October 2013 - DigitalParc

Take-Aways From Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian

Posted on October 29, 2013 by dpadmin

Hundreds of people, young and old, crowded a University of Minnesota auditorium last Thursday. Why? To hear a 30-year old talk about his philosophies. Alexis Ohanian is an entrepreneur and open-internet activist, best known for co-creating reddit.

For those who are unfamiliar with reddit, it is a social news platform, where visitors choose the content they see. The content is entirely user generated. If you have an interest, chances are that there’s a reddit community that exists around it. You know those memes you see on Facebook? They’re probably from reddit. This month alone, reddit had 15 million unique visitors.

As a reddit addict, I thought I would go and hear about my favorite website. What I got instead was an eye-opening presentation on entrepreneurship in a digital age. Here’s what I learned:

“I have a great idea!” – Everyone

Good ideas are a dime a dozen. What matters is execution; acting on those ideas.

Don’t know anything about coding? Learn. It’s the most valuable skill of this century.

The Internet has changed the way we do just about everything. Clearly, it’s not going away any time soon. We don’t even know where it will take us yet. Ohanian thinks that as we’re discovering this new territory, we’re building it right underneath our feet. The digital world is changing, and those of us who were “raised” with the Internet will be the ones who shape it. Anyone who has the passion and drive can make big changes in the global community, and it’s all because of the Internet.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to build and innovate. Don’t do what you’re supposed to do. Don’t do anything for anyone else. Try something different. If you can build something that people like, that’s all that matters. When Ohanian started reddit as an undergraduate, he had no idea what he was doing. He had no reason to be meeting with companies like Google and Yahoo, but he followed his passion and created “the front page of the internet.”

Alexis Ohanian delivers his vision with passion and humor. Hearing him speak could make anyone want to get out and start something great. What are you waiting for?

Alexis is on a 70-college, 150-stop bus tour for his new book, Without Their Permission. Ohanian, the embodiment of dorm-room tech entrepreneurs, is changing the world, without asking permission.

Social Media in Action: Success & Failure in the Digital Realm

Posted on October 23, 2013 by dpadmin

Social media is not a fad or a trend, it is a necessary tool for business. Social media is increasingly the primary means of communication among Fortune 500 companies, which makes you wonder: why aren’t more small or mid-sized businesses taking advantage of this simple, inexpensive tool to grow their brand?

Social media is being used by large corporations to a great extent, with 70% on Facebook and 77% utilizing Twitter. Their online presences are growing vigorously and we don’t expect any drop-offs in the near future.

Some of the top companies engaging their customers through social media are Ford, HP, T-Mobile, Zappos.com, Coca Cola and Starbucks. Starbucks, which tops the list at more than 4.5 million followers on Twitter, can easily reach a large population with minimal effort.

Starbucks: #ComeTogether

Just recently, the CEO of Starbucks released an Instagram video starting the #ComeTogether campaign. This campaign urged patrons to sign a petition to end the government shut down. The petition reached more than one million signatures the first day. With more than 30,000 likes on Instagram, 180,000+ “likes” on Facebook, and “Starbucks” frequently trending on Twitter, the #ComeTogether campaign exemplifies the power of social media and its ability to rouse followers.

Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ CEO, added another aspect to this campaign using the “Pay it Forward” concept. The idea was to encourage customers to buy another person’s drink, and, in return, they would be rewarded with a free coffee. This act of humility is significant in this stand-still time.

Coca-Cola: Roll Out Happiness

Another example of Social Media being used effectively by huge corporations is Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is arguably the most influential company in the world, given its amazing brand image and social involvement across the globe. One of its most recent campaigns was titled “Roll Out Happiness.”

Coca-Cola made a Youtube video to promote the “Roll Out Happiness” campaign, which was shot in a gray, slow-moving area in Amsterdam. It starts with the word “gray” appearing in many different languages, and then goes on to show a large town square and a Coke truck laying down on the grass. Eventually, people start to move towards the grass and see the Coke machine that says: “To enjoy happiness, take off your shoes.” The video shows different people “enjoying happiness” while drinking a bottle of Coke.

When considering the success that companies like Starbucks and Coca-Cola have had through social media, it’s important to remember that big brand names usually have large followings, even if they don’t actively engage their audiences. That’s why it’s important to remind yourself that your strategy shouldn’t merely be about increasing your audience but rather attracting users who genuinely benefit from what you have to offer.

Naked Juice: The Potential for Backlash

When a brand breaks its promises or doesn’t hold true to its values, the customers let them know how they feel. The easiest way to give public feedback, of course, is through social media.

Naked Juice found this out the hard way. In the not-too-distant past, Naked Juice was labeled as “All Natural.” That was its brand image and the quality that set it apart from other beverages. In early 2013, a class action lawsuit exposed the company for lying about its all-natural status, and the company’s loyal patrons quickly turned against it. Take a look at any of Naked Juice’s Facebook posts and you’ll see it littered with comments about GMOs and the lawsuit.
Although cases like Naked Juice’s are rare, they are important to keep in mind. If your company makes a big mistake, the social media backlash could ruin your brand image.

Typically, however, you won’t encounter any problems, and you’ll find that having discussions with your customers is not only a lot of fun but can also be very informative.

Every business approaches social media from a different angle. If you or your company does something unique, send us a tweet (@DigitalParc) and let us know what it is!

Using Social Bookmarking to Grow Your Business

Posted on October 17, 2013 by dpadmin

Social bookmarking has grown in popularity over the last few years for both avid online content readers, and marketers looking to grow their online presence. However, it seems that this important online marketing tool has managed to hide in plain site for numerous business owners. It is important to know the differences between social media, social news, social bookmarking, and the impact that all of them can have on your business.

Social bookmarking is commonly interchanged with social media. Unless you have been living under a digital rock, you are familiar with the common social media websites and their function. The giant websites such as Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter allow user to share many different types of content. Some emerging websites include Vine and Instagram, which allow users to share pictures and short videos.

Social bookmarking can involve social media, but this process is much more than sending a tweet or uploading your thoughts on a recent home-made meal to a Facebook status. Social bookmarking allows a user to share something they have seen, whether it is a blog post, news article, picture, or even an entire website, to a directory which makes this content easier for other users to locate. One great example of this is StumbleUpon, which allows users to share any content for other user to stumble on to during their browsing session.

Those who engage in social bookmarking can directly share the content with another user, or make it more likely that someone they do not know will happen upon the shared content. This type of promotion can be very useful for bringing in new customers who did not know they needed your product or service in the first place.

Social bookmarking has another component that allows news worthy content to be shared on a massive scale. Websites such as Digg and Reddit are a type of social bookmarking site which allow any user to share a link to interesting content they have found or created. Since these sites are used on a very large scale, many happenings in the news will be shared on the site and then discussed by users.

This type of social news can serve as a content engine for a business. You may have just released a groundbreaking new product into the market. You can share the product via traditional and social news, then let the marketplace do your work for you. Articles reviewing and discussing the product, with links back to your website can all spawn from a simple share through a social bookmarking or social news website.

The purpose of social bookmarking is to make the information of the internet easier to digest. If a user were to try to wade through all of the available information it would be a daunting task. You have created great content on your website, make sure that you share it and get it out there for the world to see! By utilizing a social bookmarking strategy, you can make sure that like-minded individuals will share your content with one another, and give your content valuable exposure to a difficult to reach audience. A good social media strategy may be easy to start, but it is difficult to master. To find out about some agency services that will aid you in your social bookmarking strategy, follow this link to our social media services page and get a free consultation!

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