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[andersonmediagroup]

Data provided by Drew Beechler, Illustration done by Annie King, Craig Lotz, and TJ Prince. 

[drewbeechler]

[lhawley-blog]

[lhawley-blog]

With the school year getting closer and closer to the end, students are applying for either summer jobs, internships, or full time jobs for after graduation. One of college students’ biggest downfalls in the job application process is the interview. You may turn in a great resume and have...

[drewbeechler]

The Social Academy Awards

This infographic is brought to you by AU Alumni Kyle Lacy and ExactTarget, a leader in social media marketing.

[lhawley-blog]

[andersonmediagroup]

The Impact of 60 Seconds in Social Media

[andersonmediagroup]

Facebook and the Box Office

We-all-have-secrets.com. A black screen with nothing but “We All Have Secrets” printed over a picture of a doorknob and a “Connect with Facebook” button. Click on the connect button, and you'll allow the website to access your profile as well as your webcam and be taken to a trailer for an upcoming horror movie.

It starts with a twenty-something girl running into a house and locking the door, standard scary movie stuff. She then logs onto Facebook from a laptop in the house where you can see her wall. That's when it really starts getting creepy. All the posts on her wall were left by your Facebook friends, and the friends list on the left side is identical to your own. The screen isn't displayed for very long, but you can see three or four wall posts asking her where she is. The power shuts off and the girls runs upstairs, screaming, into a room where three picture frames display your most recent photos. There's a body on the floor, and the girl picks up a cell phone showing that one of your Facebook friends is calling. A voiceover whispers “You cannot escape, you cannot run from it” over a series of suspenseful shots of a pool table, a creepy little girl, another dead body, and finally onto the girl who looks out the window to see none other than your face staring back at her. Cut to a shot of some more of your Facebook photos spread over the ground, and then the voiceover whispers “Your secret is safe with us” as you're taken to a page where you can anonymously submit a secret and share your experience on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr.

I applaud the creators of this movie for incorporating social media as the latest boogeyman. By using the viewer's friends and pictures (which, remember, you have to give them permission to do before you can watch the trailer) the creators have attempted to break the “fourth wall” between the screen and the audience. There is a definite shock factor the first time you see your friends appear on the girl's wall, and there's a certain level of discomfort you feel when you see your pictures incorporated into the video.

However, the execution of the idea leaves something to be desired. The heart-stopping moment is clearly supposed to be when your face appears in the window, which would be absolutely terrifying if it didn't look like this:

I watched this trailer four times, and somehow got caught blinking every single time. Seeing my own apathetic mug appear on the window killed the suspense immediately. The idea behind it is obviously that the viewer is some ghostly apparition, some horrible secret the girl is keeping. But when the above picture appears, it's difficult not to laugh at how anticlimactic the moment is. In addition, the photos you see in the frames are removed from the context of the trailer, making it difficult to incorporate them into the storyline. Seeing pictures of my friends playing Catchphrase over winter break isn't all that scary even if they are in a creepy, dimly lit setting. The real suspense in the trailer is created by the feeling that your privacy has been violated, almost like you've been stalked. While this is a great idea, it could have been executed far more effectively.

On the other hand, I'm now much more interested in this movie than I was in any of the “Paranormal Activity” or “Saw” movies after just seeing the trailers. Having a trailer with integrated social media could generate a lot of buzz, which could translate into a lot of ticket sales. Word-of-mouth advertising is important in the film industry, but getting people talking about a movie trailer can be difficult. What do you think? Would you see this movie? Watch the trailer and see for yourself if it gets you interested, then let us know!

- Annie

[lhawley-blog]

[lhawley-blog]

Pinterest vs. StumbleUpon

Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Pandora…why are these kind of sites so great? They’re great because they’re personalized to you. They make it easy to find blogs, music, do-it-yourself projects and other stuff that interest you with just logging on to the site.

As an avid pinner and stumbler, I find that, overall, these sites are extremely similar. With the craze in the photo app, Instagram, Pinterest offers the same kind of feeling where photos do the talking. You get quick glances of something that you might be interested in and have the option of clicking on them and accessing the link to find out more. Pinterest also gives you the option of following specific pinners and viewing all of their pins. It also gives you the option to search for specific keywords that might be in the caption that the pinner added.  I feel that this is a very efficient way of browsing because you’re not wasting your time reading the first paragraph of the blog to see if you might enjoy it and you can always view your favorite people’s pins without searching for them.                    

StumbleUpon cuts out the searching part, but doesn’t cut out the reading part. Personally though, I love this. Many times, I’ve stumbled to random blogs that I probably wouldn’t have been interested in enough to click on in Pinterest, but have ended up saving the blog and returning many times. I also feel that StumbleUpon provides a wider and more random range of options to browse whereas Pinterest is directed almost 100% to feminine-type subjects.

Honestly, which site I prefer is really dependent on my mood. Do you prefer Pinterest over StumbleUpon or vice versa? Are there particular reasons for liking one over the other? Comment and let me know! I’d love to hear your take.

[lhawley-blog]

[timothyprince]

This is cool.

Ashton addresses a fundamental shift in the future of advertising- value. When advertisers and entertainers are collaborating to create a product that has value in itself, we experience progression. Consumers (especially my fellow Millennials) feel as though we’ve been betrayed by years of corporate messaging experts trying to push us into buying their products. This one drove me nuts when I was a kid.

It’s an unnecessary and outdated standard; ordinary folks like you and me are ready and willing to connect with brands. Everyday. We’re essentially using them as adjectives to describe ourselves. I like Levi’s on Facebook- no, it’s not because I want to see updates on their new line jeans every week. It’s because the fact that I wear 511’s says something about me, and not everyone can see your jeans on your Facebook profile. 

My point is that advertising is at its best when it’s creating stand alone value.

Follow @Katalyst or visit their Facebook Page to find out more about Ashton’s company. 

[andersonmediagroup]

By our friends at Formstack.

[drewbeechler]

Four Reasons Your Site Needs to be Optimized for Mobile Browsing

Mobile Internet use is rapidly taking over. Soon almost all transactions online will takeplace via a smart phone and as a matter if fact, I am writing this post now using a smart phone This brings a new focus for web designers and businesses conducting their business online.

If your site does not have mobile capabilities yet, you are selling yourself short. When I or other customers are surfing the Internet on phones, one of the most annoying aspects is when a site is not optimized for mobile use. Here are four reasons your site NEEDS to be optimized for mobile browsing:

1. Websites do not look or flow the same on mobile devices and customers notice.

I know this is somewhat obvious, but some do not understand. A site may look great on my laptop screen, but when on my phone, the resolution, size, and flow is not the same. It is one of the biggest annoyances in the world to be viewing a site on your phone and have to scroll sideways and zoom in just in order to read the print on the screen.

Yes, your rotating flash header in your website might look really attractive, but if I’m using an iPhone or most mobile devices, I won’t see it.

When customers come to your site using a mobile device, it should redirect them to your mobile site that has a design and layout built solely for mobile viewing. Your customers will notice the difference.

2. Phones go with customers everywhere.

A customer doesn’t have to be at a computer anymore to check their email, bid on an eBay item, or Google the definition of accrual based accounting. You need a site that goes with your customers everywhere as well.

3. Time

Simplicity and efficiency are key. If someone is browsing your site with their mobile phone, they most likely don’t have time to mess with zooming in and dealing with a site built for bigger resolution. They just want results and find what they are looking for quickly. They will end up going to your competitor’s site if yours takes them too long to navigate.

4. PayPal expects to see over $7 billion in mobile payment volume in 2012 and eBay expects consumers to buy and sell over $8 billion worth of items on eBay via a mobile device in 2012.

People are moving toward shopping, surfing, and even paying bills all with their phones. Technology is always changing and adapting and the mobile industry is taking over in a big way. If your site is not optimized to deal with mobile traffic and mobile commerce, your profits will most likely not benefit from this mobile surge.

These are just a few of the reasons to make sure your site needs to have mobile capabilities and many more exist. The fact is that mobile commerce is exploding and your site and your company needs to be on the forefront of this market.

[andersonmediagroup]

Who Won the Social Media #Super Bowl [Infographic]

This infographic is brought to you by ExactTarget a leader in Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing.

[andersonmediagroup]

Instagram, Instant Success

      The saying goes that a picture says a thousand words. While most marketers would trade their firstborn to communicate a thousand words of information to their customers, they no longer have to with Instagram. Instagram is an application that allows its users to quickly upload edited photos taken by a user’s iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The app offers 11 stylish and attractive templates users can choose from, turning everyday instances into eye catching images. Users can subscribe to other individuals or businesses and view uploaded pictures on a news feed. Though only released in October of 2010, Instragram already boasts over 15 million registered accounts, and snagged Apple’s “App of the Year” award for 2011.

   Though businesses of all sizes have succeeded in making a presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, Instagram offers a new and effective mode of marketing. Picture this, a cupcake shop bakes a fresh batch of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. While the description is tantalizing in itself, an edited picture of a magnificently decorated cupcake could tempt the senses of dessert lovers. Even a dress shop could feature elegant prom dresses, forcing high schools girls to flock to the to the store’s door.

   While it seems that primarily retail/consumption related businesses stand to benefit from Instagram, other companies and non-profit organizations are creatively integrating the technology to reach their customers. Compassion International uploads photos of impoverished children in third-world countries, reminding its donors of how their money influences the world. CNN posts pictures to clue their readers into breaking news.

   Large corporations certainly benefit from Instagram, but the nature of the app allows businesses of any size to reach their target markets. Instagram is free, and is as simple as taking a picture with an iPhone, and choosing an attractive template to enhance the image. In a world dominated with advertisements, Instagram allows businesses of all sizes to creatively and effectively reach their customers at the very palm of their hand.

 -Craig Lotz

[andersonmediagroup]

Why Point-and-Shoot Cameras are So 2007

It’s hard to believe that just 5 years ago, the world had to suffer through her days without the hand-held, godlike-device known as the iPhone. Yes, it really was only five years ago that portable video gaming required an additional device and banking-on-the-go was just a pipedream of penny pinchers everywhere. Since that time, the world has been forever changed with a massive outpouring of convenience apps and support technology designed specifically for iPhone users. Many of these apps have or are in the process of rendering other technologies and services useless.

One of these support technologies is the iPro Lens system from Schneider Optics. Released earlier at this year’s Macworld event, the three-piece system offers the average iPhone user the ability to take professional quality photos and HD videos from the comfort of their handheld. With a fisheye lens that offers a 165 degree field of view and wide angle lens that provides 35% more photo coverage of your desired area, it’s like having a photographers lens bag tucked inside your pocket. Those lenses alone are enough to make any personal digital camera seem useless, but Schneider plans to release yet another lens this April that could stand to deliver a crippling blow to the digital camera industry. The iPro Tele Lens joins the Schneider family by offering a 2x telephoto zoom for the iPhone. It narrows the phone’s field of view by 50%, allowing users to take high quality photos without the loss of quality brought on by digital zoom. The entire package, complete with special case that doubles as a lens mount and tripod, will retail for $199.

Now, besides being a really incredible piece of technology and other than making that new digital camera you just got for Christmas seem a whole lot less cool, how does this affect us here in the AU community? Believe it or not, this little piece of technology could do a lot for anyone living in a college community. For one, the filming of presentations and lectures could literally be as easy as pulling your phone and lens out of your pocket. But in a more creative sense, high-quality videos depicting the outrageous happenings of the dorm experience are no longer available to those with nice HD Video cameras. With this lens system, people everywhere will be able to make high quality, editable videos, ready for upload to Youtube glory.  But that’s just me. What do you think this system means for the AU iPhone user?

-Jack