Linkedin hits 100 million

The professional facebook site has reached a member population of over 100 million users. The site estimates that they gain roughly 1 million users every week. At reaching 100 million users, the site has plastered an informative picture depicting how much 100 million really is.
Linkedin is a site that is mostly used for networking within the professional working environment. It's surprising to see such a social media site blow up so quickly. Just under a year ago, Linkedin wasnt as popular as the other social media giants. Now, it holds more members than Myspace. That reminds me, I need to join Linkedin myself!

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/linkedin-hits-100-million-this-week-in-social-media/

MyDailyDJ.com

 
   A few people have asked me about the Blog I used to run with a buddy of mine in which we sold a few years ago. It was an online blog that focused on Hip-Hop, R&B, and other various genres of music. The site consisted of underground music and upcoming musical artists and producers and DJ's. We started the site as "FashionRnB.blogspot.com" in the middle of 2007 and later changed the name because it sounded extremely stupid.
   My buddies friend thought of the name MyDailyDJ.com and that later became the site name. We offered free music to subscribers and fans of the page. The free music was given to us by the underground artists themselves to display their music and to get their name out there. Everything was free donations were considered as the site was run just because we wanted to.
   We later sold off the site to a European company who also did what we were doing. He renamed the site "Urbanmusicdaily.net" and ever since then, the site has been doing very well! We both haven't spoken to the new owner in a while but from the look of the site alone, it looks as though the site receives great traffic. Although I do miss the site, blogging does take an incredible amount of energy and time. This was our first attempt at blogging at the time. The site was updated every single day and each day we had to sift through new music and see which ones were actually good to add to the blog.I did enjoy the profits we made from selling the site though!

If you want to visit the new site, here is the link:

Urbanmusicdaily.net

Social Media Networking

 
   I was reading a pretty interesting article today. Today, it seems as though everyone is somewhat linked with a social media site. Today, social media sites are a useful tool to find and create jobs. Now, if one doesn't have a social media account, it can actually limit your capabilities in terms of finding a job that suits your criteria.
   Showing companies that you're interested in their company through joining their social media sites will improve your chances in being considered or even hired. UPS for example hired only 29 people in 2009 through social media sites. Recently, UPS hired 955 people through the use of the social media sites!
   Although social media sites have been a huge help to people looking for jobs, connections and personal ties with people already within a company is still the best way to get a job. Other sites that are on a more professional level but are still considered a social media site is LinkedIn. Many professionals only consider candidates through LinkedIn as it is a more professional outlet to finding qualified employees.
   Things to consider when joining a social media site are to locate and focus on people or companies that suit what you are looking for. Consider the companies social media sites as an outlet to show what and who you are made of. Make them notice you. Don't place anything you wouldn't want them to see on your profile.
   Social media sites are the wave of the future.

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/social_media_networkinguse_it.html

The English Language is Ruined

 
   Thanks to teenagers, texting, and social media sites, the english language has officially been demolished. It has been announced that "LOL", "OMG", and "<3" (the symbol for heart) have all been added to the Online Oxford English Dictionary.
   These words first came across through texting and the likes of social media chat rooms. LOL stands for Laugh out Loud. We first began to see this used through AIM, and other various chat rooms. OMG stands for Oh My God and we also see it used throughout the same sources. The words or abbreviations have been around for way before the social media sites popped up.
   The English language has now changed due to technology. The abbreviations were used to speed up the typing process and to basically explain their thoughts without actually explaining their true thoughts.in addition, <3 isn't even a word, more a symbol and is still being added to the Dictionary.
   In some ways, this really does anger me. But in a real sense, these abbreviations are used more than any other word in the English Dictionary. I'm happy to say that I am probably one of the few people who do not use LOL, OMG, and <3.

The Power of Social Media

   If anyone has paid any attention to anything in the last month regarding social media sites and upcoming artists, you have to have heard about a girl named Rebecca Black who has instantly become famous because of an online YouTube music video she made. The video was posted just 2 months ago and it has recieved well over 52 million views! She stated that the video was a present from her parents.
   Rebecca Black has been a laughing stock on every single social media site and has also been the target for comedic giants such as Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Tosh.O, and other blogs and forums. She has even been claimed to be the next Justin Bieber.
   If we can see what social media sites can do to people, Rebecca Black has become a celebrity overnight and celebrities such as Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest are behind the 13 year old female artist. In a recent article, it stated that just through the views in YouTube alone, Rebecca Black has received 63% of the profits, which account to just over $36,000. She told Jay Leno on the Tonight show that most of the proceeds will go to the Japan Relief fund and the rest would go to her schooling. Rebecca Black received many hate comments on her YouTube account and also received death threats. She told Good Morning America that she cried for days and wondered why people hated her so much.
   As I'm writing this, I'm actually sitting on the floor since I could not figure out which seat I should take...

MySpace Loses More and More

  
   MySpace has lost over 10 million users between January 2011 to February 2011. Before January, Myspace accounted for well over 73 million users. MySpace has really fell off the boat this year with its user base dropping well below the estimated number in previous thoughts. Chief Executive Mike Jones stated that MySpace.com is no longer a social media site but is now an Entertainment site. Where will MySpace be by next year? 
   Much work is needed at the MySpace facility in order to boost users again. It seems as though there is a negative image with MySpace. For the first time user, why would they chose to join MySpace over Facebook when more users are using Facebook? There just doesn't seem a need for the MySpace site anymore than to build relationships with other musicians and artists.

Protecting Facebook and It's Users

 
   I came upon an interesting article that stated that Facebook, on average, deletes over 20,000 accounts per day due to underage members and ads or spam that generate viruses. The Facebook team has been on the grind in finding these accounts. Facebook chief privacy advisor Mozelle Thompson stated that it will help clean Facebook up and so it's user friendly.
   As of now, Facebook is only available to users who are 13 years of age or older.  The Facebook teams sifts through many accounts and deletes the ones that will be a safety hazard. The Facebook team has also joined forces with Australia to talk about safety and the uses with large social media sites. These accounts have been very tricky in tricking the system in order to gain access to the site to spread unrelated and often illegal items.
  As with everything, be on the lookout on these social media websites. I recall a friend of mine telling me that a celebrity had a Facebook account and that they had friend requested him. It seemed pretty risky. Later that day, the account was closed and everyone who received a friend request received a warning message stating to be cautious on who they were acting friend requests from. Through accepting anonymous 'friends', the users of the anonymous accounts can find detailed information about the users.
   The Facebook team plans to add more more employees to their headquarters in Australia. Currently, there are a dozen employees working.


http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382462,00.asp

The Sartorialist

   I follow a lot of fashion blogs but the one that sticks out and is followed by millions of users is one called 'The Sartorialist'. His blog was started around 2004 and today, it is one of the most famous blogs in the fashion industry. His pictures have influenced top designers and his inspiration to find the best dressed people are what makes him such a hit. He responds to most of his comments and each picture is taken with grace and clarity. He also adds a brief summary as to how he was able to capture the images of these people.
    His professional pictures are filled with dramatic still images of the person being photographed. Comments are often posted right as he posts his blog and his audience seems to always come back for more pictures or just to gain a little inspiration.
    Another thing to note is that he writes monthly articles for GQ magazine. GQ magazine is a major magazine for male fashion and inspiration. I pretty big feat being only a blog writer. He travels the globe in search of fashion and has made a pretty successful living from it.
 

Here is  link to his Blogspot:
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Serious Blogging for Bloggers

  
   If you're serious about blogging and want to actually make something out of it, I'd recommend reading this article I found. It shows ways to improve your blog and make it come to life. It shows how to gain more viewers and to actually improve the ways you post content. As with most things, Content if one of the key pieces the article stresses to improve. Another way of improving your blog is by actually answering questions your audience asks. Basically, the way to go is to put down everything you're doing in life and devote entirely to blogging!

Here is the link. Enjoy!

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/17-ways-to-grow-your-blog-from-top-bloggers/

Social Media Drives Stocks!?

   I read an article today stating that Social Media can and does influence the stock market. That article stated that three brands (coke, nike, and starbucks) were researched over a 10 month period and noticed a trend through facebook, youtube, and twitter feeds that the more people who were involved with the fan-base of these companies, the higher the stocks drove for those companies. Consistent interest in these companies through profile pages on these social media sites may well be the new way to build profits of the stocks!
   The article also discusses brand loyalty and how it plays a massive part in how a company can build off these websites. If more users are accounted for and use the sites to generate a user interaction, it influences the users to purchase and it also sheds greater light for the companies to learn from the users and their spending habits.
   I wonder what this does as a general business idea? Maybe I should invest in some of these stocks as well. Well, I must say, I may need to do more research on how to invest. One question I'll leave with is if these social media sites have an end to what kinds of possibilities they can perform? As social media grows, so does its surroundings.


Here is the link to the article. Enjoy!

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382391,00.asp

Earthquake in Japan

  
   Recently, a lot of social media sites have been used to donate or spread awareness of the earthquake in Japan. What we see is that many people are involved on facebook, myspace, twitter, and other various sites. I think the social media sites have been used in every possible way now.
   As a moderator of the MY.IS forums, we've decided to open up a Japan relief thread to help and donate money to the people in need in the various provinces in Japan. We've had hundreds of dollars donated already and we're now able to spread awareness as well on the forum to the members all around the world. I think forums are a good place to spread awareness because we have people with similar interests focusing on one cause. Forums are used to discuss and inform users of various topics and using that to inform members about Japan is awesome.
   To the families in Japan who are homeless, scared, hungry, etc., MY.IS is doing it's part in helping you all. Our blessings are with every single one of you and please keep your heads up as we continue to do our part.

Social Media Sites: Safe?

  
   I was watching "To Catch A Predator" a few days ago on youtube (short clip). The show basically tries to catch online child molesters with undercover cameras and uses young boys and girls to target the them. I notice that they start off with the youngsters talking to sex offenders through various social media sites and chat rooms. As we know, there are thousands of sexual offenders on these sites who create fake profiles in order to attract a specific type of individual to fulfill their sexual fantasies. Usually, these perverts would force the children to meet up in a distinct location and meet and have a good time. What the molesters don't know is that they are actually being monitored.
   Are these social media sites safe enough for teens to use? We see and hear news stories about myspace, facebook, craigslist killers everyday and it's extremely disturbing. Social media sites are often used for dating and meeting new people. Who knows who you will meet and what kind of person they are? Be safe and use your gut instinct to figure out if these people are what they put themselves out to be.

The FTC suggests these tips for socializing safely online:

• Think about how different sites work before deciding to join a site. Some sites will allow only a defined community of users to access posted content; others allow anyone and everyone to view postings.
• Think about keeping some control over the information you post. Consider restricting access to your page to a select group of people, for example, your friends from school, your club, your team, your community groups, or your family.
• Keep your information to yourself. Don’t post your full name, Social Security number, address, phone number, or bank and credit card account numbers — and don’t post other people’s information, either. Be cautious about posting information that could be used to identify you or locate you offline. This could include the name of your school, sports team, clubs, and where you work or hang out.
• Make sure your screen name doesn’t say too much about you. Don’t use your name, your age, or your hometown. Even if you think your screen name makes you anonymous, it doesn’t take a genius to combine clues to figure out who you are and where you can be found.
• Post only information that you are comfortable with others seeing — and knowing — about you. Many people can see your page, including your parents, your teachers, the police, the college you might want to apply to next year, or the job you might want to apply for in five years.
• Remember that once you post information online, you can’t take it back. Even if you delete the information from a site, older versions exist on other people’s computers.
• Consider not posting your photo. It can be altered and broadcast in ways you may not be happy about. If you do post one, ask yourself whether it’s one your mom would display in the living room.
• Flirting with strangers online could have serious consequences. Because some people lie about who they really are, you never really know who you’re dealing with.
• Be wary if a new online friend wants to meet you in person. Before you decide to meet someone, do your research: Ask whether any of your friends know the person, and see what background you can dig up through online search engines. If you decide to meet them, be smart about it: Meet in a public place, during the day, with friends you trust. Tell an adult or a responsible sibling where you’re going, and when you expect to be back.
• Trust your gut if you have suspicions. If you feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable because of something online, tell an adult you trust and report it to the police and the social networking site. You could end up preventing someone else from becoming a victim. 

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

Social Media Sites: Which is the most Popular?

   When we talk about social media sites and the popularity within them, every individual site is used for the specific purpose or their intended user. We see artists mainly using myspace to popularize themselves, Facebook to connect with people,  and twitter to update everyone on yourself. But what site is the most popular and used the most out of the giant social media blogs? If you're wondering, I pulled up one of the more recent graphs that depicts the popularity within the social media giants. Here it is:

Farmville

    Some of you may be asking what Farmville is. To the rest of the population, or Facebook users, Farmville is one of those annoying games that people on Facebook play. Facebook was just an ordinary social media site until a man by the name of Mark Pincus created the games we see on Facebook. Using games as a way to chat with other members around the world created a huge hit and interest in it as a whole.
   As he was just a video game creater, he also created the company Zynga. He joins the forbes list of billionaires with a net worth of 1 billion dollars. he is the brainchild of the popular Facebook games such as Farmville, Mafiawars, and Cityville. I often recieve these stupid invites to these games on Facebook and it's almost impossible not to join only to stop the invites from ever happening again. He has amassed a fortune. The company gains money by actually charging real wold money to those who want to boost their virtual farms.
   The company receives money from extremely wealthy investors. The company is said to be worth well over 7 billion dollars by the end of the next quarter. With this much success, why haven't more people actually taken the time to grow real gardens? We could possibly stop world hunger with how many users acre actually playing Farmville. Imagine, millions and millions of new farmers in the world!

Free: Why $0.00 is the Future of Business

   Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail, has also written another best seller called "Free". The book talks about how businesses and people are making money by simply "giving away". How could something like this happen? How can we see profits from giving away "stuff"? What is the secret? Well, Chris Anderson knows how.
   We come back to the World Wide Web. As we know, using the web is free, for the most part. It's used to access millions of pages and millions of topics of interests to millions of people. What Anderson states in his book is that these select individuals and groups have made money by just using the web to outsource their ideas and and creative ability. If we go into description, just look at all those artists on myspace and youtube who have become successful. All they had to do was post a video or recording of themselves and post it on a free website. Offering free music to the world allowed them to put themselves out there.
   A perfect example is the in a blog post I did a few days back regarding Justin Bieber. He put numerous videos on Youtube and was signed by usher no more than 2 years ago. He is now worth well over 67 million dollars! And to think, Justin was only 14 at the time. Another artist group Anderson mentions is the successful is Radiohead. They offered free music online through myspace and hit it big.
   Anderson also discusses the Gillette founder and how he was able to cut the costs down for creating razors in which he essentially gave them away to the army so he could gain greater recognition for his other services (shaving cream). This ingenious method for marketing is why Gillette is one of the biggest corporations today!
   Although I haven't read the book yet, I will sure read it in the near future. The above information was gathered through blog posts and recent articles about the book. If this book is as interesting as The Long Tail, it will surely be a good read.

The Long Tail

   I recently googled "The Long Tail" and I came upon a blog devoted towards The Long Tail Book. The blog was created a few years ago and it was updated over a period of time in which the blog was updated by Chris Anderson himself.
   The blog contains information pertaining to the Long Tail and other news that correlates with the subject. The blog also incorporates promos on his articles and books which are in bookstores or through sites that have Kindle products. In his more recent posts, he talks about his new book "Free" and where and how to get it for free. I will discuss more on the book "Free" in a later blog post.
   Although the site has not been updated in the last 2 years (last post was on December 11, 2009), it still holds valuable information on the long tail and how companies have learned from it. If you scroll back, we can see the early stages of these successful companies and how Chris Anderson has dissected them. Such companies include Netflix, iTunes, and other various sites. Much of the information gathered through the blog posts are still used in everyday business. It's great to see how these business became as successful as they are today!

Here is a link to The Long Tail blog:

http://www.longtail.com/the_long_tail/

Social Media Sites and the Addiction

  

   There will be somewhat of a rant. I workout about 5 days a week. I go to Planet Fitness in Hadley Ma. This is a very big gym and it's usually always crowded by College. Usually, you only have to wait for machines on average of 5-10 minutes. As I approached the last machine on my daily workout, I notice a young girl walking towards it as well. Of course she gets there first as she didn't even notice me standing there. Her headphones were in her ears and she was using her smart phone to access her Facebook account.
  I waited a good 15 minutes and came back to the machine to only notice that she was still surfing Facebook and creating wall posts. The whole 15 minutes she had used on the machine were actually to work the muscles in her fingers. Why was I to be punished because a girl couldn't leave Facebook? Has this world come to a screeching halt where everything and everyone revolves around these social media blogs?
   I've heard many friends and coworkers who will totally be opposed to these social media sites. They tell me that it's just something that they don't want out there (their person information). Another person wondered where the old school ways of meeting a person face to face went. Of course, we all have our own reasons as to why we choose to be apart of these sites. Some can't live without them. Some can purely live without them and be happy. I sure as hell know that if I become obese one day, the girl on the "Facebook-workout-girl" will surely get hers.

PinStack.com

  

   I'm a member of many forums on the world wide web. I recieve most of my news from these websites as it gives me the freedom to surf around and ask questions relating to anything I need to know. Forums are a big part of my daily life as I'm a member to two devoted watch forums, an automotive forum, and a tech cell phone forum.
   Pinstack.com is a great site for smart phone users. Everyday, they have groundbreaking news on new devices and new software and applications. It's a very helpful site to the first time smartphone user, or anybody who just wants to dig up news on new devices that are being tested or customer reviews on specific phones, software, and applications.
   This forum is one of the largest forums in terms of dealing with every smart phone available on the market. Although there are many other forums that dedicate themselves to the love of cell phones, pinstack.com is highly ranked as one of the most informative and successful smart phone forums. They also include places where you can find cell phone accessories at extremely cheap prices; the forum is affiliated with many online stores and dealers.
   For the first time smart phone buyer in the future, I highly recommend this forum. It's very easy to navigate through and much of the news and information is no later than a day old. The amount of information that is available through these sites is amazing and most importantly, it's free to join!

www.pinstack.com

YouTube is Their Studio

  

   I love to sing. It's been in my blood since I was born. Before the internet was around, my way or showing the world my love for singing was doing live performances at talent shows or random small concerts around town. It was my of showing everyone my style of music and what kind of music was in me.
   While I was surfing youtube videos early morning, I stumbled upon a few videos of people singing a cover of a song I enjoyed. They had a very well edited video with actual studio equipment and amazing singers. It inspired me to do some recordings as they were able to get over 4 million views in less than 4 months!
   Youtube has made made many music sensations today. Artists such as Justin Bieber and Esmee Denters have signed and made millions just from placing videos on youtube. Bieber and Denters started their webpages early, when youtube was still in it's early pages. Today, both artists have millions of subscribers and Justin Bieber is pretty much littered all over youtube. His music videos have the most hits; his "Baby" video has close to 500 million views!
    It's amazing what these media sites can do to people. I plan to place some videos on youtube as well, but not to get famous, but just because I love to sing and have been harassed by many to do so. I will do it because of the pleasure I get out of it. I hope others will find the same pleasure when listening to me sing.

Social Media and Confidentiality

   Social media blogs are everywhere. It's extremely easy for anybody to search for a facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. account just by typing in their name in the google search field. I think it's become pretty crazy how easy it is to find somebody's personal information that quickly nowadays.
   I was speaking with my manager today and she was telling me that she had peeked at my facebook profile before she had hired me. I looked at her funny and realized that I had set my profile cautiously in order for strangers to find nothing about me. She had told me that she just wanted to see what I looked like and wanted to see personal information as well. The good thing was that all my information on my profile was hidden and has been hidden for reason like that.
   Today, facebook has over 600 million users and I can guarantee that more than 3/4 of the profiles out there are not restricted enough to outside users. Social media sites have given us a new way to stalk legally. Not only is it scary, it's easy to do and anybody can do it. I have some suggestions that might help keep your information private.

1. Keep profile settings updated daily to insure information is not leaked
2. Hide profile pictures and album pictures
3. Keep the people you know best or friends and only let them access your profile
4. Don't accept random friend requests from strangers
5. Don't discuss work or incidents at work in your status updates

Content is KING!

   I was reading an article today that relates to how brands have all used social media blogs to get the word out and spread awareness. Social media blogs have become publishing tools for the brands. What the article discusses is how most of these brands are missing the simple fact of content. It's easy to start a page on any of the social media blogs, but to create content that's both rich and interesting is a whole different game.
   The article states that journalism plays a large role in whether or not content is actually usable or not. The more brands become publishers, the more responsibility they have in keeping their customers interested. They still need to be trusted, heard, and understood in order to become successful. Too much is involved in publshing and not enough is done to enlighten the content relating to their specific brand these days.
   Here is a link to the interesting article:

http://socialmediainfluence.com/2011/02/25/brands-can-be-publishers-but-how-can-they-create-authentic-content/

   What do you guys think?

MyBook?

   As I was finding material on Myspace to do a wiki, I went to the actual Myspace.com website. I looked to the right of the screen and I noticed a bunch of facebook ads. One of them stood out and asked if I wanted to "mash my facebook account"? It is well known that Myspace has pretty much fallen off the face of the earth in terms of being the top social media group it was back in the day. Today, I know for a fact many young and upcoming artists use myspace because it's easier to follow. Many of my friends who put music online tell me that it's much easier to spread the word through myspace because other artists are there to spread the word. Myspace has given artists a sort of "artists protected" feeling and other artists who have given fame due to myspace will continue to spread the word and keep the social media giant strong.

   I think it's pretty smart that myspace is doing whatever it can to keep the myspace brand strong. In terms of trying to attract facebook users and letting them know that they won't have to shut down their facebook account and simply just "mash" them together to keep both social media sites updated. I guess it's a sign of desperation? I bet the only person who doesn't really mind is the actual creator of myspace who collected his 580 million dollars a few years back to Rupert Murdoch.

MY.IS...A Forum for LEXUS Lovers!

  
   For the people who have attended class, I have spoken about running and managing a forum for the last 5 years. It is the Lexus IS300, IS250, IS350, IS200, and IS-F online forum. It is the second largest automotive forum for a specific model in the world. We have over 88,000 members and growing rapidly every single day. The board consists of 21 Moderators that run the boards. I am one of them who runs "The Garage" section which is an off-topic place where we can talk about various automobiles and groundbreaking news in the automotive world.
   The importance of these websites is to focus on a certain "thing" and discuss the likes and dislikes, while offering informative insights about the specific vehicle. The forum becomes a massive "club" and anything about the car, etc. can be discussed. There are many DIY threads and links to where you can purchase parts for extremely cheap. There are thousands of threads that offer so much information, it would take you days read through everything on just one specific topic of question!
   Now, while I do not get paid to participate or manage the website and it's content, I do find enjoyment in reading, messaging, posting, and reading everything there is on the boards. I currently have over 16,000 posts (which average out to roughly 4.55 posts per day since I joined the site). The biggest question I get deal with the fact that I'm not getting paid to put my time and effort into these sites. Although I do not get paid, I enjoy it. Simple as that. The forum was dedicated for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. That's exactly what I am. I have a passion for the car I own.
   This ties in directly to what Scott was describing in the New Rules of Marketing book in the section about understanding your target audience. People join this board not only to read and gain information, but to meet new people and share a common interest. If it weren't for sites like these, we'd be seeing car dealerships lined with unfixed cars! I've saved over thousands of dollars on easy fixes that would've had me pulling hundreds of dollars to fix at the stealer-ships. Although the forum benefits the LEXUS brand in general, it benefits the members to a greater extent because without the site, enthusiasts like myself wouldn't exist.

Let's Party! Facebook, Please!

   In a few hours, I'll be attending a party in Boston, Massachusetts with a few friends of mine. You might be asking who's party it is or where it's held. To be honest, I don't know where it is, nor do I know who's party it is. Now, you might be asking yourself again where, how, and from whom did I hear about this party?
   Simple. Facebook! I'll keep this as simple as I can. A friend's-girlfriends-brother is hosting a going away party for his roommate who is leaving to California to pursue another gig that's paying him more money. This all went back to a week ago when I received an electronic invitation to attend a party in
Boston for a "Bon Voyage" party for Joe Nginn. My initial reaction was how on earth did they find my facebook page. I have it blocked from anyone and everything who isn't in somehow related to me. Secondly, I wondered why on earth was I not going if over 200 people had already placed their R.S.V.P.!
   If we scroll back a few chapters (chapter 4) in the New Rules of Marketing textbook, Scott gives us an example of the Tattoo club that drove over 15,000 members to Singapore to see a show that was held in January of 2009. The show had been launched from various sites including facebook, twitter, and other social media blogs/sites. It became a HUGE success.
   If we were to scroll back a few years, before the social blogs took over our worlds, how on earth would a group of people even start to organize such an event? Mailing out 15,000 invitations would obviously be extremely expensive and spreading the word out orally would in turn mean replacing your jaws 50 times over.
   Social networks and blogs are becoming so common, we often tend to forget how important they truly are to us. How on earth would I had known about this upcoming party had I not received an invite? We tend to block out the fact that our earth is getting smaller and smaller and people we would have never met in our lifetimes, are now just a left-click away because of social networking.

Formula 1 and Marketing!

   Some of you may know, I am a die-hard Formula 1 fan. I've loved the sport since I first laid my eyes on it. Before the internet, youtube, facebook, and various other technological websites were used, we had the Television. During this time, Formula 1 was still somewhat new. Back in the early 80's, the cars looked very simple in design. The only apparent logo one would see is the actual brand of the car or the team name.
   After the late 80's, we see cars that were sponsored by various other brands and since Formula 1 had such a huge fan base, these brands were easily visible to the people who watched the race. It was an amazing trade-off for the teams and brand names. The brands would sponsor the team, and the teams would have their logos stuck on the cars. Low costs for sponsorship meant that this was an awesome way to advertise a brand, without even trying. It was like watching a billboard 60 times in a row during a two and a half hour race.
   Today, the racing teams have numerous sponsors on their cars. It's actually harder to see what model the cars is than see the large brand names! If we can recall, in the New Rules book where Scott discusses the importance of brand image and using youtube.com as a vaible source to show the potential of the company. Speaking of which, here is an article on how the Red Bull team have been using marketing on youtube to outsource their product:

http://www.thenational.ae/business/media/red-bulls-f1-campaign-a-masterpiece-of-marketing

   The Red Bull team won last season and the brand exploded even more across the world. Fans purchased Team Red Bull hats, jersey's, etc. to show support for the team. Not only were the fans exploiting the team, they were also commercializing the Red Bull name. Red Bull's youtube page is littered with Everything Red Bull. From commercials, to other sports they compete in, it's like a page devoted to Red Bull fanatics. Here is Red Bull's youtube page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/redbull?blend=1&ob=4

An Alternative Perspective to the Long Tail!

   The long tail concept will always present different views from anybody who gains a better understanding of it. I believe both parts sides have very strong points to justify their sides. Let's take a look at what Joel Rubinson and his thoughts are.
   I also agree with his points about the long tail theory. Technology is changing greatly and companies must understand that consumers now have more choices and greater purchasing power. Companies need to use various other sources and focus on a larger media base. When we focus on the end of the long tail, we can see huge profit margins. Companies such as iTunes, Pandora, Netflix, etc. can all attest to the long tail theory.
   As we see, the companies named are hugely successful and deal mostly with media and entertainment. But what about niche markets that call for items that are only purchased once for specific reasons? Dr. Elberse believes that the Long Tail should be used for specific markets and specific target demographics.  What I don't understand is that Dr. Elberse stresses the fact that if you were to use the long tail, that one should focus more on the hits, rather than the niche markets. If it's a digital market, regardless of hits or niche's, when consumers have their choice in what they want, everything becomes a hit.  Of course, her point is extremely valid, but to some extent. I think everyone will agree that when starting a business that one should focus on the larger segment. Dr. Elberse also stressed that when focusing on the tip of the long tail that businesses should keep costs as low as possible. We see a good point again, but when you're in a digital marketplace, shelf costs are obsolete.
    Again, there will always be a debate in what the long tail is and how it actually affects the digital world. My opinions are still with the Joel Rubinson as we can actually see specific companies being hugely successful. I also think that what Dr. Elberse is correct in some certain aspects. Of course one would do some kind of research before jumping into a strategic conclusion. Different markets attract different consumers. Specific consumers want specific choices.

The Long Tail: A Closer Look

   When we discuss the long tail as a general concept, it has always existed, but never overcome before the internet was here. Before the internet was remotely available, businesses were using old time methods of marketing to gain greater sales and profits. The long tail existed because, well, it was the long tail. Businesses which were successful shelved hits instead of items that targeted only specific niche markets. It was too risky to shelve something that wouldn't sell which therefore eliminated businesses focusing in on the long tail.
   The internet has given the world the opportunity of choice. Customers being able to choose between millions of hits makes the long tail more attainable. The long tail indeed creates a tyranny of choice WITHIN the niche markets towards the end of the long tail. The top hits could still be attained throughout various non-internet services. When consumers are given choices and items are available at the touch of a button, tyranny of choice appears. I believe this is a good thing.
    I think the concept of the long tail is amazing. Before I had read the book, I had no clue that this is where the huge internet brands attained most of their credentials and their profits. One thing I remember is the case study Chris Anderson did on Lego. As an adult who still enjoys legos,  I thought it was interesting how the long tail affected not only niche markets, but niche groups. For the guy who made his living on building and designing models for Lego before he was hired, the internet gave him an outsource to prove his talents. I often Google these Lego models that people around the world build from scratch and wonder if any of them receive any recognition from Lego. I also remember meeting a person from M.I.T. who used Lego's mindstorms to build a robot that could show facial expressions.   
   So we see the long tail affects almost all things around us. But we must conclude that the internet has made such a huge impression on the long tail as well. I truly believe that the long tail and it's concept would have never seen daylight unless the internet was available.
 

Segmentation and the Long Tail

   After four years of undergrad studies in marketing classes, the definition of segmentation has finally seen new light! Understanding the basic rules of marketing, we now come across new ways to attract customers.
   The four P's then determined the market mix and were the first steps in creating something worth having. Marketers have to understand specific segments in order to create a product that would suit buyers. Today, technology has changed marketing strategies.
   I love the way technology plays such a huge role in the shift in marketing principles. Marketers are able to receive and access information via internet and other technological sources. When we look at the charts within specific retailers, we notice that the digital companies are at the top of the podium. With so many ways to outsource products with little to no shelf space costs, we see huge margins in profits and companies booming within a matter of months. The physical retailers are no match to the digital retailers because of the simple fact that physical retailers cannot hold the same amount of products a digital retailer is able to carry.
   I come to the conclusion in my head where it bothers me not knowing whether marketing will actually change again or not. Has technology changed marketing so much that there are unlimited possibilities? Sure, marketing in general will have it's old time teachings and key points, but as it stands today, I truly believe the long tail and it's theory is something every digital company should look at and understand. Before this class started, I hadn't known anything about the long tail, even through my 4 years of undergrad studying marketing. Today, in a world filled with technology and digital enterprises, we focus on old time methods that still work, but are not as successful as current methods are. This is where we need to focus. This is where marketers should focus. This is where successful businesses focus and become successful because they understand the long tail.

In Response to the Long Tail Videos

   The first video is an excellent summary of what the long tail is all about. It's very clear to understand and it really amazes you at how much the end of the tail can amass such profit and interest. I love how he incorporates the graphs and diagrams into his presentation. What I thought was interesting was that he doesn't actually answer the question as to what to do with your company. He leaves it up to you to decide what you should do depending one what kind of market you're trying to attract.
   The second video presented to us by Chris Anderson himself provides his findings in this presentation of the Long Tail. He gives a mathematical approach as to what happens in the long tail curve. He gives us prime examples of specific companies such as Wal-Mart, Rhapsody, iTunes, etc. and proves his findings with graphs. He proves that the market places who stock shelf space of various items cannot compare to the online marketplaces since shelf space costs are basically costless within the world wide web.
   The third video is about the double value curve, which I believe is very interesting. He states that information is most important when it is new and fresh. But he also states that all information is timely. Information is also valuable when a consumer needs it most. So in short, information is valuable at two different times in it's lifetime. "The value of information is directly proportional to how much you need it at any given moment," which he states is extremely true and important in understanding the double value curve. He also gives the example as to why online newspapers offer free news that is fresh and charge for old archived news. The video is very easy to understand and I believe he did a great job presenting it.

New Paradigms in Marketing

   The video posted was very informative. What I thought was interesting was the way the standard definitions of the word "marketing" has changed within the last fifty years. With technology being a prime factor in the success of many companies today, marketing has taken a new shape and form.
   In terms of the what was discussed in the video, I don't think marketing is obsolete. I think marketing has turned itself almost upside down in terms of what it used to be. We're all in an age where the term has a much deeper and flavorful meaning. It's also interesting to grasp that marketing in general will only change even more in the future and in some way, shape, or form, marketing one day could become obsolete!
   Customers are changing their ways of shopping and doing research to find things they need as specific individuals. Market research and customer relations are huge factors today because it builds long term profits, etc.
   The video also provides us with what we will as a class be discussing in the near future. I really look forward to understanding and grasping new concepts and ideas in our classroom and online discussions.

What is Marketing?!

   The first video discusses the usual and most simple definition of marketing in my mind. He discusses market principles, standard definitions, and brings up common ideas about marketing. I thought his approach on answering what marketing was very helpful and actually pretty interesting. Mostly though, this video was made with his specific ideas and biased opinions.
   The second video is filled with marketing ideas, definitions, models, and principles. It was very clear throughout the video that this video was made to inform a person who knew nothing about marketing. The video is filled with quotes from various peoples and sources. It also  does an excellent job in discussing the differences between selling and marketing, as well as other basic terminology.
   The third video discusses what happens in marketing behind closed doors from the point of view of a brand or company and what must they do to insure a successful customer base. There are many great references and principles to marketing in the video and it's very informative to the average person. I found that this video would be better understood from a person with some kind of marketing in their background.
   In the final video, I could not help but notice that he was an exact replica of Steve Jobs from Apple. I loved the way he portrayed his ideas and thoughts upon marketing. He made it very enjoyable to listen to and watch. The slide show presented was tastefully done and quite amusing as well. He stresses the importance of being original and creating something new to pull interest in a product or an idea. I thought this video was enjoyable and very educational.

What is the New Reality?

    The articles presented to us brings together some very interesting ideas. Webster accounts that new age media and technology is a massive factor in determining the success of ones business. Webster brings to attention very important thoughts in his article.  In the 21st century, consumer empowerment is much stronger than ever. With technology being at it's height, consumers are now able to direct their attention towards the needs and their desires through various sources. Webster states in his article that it's not just about "exchange and satisfaction" anymore. Consumer "thinking" has now changed the ways they purchase. When consumers have more power and the economy changes, consumption behavior changes!
   Webster also displays his idea on how the standard definitions of "marketing" and "selling" are used in interchangeable ways. This, in turn creates businesses who only focus on the short term gains rather than long term benefits.
    Haeckel discusses the "post-industrial manager" in his article which draws connections to Websters article. Haeckel states that there is a new age form of business going on and that changes occur because the minds of consumers have also changed.
    In order for businesses to competitively and successfully compete against one another, they must  understand the thoughts of consumers as a whole and the purchasing powers they possess. With everything changing, including the economy, consumers are much less seldom to make impulse buys and will now purchase products because of specific needs (price being a massive determinate). Businesses must understand the surroundings of specific markets groups and understand what product will most benefit the consumer in the long run and for their specific needs as individuals.