What I Learned about Social Media

“Social Media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing technique,” according to Webster’s Dictionary defintiton. What I have come to learn about social media from taking the class Social Media is that the main root of social media is communication. We studied many forms of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Four Square, Flickr,Youtube, Blogs, LinkedIn, MySpace and what I believe the end goal for all these forms is to connect the people who use the system. Facebook connects you to your friends,LinkedIn connects  you to business professionals, and Flickr connects your pictures to share with other people or yourself. I think social media is a big circle of connectivity. Social media connects people closer together by their interests, opinions, or simply whatever they have to say.

I have also learned how unavoidable social media is. Before this class I was not on Twitter nor did i like the concept. I thought it was a bit narcissistic and a waste of time. Facebook was personally enough for me. Slowly, as I kept leaning more about Twitter I realized it was not what I thought it was. Twitter is not just a place to give status updates about the lunch date you are on but it is a place where breaking news is being shared and important worldly updates are going first. Twitter is a valuable source to find out news of any type. The more I began using Twitter the more I liked it. A semester later I find myself using and checking my Twitter more than my Facebook. Whether I want to admit it or not, social media and all forms of it is the new way of communicating. If you don’t join the bandwagon you will get left behind and to me that is one of the biggest takeaways I have learned about social media.

Royal Wedding or Circus?

The countdown to the Royal Wedding is on. For months millions of people all over the world have watched and awaited for the Royal Wedding. People are obsessed with every detail. Practically every morning talk show has been dedicated this morning to following the wedding. The amount of press coverage that the wedding has gotten is close to what a natural disasters coverage is. I find the wedding exciting but I’m not sure I understand why everyone else in the world seems to be so obsessed with it. There were 1600 guests invited. That seems to me like the weddings more like a circus. The ceremony seems so commercialized rather than an intimate connection between the bride and groom. Celebrities from the  states were invited along with William’s hair dresser. I’m still surprised I didn’t get my invitation in the mail. Ten years from now William and Catherine will be able to look back and recall every single detail up to the wedding, during and after. This morning 2 million people have tweeted about the wedding. Not too mention every power house channel has coverage of the event. It was said that London went under a complete renovation for the wedding. The city’s streets, buildings, and anything for the human eye to see was cleaned and polished. The church, Westminster Abbey, got a facelift according to Enews. So much effort and time has gone into making the Royal Wedding perfect. Catherine Middleton, formally Kate, looked radiant this morning in her dress. So much anticipation was built up on what designer she would wear and would it be traditional. I was a little let down with her dress I was hoping it would be similar to what Princess Diana wore. But Catherine’s style has always been simple and elegant and that’s exactly what her wedding dress is. Best of luck to William and Catherine.

Puppy Mill Awareness

I used Storify to create a story to raise awareness about Puppy mills! Enjoy.

http://storify.com/kellconnoll/awarness-about-pupping-mills

My Booeautiful Life Expereicne

Since I was in high school I have spent many long nights internet searching about puppies and wishing I had one.  I spent so much time imagining I had a puppy I thought it really was a better use of my time if I actually had one. I knew the breed that I wanted and within a month I found the one I wanted.   A cold windy day in December would change my life forever…

I walked into Charlie’s Angel’s Spa and Boutiqute and ran to the back wall where the puppies are kept. All the cages were filled with at least two or three puppies cuddleing together napping.In a cage on the far left was one puppy all by himself cuddeling with nothing but the wire sheet underneath him.He was a three-month old  Maltipoo. All of his sisters and brothers had been bought over a month ago but for some reason no one wanted him. I told the owner I wanted to play with him. Initially, my plan was to just look but in the case that a puppy stole my heart and I couldn’t live without it that must mean I outta buy it. Of course I fell in love with the little white fur ball. He was so happy to have someone play with him and show him affection. He wagged his tail, gave me kisses and wanted to be cuddeled the entire time I played with him. After 15 minutes I knew this was my puppy and we were meant to be. Within a half an hour I was on my way home with a brand new puppy and $200 dollars worth of puppy supplies By the time I got home my soon to be best friend was named Boo. Boo stole my heart and I had stole his!

It was all peachy and exciting until reality sat in. After a sleepless night of crying and Boo being scared I thought what did I get myself in too. I was supposed to put Boo in his crate and he was supposed to sleep eight hours and then I would let him out in the morning, right? That was certainly not the case, Boo hated his crate. But with the help of my mom and my boyfriend I was able to successfully crate and potty box train him. I officially turned my dog into what I like to call a dog/cat.  The term means a dog that is trained like a cat. The system works great for me because I live in apartment and can’t take him out as much as he needs. Boo is now nine months old and a healthy energetic puppy. We enjoy going on walks to the bridge and playing fetch with his favorite toy. I look forward to coming home everyday and being greeted by his sweet excited yips, lots of kisses, and unfortunately a little tinkle! Having a dog has taught me alot about life and the responsibilities of caring for someone other than myself. Boo has brought so much joy into my life. I hope everyone can experience in their life the love and companionship animals have to offer.

Storify My Story

Storify is transforming the art of telling a story. The clever tool brings the best of story elements and content, and then publishes it on the web.Storify takes citizen journalism to another level. It allows anyone to be a journalist and tell the story however they want. Storify is a new site that allows you to make stories using tweets, photos, videos, or anything online. You can easily drag and drop these items into one place, to make a story. You can then re-order the elements to improve the stories flow, and include your own text. When finished you can share your story on your website for everyone to see. Storify is totally free and all you have to do is sign up.

There is an outstanding medium of communication through social media. There are so many cites to get information and read updates. Storify pulls everything together and puts into one story so you don’t have to surf from page to page looking for what you want. Storify helps to make your story remembered by allowing you to pull the best tweets, video, or photo. The organizational tool is purely created for the user to make our social media lives easier.

Like many other social media sites Storify is used by so many different kinds of people. From reporters, moms, politicians, to even coaches, there is something in store for everyone with Storify. What I like about the tool is that it can be used for recreational use like just messing around with your friends or it can be used professionally for a breaking news story. Storify has really come to the aid of reporters. Instead of copying and pasting a bunch of tweets and posts Storify quickly brings all elements of social media together for the reader to read. The tool has opened the gates for really anyone to be a citizen journalist and tell their own story. Explore it for yourself and create your story!

Be Proactive with Social Media

Social media is a cultural phenomenon. Everyday more and more people and businesses are getting involved. People use social media to keep in contact with friends for merely socializing or entertainment purposes. Other people use it as a tool to learn new things or find out what’s going on. Businesses often use it to promote their business and reach a bigger audience. There are thousands of reasons people are using social media that are all good. There is however a group that uses social media that don’t quite understand the purpose and are just using social media so they don’t get left behind. They simply are involved to just say they are involved. Most commonly are businesses that are involved with social media but have no focus or message they are sending out. They are simply using social media to just say they are using it. These businesses are not being proactive in the social media world they are considered to be reactive. In a recent blog by Social Media Examiner, it talked about companies and businesses that are reactive when using social media. They lack a focus and a purpose to their message. The blog suggested the businesses need to take a step back and develop a content strategy that will engage their community. The blog gave structured and clear advice on how to use social media in a proactive, engaging, and interactive way. I want to share what I feel were the most important points to help all of you who are a bit misguided on the use of proactive social media.

The first step and what I believe to be the most important is to figure out your content strategy. This means you need to know what your costumers, audience, or community wants to talk about and be willing to engage in those conversations. Secondly, you need to know where your audience is. If you’re trying to reach a young hip demographic don’t be on LinkedIn trying to spark interest. Your conversations need to be where your audience is. You must research where your audience is and go to them! Finally, be attentive to your social media. Don’t create a page and just let it take care of itself. You need to measure the impact of your conversations to see if you’re making headway. Count the likes, check the blogs, check the comments, and track the followers. Paying close attention to the traffic and flow of your social media will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Social media is a powerful tool that can make or break you. If used effectively it can really take your company to the next level. The pointers I gave are a good outline to model your social strategy after. It’s your turn now! Have fun with it but remember to keep your message focused and always be proactive.

State of American Media Today

The trend of online media and social media is here to stay. People have made it clear that they rather get their news fill from online sources than read the good ol’ newspaper. Whether it be the convenience issue that literally with a click of a button you can read almost anything or that they like the style of news better, people are fixated with online media.

The eighth edition of the State of the News Media produced by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, came out with their report on the trends of American news media for 2010. The traditional way of getting news is on the decline. News rooms are still having to cut staff and are said to be 30% smaller than in 2000. That’s a significant number of jobs that have been lost. Many people are having to adjust and sacrifice for the new era of online media.

Ironically, it’s not that newspapers are losing an audience. People are still reading the news, but instead from their iphone, Blackerry, ipad, etc. News organization are still producing the news but are no longer in control. They have to depend on the third party, independent networks or consumers and advertisers, to sell their ads. News organization now depend on Google and Facebook to bring them their audience. It’s a harsh reality because the news organization not only had to adjust to the change in media but also they are now paying and spending even more money to reach their audience. In a business where money is already tight it puts even more pressure on the journalists and organizations.

It has become evident that it is not a question if traditional news will adapt, it is how will they adapt. Those who find success will realize that the future will belong to those who understand the public’s changing behavior and can target content and advertising to fit the interests of each user.

Personally, I get 90% of my news fill from online sources mainly from my iphone. It is so convenient and readily available. The style of online articles is also what I like, short and sweet. On the flip side, there is a worry that was mentioned in the article that there is a “de-skilling” of the profession. I think that is a legitimate fear that people will have to deal with. I suppose that’s the trade off that we have chosen.  Being in the Journalism field myself, I have embraced the change of online media and am prepared to see more changes to come.

Kohl’s is FB Fabulous

Kohl’s is known for having great discounts and knock off high end brand sale items. The store it usually stocked in bulk and has massive sections of jewelry, perfume, shoes, jeans, tops etc. It’s a great place to go if you want to just pop in and rumage through some stuff or come in for a quick buy and go back to your day.

One of the problems I have encountered at Kohl’s is that it can be very hit or miss. I will stop in and  find tons of stuff I like or a I come and the store is completely empty and there’s seriously nothing! There is no consistency and it can be frustrating as a shopper, like I totally just wasted my time. Thankfully, Kohl’s has come to the rescue and has solved my problem with their Kohl’s Facebook fan page. The page is dedicated to the regular Kohl’s shopper or just to a person who like’s fashion.

Kohl’s Facebook fan page is very detailed and interactive. The page is updated multiple times daily with status’ or comments to shoppers. The status’ are always different and insightful. Often times they are giving  style tips and letting you know what’s new and a good deal. Kohl’s operates on their page very attentively, giving replies to those who write questions or cool posts on the wall. You can tell that Kohl’s truly cares about their costumers and wants to help the shopper have a good experience.

My favoirtie part about the page is the Style tab. When you click on the tab all the designers that Kohl’s carries are listed and their latest clothing lines are on display. It’s so readily accessible I can do my browseing on the page and know exactly what I’m looking for when I go to the store. You may think well why not just go to the stores website, it’s the same thing? The beauty of the Facebook page is that the designers will write tips of what outfits pair well together. They even have videos posted on tutorials of the clothes. Costumers can share their opinions and success on the page also. Kohl’s really aimed high at involving the shopper and making it a total interactive experience.

Kohl’s fan page provides pictures, videos,  feedback, and a reviews section. The page clearly serves a purpose because 3.4 million people like it. Kohl’s is an example of a company successfully using social media. They have a massive following that has expanded their business. The page is informative, interactive, and easy to navigate. The only thing I would suggest to Kohl’s is, take a closer look at limiting the posts other costumers can post on the wall. The wall has so many people commenting that it is hard to spot out the post’s by Kohl’s, which in my opinion are the most important. The fan page wall at times can look cluttered. If Kohl’s could clean that up maybe it would attract even more people.

Kohl’s has tackled the social network in a positive business savvy way. Whether you are visiting the page because you are bored or you’re a shopaholic the page is worthy of a visit. Check it out http://www.facebook.com/kohls.

Is Social Media too much?

Social media has come into our lives whether we like it or now. For me, it is a social tool that connects me with my friends and family. I first began using Facebook and then Twitter. In the beginning, it was just kids my age on the sites but now everyone’s grandma and mom has a Facebook or Twitter.  For some it has become their main source of communication. People update their pages on the hour and it’s no big deal. I think people have stopped talking on the phone and have turned to their social network to connect them to the people they care about. I personally am not a fan of everyone abandoning their God given skills to speak and connect with each other in person or on the phone. Instead, people like to communicate by using their thumbs to give short snip-its of how they are feelings or what’s on their mind. I like the old days when people would get on the phone or talk to you in person if they had something to say. Comments are said that wouldn’t normally be said if the conversation was in person. People can hide behind their computer screen and act much bolder than how they really are. If used in the right way I think social networks are beneficial. But when they take over people’s lives and change the way the world communicates in a negative way, I am not for that. I think social media has been especially useful to companies and businesses who are trying to expand their brand. Social networks enable businesses to get in contact with thousands of people without spending major money on expensive campaigns. I think social networks definitely help the popularity and exposure  of companies. I support the use of businesses and companies using social networks.

Cool new App: Instagram

Instagram is an app for the iphone.  You take fast beautiful photos and share them on your iphone with friends and family. You can choose a filter to transform the look and feel and send it to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr. It’s very easy and considered to be photo sharing reinvented. It enables people to communicate more easily.

Instagram has built a platform to allow you to experience moments in your friends’ lives through pictures as they happen. They imagine a world more connected through images of what happens around them whether through friends or people across the world.

Best parts of Instagram:

-Mobile photos always come out looking so-so. Instagram set out to create some awesome looking filters to transform your photos into professional-looking snapshots.

-Sharing on multiple platforms is a pain – Instagram wants to take a picture once, and have it shared (instantly) on the services of your choice.

-Most uploading experiences are clumsy and take forever Instagram has optimized the experience to be fast and efficient.

-It’s completely free.

- It’s very easy to use, all you do is download the app and snap a pic.

Instagram saves all the photos you process to your camera roll. You can then sync with your computer and print as many as you’d like.

Instagram is very easy to use. It is only available to those who have an iphone or an itouch, so that is a bit of a downfall. I think it is used more for connecting with friends and family. But businesses could use the photos they take and post it on their preferred social network.