What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 08/21/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

I've been dragging my feet checking out the past season of the much beloved Doctor Who, and recently checked out the first couple episodes of season 8 (now on Netflix), which are the first episodes with the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi. I've already been experiencing Doctor Who fatigue last season. While the special episodes with Matt Smith were enjoyable, the show as a whole had been frustrating for me. I think I've grown tired of Steven Moffat's storytelling and am still preferring the David Tennant era above all else. These new episodes haven't done too much to impress me yet, which is sad since I do love the premise and universe, but it is just getting to be a tad boring and shallow to me now. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for from the show, but what I'm getting now isn't it. Perhaps smaller stories would be better than the bombastic, huge scale plots that seem to be every episode nowadays. I'll keep with it for this season I think but I may put Doctor Who behind me to venture off with some new shows.

I recently finished the entire nine seasons (!) of Seinfeld on Hulu, which took me several weeks. Only a few episodes of the series were completely new to me. I had seen many of them in syndication somewhere but it was still cool to watch this classic sitcom from start to finish to further appreciate it and it's impact. If you have never seen an episode, I highly recommend you check some of it out on Hulu. They've curated some of the classic episodes of the series as well so you can view the series strategically.

  • Fall Move In

Much of my time currently has been (and will be) consumed with trainings, building prep, and opening at my institution. It's a stressful yet exciting time to welcome new and returning students as well as their families to campus for the start of a new academic year. I may need a break from blogging next week with everything going on, but I hope to meet you back here again once things settle down.

Thanks for stopping by!

Podcasts and New Media Advertising

in

*This post is edited from the original, which was featured on Socialnomics.

I can personally say the way I consume media has drastically changed. I watch TV on Netflix or Hulu and don’t have cable. I enjoy original shows, clips, and programs on YouTube, listen to music on Spotify or Songza as well as one of the most unique new forms of entertainment; podcasts.

The podcasts I enjoy are simply digital copies of audio/radio broadcasts and interviews. My constant favorite for the past few years is the Nerdist Podcast which is great for entertainment purposes as well as stuff like the Smart People Podcast, Reply All, or Nerdette, which all have some great thought provoking content. What I think is the distinguishing feature of podcasts is how I am able to consume them. I can download them onto my smartphone, listen to them in the car or on the go with headphones while I work out for example. It’s awesome, original content coming out all year that is experiencing a boom recently, which in turn is a great opportunity for advertisers to create a unique relationship with their audience.

According to recent findings, at least 29% of Americans listen to audio podcasts (clumping in video bumps this number up), which is a sizable chunk consuming podcasts of all varieties on an array of topics. This means that consumers are getting on demand entertainment, news, and discussion on what they want most, creating a unique experience for them every time they listen. I know with the Nerdist Podcast, I feel like I’m catching up with friends when I listen to the podcast so whenever they talk about something, I follow up and heed their opinions. Check out these recent metrics that back up that sentiment:

  • 67% of podcast listeners don’t mind sponsorship messages and occasionally find them useful, compared to only 6% positive sentiment expressed for the advertising approaches of television or commercial radio.
  • Nearly 80% of podcast consumers (responding to the survey), agreed that “when price and quality is equal,” they “prefer to buy products from companies that advertise on or sponsor” the podcasts they regularly enjoy.
  • Ninety percent of these respondents indicated that they had taken some kind of action as a result of podcast advertising or sponsorship, and over 40% reported purchasing behaviors, which indicates that they are receptive to the right message, in the right context. (For the rest of the findings, click here)
Although I’m mostly highlighting podcasts here, it is clear that with this being a huge "new media" format, other mediums like music streaming sites and video streaming sites cater to the same sensibilities. We don’t want to be fed phony ads any longer. If I’m looking to buy a camera, I’m going to ask my friend who knows about cameras or reference customer reviews at the very least. Consuming is social and the advent of on-demand entertainment is linked with that. Advertisers should take notice and start to take advantage of this new possibility to create a more authentic, genuine connection with their customers.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 08/14/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Greetings!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

Constantine was a short lived but beloved show focusing on the famed demon hunter of the same name. It was really given much of a chance to succeed from what I could tell, and in an act of respect (as far as I can tell), the character of Constantine depicted in the show (portrayed by Matt Ryan) will be making his way to Arrow this upcoming season. I'm really excited to see Oliver Queen and Constantine interact, as it continues to build out the amazing TV DC universe that is being created (more on that in the next bit). While admittedly I did not watch the show Constantine, I know this is an awesome thing to exist in the first place, and maybe it will inspire to check out the episodes of the show that are out there.

On the topic of the ever expanding DC TV universe, The Flash has introduced time travel and alternate realities, which has me geeking out over how this show is just going all in on cool comic book connections. One that has been confirmed is the inclusion of the original Flash from the comics, Jay Garrick. We'll have some double Flash action in an episode (or episodes?) of the upcoming season of the show, so get ready! (The article linked above does a great job of explaining the history and setting up the TV show depiction of Jay Garrick)

  • Secret Warriors on Agents of SHIELD

While this isn't super new information, I'm keeping with the pattern of stuff in comic book TV shows. Which SHIELD has felt more like a companion series to the Marvel Cinematic Universe than a driver of it's own destiny like the DC TV universe, Season 3 of SHIELD should be pretty awesome, and will build up nicely to Captain America: Civil War, our next Marvel movie tent-pole. Season 3 will be including more superpowered folks in the aftermath of the events of Season 2, with Skye/Daisy Johnson taking a larger role as she accepts her mantle of Quake from the comics and seeks out her powered brethren for this special team of "Secret Warriors". With the introduction of Inhumans, the Kree, and now this, we're building up a far richer sandbox for the TV show to play in on it's own that is still beholden to the rest of the MCU, but it also feels like the stakes are higher now since more is happening on a bigger scale.

Thanks for stopping by!

Organic VS Promoted Content: Which Reigns Supreme?

in

* This post is edited from the original, which was featured on Socialnomics.

So I am personally all about all-natural, organic, and sustainable stuff. Whether it is the toothpaste I use, the food I eat, or how I buy pretty much anything in my life, having something feel real and not artificial is important to me. This combines with my respect for authenticity and transparency in relationships. My overall preference for the "real deal" even comes into social media with the curious question I’ve stumbled upon when it comes to social media marketing; should one pay to promote or not?

Within the past year, both Facebook and Twitter launched the capacity for users to pay to promote their posts and tweets respectively. Facebook already had their “Ads” that would show up on the side of users’ timelines, but these two new functions put your promoted content right in the personal feeds of your customers. It comes, understandably, from the need to monetize these popular sites, but the real question comes in as to what is the best use of an organization’s money when it comes to engaging your audience; are you really getting what you pay for? Obviously, ideally your content will make it’s way out into the world on it’s own but usually, customers aren’t just following you, they’re following all sorts of different pages, even your competitors for business.

So it seems logical, you want the edge so you pay for promotion and you squash out the competition. Right? Well, the jury is still out on that. Not to say that promoted posts are not useful, but they also aren’t shown to be the way to go for every business and for every post. Social media is about engagement, and using paid promotion for posts can come across as spammy and inauthentic. Facebook paid promotions can be useful to get the word out about a new offer you have for your business or for an upcoming event since they only go out to those who “like” your page, as opposed to Facebook ads that go out to anyone and everyone. The same goes for Twitter. Think about what you’re posting and what is worth it to pay to get out to everyone and sort of muscle your way into their feed.

Another consideration to make is where you are putting this content. Are your customers even on Facebook or are they on Pinterest? Does your content make sense for the social media site you are promoting on? Facebook is different from Twitter which is different from LinkedIn which is different from Instagram (which also now supports ads). It is important to be intentional about the core what, where, when and why of posts in order to get the greatest results. From my perspective, the general logic here should focus on a few points: moderation (as with all things), organic engagement & paid promotion, and lastly, cater to the medium. For this last bit, whether that means you cover your basis on every social networking site or hone in on one, you can save a lot of money and time by knowing where your audience is and creating content for that particular venue. Doing all this will create an authentic aura that avoids the negative connotations of spam ads and allows for you to get the word out on all the great things your organization is up to.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 08/07/15

in

Geek-and-proud

Hey there, folks!

Here's what was going on in my world this week:

I blew through the entirety of this offering this past Sunday with my partner. We also recently watched the famed cult original movie together (I had seen it prior, my partner had not) so we were excited to check out this prequel series. It continues the enjoyable absurdist comedy tradition of the original and many of David Wain and company's work. I definitely recommend watching the original movie and the new series. You'll be glad you did!

I bought an Amazon Fire TV stick recently since I got rid of my PlayStation 3, which served as my media center hub. I now have a Blu-Ray player and media streaming sticks (my other one is a Roku Stick) for my two TV sets. While neither work perfectly, for the price, size, and convenience, I feel very happy with both purchases. Where the Roku is a basic, straightforward experience, Amazon is totally integrated with their digital libraries (television, movies, and music all included). The major caveat being you need to be a Prime member to take advantage of all of their content. Otherwise, you would need to purchase/rent exclusively from Amazon for it to feel worth it. The streaming media game is only going to grow so it is fascinating to see the competition create new ways to get content to consumers.

As I emotionally come to terms with Jon Stewart's departure from the Daily Show, I just started to dig into the podcast for his show (which only features Stewart in the most recent episode) and delves into the behind-the-scences production of the television show. They cover everything from pizza, rejection, bagels, and their veteran immersion program. It's a neat look into a one of a kind show and I know it will help me cope and appreciate a show I love even more.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Niche Movement

in

8gnwvxVb This past weekend I finished reading my digital copy of the new book from Kevin O'Connell, The Niche Movement: The New Rules to Finding the Career You Love. I'm really excited for this book to finally be out into the world, since I've been a long supporter of Kevin's and also proudly donated to his crowdfunding campaign last year to help publish the book.

Simply stated, this book is great. It excellently captures the frustrations many (myself included) feel with the status quo of job searching and workplace culture and gives some fantastic insights as to how to control your own destiny and do work that is fulfilling, whatever that may mean for you. Kevin weaves his career advice with unique stories of people from all over the country working in all sorts of fields that help send home and support his points. To top it off, he sets you up for success by giving out contact info for everyone mentioned in the book, so if you want to keep the discussion going with someone who really intrigued you, you have the means to do so and are even encouraged to reach out.

While I supported the effort to get this book published, I had no creative input in the production of it, but I trusted Kevin to create a superb product and he delivered tremendously, and that is my objective opinion. Many of the points he mentions I've heard before, which only further provides credibility to his work here. It has helped inspire and motivate me to get some things ramped up for my life, and I know it will do the same for you.

Check out The Niche Movement site for more awesome stuff, and reach out to Kevin to connect about the book. He's a pretty cool dude!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: July 2015

in

Geek-and-proud

Hey there! Here's what was going on in my world last month:

Every Friday, I share what's on my mind from the past week. There was so much to geek out about last month, and to help you sift through it all, here's my monthly wrap up of all the stuff that was going on in July (this was another odd month with a lot of travel and stuff going on, please forgive me!):

Thanks for stopping by!