Social Media Classics

I have found this Social Media class to to fun and creative in many ways. I am happy I chose to take this course and that my fellow classmates were cool people. Through class lessons, readings, and projects I have created my own "Top 10 Best Social Media Practices" :

1. Facebook- I find this to be one of my favorites. It brings me together with my friends through pictures, status updates, and being able to comment on anything my little heart desires. I use this the most for my social networking.
2. Twitter- I like how this is easy to use and you can hashtag things. It helps collaborate with people on the same subjects and allows for further though/discussion.
3. Blogger- This is a great way to share your thoughts with others and vent about anything you want. Businesses have been able to learn how to use it as an advantage to gain popularity.

4. YouTube- I could spend hours on this social site. With so many videos to watch such as viral videos and music, it is easy access to entertainment. Without YouTube the world would be a little less exciting.
5. Skype- I still use Skpye on my laptop. It is easy to just see a friend from far away and brings long distance relationships close. I find Skype as a big innovation to where we are today.
6. Google- I live on this site. It is my starting point to all information. I use it for papers and my personal use to find facts and fun stuff. I see this site staying around for a very long time.
7. Instagram- I do not personally have this app but I still love it when I play with it on my friend's phones. It is fun and everyone loves pictures. It allows us to keep memories and share them with friends.

Instagram Picture!

8. ITunes- This is my favorite music program. I can use gift cards for it which makes it easy and every song, movie, show is available for me to buy and put easily on my ipod.
9. Picasa- I love this Google picture program. It allows me not only to buy pictures but lets me edit them ius crazy ways and then share them on social media sites like Facebook.
10. Rotten Tomatoes- this is a social media site for movies that I am on everyday learning about upcoming movies and how well they did in the box office. you get to give your own rating a comment about anything you want. Very interactive.

Virtal Reaity

I agree with Rhonda that we can create an identity based on our social profiles and pages. Often based on what you write and talk about, people can have an image of what you look like in their heads, but really you are so different from that! She showed an example of this by holding up a picture of her virtual self to the audience. What you get in the virtual world, may not be what reality is.

In the quarter we talked about being able to create a "false" identities through what you post on you social networks. For example, we discussed how someone can look so gorgeous on their Facebook page but once you see them in real life, they look beyond normal and totally normal. That is because some people only put up the best pictures of them to give others a certain "image" of who they are. Sometimes it can be positive and other times negative. Another thing we have discussed is connecting with others. Through this virtual world people can connect with so many more people and companies. You can gain connections and exposure from this world and not even have to be there. You can be in the comfort of your own home while presenting yourself virtually in various parts of the world. Another concept is how to build your social networking. This is another way to get your business heard and relate to others. Virtual applications can come from this making it bigger than ever. Being able to see yourself virtual on you IPhone could be very fun and really get everyone interesting. 

Through all of this I understand so much more from our class. I understand that social media is always growing and will continue to grow because new ideas are always being generated. I feel that I now know how influential social media can be and how important it is to present it positively and creatively in order for it to catch on in the public.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9LU0hJc7zVc

Twitter App!

Sadly, I am one of those people who have yet to have a smartphone. The things my cell is capable of is extremely limited. I have never been one to enjoy apps like so many other people do. Since my phone can not do anything with applications, I use my Ipod. The only app I have on it is Twitter. I find it to be a very useful app for me to use because I am some one who likes to vent. So I can just write a quick little "tweet" and feel much better about myself. Its quick, convenient, and fun. It keeps me very social and connected with my friends and family. I can tweet to my friends and they can tweet right back! I feel the purpose of this app is keep everyone using Twitter as much as possible and staying interactive with it. I love it and am glad they have it!

 

 By March 2010, the company recorded over 70,000 registered applications and by June over 65 million tweets were being sent per day and March 2011 140 million per day, proving that this app as become very successful. The creators are the same people who created the Twitter page online which include the founders Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone. As of March of this year Twitter had 140 million registered followers. To promote the app it is seen on TV shows such as American Idol where you can tweet your favorite contestant through a twitter account that comes across the screen, magazines, phone commercials, and online ads.

What's Happening?? 9 Fest!!

Weekends at OU can be repetitive. Being that there is not much to do within walking distance, our options for weekend activities are limited to mostly drinking. While it can be fun to just let loose and leave the stress of the week behind, sometimes being with the same people everyday of the week can get boring.  This past weekend of 9 Fest however, was the best time I have had in a long while. My sister came to visit me and it could not have been more fun. We are twins so everyone we hung out with was the same age and had similar things in common. Here are some highlights of the weekend:

1. PigSkin for dinner Friday night
2. Oatmeal Cookie Shots
3. Prime time 8pm-9pm
4. Chocolate cake
5. J-BAR!!! (The Junction)
6. 9 Fest!!!
7. Walk home from 9 Fest...
8. Subway for Lunch
9. Smacking some Goofballs around
10. Kardashian TV marathon

 Twin sister Taylor!

I am so happy the last real party weekend of the year happened to of been one of my favorites! I got to try some new foods (including Insomnia Cookies) and enjoy the company of my sister by my side. I wouldn't have changed a thing about this weekend!!! Now it is study time for the rest of the year. I will have officially left my Junior year in a bang though!

Last party at Milliron :(

Social Innovation

Brogan has numerous and insightful suggestions about consistency in social media practice. I agree with him that creating a social media account, such as Twitter, for your organization or self needs to be more than just a page with you name and information on it. It has to have goals too. He provides fifty steps in Chapter 77 of his book that include ideas for starting out, augmenting your efforts, and writing your next steps.

One point he made is #5. Get a second person in the company to build accounts on these places just so you have backups in case you get busy. This allows you to share the responsibility of maintaining these sites, but it also will serve as an innovator. The audience you are trying to reach will get the view of the company from multiple perspectives and reach more people because each person can have a different but large group of followers which can result in doubling the size of the audience that hears about and follows the company. Another point is #6. Build an editorial calendar to think about your posting schedule and subject matter. This is very important because if you do not keep up consistently with your social media postings, people will lose the urge to go to your site and read new things because they feel you yourself are not putting in the effort to report information. You need to see your networks as a huge marketing opportunity and therefore you need to keep the audience involved and interested.

Another big point is #19. Continue building relationships beyond your specific need. Don't try to build relationships only with customers. Building relationships is the most important thing in getting your company out there. You never know what one person could do for you or when favors will be asked. The more relationships you build, the more well known you will become and the more others will market your business and help innovate your products through partnerships. Another good point he makes is #21. To create consistent content, read daily, and not just within your industry. Skim, synthesize, and post. This is crucial in order to stay up to date with what is going on in the world and businesses like yours. You need to know what consumers want and how your competitors are competing in the market. This for instance, could let you know if you need to change your marketing techniques. The more you read the more you will know. The last point I like is #32. Branch out your blogging into video and audio where appropriate. Adding videos and sounds is one of the best innovations in social networking because it involves the consumers more and keeps them more intrigued because they get to see products and people of them company rather than only reading plain boring text on a page.

TED Gone Bad

I personally am not on board with this new technology. Having an object or system that can connect the brain with real life actions seems like it should be cool, but I have an opposite opinion. I do not feel that this technology is good for the future of people. It will make us beyond lazy. People think that our American culture is lazy now just wait! There will be no need to leave the couch and we will all end up weighing about 300 pounds a piece. I also found it to be a very slow technology that I would have zero patients for.

 Comfy?

This is a social age of FAST FAST FAST and this to me is nothing but SLOW SLOW SLOW. This is a huge disadvantage of the product. Everyone wants things done five minutes before we even realize we need something done. I find it to be time consuming and annoying to have that head set on my head. It is uncomfortable and unnecessary when I have two perfectly working legs that can get something instead of me just visualizing it and it happening ten minutes later. I see this as something that would be an "isolating" feature. We would stop getting up and moving therefore feeling that everything we need can just come to you instead of you making an effort. We will participate more in personal awareness, but greatly decline in our social lives. I would not be surprised if some people would choose to stay home with this technology verses hanging and going out with friends or family. However, looking at advantages of this technology, one could say it has potential. Yes it has been able to accomplish something nothing else has. It challenges the brain in a whole new way and it is very cool to see in the moment. The thing about this, is that it can be developed more and can eventually be turned into something that is fast and accurate in command.This is the potential advantage it could have.

      Our Future

What is On My Mind

Well now, I am overly angry at Blogger because this is now going to be my third attempt of doing this blog post. Every time I went to put a picture on it would freeze and not let me do anything. So here I go again. It will only be writing which I love anyway. What else is on my mind is summer. I am so excited to not be doing any homework and just enjoy getting tan, relaxing, and working. Only fave weeks away! I do love being at school too though because I have so many friends here and I have the freedom to live my life the way I want it. Being with my family though and away from my roommates will be a dream come true. I need a break from them for sure!

Another thing on my mind is the engagement announcement of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Angelina has always been my favorite actress and I admire so much of what she does for communities around the world. If I ever became a celebrity stalker it would be for her! Brad Pitt is also a hottie but professionally, I have to say she takes the cake for me. I will be waiting impatiently to see wedding pictures in the magazine for this wedding of the year.

The last thing that has been taking up my mind space is my internship with PromoWest Productions this summer. I just found out that I was accepted last week and could not be more excited. I find it hilarious somewhat too because my passion in life are movies. To be working for a music industry blows my mind! It is out of my element but I am more excited than I ever thought I would be. Another reason why I can't wait for summer!

 Ahhhh Summertime :)

Comments & Classmmates

I liked what Brogan said in Chapter 73 about leaving comments. Even though you may visit hundreds of blogs each day, you are really only doing good if you leave a thoughtful and decent one. Just because you read the bog, does not mean you must comment on it. The person who wrote it will get much more out of a good comment then one that is just there to add space.

In addition to my blog, I have commented on three classmate's blogs that are fabulous individuals.
Here they are:
 Carly Straight
 Carolyn Shea
 Jenny Alu

My Super Awesome Media Class

I feel I am learning new things from this course, but more than that I feel I am just going deeper into what I already knew or had heard about. For example I have and know about Facebook but through discussions in class I have learned different ways to use it, how corporations/businesses may use it, and fun little stuff I never took the time to notice before. My favorite concept has been talking about the blogs. I had a blog for another class and it was used just to write my feelings on for English 470J. I already knew how to make it pretty and appealing to the eye but I never knew how to do other things such as taking a snap shot of a page or putting pictures on my page. Learning how companies use blogs was also very interesting to learn.

The most boring thing I have learned was about the Tag Clouds. I do not know if I even fully understand what they are yet but I was not connecting with the subject at all. It was just dry and I had no interest in the subject. I like things to be fun and exciting but Tag Clouds to me seem too simple to have a discussion on.

I can take what I am learning from class and start improving my blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. in many ways. I can add links, pictures, images, tags, etc. to them to make them more interactive with my followers and friends. If anything , I have learned how to protect my material (privacy) and come off more professional to those reading my posts. While blogging can be a fun activity, you never know who will see it and what opportunities it will bring for you.

 I have added this picture because this is now the new background on my Twitter page. It was plain with just colors so I wanted something new that represented me more. I am a hopeless romantic so I thought this was perfect!

Wikia Wikia

What I was able to take away from Brogan was for one, there are so many tools you can use for businesses or your job. By listing in his toolkit examples of listening, search, social profile, etc. I was able to understand the meaning and purposes of each one more. There are so many ways to use these tools to your advantage. Through photo and video sharing you can post visuals that express the story of your company making the readers more engaged. Society today lives on their cellphones so by adding Utterli as a tool, you can post anything and text about your company or job on the spot to keep it very up to date. These tools can all act as the foundation for what makes your business/organization because it starts communication with the outside world and gets people chatting about you. They also help you keep track of what is going on with your job by being able to keep a journal or notes that are hidden from others. Organization is key in keeping a successful blog.

I find Wikis to be a good tool for collaborating with others on a specific topic but overall I do not feel I can take them too seriously.  They are a source like Wikipedia that you can find really good information on but not 100% reliable being most can be subject to change. I feel it is worth the investment if you are passionate about what you have created because it brings people together to discuss topics and find people who love what you love. Wikis to me serve as the ultimate blog because it is free to change and not limited to what you write about, but it should be factual. Personally I do not see myself creating one or really following them either.

A Wiki that interests me is "Healthy Recipes Wiki" and some topics of discussion are Gluten-Free lifestyles, the "Weekly Dish", and healthy living. These are most likely the prominent topics right now because due to Miley Cyrus coming out saying she is on a gluten-free diet, many have criticized her for it and it has become a hot tabloid topic. I think the weekly dish is something the readers look forward to each week so they can try new recipes and healthy living is always a topic because it is important that your body is on a healthy track. The wiki is very easy to read giving headings above each post and all videos/extra content to the sides. It is not an attractive page. It is bland with very little color and exciting pictures. I would suggest livening it up through bright colors. This wiki is publicized/promoted through culture and lifestyle. It is easy to find on on Wiki site and is one of the top choices for lifestyle within the community section. That is how it first caught my eye because it was on the home page and easy to see. Other than that it is hard to see where else it was promoted from.

Kourtney K. Blog Review

The primary blogger of the site "Kourtney Kardashian" is Kourtney herself. It is her official blog she has created and uses for anyone to use and see. She started blogging after hearing how much fun her sisters Kim and Khloe were having blogging on theirs. She likes having her blog to keep up with fans, share stories and thoughts, and post pictures of her day to day life. Kourtney is a reality star who had first risen to fame through her family's show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" and from there has taken her success into her own hands. She is a successful business woman with her sisters as co-owners to multiple clothing lines and small endorsement deals. She seems to have two goals for her blog. First she wants her fans to get to know her better and let them know she is just like everyone else. Now a Mom to her son Mason and expecting again this Spring, she wants to connect with a wider audience such as mothers and share her experiences about being a Mom. She posts pictures of family outing, her son at the playground, and recipes that she says her family enjoys. The other goal of her blog is to market her clothing lines and businesses. She will keep her followers up to date on new apparel that will be hitting the stores, their new swimsuit line that just launched, and opportunities to win free merchandise.

http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/

Her blog would be a mix of a celebrity blog and a business blog. She keeps it very fun and lighthearted so that it is fun to browse through her pictures, read her posts, and easy to comment on what you see. She is a very well known person that everyone in America most likely has heard of so her blog can be a tool to see her fashion trends, who she hangs out with, or what new diet she is trying so you can be more like her. It is business too however because you can use her blog to learn about her businesses and when things are going on sale and where. You can also see her schedule of book signings or appearances. Her blog is organized in a professional manner. Her titles are fun and right to the point. For example her newest ones are "Happy National Siblings Day!" and "Shocking Pink Lips". Her paragraphs are not chunky but short and sweet. She does not drown you with detail about her topics nor does she fall off track in what she talks about. A nice thing about her blog is she does not have advertisements that pop up in the middle of the screen and most of her add-ons are promoting her Reality TV shows, stores, or books. She has a simple header that you can click "Home", "Gallery", "Press", etc. that makes it very easy to navigate your way around the site. She links a lot to her sister's blogs but not anyone else I could find, so she keeps it very family oriented. She does write back sometimes to followers and will share with them good places to eat, find recipes, or other cute things others may not have heard of. I find her blog to be informative and overall fun to look at.

My Social Networks

I am a Facebook junkie. I absolutely love it. I use it to stay connected with all of my friends going as far back as middle school as well as family members I only get to see every few years due to distance. It is easy for me to use because everything is laid out perfectly for me such as where to write my status, add pictures, write on others walls, and more. I am not that great at using technology but Facebook makes sure its easy for everyone to use. My favorite part about Facebook is how it incorporates pictures. It really helps me get to know others better cause I can see them in their environments. The site recently just changed by adding a bigger picture at the top. While I love a lot going on on my wall, I wouldn't change anything about it right now because it might get too crowded where I won't know what is going on or what I am looking at. I do not like the News Feed page that much because every time I try to scroll down and read others posts it skips around and can never keep up. It annoys me to the point that I hardly read anything else beyond what I see when I first log in. It is extremely collaborative because everyone is commenting on everyone else's comments and statuses, adding their inputs and opinions on subjects. We are able to post videos and news stories on our pages and it catches the interests of people and creates discussions about them.

 My Facebook Account

Twitter is another social network that I use but I do not use as often. I still use it but I do not "tweet" as much as most people. Maybe on the weekends I will post something and I have only posted one picture while others practically have albums on their pages. I just do not find it as interactive. This site is all about posting a status as many times a day as you want. On Facebook people write sentences about song lyrics or what they are doing that day while on Twitter it could range from what someones favorite socks are to where they are eating that moment. That is what makes it different though. It is colorful and gives you a vibe of being chill and calm. It allows you to just vent about what is on your mind and not feel pressured about if others will like it or not. If I were to change something about this sight it would be to choose who you see more posts from on the homepage. I feel like when I log in, I read posts about people I do not care about and even though my good friends post all the time, their posts do not show up hardly ever. Considering how much other people like it and use it, I think I may start trying to use it more and find myself adapted to it.

My Twitter Account

Google Blog

 

My goals for this class are to be an interactive as possible. I find communication to be very important in any field, especially media, because it is nice to hear the ideas and opinions of others about varies topics. I hope that this is a class with a lot of talking instead of lecture because I feel I have so much to say about so much. My goal is also to form strong bonds with my classmates. My goals for this blog is to make it creative and meaningful. I want it to be insightful but also fun and a reflection of myself. I want my blog to be educational, entertaining, and provide insights for those who read it. Blogs are a great way to network too. you never know how many or who will be reading what you say.

Google can be so fun to play with especially with all of the gadgets it has to offer. One gadget I like the most is the "Share It" gadget which I added to the top of my blog. This allows visitors to my blog posts on their social networks like Facebook or Twitter. This affects the design of my blog because it is the first thing people will see. I like that because they know right away that if they like my post they can easily share it with others. The second gadget I chose was "Cheeky Quotes" and placed it on the right hand side of the page. I did this because it represents my personality which is funny and light hearted just like my posts are. By putting it to the right side it is more out of the way though and not in reader's face which I like.

The Meaning of Megan

I am Junior in Media Management and see my education as a very important tool to a successful career. I have long blonde hair which I love. I have had almost every hair color including red, all shades of brown, and mixes of high/low-lights. Nothing compares to my blonde hair though. It completes my personality because it is fun and bright just like my humor and facial expressions. I love being a person who is lively, free, and outgoing. I also value honesty and trust very much. Both our a necessity for any type of relationship. My favorite activities to do are running, shopping, talking, going out on weekends, watching sport games, traveling, and watching movie trailers online. My latest obsession is my Kindle Fire. It is AMAZING! I can watch all sorts of TV shows and movies for free. Some people are obsessed with their phones, but I am obsessed with my Fire. I prefer cloudy days verses sunny days, but getting tan is just as important as chocolate is to me which is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!!! I need chocolate everyday in order to live. My family and friends also mean the absolute world to me. Without them I would totally be a crazy person in the worst way.

  

  I am in this class because I saw the word "social" as apart of the course name and was sold. I love Facebook and Twitter. I am on Facebook twenty times a day and I have started "Tweeting" like crazy about the most random things. I find the social media world to be so creative and ever changing that I am looking forward to what we will discuss everyday. My goal for this class is to be an interactive as possible. I had such a fun time meeting and talking to everyone in the Facebook Likes game we played in class. I hope that this is a class with a lot of talking instead of lecture because I feel I have so much to say about so much. I also expect to form strong bond with my classmates. I find media students to have the most creative minds making them the most interesting people on the planet as a whole.

 Movies are the love of my life. Media as a major for myself was literally the only option. I decided I wanted to be in the film business since I was 12. I collect movie stubs, own hundreds of movies (never have bought a full priced movie...rip off!), and movie posters fill the walls in my room. I enjoy learning about the production and creativity that goes into creating a film or TV show. Media is perfect for me.