Monday, May 4, 2009

Social Media. Is it just hype, or is it the real thing?

The Direct Marketing Association thinks it's the real thing. They're even promoting their annual conference on Myspace: myspace.com/dma07_chicago





I'm not sure what to think. What about you?

Social Media. Is it just hype, or is it the real thing?
I've been an online networker at a business networking site for just over four years now (www.ryze.com) and I get about half of my business clients through that one site. But don't be fooled. It's not like you throw up a MySpace page and suddenly you're swamped with sales. There's a lot more to it than that.





Political candidates who use social networking sites? Remember that they are doing all kinds of things offline to drive traffic online to their page, network, blog whatever. The fact that there was a Democratic presidential debate through YouTube is a very good sign that this way of getting exposure is for real. But it wasn't YouTube alone - it was YouTube in concert with CNN that brought it tons of attention. Online strategies work better when they are dovetailed with offline strategies.





If you are just trying to use online strategies because you're trying to do it all on a shoestring budget you should also be doing things like article marketing, affiliate programs and more. Oh, and you need to be building relationships with people who will come to trust you over time and then MAYBE they'll do business with you. It works - but it's not instant.





The way I get clients is that people get to know me at my online network I've had for over three years and I've worked very hard to build a sterling reputation and about 2,000 members. Once in awhile someone asks me about my services and I refer her to my site. The site contains a lot of information about what working with me is like and ends with a questionnaire in which they are told that if they answer I will connect with them by email to schedule a one on one phone or skype meeting to answer their questions, tell them my rates, etc. I'm very clear about that.





So, I don't get a lot of leads - but usually by the time I do get leads they are pretty well qualified due to the way that I've written the copy on my site to draw in people who are more likely to be serious about working with me and filter out those who are not.





All the best,





Denise Michaels


Author, "Testosterone-Free Marketing"


http://www.MentoringwithDenise.com
Reply:Check out the Ron Paul presidential campaign if you really want to see what social media is accomplishing.

dds

What do u think.??? is media a social watchdog or a peeping tom?

hey!!!


its a debate topic. what r ur opinions on this take


is media a social watchdog or has become a peeping tom!!!!!!!

What do u think.??? is media a social watchdog or a peeping tom?
The problem with media today is, of course, money.


(Funny how many problems are caused by that stuff!)





Journalism is on life support. The era of news for news sake is gone. The entire industry is hanging on a precipice. Making a few comparisons sheds a little light on the situation.





Watch the evening news then watch a show such as 60 Minutes and compare the amount of time and subject matter covered in the same hour period. You'd be hard pressed to say today's news isn't "cookie-cutter"





Today's media is driven by sensationalism. "If it bleeds it leads" is a truism. Today's media is all about garnering your attention and stimulating your senses by covering inflammatory topics (fire, death, floods, celebrity, murder, rape, abuse, etc. ) which they force feed you, then they polish it off with a "feel good" story so you don't view the entire enterprise as negative. Your attention = media $.





Another great comparison is to view a broadcast from the late 50's and compare it to today's news programs. I won't go into detail but you'll be amazed at the loss of journalistic ability, the cut-to-the-chase honesty, lack of "spin", and it will leave you wondering, "Just exactly when did the cast of Baywatch take over the news station?"





To directly answer your question, they still act as both, but like a lot of the food today, they are lacking in fiber, sugar-coated, well-marketed, and easily consumed.
Reply:Sorry but I will be blunt .. the media has a lot to answer for and has too much power in the world. Very negative !!!
Reply:If the media were a social watchdog it would only flush out and expose the negatives.





It's not much of a peeping tom either since it is overt.





It's more of a tattletale.
Reply:peeping tom .... haha maybe they know every corner of celebs' houses better than the stars themselves
Reply:What hey?


Sound you were looking for a fight .


Little one.


Wait till I roll up my sleeve and give you the stripes.


The media is showing and telling us what is going on around us.


They are not peeping tom.


Will find peeping tom around the ladies wash rooms.
Reply:I think the media serves the purpose of in-acting the fantasies of most humans, the nature of humans to be curious.
Reply:Depends on whether you are an important person or not at all. Depends on who is their boss. Actually when you look around you, things are not as perfect as what they should be given the time frame. So you wonder if the media reports things to the big shot and what the big shot is doing when the media is not reporting to them ?
Reply:Its neither, its just driven by profit...
Reply:They do both, but only because we as the public feed them. If we as a society stopped caring what celebrities did 24 hours a day, then it would not be news worthy.





I personally do not care if they all get DUIs. It is their life and not my problem. For some reason, a lot of our country is very interested in celebrities' social life though.
Reply:a little bit of both, depending on who owns the network. and since the media is driven by profit, it just depends on which "story" is bringing in the big$$$
Reply:i think the media has a liberal bias
Reply:To me, media has become the root of all evil in this society. Media has become the ultimate bully telling people everything from who they should be to what they should spend their money on...





People don't know how to be themselves because they're too busy trying to be what the media says they should be.


How does media influence social justice?

What is the role of media in advocating social justice? Do you think they are the ones who actually dictate what we consider just these days? I think the key word here is MANIPULATE. Do you think media manipulates social justice?





Thank you!

How does media influence social justice?
depends on the country. in china media influences social change as there is only one media - state media. so whatever it says its the gospel truth. but with its opening-up, u get other foreign influences coming in. so media r responsible n they highlight good social causes. tabloids r terrible - faking/ hyping up everything to get sales. yes the media can be manipulated for one's gain and the state is good at using it. we hv to be discerning
Reply:Yes I do. They do it foolishly and without wisdom. We are all in trouble for it.
Reply:Media condescended to "vine-swinging"/banana-peeling level, so that they have no ethics. Their foremost efforts would appear to induce greater social "injustice", for any justice would cut-off their banana supply.


Ideas for Media Social History Paper?

The goal of the paper is to conduct original research on some aspect of media and social history. I need to pick either medium: newspaper or magazine. Then pick a time period to study, up until 1975. Then I need to pick an American location for study, unless I am looking at a national publication.





Anyone have any great ideas?





I've thought about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and media coverage of Roe vs. Wade. But definitely feel like I want more to choose from.





Thanks!

Ideas for Media Social History Paper?
It would be interesting (yet difficult) to study the effect of 'Yellow Journalism' as a cause for the Spanish-American War. Many historians blame the war on the circulation battles between Joseph Pulitzer's New York World and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal (?) newspapers. Both papers ran sensational stories, and often outright lies, on Spanish-American relations to sell papers. Hearst is alledged to have replied to a photographer that if he supplies the photographs, Hearst will supply the war.





Orson Wells brilliant Citizen Kane is based off of Hearst and this time period.
Reply:LIFE magazine during WW2.





MAD magazine in the 1950s.


Why should or should not the Credit Union use myspace, facebook, or other social media outlets?

Why should or should not the Credit Union use myspace, facebook, or other social media outlets as methods to attract young adults and teens?

Why should or should not the Credit Union use myspace, facebook, or other social media outlets?
This sounds kinda like an essay question for school.





"Should" reasons/rationale:


* social media is a way to reach a target market, much like advertising on specific tv shows or cable channels


* social media is influential


* social media is new marketing avenue


* other companies are doing it successfully


* stay competitive


* keep in touch with current trends


* young people have lots of questions about money management %26amp; credit unions can provide answers





"Should not" reasons/rationale:


* potential for credit union to lose credibility (if they're not upfront about who they are %26amp; what they do -- like when a company's marketing person "disguises" him/herself as average citizen who says good things about products, services but who is really just pitching for the company)


* social media is unknown territory with lots of potential pitfalls


* young people may resent adults entering their "turf"


* adults aren't as savvy when entering the cyberspace world of young people





Hope this helps put you on track for answering the question.





Good luck!
Reply:I believe that if used properly, social media is the most effective method of consumer influence in today's market.





I can't source the following numbers, but I know that I've seen them somewhere credible before:


-30% of online consumers find a manufacturer website to be credible.


-70% of online consumers find media and/or journalists credible.


-68% of online consumers find other consumers (people whom they have never met) to be credible.





Pretty powerful stuff, no?

dental bridge

Can some one tell me from where i can find admin who can install Social Media on my dedicated server ?

Social Media required following modules to be installed.





FFmpeg (http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu)


FFmpeg-PHP


Flv2tool (http://inlet-media.de/flvtool2)


LAME MP3 Encoder (http://lame.sourceforge.net)

Can some one tell me from where i can find admin who can install Social Media on my dedicated server ?
Dear h1ghn3ss,





Hope you are doing fine. You can check out Maxim Support. We have been doing ffmpeg related installations from very long time and we do have very good reputation on WHT.





http://www.maximsupport.com





Reviews: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread...





Best Regards.


---


Tom F


Maxim Support


tom@maximsupport.com


http://www.maximsupport.com


What's the definition to Social media and Web 2.0?

What's the definition for the two terms «Social media» and «Web 2.0»?

What's the definition to Social media and Web 2.0?
Social media is an emerging term used by marketers to describe the “blogosphere of information, opinion, insight, speculation, and perspective,” in the words of Chris Shipley. The blogon 2005 conference, held in NY on October 17-18, 2005 was dedicated to the business of social media. The Social Media Workgroup investigates the development of social identity in the digital world. Web 2.0, Social Software and Social Networking are issues for the Social Media Workgroup.





The term "Web 2.0" refers to what some people see as a second phase of development of the World Wide Web, including its architecture and its applications. As used by its proponents, the phrase allegedly refers to one or more of the following:





* a transition of websites from isolated information silos to sources of content and functionality, thus becoming a computing platform serving web applications to end users


* a social phenomenon referring to an approach to creating and distributing Web content itself, characterised by open communication, decentralization of authority, freedom to share and re-use, and "the market as a conversation"


* a more organized and categorized content, with a far more developed deeplinking web architecture.


* a shift in economic value of the web, up past a trillion dollars surpassing that of the dot com boom of the late 1990s.





However, a consensus upon its exact meaning has not yet been reached.
Reply:http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org





The Center for Social Media showcases and analyzes strategies to use media as creative tools for public knowledge and action. It focuses on social documentaries for civil society and democracy, and on the public media environment that supports them. The Center is part of the School of Communication at American University.


How do Social Media sites like Digg, Younews.in work?

I just chanced upon this website Younews (http://www.younews.in/) and it is really great letting people add links and news as well as rate them. Similar to Digg but focusses on Indian content. But how do social media sites like these work?

How do Social Media sites like Digg, Younews.in work?
Are you asking how they work socially or how they work technically?


How do Social Media sites like Digg, Younews.in work?

I just chanced upon this website Younews (http://www.younews.in/) and it is really great letting people add links and news as well as rate them. Similar to Digg but focusses on Indian content. But how do social media sites like these work?

How do Social Media sites like Digg, Younews.in work?
Younews is fine.
Reply:Have a look at :

dental floss

Using social media sites to drive traffic to your website?

I have heard that social media websites such as MySpace can be a good way to drive traffic to your website. Does anyone know how to do this?





My site is http://www.alternativehealthbusiness.com... I provide marketing help for alternative health professionals such as massage therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, energy healers, nutritionists, etc., and help with job interviewing to massage therapists.





Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Using social media sites to drive traffic to your website?
That just means that you should add your web site link to your myspace page because myspace gets so much traffic chances are someone will click your link
Reply:We provide social media site marketing by helping create and maintain active profiles at relevant social networking sites. A presence at sites like MySpace help you build trust of your company and services as well as drive traffic to your site. Report It



Can Social Media Marketing replace Search Engine Marketing as a viable way for companies to market online?

I "Stumbled Upon" www.FtheBigThree.com which does a good job of showing the opportunities that could be available for marketers in the "Social Media" category. Not completely sold yet on it but kinda warming up to it. I guess I'll have to start learning SMM to go along with my SEM and SEO. So, many abbreviations....so little time.

Can Social Media Marketing replace Search Engine Marketing as a viable way for companies to market online?
NO --- they can work hand in hand, but social media marketing cannot replace search engine marketing





Search engine's usage is far way more than social media use. Plus traffic from search engines are more sustainable and longer term, while social media traffic is more sporadic.





If you get a top placement for a keyword in Google, for example, you can expect that to continuously give you traffic until someone else topples you from the top spot -- and that is not always easy to do unless you made a huge mistake or the search engines changed their algorithm.





You can get a huge burst of traffic from social media sites such as Digg -- only if your link is in the homepage. Once your link is pushed to the archives, traffic dries up.





Social media sites depend on the FRESHNESS of the information, while search engine sites depend on the RELEVANCE of the site to the search query and that gives an edge to older pages





For a savvy marketer, he/she needs to utilize and maximize both venues to get the most traffic. The two should work hand in hand, and not one over the other.
Reply:Try this:





http://www.gibline.com/jomana63
Reply:Bees%26amp;Pollen, a young innovative company, searches and connects you with social top-influencers. It might serve and let you experiment some with social media:





http://www.beesandpollen.com/st/u.aspx


Social Media Traffic helps in selling affiliate products?

Today there are several ways to get traffic to your website. Social media traffic is one of them does traffic from stumbleupon, facebook, myspace, digg etc will help convert better for affiliate marketing.





Thanks


TJ

Social Media Traffic helps in selling affiliate products?
Yes. It helps a lot. Facebook helped me little bit.. but recently, as I'm involved in many affiliation programs, I used the links below in the source. The first one is an international online community (more than 200.000 members) where you can blog (then advertise your links in ur own blogs!!!), create clubs, post pics and videos, and reach lots of referrals!! and all that FOR FREE!


the second link is a new site, based in London, a kind of "facebook of URLs!!!", where you can add yours links, describe the site and build a downline!!! then make MONEY! and also 100% free (a new site with for the moment more than 5000 members).





I make money from these.


Good luck.
Reply:Yes it does this by networking
Reply:okay is this a question?
Reply:Social Media Traffic helps in terms of getting you more of an audience to make sales to.





The key with Social Media Traffic, is building trust and relationships. You have to be part of a cool, informative valuable conversation with the customer to get the sale.





Making more better conversions depends upon your sales process. To make better conversions, you should split test parts of your sales process and use the additional traffic from social media to assist you.





You may even want to consider making special offers specifically to the different social media sites. Example: "This is an exclusive offer only for Myspace Members."





Social Media Traffic give the affiliate marketer more choices and more opportunities.





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