Social media and Photo-Editing: Doing it Right (TTT #10)

Welcome back to Tarleton Tip Thursdays, where every week we give you tips to help you harness the power of social media.

The instagr.am photo editing app is spreading like wildfire. The app allows users to crop and edit photos before sharing them on various social networking sites. We suggest that users download this FREE app and experiment with the ease at which you can do photo editing. Currently Instagram is only compatible with iOS, although they promise to share Android soon, too.

Feel free to send some of your favorite edits to TSMRI.interns@gmail.com and see if your photo will be featured next week!

instagr.am is a photo-editing application with a variety of filters.

Some photo editing tips:

1. Make sure you are not violating copyright law. The best way to ensure that you have a legal right to the photo is to take it yourself.
   
2. Center your subject. When you are taking (and cropping) pictures, make sure that your subject is centered for maximum attention.
   
   
3. Less is More.   In order to avoid having an image that is too "busy" be sure to limit your editing. Don't add a border and recolor the image and add a "fun" font.
   
   

         

   instagr.am allows users to crop photos                   After cropping, you can select other features.
   before sharing them.

   
   
   

Monica Pierce is a Communications major and head intern of the Social Media Committee at the Texas Social Media Research Institute.  She is also the owner of Lilah, the subject of the photos above.

Social Media & Addiction

Image via http://ts-webcreations.co.uk/web/2010/12/social-media-addiction-adverse-effects-possible-health-issue

Recently I saw a blog post by PR Daily on social media addiction. That got me to thinking about my own actions and dependence on social media. While I certainly check Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest regularly, I am not a self-proclaimed addict. However, I have learned that it (one’s addiction) is a matter of perception.

During a road trip over spring break, my boyfriend claimed that I'm a "social media addict." He joked about me constantly checking Facebook to see what was happening with my friends, not to mention my need to post updates of our road trip adventures.

In the article “You know you’re addicted to social media when...”,  Michael Sebastian gives these (and other) warning signs of a possible Facebook addiction

• You check FB in the middle of the night when you wake up to use the bathroom.

• You spend all day on Facebook as a social media marketer and STILL sign on at home to see what's going on.

• You check your Facebook newsfeed before you say good morning to your spouse.

If I grade my usage based on the above criteria, I would say I am NOT addicted, as I only do a couple of those things. <smile>

Webroot, an online security firm, conducted a study which indicated that “54 percent of social media users feel some level of addiction to their social network of choice. Nearly half (46 percent) visit their favorite social network several times a day or constantly.” 

“Social media users who are part of the millennial generation (ages 18 to 34, in this study) are the most hooked, with 75 percent indicating they’re addicted compared with 44 percent of those older than them,” the report said.

“I'm addicted to social media. I share photos of my son with friends/family that don't live around me,” said Sheena Sanchez, a millennial mom from Mansfield, Texas. She says she would even give up her morning cup of coffee over social media.

Image courtesy of http://www.emfnews.org/articles/2011/01/11/

“Yes, I am addicted to social media. So much that it influenced my past relationships,” said Brooke King, a Tarleton State University Communications Major.

What about you? Are you addicted to social media?

Deana Coan is a Communications major at Tarleton State University and a member of the Social Media Committee at the Texas Social Media Research Institute.

Live Blogging (Tarleton Tip Thursday #9)

(image via http://storify.com/tour)

Welcome to Tarleton Tip Thursdays, where every week we help you harness the power of social media.  This week's post discusses live blogging, which is when blog entries are posted about an event as it occurs.

Blogging is relatively new to me and I’m always working to come up with creative new ideas.
I recently saw a blog by Kiesha Easley posted on SocialMediaToday titled “Blogging on the Fly: 5 Huge Tips for Blogging Big Events.” It offers great tips for blogging a live event. Some of the suggestions are:


·    Develop a blogging strategy before the event
·    Find unique ways to gain attention to your blog
·    Publish your post in a timely manner


If you’re new to live blogging, two  platforms I suggest are Storify or CoveritLive. Both create an interactive experience for readers. This includes incorporating images and videos as well as pulling in content from Facebook and Twitter.

TSMRI file photo

Reading the tips from Easley immediately made me think of upcoming TSMRI events that could be blogged live. Do you feel like expanding your blogging abilities? Maybe you’re already a pro. Either way, TSMRI would like to invite you to be a guest blogger at our event, Protecting Your Image and Marketing Yourself on Facebook,  on Tuesday, April 12. This will be an informative event that will allow for great interaction with viewers. If you would like more information about being a guest blogger,  contact TSMRI  on via our website or on Facebook.


Deana Coan is a Communications major at Tarleton State University and a Social Media Committee intern with the Texas Social Media Research Institute.

Social Media and Travel (Tarleton Tip Thursday #8)

Welcome back to Tarleton Tip Thursday, where every week we give you tips to help you harness the power of social media. This week's post is about your social media profiles.

If you're a college student, you may be on spring break this week, which often involves travel.  But everyone who uses social media can from benefit from being careful with social media when they're away from home. After, many criminals scan social media sites for easy robbery targets. Here are a  few quick tips to make sure you have a fun and safe vacation.

1. Opt out of checking in. Yes I know you want everyone at home to see that you're "mayor" on a fabulous beach somewhere. while they are back at home probably sitting on the couch. Just remember that is what pictures and lunch dates are for when you come back!

2. Don't make hasty decisions. Maybe accept that friend request after you return, rather than instantly.

3. Don't overshare. Don't be too forthcoming with information about yourself with someone you've just met (online or off). If someone is making you uncomfortable, find an excuse to leave.  Don't let someone take advantage of your desire to be polite.

Now turn off that cell phone, shut down that computer and go get some SUN.

Have a happy and safe spring break!

Brooke King is a Communications major at Tarleton State University and a Social Media Committee intern with the Texas Social Media Research Institute.

Living Vicariously Through Social Media

"Facebook creep" is a slang term for obsessively following the updates of others on Facebook.  This can include acquaintances, people you've lost touch with, or even people you never want to see again. But this doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. 

           For instance,  this week is spring break for many universities. Unfortunately, I will only have one day off. On the bright side,  I enjoy living vicariously through my friends during spring break. I get to see all the sights and hear all the stories without losing sleep, getting sunburn, or having sand in places that I don’t want it. With constant updates and photos I can sit in the comfort of my apartment and see where my friends have been. 

            Many people won’t admit it but they do the same thing. It’s not taboo to partake in the enjoyment of others' good times. Social media is there for us to socialize through, which includes liking and commenting on the latest cool photo or video your friend just uploaded. After all, no one posts something to Facebook and thinks, “Oh gee... I hope no one "likes" this." People love feedback, and those of us following along can provide it. 

            So next time you have a slow weekend, turn to your Facebook friends. They spent the money on Vale and Cancun while you stayed at home and made money towards that extravagant summer vacation you'll take someday. Spring break might not be that exciting for me this year but I’m sure with all of my Facebook friends I’m still going to have some pretty epic stories to tell. Happy posting! 

Kylee Thetford is a Communications major and a Training and Development Committee intern with the Texas Social Media Research Institute.

TV Tweeting: A Must Or A Bust? (Tarleton Tip Thursday #7)

Welcome to Tarleton Tip Thursdays, where we help you harness the power of social media every week. Today we'll discuss how to monitor and share tweets about your favorite TV shows.

"Oh no she didn't!"
"Unbelievable."
"NO WAY."

The statements above have all been hurled (along with many, many others) at the television during tense moments. Have you ever wondered how people across the miles are reacting to your favorite TV show?  Find out.

Monitor your show's hash tag(s)
One way to monitor and share reactions to your favorite shows is by checking Twitter. You can do this without signing up for a Twitter account.  Here's how:

•  Go to www.twitter.com/search.
  
• Type in the hash tag of your favorite TV show.  This will usually be the name of the TV show in all (or mostly) lowercase letters preceded by the pound sign (#).  Examples:  "The Good Wife" can be found using #thegoodwife or #goodwife (or even #TheGoodWife).
  
• By default, your search results will show the top (or most popular) tweets for the hash tag you entered.  To see all the tweets for that hash tag, click "All."

This search will only show tweets with that hash tag.  Others tweets may have another hash tag or even (gasp!)  no hash tag at all. For a complete search, you can try alternate hash tags or the name of your show in quotes.  If you do this, you may see irrelevant tweets in your search results.

Recent tweets using the #AmericanIdol hashtag

TV Tweeting Tips
Perhaps you're tired of reading other people's tweets and want to dispense *your* pearls of wisdom concerning American Idol, Revenge, or Hoarders.  (Give the people what they want!).
Check out our tips below:

• Wait until the commercial breaks  so you don't miss crucial plot points while tweeting or reading other people's tweets.
  
• Feel free to re-tweet other people's tweets, but refrain from making negative comments. If you tweet someone else regarding a comment, they may or may not reply.  Not every (or any) "lol!" merits a response. 
  
• Avoid monitoring hash tags if you haven't seen the show yet.  You may come across a spoiler.  And please...don't tweet spoilers.

Do you tweet while you watch TV? What are your favorite shows? Let us know in the comments below!

P.S.  Missed your favorite TV show and want to experience the tweets "as they happened" when you do watch?  Check out this blog post by "The Next Web" on Rewinder, an app that lets you do just that.

"Dear 17 Year Old Self: We need to talk..."

Have you ever wished you could write a letter to your younger self and warn him/her about what's ahead? One of our interns decided to do just that...

Dear 17 year old Self,

It's senior year... time to make memories with your friends before you go off to college. It’s time for the beach and parties, time to live it up before heading out. Little do you know those pictures of you sneaking into hotel pools (and on top of the school building) may not be a good fit fit for your Facebook profile. 

In a few years over 70% of employers will be screening job applicants using Facebook.  Lots of people will be fired (or never hired) because of thoughtless stuff posted on Facebook.   I don't want you (us?) to be part of that group, so here's some advice.

On top of my alma matter Senior year with a friend

Be careful with your pictures.  Don’t post anything you don’t want Ganny to see (little do you know you eventually add her as a friend on Facebook).You may never regret those late nights out with your friends, but you will regret posting pictures after family members or even teachers get an eyeful.

Just say no. This is a big one for you, I know. But, don’t be scared to ask someone to un-tag you or to take down a picture. Set your preferences so you are notified when someone tags a picture of you. It is in your best interest to be in control of your online presence.  I know it’s hard to believe now, but it’s something that  could affect the rest of your life.

Let positive language define you. It may seem cool right now to use curse words and it may make you feel empowered but later in life you’re going to look back and think, “Wow that wasn’t classy.” Believe me.

Let your Facebook page reflect who you want to be. If you decide to be in the agriculture field then share meaningful articles on your Facebook page. Be the person who people will go to for advice (you change degree plans three times).

 Also, remember what mom always says, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then keep your mouth shut and ask God to bless you with a compliment for that person.”

Sincerely,
Your Future Self

P.S.  Don't worry, college is going to be great!

Memories to  never be forgotten. Bonfire 2007

Hannah Miller is a Social Media Committee intern with the Texas Social Media Research Institute.  She blogs at The Ambitious Cattlegirl.  

Pinterest : Marketing vs. Copyright (Tarleton Tip Thursdays #6)

Welcome back to Tarleton Tip Thursdays, where every week we give you tips to help you harness the power of social media.  Today we'll be sharing some basic information about the new social media site Pinterest.

Pinterest is the new social media kid on the block, catching up to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ quickly, growing from 1.6 million visitors in September 2011 to 11.1 million visitors in February 2012.  Pinterest is a virtual pin board where you can “pin” things from websites to specific boards or find things on the site to pin to your virtual boards. 

Image taken from http://pinterest.com on March 1, 2012.

 Demographics
Google Ad Planner statistics (as reported on Mashable.com) revealed that currently women make up 82% of the active users on Pinterest.  In a general trend, women engage more on social networking sites, spending 30% more time on them than men.

Marketing

Many businesses have a presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to market their products. Some libraries have even gotten into the act.  However, Pinterest offers an ability that Facebook and Twitter cannot, the ability to know how many people “like” or “pin” their specific products. This is a unique tool for companies to develop statistics to know what products are most popular from a woman’s prospective. Companies have to make sure that they “link” their products to the pictures so that they have an accurate count of how many times their products are “pinned.”

Copyright
Recently concerns have cropped over Pinterest and copyright. What about people who don't want their work pinned? For example, the photo-sharing website Flickr recently announced its intention to "block" pinning from its site.  If you look closely at Pinterest's terms of service, you'll notice that they retain the right to sell images that you've pinned. At one point, the site was even using a service called Skimlinks to "monetize" users' pins.

Tips
1.  Take it for a spin. Try out Pinterest for yourself with a personal account. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with how Pinterest works before using it for business. Are you OK with people re-pinning your items, or possibly going to your site and using images and/or blog posts?
2.  Get inspiration. Look at how other companies are using Pinterest.
3.  Stay informed. Find out more about Pinterest's terms of use so that you're informed.   For example, did you know that Pinterest places all legal risk for possibly copyright violation on its users?

What are your thoughts about this new social media site?

Hannah Miller is a Social Media Committee Intern with the Texas Social Media Research Institute and blogs at The Ambitious Cattlegirl.