Google Helpouts

Social media sites aren’t the only ones always looking  to expand – search engines are doing the same! Through a new application Google is offering a service that will help you learn how to cook, play the guitar, apply makeup and much more. Before Helpouts, users depended on Youtube tutorials to learn new skills; however, the help wasn’t always specific to the users need. Google fixed that. Now you can pay an allotted amount to get individual help tailored to you. Check out the new service here   https://helpouts.google.com/home.

Is this something you would use? Why or why not?

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Emerging Media Etiquette

How many of you manage a company website? I am sure there are lots of us that do and at times are stumped at how to respond or even interact with followers. At times there is a disgruntled customer who uses your social media space as their personal space. Often times, there comes the time where followers ask questions and we are

unsure how to respond. So let’s share how we handle these situations! What do you do? Who do you consult?

Couponing in the Digital Age

A wave of couponers have taken the stage and shows like Extreme Coupons and similar shows have taken the lead – we aren’t the only ones that have noticed. Retailers have noticed and are using emerging media to target these consumers. The grocery store chain Safeway is currently using new media to appeal to the budget conscious. Through a new mobile application, customers can now download digital coupons that offer deeper savings – it gives customers the feeling that they belong to an exclusive club. Using new media like this helps company’s reach out and target customers they wouldn’t otherwise reach. What do you think about stores using these types of applications? Would you use it?

Sponsored friends?

While scrolling through your Facebook, Instagram or other social media feed do you wonder which why one of your friends is posting about a product or business? Chances are you aren’t reading for a friend posted, you are reading a sponsored post you didn’t know about. So the question here is do you mind theses sponsored posts? Do you feel they get in the way? Or do you enjoy reading up on new products or featured sales?

Involving an Audience

Merging media is responsible for an endless supply of kitty videos and the rise of memes. Cat videos and weird photobombing aside, emerging media has brought two very important things closer: a brand and it’s customer/audience. Through hastags, social networks and portable devices, companies are now able to connect directly with their audiences.

One of the best examples is Jimmy’s Kimmel Late Night Youtube challenges that I’m sure many of you out there have seen – if not check out the video above. The late night show has amassed a solid following while constantly picking up new viewers – success! Do you think a brand’s effort to connect with audiences is just a hot trend? Think it will stay? Do you know of other cool examples?

We are all about photos

After doing news rounds a few days ago, I came across a story from NPR – a picture based one (who doesn’t enjoy a picture saturated post?). Every month the radio station launches a photo challenge where listeners submit their personal photos, which are then featured on their website as well as social media sites. Last month it was a “Show us your commute to work” photo challenge. The photo above is one of these entries – what an awesome picture, no?

This NPR challenge exemplifies the role photos play in all of our emerging media communications. We are all about photography these days and it shows in emerging media tools like Instagram, Snap chat and features on Facebook.  Basically, we are all about photos.

Graphics…everywhere.

I’m sure you’ve linked to them, read them and somehow stumbled upon one on Facebook, Twitter and all of the above: Infographics! Yes, the often times stylish, informative and fun to read information supplier – I’m talking about those. The infographic has gained some serious momentum, everything from learning about a company’s financial gain to websites dedicated to these snapshots. While we know that readers enjoy gaining information in this new method but what is one reason you like these new information vehicles? Or loath them? Share your thoughts in the comments! In the mean time, check out this blog with a daily infographic http://dailyinfographic.com