Thursday, April 26, 2012

Social Media Final - A Facebook & social Media World


Using Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media  for businessmen is the best and cheapest way to advertise. It's FREE!!!!!! why not use t? The future of the ad industry is evolving. within the next 10 years i predict that there will be no more paper advertisements . Everything will be digital. no matter where you look on Facebook, or twitter today you see advertisements . imagine what it will be like next year? or two years from now? social media is becoming our society. 


sites like Twitter allow you to follow your friends and celebrities, and athletes. It is cool because it allows people to see what their favorite player, or movie star isup too. It is probably the closest one will ever get to meeting them. You can even follow fictional people with funny posts .
Tips for Being a successful Social Media User

. Don't post incriminating pictures or posts that could come back to haunt you one day
. Do  not put to much personal information out there.
. if you don't want people to know a lot about you you can sert your account to private.
. if run a business, or you are in the workplace, you can have a personal facebook, and a professional one. 

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Social Media Marketing Final - A Facebook World

If you walked into a room full of people and said raise your hand if you have a facebook, i guarantee almost everyone will raise their hand. The younger generation , our generation ,are almost addicted to Facebook. How many times have you been typing a paper or doing home work on your lap top, and your mind drifts off and you go onto facebook? It happens to me almost every time. Facebook was developed by Mark Zuckerburg, and Eduardo Saverin two Harvard graduates. As all of you know Facebook was made so we could stay in contact with one another, poist pictures, and make angry statuses . People use Facebook in many different ways. For example there was a man in Texas who saw his daughter complain about doing chores, and insulting her parents on Facebook. Watch this video to see what happens!


Businesses also use Facebook to promote themselves, and their products. For example my client for my Social Media Monitoring Project  , Microsoft uses Facebook to its advantage.Xbox posts something almost everyday, whether it be advertising a game thart is coming out or a sweeptakes that is being offered. I follow the NFL and ESPN on my Facebook as well, and that is where i get most of my news regarding sports. I also follow the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox Celtics, and Bruins, my favorite teams. I always see them posting videos about most recent games, and promotions that the teams are involved in. Most recently, the Patriots have use Facebook tom post the link to their Proshop so you can purchase their new official NIKE jerseys. http://proshop.patriots.com/
A Video that I saw being posted all over Facebook before the Super Bowl this year was a funny parody song about Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski. It is just another way that Gronk likes to promote himself through social media.


Facebook does a lot of businesses, and customers. Not only does it offer a chance for promotions  online, buyt it offers a chance for 1 on 1 interaction. An example of this would be from my Monitoring project. Xbox does a wonderful job of asking gamers for feedback on their games , and people do respond. They will post a trailer for a game and ask what do you think? From what I have noticed it has seemed to work. Another prime example would be how xbox wasn't making a lot of Kinnect games , and people started complaining about it. Customers posted ideas on Facebook, and now Xbox is starting to puit a focus on their Kinnect games. So through Facebook Xbox is keeping the customers satisfied.
Celebrities, athletes, and the music industry have taken over Facebook as well. You can choose to like certain celebrity or music group, and you can follow their posts, and stay connected. Following your favorite music group, or artist is cool because they post their newest songs and videos on Facebook so you can see them. I follow Eminem on Facebook, and he always posts videos of how his tours are going. You can see all the behind the scenes stuff, and see where he is in the country. 

News affiliates such as CNN also use Facebook to post news so people may get it as quick as possible. I was on Facebook this morning and saw an interview with CNN where secretary of State Hillary Clinton   said she would not run for vice president with President Obama if he asked here. This story had been floating around for a while, and she shot it down in that interview.





Thursday, March 29, 2012

Social Media Monitering Project

I think that Microsoft does advertise Xbox well, and the rest of its products. well. They use Facebook, and Twitter to their advantage, but I think improvements can be made. I have noticed that most of the things they post you really have to look for. You dont go onto their Facebook page and see something right away. It isn't right there in front of your face. Most of their links have no pictures associated, and the human eye is wired to see big bright colorful things first. So I would like to see Xbox and Microsoft better present what they are posting. Another goal I hope to see accomplished, is for them to use more than Facebook, , Twitter, and You tube. It was very difficult to find anything on cites like Ice Rocket. I would like to see them branch out to other social media networks. If they did this it would not only help themselves, but would help that social media network gain in popularity.

Links for screen shots that didn't load
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/madden2013cover

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Dance-Central-2/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d802373307d2?nosplash=1

Social Media Mare Monitering Project

Tuesday March 27th, Xbox posted on Facebook about its Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13  challenge .For the chance to win a custom Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2013 250 GB Kinect console bundle, dress up like a golf pro and go to a Best Buy “Play It First” event. Take a picture of yourself playing the in-store demo and upload via Twitter with the... hashtag “#TW13BETTERWKINECT” or email to TW13PGATOUR @hotmail.com. Also, don’t forget to play this week’s Challenge Hole for a chance to win the Grand Prize trip to THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra, Florida!This has been a big thing for fans of the game, and if not only brings Xbox  money , but it gives Best Buy business as well. I find it interesting how they posted it on Facebook, but they say post the pictures on Twitter. Xbox is trying to incorporate both social media cites. It is a smart marketing strategy. This game is now available in stores. So let the competition begin!
  


For those of us football fans who love the Madden NFL football video game franchise , the time for us fans to vote for the Madden NFL 13 cover player has come. Every year a new NFL player is voted on to the cover of the new Madden game released in August. For the past 2 years however, EA  sports has teamed up with Facebook, and Xbox to allow us fans to vote on who we believe should be the next Madden cover athlete. This year's voting started last week. It is almost like a bracket style where players are matched up against one another and we vote. This bracket is run by ESPN.com and Xbox posts links for it every week on Facebook, and Twitter. Players around tge league are even campaigning to be on the cover. Patriots Tight end Rob Gronkowski posted a video on You Tube asking his fans to please vote for him for the cover. It is a funny video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSxeQ_-pU7I 
 




 Xbox has been advertising its new game Dance Central 2 for the Kinnect . It was the best selling Kinnect game last year, but it uis getting mixed reviews. On facebook people are talking about the game, commenting on the link Xbox posted. Some people are excited about it, and others are just annoyed that it is coming out.






Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Social Media Monitering Project

I have been monitoring Microsoft, with a focus on the Xbox 360. Even though I have been focusing on the 360 itself, Microsoft did develop something rather interesting. On February 28th of this year Microsoft came out with it. It is called the Kinnect smart-cart.The same Kinect sensor that allows you to play hands-free games on the Xbox may one day help you grocery shop, according to a Geekwire Video  that's being shared widely. Whole Foods and Microsoft have created a motorized grocery cart prototype that follows you around the store without being pushed; tells you when you've grabbed the wrong item (say, regular Coke instead of your preferred Diet Coke) and charges your credit card automatically when it hears you say "checkout" as you leave the store. The 'Smarter Cart' can tell you where items in the store are located, and checks goods off your shopping list. If it can also detect and correct wobbly wheels, we're sold.http://now.msn.com/money/0228-kinect-carts.aspx


Xbox has certainly been busy the past few weeks. There has been some big games released such as UFC Undisputed , and Mass Effect 3.  On February 23rd, on Twitter, Xbox tweeted asking all its fans how they like UFC Undisputed . It was mostly positive. The graphics, and overall game play were the main topic fans were raving about. Just another example of Xbox reaching out to its customers, asking for feedback to see what the overall level of happiness was with the game. On February 22nd, Xbox released the Mass Effect 3 " Take Back the Earth" trailer of Facebook. For all the fans of the game it was a big deal. Here take a look







when i was on IceRocket I stumbled upon, an interesting link. On March 14, Microsoft uploaded this article, and video. Andy Wilson, a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, has been busy working with colleagues on a project dubbed Beamatron.  It's an augmented reality concept that uses KinectFusion, another Microsoft project, to create a 3D model of a space and build projected graphics onto it. It also gets Kinect to see the room and its many obstacles. Usually the Kinnect will only focus on you, and only you, but this is a whole new tthing that could revolutionize the Kinnect. See the video below.






Kinnect is applying some of this new technology in its new Xbox games. For example, the new  Star Wars game for the Kinect seems to be the most high tech., and most interactive Kinnect game yet. You can become a Jedi knight, actually fighting your enemies. You can re-enact scenes from the movies, where it puts you yes you into the scene replacing an actual character, and you interact with them. you can say your lines, or just improve. They even have a fun filled dance mode for the whole family.On March 12, Xbox posted this video on Facebook  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9VEyx4IeDM



When on Google, I searched Microsoft's most recent quaterly earnings , and found an astounding number.  On January 19, 2012 Microsoft announced that in the secoind quarter alone Microsoft made $20.89 billion.Operating income, net income, diluted earnings per share for the quarter were$7.99 billion, $6.62 billion, and $0.78 per share, compared to $8.17 billion, $6.63 billion, and $0.77 per share respectively in the prior year period.  These numbers were released even before these new games came out, so expect this quarters numbers to be just as high or higher.

If you have been waiting patiently for Wnidows Phone 7.5 Refresh  the “Tango” update, it appears your wait is coming to an end. According to Tech Crunch,it is supposed to be released in China on March 21ist of this year.Microsoft has been sending out Chinese-language press invitations for the Beijing debut of Tango on March 21st.

No official word on when it will release to the rest of the world, but presumably very soon thereafter. In some ways the Tango update is very much "the Nokia update"; Nokia’s bread and butter has long been lower-cost phones in developing markets, and by enabling Windows Phone to run on less powerful hardware they are really playing to Nokia’s market strength.





Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Groundswell Chapters 5&6 Reading Reflection #1

For this weeks assignment we read chapters five and six of the groundswell.The chapters were  Listening to the Groundswell and Talking with the Groundswell. While reading chapter 5 I read an interesting statement; your brand is what your customers say it is.  You will not have a successful business if you have unhappy customers. How does a business make their customers happy? They listen to what their customers want. 
"Most companies don't listen to their customers" .Usually that is the overall perspective of people but in fact that is wrong. As discussed during our class lecture, companies pay a large amount of money to listen to their consumers very carefully. On average, companies spend about $15 billion annually.
There are a few different listening strategies for businesses to use. There are many ways you can find out what consumers are saying about a brand or product . You can do this with blogging, and social media. The two main listening strategies for major companies would be to set up your own private community and begin to begin brand monitoring.
  Once again it is imperative that companies, and businesses listen to their customers. they need to do this so that they can better their product, and adapt to   changes. As a consumer I want to be asked how can they make my life better or what I think would make their product better. It builds a god relationship
Effective talking is another important business strategy that one must possess in order to become successful. Two of the main methods used that are discussed in the chapter are advertising and public relations. I believe advertising to be one of the most effective methods of communication there is.
  Advertising companies own us. Everywhere you look there are advertisements. Look down at your shoes, your sweatshirt or even your shorts .I guarantee you there  are advertisements all over you. You are a walking billboard.  Just look at all the major U.S cities. There billboards on  poles, cabs, buses, streets, windows, shops, stadiums you name it.  To get an ad during the Super Bowl you have to pay upwards of $3.5 million. The more it evolves the more advertising you will see on even more things.

Groundswell Chapters 9-10 Review


Embracing the groundswell Chapter 9

The groundswell has changed, the business,, and social media world as we know it. Companies are learning to embrace their customers and listen to the positive as well as negative feedback. People are jumping at the chance to put in their feedback on your product. They blog about it, write articles, post stories etc. The groundswell is allowing companies to monitor feedback , and make adjustmentys accordingly.

Faster innovation is something  that is indeed powerful. First of all, it doesn't take long for customers to tell you what they want. Secondly with customers in the loop innovation occurs quicker, because you can iterate-make continuous improvements . Take a look at this video . It shows different types of recent innovation that have contributed to the groundswell.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-_xmbvlec

Credit Mutual  is a French bank corporation which has a unique slogan. la banque a qui parler, which translated means a bank you can talk to. They listen to their customers, and reach out for ideas on how they want their banks to be run. it is almost like a democratic way of banking. It is user friendly, and Credit Mutual  has over 10 million customers for a reason.

Humility and creativity can co exist in business according to Li, and Bernoff. They say that when embracing your customers keep two main things in mind. First, ask for suggestions like Credit Mutual did with their customers. Also set up surveys , and other things, rating your products and listening to the responses. The second thing to take into consideration is you must be able to balance skill, and humility. If you are a successful company such as Apple, who a lot of loyal customers than you want to keep them loyal . You do this by not only creating a good product , but also listen to customer suggestions and complaints. If you hear the new IPhone doesn't take good pictures, put a new camera on it. When a company is on top, you want to make sure you stay on top. Adjust, adapt, evolve to better fit the needs of your customers.