Is Pandora Beating iTunes Radio?

Apple recently launched an addition to their popular iTunes that was intended to rival the existing Pandora Radio. Apple created a similar application entitled iTunes Radio that was supposed to provide a radio like experience where a user would input an artist or song and iTunes Radio would provide similar songs for listening.

Although the launch appeared somewhat successful, Pandora still proves to be the leader. According to an article written by Aaron Pressman of Yahoo! Finance, "Pandora listeners average 38.5 minutes per day" while iTunes Radio listeners "tuned in for about 9.5 minutes per day." Apple Radio is still behind compared to Pandora.

After the launch, I decided to try out iTunes Radio although I have been a Pandora user. Although the music selection seemed better than Pandora, offering a wider variety songs, the interface was not easy to use and rather cumbersome. Pandora's fun, attractive interface is much easier to use and more simplistic.

Another player in this space not mentioned is Spotify. I must say, Spotify is my personal favorite. I have more control, yet they can offer suggestions if I want them. In addition, I can have as much or as little music in one place. By far one of my favorite features is the automatic playlist Spotify creates from the radio portion called, "Liked from Radio." Then, I have all the songs I liked in one place in case I want to go back and listen to them.

All in all, the race between these three continues. Who will prevail? What do you think?

Thanks for reading!

-LC

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God and the Devil are in the Details

Ever heard this quote? I certainly have. But what implications does this have upon businesses and brands?

Details. Details. Details. Some people hate them, others thrive on them. Something worth noting is their importance, especially in industries that are cluttered with brands. This article entitled "What if Details Determined Good Communication?" came up on my LinkedIn and caused me to look further into what this means.

The article gives an excellent example of Starbucks. Starbucks' product are nothing special or new. But what Starbucks did was revolutionary: they made coffee personal and a status symbol. Through their attention to detail, from branding every item they sell to writing your name on your drink, Starbucks has forever changed coffee shops. But how they did so was because of their attention to details.

Prime example: their branding. Ever notice how each item Starbucks sells has their logo in the most visible spot? Their logo may be simple, but it is recognizable and well placed. This attention to detail has helped make this company a coffee empire.

So as the companies of today look for ways to differentiate themselves, they should look towards using details to provide touch points and good communication to their customers. Details make all the difference. How do you see details playing out in your world?

Thanks for reading!

-LC

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Teens Don't Like Facebook

Is this title surprising to you? It's an interesting trend that social marketers have been in denial about for awhile. Although Facebook is still a prominent social platform and should be optimized, if your target audience is teens, ad spend needs to be heavily invested in other platforms teens actually like and use more frequently.

So what do these hard-to-crack teens like? Predominately Twitter followed closely by Instagram. An article by Jim Edwards of Business Insider (found here) details this teen trend. In the Fall of 2012, 42% of teens said Facebook was the most important social site, however, one year later only 23% of this same group said Facebook was important.

What does this mean for Facebook? Well, good thing they bought Instagram! Although the two platforms are not "connected' as of now, Facebook is able to reach some of the Facebook-disliking crowd through Instagram. But something noteworthy is that Instagram is currently still pre-revenue.

In addition, although teens are not Facebook fans per say, they are still using the platform. Most teens still maintain an account, but are not actively posting, contributing, and interacting. They simply use it as a supplement to Twitter and Instagram.

What platforms do you use? What do you think the future of Facebook looks like?

Thanks for reading!

-Lindsay

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Can Netflix and Cable be Friends?

The age we are in is proving difficult for cable companies. When services like Netflix first came out in 1997, cable companies and rental services snickered. But they wouldn't be laughing for long. Blockbuster is a prime example since Netflix is largely to blame (or credited) with their demise.

Since around 2009, Netflix has exploded, stealing many cable company's loyal customers. Currently, the service offers a one-time monthly fee (~$8) for access to their extensive library of TV shows and movies. People looking for inexpensive entertainment have loved this because it is economical, gives them plenty to watch, and allows streaming on up to 3 devices at once. Translation: you can split the $8/month between you and your roommates, friends, or family instead of paying $100+/month for cable.

But what is the future of Netflix and cable companies? According to this article released by John McDuling, Netflix put its own version of a "Netflix box" (like a cable box that allows you to stream Netflix on your TV) on hold due to talks of joining in with cable companies to become a default on the cable boxes. This is huge.

Although this could increase Netflix's customer base, it could further cannibalize cable sales. Netflix could easily steal these consumers once they realize the benefits of simple paying for Netflix and not cable. Additionally, I am interested to see what happens as more people are figuring out how to get around having a "box" and using things such as Apple TV or HDIM cords to stream online TV shows and movies.

Should Netflix partner with cable companies? What do you think the future will hold for both cable AND Netflix?

I guess only time will tell, but I will be interested to see how this battle plays out.

As always, thanks for reading!

-LC

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5 Leadership and Success Predictors

Leadership. One of the most sought after skills, yet being a “leader” is one of the hardest things to achieve and/or convey. Almost EVERY company asks you about your leadership experience or lists leadership as a job qualification.

But what makes a great leader? What marks you as “successful”? More specifically, how can you start building good leadership and success habits NOW?

Well you’re in luck! Because I found this great article outlining 5 great predictors of just this! Here are THE 5 things:

1. Getting connected to the right people.
2. Possessing adaptability and resilience.
3. Developing high emotional intelligence.
4. Targeting a clear outcome.
5. Making good decisions.

^Make sense, huh? I know in my personal experience with job-hunting that every company in some way, shape, or form asks about these 5 things. They want to know who I’m connected to (or they look on my LinkedIn...see previous post for LinkedIn tips), how I deal with adversity, my leadership style, etc.

I believe that all of these 5 “predictors of success” are great! But one that I highly stand behind is #3: developing high emotional intelligence. Although I may be young, one important lesson I have learned is that if you can develop a good sense of who you are and how to also read people, you can be successful. One of my favorite ways to gather emotional intelligence is by taking the StrengthsFinder test in conjunction with personality tests, such as the MBTI. These tests will help you learn more about yourself, as well as others.

All in all, it is important to look ahead. How will success and leadership be defined for you? Constantly evaluate this question and its impact on you.

Until next time,

Lindsay

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10 Tips for LinkedIn

So you’ve created a LinkedIn profile. You know it is essential when networking with people and for building “your own brand”. But now what? How does it even work?

Tracy Gold wrote a great blog about 10 tips to know about LinkedIn. I found this blog particularly helpful as I continue to learn about LinkedIn and its powerful impact. Tracy outlines some of the top 10 things she thinks you should know about LinkedIn and how to leverage it for your own good.

Some of her tips that I really enjoyed include tip #2 Post a picture. Please. Of your face, #3 Use LinkedIn to remember names, and #4 Make the most of your headline.

#2 Post a picture. Please. Of your face.

I have heard multiple times from business professionals that this is ESSENTIAL. There’s nothing that will get your profile overlooked faster than not having a picture or having one that is unprofessional. It makes a profile seem neglected, unprofessional, and unimportant. Tracy addresses in this tip that if you’re concerned about some people seeing your photo, changing your privacy settings so only connections can see your picture is 100% acceptable.

#3 Use LinkedIn to remember names.

This is a great tip! I never thought of using LinkedIn in this way, but it’s a great tool for remembering what exactly that person you met does. Utilize LinkedIn for recalling titles, experiences, etc. of people you meet or know. Doing so will make you seem well versed and polite.

#4 Make the most of your headline.

I love this tip. I always struggle with what to put as my headline. Tracy outlines that “your headline does not have to be your job title alone…Keep it concise, but make sure it communicates what you do and what your skills are.” Great advice!

All in all, LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. If you know how to leverage this platform, it can provide great opportunities.

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Facebook Ads to Increase in Size

Ever notice those pesky Facebook ads on the side of your newsfeed? The ones that are usually creepily similar to something you previously searched for on Google? Or the ones that are so obscure you are almost offended?

It’s no surprise to consumers that Facebook has been advertising to their consumers very directly through the sidebar of the social platform. They have also begun inserting advertisements into a person’s newsfeed.

As these ads have become more apparent, consumers have started ignoring them. Facebook’s main stream of revenue comes from these advertisements; however, companies have pushed Facebook to do something new to reach the consumer. These sidebar ads just did not seem to be breaking through.

Starting on September 17^th, you will notice a change to your sidebar ads. Kurt Wagner, a Mashable author, released an article on September 10^th stating that the pictures accompanying your personalized Facebook ads will become up to 3.5x their current size. (Article found here)

The image below shows the new shift. The top row exhibits the current Facebook advertisements while the bottom row reveals the “new” ads.

(Also from the aforementioned article)

As this shift occurs, it will be interesting to see if Facebook sees a return on this strategy. In a world where consumers are becoming increasingly hard to reach, social platforms like Facebook have to fight for their advertising revenue streams.

So what do you think? Do you think the increased picture size will increase conversion? Will these new ads draw you in?

Thanks for reading!

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Siri vs. Google ‘OK Glass’

The Apple vs. Microsoft and Google battle has been ramping up in recent years as Microsoft partnered with Google and began to become a legitimate competitor to Apple. It used to be that Apple was a stand-alone market leader, but Microsoft and Google have begun challenging the technologically savvy Apple company.

So what’s Apple’s next strike against competition? Well Siri has made a subtle stab at Google’s new “OK Glass”. If you have the most up to date Apple operating system, simply ask Siri about OK Glass. She is not happy. Responses you might hear will be, “I’m not Glass. And I’m just fine with that” or “I think you’ve got the wrong assistant.”

A Mashable article written by Vignesh Ramachandran (article found here) describes his experience with asking Siri  on the iOS 6 operating system and how she was not happy: “She also got sassy about Glass’ ability to respond to users’ blinks: ‘Just so you know, I don’t do anything when you blink at me.’” In addition, if you ask Siri what the best tablet is, she will bluntly reply, “There is only iPad.”

Passive aggressive or not, Apple wants Siri to only know Apple, thus potentially impacting the consumer.

So what does this mean? Is Apple going too far? What’s next?

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Stop Using These 30 Phrases At Work!

What are the top 30 overused phrases at work? 

Bernard Marr, a best selling business author, spells out what he thinks are the 30 most irritating and overused phrases in the workplace in this article. Marr's list is both helpful and terrifying. Why? Because I find myself using a few of these phrases. But as a college student approaching the beginning of my career faster than ever, this list is extremely eye-opening.

A big downfall of my generation is the lack of professionalism. My generation seems to have missed the memo about how to communicate, dress, and act professionally. I have been told this time and time again by business people. With that stereotype in mind, I have tried to keep my eyes open for any sort of help cracking the code of business etiquette.

Marr's list proves helpful to me personally and I believe it could be helpful to others whether you are a secretary or CEO. Everyone should be weary of these phrases in their professional and personal lives. 

But now my question is what are the alternatives to these phrases?

Are these phrases overused? Yes. Are they irritating? To most people, yes. 

But what are the alternatives? What do you think should replace these outdated phrases?

1. Going forward
2. Drill-down
3. End of play
4. Touch base
5. It's on my radar
6. No brainer
7. Best of breed
8. Low hanging fruit
9. Reach out
10. Dive deeper
11. Think outside the box
12. Positive momentum
13. On my plate
14. At the end of the day
15. Run the numbers
16. Touch points
17. Keep your eye on the ball
18. Back to the drawing board
19. Get the ball rolling
20. Bang for your buck
21. Close the deal
22. When the rubber hits the road
23. Shift paradigm
24. Move the needle
25. Game-changing
26. Move the goal post
27. Value added
28. Win-win
29. Across the piece
30. All hands on deck

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Facebook is Bad for You

Ever wonder about the effects of Facebook on social habits?

This article by the Economist addresses that exact question. A recent study conducted by Ethan Kross of the University of Michigan and Philippe Verduyn of Leuven University in Belgium claims that "the more someone uses Facebook, the less satisfied he is with life." This bold statement has huge impacts on current generations, as the average person spends over 15 hours on Facebook a month.

The study goes into further detail about the specific emotions the viral social media site, Facebook, has on it's users, including tension, depression, and isolation.

As a personal user of Facebook, this is worrisome. But on the other hand, Facebook has become a social norm not just for a person's social life, but the site has leaked into all facets of one's life. As a college student, it seems uncanny when someone does not have a Facebook.

So now the question becomes: what is one to do? Should we abandon the social media site that has revolutionized social media? Or should we simply embrace the side-effects?

As a lasting trend, I do not believe social media is going away. People are addicted to it, businesses need it to communicate with their consumers, and it seems as though life runs on social media. But as users, we need to be aware of social media's effects. We must be weary of the fact that social media should be used as a tool for interaction, not in place of personal, social interactions.

It is our responsibility as consumers to be aware of the effects of social media, specifically Facebook, and use such sites appropriately.

What do you think? Have you experienced the effects of social media personally or via someone else? What should we do?

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