At long last (and after many sleepless nights), Social Media is finally explained in this one picture.
Enjoy.
Why Wait? Watch the Super Bowl Commercials Now
Why would anyone want to wait until Super Bowl Sunday to watch the actual Super Bowl commercials? That’s nonsense. Most of them (or at least partial versions) are already online.
Matthew’s Day Off (a nod to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) has been making headlines since it was teased last week. So has the Bark Side spot from Volkswagen (with over 10 million views…and growing). Now, the Seinfeld/Leno Acura Transactions commercial has grabbed everyone’s attention.
So, go ahead and watch ‘em before the first touchdown has even been scored. Entertainment Weekly has put together this super handy Superbowl 2012 Commercial Guide.
Successful Socializing: That’s the Way I Like It
To like or not to like. For anyone that has a Facebook account, that’s a daily option.
Mark West is the Social Media Editor for G-Force Marketing Solutions
As a Social Media Editor, part (OK, a LOT) of my job is research, so I like a gazillion pages. I have co-workers and friends make comments or roll their eyes about how many pages I like (they see it in their FB feed). In all honesty, some of these pages I really do like and some I…well… don’t. Bet you do too, if you think about it.
So, what generates a true like from me on a Fan Page? My interest generally lies in Popular Culture, so most of the celebrities, movies and TV shows I like, I’m truly a fan of. Some more than others; but I’m obsessed with news from Hollyweird. Other pages I’m a fan of usually offer inspiration (speakers, non-profits, causes), benefits/coupons/giveaways (retail/restaurants) or tips (cooking, shopping, home renovations).
For me, the benefits mentioned above, are essential ingredients in making a Facebook (or Twitter or Google+) fan page successful. This is the generation of “what’s in it for me?” and I’m proudly a card carrying member. What’s the benefit of your page? Pages that don’t know how to relate to people (or it’s audience) lose the meaning of what Social Media is all about. Period.
That’s my free tip of the day. And if you’re a business, that’s a very important piece of information to know. Social Networking is not about selling a product; it’s about a building a relationship. What builds a relationship? The right communication. (I figured that one out from all those Rom-Com’s I claim to not watch).
Now, go forth, communicate, and treat your likes wisely.
Send in the Clouds
I’ve loved music as long as I can remember. As a kid, I’d spend all of my weekly allowance at the record store. Since the digital age began, I’ve had problems converting from vinyl and CD’s to virtual music (aka downloads). For me, there’s something about a physical album; browsing through the pictures, reading the liners notes, and touching the disc is part of the overall experience.
This week, Apple introduced iTunes Match as part of it’s iCloud service. For around $25 a year, you can store up to 25,000 songs and play them from basically any location. It’s a great service – and I’ve already subscribed to it. Still, I find myself torn between the two worlds.
On one hand, I have “hard copies” of almost every piece of music I own. If my computer blows up or online services are down, no problem; I have it on the shelf. On the other hand, playing my albums from anywhere has its advantages. Plus, online music storage doesn’t take up nearly as much space as the albums and CD’s in my living space.
Amazon also has a Cloud service and Google is currently developing one. So, it’s getting easier and easier to find places to store your music for a nominal fee, or in some cases, for free. I know people that have never bought a CD. They download everything – music, TV shows, movies, books.
So, what’s my hold-up? I suspect nostalgia. What’s your favorite musician supposed to sign when you meet them, your iPod? What about value? The 1st album of the next generation’s Beatles will essentially be worthless since it’s just mp3 files.
I’ll most likely continue to dabble in both worlds; a few downloads here and a few CD purchases there. That’s the one great thing about all this exciting, new technology; we have more options than ever before. Well, at least for now.
- MWB
Fantasy Football Fever
Graphic Designer Joe Urana Blogs About How His Competitive Spirit Kicks Into High Gear with Fantasy Football
I’ve been playing Fantasy Football for about 4 years now. It took me a while to get into it because I enjoy watching football with no strings attached. In fantasy football, you might find yourself rooting for players and teams you’re not a fan of and/or your favorite team’s division rivals.
I usually play traditional fantasy football, but this year, I’m playing ESPN’s Gridiron Challenge. In the GC, you act as the owner of your team with a $50 million salary cap and score as many points as you can in your league. A player’s salary will go up or down depending on the players performance. Other players in your league can have the same players on their roster as you; your success depends on how you manage your team and the player bye weeks.
So far this season, I’m in first place in my league with a 45pt lead on second place. I drafted Aaron Rodgers in the beginning of the season. Last week he was on a bye week, I HAD to get him back. Well, he was now going to cost me $7.9 million ($6.5 million when I drafted him). He’s a big player who scores a lot of fantasy points. To get him back, I had to replace 1st tier players with 2nd or 3rd tier players. I also had another big decision to make; do I drop Calvin Johnson (the leading receiver in the NFL) and replace him or take the zero points for the week? I know this will cut my lead, or worse, drop me to second place, but in the long run it should pay off. There’d be no way I could afford him later. I kid you not; I accumulated about 15 different post-its with different roster options for the week.
Finally, at 12:36 pm on Sunday (24min to kick off), I made my decision; I’m going take the hit and keep CJ on my roster. Did it work out? Yes and no. I’m still in first place with a 15pt lead, but there is nothing more frustrating than watching the players on my post-its that I didn’t play score a ton of points. I expected more points with some of my other players, but that’s the NFL for you. You can’t predict what is gonna happen from week to week; no matter how many stats you read or how much advice you take from the experts.
Now, let me get my post-its together for the next game. - JU
Phoning It In
While many people love their Droids or Blackberrys, no one makes waves in the industry like the iPhone. The new iPhone 5 has been talked about for months, even before an official announcement has been made about its release (it’ll be made Tuesday – 10/04). There’s now a rumor that Apple may announce an iPhone 4S instead. All this frenzy over a product that didn’t even exist a decade ago.
It’s hard to imagine a time when smart phones weren’t a part of our daily existence. Who still remembers having a flip phone or worse yet, a bag phone? Now, we’re more concerned over apps than actually making a call. Angry Birds has become the #1 best-selling game app around the world, with over 12 million downloads. That’s a LOT of Angry Birds!
So, where do we go from here? In 10 years, will we look at the iPhone like it’s a red-headed T-Rex? Probably.
Industry experts are expecting whatever Apple unveils Tuesday to shatter sales records to smithereens upon its release. Just think, 10 years ago we were in a quandary over dial-up vs. broadband. It seems the lifespan of what’s new becomes shorter and shorter every year.
Watercooler Moments
We’re serious TV addicts here at G-Force. 
At any time, you may find several of us huddled in an office (our version of the watercooler) critiquing the latest episode of True Blood, Dexter or Big Bang Theory.
So, it goes without saying, Fall Premiere Week is a big deal to us. We’ve already established a few early favorites (Ringer & Person of Interest), a few that show promise (A Gifted Man & A New Girl) and some that we thought just plain stunk (Whitney & The Playboy Club).
It’s strange, no matter how stressful the day, talking about our mutual interests (whether it’s TV or Sports) can always 
lighten the mood. One other added benefit, it turns co-workers into friends.
And it’s always better to work (and play) amongst those.
Gimme An Emmy
The Emmys seems to have hit gold with Jane Lynch as it’s host. After the disaster that was this 
past year’s Oscars, Hollywood honchos are betting more on entertainers rather than actors.
There were also a great group of winners. From Friday Night Light‘s Kyle Chandler to Justified‘s Margo Martindale, from Mad Men to Modern Family, the Emmy lovin’ was scattered amongst an assortment of the most deserving from various TV shows and networks.
A complete list of winners can be found here.
So, how do you think the Emmys stacked up this year? Any surprises or glaring omissions??
