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Module 12: Instagram Tumblr Media Switchup

Created in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and sold to Facebook for $1 billion in 2012, Instagram is designed to be a simple and creative social network that enables users to transform their photos and videos with the 40 filters available and share them with the world. It is free to use, and photos and videos posted can be shared to Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter. Users can also opt to have Instagram check them in on Foursquare.

Instagram is always expanding. Just this year, they have already announced ten updates. One of the most popular is that users can now share up to 10 photos and videos in one post. These photos and videos can be ordered, edited, engaged on, and swiped through individually.

March 31, Instagram rolled out stickers users can add to photos for every day of the week to make their stories more creative. My cat was the designated subject of my testing of this new feature. 

April 5, Instagram rolled out new tools to help people when intimate images are shared on Instagram without their permission. Users can now report images that they think are inappropriate and someone from Instagram’s Community Operations team will take action. Instagram will also use photo-machine technology to make sure the images are not shared on Facebook and Messenger.

I use Instagram now more than ever before. I have noticed that it doesn’t affect my mood in a negative way like Facebook sometimes does. I am excited to go there and am still in a good mood when I leave. I think that is because I do not have that many connections (followers and users I follow) on Instagram yet, so I am not as bombarded with as many posts and messages. Facebook has become kind of like e-mail to me in the sense that I feel I have to check it and get back to anyone who messaged me immediately. Instagram doesn’t feel that way to me. I really like that Instagram is oriented around visuals versus text.  The filters are great!

I do not manage an Instagram page for my organization because we do not have one. If we did, we could definitely use it to highlight the impacts of research we fund. Instagram would be a useful platform for us.

Instagram is now a community of more than 600 million, with 300 million daily active users uploading 95 million photos per day. Pew Research Center and Omnicore tell us more about who these users are:

-32% of Internet users (68% of who are women)

80% percent come from outside the U.S.

-28% of all U.S. adults (31% of who are women, 24% are men)

59% are between the ages of 18-29, 33% are between 30-49, 18% are between 50-64, and 8% are 65+

33% have college+, 37% have some college, and 27% have a high school diploma or less

Incomes average between 31-38% in all brackets between less than $30K a year and more than $75K a year

39% live in urban areas, 28% in suburban, and 31% in rural

Influencers include celebrities, but can also include everyday people who have, for example, gone viral for making makeup tutorials. Influencers who have seven million or more followers are usually the ones who get endorsement deals. 

Fun fact: The 15 people who get the most likes on their posts include Selena Gomez, three Kardashians, Christiano Ronaldo, and Louis Tomlinson.

According to their press news, Instagram has 8 million businesses using business profiles, with the greatest adoption coming from the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and the United Kingdom. They also have more than 1 million monthly active advertisers. This is important to note because 120 million Instagrammers visited a website, got directions, called, emailed or direct messaged to learn about a business. Moreover, Instagram is expected to generate about $1.5 billion in mobile advertising sales this year and $5 billion in 2018.

Advertisements on Instagram are actually becoming too obvious for me. They are, however, a key part of Instagram’s monetization strategy. After scrolling through three posts from users I follow, I scrolled past an advertisement for a graduate program in nursing. Then, I scrolled through 15 posts from users I follow before seeing an advertisement for teeth straightening. I scrolled through eight more posts before seeing an advertisement for home goods. I would say it is useless to advertise a graduate program in nursing to me, but the other two are of interest. Moreover, Instagram has an algorithm for what shows up in my news feed and when.

Brands and organizations have Instagram accounts. I love following the Department of Interior. They are my favorite. I am surprised they do not have more followers. They use Instagram to highlight America’s beautiful canvas’.

For brand inspiration, the following 21 Instagram accounts are recommended. Vogue, Starbucks, Netflix, Barkbox, Taco Bell, and what 20 others are posting are highlighted here. Some of the reasons brands use Instagram are to:

-Build and engage with their communities globally

-Be creative with their marketing

-Take followers behind the scene

-Build anticipation and reward loyal followers with exclusive content

-Take advantage of user-generated content

That’s Instagram in a nut shell. It is free and fun to use. Brands and organizations love it. It’s always improving and all about enabling users to share their lives with friends through pictures.

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Module 11: Google+ Tumblr Media Switchup

It’s still around, but for how long? Will it continue down the path to the bone yard of social networks abandoned by the masses like, for example, MySpace? I certainly don’t have a definitive answer to that question, but I do feel like Google+ isn’t among the social networks strong enough to survive a major housing bubble “boom and bust” type of situation in the social media world.

Google+ is a social network created in 2011 by Google, which means it works best with Google-based products. You have to have a Google account to engage on Google+. 

Google+ shares many standard features common among most social media networks. Content can be shared, messages can be sent, status updates can be posted, comments can be made, etc. To like something, a +1 button is used versus, for example, Facebook’s thumb or Twitter’s heart. Google+ has a Pinterest feel when it comes to the layout of its news feed.

You can create a collection or follow collections created by others on Google+. Collections are focused sets of posts on particular topics (Examples: Mushrooms, Mammals, and Motorcycles). You can create and join communities (Examples: Travel for All, Pokemon Stars, and Minimalist World). You can also create circles to “control who you share your posts with.” 

Google+ is not like Facebook in the sense that you do not have to request a friend and have that friend accept your request. It’s more like Twitter, where anyone can follow anyone. 

The first time I ever logged on to Google+ was to research it for this blog. Admittedly, I went into this assignment thinking that Google+ was connected to Hangouts, as I have heard a lot about Hangouts over the years. In the past, you had to have a Google+ profile to participate in Hangouts. Now, you just have to have at least a Google Apps account.

I do appreciate this experience, as it is important to know a little bit about every major social media network when working in public affairs. This gives me a better feel for what could be best for my organization. Personally, I find it fun to snoop around on a network I am new at, though I don’t think I will stick around. It does feel like moving to a new state and starting fresh though!

The most recent data I could find pertaining to the composition of the Google+ community was gathered September 4, 2016:

-375 million active members, 27 million unique monthly visits

-Average time spent on site per visit is 3 minutes, 46 seconds

-55% of members are in the U.S., followed by 18% in India

-28% of members are between 15-34

-73.7% of members are male, 26.3% female

-Top occupations are: Engineer (29%), Developer (17%), Software Engineer (12%), Designer (14%), Teacher (15%), Web Developer (5%)

It is always interesting to find out who is the most followed on any social media network. Lady Gaga has more than 9 million Google+ followers.

Google+ seems to be designed more for the building of new relationships through common interests versus finding old friends. Those new relationships can then foster through Hangouts and develop in real life. Google+ is all about finding interesting people and connecting with them, so that is what many users seek to do.

I did not go into researching the presence of brands on Google+ with a hopeful heart, though 70% of brands have a presence on the network and 42% of users use Google+ to interact with brand content. The majority of the most recent reports I’ve been reading (or lack thereof) indicate how Google+ is becoming more and more irrelevant. I’m still not sure what to think. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

It turns out that while 70% of brands have a presence on the network, it is a “hit or miss” in terms of those brands maintaining an active one. Runner’s World Magazine, for example, posts 3-4 times a day. Sephora seems to be posting every couple of days. Wendy’s posts once a week. Starbucks, on the other hand, seems to have abandoned Google+. They haven’t posted since January 8, 2016. The Department of Defense hasn’t posted since December 23, 2015. MTV hasn’t posted for 45 weeks. 

Brands are using Google+ to drive product awareness by sharing information, photos, and videos. They use it to address customer concerns. Interestingly enough, brands also use Google+ to post content that is not directly related to their brand (Example: A comment about the weather or something that’s just funny).

Google+ is still making adjustments. In January, the product manager announced three updates to the network: 

1. Users will be able to hide “lower quality comments on posts” so they can “focus on the comments that matter most.” A low-quality comment might simply state, for example, “Great!” 

2. “Zoom capabilities on photos” and making it so less white space is seen on the screen.

3. People can create and join events again. I think this is one of the coolest features of Google+. 

Brands who could benefit from maintaining a presence on Google+ and are still ignoring it may want to reconsider. If anything, using Google+ is especially good for SEO reasons. Google immediately indexes everything posted on Google+, so posts have “high probabilities to rank in search results.” This is “an ideal way for both well-established brands and start-ups to highlight their content as the websites which appear on the first page of Google get more than half of all clicks from users.” 

Only time will tell what Google+’s final fate is. The truth of the matter is that for now, they are still afloat. 

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Module 10: Facebook Tumblr Media Switchup

My grandfather lives in Italy, is 97, and he knows what Facebook is. Even though Facebook does not allow someone under the age of 13 to join, I bet many children under that age know what it is too. My point is, do we really need to introduce Facebook? Just in case, I’ll keep it short.

Facebook continues to reign as the largest social network with no competition in site. It launched in 2004. I remember, as I was an undergraduate student. Because I had an .edu e-mail account, I was allowed to join. This was after Facebook was opened up to people outside of Harvard University, where founder Mark Zuckerberg created it in his dorm room, and before it was opened up to anyone and everyone. There’s a movie about Facebook’s start called The Social Network.

Oh, the things one can do on Facebook: Post status updates and content, share, react, tag others, mark yourself “safe” during an accident or attack, live stream, comment, message, play games, create groups, and much more. That’s the gist of it.

It’s been fun watching Facebook evolve over the years. I’ve appreciated the little things, like being able to send GIFs in messages and tag the television show I am watching when referencing it in a post. However, I have to be honest.

Personally, I want to quit Facebook and have wanted to for quite some time. I can’t seem to do it because Facebook is truly a psychological addiction. The 2016 election helped bring this to light even more. Facebook is no longer a positive space for me for the following reasons:

-Scrolling Facebook has become so automatic for me that whenever I have a spare minute-in-waiting, I open up the application on my phone and get at it. That is not healthy and I should be taking in more of the actual life happening around me instead of looking into a screen at the lives of others. I see most people doing what I am doing too, which is also sad. Endless scrolling. 

-My husband gets mad at me for being on Facebook too much. 

-I get annoyed with friends who get on Facebook at dinner. I like them less for it.

-I have a few people as Facebook “friends” I can hardly stand based on what they post, but keep them around for a sort of twisted entertainment. What is really the point in having that in my life?

-There are so many things I want to say, but don’t feel like I can due to the unknown “trolls” out there. For something that is designed for expression, I find it pretty stifling. 

-There’s too much negativity on Facebook these days and you don’t even have to look for it. It finds you! Yes, Facebook is a platform that does showcase a lot of good. I just feel like Facebook used to only showcase the good, like videos of orphaned Dik-Diks being bottle fed. I would probably never know of this creature if I did not see it on Facebook, so for that I am thankful.

I do make a point not to get on Facebook as much while working, but maybe I should also delete the Facebook and Messenger application from my phone? I need to continue making some changes because I do not think Facebook is right for me anymore. Who is with me and all of these people? 

I know who is not currently with me! Here are Facebook’s most current published statistics as of Dec. 31, 2016:

-1.23 billion daily active users on average

-1.15 billion mobile daily active users on average

-1.86 billion monthly active users

-1.74 billion mobile monthly active users 

-Approximately 85.2% of daily active users are outside the U.S. and Canada (Sidebar: Many do not even realize they are on the Internet because they only recognize the existence of Facebook!)

Pew Research Center breaks down who specifically is on Facebook:

People behave so differently on Facebook and it is evident based on where they fall on the spectrum of data referenced above. Research summarized by Dr. Gwendolyn Seidman, an associate professor of psychology at Albright College, confirms what I also find interesting about the Facebook community and how it behaves. After surveying 555 Facebook users and comparing their personality traits with their Facebook engagement, the findings indicate their motives for using Facebook were based on attention-seeking, the need to feel accepted by others, self-expression, communication with others, and to find and disseminate information. 

Narcissists, who are typically less liked on Facebook, still received the most engagement on their posts, which were often about diet and exercise achievements. That’s interesting because I make a point not to engage when I see a humble bragger (P.S. Oops, I guess I am a narcissist because I always post my runs.).

Brands definitely use Facebook. Of the top 25 brands of 2016, guess who is “making the most of their Facebook fan base to drive engagement for their brand?” Starbucks! They are extremely responsive to comments...And funny too! 

Brands use their social media platforms, to include Facebook, to promote their products, services, ideas, and events. They are also using Facebook for other amazing purposes, like showing they embrace the weird and funny, providing customer service, understanding their audience, and inspiring and caring for people. 

Today, Facebook introduced two new features: message reactions and mentions within Messenger. Earlier this month, they introduced Messenger Day and the Facebook 360 app. Though these features apply to Facebook’s mobile capabilities, the products created from them are also seen by users logged in to the platform via a computer. Facebook keeps moving along! 

So, how did I do on this blog post???

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Module 9: Twitter Tumblr Media Switch Up

Twitter, in short, is “what’s happening.” It’s a social network platform aimed at giving “everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.” Due to Twitter’s microblog nature, users can only post, or “tweet,” in 140 characters or less. That can be quite challenging! The good news is that as of September 2016, photos, videos, GIFs, polls and quoted tweets no longer count towards the 140-character limit. This made a lot of users, to include the Colorado Rockies, very happy! 

Let’s go back about 11 years. The first tweet was released into the world March 21, 2006 at 12:50 p.m. by Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder. 

Dorsey was inspired by LiveJournal, a blog-sharing site. He wanted to create a more “real-time, up-to-date blogging service that you can share with friends.” He first called it “stat.us” and sketched his vision. Stat.us turned in to Twitter and the rest is history.  

I have a personal Twitter account, but I am not very active in terms of generating posts or engaging. That is the case for all the platforms I maintain a presence on, aside from Facebook. I am more of an obsessive “scroller” than anything. I use Twitter more passively to:

-Keep posted on (and occasionally complain about) public transportation issues in the National Capital Region.

-See what’s going on in the mind of Donald Trump.

-Follow my favorite friends, events, businesses and organizations, television shows, and celebrities.

Professionally, I have been managing my workplace’s Twitter account for the past five months and am thankful for the tactical-level communications experience. It’s still new to me, as the specific duty of posting to social media on behalf of the organization I work for has never been one of my main duties. One of my main struggles is to not feel like the grammar gods are looking down on me with disgust when I abbreviate a word. I do love using emojis in tweets whenever possible and appropriate. 

Another thing I love is the ability to use TweetDeck to schedule tweets. I do wish it was possible to schedule a retweet (tweeting someone else’s tweet) from Twitter versus from TweetDeck and edit a scheduled post that has media attached to it. I also wish Twitter would allow users to edit their tweets. I once had to delete a tweet that had generated some great engagement because the photo that went along with it needed to be changed. 

The 2016 election made Twitter a particularly interesting place to hang out and the saga continues. Every day, it’s something and that something seems to make the headlines. Today, McDonald’s claims their account was hacked and a politically-charged, anti-Trump tweet was posted from it. Often, Donald Trump voices his displeasure with what he calls “fake news,” the Affordable Care Act, and more. Of course, there was also an uproar of “alt” accounts after the election. 

The thing about these examples and others like them also highlight how the community of Twitter users is quick to contribute to a never-ending thread of comments on posts. They are always watching and will call out false or ridiculous information and check facts instantaneously. They are very open with their thoughts. It can get bad (Jimmy Kimmel’s “Mean Tweets” segment) and ugly. Yet, some users are just there to find and participate in a discussion that references all things #cats. That was a hashtag, by the way. If added before a word on social media, it aids in content discovery and categorization.

Here’s a composition of the community of individuals using Twitter and some additional information about Twitter as a business:

Pew Research Center provides more details about who is on Twitter:

-23% of online adults

-24% men and 21% women

-27% Black, non-Hispanic, 25% Hispanic, 21% White

-Under 50 years of age (37% between 18-29, 25% between 30-49)

-College-educated urbanites

-Making $50K-$75K+ a year

Pope Francis is on Twitter. Justin Timberlake is on Twitter. Businesses are on Twitter too (See Wendy’s, Mr. Clean, NPR, Olive Garden, and more!). Also, I love this list of the 55 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts Guaranteed to Make Your Day. They use Twitter to promote their brands, products and services, and engage with followers. The community uses it to engage with them and with each other. A period before the @ and the handle to tweet at someone isn’t even necessary anymore. Just the @ and the handle is all that is necessary to make sure a tweet has more reach.

Twitter continues to evolve. In the future, Twitter is considering an edit button to allow users to edit their tweets, so this is something to look forward to. Twitter will also be showcasing new original content and streaming video soon. This will help content makers and advertisers. But the real question is, Will Twitter, currently tasked with showing you what’s happening right now, be able to predict for you what’s going to happen next? Stay tuned to see if Twitter will succeed in its plan to turn 20!

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Module 8: Reddit Tumblr Media Switch Up

What is this thing called Reddit with an oh-so-clever name and cute icon named Snoo? In short, they define themselves as an aggregator of “user-generated news links,” where “votes promote stories to the front page.” It’s known as “the front page of the internet.” Reddit is also a social network where users can add friends, engage, and take certain actions based on whatever is posted. 

There are really just four major steps to posting on the platform:

1. Create an account.

2. Select a subreddit, or topic you think your submission would best fit under. See the top 100 subreddits by subject for inspiration. Subreddits can determine viewership levels. Then, fill out the necessary information (Example: What is required to post in the “awww” subreddit?).

3. Submit your post and observe engagement.

4. Analyze the results and repeat.

Commenting on the posts of others, the comments of others, voting on them and more, like buying yourself or someone a subscription to Reddit gold, is pretty intuitive. Reddit has somewhat of a reward system in place for successful engagement. See this user’s profile as an example:

I have never used Reddit and to be honest, have gone out of my way to avoid it since it launched in 2005. I thought about continuing to avoid it this semester too. All I could tell you before this entry is that Reddit keeps a pulse on what’s hot on the web. I could tell you nothing more and nothing less. However, this year, I have been very focused on forcing myself learning new things to expand my professional skill set and get out of my comfort zone. So, here I am, motivated and all, but still far from being a Reddit expert.

What I found interesting about the community of reddit users is the unique set of rules that pertain to each subreddit and how active the moderators are to ensure they are followed. 

Check out the rules for the hilarious Showerthoughts subreddit. 

This focus on “remembering the human” behind the screen, being kind and true, and doing the right thing starts at Reddit headquarters. Reddit doesn’t want anyone being a jerk on their platform and they make it clear via their rediquette that their community is intended to be one that flourishes. 

Reddit is home to “234 million unique users and 8 billion monthly page views.” Reddit says anyone can create a community on nearly any topic imaginable, so there are currently more than 11,000. Interestingly enough, 46% of Reddit’s audience is located outside of the U.S. Kissmetrics Blog: The Marketer’s Guide to Reddit adds that within the U.S., an overwhelmingly majority of Reddit’s users are in San Francisco and Seattle.

Pew Research Center offers some solid intel as to who makes up the Reddit community. Here are the highlights:

-Male

-Between the ages of 18 and 29

-Liberal

-College degree or some college

-White

-Online constantly

To be honest, I really do not like Reddit’s media format. Visually, it is too much for me. There are too many variations in colors, font sizes, what is in all caps and not, icons, tabs, things to click on, clicks required to get to something, etc. Reddit’s format reminds me of a cheap, spammer-esque type of website where you don’t really know if it is safe to click on something or not. There is too much information projected at one time and even more so when logged in as a user.

Brands and organizations do use Reddit, but it’s still reported as an untapped user base for them. See 5 Brands That Rock Reddit (And What You Can Learn From Them) and 10 More Great Examples of Brands Succeeding on Reddit for some ways to engage that worked. 

The question & answer format in the Ask Me Anythings subreddit is a good place for brands and organizations to start. Any brand can begin a thread on Reddit. Ben & Jerry’s did it when they jumped on and simply said, “We are Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Go ahead and ask us anything!” They got more than 6,000 comments. 

Brands and organizations, like Coca Cola, eBay and Procter & Gamble, are also using Reddit for promoted advertising. What is being promoted can range from products to experiences. 

Your average Reddit user is there for entertainment and engagement via a few thousand channels. The most popular content, whether outlandish, newsworthy, funny, or interesting, makes its way to the surface based on what the community finds interesting and the opposite kind goes to die in a dark corner. The commentary functions the same way, but not without the negative effects of the internet trolls and the uniformed.

It is going to continue to be challenging for Reddit to balance its belief in free speech while policing online abuse. Most recently, Reddit got into hot water for blocking popular pro-Trump forums from their front page. Reddit says they were cracking down on “toxic users and poorly behaving communities.” They are not alone in dealing with these types of challenges, with Facebook and Twitter eating their fair share.

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Module 7: Pinterest Tumblr Media Switch Up

Founded in March of 2010, Pinterest is the self-proclaimed “world’s catalog of ideas” that “allows members to ‘pin’ images, videos and other objects to their pinboard.” Members can “save” a pin from the web, within Pinterest, and upload something organic from their own device (computer or via Android/iOS device. They can also add these pins to boards they created based on pretty much whatever topic they want, so long as Pinterest’s Acceptable Use Policy is not violated. Boards can be public or secret, and allow for individual or group collaboration.

Below is what a board looks like. This board was created by Miranda Hassen, a “PR Passionista.”

Pinterest does set some limits in terms of what kind of space members get on the platform. They include:

·       500 boards (This includes secret boards and group boards you didn't create.)

·       200,000 Pins (This includes secret Pins and your Pins on group boards you didn't create. This doesn't include other people's Pins on group boards you created.)

·       100,000 likes

·       50,000 follows

Motivational quotes, art, recipes, workout tips, the flat-out strange and more can be found on Pinterest—Give the search box a try with whatever’s on your mind! Pinterest is your oyster!

Pinterest differs from my usual media consumption habits because, overall, it is not as text-heavy. It’s also more focused on telling me what I want it to based on what actions I take on the platform (examples: saving pins, searches). I feel like it is more of a positive place I can escape to. Facebook, where I spend the most time, projects what others want me to see in relation to their lives the majority of the time. A lot of what I see on Facebook is not positive and I get a little too much information from people sometimes (example: photo of a friend’s recent medical procedure). 

As of November 2016, approximately 150 million are active Pinterest users. According to Jylian Russel’s January 2017 article:

·       The majority are still women

·       Millenials between 18 and 29 (36%), followed closely by Gen Xers (34%), favor Pinterest. Boomers account for around 18%.

·       96% of active Pinners use Pinterest for their planning research

·       Income demographics are fairly even across all income brackets

·       64% live in a city or suburb

What is most interesting is that 87% of Pinners have purchased something they’ve seen on Pinterest and 93% plan to do so. They come with shopping in mind and Pinterest heard and acted on that desire.

Pinterest is future-focused and is looking to turn pins into revenue. This is seen through last month’s updates and their hiring of Randy Keller, new “Search Chief” who came from Google. They rolled out “Shop the Look,” which makes it easier for members to shop for the things they see. 

Messages can also now be sent on Pinterest. To send one, follow these steps:

·       Click your notifications and toggle to Messages ·       Click + to start a new message ·       Add up to 9 people in the To: line ·       Add your message and click Send

Additionally, Pinterest is on the verge of rolling out “Lens,” which let’s people search for something with an image versus words.

Brands and organizations are using Pinterest in a different way than individuals are. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army have Pinterest pages, for example. This may come as a surprise to some people. Their goal is to inform the public about who they are and what they do through the visual realm. They aren’t selling a product. Included on their pages is a space for parents to learn about what their child will go through in basic training. Physical fitness test information, aircrafts and equipment, military working dogs, and places missions are conducted are highlighted.

Clinique is ultimately trying to sell skincare products, so their presence includes make-up tips, boards for varying skin types, color palettes, a section for men, and more. Last year, L’Oreal Paris increased purchase intent of their new line of highlighters by 37.2% by targeting users with promoted pins and video ads. I couldn’t tell you what Chick-fil-A is doing on Pinterest yet because they have an official account and 5,667 followers still waiting for Chick-fil-A to create a board and pin. This is surprising!

Wegmans, of my favorite grocery stores, projects their usual branding across their Pinterest page. They highlight, naturally, all things food in different categories: Game Day, Desserts, Wine and Cheese Pairings, Easy Weeknight Meals, and more. I admire their more covert way of selling products.

Though Pew Research Center found Facebook is still the most popular social media platform, there’s a fight between Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I think Pinterest definitely has a chance to break from the pack and take the lead with all of its forward momentum this year!

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Module 6: MyFitnessPal Tumblr Media Switch Up

You might not initially think of MyFitnessPal (MFP) as a social network, but it definitely is! Not only that, it is interconnected with other platforms, devices, and the platforms of those devices. MFP launched in 2005 and is owned by Under Armour. They have a presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.  

Unless upgrading to premium is desired, MFP is free to use. It is most known for being a calorie, nutrition, and exercise-tracking application/website. The food and drink database is actually quite impressive. I feel more confident than not when I scan a barcode or search for a specific item (P.S. One order of Five Guys’ “Little Fries” is 526 calories and has 23g of fat!) that it will already be in their system. For example, I just scanned the barcode of this new bottle of fig jam I opened today and it was there. I literally brought this jam home from Italy. I bought it from Coop, an Italian grocery store. That is kind of crazy, right?

However, if an item can’t be found, a user can go as far as to add it to the system. The same concept applies to the ability to add cardio and strength exercises. They can be searched for, entered, and created. “Automobile repair” is in the system. Apparently, if I conduct automobile repair for 80 minutes, I will burn 283 calories. A more personalized approach to logging exercise might be to use one of the many compatible products and applications that are compatible with MFP. Syncing exercise with food and beverage intake is very helpful to the calorie counter, as it provides a more accurate picture of what is going out and coming in to the body.

Lately, I have been leaning more toward more positive and informative platforms for my mindless scrolling as I endure my horrific commute to work, and seeing more of what’s happening on MFP is part of my new initiative. Aside from tracking my own progress, I can see what my friends are doing on MFP too. Two hours ago, my friend Kelly posted that she burned 400 calories doing 35 minutes of jogging at a 10-minute mile pace. It showed up in my MFP news feed. I liked it, but I could have also commented. I can review what she has eaten. Blog posts and recipes are also in my feed.

MFP also has a larger social community. There are many message boards, ranging in focus from 2017 Adopt a Noob Discussion to a discussion close to my heart, Losing weight on 1400-1500 calories. By the way, that road is paved with many struggles that are actually depicted perfectly in this epic BuzzFeed piece. MFP users can also collaborate in groups, like Recipe Swap! and New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROL4W) on MFP.

The MFP community consists of more than 85 million users. It reaches  more than 2.5 million in the U.S. each month. It should not come as a surprise that an audience analysis among many listed here reveals MFP users like to watch The Biggest Loser, but it is interesting that this data was compiled:

Naturally, a big portion of the MFP community wants to lose weight. But, that’s not the only reason people use MFP. Some want to make sure they are controlling their food allergies and getting enough daily nutrients. MFP users should be over 18 because MFP does not want anyone under using it.

Brands or organizations are not using MFP in the same way private citizens are, but they are using it, primarily for advertising. This advertising is in alignment with MFP’s purpose, so it works. Academy Sports + Outdoors, Barilla, Lean Cuisine, and Wrigley, for example, sponsor MFP challenges. Right now, If I earn six badges by logging enough MegaRed Omega-3 softgels and Omega-3-rich foods within the challenge time frame, I could win up to a $500 Under Armour gift card. CoverGirl tutorials show up in my news feed too.

Now, if you don’t mind, I have to go continue feeling guilty about the entire Domino’s medium Supreme Pizza (regular crust) I ate today that was roughly 1,520 calories. Let’s keep that between us though, ok? I know. You know. MFP doesn’t have to know. I promise to make up for the damage later.

[selinaguclassblog-blog]

Module 5: Vine and Vine Camera Tumblr Media Switch Up

Vine was once the active video host for Vines, “short looping videos that have inspired, entertained, and given rise to a creative community since 2013.” Twitter-owned and developed by Vine Labs, Inc., Vine was available via the web and the iOS and Android phone applications. It once had more than 200 million active users at the end of 2015. However, January 17, 2017, Vine transitioned to the Vine Camera application. The application, according to Team Vine & Twitter, allows for the making of six second looping videos that can be posted directly to Twitter or saved to one’s phone. Once saved to one’s phone, the videos can be shared in the usual ways (e-mail, Facbeook, Messenger, Instagram, etc.).

The transition from Vine to the Vine Camera application angered and saddened many users. The main reason was because Vine went from a social network where people could follow, “revine,” like, comment, and share their Vines to just a tool that assisted in the creation of videos. They were really invested and passionated about Vine. I would feel the same way if Facebook was shut down. It would be awful!

Also, users who were told they had until the Vine Camera application launch date to export their Vines and associated data from the iOS and Android applications and website or lose that ability.

Emma Boyle reported that the Vine website is now as an archive for older clips that were created in the application, so one can still scroll through them as desired. Users can still access their profiles, as vanity URLs are still active, and will be informed of any changes coming to the website. More FAQs about Vine and its transition to Vine Camera are here.  

All I really knew about Vine before this Tumblr Media Switch Up assignment is that it had to do with video. I never knew its specifics or of its transition to the Vine Camera application earlier this year. When first visiting the Vine website today, I got lost in the Vines on the homepage under Channel Highlights: Animals. It is a vortex of happiness and joy. I actually had to pry myself away with a major sad face just so I could get back to completing this assignment. Life is so unfair sometimes!

There is an Art, Comedy, Edits, Music & Dance, Sports, and Weird channel too. There is a Playlist and Editors’ Picks section. Checking out each year’s highlights, from 2013-2016, is also possible. The community tab highlights Notable Vines and allows for the searching of any account. Something I enjoy is the ability to watch Vines by hovering over versus having to clicking on them.

The Vine community was super creative and seemed to revolve primarily around humor, though other moods are showcased as well. Vines were made up of continuous clips and multiple clips. Some Vines had music and others did not. 

According to Craig Smith, as of early-to-mid 2015, 71% of Vine users were millennials and 28% were between 18 and 24 years old. The all-time number of Vine videos uploaded is 39 million. 

There are some real treats in Vine!

Many brands had Vines. Here were 15 Brands Kicking Butt on Vine. Samsung, Nike, General Electric, The White House, MTV, and Ford Europe, for example, were, at some point, among the ten most popular brands on Vine. An interesting discovery I made is that one might think brands would use Vine solely sell their products or ideas. Actually, they often used it in a very subtle way sans an overt pitch.

So what about Vine Camera? Well, what about it? Like I said, it’s just the typical, short video recording application swimming in a sea with many others at this point. 

[selinaguclassblog-blog]

Tumblr Media Switch Up #3: li.st

It is so easy to acquire physical, mental, and digital clutter! Everywhere we look, someone or something nearby has the potential to be that kind of a liability by trying to get us to, for example, buy, believe, or download something. One of my goals this year is to subtract non-essential things from my life, not add them. Can I do this? Can I then keep the clutter at bay?

I suppose I could make a list called, “Non-essential Things to Purge” and check them off as I accomplish the mission. I mean, how many hand towels does one human need? Probably not more than three, but I think I must have about 30. “Reduce hand towel inventory to three” should definitely be on my list.

I love lists! I just discovered li.st and it is amazing. It’s really “not for groceries,” but rather, a venue for “self-expression, communication, discovery, problem solving, recommendations, and beyond.” According to li.st’s Frequently Asked Questions, “lists can have up to 99 items. Individual fields (title, etc) each have their own character limits. There’s a character count on the right of each text input field letting you know how much space you have left. Users can choose, however, to have private lists and report inappropriate content for review!” Lists can include text, photos, and locations, and be shared to Facebook, Twitter, and beyond. Shared lists can be viewed in web or mobile browsers, though they must be created within the app. The app is available for download through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Lists

According to a TechCrunch article posted May 9, 2016, B.J. Novak, best known for exec producing, writing and starring as Ryan on “The Office,” teamed up with Dev Flaherty to debut the app in 2015, which was later rebranded from “The List App” to “li.st” in 2016 to appear friendlier.

I searched random key words in li.st to see what kinds of lists were out there and was absolutely delighted with the results. Someone created a list of “HOTTEST HAIRY CHESTS.” What a gem! There are a few lists about farts, like “WHY FARTS ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE FUNNY.” I smiled and laughed out loud my entire commute home from work. Clearly, I can be pretty mature.

Of course, there are serious and timely lists too, like “MY DAD WAS A MUSLIM IMMIGRANT and “6 Beautiful Quotes About Depression,” but those are not lists I typically enjoy. Most of all, I like entertaining and funny lists. There are also lists that highlight conversations, e-mail translations, travel, do’s and don’ts, and emojis that are kind of weird if you really think about it.

Spending time on li.st was a refreshing and interesting break from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, what I like to call “my usual suspects.” The list-making community seems so open and random! Maybe that is due, in part, to the app not hitting it too big just yet. As of late 2015, more than 150,000 users have signed up to create some 250,000 lists on the app. I presume that number is continually growing. I found a mixture of lists created by some of my contacts, celebrities like Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling, news organizations, and the likes of National Geographic, MTV, and TED Radio Hour, to name a few. The content of these people and organizations reflects their brand. While Mindy Kaling has humorous lists like “CELEBRITIES I KNOW OR SUSPECT HAVE HUGE HEADS” and “MEN I WOULD *LIKE* TO KISS ON THE MINDY PROJECT,” TED Radio Hour is more about sharing stories and ideas. “What It’s Like To ‘Hear’ Color” and “THE DELICATE NATURE OF TRUST” are two examples of TED Radio Hour li.sts.

Something else I think is interesting is li.st’s Community Guidelines. They address cyber-bullying, which we are seeing more signs of:

·       Cyber-bullying is still bullying

·       Any content that encourages physical or psychological harm to another person, whether you refer to it as harassment, cyberbulling, or by another name, is not allowed. This attitude and activity is contrary to the intended spirit of li.st.

·       Your opinions are your opinions and we want you to express them. We understand that the line between a spirited discussion and malicious intent is difficult to draw. However, if we feel the clear intention is to provoke a negative feeling in another person, we may deem such content inappropriate for li.st.

By the way, there are several lists involving the topic of clutter that inspired me, but I think I will publish my own in the future. Stay tuned! For now, all I know for sure is three things that are “My Kryptonite” li.st. They are not in order of importance, for the record.

[selinaguclassblog-blog]

Tumblr Media Switch Up #2: Snapchat

When it comes social media, my professional and personal selves differ greatly. We differ greatly in terms of what we use, what we like or even care to use, and how we use it.

Professionally, I have to manage my organization’s social media presence on whatever platforms I am directed to do so on. This usually means that as a result of my job, I stay more up-to-date on social media than I would if left to my own devices. That’s part of why I am in this class! Also, as my professional self, I operate in a pretty conservative manner because I want to keep my job.

Personally, I’m no fool. I do not engage in social media activity that could get me fired. But, if Facebook was the only social media platform out there for me to ever play on, I’d be ok. I mentioned in my last entry that I spend a ridiculous amount of time on Facebook. I have Instagram and Twitter accounts. I feel obligated to have a LinkedIn, so I do.

One day, my good friend CeCe, who keeps up-to-date on social media trends thanks to her teenagers, led me to download Snapchat, a mobile application that allows users to save, send, and receive photos and videos with funky features and filters. 

CeCe said I “had to have Snapchat.” This was late 2016, even though I have known about Snapchat since it launched. 

So, I started Shapchat. I use it very sparingly. I use it when I want to exchange photos with my girlfriends that make us all laugh. Full disclosure: I also use it to play with the filters and see my 26-year old self again. But, as a result of continually seeing and secretly judging too many narcissistic posts in my Facebook feed from others, my photos live and die in private. I don’t want to be one of those people. I don’t want people to categorize me as such.

This brings me to why the largest part of the Snapchat community is interesting. 

Aside from the playful and funny aspect of Snapchat, these community members like the way their post-filter self looks better than their actual self. They also want people to see their post-filter self instead of their actual self.

“Snapchat is huge on selfies – 74% of all images on Snapchat are selfies but most selfies are shard on Facebook (49%), WhatsApp (13%), Twitter (9%), and Instagram (8%).” 

What is the damage here in terms of Snapchat, altering reality and promoting it, and narcissism? Do we fully understand it yet?

Some Snapchat stats, as of December 2016, are pretty interesting:

·      $150 million daily active users

·      9,000 “snaps” shared per second

·      Big league ad deals: Projected 2017 ad revenue is $935.46 million. Their  future is bright!

Additionally, celebrities, world leaders, and global organizations are embracing Snapchat too. Another reason average people use Snapchat is to stay updated on their favorite famous people.

What I learned about Snapchat today is I can watch a compilation of one outlet’s stories in back-to-back fashion by tapping each one to proceed to the next. These compilations are located in the “Stories” section, which can be reached by swiping right from the camera screen. These “Snap Stories” last 24 hours. The DoDo, ESPN, Buzzfeed, DailyMail, CNN, and more publish “Snap Stories,” which can be found under “featured” stories. I also learned that today is Australia Day and watched a series of snaps on that under “our stories.” Users can create their own stories too. 

Below is a short video that explains how to create a story:

However, it does feel cumbersome to get out of watching a story. It seems one has to click through each part of the story and get to the end before being taken back to the home “Stories” section. Maybe Snapchat will consider a remedy for this? Maybe they won’t, considering it does generate more “views” and time spent on the application, which equals more revenue.

Professionally, I could see where Snapchat could work for the organization I work for, if and only if we had the staff to properly manage our presence or duties and responsibilities were altered to make that kind of room. We could use Snapchat to show viewers the funded research being conducted at research stations and the impacts of it to the food and agriculture community. Personally, however, I think I will continue to lay low on Snapchat.