All Blogs » Tagged: social media
Hello Old Friend – Benchmark Email
Jan 25, 2013 (115 days ago)
It seems like only yesterday I stumbled upon the Benchmark Email website (www.benchmarkemail.com). When I looked back at my sent messages, it was actually several years ago when my search lead me to Benchmark! At the time, we had been using Constant Contact for clients who needed to send a large number of emails. However, it seemed like we always had an issue when trying to make custom templates with HTML. If we were using one of their included templates it you work just fine, however, as a web development firm, we thought we had to be fancy and deliver a customized solution for our client! After struggling for several days, we stumbled across Benchmark Email.
We signed up for a trial account with Benchmark and begin exploring the functionality they provided. The system, at that time, was not very aesthetically pleasing but the HTML/WYSIWYG editor that they provided seemed to be quite powerful and allowed our team to do exactly what we desired. We decided it would be a good choice for that project we are working on at that time. We uploaded our list, created our template, and sent the email. The system worked quite well. Again, not too fancy, but we were most concerned about the ability to make the temple look exactly like we wanted. It also had to work on every, yes every, email client and online webmail solution known to man. We ran into several small issues, but tech support was quite helpful and when we called they would support us with a knowledgeable person and help us resolve any situation. Several times they actually went in and made changes for us and explained exactly what they did. The solution worked so well that we determined that it would be out default solution for clients going forward. We used it for that particular client for several years in a row.
Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to login to Benchmark, after being away for over a year. Actually, after thinking about it, it may have been longer than a year, as another member of our development team was handling such needs – but that is not the focus. It was quite a pleasant surprise, not only had Benchmark enhanced the functional offering, but it was also now aesthetically pleasing! The site had a nice, crisp, look / feel that was very appealing and used large icons to make it easy for anyone to use the key features.
In case you have not used such a system, or are curious how Benchmark works, compared to your current solution, I thought I would provide a high-level overview. After logging in, assuming you have created an account or signed up for a free trial, you start off by clicking create new email. You enter your email name (used to later identify the email), from name, from address, reply email address, subject, and a permissions reminder. It also gives you some nice new options that integrate with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. From here you go to step two, selecting your list. This is a pretty nice way of managing lists. You can actually go ahead and edit your list right on the site, make additions and changes, or upload a new list.
The template feature, step three, has also been very nicely enhanced, including social media options, and the WYSIWYG editor has been improved. An initial glance, it appears that there are a couple hundred stock templates that you can choose from. Again, we choose to use the your own HTML option. This option pops a new window that allows us to cut-and-paste your own HTML and by clicking save and close you are returned back to the screen where you can view a graphical representation of your email message. Here you can insert additional element such as surveys, greetings, links, or documents and you are also able to add social media elements. It looks like the list is quite long, including: Pinterest, Yelp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter! When you are happy with your message, you can simply click the save and next button.
Last but not least is step five, the schedule event screen. Some new features and functionality to share your email blast on social media sites have also been added. You can save your email as a draft, send it immediately, or scheduled a delivery for a later date and time. I have used the scheduled delivery in the past and it works quite well, but I typically send it immediately.
After you have sent your message you are returned to your email dashboard. Here you have a series of columns presented to display your messages that you have sent or that are in draft mode. Email name, status, date modified, date scheduled, and several tools are made available for each message. By clicking on the email message you are taken to the email summary reports. This feature also received a nice enhancement - you can resend the email, copy the email (which we do several times during testing), and view a graphical representation of opened, bounced, and click through rate for your messages sent. I really like the new map as it shows opens by location. I bet it would be interesting to see messages opened from East to West as people checked their email in the morning!
It is really nice to see that Benchmark has gone ahead and not only made these graphical changes to their system, but they continue to enhance the function core offering. The system works quite well and does exactly what it needs to do. It helps create, manage, and send emails, from 1 to a 1 million, always adhering to spam rules, and provides reporting. I also noticed that when I was in the system it now appears that they have event functionality and I will be sure to check that out soon!
It may sound crazy, but it is really exciting when there’s a product that we find that just works. Not only does it work, it works well. This is exactly what Benchmark Email does. That is why I took a moment to share my experience. Having owned Inexo for almost 13 years, creating amazing websites and online solutions (with a systems background prior to that), I thought I would start to share our experiences. I was not paid for a review or even asked to write one. Maybe it will save you time? Maybe it will save you money? Maybe it will just make your day a little better? I know that is has done all three for us.
Their solution starts off in only $9.95 per month for 600 emails per month and goes all the way up to a high-volume package of 150,000 emails at $399 per month, but I assume they let you send a few more! Should you have the need to send mass emails for your business / organization, Inexo suggests that you check out Benchmark Email (www.benchmarkemail.com).
Jan 25, 2013 (115 days ago)
It seems like only yesterday I stumbled upon the Benchmark Email website (www.benchmarkemail.com). When I looked back at my sent messages, it was actually several years ago when my search lead me to Benchmark! At the time, we had been using Constant Contact for clients who needed to send a large number of emails. However, it seemed like we always had an issue when trying to make custom templates with HTML. If we were using one of their included templates it you work just fine, however, as a web development firm, we thought we had to be fancy and deliver a customized solution for our client! After struggling for several days, we stumbled across Benchmark Email.We signed up for a trial account with Benchmark and begin exploring the functionality they provided. The system, at that time, was not very aesthetically pleasing but the HTML/WYSIWYG editor that they provided seemed to be quite powerful and allowed our team to do exactly what we desired. We decided it would be a good choice for that project we are working on at that time. We uploaded our list, created our template, and sent the email. The system worked quite well. Again, not too fancy, but we were most concerned about the ability to make the temple look exactly like we wanted. It also had to work on every, yes every, email client and online webmail solution known to man. We ran into several small issues, but tech support was quite helpful and when we called they would support us with a knowledgeable person and help us resolve any situation. Several times they actually went in and made changes for us and explained exactly what they did. The solution worked so well that we determined that it would be out default solution for clients going forward. We used it for that particular client for several years in a row.
Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to login to Benchmark, after being away for over a year. Actually, after thinking about it, it may have been longer than a year, as another member of our development team was handling such needs – but that is not the focus. It was quite a pleasant surprise, not only had Benchmark enhanced the functional offering, but it was also now aesthetically pleasing! The site had a nice, crisp, look / feel that was very appealing and used large icons to make it easy for anyone to use the key features.
In case you have not used such a system, or are curious how Benchmark works, compared to your current solution, I thought I would provide a high-level overview. After logging in, assuming you have created an account or signed up for a free trial, you start off by clicking create new email. You enter your email name (used to later identify the email), from name, from address, reply email address, subject, and a permissions reminder. It also gives you some nice new options that integrate with social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. From here you go to step two, selecting your list. This is a pretty nice way of managing lists. You can actually go ahead and edit your list right on the site, make additions and changes, or upload a new list.
The template feature, step three, has also been very nicely enhanced, including social media options, and the WYSIWYG editor has been improved. An initial glance, it appears that there are a couple hundred stock templates that you can choose from. Again, we choose to use the your own HTML option. This option pops a new window that allows us to cut-and-paste your own HTML and by clicking save and close you are returned back to the screen where you can view a graphical representation of your email message. Here you can insert additional element such as surveys, greetings, links, or documents and you are also able to add social media elements. It looks like the list is quite long, including: Pinterest, Yelp, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter! When you are happy with your message, you can simply click the save and next button.
Last but not least is step five, the schedule event screen. Some new features and functionality to share your email blast on social media sites have also been added. You can save your email as a draft, send it immediately, or scheduled a delivery for a later date and time. I have used the scheduled delivery in the past and it works quite well, but I typically send it immediately.
After you have sent your message you are returned to your email dashboard. Here you have a series of columns presented to display your messages that you have sent or that are in draft mode. Email name, status, date modified, date scheduled, and several tools are made available for each message. By clicking on the email message you are taken to the email summary reports. This feature also received a nice enhancement - you can resend the email, copy the email (which we do several times during testing), and view a graphical representation of opened, bounced, and click through rate for your messages sent. I really like the new map as it shows opens by location. I bet it would be interesting to see messages opened from East to West as people checked their email in the morning!
It is really nice to see that Benchmark has gone ahead and not only made these graphical changes to their system, but they continue to enhance the function core offering. The system works quite well and does exactly what it needs to do. It helps create, manage, and send emails, from 1 to a 1 million, always adhering to spam rules, and provides reporting. I also noticed that when I was in the system it now appears that they have event functionality and I will be sure to check that out soon!
It may sound crazy, but it is really exciting when there’s a product that we find that just works. Not only does it work, it works well. This is exactly what Benchmark Email does. That is why I took a moment to share my experience. Having owned Inexo for almost 13 years, creating amazing websites and online solutions (with a systems background prior to that), I thought I would start to share our experiences. I was not paid for a review or even asked to write one. Maybe it will save you time? Maybe it will save you money? Maybe it will just make your day a little better? I know that is has done all three for us.
Their solution starts off in only $9.95 per month for 600 emails per month and goes all the way up to a high-volume package of 150,000 emails at $399 per month, but I assume they let you send a few more! Should you have the need to send mass emails for your business / organization, Inexo suggests that you check out Benchmark Email (www.benchmarkemail.com).
About the Author
Adam Ceton,
aceton@inexo.com
Adam is Inexo’s founder and handles day-to-day operations at Inexo. In addition, he works with the sales and development teams to ultimately deliver amazing solutions for clients.
aceton@inexo.com
Adam is Inexo’s founder and handles day-to-day operations at Inexo. In addition, he works with the sales and development teams to ultimately deliver amazing solutions for clients.
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Inexo's Introduction to Social Media Sites
Jul 25, 2012 (300 days ago)
As our client base grows and we continue to provide social media strategy and implementation services, we realize that some people are confused by the various offerings from each of the unique social media sites. By conglomerating our knowledge into a single document, we wish to educate our clients in an attempt to better their understanding of how social media can help achieve their goals.
Although many people don’t realize it, the first use of the Internet was aimed as a social one. ARPANET was created by the government in order to help scientific projects share data. As the Internet slowly developed, we started using profiles to track personal information. As the early 1990’s rolled around, we began allowing features like friends of profiles. One of the first modern forms of social media in recent memory is MySpace. While it held many years in the number one spot, this giant of the early 2000’s has slowly faded and been pushed aside for newer, more refined social networking sites. Now, our market is filled with multiple contenders such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In; and while these social networking sites have far surpassed the functionality of MySpace, each one best-serves a unique function fit for a specific audience.
The ultimate goal for any organization’s social media plan is that they eliminate the social barriers that make them appear as an organization. The “social” part of social media is about conversing and interacting with others; everyone that “follows” you on social media is largely hoping that you’ll do the same for them. This give-and-take concept has been one of the driving factors behind social media’s grasp on our generation. By giving every individual a voice, we further spur people to participate, take action, and truly invest in your organization. While many organization’s simply look for a raw number to determine a financial return for an action, social media opens you up to see a return from society by informing others of what you do. While this portrayal can be used as a driving force behind financial gains, it can also be a key point to developing your company’s image. By developing your social media network, you can expand your business and meet your goals in a way that establishes yourself as a fixture of the surrounding community.
Every social media outlet offers different features that help set it apart from its competitors. We have noticed that some of our clients are unsure of how to properly leverage some of these unique features to make the most out of their social media program. Here we overview many of the differentiating features of the most common social media sites to help better inform our customers and expand their knowledge base.
Facebook
By far the most popular and commonly used social networking site, started in 2004, Facebook has exploded over the past 8 years to have over 900 million active users. Facebook allows users to create a profile that they fill out with specific information about themselves. They’re then allowed to develop a “Friends List” of profiles that you keep in contact and share information with. On top of your friends list, Facebook also allows the ability for users to “Like” certain types of profiles created to represent brands, ideas, or famous individuals.
Most businesses and nonprofit organizations have Facebook pages to help tap into this vast audience. By developing a Facebook following, that business can share anything from links and photos to simple text with all of the users that like their profile. Facebook has also added functionality to allow users to develop custom applications on the Facebook platform. Although Facebook is a fantastic way to develop an audience your organization can keep in constant contact with, it can be a somewhat one-sided form of social media, preventing users from giving their input.
Twitter
One of the most notable and newsworthy forms of social media in recent years, Twitter has been the base of many current news stories and political movements such as Arab Spring, the current political uprising occurring throughout many countries of the Arab world. Seen as one of the major pioneers of modern social media, twitter introduced the concept of micro-blogging to the masses. Blogging allowed people to post journal-like updates to the Internet for everyone to read on a daily to weekly basis; micro-blogging, on the other hand, aims for multiple, shorter, more frequent updates throughout a single day. Twitter has gained 500 million users since its creation in 2006 and has become one of the top 10 most visited sites on the Internet.
Twitter users develop a much more basic profile than Facebook and send out short messages and updates, referred to as tweets, to those that choose to follow them. These tweets are compared to broadcast Internet text messages; they’re limited to 140 characters, they can include links, and they’re aimed at a target audience. Users can view tweets from other users that they choose to follow and rebroadcast tweets through what’s known as Re-Tweeting. Twitter has also introduced hash tags to the world of social media. One can implement a hash tag by using a pound sign followed by any combination of words, allowing a user to tag their post as relevant to a given realm of topics, causing it to show up in searches.
Linked In
While many social media networking have focused on allowing anyone as part of their user base, Linked In has gone with a different approach. Although Linked In only has 161 million subscribers compared to the aforementioned giants, their advantage is their unique client base. Since Linked In is only servicing users with professional occupations, it becomes a great way to access other businesses or individuals with professional goals. Linked In allows these individuals to build a list of professional contacts from their past experience. These individuals can upload their resume, apply for jobs, and build their list of recommendations all via their network.
Linked In also allows you to create a profile to represent your company. With this profile, you can list all related information about your organization along with links to your other sites. For employees, you can post any job openings on your company profile, and any current employees are able to link their profile to your organization. You can flush out your organization’s profile by adding a list of products or services you offer, which can then be reviewed, along with your organization, by any other Linked In members who you’ve had business relations with.
Google +
Google Plus is Google’s attempts to enter the world of social media. Since Google is already a fixture of the online community, they’ve tried to expand their presence by allowing users to develop personal profiles and connect with others. Anybody with a Gmail account can register a Google Plus account, and doing so further integrates them into the Google freeware suite. Google plus attempts to combine a few features from Facebook and Twitter while incorporating it into the products that they already have. In Google Plus, you’re given a wall that can hold links, pictures, or text that will be distributed to people in your audience, which Google refers to as a “circle”. Google also includes some Twitter features like trending hash tags and topics that allow users to broadcast to an expanded, yet targeted, audience.
With a Google Plus account, organizations can then access the benefits of Google Places. Google Places indexes a fixed geographic entry that holds all related information about your organization. With this account, you can publish information to people who take interest in your organization and allow others with a Google Plus account to post reviews about your products or services. Since Google places a priority on content in their network, these reviews are highly valuable and help boost your website’s position in Google search results.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the most commonly used sites online, but it’s often overlooked as a form of social media. Since Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006, all of its video content receives priority in Google searches. Hosting your videos on YouTube is a great way to include any video content about your organization in a vast network of people who are interested in taking the time to watch it. YouTube allows users to create a page for their profile and gives them the opportunity to dictate a few of the key aesthetic points. Similar to other social networking sites, YouTube allows you to follow other user’s profiles to make sure you’re kept up to date on any recent action with their account. It also gives people the option to comment on videos, allowing you to collect feedback on any content you publish.
Although YouTube is the most popular video hosting website, its rival Vimeo has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent years. Although a stripped-down free version of Vimeo is an option, to access many of the same features available with YouTube, you need to pay for a Vimeo Plus account. Although a Vimeo Plus account allows a number of features that enhance usability for the average user, such as an enhanced search function, many don’t see the need to pay for it with all of YouTube’s free offerings. Even though there are some benefits to choosing Vimeo, YouTube is preferred and is much better optimized for returning your video content with Google searches.
Pinterest
Pinterest is extremely unique in that it only focuses on users’ photographic content. It allows users to create a “board” about a related topic to which they can “pin” relevant pictures that they find from various sources online. As they continue to use the site, they develop massive boards with photos from countless different sources. Other users are allowed to “like” pictures or “re-pin” the picture to another board that they own, expanding the audience of people who see it. Pinterest has included some features particularly for e-commerce sites. Any items for sale that are re-pinned have an option to include a banner that state’s the price and links the user to a site where they can purchase it. One of the most notable features of Pinterest is the disproportionately large number of female users; quoted at about 80% of their user base in January of this year. Although Pinterest includes minimal textual content to support most of the photos, its popularity has exploded and only seems to be on the rise.
While some clients don’t believe that social media is a proper investment of their time and effort, it can prove true if their attempts lack the required planning and coordination. Here at Inexo, we are able to help you syndicate your message and properly portray it through modern forms of social media so you can see the optimal return on your investment. Social media is proof that technology is constantly helping organizations expand their audience and grow their business.
If you have any questions or would like further information regarding our services, please call 602-200-0110 and select Option 1 or email us at sales@inexo.com.
Jul 25, 2012 (300 days ago)
As our client base grows and we continue to provide social media strategy and implementation services, we realize that some people are confused by the various offerings from each of the unique social media sites. By conglomerating our knowledge into a single document, we wish to educate our clients in an attempt to better their understanding of how social media can help achieve their goals.Although many people don’t realize it, the first use of the Internet was aimed as a social one. ARPANET was created by the government in order to help scientific projects share data. As the Internet slowly developed, we started using profiles to track personal information. As the early 1990’s rolled around, we began allowing features like friends of profiles. One of the first modern forms of social media in recent memory is MySpace. While it held many years in the number one spot, this giant of the early 2000’s has slowly faded and been pushed aside for newer, more refined social networking sites. Now, our market is filled with multiple contenders such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In; and while these social networking sites have far surpassed the functionality of MySpace, each one best-serves a unique function fit for a specific audience.
The ultimate goal for any organization’s social media plan is that they eliminate the social barriers that make them appear as an organization. The “social” part of social media is about conversing and interacting with others; everyone that “follows” you on social media is largely hoping that you’ll do the same for them. This give-and-take concept has been one of the driving factors behind social media’s grasp on our generation. By giving every individual a voice, we further spur people to participate, take action, and truly invest in your organization. While many organization’s simply look for a raw number to determine a financial return for an action, social media opens you up to see a return from society by informing others of what you do. While this portrayal can be used as a driving force behind financial gains, it can also be a key point to developing your company’s image. By developing your social media network, you can expand your business and meet your goals in a way that establishes yourself as a fixture of the surrounding community.
Every social media outlet offers different features that help set it apart from its competitors. We have noticed that some of our clients are unsure of how to properly leverage some of these unique features to make the most out of their social media program. Here we overview many of the differentiating features of the most common social media sites to help better inform our customers and expand their knowledge base.
By far the most popular and commonly used social networking site, started in 2004, Facebook has exploded over the past 8 years to have over 900 million active users. Facebook allows users to create a profile that they fill out with specific information about themselves. They’re then allowed to develop a “Friends List” of profiles that you keep in contact and share information with. On top of your friends list, Facebook also allows the ability for users to “Like” certain types of profiles created to represent brands, ideas, or famous individuals.
Most businesses and nonprofit organizations have Facebook pages to help tap into this vast audience. By developing a Facebook following, that business can share anything from links and photos to simple text with all of the users that like their profile. Facebook has also added functionality to allow users to develop custom applications on the Facebook platform. Although Facebook is a fantastic way to develop an audience your organization can keep in constant contact with, it can be a somewhat one-sided form of social media, preventing users from giving their input.
One of the most notable and newsworthy forms of social media in recent years, Twitter has been the base of many current news stories and political movements such as Arab Spring, the current political uprising occurring throughout many countries of the Arab world. Seen as one of the major pioneers of modern social media, twitter introduced the concept of micro-blogging to the masses. Blogging allowed people to post journal-like updates to the Internet for everyone to read on a daily to weekly basis; micro-blogging, on the other hand, aims for multiple, shorter, more frequent updates throughout a single day. Twitter has gained 500 million users since its creation in 2006 and has become one of the top 10 most visited sites on the Internet.
Twitter users develop a much more basic profile than Facebook and send out short messages and updates, referred to as tweets, to those that choose to follow them. These tweets are compared to broadcast Internet text messages; they’re limited to 140 characters, they can include links, and they’re aimed at a target audience. Users can view tweets from other users that they choose to follow and rebroadcast tweets through what’s known as Re-Tweeting. Twitter has also introduced hash tags to the world of social media. One can implement a hash tag by using a pound sign followed by any combination of words, allowing a user to tag their post as relevant to a given realm of topics, causing it to show up in searches.
Linked In
While many social media networking have focused on allowing anyone as part of their user base, Linked In has gone with a different approach. Although Linked In only has 161 million subscribers compared to the aforementioned giants, their advantage is their unique client base. Since Linked In is only servicing users with professional occupations, it becomes a great way to access other businesses or individuals with professional goals. Linked In allows these individuals to build a list of professional contacts from their past experience. These individuals can upload their resume, apply for jobs, and build their list of recommendations all via their network.
Linked In also allows you to create a profile to represent your company. With this profile, you can list all related information about your organization along with links to your other sites. For employees, you can post any job openings on your company profile, and any current employees are able to link their profile to your organization. You can flush out your organization’s profile by adding a list of products or services you offer, which can then be reviewed, along with your organization, by any other Linked In members who you’ve had business relations with.
Google +
Google Plus is Google’s attempts to enter the world of social media. Since Google is already a fixture of the online community, they’ve tried to expand their presence by allowing users to develop personal profiles and connect with others. Anybody with a Gmail account can register a Google Plus account, and doing so further integrates them into the Google freeware suite. Google plus attempts to combine a few features from Facebook and Twitter while incorporating it into the products that they already have. In Google Plus, you’re given a wall that can hold links, pictures, or text that will be distributed to people in your audience, which Google refers to as a “circle”. Google also includes some Twitter features like trending hash tags and topics that allow users to broadcast to an expanded, yet targeted, audience.
With a Google Plus account, organizations can then access the benefits of Google Places. Google Places indexes a fixed geographic entry that holds all related information about your organization. With this account, you can publish information to people who take interest in your organization and allow others with a Google Plus account to post reviews about your products or services. Since Google places a priority on content in their network, these reviews are highly valuable and help boost your website’s position in Google search results.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the most commonly used sites online, but it’s often overlooked as a form of social media. Since Google’s acquisition of YouTube in 2006, all of its video content receives priority in Google searches. Hosting your videos on YouTube is a great way to include any video content about your organization in a vast network of people who are interested in taking the time to watch it. YouTube allows users to create a page for their profile and gives them the opportunity to dictate a few of the key aesthetic points. Similar to other social networking sites, YouTube allows you to follow other user’s profiles to make sure you’re kept up to date on any recent action with their account. It also gives people the option to comment on videos, allowing you to collect feedback on any content you publish.
Although YouTube is the most popular video hosting website, its rival Vimeo has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent years. Although a stripped-down free version of Vimeo is an option, to access many of the same features available with YouTube, you need to pay for a Vimeo Plus account. Although a Vimeo Plus account allows a number of features that enhance usability for the average user, such as an enhanced search function, many don’t see the need to pay for it with all of YouTube’s free offerings. Even though there are some benefits to choosing Vimeo, YouTube is preferred and is much better optimized for returning your video content with Google searches.
Pinterest is extremely unique in that it only focuses on users’ photographic content. It allows users to create a “board” about a related topic to which they can “pin” relevant pictures that they find from various sources online. As they continue to use the site, they develop massive boards with photos from countless different sources. Other users are allowed to “like” pictures or “re-pin” the picture to another board that they own, expanding the audience of people who see it. Pinterest has included some features particularly for e-commerce sites. Any items for sale that are re-pinned have an option to include a banner that state’s the price and links the user to a site where they can purchase it. One of the most notable features of Pinterest is the disproportionately large number of female users; quoted at about 80% of their user base in January of this year. Although Pinterest includes minimal textual content to support most of the photos, its popularity has exploded and only seems to be on the rise.
While some clients don’t believe that social media is a proper investment of their time and effort, it can prove true if their attempts lack the required planning and coordination. Here at Inexo, we are able to help you syndicate your message and properly portray it through modern forms of social media so you can see the optimal return on your investment. Social media is proof that technology is constantly helping organizations expand their audience and grow their business.
If you have any questions or would like further information regarding our services, please call 602-200-0110 and select Option 1 or email us at sales@inexo.com.
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Tout - Introducing Video Micro-Blogging to Social Media
Jul 25, 2012 (300 days ago)
In the last 10 years, social media has grown at an astounding rate. Currently, many of the giants of social media are reaching their maturity, while some may even be on the decline. However, our current offerings have only left us wanting for more. While Facebook has the ability to add a number of applications that are customized for whatever function you desire, most of today’s rising social media outlets are offering unique services and giving people a new way to express themselves.
How long have you heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words? The rise of Pinterest shows a unique trend in social media. People are slowly using less verbal expression and are demonstrating a desire to use rich content; explaining how Pinterest became a hub for expression and saw some of the most rapid social media growth since Facebook.
The largest problem with pictures is that they can only convey a still image. If you want to communicate an experience with others, a video does a much better job of portraying reality. YouTube is currently the king of online videos and they’ve been including some new features to help build it as a social media outlet, but it still lacks the necessary ingredients to make it more than a video hosting site.
This is where Tout comes in. Tout is a unique combination of YouTube and Twitter that allows users to create short 15 second clips, referred to as “Touts”, that are posted to the site for anyone to browse. At first, this seems somewhat like YouTube with a time limit, but it actually offers quite a bit more with its included social network features. If users already have a Facebook or Twitter, sign up is as easy as linking Tout to your account. Once you register, you’re rerouted to the home page where you can start making your own Touts. Anyone can create a Tout as long as they have access to a video recording device; and with cameras in cell phones, computers, laptops, and tablets, it’s hard not to nowadays.
Like Twitter, each user is given a feed that displays the most recent updates about you or your followers. Users are allowed to filter their stream by hash tags in order to find Touts that are more relevant to their desired topic, or they can simply look at the day’s most recent touts from any user.
Tout has been adopted by a small handful of celebrities that are starting to bring some big attention to it. Last year, Shaquille O’ Neil spurred their fan base by releasing his retirement announcement on Tout. The recent agreement between Tout and the WWE for RAW 1000 has brought a lot of media attention, and it only seems to be growing with the addition of more big name celebrities like Kelly Rippa, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest.
Although Tout is pioneering a new concept in micro-blogging, its biggest drawback is the fact that major accounts with the most followers aren’t following anyone else. The main reason Twitter was able to cement itself as the original micro-blogging site was its two-way potential to converse. Without this two-way interaction, Tout seems like it may be lacking the “social” part of “social media,” However, Tout is still in its burgeoning stages and this could be remedied quite easily with some proper community involvement. But it brings to question that if it’s that hard to get celebrities to follow other people, are independent user’s publishing content that anyone else really wants to watch? Your average user-submitted video is usually done on a low quality with a tendency for poor camera angles, not something that’s likely to become a YouTube sensation.
Tout takes a new spin on micro-blogging with its focus on rich media, but it raises the question if it’s unique enough to carve out a niche in the social media universe. Since Google snapped up YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, and with Facebook following suit, recently buying Instagram for $1 billion, we have to wonder whether Tout may become the next major acquisition for one of social media’s current kings. They have a strong base and a lot of potential with some fresh ideas and multiple celebrity endorsements. Perhaps with a little more community involvement and a video correction application, Tout could one day grow to stand with the other titans of social media; assuming one of its gargantuan competitors doesn’t gobble it up first!
Want to give Tout a try? We’ve already got an account! Follow us on at www.tout.com/inexo
Jul 25, 2012 (300 days ago)
In the last 10 years, social media has grown at an astounding rate. Currently, many of the giants of social media are reaching their maturity, while some may even be on the decline. However, our current offerings have only left us wanting for more. While Facebook has the ability to add a number of applications that are customized for whatever function you desire, most of today’s rising social media outlets are offering unique services and giving people a new way to express themselves.
How long have you heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words? The rise of Pinterest shows a unique trend in social media. People are slowly using less verbal expression and are demonstrating a desire to use rich content; explaining how Pinterest became a hub for expression and saw some of the most rapid social media growth since Facebook.
The largest problem with pictures is that they can only convey a still image. If you want to communicate an experience with others, a video does a much better job of portraying reality. YouTube is currently the king of online videos and they’ve been including some new features to help build it as a social media outlet, but it still lacks the necessary ingredients to make it more than a video hosting site.
This is where Tout comes in. Tout is a unique combination of YouTube and Twitter that allows users to create short 15 second clips, referred to as “Touts”, that are posted to the site for anyone to browse. At first, this seems somewhat like YouTube with a time limit, but it actually offers quite a bit more with its included social network features. If users already have a Facebook or Twitter, sign up is as easy as linking Tout to your account. Once you register, you’re rerouted to the home page where you can start making your own Touts. Anyone can create a Tout as long as they have access to a video recording device; and with cameras in cell phones, computers, laptops, and tablets, it’s hard not to nowadays.
Like Twitter, each user is given a feed that displays the most recent updates about you or your followers. Users are allowed to filter their stream by hash tags in order to find Touts that are more relevant to their desired topic, or they can simply look at the day’s most recent touts from any user.
Tout has been adopted by a small handful of celebrities that are starting to bring some big attention to it. Last year, Shaquille O’ Neil spurred their fan base by releasing his retirement announcement on Tout. The recent agreement between Tout and the WWE for RAW 1000 has brought a lot of media attention, and it only seems to be growing with the addition of more big name celebrities like Kelly Rippa, Jeff Probst, and Ryan Seacrest.
Although Tout is pioneering a new concept in micro-blogging, its biggest drawback is the fact that major accounts with the most followers aren’t following anyone else. The main reason Twitter was able to cement itself as the original micro-blogging site was its two-way potential to converse. Without this two-way interaction, Tout seems like it may be lacking the “social” part of “social media,” However, Tout is still in its burgeoning stages and this could be remedied quite easily with some proper community involvement. But it brings to question that if it’s that hard to get celebrities to follow other people, are independent user’s publishing content that anyone else really wants to watch? Your average user-submitted video is usually done on a low quality with a tendency for poor camera angles, not something that’s likely to become a YouTube sensation.
Tout takes a new spin on micro-blogging with its focus on rich media, but it raises the question if it’s unique enough to carve out a niche in the social media universe. Since Google snapped up YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, and with Facebook following suit, recently buying Instagram for $1 billion, we have to wonder whether Tout may become the next major acquisition for one of social media’s current kings. They have a strong base and a lot of potential with some fresh ideas and multiple celebrity endorsements. Perhaps with a little more community involvement and a video correction application, Tout could one day grow to stand with the other titans of social media; assuming one of its gargantuan competitors doesn’t gobble it up first!
Want to give Tout a try? We’ve already got an account! Follow us on at www.tout.com/inexo
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4 Tips on How Facebook Can Help Your Nonprofit
Jun 28, 2012 (327 days ago)
Jun 28, 2012 (327 days ago)
Unless you have been living under a rock, it is to no one’s surpris
e or astonishment that Facebook has literally taken over the world. Since launching in 2004, Facebook has gained over 845 million active user globally (facebook.com). Facebook has been a Mecca of incriminating photos, reconnections to long lost high school friends and a constant stream of information, tid bits and isms. But like Google, Facebook has opened its horizons up to the power of social good. In 2011, Facebook launched a resource center to help non-profits utilize the social media platform. The page includes quick tips, educational materials, tutorials and downloadable user guides aimed at raising awareness, fundraising and creating an online community specifically through the social network (facebook.com).
Today, there are over 30,000 non-profits using Facebook Pages. Below are four quick tips and tricks to help your nonprofit leverage the power of Facebook.
1. Have a Strategy
Any Tom, Dick or Harry can take to the pages of Facebook and regurgitate information. For a nonprofit to be effective, the campaign needs a strategy. The social media universe wants something to relate to: a genuine, community-minded engagement that sparks conversation and a reason to get involved in a cause (Huffington Post). Have a collaborative discussion with those that know you best (staff, board members, volunteers, supporters) and determine how your social media presence will embody the mission of your organization and how it will be expressed. Determine how to be relatable, not just promotional.
2. Know Your Success and Measure It
Facebook is an open book. If someone likes your activity or something that you post, you will know. Keep track of what you do, how you do it and how it is received via Likes, Shares and comments. This will allow you to monitor what kind of activity will stir the most traffic, in turn building your online community.
3. Make it a One-Stop-Shop
Instead of relying on the user to find your website like a needle in a haystack, Facebook provides you a venue to quickly and effectively broadcast information to an ever expanding and already established audience (TechSoup). Integrating your page with video content, interviews, testimonials, and success stories will help to personalize and share your nonprofit’s story with the world and generate support for your cause. Allowing event information and registration and volunteer opportunities Utilizing Facebook to share upcoming events and encourage event participation will not only increase ease of use for your followers, but will save you the time, energy and resources that would be required to update your own site.
4. Have Fun and Start the Conversation
This is a great opportunity to expose your agency to a worldwide audience. Have fun with it! Make the user experience as enjoyable as possible with catchy posts, powerful images and thought provoking questions.
e or astonishment that Facebook has literally taken over the world. Since launching in 2004, Facebook has gained over 845 million active user globally (facebook.com). Facebook has been a Mecca of incriminating photos, reconnections to long lost high school friends and a constant stream of information, tid bits and isms. But like Google, Facebook has opened its horizons up to the power of social good. In 2011, Facebook launched a resource center to help non-profits utilize the social media platform. The page includes quick tips, educational materials, tutorials and downloadable user guides aimed at raising awareness, fundraising and creating an online community specifically through the social network (facebook.com). Today, there are over 30,000 non-profits using Facebook Pages. Below are four quick tips and tricks to help your nonprofit leverage the power of Facebook.
1. Have a Strategy
Any Tom, Dick or Harry can take to the pages of Facebook and regurgitate information. For a nonprofit to be effective, the campaign needs a strategy. The social media universe wants something to relate to: a genuine, community-minded engagement that sparks conversation and a reason to get involved in a cause (Huffington Post). Have a collaborative discussion with those that know you best (staff, board members, volunteers, supporters) and determine how your social media presence will embody the mission of your organization and how it will be expressed. Determine how to be relatable, not just promotional.
2. Know Your Success and Measure It
Facebook is an open book. If someone likes your activity or something that you post, you will know. Keep track of what you do, how you do it and how it is received via Likes, Shares and comments. This will allow you to monitor what kind of activity will stir the most traffic, in turn building your online community.
3. Make it a One-Stop-Shop
Instead of relying on the user to find your website like a needle in a haystack, Facebook provides you a venue to quickly and effectively broadcast information to an ever expanding and already established audience (TechSoup). Integrating your page with video content, interviews, testimonials, and success stories will help to personalize and share your nonprofit’s story with the world and generate support for your cause. Allowing event information and registration and volunteer opportunities Utilizing Facebook to share upcoming events and encourage event participation will not only increase ease of use for your followers, but will save you the time, energy and resources that would be required to update your own site.
4. Have Fun and Start the Conversation
This is a great opportunity to expose your agency to a worldwide audience. Have fun with it! Make the user experience as enjoyable as possible with catchy posts, powerful images and thought provoking questions.
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