Recently, a few co-workers have asked about generations in the workplace. The topic of generations has always fascinated me because each generation has its own unique personality and work preferences! To follow-up, I’ve done some research about the four working generations and wanted to share with you what I discovered. Do you relate to any of the points below? I sure can! I will forever have the sounds of dial up internet and “You’ve got mail!” engrained in mind. #CiscoDigital
Facebook recently released a new feature that has creeped out users. The new feature allows Facebook to listen in on users and post statuses as to what those users are listening to (from music to television shows). According to Forbes the new feature allows Facebook, “to take control of their smartphone’s mic and start listening in on them by default.” The social media company is hoping to make the listening process a background activity that is “a frictionless share that just happens.”
Although users must opt in to use the feature, most people are still concerned with the fact that Facebook could be “eavesdropping” on you. They don’t like the idea that Facebook could be listening to your conversations or surroundings. In fact, some are so creeped out by the new feature that a little over a half million users signed a petition on Sum of Us to ask Facebook to remove it from the app’s update.
In my opinion, I like how Facebook is trying to be innovative by introducing new tech features to their app. However, it raises a huge privacy issue. If I were to opt in to the listening feature, how do I know that Facebook is not listening to every little conversation I have? The feature also brings up the ethical question of whether companies should be able to listen to your surroundings. Companies already listen to the content you post online; should they also have the right to listen in on your everyday life? For me, that’s an invasion of privacy.
There have been some major shifts in the way marketers earn the attention of their customers. According to HootSuite, marketing is moving towards a pull versus push approach. Or in other words, “we can no longer push our messages across, we need to pull customers in with engaging, useful content. The consumer is now in control of what they view, what they share, and how they view (content).” During my time as a student, I’ve learned that one of the keys to engaging content is having an amazing story. Stories are powerful because they make products and services relatable to our everyday lives. Stories also allow businesses to connect and inspire their customers to act.
One of my favorite examples of a company with great storytelling is Google. Their advertisements almost always tell a story about a special life moment. For Mother’s Day, Google came out with a Google Glass commercial that hit my heart strings. The commercial told a story through the lenses of Google Glass. The story depicted a son traveling from San Francisco to India to surprise his mother. I found the ad to be extremely clever because it was not only a relatable moment, but it also showed consumers what it would be like to wear Google Glass.
One of the great aspects to social media is how easy it is to share information. There’s an extensive amount of data on social media, which can bring up ethical concerns. What concerns me most about social media ethics? Privacy. According to USA Today, “every online move leaves cyber footprints that are rapidly becoming fodder for research without you ever realizing it.” In my opinion, it’s a little scary knowing that everything I post on social media leaves a cyber footprint. Researchers could be looking at my data, without me knowing about it.
An example of this issue is how Facebook has used some of their data to research user behavior. They did a study that analyzed 400,000 posts and discovered that, “children’s communication with parents decreases in frequency from age 13 but then rises when they move out.” Although studying user behavior is important to the marketing world, where exactly is the line drawn? Yes, Facebook will never share personal information unless they have the consent of users. However, is it still ethical for researchers to analyze public user data? We really should be careful about what we post online because we never know who exactly is looking at our content.
USA Today Article: Social media research raises privacy and ethics issues.
According to Moz.com, Search Engine Optimization is the practice of improving and promoting a web site in order to increase the number of visitors the site receives from search engines. When people are searching for information, they often turn to search engines to retrieve that information. If your content cannot be found on search engines, you miss out on attracting people to your content. This is why it is important to have an SEO strategy.
One of the trending SEO strategies for 2014 is called Guestographics. Brian Dean, from Backlink, describes Guestographics as a link building technique that uses infographics in a new way. Instead of begging others to share your content, you’re enticing them to publish it on their site by offering free and unique content that is relevant to the publisher. If you want others to share your content, you have to offer a “bribe” by writing a customized introduction to the infographic. By writing the introduction, you offer the publisher free and unique content that just has to be shared. All the work is already done for the publisher, which makes sharing content easy and simple. More Shares = More Views and More Views = Higher SEO Ranking. Here are Brian’s five steps to Guestographics:
Interested in learning more about Guestographics? Watch Brian’s video below or click here to visit Backlink’s website.
One of the greatest aspects to social media is that it can help both people and businesses enhance their brand. In my opinion, a person or business can enhance their brand by telling stories, expressing personality, and sharing interests. Being honest and real on social media can make an audience love that person or business even more than they used to. With over 28.5 million followers, Ellen DeGeneres is a perfect example of a person who uses Twitter to enhance her brand. During the 86th Academy Awards, Ellen DeGeneres tweeted a celebrity selfie that not only crashed Twitter, but also set the record for most retweets. Ellen’s selfie reached 1.3 million retweets in less than an hour!
Besides making Twitter history, Ellen DeGeneres’ Twitter account is humorous and clearly expresses Ellen’s personality. For example, my favorite Ellen tweets are her #ClassicJokeWednesday. They are silly and always put a smile on my face. I also enjoy how her tweets are always relevant to current events. By sharing honest thoughts and glimpses of her life, Ellen builds trust with her audience. This enhances Ellen’s brand because people like to do business with people they know and trust. Want to follow Ellen DeGeneres? Follow @TheEllenShow.
Pinterest has over 70 million active users. In order to reach those users, businesses must make their pins engaging by posting relevant and interesting content. Out of the thousands of pins that appear on my Pinterest, the two pins I found most “Pinteresting” were from Sony. Their pins are not only eye-catching, but also create a call to action.
Sony Electronics has been utilizing Pinterest since 2011 and pin “the techy, the pretty, and everything in between that tickles our fancy.” My favorite pin from Sony is definitely techy and pretty! The image below was pinned to Sony’s “Through the Lens” board where Sony pins and repins self-portraits of Sony camera users. The pin’s GIF of city traffic immediately grabs my attention because it’s artistic and different. I’ve never seen an image like this before, which inspires me to want to use a camera to capture something beautiful.
Being charitable is another way Sony has been engaging on Pinterest. During the holidays, Sony had a “Pin It To Give It” campaign. For every repin on the “Pin It To Give It” board, Sony donated a dollar to charity. Sony raised more than $12,500 in one month. This campaign increased Sony’s shares on Pinterest and also created a conversation. Almost every pin in the board received a comment and Sony was there to respond in order to make their followers feel valued.
One of the most engaging Facebook pages I follow is Refinery29. As an independent fashion and lifestyle website, Refinery29 inspires others to live a more creative life. On Facebook and Twitter alone, the brand reaches about 10 million people. How does Refinery29 draw in users? They publish inspirational and relevant content their customers want to know and use in their daily lives.
From fashion trends to current events, the main reason why I enjoy reading Refinery29’s posts is because there are a variety of different topics. These topics get me thinking “Ohh that’s cool! I want to try that” or “Johnny Depp is engaged?”. Almost every hour, Refinery29 features a few more tips, trends, and news that keep me returning back for more.
On top of the assortment of topics that are posted each day, another reason why Refinery29 keeps me increasing their view count is because their content creates a conversation. When I read a post and find it interesting, I’ll share it with a friend who might share it with another friend. Refinery29’s content gets people talking and that’s what makes them engaging. Interested in what tips and trends Refinery29 can offer you? View the links below to find out more.
Refinery29 Website: http://www.refinery29.com/
Refinery29 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/refinery29
Social Media Marketing 