Expedia will gain not only Orbitz and its business-focused travel sites, but also CheapTickets and HotelClub. “We are attracted to the Orbitz Worldwide business because of its strong brands and impressive team,” Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia’s chief executive, said in a statement. “The Orbitz Worldwide team has built a devoted customer base and we look forward to welcoming them to the Expedia, Inc. family.”
Bloomberg Business reported that the deal is set to push Expedia into the lead against Priceline in global travel bookings. Expedia’s total bookings totaled $50.4 billion last year, while Orbitz had $12.4 billion. While Priceline hasn’t reported full-year gross bookings, it had $39.6 billion in bookings in the first nine months of 2014 compared with Expedia’s $39.1 billion.
Article from nytimes.com and bloomberg.com
Image from usatoday.com
Thumbnail from shutterstock.com
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Facebook now lets you control what will happen to your profile when you die
Mashable reported that Facebook is giving users control over what happens to their accounts when they die.
The social network rolled out a new feature Thursday that allows users to designate a specific friend who will be able to access their account after they die.
The feature, called legacy contact, appears in Facebook’s security settings menu. There, you can select a specific Facebook friend who will be able to control certain aspects of your page, like your profile and header image, after you die. Alternatively, users can opt to have their account deleted after they pass away.
The social network already has a memorialization system in place where people can let Facebook know a user has passed away. Once Facebook verifies that person has died — typically through an obituary or news article — the account becomes memorialized. Memorialized accounts don’t surface in friend suggestions, ads or other “public” places on Facebook.
With the legacy contact feature, Facebook is taking the memorialization process a step further. After an account becomes memorialized, a legacy contact is able to pin posts to the top of a page, respond to incoming friend requests and control the profile and header image on an account. Additionally, they can download an archive of the user’s photos and other posts, if given permission by the original account holder. Legacy contacts can’t view messages or change other account settings.
Facebook is also making changes to the appearance of these memorialized accounts, which will now have a “remembering” label before the name to let others know it’s an account of someone who has since passed away.
The Wall Street Journal says that being a legacy contact is different from simply logging into the account of the deceased, and there are important things legacy contacts can’t alter. They can’t edit what the deceased has already posted, or what his or her friends post on the page. If you chose to post a photo while you are living that looks embarrassing when you are gone, your legacy contact can’t do anything about it. A legacy contact also can’t decide to delete a whole account. These restrictions might upset some people who think their job as a caretaker is to maintain a Facebook page as the nicest possible memorial. “We gave this a lot of thought, and ultimately decided against it for this first version,” said spokeswoman Jodi Seth. Facebook feared that curation responsibilities might add an extra emotional load to grieving, among other concerns.
Article originally from mashable.com and wsj.com
Images from facebook.com
Thumbnail from shutterstock.com
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