…Because Roseanne tweeted that she”s running for President:

Roseanne Barr — known for her decade-long stint on the eponymous ’90s hit sitcom — recently announced onTwitter that she is running for president.

She will run online casino on a Green Party ticket against the GOP front-runner and President Barack Obama for the White House, if nominated party candidate in July.

Barr has been tweeting fans and individuals on Twitter who have responded to the news with questions.

Whew! We were having trouble with this year”s vote.

No longer. Our savior has arrived.

(via Mashable.com)

-said the Droid user of Cote Media.

Just two weeks ago, Twitter introduced Vine – six seconds of looping video with much the same spirit as Twitter itself – short and clever. Well, we will use the term “clever” loosely for some.

Sounds great, right? Well, while we do agree with you, there have been a few bumps along the road for this new app.  Just last night, an update was released after users complained about adult content in the app.

Apple and mobile app creators are no stranger to this complaint. It has happened before with different programs, so don’t let that keep you from trying this out. The update released a new 17+ rating for users. Twitter made a few extra tweaks while they were at it, and now you can share your Vine videos after you’ve posted them.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Twitter CEO, Dick Costolo, says Vine will “force people to be creative and foster this new art form” for those who dive in to the short videos. Instagram made everyone photographers, so, pretty sure now we’re all going to be video clip directors.

In all seriousness (if we had your full name, we would use it here so you would know we mean business,) this app seems to have some great potential, but not without a few more gripes from mobile users:

• No selfies! We all know how much people love their self-portraits. But, the app does not yet allow to switch to a front facing camera.
• Why don’t we have any friends? Well, in this case it’s because many users have complained that while you can “Find Friends” using your Twitter account, the friends who show up are only a portion of those who use the app. How are we supposed to share our six second genius with our friends if we can’t find them?
• One other problem – while available for free on the Iphone and Ipad, Vine has yet to make it’s appearance for Android users. Come on, we want to be movie directors, too!

2013 has proved thus far to be the year of social media and television integration. Sure, you’ve been watching the news for a few years now and you’ve seen the Twitter handle at the bottom of the screen. But, when you combine things people actually watch on a mass viewing basis and things people like to talk about – it’s a social media hit.

First, it started with the Super Bowl, followed by the Grammys and most recently the Oscars. These three events are normally highly viewed programs (the Super Bowl coming in first out of the three,) but in the past they have mostly been discussed the morning after on the radio or at the “water cooler.”

This year the rooting, trash talking, outfit bashing, endorsing and protesting took place live on social media. Whether users were cheering on their team, spewing out the trash talk for the opponent, picking the best and worst dressed of the awards, or making predictions of winners for all three shows, it was all on a post.

Twitter seems to reign when it comes to social media and TV. Maybe it’s because hashtags are easier to throw in the corner of a screen than a full Facebook URL.

According to a report by Accenture, in April of 2012, the integration of social media and television was really beginning to take shape. In the survey conducted by Accenture, 33 percent of all viewers participated in the social media call to action during the television show. (So, they “Liked” or followed the host, the show or the network that was being promoted.)

“Social media and social networking are exploding across television screens as networks use social media to enable audiences to interact directly with related content for a richer viewing experience,” explained Robin Murdoch, the global Internet segment director for Accenture.

Well, that was about 10 months ago, and it seems people are really catching on this year. This could very well be simply because aside from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade,(admit it, you at least listen to it,) there isn’t an event as widely viewed as the three most recent television events. Or, perhaps it’s because people finally realized they don’t have to wait until morning to tell they’re hilarious (sometimes?) jokes about the opponent’s quarterback, or the girl who tripped during the Oscars (sorry, Jennifer Lawrence.)

According to Mashable, here’s how 2013 stacks up in the world of social media and TV integration:

Super Bowl

52 million comments

Grammys

17 million comments

Oscars

14 million comments (13 million of these were the day of the awards.) This is almost triple the amount in 2012.

While the annual television events do see huge numbers, don’t count out the weeklies and the dailies. Check out this chart also from Mashable on a standard week of television and social media:

What show will you be Tweeting about?

A picture is worth a thousand words.  A picture that catches the attention of your target audience could be worth a thousand dollars! Combine that with the fact that over 200 million mobile users are on Instagram each month and your business has its next step!

Studies have shown that consumers are more likely to engage with brand posts on this social network.  Instagram (IG) delivers 58 and 201 times more engagement (likes, comments, and shares) per follower than Facebook and Twitter, respectively.

 

So how do you take advantage of the picture based network? When new to Instagram, smart brands search for users with a large engaged audience, specifically the brand’s target audience.  How?

Step 1: Using the star icon, search for a hashtag relevant to your business.

 

Step 2: From the results, reach out to IG gurus with consistent activity.

 

Step 3: Supply them with pictures or merchandise to promote the brand.

 

Step 4: Compensate users for growing the new business.

 

Clearly, Instagram is an option that your business should explore. Don’t just take our word for it, though.  Businesses like SHREDZ and Bachelr boosted their following, as well as their revenue, by using Instagram the right way!

You could just start posting pictures and hope that the right people see them, or you could search for the right people!  We highly suggest the latter.  If you do it wrong, those pictures worth a thousand words could waste your business thousands of dollars!

With each ball drop comes New Year Resolutions.  A lot of people plan to get in shape and be healthy.  Others vow to try new things, see new places, and meet new faces.  A few just want to avoid the drama.  In 2015, we all want to be happier.  Isn’t that what every resolution boils down to?  So this year, share your resolution with others to keep yourself on track and make every day a #Motivation day!

Since the creation of MySpace (remember that?), everyone has learned a thing or two about photography; or at least how to snap a picture.  Despite the funeral selfie, most pictures are of positive moments, things we want to remember.  So this year, let’s keep our social networks clean of negativity, and keep our profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Rooms, etc.) positive with updates of our goals!

Plan to get in shape? Get a jump start in January with a picture and status update each day in order to gain, what we like to call, resolution sponsors!  Post a picture of your healthy meal, the gym equipment you use most often, and the workout routine you hope to build up to! If your life gets busy and you fall off track, your resolution sponsors will be there to remind you of your goal!

The great thing about social networks is that you control who follows your progress and who can leave words of encouragement.  You can easily block anyone who is trying to discourage you with negative comments.  Share your New Year Resolution with a select group of friends using direct messages and private settings.

This is the fun part: Be sure to create a hashtag that ends every post so you can easily search for them on December 31, 2015! Start with something simple like “#NYR15,” but keep it unique like “#CoteMediaNYR15.”  Social networks, like Rooms, also make it possible to seek out others with the same goals by searching a general term that sums up your resolution, like “body building” or “healthy eating.”

You don’t have to have a solid resolution to take part in this project, either.  Each day, update your status with something that made you smile, then add a picture that does the same.  Maybe you’re reading a new book or you discovered a new coffee shop!  Snap a picture of the book cover or your favorite drink or BOTH! Keep the pictures in a Facebook album or under the same hashtag so that on December 31, 2015, you can look over the great year you had!

If your resolution is to jump start your business, ring in the year with us! Our resolution is to make 2015 outshine 2014!

 

 

In the 90’s, we watched strangers live in a new environment together; it started with The Real World.  We made these people into our friends and our enemies, based on their (edited) actions.  When it came to public appearances, suddenly they weren’t just with a camera crew, but amongst “fans.”  These were the first pop (culture) stars who weren’t in a boy band like Backstreet Boys or a girl group like The Spice Girls. There weren’t necessarily talented, but they’d be chased like they were! Today, we have the same “stars,” but not just on our televisions.  We’re talking about social media celebrities.

We admire the average Joe shooting and editing tutorials, reviews, sketches, and the like, gaining millions of subscribers on YouTube.  Bring in Instagram and Twitter, and it’s a whole other game! Businesses aren’t just going to social media and using the most popular hashtags, they are going directly to the users that their consumers follow, asking the “influencer” to post their product on their feed with a simple snap!

Many influencers are most popular with the tweens and teenage girls, like sixteen-year-old Long Islander, Tanner Zagarino. He sees more than $15,000 a month from his social media presence. He’s gone from hosting a fashion blog, to being one of Seventeen’s “Hot Guy” panelists, and he makes several appearances. What does he do at these appearances?  Take selfies with tweens, of course.  That’s all.

The fandom is parallel to the same demographic’s reactions to One Direction! Screaming teenage girls chase these influencers down the street, hoping to snap a picture for their own Instagram. Now, the new era of pop stars now has their own event: The Jam Fest in Orlando! With the tag “online just got a whole lot more real,” The Jam Fest brings together stars from the web and favorite artists of said stars’ fans.  We’d be anxious to see who gains more screams: those with musical talents or those with a different kind of skill set on social media.

The celebrity status is changing with each new social media status.  Are you keeping up?  If your business is behind the times, Cote Media will bring you up to speed.  We might not have the same fans of #AlexFromTarget, but we have our own fan base. #RussFromCoteMedia, anyone?

It can be safely assumed that social media marketing is becoming a lucrative part of every business’s growth plan. At first glance, it doesn’t seem all that complicated. What does it take to write a few Facebook posts a few times a week? Once you start digging more deeply, you’ll find that social media marketing is in fact a full time job and one that requires full and constant attention. It goes beyond sporadically posting and tweeting; it’s something that must be consistent and strategic.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: it’s impossible to successfully run your business AND your social media. If you don’t fully agree with us just yet, keep reading. Here are three reasons why you need someone to help you along your social media journey:

1.) It takes time! Like we said before, social media marketing is a full time job. It requires round the clock monitoring to ensure effectiveness. With Facebook insights and Google analytics, it’s very much a numbers game. We pretty much do it in our sleep.

2.)Endless Information! The thing with the internet is that just when you think you have a full understanding of an idea, it’ll completely change the next day! We stay on top of the ever-changing playing field so you don’t have to.

3.) Lack of Skills Chances are, the business you’re in is a reflection of your skills and interests. Our business at Cote Media is a direct reflection of our passion – digital media. We should go where our passions take us, are we right?

As you get further into detail, the list only grows. We’ll expand on these three points throughout the month so if you’re not convinced yet, just stick with us When you come to your senses, Cote Media will always be ready and able to help you out.