Hello and welcome to the #Rotoloclass blog!

I’m your TA, @AlyssaHenry. It’s going to be an exciting semester, and there’s so much to look forward to…

We’ll be covering all kinds of topics, including: Twitter, location-based services, blogging, ROI, building an online presence as a brand, social media #fails, privacy, viral videos and more!

Professor Rotolo has also invited some really awesome guest speakers to Skype into class and talk about their professional experience using social media.  You can see the full list here.

For the first time in the history of #Rotoloclass, we’ll be working together as a class to build a social strategy for a local organization… CNY Central! We’re happy to welcome them to the #Rotoloclass experience.

You can get started by following me, @rotolo, @rotoloclass and @cnycentral on Twitter (if you don’t have an account, make one!). You’re encouraged to use all your technology in class (dumbphones, smartphones, laptops, iPads, fax machines, tricorder, time turners…), just make sure you use the class hashtag, #rotoloclass, when you’re tweeting.

We’re looking forward to turning you into social media #rockstars!

One last thing… I hope you like Ke$ha.

Alyssa

Description

Founded by Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever, previously Facebook employees, and publicly released in January 2010 Quora is a social media site containing a growing database of common and less commonly asked questions that are created, updated and managed by members of the site. Quora can arguably be defined as a mix between Google and Wikipedia. Quora’s query functionality is similar to Google in that it covers a wide range of topics (but in the form of a question). Quora also has elements of Wikipedia in the sense that content is managed and updated by the public at large or rather the users of the site. Like Wikipedia, Quora relies on the “good faith of everyone using it to make it a high quality resource”.

More specifically Quora allows users to search for questions, topics and people. Unlike Google and many other search engines there is only one version of each distinct and unique question, anyone that is interested in the topic or knows about the material is directed to that one place. Users who create or update questions and or provide content to the site must create a profile which includes user’s real name, a profile picture and short bio. This helps anyone reading the information they post on the site to determine whether or not they should believe what the person is saying in addition to taking into account their perspective.  

Purpose

The purpose of Quora is to create a database of questions and information where almost everything anyone wants to know is available on Quora displayed in a clear and organized way. Ultimately Quora would like to answer all of the what, where, who, how and why questions that we may have.

Positive Attributes

Quora has many positive attributes, the fact that it was able to increase its users from 0 to over 500,000 in its first year of going public can attest to that. This article talks more about how Quora was able to use social media oulets to attract a large audience. One of the attributes that sets Quora apart from other online knowledge markets is usability. Quora is very well organized and consists of a consistent, clean and neat design all of which makes navigating through the site user friendly and easy to understand. Another positive attribute of Quora is its rating feature. Users rate answers to specific questions and the answers with the highest ratings are moved to the top of the list, a contrast to how Google and many other search engines sort there content. Quora also has a feature which the company likes to refer to as “inverse blogging”. This is when a topic or question is created by someone and waits for the question or topic to be addressed. Other people can follow this question and topic, the more followers and likes the topic has the quicker it is for it to be answered.    So basically if you wanted to know the answer to a question you can type it in Quora and in theory your question will be answered.

Negative Attributes

Although Quora has a lot of positive attributes due to the fact that its fairly new (and the fact that it’s a content database which is created by its users) there is a lot of room for improvement, much of this improvement revolves around the lack of content. Currently, there are many topics and questions that are not available on Quora. Although the content is limited its growing at a high rate due to the fact that its marketed through Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. It’s not going to be long before users ask a question on Quora before Google.

My Quora Experience

One of my tasks for work was setting up a Ruby and Rails environment. I looked on Google and Youtube for instructions on how to set up the environment but could not find a clear solution. When I checked on Youtube there was no instructions for the version I was looking to install. Google had multiple instructions on how to set up the environment and I was not sure which one to choose, which one was correct or if any were correct. I then used Quora to see if it could be of assistance. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was going to be a benefit and honestly thought it would not be able to provide me with the information I needed. I was wrong. I typed the question into Quora’s query and got clear and concise directions on how to set up the Ruby and Rails environment.

Conclusion

Although Quora is fairly new and has limited content available to search the amount of users has grown substantially over the few years it has been public. Even in its short period of existence there is still a good amount of useful information, so much so that it rivals that of Google to some extent. One of the reasons why Quora is growing so fast is because of the fact that it uses other social media outlets to bring traffic to Quora. Based on the fast paced growth of Quora it’s very likely that in a couple years people will be going to Quora looking for answers as an alternative to Google.

There are dozens if not hundreds of social media sites centered around music.  Many of them are used for streaming music, discovering new music, promoting music, and others are a little bit of everything mixed together.  Everyone likes listening to music, but it’s definitely more fun to listen to music with your friends.  

One new start-up company that is generating a lot of buzz is turntable.fm.  First, you have to have a friend on Facebook who is already signed up with turntable.fm just to get in.  Yep, you heard me right.  You must have a Facebook account to get in, but who doesn’t have Facebook, right?  This definitely provides a bit of mystery, but once you are in, the concept is simple and quite fun. 

~How it works~

You choose an avatar, your DJ name, and join one of hundreds of rooms to listen to live music being played by DJs (other users) or if there’s an open spot on the DJ stage then you can jump in and rock the house.  Each room has five DJ spots on the stage and each DJ gets a turn to play one song. Everyone in the room listening  (including the other DJs playing) votes on whether the song that’s playing is Lame or Awesome. Lame votes are    essentially a thumbs down and Awesome votes are similar to a thumbs up. Listeners can also chat with the other people in the room, and you can even follow the DJs you like.  Once you ‘become a fan’ of a DJ, you can find out what room they are in as soon as you log-in.

~Features~

• Listening to other DJs

You have the option to join a specific room, random room or create your own room to listen to the music.  This is an easy way to discover new music that you may not have found otherwise.  You can choose to mark a song Lame or Awesome and when you mark a song as Awesome, the DJ playing that song receives points which can be used to purchase avatars.  The avatars can range from average people , 800lb. gorillas, or funky spacemen. When you mark a song Lame it moves the meter down.  If a DJ gets a certain percentage of Lame votes his song is trashed and the next DJ’s song takes over.  Be careful though, if you start to get lots of Lame votes every time you play a song you can get booed of the stage.

• Being the DJ

Probably the coolest feature of turntable is the ability to be the DJ.  There is a massive database of music you are able to choose from provided by MediaNet.  It’s very easy to search for any track, artist, or album name and chances are turntable will have it.  If not, you can upload any song from your own collection to add it to your DJ queue (but i have found that this process is still a little buggy-i have received several errors when trying to upload my songs).  Also, you are only able to preview certain songs in the database, but you can still put songs that you can’t preview into your queue.  The first song in your queue will play when it is your turn to DJ.  If listeners really like your DJ skills, they can become a fan and follow you and when you decide to DJ again, your fans will receive an email letting them know you are spinning away!  

• Creating Your Own Room

If you don’t want to join someone else’s room you can setup your own room and invite all your friends and if you make the room public, random listeners can come join your room.  You can think of the room as a virtual nightclub.  An easy way to get your room noticed is to play some popular music!  When people are looking for a room to join, the song that is currently playing in that room will be displayed under the room name in the room list.  There are only a few options available when creating your own room.  First you must name your room.  Then you must select whether you want a public room or an unlisted room (for those super secret parties!) Next you can choose exactly how many DJs you will allow in the room.  Choices range from 1 to 5.  You can also set a minimum amount of points the DJs must have to DJ (this comes in handy if you don’t want newbies wrecking your flow).  This can also be a great new way for companies to interact with their audiences by creating a room and inviting their customers to join in and share music.

~Experience~

As soon as you join, the fun begins and it’s totally addictive.  It’s very simple concept mixed with people’s love of music and little bit of competition creates a fascinating social environment. The best part about turntable is that it lets its users interact with each other about the music.  I found myself not wanting to leave.  There is a real time chat in each room so everyone can talk about the music playing, request new songs, talk to the DJs, or chat about anything you want.  I have already made a few new friends and found some great new music.  Celebrity guest appearances are rare, but there have been reports of celebrities popping in and spinning few tracks.  Getting a chance to DJ with some of the world’s best DJs or music artists would be totally awesome!  If you put turntable up against services such as Pandora or Grooveshark, turntable is lacking a few features, but it’s definitely off to a very good start being that it is so new. It’s certainly the kind of service that can only thrive if people stay interested.  Like almost all music apps these days, turntable music is designed to be shared.  That means you can tweet your songs, update your Facebook newsfeed, and even send a turntable email.  Another cool feature is that turntable lets you add songs into your existing collections on AmazonMP3, Spotify, iTunes, Rdio or Last.fm.  All you have to do is click the corresponding icon on the front of the stage.  I imagine that the amount of apps will probably grow as it gets more popular.  Some people have speculated that turntable may be illegally streaming their music, but they have secured licenses with both ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), two of the three US performing rights organizations, removing any doubts that it is illegally sharing its music.  Basically, this means that the artists will get compensated for their songs getting played.  If turntable is able to continually add new features and keep the audience interested, I think that it will be around for a long time.  So if you just want to listen to your favorite music, find new music, or want to experience the music with an exciting and competitive game-like twist you should definitely try turntable.  It will certainly keep you busy for hours.  Let me know if you need an invite.  Here is a link to a gushing review from Sam Grobart at the NY Times and here is a short video review from Scott Steinberg of RollingStone.com.  Turntable has yet to disclose what direction the company will be going, but here is a link to a few possibilities.

What I think is missing

• Needs more avatar choices or ability to create your own
• List of people in the room so friends are easier to find
• Ability to join without linking your Facebook account
• Ability to access the site if you live outside the US (supposedly will be available eventually)
• Challenges with point bonuses or avatar rewards for completing the challenges
• Direct message feature so you can privately talk with other people in the room
• If a large percentage of the crowd is feeling the DJ playing, that DJ should get to play additional songs
• The chat needs a filter for spam/bots and offensive comments, although the moderator (person who creates the room) does have the option to boot people from the room
• A stats page that displays song played and voting history
• Customizable and branded rooms that businesses would pay top dollar for their brand to be plastered all over the rooms

Even with these shortcomings, turntable is a refreshing change to how we stream music.  I really believe the creators have found a exciting way for people to interact with music.  I know that some of my favorite memories are triggered when listening to music.  So what are you waiting for?  Come on over and join the fun at turntable.fm!

Many of us now have hundreds of channels available from our TV, not to mention all of the other entertainment choices from the web and other sources.  We also constantly have our attention diverted from the television to what is referred to as the “second screen,” meaning you phone or tablet pc.  With this option overload, it becomes increasingly important that we can sift through the choices to find those that match our interests, and even better is if we can find a way to unite the different screens vying for our attention in a way that they enrich the experience instead of competing for our attention.  Peel is based around the idea that today we want to know what’s on that we might like, not just aimlessly surf through an immense selection of choices.  It combines a personalized television recommendation experience with the ability to turn your iOS device into a universal remote control. 

Overview

Peelis based around the thought that the days of someone looking at a TV guide to find something to watch have passed, and we now live in the age of personalization and of customization of the user experience.  Peel seeks to bring this to the television viewing experience and makes it friendlier, making it easier to discover, control, and share.   

This review will cover the iPhone app used as a next-generation TV guide; the Peel Fruit was not available to me in time to review for this blog.  The Fruit adds remote control functionality and is an important part of the overall product strategy, but for the purposes of this blog and its social media focus the fruit is an add-in product that is not completely topical for this review.   

The Company

Peel is the brainchild of the Silicon Valley startup of the same name, a company founded in 2009 by members of the iTunes store design team as well as contributors to the Netflix improvement contest.  Particularly notable is that after early angel investing they have secured investing from Redpoint Ventures which has history of investing in entertainment related startups such as Netflix and TiVo that have gone on to significant success. 

Product Review

The Peel app is the core of their service, bringing a next generation television guide to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.  It is a free download from the iTunes app store and initial setup is quite easy.  You select a location by zip code, a television provider (it seemed all major ones were listed), and then you are asked to select different genres of television that you are interested in, optionally answer a demographic question and you are ready to start using it.  The reminder of the availability of setting up the fruit is prominent in the interface but not to the point of being intrusive.  The genre question is a little tough to answer at first, (for instance, I sometimes want to watch a documentary, but I do not know if I would choose that as one my favorite television genres) but does a good job of bringing forward a set of initial recommendations.

The interface is easy to use, the timeframe you are attempting to view is listed along the top and tabs along the bottom lets you choose between top picks, TV shows, movies, sports, and search.  The Top Picks grouping displays television shows or movies based on shows that you like (favorite) or dislike (cut).  Touching on a cover art brings up detail around the specific episode of the show.  No surprise considering the experience of the product’s designers, the app has the distinct feel of the iTunes cover flow.   

From the detail screen, it is easy to scroll through the different choices by swiping, as well as make a show a favorite or cut it.  From this screen there are a couple of underrated but very useful options around being able to set reminder on your phone with just a couple of touches, and the sharing button.  The Peel app allows you to easily integrate with Facebook and Twitter and post about the shows about which you want to share.  After authorizing the app, it is as easy to click the share button, then choose twitter or Facebook and it generates a post stating that you are watching or have favorited a show that some # of users have already favorited.  (With a quick mention of @peel of course)  The social aspect is basic, but effective in its ease of use. 

The algorithm seemed to be effective at identifying shows that I liked based off my actions, (for instance it brought forward other animated shows effectively after I favorited Family Guy), and most importantly it stayed away from suggestions that were far away from my preferences, which is often my largest complaint with these experience-shaping algorithms.  Few things are worse than spending time to make the algorithm learn about your preferences to have it frustrate you by making suggestions far outside of that scope. 

Conclusion

Peelwas formed based on an idea best expressed by their CEOThiruAranchalanin this article in Fast Company magazine that “The Channel Surfing Paradigm is Dead.”  While it is possibly an overreaching statement to make, it is true that the days of satisfying the consumer with the same universal experiences have definitely gone by the wayside.  People connect and respond to an experience that is personalized to him or her.  Peel as an application makes it easy to build the profile that allows the creation of that personalized experience.  Unfortunately, by their own admission, their social experience does not have enough depth to it yet, but the community that regularly shares seems to be pretty dedicated and growing. 

My personal experience with the product was hampered at least a little because a large part of the effectiveness of the app involves the integration with Peel Universal control aka “The Fruit” which allows you to use your iOS device as a universal remote control and really extends the impact of the Peel application.  However, what did shine through was the potential this had to catch on as a way to further integrate personalization and by extension social media into the television viewing experience.  With some many things pulling at our attention simultaneously, a customized television experience shaped by suggestions based on our preferences becomes far more attractive.  From its outset, it felt like Pandora for TV to me, and so far, it has not disappointed, as its recommendation engine seems to be effective.  These sorts of applications I think have a rather simple formula for success, take a good idea, add a good algorithm, package it in a simple UI, and then get the word out!

In handling a social media crisis, it is important that companies step up and take responsibility and hold themeselves accountable. This does not happen in every case. Sometimes when a crisis occurs companies try and cover it up or worse put the blame on another person or entity. In this day and age, with the
level of transperancy that the Internet and Social Media provides covering it up
or placing the blame on someone else is one of the worst things that a company could do and it will prove to be detrimental to the future successs of the company.

After researching several social media mistweets inclulding Kenneth Cole and
Red Cross the best approach to recovering from such a error includes the following.

Immediately Take Action

• Once a company has realized a mistake has occurred it is important to quickly address the problem. If your a guest at someones house and you spill a glass of juice on the floor you don’t wait a couple minutes or a half an hour to clean it up, as soon as it happens you repsond. In doing so it shows that it was in fact a mistake and you do care and respect the person and his or her household. Comapanies should use this same type of tenacity in responding to a public mistake. As it pertains to a social media mistake immediate action could possibly mean quickly deleting the tweet and adressing the mistake perhaps in another tweet, public video, etc- the response should atleast match the magnitude of the mistake. 

Admit Your Mistake

• Everyone makes mistakes! Admitting your mistake is not a sign of weakness but it is a strenght. By admitting that a mistake had occurred shows the hummanness of a company and may even strenghten the relationship a company has with their consumers.

Being a Trust Agent has everyting to do with owning up to mistakes and being accountable. If a company is striving to behave as a Trust Agent then many times they will find that mistakes can easily be turned into something positive for the company- by taking responsibility and behaving in such a way that establishes and or builds upon the companys credibility.  

During a social media crisis, consumers need honest answers and they definitely need them quickly. The best way to meet this demand is directly through social media itself.

First you should figure out the nature of the problem.  Assess the nature of the feedback and determine what the core issues are and respond appropriately.  

Show consumers that you care by keeping the conversation going.  Don’t ignore the problem because it won’t just go away.  Acknowledge the problem by tweeting about it, posting true facts about the issue as your status update on your Facebook page and make sure you keep a consistent and conversational tone.

Use social media to help your brand.  Setup a crisis response team that is dedicated to answer social media in a timely manner. Use social media tools to connect in a positive way.  Consider taking people’s problems offline using direct messages or emails to answer complaints.  Empower your loyal consumers and supporters.  Take time to respond to positive comments by posting a thank you on their blog or Facebook page or send them a tweet.  Be sure to ask the consumers’ opinions on what the company can do to improve the situation.

Show consumers that you are aware of the problem and make sure that you have leaders in place who can take responsibility for the not only the problem, but also the solution.Apologize to the consumer and let them know that you truly care.  

Even if you have no information to give, communicate to your consumers that you are doing everything that can possibly be done to work towards a solution. When a solution is reached, make sure everyone is included in your communication plan including your critics.  

In order for companies to be successful, they must realize that effective crisis management has significantly changed.  Remember that every situation can require a slightly different strategy, but open and fast communication via blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, and other online venues can make the difference between success and #fail in the court of public opinion.

AssistU is a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Combining our experience, comprehensive capabilities, business functions, and in-de[th research on the world’s most successful companies, AssistU collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses. 

Job Specification

AssistU is looking to incorporate social media into every aspect of our businesss. We are looking for a rockstar with a strong understanding of online communities, digital marketing, social media, and brand evangelism to join our team and bring highly creative ideas for community management, growth and retention. The right person understands the significance of a tweet, how to build a Facebook community, and the ins and outs of blogging. They will also understand the latest and happening trends in social media and technology and have the ability to be a key player within our community. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, Social Media or related field
• 3-5 Years of applicable experience
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of social media platforms and how they can be deployed in different scenarios
• Experience with developing creative and succinct messaging that evokes consumer action
• Experience with Web 2.0 Channels
• Ability to identify social computing trends and separate tools from fads

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Interact with customers to align service of their needs with our corporate objectives
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Be the eyes and ears of our brand as if your reputation depended on it
• Build and maintain our content distribution network by way of social media channels
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and function in a highly collaborative team environment
• Constant participation in conversations that surround our content and brand
• Identify opportunities and threats in user generated content surrounding our brand
• Create exciting content for feeds on multiple social media sites
• Assist with creation, conception, and presentation of social media strategy and integrated marketing campaigns
  
• Participate in social media on our behalf
• Optimizing tags on our feeds, sharing sites like YouTube/Flickr, and search engines through copywriting, creative & keyword optimization
• Create and update daily, weekly and monthly reports
• Monitor results of digital media engagement and flow of mobile traffic

Please respond with resume and salary requirements to joverstreet@assistu.com

Bonnavue Landscaping Company seeks a community manager to lead efforts to build a presence in social media that extends the web the unique brand of excellence and community that our employees embody.  Bonnavue is seeking to build a presence on the internet that can extend and augment the trust we have built with our existing customer base. 

About Our Company:

Bonnavue Landscaping Company plans, designs, and creates open spaces that please the minds and hearts of the people in the communities we serve.  We are a full service company that provides services to create sustainable, responsible environments that are aesthetically pleasing for homes and businesses.  Bonnavue is looking to

Requirements:

·         Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, advertising, public relations, media studies, business and/or related fields

·         1 to 3 years previous experience managing social media platforms or communities for brands

·         Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills

·         Active participation in variety of social media activities including blogging, facebook, & twitter

Responsibilities:

·         Interact with our customers to further align their experience with our company mission

·         Conduct research to produce community building strategy that aligns with organizational goals

·         Build and maintain content through social and traditional media channels

·         Identify opportunities in new content creation from diverse sources

·         Create and update daily, weekly and monthly reports highlighting ROI of Social Media Strategy

·         Analyze data to generate into recommendations and plans for social media campaigns

Please respond with resume and salary requirements to bonnavue@bonnavue.com

RANDOLPH CARTER INFORMATION COMMONS, MISKATONIC UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Brief:  The Randolph Carter Information Commons seeks applicants for the newly-created position of Manager of Online Communities for the Miskatonic University Library System.

Position Description:  The Miskatonic University Libraries’ Randolph Carter Information Commons seeks experienced, skilled, enthusiastic applicants for the newly created position of Manager of Online Communities (MOC).  Since opening in 2009, RCIC has served the Miskatonic community as a site for instruction, group collaboration, and access to the latest digital media tools within the larger MU Library System.  In addition to in-library usage of RCIC facilities, we offer a burgeoning array of online instruction and special events programming.  The MOC position is being created under the auspices of RCIC to manage the MU Library System’s social media presence and to take advantage of emerging platforms and practices.

 Position Responsibilities:

— Overall oversight of MU Libraries social media presence and activities, including final responsibility for messaging and monitoring of activity.

— Training of library staff, interns, and other personnel in the appropriate use of social media tools for instruction and provision of library services.

— Work closely with all divisions within the MU Library System to ensure clarity, coherence, and collaboration in the use of social media to improve library service.

— Particular responsibility for publicity and messaging related to RCIC’s instructional and special events programming.

— Liaison with other University entities involved with social media and other forms of internal and external communications.

— Regular assessment and reporting of social media implementation with reference to the Strategic Plan of the MU Libraries.  

— All other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements:

— MSLIS or IT degree from an accredited institution, with minimum 5 years professional experience in an academic library context.

—  Advanced computing skills related to social media and online communication tools, including proficiency with HTML, video editing, and website design.

— Demonstrated proficiency with courseware tools and with social media, including but not limited to Facebook/Google+/MicroSoftSM, Twitter, blogging, and dedicated persistent discussion forums.

— Experience as a team leader and supervisor.

— Strong verbal, writing, and editing skills in English.

— Instructional experience preferred.

— Ability to work weekends and some evenings.

— Creativity and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

I thought Southwest Airlines had a very effective blog. It was engaing, interactive, visually appealing and it encouraged feedback and input from it’s audience in addition to providing necessary information. With this as an example of what a quality corporate blog should like I went in search of a company to critique and chose Six Flags. 

One of the reasons why I chose to analyze Six Flags corporate blog was because Six Flags right down the street from me and I worked there for part of the summer several years ago. I had high expectations for this blog, I anticipated it being visually appealing and having high energy much like an amusement park- this was not the case. Although it would be unfair to use Southwest Airlines blog as a benchmark, the Six Flags blog failed to meet basic standards for a corporate blog competing in this decade.  

For starters the design of the blog was plain. The page seemed static, the opposite of what you might think an amusement park blog should look like. There’s a lot of text on the page and the few pictures that the blog does have are not exciting nor do they speak to the content of their respective post. In class we talked about the importance of there being a two-way communication between the business and consumer, the Six Flags blog fails this test miserably.This blog does not encourage interaction with it’s audience other than the standard follow on Twitter and Facebook button. In my opinion, the greatest sin that this blog commits is only having one blogger. Normally this would’nt be that bad but when you have a blogger who fails to connect with the audience due to unoriginal posts, non interesting topics and lazy, uninspiring writing it sticks out like a sore thumb.

In short the blog is a disaster. It fails to connect to it’s audience both in content and in design in addition to lacking to effectively connect to it’s other social media outlets- it’s not being used to it’s full potential. I give it one flag.