Social Media News of the Week: August 15, 2011
August 19, 2011 by Bailey
Filed under All, SMNofW, social media
Let’s start with Foursquare rolling out tons of updates this week! The check-in giant launched Tip Lists, which allows users to compile tips into a category such as Dining, Entertainment and Bars. Your friends or brand followers can then subscribe to a list and make it their To Do list. We started our first Tip List for a client this week and we really like it.
This week, Foursquare also gave venues the option to create events for users to check-in to. This update is a long time coming and the gang here at Step Ahead has wanted this update for some time now, so we are happy campers! Both updates are awesome but their most talked about update this week is The White House joining the location-based service!
For any of you getting ready for a weekend date, you have to see this hilarious video from Mashable about social media ruining a relationship! If that video just scared you out of your date, don’t worry you can still watch “The Big Lebowski” with them via Facebook! If you do muster up the courage to meet your date face to face, take this advice: If your date leaves you waiting and you’re embarrassed sitting alone, just pretend to text or call someone! Every other young adult does it, so why shouldn’t you?! Have a great weekend!
Social Media News of the Week: August 1, 2011
August 5, 2011 by Bailey
Filed under All, SMNofW, social media
The week started out with everyone discussing the debt ceiling and this held true for social media as well. Several Twitter hashtags popped up showing the country’s financial frustration, the most popular being #f***youWhiteHouse (we censor on this blog J). President Obama asked all citizens to turn to Twitter and tweet Republican lawmakers to #compromise. This campaign may have backfired a tad since he lost more than 36,000 followers in the process. I’m not sure if it had more to do with people feeling pressure or the fact that in four hours he released some 100 tweets asking people to tweet their GOP representatives.
If this wasn’t enough, Newt Gingrich has been accused of buying most of his Twitter followers. I hate to say this because I love that social media has become such an important part of our lives and politicians are embracing the platform, but COME ON people. There are important issues to address and to me these issues are definitely NOT fake followers and hashtag campaigns.
Enough ranting from me (what do I know, haha) and on to some fun stuff! Twitter has trashed their old version, Foursquare has introduced do-it-yourself business pages and Google+ is sending out their first business page invites today.
Just one last thing: Yesterday we had a food truck in front of our Charleston office and the food was amazing! I now know that they are so huge right now and are all over the social media scene. So blessed that we will have them twice a month from now on!
Social Media News of the Day: August 30, 2010
August 30, 2010 by Bailey
Filed under All, social media
Fashion, Awards, Social Media?
Who spent hours watching the Emmy’s last night, besides me? I’m a sucker for red carpets and anything involving beautiful people winning shiny awards. This year the Emmy’s kicked it up a notch by adding a social media component. Jimmy Fallon as host was funny and incorporated tweets that were sent to him about presenters and winners. They also had live streaming of backstage interviews with winners and producers.
Twitter’s yfrog was the most influential addition in my opinion. It had a photo booth for celebrities to pose in and the pictures were uploaded directly to Twitter. What a great idea! Fallon, also mentions twitpic twice during the event, and if you didn’t know twitpic was created and is run by a Charlestonian (pretty cool, eh?)! Even celebrities got in on the social media action! Kim Kardashian sang a reality TV duet with Jimmy Fallon and immediately tweeted about it (yes I follow her on Twitter). <@KimKardashian Who just saw me sing live on the Emmy’s??? Haha REALLLLLIIITYYYY! LOL>
Did you watch the Emmy’s this year? If so, do you think social media enhanced or detracted?
A Quick Word About my Obsession
I know that too many of my posts recently have been about my love for Foursquare. So I will not go into how awesome I think they are again, but I do want to relay some pretty interesting information.
Mashable announced over the weekend that their readers enjoy Foursquare more than Facebook’s Places and the geolocation giant has now reached three million users! This is awesome news, and one other thing you have to check out is this picture of Foursquare in Times Square reminding users to check in. Love it!
Social Media News of the Day: August 23, 2010
August 23, 2010 by Bailey
Filed under All, social media
Make It Snappy!
Now a days we’re always looking for the fastest way to do, well ,everything. There are a few things though that should be fast and just aren’t. My favorite example is that I am notorious for texting while doing a million other actions. I always look down after typing a whole sentence and realize I have messed words up and have to press the delete key for what seems like forever to make the corrections. Mashable released a handy list today of keyboard shortcuts and they really do save time. I don’t have an iPhone but got to check out the shortcuts on a friend’s phone and now I am jealous!
Nationwide Groupon
If you’re anything like me, you wake up in the morning, brush your teeth and then check your inbox for your morning Groupon. The social buying company has only been in Charleston a few weeks, and it’s already part of my morning routine. Last Thursday I was surprised and stoked to see that the coupon was for the Gap! This is the first time that a nationwide retailer has done a Groupon and by 2 p.m. they had already sold 250,000 Groupons! Sounds like a success to me, what do you think?
Foursquare/Places Update
Everyone in the social media world and beyond has been talking about the new Facebook Places. I have said a few times that my main concern is what does this mean for Foursquare? Looking at the many articles on Mashable, MediaPost and Marketing Daily, that’s on the top of lots of people’s minds, but what does Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley think?
In an interview last week, he explains what Foursquare will do to compete in the location market and what their plans are for the future. Do you think Facebook will take over the location game or could this be another David and Goliath story?
Social Media News of the Day: August 4, 2010
August 4, 2010 by Bailey
Filed under All, social media
No More Check-in Fatigue!
There is now a new app, called Future Checkin which allows you to check-in automatically to your favorite Foursquare stops. If you follow me on Twitter (@ebailey126) or are my friend on Facebook you are aware that I go to Starbucks on East Bay everyday between the hours of 2 and 4. Now instead of me holding up the line to get out my phone and check-in, I can program it to automatically check me in, when I walk in the door. Pretty awesome, right?
Do you Love Social Media Enough?
To get a tattoo of your twitter handle or maybe even the Facebook logo? I told my office today that there are really only a few things that I love enough to put on my body forever and most of those items are food related. While I contemplate the idea of a Moe’s or Chick-fil-A tattoos, here are some people who loved technology enough to get these clever “tats.”
Halleluiah!
Facebook has updated and made changes to their Android application today. I am so excited to be able to look at my friend’s videos, RSVP to events and approve friend request without having to navigate away from the page. There is still room for improvement but this is a great start and if you have not received the update yet, you can just re-install the application (that’s what I had to do).
Social Media News of the Day: August 2, 2010
August 2, 2010 by Bailey
Filed under All, social media
My Monday morning started out with a great surprise, the first Charleston-based Groupon! Five Loaves restaurant offered a $10 coupon for $5 and by 8 a.m. had already sold 48! A few of us here at Step Ahead purchased the coupon, did you?
Groupon had another big announcement yesterday with the release of Personalized Deals for those living in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Jose. Groupon will look at your previous purchases and try to tailor deals around what you like. If you complete your user profile, you have a better chance of actually receiving deals that you would be interested in, and Groupon has said that their system will become smarter and more personalized as time goes on.
Charlestonians, are you excited about Groupon coming? Did you think the first deal was worth it? And, would you enjoy a more targeted coupon in your inbox or do you like the original format?
Up and Coming Social Media Trends
We’ve been talking quite a bit recently about Foursquare and other location-based applications. This is obviously a trend that is making the way we tweet, purchase items and travel a totally new experience. Radian6 has listed four other social media topics that we need to keep an eye on. Anything missing?
Social Media News of the Day: July 27, 2010
July 27, 2010 by Bailey
Filed under All, social media
Leave the Keychain Behind
“Do you have your CVS ExtraCare card?” This phrase I love and hate. Love because I knowam about to save money, hate because it is going to take forever to find the right membership card on my keychain. Cardstar is a smart phone app for iPhone and Android users that keeps all your loyalty cards in one place on your mobile device! What’s even better is now you can “check in” on Foursquare through this app, as well. This will help companies to better understand their loyal customers’ habits but it will also be an easy reminder for you to check in!
Bump Me!
This mobile app is probably the easiest way to share information with your friends by simply bumping your phones together. They just released their newest version which will allow you to bump with friends to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I can’t find the updated Bump 2.0 in my Android marketplace but for all my iPhone-using friends here it is! Now if Bump/Verizon/AT&T would only allow Android users and iPhone users to bump each other, I would be a happy little “mobile” camper!
Mindless Fun
We all have those after work rituals whether it be the gym, a nice walk or the long commute home. There’s something all these routines have in common: time to NOT THINK! I love my job, could not ask for anything better, but when I want to turn off my work brain, I just turn on MTV. It’s a guilty pleasure and this week Jersey Shore will be back for their second season, full of fist pumping, tanning, Snookie and The Situation!
MTV has used social media and mobile devices to promote the new season. Today they released a Facebook game and iPhone app that allows you to navigate through a cartoon Jersey Shore world. Will you play, or more importantly, will you fist pump?
