Old School vs New School

Traditional Media vs. Social Media

Bryce Brinkman

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1602/new-media-review-differences-from-traditional-press

http://inklingmedia.net/social-media/social-media-vs-traditional-media/

            There is a constant conversation of the “Big 3” media (television, newspaper, and radio) and how it can either compete or mesh with the new beasts of media especially Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and blogs in general. Some more traditional people argue that the “Big 3” will never be replaced due to their long reaching audiences. But as we have seen with newspaper and radio followers declining we can see how failure to intergrade in the new “social” world can prove disastrous.

            A study by the Pew Research Center has shown us that people are discussing different things than what the traditional media is focusing on. The main differences are in the areas of science and technology. Traditional media talks about these combined about 2% of the time where on all types of new media they are discussed almost 20% of the time. This may be one of two things I think:
1. Traditional media is focusing on the wrong topics. Or
2. Traditional media is focusing on demographics that make up the majority of viewers which is the older generation and the newer generation cares much more about science and technology.
I think its the second. This can only be short loved goals though because when the older generation dies off then what?
The second article talks about how traditional marketing is like throwing a wide cast and hoping to catch the right people and social media is now a direct targeting of your audience. I would like to alter that a little bit. Traditional marketing can guarantee that you will find the right people but social media "can" be just as effective and is a lot cheaper. 

Blogging

Blogging

Bryce Brinkman

http://kykernel.com/2011/09/21/blogging-the-way-of-the-future/

http://www.webpronews.com/wordpress-follow-button-2011-09

            1 billion. This is about one in every seven people in the world. This is four times the amount of total cars plus, how many television sets we have here in the United States. This is how many people own a blog, and the numbers are rising. (It is good to note that Facebook, and Twitter are counted in these numbers as microblogs.)

            According to Elizabeth Suh, of the Kentucky Kernel, “With vast audiences and rapid publicity, blogging is the rising marketing medium.” I agree in the facts that this is not your normal “old-school” marketing. Blogs open a way for companies to start conversations with their customers, and a way to connect with them directly. This article also brings up the point of how students today should definably be familiar with blogging and that this will make them much more marketable for future employers. She also talks about how having a blog can show that you are competent in writing, public relation techniques, and creative thinking. “There’s a considerable advantage for college students to blog because it is the way of the future,” Guy Ramsey, a media relations assistant with UK athletics blog Cat Scratches, said. “A blog is like a time capsule; a blogging history shows the employer what you’re all about. It’s about community and networking.” A tip that Glenn Logan gives to win an audience is, "Identify your purpose. Before you begin, determine your interest, your field, your niche. Have relevant, incisive content. Take time, put up pictures, get help if you need, make it attractive. Do it correctly."

In other blogging related news: WordPress.com just announced that they will be adding a "follow" button onto the individual blogs so readers can now be updated when a new post is released. They predict that this will help increase page views and retention to specific blogs. I think that this is such a sweet idea because that was one thing I thought WordPress could improve on. I think that people will be more apt to continually checkup on their favorite blogs and companies now have a greater incentive to continue blog efforts on their site.

Social Media and Politics

Social Media and Politics

Bryce Brinkman

http://mashable.com/2010/11/01/future-social-media-politics/

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130873983

            These articles both talk about how social media is such a powerful tool in the upcoming elections, and how more “traditional” political advisors are underestimating it. Mashable.com talks about all the different types and mediums that are being used, remember the “medium is the message.” In comparison, npr.org, talks about how social media is being a huge part of politics and how by the election after this one that we may not even be talking about it because it will be so integrated already.

            Starting with Matt Silverman’s article from mashable.com, he goes into depth about how all these new social media tools are helping politicians connect in new ways. They are posting YouTube videos, tweeting multiple times a day, posting pictures on their Facebook page, and radically changing means of “talking” to their voters. He starts of with a great comparison of how when television was first used for campaigning how young employees were given the task of this “new” way of communication. Television would eventually go on to change the way we campaign and with it some people just could not even be a factor in elections. The ones who adapted quickly were the most successful. How close is this comparison to social media today?

            Linton Weeks, from npr.org, talks about the chatter around social media and politics in this upcoming election, and how in the one after, that we will not even be discussing it because it will become so integrated into the way we campaign. It can be shocking though to have such an open look into these politician’s lives. I think today’s generation wants to be able to connect closer with the people they are voting for and don’t want just the typical “perfect, professional” image. We want someone we can relate to and in campaigning I know that the “trust” factor is huge and by becoming a online friend with someone that is now the initial way to bulid that trust that can win the votes.  He also talks about these politicians are more hands on but cautions them to remember how this is a double-edge sword because you are sharing yourself with the world. People can take comments the wrong way, you cannot control what people say, and you may share more then people want to know. Balance in social media is key.

facebook.com/thaddeusmccotter

Social Media: The Big Seven

Social Media: The Big Seven

Google vs Facebook by the Numbers

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218177/Google_vs._Facebook_by_the_numbers

Facebook Flaw Lets You Hijack Page From Original Owner 

http://mashable.com/2011/09/05/facebook-flaw-hijack-page/#comment-17640299

            With over 750 million users spending over 6 hours per week on average (not including mobile devices), and over 50% of the users logging in on any given day, (facebook.com/statistics) you would think that everyone would love Facebook and that it would be a smooth running machine. Challenges have made this not so in the forms of privacy issues, difficult list use, spam, and now the flaw that lets you “hijack” a page from the original creator/owner. Stan Schroeder from, mashable.com, reports on the new found “flaw,” or as one of my professors humorously calls it, “feature.” This “feature” is that if you assign administrators to your page they have to power to remove you as an administrator. This is contradicting to the Facebook FAQ that says, “the original creator of the Page may never be removed by other Page admins.” This could have huge consequences in cases of disgruntled employees, defamation issues, and could potentially ruin a businesses social media presence. We understand if a friend’s Facebook gets hacked and are easy to forgive potentially offensive things, but if a business loses control of its page, it will not only lose followers (likers), but also may turn people against them. 

            This is just one example of a “flaw” but for some reason people continue to use Facebook regularly. But do these things effect what people think about Facebook? According to Sharon Machlis of, computerworld.com, the answer is yes. Her article states that Facebook users are unhappy with the services provided and goes into depth saying that Facebook scored, “in the bottom 5% of all measured private sector companies and in the same range as airlines and cable companies, two perennially low-scoring industries with terrible customer satisfaction." (American Customer Satisfaction Index) It is interesting that a company with such a low rating could have such a loyal and consistent base of users. I think that this shows that Facebook has become a necessity to people or as my mother would put it, “an addiction.” Now addiction may be a little extreme, but Facebook has become a tool that people use regularly. People have this as their photo album, personal journal, a way to get business, to promote, and of course a way to connect with people.  Facebook has also shown that it is necessary due to its continuing influence that it has on everyday life, and its continued rise in users. It has also shown resilience to competitors boasting “better” features such as Google+. This may sound a like a thesis statement but I would argue that Facebook, despite its flaws and low ratings, has proven that this is a necessity in today’s world especially for our generation, and that it would take a lot more then more to make Facebook no longer applicable or as some say, “the new MySpace.”