“New” Twitter Released. Tells People to Come Back to Play.

Posted on September 14, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Twitter, Twitter.com, Wichita Kansas, Wichita Social Media

Twitter this evening released a new version of its site letting users interact more with the site by essentially embedding multimedia straight into the Twitter feed. It also changed the site design a little bit, and is making it easier to find information on the site. It is going from text to multimedia on its site, changing the direction on what Twitter.com was initially built to do.

This shift, I feel, is in an attempt to draw Twitter users back to the Twitter.com site and hope that they spend more time there. Taking keys from Facebook users, who spend boucoup time ON the site, Twitter users by comparison use thousands of apps that allow the information to be presented to them on iPads, phones, web-browser built-ins to spend time off the site. Essentially, it’s like telling the kids to go out and play and then changing the tone to tell them to stay in and play. A little confusing, but in the end, smart for Twitter. Once they reel everybody back to the site, they can then begin adding Twitter ads in the side columns, much  like on Facebook, and start monetizing the technology.

Check out Twitter’s Video about the new Twitter.

Twitter will be rolling out the new service over the next few weeks, allowing users to switch back and fourth between the new and the old, but eventually everybody will be on the New Twitter.

What do you think? Will you be spending more time on Twitter.com or is this change too little, too late?

[Link]- The Next 5 Years in Social Media

Posted on September 8, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Facebook, Mashable, online marketing, Twitter, wichita ks, Wichita Social Media, YouTube

Social Media has no-doubt become on of the most popular buzz words in the last 5-years. Starting with services like Friendster and MySpace, social media sites have come and gone and to some, some speculation on whether this is a fad or a powerful tool.

Internet blog Mashable posted an article on what the future holds for social media. As Wichita’s social media company, it’s our job to tell you what these world-wide phenomenons mean to you and your business right here in Wichita. To read the article, click here.

Here’s some of the most notable thoughts for you to consider. First, the concept of social media is becoming  more and more ingrained into our everyday lives. Most websites now are starting to add Facebook “Like” buttons and Twitter “Tweet-This” buttons to make information easier to share. The further this technology reaches and entrenches into our everday lives, the harder and harder it is to list it as a fad.

Second, we are constantly asked “What’s the next thing?” There was Friendster, then MySpace and now Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We’d argue that there isn’t a “next thing” just that the largest networks are only going to get larger. Facebook, for example, has 500 Million ACTIVE users. These are people that log in and actively use the site, not just create an account and “play.” YouTube is also a monster, owned by Google and the second-larges search engine in the world.

PLUS- these larger social networks are very smart and have a lot of power. The barrier to enter the social marketplace is so large now. Facebook has a tremendous amount of power holding onto 1/12th of the world’s population personal information. Imagine the amount of money needed to get to that level starting from scratch. Facebook and similar companies won’t let that happen. They purchase these little start-ups and any network that gets attention and integrates the technology into their site. Very smart.

We will see social media become more and more mobile in the next five years. Devices like smart-phones and tablets like the iPad allow people to do business and be connected anywhere. Plus, mobile applications are a huge marketplace and business-specific applications are going to be a huge need in the coming years.

Finally, video will trump text. Sites like YouTube are making it very easy to upload videos and share information. As a society, text is becoming more and more boring. You need to keep a person’s attention and video communication tells more than just mundane text. Non-verbal communication ques will be more and more important as social technology grows. At least we hope so or we will all be impersonal robots.

So what does this mean for your business here in Wichita? Well, first you MUST be on social networks. Places like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are here and here to stay. Get on and start communicating effectively (we’ll show you how). Second, you MUST learn how to create a more open business structure. Yes, your competitors will be watching, but there are effective ways to discuss your business with audiences without giving away the secret recipe. It’s easy and we will show you how. Third, you MUST learn how to interact. Many, many, many, many businesses come to us AFTER they’ve started “communicating” on social networks because they’ve started but aren’t getting anywhere. They view it as a waste of time. Learning how to interact on these social channels is important and very vital to the long-term success one may experience in these social spaces.

At JuggleMedia, we help businesses start, understand and communicate effectively to audiences within these social channels. It’s a fun and rewarding process that takes time, knowledge and the proper start. Give us a call at 316-747-9266 and let’s see where you are and it we can help. You can visit us on our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels if you’d like.

It’s WEDDING WEEK!

Posted on August 23, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Facebook, JuggleMedia Wichita, MailChimp, Social Media Strategy, Twitter, Ustream, wedding, Wichita Social Media, YouTube

Usually, I try to keep the blog posting here on JuggleMedia.com about social media and how it pertains to companies in and around Wichita, Kansas. Today, however, I’m going completely off the reservation.

IT’S MY WEDDING WEEK!

Yep. It is. Boo-yah! I thought this day would never come!

So what does this mean to you, and more important, why am I writing about this here and not on my Facebook Page? Well, simply put there are some things that even businesses can learn about social media when it comes to the social channels we’ve set-up for our wedding

First, let’s start with our Wedding Website. If you go to ryanandkelsi.com, you’ll see it looks a lot like another site somewhere out there, say, oh, JuggleMedia. That’s because we use WordPress.org and the Mystique theme. Being that I know the Mystique theme pretty well, I didn’t want to spend hours and hours creating a site from scratch. WordPress gives you the tools to get online and pretty fast.

Instead of going for a “Save the Date” card, about 80% of our guests are on Facebook, so we opted for an event called “Ryan & Kelsi Save-The-Date.” We were going to call it Ryan & Kelsi Wedding, but we wanted our audience to know that this was something they were getting and it needs to be written down. That and Facebook Events offers some pretty sweet calendar export tools that allows our guest to click one button and they’ve got it down.

Now that the event is FINALLY here, we are using different channels to continue to promote how we’re doing. For example, our personal Facebook Pages have been an excellent place for our audience to interact with us. Also, we use our personal Twitter accounts to keep the wedding party up to date. We’ve even used GoogleDocs to capture our RSVPs and then we can send an email blast to all of our guest using MailChimp to update them on where they need to be and when. Finally, we’re still kicking around the idea of using my UStream channel to stream our wedding live to a few guests that can’t make it, like my cousin who is on the no-fly list because she is so pregnant she is about to pop. We’re still deciding for personal reasons if we want to do that. I’ll let you know.

All of these different channels connect a different segment of the audience that we need to communicate. It’s about overlap and not just picking one and saying that’s it. Not all of our guest are on Facebook (although that’s by far the largest portion) and not even there are they guarenteed to connect. Social Media is about using these channels together to get your message across while understanding your audience and who they are.

In business, it’s the same way. Setting up all of these different channels like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, UStream, GoogleDocs, MailChimp and the thousand other channels is important ONLY IF that’s where your audience hangs out. I still had to send my Grandma a paper invitation, but was able to talk to her over Skype about it. (Funny side-note- She did say that if she knew she was going to be on TV she would have put on more make-up. Pretty funny stuff!)

So when you are thinking about events, business meetings and marketing in general think about these different social channels and the audience. When you need help call me at JuggleMedia, Wichita’s Social Media Company after Labor Day. We help Wichita companies understand these channels, how to connect people and how to transfer the audience into actual customers. We have a proven track-record of successful campaigns and pages including one currently running that has gained an average of 40 new followers a day on Facebook. Enjoy your day!

Cancun, here we come!

Ryan

Facebook passes 500 Million users. Yep. Half-Billion.

Posted on July 21, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Business Pages, Facebook, Wichita Social Media

Today, Facebook announced that it passed the 500 Million user mark making it the largest social network of all time.

In a message to Facebook users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg comments about the success of Facebook and the new application called Facebook Stories. Check it out:

Facebook has proved to be a big beast with no signs of stopping. As a social media company in Wichita, Kansas, Facebook has been essential to help JuggleMedia grow by helping businesses connect with people. There are over 8 million Facebook Pages that are currently connecting businesses with people directly. We specialize in helping businesses figure them out to communicate with people. Visit our Facebook Business Page or the new one we’ve created to help you understand how to set one up..

[Video] Social Media ROI- by Eric Qualman

Posted on July 20, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Eric Qualman, Good Reads, Wichita Social Media

Incredible video about Social Media ROI by Eric Qualman, Author of Socialnomics

[Praise!]- Ordering my cable via Twitter

Posted on July 19, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Cox, Twitter, Wichita Social Media

In an age where social media is FINALLY starting to catch on, I find it extremely important to praise those local businesses that are “doing it right” via their social channels. Today, Cox Communications and their team of tweets happen to be on my list of awesome local businesses in Wichita, Kansas who are using social media effectively.

What happened? It’s simple. I’m in the process of ordering my cable and internet at my next house all through Twitter and email. No store. No lines. No Gas. No PROBLEMS!

I give the Cox Communications Twitter Team of @Cox_Will, @Cox_Jessica and @Cox_Katie props for all their hard work and persistence in a town that is slow to adapt to these new technologies. Good work. Keep it up.

At JuggleMedia, we work with several businesses within Wichita, Kansas to understand Twitter. Remember when email was new? Welcome Twitter, a web-based text service designed at sending short-burst communication. Using Cox Communications as an example, think of Twitter as the physical cable in the ground. On one end, there’s Cox Communications, a service that brings that cable to your house and allows you to see television, internet and phone service. On the other side there’s NBC, CBS, ABC and 14,000+ other content producers pushing out information to people. Twitter is the common pipe that gets that information places. On one end there are mobile phones, internet-based applications and programs that allow people to put information into the pipeline and using that “Twitter” language, connect to other phones, applications and programs. The cool thing is now EVERYBODY is a content producer, not just the big networks!

If you need more help understanding Twitter, just give us a call at 316-747-9266. At JuggleMedia we help you understand these social media technologies. We’re right here in Wichita so we can actually meet you, shake your hand and help you use these tools to communicate with people. We help you get past “Getting on Twitter” and get you and your business to communicate “with Twitter” to get more sales.

We think its pretty cool stuff. Especially if we get to avoid the lines.

Thanks Cox.

[Link]- “How We Got To 40,310 Facebook Fans In 4 Days”

Posted on July 19, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

All Facebook, Facebook, Wichita Social Media

Popular Facebook blog All Facebook posted this article last month about how one business received more than 40,000 new fans in only 4 days! It’s pretty impressive, if you ask me. The tactics in the article could work for you, but there are some differences between campaigns of this nature and local-targeted campaigns.

The cool thing is that this article give you some ideas into the Facebook Ads system and some pretty cool “tricks” you can use to promote your fan pages.

At JuggleMedia, we help businesses around the Wichita, Kansas area (as well as Colorado) use social media to increase sales through positive connections and interactions with consumers on web-based channels. We get involved in the process and move it along, encouraging businesses to leap into the space, not “test it out.”

Thanks to Michael Shead over at DryPixel.com for the link. Good work buddy!

[Check It] Xeric Corporation in Garland, Kansas

Posted on July 19, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Mark Shead, Wichita Social Media, Xeric

This past weekend, I have the opportunity to run into Mark Shead, web and business-guru extraordinaire who helps businesses understand and implement technology throughout the country. While he and I moved hay at his family’s farm (we were there to celebrate the nuptials of his Sister Maria who married my best friend Clayton) we spoke of deep web technologies and the excitement we both have for the future of the industry. While my company, JuggleMedia focuses on social media in Wichita, Kansas, his company Xeric Corporation in Garland, Kansas focuses on understanding and utilizing technology at a much deeper level than just social technologies.

What’s refreshing about Mark is the fact that he is pursuing success in a field that he has passion. Our educational paths in college were not completely in line with our work today. Much like I went to college to study journalism, he went to study music. Now, his path to success has been carved by simply following his passion. I love that for him!

It was an awesome opportunity to connect with Mark. I encourage you to check out his site and connect with him!

Bummer, Facebook to shut down gift store

Posted on July 9, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Birthdays, Facebook, Wichita Social Media

You know that annoying box that shows up every time you wish somebody a happy birthday? Like this:Aww, it’s so sad that they aren’t continuing this. I you want to read more about Facebook Shutting Down the Gift Store, click here.

[WHOA!]- Be careful what deals you make on social channels

Posted on July 9, 2010 in Social Media in Wichita Kansas by JuggleMedia

Deals, Groupon, Wichita Social Media

I just got off the phone with an amazing client of mine who was curious about a daily deal program called Groupon. She has been approached by the local branch of the company as an opportunity for her to promote her business and sell some of her services. In all, the program is very positive and can generate a lot of one-day buzz for your business.

This blog post is not meant to say that Groupon is bad. I don’t think it is at all. As a matter of fact, I purchased yesterday’s deal of the day. I believe that as a consumer, Groupon is amazing and thus why it is so popular. The point of this blog post is to warn business owners to think about the “deals” they submit and the amount of money it COULD cost them.

Before we get too far, here’s how Groupon works:

Learn How Groupon Works! from The Point on Vimeo.

So lets work through an example. Let’s say that I own Ryan’s Widgets and I have a particularly cool item that I have in overstock and need to get rid of. I know how much it costs, my return on my investment and my margins. I can afford to take a hit if, say my margins are pretty high. So, Groupon would be sweet.

However, let’s just say that I’m a service-based business with a lot of overhead and lower margins- I have to pay staff, parts, time, transportation, ect. Groupon COULD be very beneficial for me if I know what that overhead is and how I can STILL make money on the daily deal.

Now, I’m all about putting yourself out there and taking a hit for one day. No problem. BUT- what happens if you deal is SO GOOD you sell a ton and you then have to work the next 6 months on those deals that happened that one day? Could be painful!

So be careful what you put on Groupon as a business. If you know your margin, consider at least making a little money, but also be careful if the power of social networks takes your deal and blows it out of the water. You want sales, but don’t want to be pro-bono for your own pocket!

Oh and check out today’s deal on Groupon. It’s pretty sweet!