thekiablog

[thekiablog]

Digital Magazines: Hot or Not?

I remember how excited I used to get when my monthly subscription to Seventeen and Teen Vogue arrived in the mail. I thought that magazines were EVERYTHING. That’s how my interest in communication actually began. I bought the Teen Vogue Handbook that told me PR was my destiny, next Scandal came out and Oliva Pope assured me that I could do this, and the rest was… handled.

Magazines are the OG lifestyle blog if you really think about it and I am really excited to see how they have maneuvered into digital by using the Cosmo App. Cosmo, short for Cosmopolitan is a magazine targeted at young women that, “delivers the latest news on men and love, work and money, fashion and beauty, health, self-improvement and entertainment”. The magazine has been around since 1886 and became the Cosmo that we know today in 1965.

This is different from my usually media consumption habits because instead of having to wait each month to get my fashion fix I just go to websites like Pinterest or Instagram. There I can find the same content and not have to go through as many ads or pay $24.99. Social media bloggers are the new content writers and with each Instagram post they are giving me what’s new, with a link straight to the brand and where to buy. It’s the reason so many brands are interested in influencers. 

The decline of magazine sales is something everyone learned about in Mass Comm 101 but according to Statista, the sale have been pretty consistent over the past 6 years and I think that may have to do with the expansion of digital. They also have a reach of 31 million people with 12.98 million readers being over the mobile web and 16.63 through print and digital editions. Digital publishing in the U.S. is expected to grow from 7.88 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 to 8.88 billion in 2022. The best thing about Magazines is that they provide all the information that you would need about their readers in their media kit. According to the demographic profile these readers are women, between the ages of 18 and 34, a median HH income of $61,000, with some college education and have children. I found it interesting that such a high number of readers have children because the magazine makes me think of single, fun and free but I get it. Mama needs some fun too.

When interacting with the Cosmo app, I was not nearly as impressed as I thought I would be. It is literally the print version but on your device. There were so many ads I thought I was going to pass out before I reached actual content. The ads are linked to the actual brands website, which I did not even realize at first because it looked like just another print ad. There was nothing to draw me into clicking for more. And that’s something that I think really missed the mark on both the Cosmo and advertiser side. The advertisers were some of the usual & expected brands for women’s mags: Estee Lauder, Lorel, Maybelline, Jergens and Ford. If I was a brand and paying for a spot in a digital magazine I would do more than linking my website to the page.

After swiping for decades, I made it to the cover girl, Cardi B’s interview. I liked that I could watch her video interview as well on the same page. Other than that, it was just text on a page. You would think one of her songs would start playing or that she would have some sort of pop up video welcoming the reader but yet again… nothing interesting.

I guess what I was expecting from this app was just some type of innovation because I don't feel like magazines have to disappear but with this current model I would not be surprised if they did. Now this is only my observation of Cosmo so I think its important that after this I take a look at few more to see how the industry is competing overall. Magazine were so exciting years ago and thats the same feeling I want to have about them now. 

To my only fan, until next time...

[thekiablog]

I am a PROFESSIONAL!

LinkedIn. The business land. LinkedIn is a professional social network. “The mission of LinkedIn is simple: connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful”.  I graduated undergrad in May 2017 and Towson put a lot of emphasis on utilizing LinkedIn, so I have a profile that I don’t use because it is another one of those things that I just don’t understand. Maybe it’s because I don’t have the premium version or maybe I will never see a professional social network as fun, who knows?

It doesn’t seem fitting to view LinkedIn as a social network when you compare it to Twitter and Instagram. You can see on the website and mobile platform the ways that they try to mimic other social media platforms. LinkedIn is not a part of my usual social media habits because I think there is a line between personal and professional. The audiences I reach on Twitter are not the ones that I am trying to reach on LinkedIn. I think that line has blurred in recent years with more people making themselves and their brand their business. I personally do not quite understand how to promote my personal brand, that line still exist for me. Some people can intertwine the two flawlessly and I envy their knowledge and skill. I think it is intriguing that someone saw the need for this platform in 2003 when LinkedIn was founded, and how far that idea has come today. I downloaded the LinkedIn app to my IPad to test the mobile experience.

           I think it is interesting how many CEO’s have profiles on this site. This may be a way for them to seem relatable to employees and the public. Also, motivational, like a “here look at all the things I’ve done, you can to” type of thing. While exploring the app my favorite thing to see was some major brands and employers such as Discovery Communications, Northrup Grumman and Nordstrom. These are brands that I follow because I am interested in their business news, I also wouldn’t mind working for them. Another major user of LinkedIn is universities. It’s a way for students and alumni to stay connected to the institution. While exploring the website, I found a tool that allows you to find and connect to alumni in different fields and cities for advice or even a job. The individuals in my network are mostly students but as you connect with more and more people you can grow your network to allow you to reach someone at your dream company.

What I liked about the media post on LinkedIn is how well linked content is displayed. The content comes in the form of pictures and video and because it is meant to be professional everything just appears to have a better quality. Brands are producing this content to attract future employees, so I see how important this is. However, because there is so much graphic content the text post doesn’t stand out as much.

When it comes to your image, LinkedIn is the social site where its most important. Here is where you sell your brand. When someone googles you and finds your profile you want them to know your successes. I find this intimidating because I have not reached where I want to be yet professionally. Exploring the app, I realized that the resources provided and connectionss to people, education and jobs are meant to be a resource for me. I am much more comfortable with LinkedIn than I was before and will use it to show future employers who I am. I think that the media-switch ups have also helped me find that voice as well. Undergrad me would not be appreciative of assignments but…

Next week I’ll have run out of digital spaces and be forced to watch the news. YAY!  

[thekiablog]

The Site that Started it All

I feel like YouTube is the site that started so much for my generation and still is a major source for almost all of your video needs. Music, cooking, conspiracy theories, makeup tutorials and much more are made available for anyone to see and for free. I usually get video content from Facebook and twitter and if a video tries to redirect me to YouTube it’s not worth my time. YouTube is known for some of its more outrageous content and is the originator of the viral video. It’s interesting that anyone can be a YouTuber and find a following for their videos. YouTube even pays some of its more popular YouTubers. Brands then reach out to these Youtubers to create sponsored content that fits into the Youtubers brand so that viewers are more likely to watch.

My usual video content comes from videos that don’t have a link that takes me to another page. Why? Because I am impatient. In my opinion if the video is not embedded and doesn’t auto play then it wasn’t meant for me to see. And if I do find it interesting enough to click in order to keep my attention the video should just start, not redirect.

YouTube is the number two website in the world AND the United States. Of the websites users 16.7% are from the United States and the next country is India with 8.4% of visitors. Most users are male with at least a graduate education and visit the site in the comfort of their homes. I think it is funny that the next place where YouTube is frequently used is from work. People spending more watching videos than doing their job is not surprising at all. 

YouTube’s interface is interesting because it hasn't changed so much over the years despite adding new features. The homepage of the site begins with the classic search bar that can lead you to wherever your heart desires. The left panel has categories with the best videos of YouTube. It even features live and 360 degree videos which I think is very progressive with the growing variety of types of video. The site start started with user made videos but now you can watch television shows and movies all in the same place that you get your natural hair tutorials. 

I think the best updates to YouTube are the viewing options. You can watch videos in the small screen, full screen or my favorite theater mode. Most videos even have closed captions. You can tell that the people over at YouTube want to enhance and promote their viewing experience. YouTubers have also understood the importance of producing quality videos because they PAY. Most bloggers set up studios in their homes to raise their production value. If only this blog could pay my bills. 

There is no YouTube without brands and their advertising. Just about every video has an ad that plays before that you have to watch at lease 15 seconds of before you can skip to your video. Then the entire time you are watching smaller  banners pop up with more advertising. Then you still have to shift through bloggers paid ads that they create for brands. Of all the social medias sites that I have encountered YouTube is the most ad driven. Even the best ad avoider, can't avoid on YouTube.

I think YouTube has a lot of potential for future growth. Many of the young children that I know spend their entire day watching the most random videos you can think of. YouTube is basically the only site that they know. As they continue to get older they will look to Youtube for more content and Youtube will have to come up with more ways to keep their attention. Again, my attention span is too short to be a fan. I speed up any video that is over 30 seconds. If I were smarter I would have my own channel and be getting paid to talk about my fabulous life as a grad student, but here I am. 

[thekiablog]

Are newspapers even like still a thing?

Reading the newspaper often feels surreal, like I’m in a movie and this is the scene where I’m enjoying my morning coffee. As a child I read the comics as I sat at the dinner table but that now feels like 50 years ago. Newspapers were once an important part of our lives and they are fading away. I felt that I better do a post about them now before they actually disappear. I get my news from Twitter. You see someone tweeting about a topic and you head to the moments section for more details where other news sources will fill you in on the details, its actually very simple and accessible.

With the buyouts and layoffs, it’s no wonder many journalists release their own content. Journalist can now tweet their own articles without a link rather than telling people which page to flip to. It is interesting the tactics used to keep people reading the paper. I remember the NY Times, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun and Wall street Journal being free on Towson’s campus at the disposal of thousands of students. I only ever used them to protect my apartment from my art projects. 

Each paper is different. The Washington Post is the newspaper that I read this week. It is divided into U.S. news, metro, style and sports. Everyone knows the most important stories make the front page. It’s kind of like brands putting sponsored content at the top of your socials timeline. Or being the top result in a Google search. It guarantees the attention of the reader, even if it is just a glance. I have always liked how some of the other important stories appear on the side of the front pager, give a preview and then “continue in A3”. It is a great tactic to draw people into the rest of the paper where other things may catch their attention. I feel that the layout can be difficult to follow and finding stories can be like trying to find your car in an amusement park parking lot. If you don’t find what you're looking for though don't worry, you will definitely find something that interest you. 

The style section has always been my favorite mainly because it is in color. You would think that as long as newspapers have been around and with their dwindling numbers they would introduce color to the entire paper but that hasn’t happened yet. The style section has everything a young creative would be interested in: fashion, celebrities, art and entertainment. You can always note the amount of detail in the visuals.

 Included in this section is the crossword and other puzzles. People pride themselves in being able to complete the crossword and sudoku puzzles to test their wits. The classifieds are basically the printout of craigslist. People can find jobs, cars, pets and homes. I’ve have never, for as long as I have lived, been able to understand this page because I have always had Google. I see how it is useful for a specific geographic area. Advertising-wise I think it’s a good tactic to get your message across to large audiences even if the audience is too broad and better tactics could be used. No matter how off or creepy the classifieds are it does not beat the obituary page. It is clear that there are not many things that I am able to make sense of, so it’s of no surprise that I don’t understand why people want to announce their passing to the world. I was also not aware that some people use this page as a reference to which new homes may be on the market.

Analyzing a newspaper is interesting because the paper is the content. Overall, the newspaper provides so much history and I think that’s the main reason why its still around. Everything that you read in the newspaper you can find elsewhere. You don’t have to wait for the morning delivery when the article could be having already been sent to your phone. There are apps for Sudoku and Crossword that allow endless do overs and celebrity news is now posted by celebs on their own socials. I think the classic model should adapt itself into digital and make a new classic for the next generation. No one is looking for newspapers to disappear and news will always be profitable. Its about bringing it to people where they can reach them. 

Pictured: Kia with the newspaper because antiques are cool and no one knows what a newspaper looks like so she had to show you.

[thekiablog]

Facebooks World Domination Plan

Many of the readings from last week are about Facebook, so I decided to give the old friend a another try. My time using Facebook in middle school and freshman year of high school were very short lived. After that we moved on to Twitter and Instagram as they became the popular apps and I never looked back. Today I occasionally use the profile as an easy login for apps when I don’t remember my passwords. I have only ever logged into the site on my laptop and have never experienced the app. My parents’ generation completely took over the platform and now no one in my social circle would dare say “go like my Facebook post”. I’m not sure why the elderly love the platform so much but they have definitely claimed it as their own. 

Immediately opening the app, I was greeted by my 14-year-old self and a post of mine from 8 years ago. I’m not sure how much I love this feature reminding me how hideous I was in 9th grade. I noticed also that Facebook now has a Stories feature similar to snapchat. I like how at the top of the homepage you can either create a post, go live, create a story or check-in to a location. This is more user friendly than I originally expected. I also spotted a sponsored post in my first scroll down the timeline. This was not surprising as I have always learned about how ads-based Facebook is. They did however go through the trouble of making it look like every other post on my timeline so it doesn’t disturb user viewing.

The most annoying thing to me is the Messages. I can see that I have 11 messages in my inbox, but I have to download and open a completely separate app to view them?! I don’t even get the courtesy of a preview. I personally think Facebook needs to understand that if it wants to create different app with all of these new features it needs to come up with its own phone/device because my 16gb iPhone doesn’t have the storage. In the readings from last week I learned of everything that they are trying to do to enhance Facebook and Messenger, but I don’t see why they have to be separate. If people are using Messenger for purposes other than Facebook they must do a better job of keeping the entities separate and bring back normal direct messaging to Facebook.

The second tab on the app is a Discover page with live television, videos and news stories. It is very similar to other platforms and a great way to explore people outside of your current list of friends. Most people that I know, consider Facebook as a space for people that they went to high school with that didn’t do much with their lives. I think we have all seen the rants from those we wish to just unfriend but for the entertainment, won’t. Our friend Alexa rates Facebook as the number three website in the United States and the World. Worldwide, there are over 2.13 billion monthly active Facebook users with 1.15 billion mobile daily active users. The users are mostly female with some college and above education who browse the platform at school. That’s very different from the other socials statistics that I viewed that had mostly male users.

I thought the third tab or Marketplace was the most interesting. It appears to be a place for people to buy and sell products or services. I can choose how close they are to me and the price range which is very convenient. But I have to be honest and ask, isn’t this a bit much. I don’t expect any app or website that I visit to be an end all, be all for my daily life. I wouldn’t be surprised if next they incorporated food ordering. I can’t image how a company stretches itself this thin. But then I remind myself that this is all digital which much be easier to manage when there is no physical offering. Still, someone has to stop Facebook.

 The one thing that I see hasn’t changed about Facebook is the Notifications. I don’t see why I’m being notified of everything that someone else is doing. At least Instagram thought it was important to separate your own notifications from everyone else’s. Finally, I made it to the last tab which is called Explore and I found the confusion. There are so many tabs that I REFUSE to click one because NO. Facebook has lost their mind. No one wants social media to be this complicated. I counted 33, I repeat, thirty-three options ranging from sending money to crisis response. I know you want people to spend more time on the app, but this is outrageous. When I was younger and watched “24″ with my mom I was sure that the tech company Cisco was going to take over the world Terminator style and now I think Facebook might be right behind them (to the FBI agent reading this, I’m joking).

In my exploration of each tab on the app, I didn’t notice many brands except for the occasional ad on my timeline. I know that Facebook earns a lot of its revenue from ad dollars, so this was surprising to me. Then I read an article from CNN Tech stating that, “Facebook announced plans to show users more content from friends in the News Feed and less from brands and publishers in an effort to boost the well-being of users.” I think it’s a great idea because ads and brand interaction are very different. Overall, I can say that Facebook isn’t horrible if you stay far away from the Explore tab. Recently finding out that I am not a millennial and that those born in 1995 are actually apart of Gen Z, I am wondering how the platform will interact with my generation and if it will involve Tide Pods since we just love them so much. Until then, I will be waiting for Facebooks world domination. (Again FBI agent reading this I am JOKING).

[thekiablog]

Peering over Periscope

This week I have decided to try out periscope. According to their website, Periscope was founded on the belief that live video is a powerful source of truth and connects us in an authentic way with the world around us. I can't really explain why I have never been interested in live streaming videos but its where everything is headed so it is time I gave it a try. I have been very aware of Periscope because of its ownership by Twitter. In the Twitter app people live stream directly through Periscope. I have seen celebrities, gender reveals, concerts and press conferences with out ever leaving my room. 

I noticed that the app is used for a lot of video news and radio, both of which I usually avoid altogether. Now that I think about it, I don't watch much of anything live lately. So this was completely different from my normal routine. I do not enjoy the nightly news or news related talk shows. I cringe at the way some topics are blown out of proportion and some issues completely repressed. I get my news weekly watching VICE on HBO. I am enlightened on topics and issues from all over the world that before watching VICE I knew nothing about. It’s not ideal for me to be updated on events at the end of the week but I haven't found a better solution so don't judge. On Periscope, I can see firsthand what other people are doing anywhere. It’s like the ultimate rolodex of the world. No matter how menial the task someone can record themselves doing it, and I have the opportunity to watch. 

That’s what I found interesting about this site. People can livestream just about anything and the people range in every country, shape, size, age and color. It’s very eye opening to see how the world lives. Anyone can feel like a celebrity once they have people watching them. I would love to try and categorize these people, but I would have to make them very broad because the people are so different. The website does offer categories of live videos to search when trying to decide what you are in the mood to watch. It is not surprising that the most popular category is #Talk because who wouldn't want to have an audience every time you have a story to tell. 

What is also interesting about the site is how any user can comment on a video stream and they appear live on that video, as well as the 💕 or likes. Most comments are outrageous or inappropriate and some even completely unrelated, however it gives everyone a chance to be involved and interact with whoever is sharing their lives with us at the moment. 

According to Alexa, as of January 25th, 2018, Periscope is ranked as the #12,064 most visited website in U.S. and #15,001 in the world. Not nearly as popular as last week’s discussion, Reddit, it is safe to say this site hasn't reached its full potential yet. The United States and Japan make up 50% of the visitors to the site. Like Reddit, Alexa describes users as mostly highly educated males who visit from their homes. 

The fact that the site is composed of live videos all over the world is really astounding to me. I know I have said this already, but I want to emphasize how you can really go anywhere. In the internet age that may be something we have gotten used to or taken advantage of already but that doesn’t make it any less amazing. I went on a safari of the African wilderness at 11pm while trying to quickly finish this assignment. I would have used it as an excuse should I not have gotten this in by 11:59pm. “I’m sorry my assignment was late, I was stuck in Africa.” Or “I couldn’t miss the cheetah sleeping in a tree.” I could count the cheetah’s spots on its back with how clear the camera was. Not just for the safari, every random stream that I tried had clear video, so it is apparent that this site is fully equipped to offer a great viewing experience.

There were a number of brands that I saw present on Periscope. The only thing being that their presence was not consistent. Visiting Red Bull’s page, their last broadcast was over 3 months ago and that was the clear theme for other brands as well. It is my guess that either they were only broadcasting for special events, so their presence isn’t needed often or they found that this method wasn’t successful for them.

Over the course of my week on Periscope I have been to Switzerland for an Anti-Trump rally, the Philippines to watch a volcano erupt, and the beach in Treasure Island, FL. As a communications student, I must I think that this site has great potential for brand purposes. I would find brand broadcasts much more interesting than one of people singing in their living rooms. And if other people are as interested in the brands that they use as I am, I’m sure they will too. I can see the red carpet, backstage at concerts, and even on the assembly line in a factory being of interest to someone. Some brands have already tested this out. I do think this is only the beginning for Periscope and we can see a lot more from them in the future.

[thekiablog]

Reddit: The Mysteries of the Criminal Underworld

Reddit has always come up in conversations about the most bizarre topics, whether it is the Szechuan Sauce Fiasco or the Tide Pod Challenge.  I never actually knew what the site was and assumed it was a message board from the dark web where people went to learn how to make meth and an array of other criminal activities. 

Wikipedia defines the site as “an American social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website.” Posts are organized by subject into "subreddits", which cover a variety of topics. According to Alexa, as of January 16th, 2018, Reddit is ranked as the #4 most visited website in U.S. and #7 in the world. I decided to try the site for my media switch up to actually see, what is Reddit. Is it a place criminals or a just another social media platform in which I am late to the party? 

I consider myself like many millennials, my social media habits usually consist of Twitter for hot topics and issues. It keeps me up to date with everything that is going on in the world and when I go on a social media fast about every few weeks (to keep me sane), I realize that it is my true connection to the rest of the world. I follow under 200 people, mainly friends, the occasional celebrity and Vice News. The “Moments” tab is all you need to keep up with the latest celebrity, political and world news. 

Reddits trending subreddits make the websites front page based on votes by users. The content is user submitted and can range from just images, to outside links that take you to YouTube and of course discussions. Each subreddit has rules for what can be posted in the category. Which is also controlled by users. I guess you could say this is similar to the Twitter moments page where you can select a category. On Twitter however, the users don't have as much say so on what makes the front pages. 

I honestly think it is insane how many people use this site that I assumed was for criminals. I clicked through a few people’s profiles to try to get a better understanding of how people actually have friends on here and socialize with one another and that’s where I start to feel like a sixty-year-old trying to navigate Snapchat. Profiles on Reddit are actually still in beta stage so people have the option of having one. These profiles are edited to where you can easily see the subreddits they are involved in through their posts and comments. I realize that users distinguish themselves by the communities that they are a part of. Alexa notes these users are mostly male, with college and above education so it makes sense that most searches on the site are for NBA and NFL live streaming links. 

Profile Beta vs No Profile

The site reminds me of a chat room website from the early 2000′s or even Myspace. My first impressions of the site are whichever link I click on, will download a virus to my computer. Even the paid ads appear sketchy and I kept my clicking activity as limited as I could. 

It has a simple layout. The site reminds me of basic html code that any first-year computer science student could create. It is interesting that many of the images or videos posted to the site take you to an outside website. I noticed that on each subreddit page, the top link is actually and ad. Gamer merchandise, McDonalds, online therapy and life insurance are just some of the few that I noticed. Each ad takes you to an outside link. This must be easier for brands than Twitter and Facebook, because there is no actual interaction with users. On other sites brands feel the need to have witty content and memes to engage with their audiences. Reddit gives brands the chance to use the classic banner ad approach. 

Overall, Reddit is not what I though it to be. I don't see myself using the site much in the future but I am glad that I took this opportunity to learn and finally uncover the truth. I was able to find some pretty funny images and comments but clearly, I am not as “millennial” as I thought I was. I just don't see myself going to a new tab for every image and video when on other sites I can click and keep scrolling on. I am a tad disappointed to find out that this site is not filled with criminals though, that would have made for a much more interesting post.