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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