A lifestream is similar to a blog, but instead of the blog articles it consists of feeds or “streams” of information from other social sites, like WordPress, Facebook, Flickr, Delicious, Twitter, etc.
The Survival guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 optimization
According to Ken Martin and Ivan Todorov marketers are going to be challenged with the ability to use the numerous digital platforms to their advantage. When individuals use digital platforms from morning to night, as marketers we must be aware of helping them to experience not only information but the interactivity that creates a desire for the brand.
Brand Communication
A range of new marketing mediums can be leveraged to keep people tuned in and seamlessly integrate brands into their everyday lives.
We will continue to search for new ways to implement our brand through digital platforms. Ways to advertise on these digital platforms, in order to keep the brand in front of the people at all times. The following video describes what the publishing market is doing to embrace digital:
Thus, the most well-adopted digital platforms have shifted, from being disruptive to providing a utility, whether by introducing a new behavior or meeting a perceived “need.” We see all forms of industry embracing new digital platforms.
Embracing Digital Platforms
The idea framework should fundamentally change, from “how do we reach our customers?” to “how do we make their lives better?” In other words putting all media at their fingertips.
Marketers have quickly moved from an age when access to information was a nice added feature to an era in which it is an absolute necessity because of the widespread desire to be continually connected.
Every brand has the potential to become interwoven into every moment of every day of its consumers’ lives. The robustness of the platforms, both independently and in an integrated approach, will continue to give marketers new ways to provide greater connectivity between the brand and the consumer.
How much privacy is there in this global digital age?
Privacy? Really?
According to Ess, in his book, Digital Media Ethics, we are most of the time unaware of the lack of privacy in the information that we allow to be passed.
According to Ess, our emails contain a great deal of information about us used to determine our identity.
There are articles being written now that indicate photos taken by our phones can pinpoint the coordinates that we used for the photo, referred to as geotagging.
Why when you are browsing the web do ads other pop-up seem to know your physical location. “They know where you are”.
Blog posts can be as simple as writing and logging assignments or they can be organized in a way using key terms and categories allowing a user to search blog indexes for what they want to find.
Create the content keeping in mind key terms that you are using
Look at the content and select key terms and phrases that you have used. List key terms in wordpad or notepad .These will later go in the tags of the post.
Create a title that will include key terms from the content. This might take some planning before writing. Blog indexes and search engines look at the titles for placement.
If the permalink (below the title) is long or doesn’t seem relevant, you can change it to a more meaningful name
Use key terms when creating linkable resources such as video and images
Use the excerpt to describe the blog. If it is left blank then the summary of the blog will be the first couple of sentences.
View the following video for an excellent tutorial on the subject
When doing a Google search on Social Media Guidelines I found that most corporations now have in place a set of guidelines. When reading the CocaCola Online Social Media guidelines I noticed that they have as the first of 10 principles for their online spokespeople the following:
Be Certified in the Social Media Certification Program. All associates who wish to officially represent the Company online must complete the Social Media Certification Program prior to beginning or continuing these activities.
(The CocaCola Company Online Social Media Principles)
When reviewing the IBM Guidelines we find the same principles as required by the CocaCola Company. One thing very interesting was to find that IBMers were encouraged to begin to become bloggers as early as 1997, according to the article IBM Social Media Guidelines.
In 1997, IBM recommended that its employees get out onto the Internet—at a time when many companies were seeking to restrict their employees’ Internet access. In 2005, the company made a strategic decision to embrace the blogosphere and to encourage IBMers to participate. We continue to advocate IBMers’ responsible involvement today in this rapidly growing space of relationship, learning and collaboration.
The necessity of hiring individuals that are qualified in marketing and communications, including following the social media guidelines set forth in each corporations is impacting the desire for people to receive certification in Social Media.
We go to the theaters to see the blockbuster hits, but where is the money really being made. Those who charge large amounts to see a show or those who have found the niches that no one else will stock? If you are planning on starting a web business you should read the following article, The Long Tail.
We are learning that retail stores are unable to stock everything in the way of books and movies that a person might want to purchase. Online, the overhead is less so they have the advantage of catering to those niche markets that are not always the popular ones.
Recommendations can drive the customers to places that they might not have otherwise gone. How many times do you ask someone, “Seen a good movie lately?” Or heard you should read
America's Prophet
America’s Prophet, by Bruce Feiler if you liked
Another Recommendation example
The Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life, by Glenn Beck and Keith Ablow, M.D. We all like to acquire material on a good recommendation instead of take a chance.
Social Media Drury 