It might sound trivial, but there is an entire site is built around people answering one question: “what are you doing right now?” It’s a social networking site called Twitter and it has become incredibly popular. Anyone can sign up and provide any kind of updates-or tweets-about themselves that they want. It’s called “micro-blogging.” Users can post updates to Twitter by cell phone, IM or the Web.

The idea for the site is so simple and one might wonder why on earth people would want to log in and see that a friend is having lunch or their sister is going out to shop. But, once the skeptics find out that a lot of people they know are on it, they want in. The purpose of Twitter is to provide another means of connection between friends and family. There are plenty of ways to connect, like blogs or e-mail, but “tweeting” provides a unique connection among people. Twitter helps people share things occurring that they normally wouldn’t blog or e-mail about. There’s also a convenience element here – tweets have to be kept under 140 characters, so it’s quick and easy.

And it’s not just individuals who are on Twitter-it’s businesses too. Businesses can monitor who is talking about them; it’s a free source of market research. It’s also a source of viral marketing. People can tweet about things they like and inspire someone to try out a new product.

Like with many forms of new media, Twitter is about making the world a little bit smaller.

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Currently listening to: “Beautiful Eyes” by Taylor Swift (Fearless, 2008)

AIM, Cyworld, Del.icio.us, Digg, Ebay, Entropia Universe, Etsy, Facebook, Flickr, Frappr, Gaia Online, Gmail, Habbo Hotel, Hotmail, IMVU, Jaiku, Kaneva, Last.fm, LinkedIn, Meetup, Mybloglog, Myspace, Plazes, PMOG, Second Life, Seesmic, Skype, SLBoutiqure, StumbleUpon, TalkShoe, Technorai, Twitter, ustream.tv, WordPress, Yahoo, YouTube

This is a list of places on the Web where users can sign up for a profile. Some of these are social networking sites, some provide e-mail addresses, some are tools for online chatting… This is a long list-and it’s not even complete.

The Web is a great place for staying connected, making friends and networking. But, for someone who is involved in all sorts of online communities, it can be a chore to keep up with everything.

That’s why Onxiam.com was created. It’s a site that lets users keep track of their online personalities. When connecting with someone new online, it can be a hassle to relay all of your online identities. A page on Onxiam.com let users create one place to refer people to find out about their online identities. There is a directory of sites reaching far beyond the ones I listed that users can provide information about their online identity.

When a site is needed to keep track of all of this information, I have to ask-is this too much new media?

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Currently listening to: “How The Day Sounds” by Greg Laswell (Three Flights From Alto Nido, 2008)

RSS stands for “real simple syndication.” It’s a way for Web users to easily get the information they want on the Internet.

Before RSS, Web users had to venture out onto various Web pages to retrieve the content they wanted. For those who follow a variety of news sites or blogs, this can be a time-consuming process-especially since news sites and bloggers are always putting out new information.

The first solution was e-mail notification. Web users could sign up to receive e-mails when new information was posted. The problem with this was disorganization-e-mails from multiple Web sites can be overwhelming, and sometimes mistaken for spam.
Now, users can get what is known as an RSS reader. This is a desktop or Web-based application that automatically gathers updates on news, audio, video or blogs and delivers it right to a user. RSS readers provide a great convenience by saving Web users the time of seeking out the content they are looking for.

All someone has to do is obtain some sort of reader, then subscribe to the sites he or she wants to receive updates from. New information will be presented in the reader, in order from newest to oldest.

Here is a simple explanation of what RSS is:

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Currently listening to: “Believe” by Staind (The Illusion of Progress)

In an earlier post I wrote about mobile marketing and how it’s becoming incredibly popular, due in part to the fact that the number of cell phone subscribers will hit four million this year. Not only are phones being used to talk, they’re being used to text, play music, watch videos, reply to e-mail, surf the Internet…

Businesses are taking advantage of mobile devices that have Internet access by tailoring their online content in what is known as a mobile Web site. It’s estimated that out of four billion cell phone users, over one billion of these users are connected to the Internet.

Check out Amazon.com. Then check out Amazon’s mobile site. (Obviously this won’t show up as it would on a phone.) The mobile site is stripped down in comparison to the full Web site. It’s done purposely to provide only the most relevant content. Although cell phones can function like a computer and give users access to the Internet, there are differences, like much smaller screens and slower load speeds. Also to consider are the amount of scrolling users will have to do while on a mobile site and the issue of typing.

From a marketer’s standpoint, designing a mobile site can be challenging. It involves selecting the most important content-typically mobile sites provide some kind of search that will take users directly to what they’re looking for. All this must be done while keeping brand identity and marketing messages consistent with other communications.

Mobile Web sites are evolving. At this point, standards related to operability and usability are being developed. But, as cell phone Internet usage continues to increase, the mobile Web will grow. Check out the W3C Mobile Web Initiative for more information.

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Currently listening to: complete silence.

It seems that marketers continually try to outdo each other. Every commercial has to be bigger, better, funnier, more creative than the last – bigger, better, funnier, and more creative than the competition’s. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that the very commercials I’m talking about are the ones advertising new media-related products aimed at a younger crowd.

Here’s an example of a funny commercial for Boost Mobile that definitely got a lot of attention:

This commercial is ridiculous, and it even touts that it is trying to reach a young crowd. It pokes fun at youth culture. It’s creative and memorable and kids definitely “get it.”

And here is a commercial that I can’t seem to warm up to:

There are already hate forums against these commercials. Clearly, Sprint is attempting to reach a young crowd by updating the traditional view of Santa Claus. They’re trying to make him into a hip guy who wouldn’t go anywhere without his Centro. I wonder though, if marketers are going too far. In my opinion, this version of Santa Claus is pretty creepy.

Despite my disdain for the “Claus” commercials, I have to applaud Sprint for their efforts. Do these commercials intend to annoy viewers? My guess would be yes. People are going to remember a really great commercial or a really crappy commercial. Mediocrity is rarely remembered. Even if the “Claus” commercials suck, they’re memorable. There’s probably some sort of word of mouth element happening here-”Hey have you seen the new commercial with the weirdo Santa Claus?” With YouTube around, it’s easy for people to share commercials. Viral marketing is a company’s dream – they distribute and interested (or disinterested) viewers do the rest.

Some sort of marketing research effort is put forth before designing an advertising campaign. So, the question I am left with is this: are kids demanding a creepy, updated Santa Claus?!

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Currently listening to: “Two Ways Out” by Darker My Love (2, 2008)

Streaming media has changed the way sound and video is received on the Internet – it is a way of delivering media so that users don’t have to download entire files. It can be done in real-time, or stored for anytime use.

There are a lot of advantages to streaming media:

• Speed – streaming media allows for users to see and/or hear media as it is being loaded. Prior to streaming media, Web users had to wait for audio or video to be fully downloaded before seeing or hearing.
• More hard drive space – since the file is not downloaded, there’s no copy of it left on the user’s hard drive
• Security – streaming media prevents piracy. When a user has to download media, they can duplicate it, reproduce it or edit it.

And, there are also some disadvantages:

• Slow load – if a lot of people are trying to access the same content, users are going to receive the content slowly. Also, if a user has too many things open on his desktop, it could slow playback.
• Compromised playback – to save space, content can be compressed. This can sacrifice quality and result in choppy playback.
• Various formats – streaming video requires different programs to run, depending on what type of file you are distributing. To combat this, streaming video can be created in each format (Windows Media, Quicktime, etc.).

There are plenty of uses for streaming media, including clips on news-oriented Web sites, videos used for educational purposes like live or pre-recorded lectures, or video conferencing or live chatting with the use of webcams.

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Currently listening to: “That’s What You Get” by Paramore (Riot, 2007)

In an earlier post, I wrote about the role new media has in the life of members of Generation Y. Marketers are effectively using new media to reach youth. But, is it ethical? Marketing to children has long been a topic of discussion-and it seems there are plenty of reasons against it.

Here are a few facts about marketing to children:

• Children are exposed to about 40,000 messages per year, not including product placement.
• Children are often unable to understand the persuasive tactics used in marketing, including the use of spokes-characters.
• Very young children sometimes cannot determine between programming aimed at them and advertising. Even older children do not recognize product placement.

Children are often the recipients of marketing messages because they are incredibly impressionable. They are capable of spending millions of dollars worth of their own money, as well as influencing their parents to spend money. This group is also valuable to marketers because children are future consumers.

Some psychologists say that the massive amount of marketing messages aimed at children is damaging. Here are a few trends uncovered by psychologists:

• One psychological effect of advertising aimed at children seems to be the belief that possessions are the only way to prevent being inferior.
• Psychologists have found a link between constant bombardment by advertising and depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and conflicts with parents.
• Sexual content has also seeped into advertising aimed at children – sometimes causing premature involvement in sexual activity.
• Obesity among children has risen dramatically, due in part to junk food advertising.
• Glamorization of tobacco and alcohol has led to increased experimentation and usage.
• Marketing can affect the brain development of babies and young children.
• Marketing to children can promote violence.
• Advertising can promote a distorted sense of reality in children.

With new media, there are even more ways for marketers to target children. One way is Web sites targeted at youth. These sites often feature games and are touted as entertainment for children, but are they really?

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Currently listening to: “More Like Her” by Miranda Lambert (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 2007)

Pop-ups are a form of online advertising. They typically appear when a Web page is loading or has finished loading. They can be many different shapes and sizes and contain text, graphics and/or animation. The purpose is to attract Web site traffic or collect e-mail addresses for future marketing. Similarly, pop-under ads harbor the same purpose as pop-ups, but they aren’t as intrusive-they aren’t seen until the window covering them is gone.

Pop-ups are useful for a number of reasons:

• They are difficult to ignore – even if users close the ad, there’s still a chance companies have reached them and given them some kind of message.
• Pop-up ads allow users direct access to a particular Web site, most often driving them right to the product a company is selling.
• They can be tracked – companies will be able to see exactly how users got to their site which can help in determining if the pop-ups are working or worthless.
• They aren’t very expensive to implement.

There are a variety of disadvantages as well:

• People dislike pop-up ads – they are intrusive and can stand in the way of a user getting at the content they want. Sometimes users close them before they’ve seen what the ad is.
• They can slow down a user’s computer – some sites decide to throw multiple pop-ups at users, which ends up slowing load time for Web pages.
• Pop-up blocking software has been developed – now, Web users have the power to forgo receiving pop-ups. Users still have the option to allow pop-ups, though.

Based on the advantages and disadvantages, it’s pretty clear that the advantages are company-focused and the disadvantages affect users. So, here are a few things that can be done to make pop-ups more effective and less annoying:

• Limit the number of pop-ups – it’s probably not a good idea to have more than one per page. And, putting pop-ups on the homepage of a Web site might deter people from staying.
• Make sure pop-ups are easy to get rid of – if people get frustrated that there’s a pop-up in their way, they’ll only be more frustrated if there isn’t a way to make it go away.
• Keep size in mind – pop-ups shouldn’t completely obstruct a Web user’s view of any Web page.

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Currently listening to: “Love Lockdown” by Kanye West (808’s and Heartbreak, 2008)

In one of my first blog posts, I wrote about how Web sites can be an excellent way for a company to communicate with its audience. I also wrote about how Web sites can disrupt a company’s message if done incorrectly. This week I came across an article that discusses a little more in depth some of the creative issues that have to be considered when designing a Web site.

Based on Sharon Lee’s article titled “Human-to-Human Design,” here are a few more DOs for creating a stellar Web site:

• Companies should know their audience. It’s a fair assumption that people want to be understood. And when people visit a company’s Web site, they are looking for something that is relevant to them. Companies need to listen to customers and communicate what they want to know in a way that is easy to understand.
• Companies should consider the power of storytelling. By using not only text but audio, video, or other interactive tools, companies can provide stories to their customers. Each piece of multimedia can add to the story and convey a different aspect. By distributing information in different ways, customers can select which works best for them.
• Web sites are becoming more complex, and they are more focused on providing an “experience” for the user, rather than simply doling out information.
• Web sites should reinforce all brand messages that are distributed. It is easy enough to reinforce by using specific colors or text styles, but Web sites are ideal for breathing personality into one’s company. Images, videos, and different design elements can spark certain emotions in users, causing them to associate various qualities with a company.
• Companies can’t forget about aesthetics. Good design that is pleasing to the eye will engage users. The right design can make sites easier to navigate and understand, thus resulting in a better experience for the user. Web users gather their first impressions about a site within milliseconds, and that only means that a site’s visual appeal is key to making sure users view a site positively.

This article tells readers that just putting up information on a Web site doesn’t cut it. Web sites should be designed to communicate and connect with the user, who after all, is human.

To read Lee’s article, visit: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/humantohuman

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Currently listening to: “Feel That Fire” by Dierks Bentley (Feel That Fire, 2009)

Banner ads are placed on Web sites for one reason-get users to click. Typically banner ads will lead users to an advertiser’s Web site. One simple way to understand banner ads are as fancy text links. They usually contain some sort of graphical element, making them similar to a print advertisement that would appear in a magazine. Although, some contain animation.

Banner ads come in a variety of shapes and sizes-currently the Internet Advertising Bureau has approved eight different kinds, all measured by pixel size.

Here’s a fun look at some of the different types of banner ads: Man vs. Banner Ads

There are a lot of advantages to using banner ads:

• They can direct customers right to your Web site.
• Even if users don’t click on the ad, you’ve got your name out there.
• You can place banner ads on the Web sites that make most sense.
• They can be easily tracked.
• They’re more interesting to look at than just plain text.
• They provide an element of interactivity.
• They are fairly easy to design, update and implement.

There are a number of ways the success of banner ads can be measured:

• Click-throughs: These are the number of visitors who click on a banner ad.
• Page views: This refers to the number of times a page with a banner ad was seen. This could provide insight to the number of visitors who were exposed to the ad.
• Click-through rate: This is usually referred to as a percentage-it is the ratio of page views to click-throughs.
• Cost per sale: This is the measure of how much money was spent to garner a sale.

Question: do banner ads work? A study conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau concluded that banner advertising has very similar communication effects as traditional advertising. Statistics show that many users in this study are in favor of Web advertising, stating that companies who advertise online are a step ahead of companies that don’t.

Despite the success banner ads have had, have they become so common that we’ve trained ourselves to avoid them? It’s almost become second nature for me to ignore the perimeter of any Web page and look at the middle of the page for the content I want. I’ll leave you with this question-have banner ads run their course?

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Currently listening to: “Lay Your Head Down” by Keren Ann (Keren Ann, 2007)