Here at Social Driver we love technology and exploring the latest trends and how they could be used to benefit our customers. To make sure we’re keeping up with the latest technology, our company meets every Tuesday to talk about “Hot Topics.”
The most recent tech trend to catch our eye is Vine. Vine is a new app that allows iPhone users (sorry Droid lovers) to turn photos into short videos and share with their friends. The videos, similar in style to animated GIFs, range from funny art to advertising. Now that Vine has been around for a couple weeks, organizations are getting in on the action and posting fun videos with Vine as a new way to share content with their audience.
Could this new trend be used for your organization? Here are some things to consider when evaluating whether to use Vine to connect with your organization’s audience:
1) Are most of your audience members actively using Twitter? – Vine was developed by a Twitter-owned company and currently can only be shared over Twitter feeds, not on Facebook. If your audience is actively engaging others through Twitter, Vine could be a great option for connecting with them.
2) How concise is the message you want to deliver? – Vine videos are only 6 seconds long which means you have to get your message across within the blink of an eye. This still leaves time for making an impression, but it must be thought out and intentional.
3) How much time can you commit to planning and execution? – Even though the videos are short, the impact can be lasting. You should plan your Vine content and message just as you would messages communicated through other means of social media. There should be an obvious message and call to action for viewers of your Vine videos
If you decide to explore marketing with Vine we’d love to see your videos in the comments below! Feel free to reach out to us at info@socialdriver.com if you would like information on how we could help your organization use technology to reach your target audience.
Around here, we like creative ideas to circulate the office on a daily basis. To keep you in the loop, we will post our favorite links each week. This week’s What We’re Reading offers tips on your favorite social media tools to keep you on your toes with the latest happenings!
A Social Media Evangelist’s Survival Guide
Alexandra Samuel from the Harvard Business Review Blog writes how early social media adopters can share their love of new media without overwhelming their co-workers. These are 8 helpful ways for going against the grain in acceptable and welcoming ways. If you see yourself as ahead of the new media game in your office, read this article to help tone down your excitement in ways that others can understand.
8 More Key Insights Won’t Hurt, Right?
8 is the magic number today as Haydn Shaughnessy from Forbes emphasizes the importance of social media measurement. This article has great detail to pair perfectly with the infographic below. Shaughnessy shares specific tools and strategies that are useful when measuring your data. He also advises which measurements take prominence in your business and how you can monitor these more closely.
Infographic: How to Perform a Social Audit
Awareness Inc. created an easy-to-follow infographic for a quick lesson in social media auditing. Not sure if your social strategy is working? Whether you need a refresher on Facebook or Twitter, this infographic is for you. Learn how to analyze your competitor’s numbers and start comparing to make changes of your own.
Make The Most of Twitter’s Makeover
Amber Mac from Fast Company teaches us how to use Twitter’s new features to show off your professional personality. Mac writes about 3 key focuses with suggestions for your new profile options. So, go create a header, update your profile picture, and improve your photo stream for even more social media presence.
Do You Access Social Media While On The Job?
If you just took the advice from above and edited your Twitter photo, than you may be a part of the 75% of workers who access social media while on the job. Blogger John Hollon at TLNT discusses the amount of workers who use social media throughout the day regardless of their company policies that say not to.
Imagine walking into a networking reception, standing in the corner with a bullhorn, passing out 50 of your business cards to strangers without even saying hello to them, and leaving the event. How many new business leads do you think would materialize the next day? Probably none.
In an offline context, it’s pretty clear that passing out 50 of your business cards to strangers is anti-social. However, people seem to forget this lesson when communicating in the digital space with social media tools.
Imagine an organization that tweets 50 times per week – links to its website, announcements about upcoming events – without mentioning another Twitter user, using hashtags, replying to others, or retweeting. Perhaps the tweets are not even posted by an individual, but instead are shared automatically each time a press release is posted to the organization’s website. No one even logs in to see if anyone has tried to engage with them. Unfortunately, too many organizations use Twitter in this way. And unbeknownst to them, they are engaging in the futile equivalent of passing out business cards at a networking event without so much as a hello or a smile.
Offline, you’re delightful, you’re engaging, and you’re the life of the party! Online, you’re dull, you’re self-centered, and you’re anti-social.
If you or your organization seeks to use social media tools like Twitter to engage your audience and build a community, then think about what it would take to amaze people at a networking event! Ask yourself these questions:
This post continues our series of Being a Successful Entrepreneur in DC Tech – Part 1.
We picked our three entrepreneurs’ brains for the best of the social web. They spilled the beans on everything from Twitter accounts they follow to their favorite Tumblr to where they check-in the most.
Charles Moore
Tech Company Founder
Charles has declared his love for Uber’s mobile app. “It’s about the only [app]” he needs. Uber’s app allows you to request a ride right from your phone. Far from a taxi service, Uber typically delivers you a black Lincoln Town Car, so you can arrive at your destination fashionably. Charles heads to his favorite Tumblr, Running a Startup, when he needs a good laugh. He also checks out @SarahKSilverman’s “offensively hilarious” Twitter feed. Elsewhere in the Twittersphere, @DCEdFund keeps him informed on what’s going on in the DC public education world. He also enjoys following his college roommate, @jonmorosi, a Fox Sports national baseball writer. Venture Beat, TechCrunch, and Hackers News keep him updated on the latest tech news.
Borys Senyk
Co-Founder and Acting CTO, Blueshift Local Inc. and Technical Advisor, Hinge
Borys isn’t into Tumblr, but he does like blogs similarly designed, like copyranter. He’s not much of a Twitter fan either and prefers sites that aggregate, like Jason Kottke. So what is Borys into, exactly? Borys checks out his Google Reader 2-3x each day for his tech news – his news sources of choice are The Verge and Venture Beat. He also enjoys checking out Quora where experts offer their perspectives to answer questions in surprising ways. He finds it more intellectual than the dribble you find in comments sections of other websites. In terms of checking-in, Borys is very interesting in the concept of meshing online life with physical life. He is currently seeking “a way [to check-in] that facilitates interactions with other people.”
Seth Halpern
Founder, SqoreCard
Seth is also a fan of TechCrunch and follows them on Twitter. His two other favorite Twitter accounts to follow? @LOLGOP and @ClintonNews. @LOLGOP parodies the political views of the Republican Party while @ClintonNews is the unofficial news source for all things Hillary Clinton. It just so happens that Seth’s favorite Tumblr is Texts From Hillary. You can find Seth checking into his local gym, Vida, or SqoreCard headquarters on foursquare – does this guy ever sleep?! Seth was especially excited to describe his most favorite app, Rdio, which is a Spotify competitor built to be more social. You can build a collection of your favorite tunes or create the perfect playlist for those long nights coding.
Social Driver sends special thanks Charles, Borys, and Seth for dedicating their time and offering their insights to our blog. We are excited to hear where their entrepreneurial successes take them in DC’s tech world.
