by violet on August 11, 2010
What makes something “go viral?”
That may be a question for “Jenny,” an attractive girl who quit her office job through a series of photos with messages on a dry erase board. The photos were originally posted on theCHIVE.com (known for their viral hoaxes and pranks on the media) then spread like wildfire throughout the Internet, taking down almost every Twitter-er, blogger and Facebook-er on the web. By the end of the day, it was settled that the whole thing was a hoax. But, the brothers behind theCHIVE.com will be clearing the air and revealing more details about Jenny tomorrow.
I’m not so much interested in whether or not the story is a hoax but rather the marketing virility of Jenny and her whiteboard – the idea, components and execution that not only got the attention of tons of people on the web but is, what I believe, a beautifully executed viral campaign. Here are some of the components that I think made this story so viral:
1. Attractive girl: This one is a no-brainer. Jenny is an attractive girl. Who doesn’t like looking at attractive girls? Next.
2. Relatable: Almost anyone can sympathize with Jenny. She had high aspirations of being a broker and put up with her obnoxious boss’ temper, bad breath, and [insert any negative quality here]. Who hasn’t been in this position or at least had to listen to a loved one moan and groan about being in this position?
3. Riding the trends: After yesterday’s theatrical JetBlue flight attendant meltdown, dramatic job exoduses are top of mind. Jenny was the cherry on amongst the sprinkles on top.
4. Targeted seeding: In one of Jenny’s pictures, she notes her boss spent 5.3 hours a week reading TechCrunch, one of the most popular blogs about technology and startups. It’s only natural that TechCrunch would blog about it, which would lead to related blogs picking it up.
5. Shareable: One of the most obvious components of viral videos but often overlooked – Jenny’s pictures on theCHIVE.com were highly shareable. Anybody who came across this blog post could seamlessly share it within a second and never look back.
Not only did those components make headlines today but they’re also a perfect example of any successful marketing campaign. It should be noted that the two other companies in Jenny’s slides were Farmville and Scottrade. Did the two companies have anything to do with Jenny and would I be surprised? Maybe and no.
Stay tuned for an update!
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on August 9, 2010
Mark Cuban wrote a very interesting blog post on what he calls “the future of the Facebook Like Button.” He proposes Facebook color code Like buttons to signal intent from the user… intent or action of buying (green), permission to send more updates to the user (yellow), or no action at all (red).
It’s an interesting idea which got me wondering about two things:
1. Can every user’s intent be captured through a color?
2. What about news updates?
Answering my own questions:
1. No, I don’t believe so. I know I personally go on Facebook Like button sprees, where I’ll click it on things I’ve bought, things I want to buy, things I don’t ever want to buy but I think are funny, things I may want to buy in the future, things that I’m just not sure about, news articles that I agree with, news articles I don’t agree with at all but enjoyed reading anyway, news articles that are just plain silly, and the list goes on. Though Facebook gives the option for publishers to let users add comments to whatever they “LIKE” (therefore, the ability to explain to people why they LIKED something), unfortunately, not all publishers/websites have implemented this. Could all the Like buttons I click on Facebook be categorized under 1 action? Not necessarily. Maybe I want more updates but I just don’t know it. Confused yet? Exactly.
2. What about news websites? For example, say I read a news story about an incident that happened on MTV’s Jersey Shore and I click “LIKE.” Should this signify I want more updates on Jersey Shore or does it mean I just “liked” the incident and want to share it with my friends? Should I click green to get more? More of what? Jersey Shore? Developments of the particular incident? More from that particular blogger or journalist? Also, as the media isn’t “selling” anything, per se, here is where the ability to publish back to a user is invaluable.
My Facebook Like button wishlist:
- CMS back-end for publishers, brands and media with the ability to categorize people into certain groups, to be determined by the publisher. Understanding the user’s intent here would be up to the publisher. (Example: Let the user know he or she should click “LIKE” if they want additional updates on products or developments on the particular news story or if they just want to share with their friends).
- Ability to seamlessly publish to those groups based on said groups. Note: Facebook has already announced the ability to publish back to the people who have clicked “LIKE”(through what they call “dark pages”), but they’ve yet to clearly explain HOW publishers can do this. As a side note, I’ve tried this on my own with no avail – ‘tis another post for another day.
So what’s all this mean? Who knows. Facebook is complicated and the interactions users have with their friends/network through Facebook are even more complicated. There’s a lot more that could be said about the future of the Facebook Like button. I’m eager to see what they will build out; in my opinion, the Like button is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m also eager to see how universal it will be.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on March 19, 2010
Photo courtesy of: quinn.anya
I’m publishing this at about 11pm so it’s not really happy hour… but doesn’t the title of this post sound fun? Humor me.
Here are 5 things I found on the internet this week that stood out to me. Hopefully, you’ll find them just as interesting. My goal is to do this at least twice a month.
[Balance]: The Secret to Happiness? Routines
[Business]: What I Learned from Anna Wintour
[Leadership]: Why Good People Skills Matter in a Recession
[New]: Oh, the things people will do for $5
[Visual]: From The New Yorker, Finger Painting: Evening Walk
Cheers!
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on January 8, 2010
photo credit: Bermico
People who don’t understand social media often think it’s just a bunch of “stupid status updates.” Well, sure… I guess you could look at it that way but it’s also a huge change in the way we read, understand and communicate with each other. It’s a change in the culture of content consumption.
Two parts of Cory Doctorow’s “How to Say Stupid Things About Social Media” reminded me of two things. First, the underpinnings of social media as linguistic anthropology. In other words, the internet, social networking and social media have changed the way some of us talk to each other and switch between our online language and offline language. In the same way some people are bi-lingual, the switching of languages reflects and emphasizes identity. By this, I don’t necessarily mean acronyms like LOL or WTF; I mean words that are specific to social networks like “tweet”, “retweet”, and “OH:” (overheard) on Twitter.
Secondly, the “banality” of our online conversations as they relate to small talk in the office or an elevator. On the surface, awkward small talk. As a greater whole in the American culture? A way of building networks/alliances through recognizing personal details and emphasizing casual solidarity. Small talk is a huge part of how people understand and perceive each other.
People who are perplexed by how social networks often completely overlook these points. The points of social networking and small talk are so seemingly simple that they’re complex.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on December 16, 2009
photo credit: jonny2love
As more brands are jumping on to Twitter, I’m starting to notice one thing: how poorly their Twitter bios are written. This is a detail that is often overlooked, which means brands are missing a big opportunity.
Let me give you an example: Say I casually mention that I happen to like Brand X over Brand Y. Brand X is active on Twitter, monitoring their brand (as all brands should be). Brand X sees I mentioned them, and they reach out to me by tweeting something back. I see Brand X in my @ replies tab, click on their name and check out their 160 character Twitter bio. Their very short bio says something like:
We are Brand X, the best something something. Founded in 1820, we’re the oldest Blah Blah Blah, serving original Blah Blahs to over 500,000 people.
Basically, Brand X just gave me some copy they took from the “about us” section on their website. I’m completely uninterested and that’s the end of that. Brand X just missed a huge opportunity — the opportunity to gain a vocal follower who shows an affinity for their brand. What would have been a better Twitter bio for their brand? Something along the lines of:
We tweet about blah blah, our exclusive discount codes, and give away blah blahs every Monday and answer all customer service questions. We’re funny too!
What’s the difference? The second example entices me. I read the bio and I know right away what Brand X is offering, what value they will be adding to my Twitter stream and what kind of tweets I should expect to see. Sure, I want exclusive discount codes. Yes, I want to learn more about office supplies and tips on how to clean my house organically; so yes, I will follow your brand’s Twitter account. If a brand simply writes a short bio on their history, their location or nothing at all, the chances of someone following that brand may dramatically decrease. I imagine that the average person glances over a Twitter bio for a couple seconds and either clicks “follow” or clicks the little X in the upper right hand corner of the browser or tab.
Soooo, in conclusion…Be clear with what your brand or business is offering through Twitter. Entice your followers. Take some time to think about it. Answer one question: Why would anyone want to follow my brand? And please, oh please, don’t just use pre-approved copy off your company website.
It's a secret.... pass it on!
by violet on October 10, 2009
photo credit: tlataille
I spent the last week and a half wandering Paris in search of everything and nothing at the same time. I spent a lot of time learning and soaking in Paris and the Parisian lifestyle. If you’ve never been to Paris, you’re in for a shock. The city is magnificent. Parisians are the polar opposite of Americans. They don’t rush, they take their time and they relax. They have an obsession with baked goods and they certainly don’t work 50-60 hour weeks. While I was there, I was reminded of a couple things that we, as Americans, often forget.
1. There’s Always Room for Dessert
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to wander the streets of Paris, you’ll notice there are bakeries on every corner. You’ll also notice that almost every restaurant in Paris offers a combo with an appetizer, entree, beverage and dessert. While dining at French restaurants, I came to understand that desserts are a part of French cuisine and they are to be enjoyed. This made me realize that in the US, we often skip the simple, small, and sweet things in life because we’re too focused on doing whatever it is that we’re doing (whether it be work, school, a new start-up, a side project etc). We’re so full of our main entree that we can hardly think about dessert. When we do this, we miss out on the simple pleasures in life or a delicious dessert (quite literally). Always enjoy a bit of dessert with your proverbial meal.
2. Take a Step Back to Re-evaluate and Reflect
During my time in Paris, I didn’t sightsee. I sat at cafes sipping coffee, watching the world go by. I watched people from all walks of life come and go. As I sat there, I had time to reflect and re-evaluate my life, my goals, my expectations and my current situations. I tend to reflect on my life often but this time it felt like a breath of fresh air.
I realized sometimes I work so hard toward my goals, I forget to take the time to REALLY evaluate on a large scale. Setting life goals is important but consciously taking the time to re-evaluate and reflect is even more important – whether that means taking a much needed vacation or sitting at your favorite coffee shop and watching the people go by…. everyone needs a breath of fresh air.
3. Striving to be Perfect is a Waste of Time
Parisians wear a lot of black – head to toe. The women look put together, chic and polished. Personally, I never wore black on black. Something about wearing black on black bothered me because I felt the slightly different shades of black looked sloppy and untidy. Now? Don’t be surprised if you find me wearing black on black. Striving to be perfect or attempting to coordinate all the tiny details in life is a waste of time. That time could be spent on other things. I can’t tell you how many times I was *almost* late to an event because I “didn’t have anything to wear.” In retrospect, pulling together an all black outfit and doing a quick mirror check before running out the door would have saved me so much time.
4. Use Kind Words
People say the French are rude. I found this to be completely untrue. Why? I don’t speak much French. Fortunately, most people in France speak English. I managed to get around fine with basic phrases like “hello”, “good evening”, “good bye”, “thank you”, “no thank you”, “excuse me” and most importantly, “I’m sorry I don’t speak French. Do you speak English?” I found people were much friendlier and willing to help me when I used these phrases instead of automatically assuming they speak English and speaking to them in English right away.
These phrases are basic and it may seem like common sense but I’ve met a lot of people that seem to not know this. They are too concerned with getting what they want right away, they forget that people want to be treated like people. If anything, I’d say there are times when us Americans can be very rude.
5. BYOTSC (Bring Your Own Toilet Seat Covers)
No deep thoughts of self-reflection here. I call a spade a spade. There are no toilet seat covers so bring your own. You can get these in the travel section of any Target.
I had a wonderful, unforgettable time in Paris. The culture and the Parisian lifestyle is so different than what I’m used to. It was a much needed vacation and a review course in Life 101. Now I feel refreshed, recharged and ready to take on the world. So watch out!
It's a secret.... pass it on!
What makes something “go viral?”
