Sunday, October 26, 2008

What I do know


With the introduction of widgets, BlueTooth, short films, social networking, RSS Feeds and so many more many are left to wonder what is in store for traditional media such as television, radio and print. Of the latest and greatest new media options, perhaps the most prominent are web sties and social networking sites.

Web sites are great as long as they aren’t too busy, too annoying or too loud. It is important to note that there is a defining difference between a corporate web site and a marketing web site. Corporate web sites are great for annual reports, company history and employee of the month pictures, but a marketing web site is where marketers really get to the heart of selling the brand and maintaining ROI.

Social networking is great for a variety of reasons. Finding prospective employees, spreading the word about a certain product or service or just WOM (word of mouth) social networking sites are a great tool. However, it is important to know that just spreading your business across any networking site that will have you can be detrimental to your brand. Conducting research on the available sites is beneficial because you will want to be associated with professionals. Check out LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace or Twitter.
Ensure your business is easy to find, your profile has the appropriate mix of personal and professional, and your profile drives visitors to your web site. And of course, avoid these 7 “deadly sins of social networking” as described by Advertising Age:

1. Don’t be a spammer
2. Don’t be a stranger
3. Don’t be noise
4. Don’t be lazy
5. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
6. Don’t be fake
7. Don’t be selfish (Kugler, 2008).

When thinking about all this new media, the most important fact of all is that you should not be afraid to fail. Considering the amount of new media, trying and failing, refining and then trying again may very well be a new “emerging media marketing tactic.”

References

Kulger, L. (2008, September 22). Advertising Age. Make social networks work for you. 79, 35.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A Little About Me







Hi, my name is Stephanie, I am the proud mother of a 2 year old daughter, a 6 month old son, I have a wonderful husband and am the owner of 2 pound puppies. I enjoy running, reading, spending time with my family and anything that involves being outside and being active. I received my BS from Wayland Baptist University in 2007 and have begun on my MS from West Virginia University. My husband also attends WVU and is looking to finish his Masters of Special Education at the end of Spring 2009.

I work for the United States Army as a flight medic. However, in the Army we are known as being masters of many vocations so I currently spend most of my days working in the capacity of the office manager for my company. Diversity could very well be my middle name as I have held many jobs in the Army, but I do look forward to finishing my service commitment and moving on to a different career field and truly testing myself (did I express that politely enough?)



I am passionate about learning and have become increasingly interested in what the internet and interactivity have in store for marketers, advertisers, businesses, brands and consumers. With your help I look forward to exploring this new technological savvy medium and the advances and perhaps downfalls it can bring to the life of a brand.