Why it is Worth While to Take a Social Media Course

   I am very excited to share with you my experiences taking a social media marketing course at Central Connecticut State University. I enrolled in "MKT-350" taught by Dr. Chiang and was quite pleased with the outcome. I thought I knew quite a lot about social media marketing, but I learned much more during this course. What I got most out of the course was the meaning behind the four zones of social media marketing.

   The first zone is Social Community, which involved socializing and conversing with others in the social media community. This can be through online forum discussions, chat rooms, and Facebook groups. The second zone is Social Publishing. This involves anyone online publishing their ideas, studies, tips, and other information on their pages or on publishing sites like Blogger and Tumblr. When content is posted, others can comment and provide feedback . The third zone is Social Commerce. This zone involves the buying, selling, trading, and product reviews involved in making online purchases. Sites like Amazon and Ebay are great social commerce sites. People are allowed to rate and review products and sellers. Also, companies can interact with their followers, customers, or potential customers on sites like Facebook or Twitter when dealing their products. Lastly, the fourth zone is Social Entertainment. This zone involves interactive videos, video gaming, music, and art. Videos and other multimedia content dominates this zone, and is currently dominating social media. YouTube users can post content and others can provide feedback (the user can also reply).

   I also appreciated being exposed to other social media marketing engines that I wasn't very knowledgable of, like Parascope, FameBit, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Now I feel more comfortable using those engines as great social media marketing tools for myself or professional needs.

   This is why I recommend taking a social media marketing course at your local college. It is way worth the investment. Even if you don't own a business or are a part of marketing in your occupation; you can still use the social media tools to market yourself. I've also used the social media marketing techniques to sell some of my used belongings on forums. I learned from the Social Commerce zone when the best times to sell products are, and when people are most likely online viewing the content. With that said, over time I would be able to make my money back on the investment just by using social media marketing to sell products.

   For more information and to be a part of a great social community follow:

#CCSUMKT

Video Dominates Social Media in 2015!

 

   A recent study done by the large networking company, Cisco, revealed that Video will account for over 80-percent of social media traffic by 2019! This means that most of the content that will be shared will be in the form of a video or other multimedia formats like slide shows or GIF files.

   What does this mean?

   Social media platforms that are video dominant like YouTube, Vine, Instagram, and Parascope will see quite some success in the coming years. Just in the first ten days of its launch, Parascope nabbed a million users worldwide. This is because live streaming is becoming the next big thing, and more investors are looking into live-streaming companies to put their money in. People want to see what is happening currently, so they can become a part of the experience. No more waiting for videos to be edited and screen played. People want the real thing, and they want to be able to interact with what is playing.

   This relates to social media marketing because more and more companies will now be posting video content online for its followers. This includes other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. This can be in the form of product tests, new innovative commercials, trailers, and teasers. Only a few companies like BMW have tried live video streaming in promoting its products; but that is just a start of what it is to come.

Follow more here! http://www.cnet.com/news/watch-this-video-dominates-social-media-in-2015/

FameBit Can Make You Money!

  
   Founded in 2013 by David Kierzowski and Agnes Kozera; FameBit is an online marketplace where the company connects people to brands. These people come in the form of social influencers that need to have a minimum of 1,000 subscribers or followers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or Vine. These brands also are some of the top brands in the world, including: Fiji Water, GameFly, Marvel, and much more.

   FameBit acts as the "middle man" between social influencers and top brands. In essence, FameBit finds the people, hires them, and brands come to FameBit for their services. Once FameBit connects a brand to one its people, then FameBit takes a step back and lets the brand and social influencer collaborate. FameBit also collects a 20% commission on each video produced for that company. The social influencer gets paid the rest of the 80% paid by the company. Social influencers can expect to make $2,000-30,000 a month off of FameBit.

   One aspect of FameBit that strikes me as interesting is that the videos created don't have to be positive reviews - just honest reviews. Also, the person creating the video doesn't even have to like the product. This goes to show that the media produced is incentivized and companies are taking a paid media approach. Companies take advantage of the large social communities of these social influencers to market its products. Social influencers can do this in the form of unboxing reviews, product tests, giveaways, sweepstakes, and other interactive media techniques. Companies appreciate the social feedback and reviews in order to continuously improve its products. I know if I had the resources, I would use this service as a social influencer.

Follow more about this topic with this link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/12/05/like-post-videos-and-photos-social-media-famebit-can-make-you-money/76838794/

Online Forum Communities can Provide Better Deals Than Black Friday or Cyber Monday!

   Throughout the years, I've been involved in many online forum discussions that differ in a wide array of interests. A forum is an online community where people start threads and others can comment or engage in discussions by creating posts within that thread. People on forums can ask questions to others, showcase their interests to the community, notify others of major events happening within the topic of the forum, or even better yet - buy, sell, and trade!

    The essence of buying, selling, and trading on forums leads me to the meat and potatoes of this blog topic. After experiencing a disappointing Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, I've come to realize that I can find even better deals through online forums! Better yet, year round! I've been testing the waters using online forums this year for Christmas shopping and so far have found tremendous deals that I couldn't find on Black Friday. For an example, my father is huge into aquariums and fish keeping. I went onto Simply Discus and other fish forums and found that people are selling their private stock at very discounted rates! A tropical fish that would normally cost $20 can be found for $10 or even $5 (50%-75% off!). Sometimes if lucky, some people give stuff away for free because they are moving or just want to get rid of it!

   In essence, if you thought the e-commerce sites like Amazon or Ebay were going to take over Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year you are mistaken. Try a few forums like FlyerTalk, Dogster, and PBNation, and some Facebook pages! and you will see the difference in prices people around the community are finding. Most sales are conducted privately between you and the seller. Payments are made through trusted sites like PayPal or Google Wallet where they cover the buyer and seller. If you don't trust a certain buyer, most forums provide feedback ratings under the seller's username. Also, buyers can reach out to the community to ask if they've dealt with that seller before so they can written feedback on the seller. Although there are a ton of scammers out there, knowing the ins and outs while trusting your gut can make you very successful on online forums both buying and selling.

E-Commerce Sites Primed to Break Sales Records During this Holiday Season.

   During this holiday season, especially Black Friday and Cyber Monday, e-Commerce sites are set to break records in sales. According to Rebecca Borison, writer on TheStreet, researchers at Forrester expects online holiday shopping to exceed $95 billion this year.

   While some companies like Amazon are staying quiet during promotions this season, other companies like Ebay are ramping up promotions bigger than they did before. But, according to Jim Cramer, another writer on TheStreet, he believes with all the hype Ebay is having - that Amazon is going to steal the show this year. This is due to their strong business model and patented 1-click purchasing option.

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, e-commerce makes up 7.4% total retail sales for the year but that number is constantly growing (up .2% from the previous quarter). Rebecca Borison explains the reason for this is due to the increase in smart phone use. Now, shoppers don't have to be present for the time-crunching deals. They can still be involved in the promotion while not being present.

   This topic tackles another one of the four zones in online communities - social commerce. Amazon and Ebay expects to see a boost in ratings and reviews this holiday season due to the increase in online purchases. In essence, this holiday season can set the tone for new products entering the market. Word of mouse spreads like wildfire, especially during the holiday season. In essence, if a company (or sellers) experiences a high number of positive reviews this season - it can be a fantastic base to start off with entering the new year. These reviews can act as social proof that the seller is legit, making buyers more confident in making the decision to buy.

Follow more on this story with this link:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/13366693/1/e-commerce-sales-are-set-to-hit-new-records-on-cyber-monday-and-black-friday.html?puc=TSMKTWATCH&cm_ven=TSMKTWATCH

ooVoo now Allows Users to Video Chat as 3D Characters!

   Let's talk about a once rapid growing social media tool now gone stagnant - ooVoo. Remember when Skype and Face Time came along and video chats where the next big thing? Well, ooVoo was in that mix and became very popular amongst young adults who didn't have an iPhone or Skype account.

   Before I get into the latest news on ooVoo, lets shed some light on the company for those who don't know. ooVoo is a video calling tool that allows users to communicate via video on cell phones that don't have the Face Time feature. Think of ooVoo as the more fun way to video chat that Skype doesn't offer. People with Androids and Windows Phones can now enjoy the same benefits as Face Time while now being able to make it more interactive.

   ooVoo has now enabled users to choose the option of becoming a character on the screen instead of their normal selves. With this option, users can choose to become a dog, unicorn, sunflower, or even Obama! There are also other options to choose from as well. Here's the fun part: These 3D characters communicate the same way you do! So if you are sad, the character looks sad and speaks (with lips moving) the same way you do. If you are mad, the character looks the same way. This cool new feature allows users to brighten up the mood and make conversations fun again.

   With this update, ooVoo expects its user base to grow by strengthening its levels of participation.

   This news update really digs deep into the first of the four zones of online communities, which is social community. This app allows users to use directed communication in a cool, new, and truly innovative way. This is one of the first instances that the social media realm has used face recognition on 3D characters as a way to communicate. While video calling may be the new "standard" of social media moving forward, ooVoo plans to take it to the next level.

Follow more on this story with this link:

http://androidcommunity.com/oovoo-adds-animated-3d-characters-to-mobile-video-calls-20151106/

Pinterest Catching up with Twitter in Total Active Users

   Who would have thought Pinterest would get this big - catching up with Twitter, part of the three headed monster dominating social media use (Facebook and Instagram the other two). Compared to Twitter's 304 million active monthly users, Pinterest is reaching 100 million active users for the first time. As we all know with social media, if Pinterest catches fire it can reach Twitter in active users within months.
   Pinterest is a content sharing social media tool that allows users to share what they find online to their followers. This can be in the form of news, promotions, coupons, cool tips, and anything else imaginable. When a user pins an item of interest, followers can click on those pins and be directed to the same cool reason why the user pinned it in the first place. This is a great social media tool for marketers because it opens the door for the opportunity of earned media in its products. Earned media is the promotion of a product without the company having to pay or direct the advertising. An example of this with Pinterest is a user pinning a sale promotion at Macy's without Macy's company having influence on the pin. Macy's sale promotion "earned" the pin without having to reach out for promotional help. Macy's just had earned media in this blog post just by me using the company as an example.
   Social media marketers can also use Pinterest to connect with a community of users interested in what's new with the company. Companies can pin online promotions, coupons, and sneak peaks of new products all with a few clicks or touches. If used correctly, loyal fans will spread the word and also post the same pin on their walls for their followers to view. If a consumer as a very active fan base, one pin has the potential to catch wildfire within the active users of Pinterest. Companies can also earn revenue off these pins, due to clicking on the pin of course, without having to pay for the Pinterest account (only those who monitor it). All-in-all, any content sharing social media tool, like Pinterest, can be a big boost in marketing for companies if used effectively.

Follow more on this story with this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pinterest-monthly-active-users_55fae532e4b08820d917a7b3?utm_hp_ref=pinterest