In a previous Digital Influence Weekly, I shared the video on how the world Googled in 2011. Now I’d like to share how Google Doodled in 2011. Check out all the interesting Google Doodles here that you loved and missed all year long.
And now, the Digital Influence Weekly…
This is the last Digital Influence Weekly of 2011. This would be a very appropriate time to think about the strides you made in social media this past year. Did you join Google+? Did you upgrade your mobile devices? Did you get support from management to create a social media policy? Did you make new connections to members of the press or other key influencers through social media?
This year you had 365 days to jump on the bandwagon of online engagement. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all had major redesigns and functionality tweeks. Even businesses with established social media programs had to reevaluate how to work with these changes. Google+ arrived, shaking things up and ending 2011 with around 62 million users signed up. We all started from scratch on this one. Also, there was no shortage of places online and offline to learn how to use these tools for business.
There is, of course, always an opportunity to get into the game. But don’t make a New Year’s resolution to look into growing your marketing and public relations activities digitally. (Think back to just how many New Year’s resolutions you really kept by mid February.) Make a daily resolution to learn something new that can help you connect with your stakeholders and influencers. You could wind up with 365 new ways to improve everything you do for work and your personal life. Additionally, you will get a bonus tip because 2012 is a leap year.
If you are planning on keeping any of your New Year’s resolutions, this article from Socialnomics provides some great mobile apps to help you along.
Finally, don’t let any New Year’s messages or pictures on your mobile devices be your last. Please drive safely and distraction free this New Year’s Eve. I wish you all the best and I’ll see you in 2012.
Posted:
12/30/2011 11:47:13 AM by
Digital Influencer | with
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You're no doubt in a rush to prepare for the holidays, so without further delay this is the Digital Influence Weekly...
Last weekend I heard someone discussing the importance of disconnecting from technology if only for a day. The idea was that technology can be used to distract us from the important things in our lives and take you farther from people you care about. However, the assumption is that everyone and everything that matters is within arm’s reach.
As we grow technologically, we’re able to bring people together from across great distances for the holidays. I imagine that as we enter 2012, many people will have just received a new device allowing them to video chat. You might see this as an opportunity to replace regular client conference calls with video chats. Having client face time is very valuable in staying at the top of their mind.
But before you begin implementing your 2012 marketing plan, use your new mobile device or laptop to connect with your friends and family. Get in the habit of utilizing video chat. The very second you open your gift, call a friend or relative. Below are few programs you can use on your computer, iPhone/iPad and Android devices.
FaceTime – This is the device to device video chat feature you can use on your iPhone and iPad to effortlessly connect to others.
Google+ Hangout – Start your own chat room with up to 10 people and get friends and family video chatting all in one place. This also works on some devices with the mobile app.
Facebook Video Chat – You have probably been using the chat feature on Facebook for a while now. When you open the chat window, you should see a video chat icon to click. Try it out!
Skype – Skype is still one of the most popular means of video chatting all over the world. It has several great features and accessibility options for any device.
From all of us at Pierpont, we hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday season. Remember, during the holidays motor vehicle accidents are up, so ask someone in your car to run your mobile device when you drive. Thank you.
Posted:
12/23/2011 10:09:26 AM by
Digital Influencer | with
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It’s been quite the year for the marketer and corporate communicator. From the introduction of Google+ to
mobile ad spend topping $1 billion, the way brands and companies communicate and market themselves is evolving at lightning speed.
The change of pace can be headache-inducing, but at the same time, it’s a fascinating journey to follow. Below is our take on the top five online marketing trends we’ve experienced in the past year.
Google +: For social media geeks like myself, June and July were largely about one thing and one thing only – getting a coveted invitation to
Google+, Google’s first real legitimate competitor to Facebook. Within only two weeks of launching, the social network had garnered over 10 million users – no small feat, and soon some were predicting the demise of Facebook. Since then, the hype surrounding the new network has died down a bit. Although the number of users continues to grow, engagement on the site is relatively low.
Mobile continues to get HUGE: Mobile marketing and communication has been on everyone’s lips for a while now, but it really took off last year. Maybe it was in part to smartphones taking up more of the market, or the increased use of tablets, but mobile is now
the way we communicate and absorb information. In fact, recent studies show that we spend
more time with our mobiles than reading print publications.
In the coming months, we’ll start seeing more mobile topics popping up, especially surrounding mCommerce (or the idea of using your mobile device to pay for things, like a wallet). This
popular coffee shop already has a mCommerce application up and running. And speaking of mobile apps….
Applications got useful: The days of novelty mobile applications are a thing of the past. Today, mobile applications do more than just entertain us. Instead, they allow us to manage every aspect of our lives while we’re on the go. Personally, I use applications on my mobile phone and tablet to pay my credit card bill, deposit checks, check the weather,
order pizza and
track my running pace. Mobile apps designed strictly to entertain (or, to be more accurate, waste our time!) still take up a chunk of the market, but more companies are investing in mobile applications to help make their customers’ buying process easier on the go.
Valuable content continued to get more relevant – and current. In 2011, Google made some pretty substantial changes to its algorithm – like this
one. But that was nothing compared to the “freshness update”.
Not familiar with it? Here’s the scoop: back in November,
Google tweaked its algorithm to provide search results that were the most recent, current and “fresh”. While it’s no surprise that recent and current content is important for search results, it’s now more essential than ever – in fact, this algorithm change effects up to 35% of searches. Now more than ever, you need up-to-date content (think
all content -- press releases, blogs, case studies, etc.) to show up well on the search engines. Some estimates put Google at almost 70% of online searches, well, you better get writing.
Data will soon rule your life. Marketers are finally getting their heads wrapped around the amount of data they possess. Today, everything we do – from buying, to texting, to sharing on social media and searching online – creates massive amounts of data. This so-called
Big Data is overwhelming to say the least – and until recently, we had no idea how to even begin using it. Now that we’re moving into 2012, marketers are learning how to aggregate, analyze and use it to understand customers, improve communication tactics and connect more effectively at every stage of the sales cycle.
The last year has been a whirlwind of innovation in the online communication space. What other big changes have made a splash in your world?
Posted:
12/22/2011 5:16:59 PM by
Jen Pearsall | with
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Google has released Zeitgeist 2011: Year In Review, a video demonstrating how the world Googled throughout the year. As you can see, it highlights results and stories found by searching the most trending terms all over the world. The moving video also highlights features of Google+, but it doesn’t take away from the emotional impact social media has in sharing what matters in our world. It will hopefully make you rethink some of the things you spend time Googling. Seriously, who is still searching for “explanation of LOST?”
And now, the Digital Influence Weekly…
Before you head out on vacation, I’d like to give you a gift. The gift of simple upgrades. Before going any further, be sure to review anything you download with your IT department first to make sure you aren’t harming your computer or network. Once that’s done, it’s time to have some fun.
Upgrading certain universal programs or software can make a huge impact on your job performance. Why is that important? Information, thought leadership, data research, networking – when done online, it needs to be done quickly and successfully. If you can’t watch videos that keep you informed about your industry or access online tools because your browser is outdated, then you are at a disadvantage. In other words, the problem may not be the website your viewing, but the tools you use to view it.
It reminds me of something I see every-so-often on the History Channel regarding the Wild West and gun fights. It wasn’t always about who could draw their gun first, but about who had the most updated and reliable hardware.
The top three most common web browsers for PCs are Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. I personally love Chrome the most as it has made my web browsing experience seamless in every way I need. But regardless of your preference, an outdated browser can keep you from accessing everything the web has to offer. You can find downloads to the latest updates below.
Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Internet Explorer
If you are still having a sluggish or unsatisfying time surfing the web, consult your IT director who can assist you. You may need to upgrade your Adobe Reader or your QuickTime player. The other alternative is to cast aside technology and live amongst the trees and woodland creatures. The only problem there is that you can’t blog about your forest adventures without at least some mobile device.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Posted:
12/16/2011 11:34:54 AM by
Digital Influencer | with
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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Facebook has changed the way your profile looks – again. Today, Facebook has unrolled the
Timeline for all users. For those of you not in the familiar with it, Timeline is, quite simple, a timeline of your life on Facebook.
As a big fan of the new Timeline, I created a list of dos and don’ts that will hopefully make your experience with the new layout go more smoothly, and be much more enjoyable.
1. First of all, DON’T think you’ll actually quit Facebook because of this change. Remember when you said that about News Feed? And now we can’t imagine Facebook without it! Once you get used to Timeline, you’ll grow to love it.
2. DO something creative with your cover photo.
Here are some ideas.
3. DON’T forget to recheck your
privacy settings. Yes, they’ve changed again, and they are especially important now as it is easier than ever to see your past posts – even those you may have forgotten about (for good reason!) a few years back. On the bright side, your privacy settings are easier to customize and change as you post things.
4. And on that topic… DO customize your timeline by hiding and featuring stories as you see fit. You can hide a story by clicking on the pencil and selecting “Hide Story.” You can feature a story by selecting the star in the corner (this will make the story two columns wide.) You can also show stories that Facebook has hidden by expanding the dots that run along the center of your timeline.
5. DO fill out your timeline with fun facts. Don’t be afraid to add your favorite vacation as a child or when you got your wisdom teeth out. Make it a true timeline of your life – even before Facebook was around.
6. DON’T ignore the subscribe feature. Use this as a chance to see what your favorite actors, celebrities and thought leaders are sharing on Facebook.
What do you think of the new timeline?
Posted:
12/15/2011 2:22:37 PM by
Julia Prior | with
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