Monday 30 October 2017

Tempting tools and crafty tricks: [Ridder | Twitter] MISS while Spotlight glistens ] online review



"Never lose your curiosity and sense of wonder.

Continue on the quest for great things or things to make great again."
                                                            

                  ~Jeannette Marshall


Make things GREAT again.
by Jeannette Marshall
@optioneerJM
(c) Copyright *


Congratulations to Tiger Woods for understanding how the world of social media can be used to be in control and on top of what is being said about you, filtered or skewed in such a way that trusty news sources are blatantly looking very one-dimensional while defending their claims of reporting credible news, which supports the justification for how much advertisers will pay for a spot on that program, magazine, or newspaper.  

Social media blurs and blends all traditional media under one umbrella where the user clicks, navigates their mouse to avoid near misses or potential calamity.  The ultimate power lies in each individual (or sometimes robot or savvy algorithm capture or predictive indexes or repetitive online behavior).


Now, where have we seen this done before?  
(rhymes with dump?)



     MISTAKEN IDENTITY?













During my navigation around the social stratosphere, with no particular destination intended, I was responding to people on Twitter.  What I try to do is engage with every single person on Twitter at least once.  Some people make it easier to do because they "get it" being consistent on all social media is important to continue or build relevance.

I particularly have played with Twitter, enjoying the playful vibe by adding GIFs to your tweets can add energy and attract positive attention.  







My disclaimer to that is I would be able to have my mother watch what I'm doing or read what I am posting, and with whom.  She has strong opinions about that, so the feedback isn't worth the criticism and agony that could mean.

Twitter really really AWFULLY goofed on its technology or someone fell asleep at the keyboard because most women would understand and some even become outraged at what Twitter showed me in response to what I was looking for:



Don't see anything wrong?

I'm a "snipping tool" junkie on my Microsoft operating system.    Am I boring you out of paying attention to my point?  (That's not uncommon with me, my brain and mouth operate at different intervals).  



Getting it yet?





Both first responses when I keyed in "positive woman role model" search feature to look for GIFs that can underscore your point.  Like I said, I've started to do that consistently.  That is why I was HUH? A woman in a flamingo-esque bikini and a dude non white is almost funny!  It pokes fun at the common stereotype or misconception what a BAD role model is.  You think?






Go ahead.  Try it.  I dare you.
I double dare you.  Go to the GIF bar on Twitter and click on it, enter in something like "Balloons" to see what you get.  Send me a tweet:  @optioneerJM with #RT and I will retweet it in turn.  Now go and attempt to send a GIF from Twitter by keying in "positive woman role model" and see what you get.  

Could it just be my own darn luck?
We can make luck happen.  I am sharing this to emphasize that we all make mistakes.  Mistakes are endless and help create processes that eliminate missteps, miscommunication and all the other misstep there potentially are.

Be helpful without being demeaning 
or criticizing.  I'll try to let Twitter know.  How many avenues I have to attempt, be detoured or simply ignored.  It will be interesting to note how responsive they are when someone discovers a mistakes and tries to help them rectify it.

Responsiveness indicates concern.
Usually.  Responsiveness sets the pace or determines the ability to be resilient and robustly bounce back.
Regardless of size of who is being informed of a mistake, or the credibility (or lack of perceived authority or risk) or poor processes on picking out mistakes communicated by a user or customer.






How nice to receive a nonpersonalized email from Linkis and Ridder glorifying such a rebound.  Without anything better to do than investigate, I did so.



I go investigating.  Thankfully, I do use the Snippet tool.  In this case, I can back step to see maybe how I got connected better with Linkis and did the snippet thing.  Sometimes I find a great connection to give me an answer.  Other times I take a Snippet with the potential to blog or comment later on.  Just in case.

What an annoying experience.
Somewhere in the first few screens, while attempting to set up a profile to try Ridder, it was unable to allow me to connect with my Facebook page or ID.

Beta?  Just say it is so.
If you are launching a new tool and you want to expand your Beta testers, I think it is a fantastic idea.  Just make sure you take the time to lay the groundwork:  inform users that it is in Beta test mode and even better if you direct them to somewhere for feedback.  

A good idea.
Have the CEO of the Company (aka the chief of brand, ruler of all that happens, and fall guy (or gal) send a personalized note thanking for taking the time to send in an idea that has been adopted or is seriously being considered.

Sidestep opportunity
By creating more fanfare surrounding what they were trying to say was a miraculous pairing or merger or acquisition, they skipped (or skimmed at break neck speed) and launched it while knowing there were still hiccups.

Risky business
Sending an invitation to sign up for a fully scaled and mature tool to a connection that is so clumped in with the masses, it lends asking the question:  was Linkis acquired for its customer list? Or, it's value (or technology).

Not disclosing that it is a trial or beta was a mistake
I'm being optimistic that it was in beta form.  Way too many user glitches that become annoyance and finally drifting away.   Without a sound.  Without a peep.  By not soliciting feedback, it could mean that it is perfect just the way it is.  (As if every first attempt is an automatic recipe for success with feedback unnecessary.)

Lost opportunity.
Sometimes a strong roadmap leads to a well executed plan.  Sometimes the steps to reaching completion has not been mapped out, or it has been mapped out without any benchmarks in place.  Best guesswork at play.



You can see that connecting to Twitter worked while Facebook didn't do anything other than generate an error.  I may be a little more tenacious than most or like to give the benefit of the doubt, but I met with the same technical issue with trying to link LINKED IN.




Social Media Tech Rule No. 1

You really can't boast that you have anything until you iron out the kinks, as often inevitable with technology.  It is not "Murphy's Law" when you are attempting to earn credibility and be taken seriously.

Perfection rules

So what if your CEO said it would be launched by October 1 and all the marketing song and dance is timed perfectly with that preset date.   You really shouldn't be launching a product until it is ready, or shift the project to align with what is actually happening, not what someone is dreaming or refusing to hear what other's are trying to say.

Set the bar high on quality
Companies who apt to survive and endure are perfectionists who want to drive the value of what they offer so high that they can justify a much greater cost than the average because they have painstakingly built a brand and tried to guide the perception of the company aligned similarly.  They will typically work at attracting the essential talent to align with the goal.

SPOTLIGHT
During my wandering online and reading folks' bios when they follow me on Twitter (@optioneerJM) that are witty, smart or savvy with a positive vibe are the first that grab me, often inspire me to ask them a question that means I'm poised by rapt curiosity on the answer.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE
is the rule for any would be or has been brand.  The really BIG BRANDS can afford to experiment and have the engines of advertising, its agency or market research machines handy.  They already know who their audience is.  Sometimes they will design a campaign on the audience they want to attract or the loyal following they want to reinforce.

The spotlight on SPOTLIGHT
If I were an actor or in the entertainment field, I would definitely be on this site.  A LINKED IN for actors and business people alike.   


SPOTLIGHT link 

I'm waiting to find out how grievous it may turn out getting on there.  I'm curious if there is a cost and what they say their value proposition is?




IFTTT is the bomb!
@ifttt is a tool anyone can use.  It is free for now and I would imagine including the marketing application and social media tool for businesses or websites would be in development.  

Mashable:  the word
I have promoted and professed really enjoying the content on Mashable.  It is very hip and in tune with what is going on online.  It seeks and discovers really cool things, inventions and ideas all channeled under its ezine-ish umbrella of a website.  Rather than trying to emulate or copy it, I simply use @ifttt to repost all of their content by asking ifttt for assistance.  

IFTTT :: the best online tool
That's easy for ifttt to do.  Be careful on who you choose to use this with or for.  It can take over a social media channel and ruin the productivity by its over use.  Not monitoring how it impacts your channels is detrimental to your identity and reputation.  At least when it sends out alarm bells that what you've asked ifttt to do is a little too invasive, repetitiveness, either by content or message, it can easily be misidentified as your own brand.  In Mashable's case, I've merely automated what they already put out there, sharing it with others, under the assumption that if I like it, others will too.  An automated #RT retweet per se.

That's not always a given.  However, now that I'm very selective on how I use @ifttt I recognize its immense opportunity.  Perhaps that is how they got started and they maybe allowed certain users to try it and use it, working out any bugs with those they want the opinions of or tempt with the usage.

Continuous Improvement 
should be everyone's MOTTO.  Finding ways to make old applications (we call them APPs now) great again.  In @ifttt 's case, they, or someone did, recognize the value of making tools within tools.  Like underscore the vast market of those who use GMAIL (from Google).  It would be cool to uncover who actually made that recipe.  With ifttt's guidance, they recommend "applets" that they figure you may be interested in.  If you're curious, you widen the scope of how you use it and deepen the depth to which you are committed.  

Collaboration among primary social media brands may be difficult to measure and evaluating its success in cooperating with other venues or evaluation methods by providing access by backdoor means, which in turn can expand its audience or even increase loyalty.  

The magnitude of programming in order to extrapolate other social sites into a new one is daunting.  Times that by the number of users, and specify at so many interest levels.  Emphasize the popularity also increases the demand for integration with so many of the main sites.

Invested interests
It is remarkable and commendable when you find yourself immersed with a great new offering at the highest level.  One such service of note is Social Fave.  A value add to expand your Twitter usability and a way to grow your audience so that it aligns with your values and interests.  




Social Fave
Is hardworking and out there on Twitter constantly, continuously and keeps in touch consistently.  You get the sense that your success directly bounces back to them and grows their credibility and establishes authenticity as a go to source.  To at least try it.  Free mostly to individuals or brands.

Around every corner is a Snap Chat
ready to be unleashed on the cyber crowd and social media savvy crew.  I try some.  Others I don't if it seems like too much of a hassle.  If it catches on and becomes successful, then the investors or backers are rewarded, and feel good when they find a HIT.

3 Strikes Out
I try to always give the benefit of the doubt, am adventurous enough online to give a try.  Some I eventually lose interest in keeping up with, while others have tested my "3 strikes and you're out" patience.  

Tracking Progress
Aligns with perfection.  Not purely the aesthetics, ease of use, and cool factor.  Those committed to a really awesome ending or start take the time to set goals, timelines, revenue, audience, user, drop in marketing, launch dates, public relations, drive the wheels of progress.  

Numbers are real
Profitability is either a plus or a minus [*/-].  That usually indicates in harmony, in control or a pending train wreck.

Response rates, click rates, time spent, money spent, inquiries are all part of the thermometer going up and being HOT and falling fast in the chill of COLD facts.


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