Social Solutions

Today’s Social Solutions Show with Ken Herron and Carol McManus will weigh in on the newest advances and add our own take on the when, where and why. Moving on, we’ll update you on Snapchat’s new World Lenses. Video advertising is the new norm and you will be seeing more of it in your Twitter stream.

We all know that social media leaves fewer and fewer places to hide from our mistakes, and when we don’t learn from past failures, the impact compounds itself. Poorly managed customer service, specifically on social media, is not a new controversy surrounding United Airlines, but this time, they went too far.

With Easter only a week away, everyone is thinking about eggs – including Twitter – but in their case, they decided to permanently do away with the egg as a default option for user who don’t take the time to upload their own image. Will this separate the men from the boys? Who knows, but that along with another change in how they count 140 characters all seem to be in an effort to clean up the riff-raff and encourage users to engage more often.

If Copycat tactics are the highest form of flattery, then Snapchat should be blushing. But that blush probably doesn’t represent happiness as much as a boiling anger over the continued scraping of their once unique features. The latest to introduce their version of Stories is their enemy number one – Facebook! With Facebook Stories, the argument for a more connected community is diluted.

The world of social media and digital tools marches forward and with every new initiative marketers are challenged with the decision of what delicacy to taste and what should be discarded from their plate. Herein lies the challenge with marketing – we all have limitations on our budgets so when dollars are allocated for something, then something old needs to take a back seat. Today’s Social Solutions Show is all about choices and latest introductions with a skeptical eye toward the future of marketing. Here are some common trends that are emerging to help you decide how and where to spend your money:

If you recall, there was huge excitement in the tech world between 1995 and 2001 in the era known as the Dotcom Bubble. But then came the crash and many shattered dreams as well as empty bank accounts. Watching what is happening less than a week after Snap’s IPO may well be an echo back to that era. We’re not a finance show, but the strength and sustainability of social media sites has direct impact on us as business owners and marketers.

Let’s start with LinkedIn. Okay, we can agree it was time for facelift but why on earth copy Facebook? Perhaps that wasn’t the plan but it is certainly the outcome and according to many social channels, the reaction is not good.

We’ve been talking for some time now about the enormous value of the Pinterest Buy button, but they are working on a project that will totally upend retail as we know it today. Can you imagine being able to see an image on Pinterest, tap on it, and be immediately directed to where you can buy it? It’s coming!

For a long time, you have heard us say to avoid polarizing topics on social media lest your business risk alienating half of your potential market. Topics typically include gun control, religion, abortion, and of course, politics. But these are new times and maybe the rules have changed. Especially if what is happening in politics is impacting your clients and in turn, your business.

The beautiful thing about the Super Bowl is that you don’t have to have $5 million to spend on a 30-second ad. But you must be ready to take advantage of the action through social media and become part of the conversation. We’ll share tips on how to play and what traps to avoid. Have we talked about video recently? The evidence continues to stream in supporting the use of video in your online marketing. Whether you prefer Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat or any other popular platform, this is without question the best way to get the attention of your intended target. But you probably won’t be using video for every single post so that leave visual content. But the bar has been raised. You can no longer use any old image. It must be compelling and attention-grabbing.

When was the last time you were on the playground scrapping it out with a rival? Probably a few years ago. That proud tradition of ‘dukes up’ has not lost its punch (pun intended) in the digital world. Rivals clash every day but this week the news is all about how Snapchat is taking its pound of flesh our of Instagram’s hide. How and why?

This is a big news show as much is happening in social media this week. You may be asking is Vine dead or alive? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘yes.’ If you remember Google+ with fond nostalgia then it’s time to revisit the newest features including Hiding, Zooming, and Events. Maybe one of the most exciting creations is on YouTube with a new revenue product called SuperChat. Whether you are trying to get promoted by influencers or increase your revenue income on YouTube, this could have positive benefits.

Today’s Social Solutions Show is all about new technologies that were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week. Ken Herron was there in person and his jaw is still not fully in place after seeing what’s coming and what’s available now! Get ready to learn more about IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence, VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), and MR (Mixed Reality). But the device who won Ken’s heart was Kuri, a cute beyond words robot who will be your family’s best friend and protector.

If you are like most small business owners and entrepreneurs, you are overwhelmed with the options to market your brand. Traditional options like newspaper, local radio or direct mail are still viable but expensive. Digital options like email marketing, social media or online advertising are highly recommended but confusing. Where do you start? How much should you spend? Who will do it? How will I know if it’s working?

The latest news about Vine soon to become Vine Camera. Important? Yes, because it looks like it’s here to stay and with some cool new features. Facebook may be putting their toe in the podcast water with the introduction of Live Audio. Wondering why your posts on LinkedIn aren’t getting enough attention? Maybe it’s because you don’t have the right formula for headlines and topics. Is there a difference between live-streaming and live broadcasting? The answer is yes, but does it really matter which you use? And looking back on some rather famous predictions for 2016, did Mark Zuckerberg achieve everything he set out to do?

Steve Lee, owner of Modern Life Network, is the quintessential entrepreneur. Quiet by nature, but undeterred in his quest to start new ventures where he sees a need and where he can make money. The diversity of his ventures is impressive, but the stories behind them will inspire you to start the New Year by launching your new business.

Sudha is an instructor at Stanford continuing education school. She is a champion for girls who code and hosts mentor programs for girls at devcamps and hackathons. She has been a venture mentor at MIT and Director at Bay Area, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ Meetups. She also actively contributes to Techcrunch, Mashable, Gigaon, and Venturebeat. Sudha also serves on the advisory board for Blockchain University and Barcelona Technology School.

The popular review site Yelp may have just fixed two problems – a better way to manage fake reviews and a new and creative way to use Selfies! On today’s Social Solutions Show Ken Herron and Carol McManus will tell you all about Yelfies and what they can mean to your business.

It’s a special day for Carol McManus and Ken Herron. We are smashing up our two shows into one this week. We have combined the LinkedIn Lady Show with Social Solutions to bring you a special broadcast that incorporates hot news and solutions to a chronic problem.

The election is over and the mandate of the American voter has been heard. Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. Regardless of your political stand, there is one clear winner that cannot be disputed and was equally supported by Democrats and Republicans alike and that, of course, is Twitter. One could argue that Twitter is now more important than CNN, NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS combined. So what does it mean for the future of Twitter and their users? Perhaps there are some hints with the recent announcement about the demise of Vine and the fact that in the last week they received 10 qualified bids to buy it and it wasn’t even for sale.