Archive for February, 2009

New Media; Social Networking Websites – 1

{ February 23, 2009 @ 5:29 pm } · { New Media Drivers License }
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Ever since the Internet was developed back in 1950s, the Internet has become an essential part of modern life through the fast propagation of Personal Computers and the Internet technology in late 90s and early 2000s. While media such as TV and Radio are now called “traditional media”, the Internet has been the center of the emergence of new media. Then, what is new media? Lievrouw and Livingstone defined new media in their study as information and communication technologies and their associated social contexts. Although the Internet was what has driven a term ‘new media’, it refers much more than just the technology itself. While as simple as the Internet banner can be called as a new medium, it can have much complex form such as social networking websites like Facebook or Myspace. Indeed, I’m planning to talk about new media solely focused on these social networking websites.

To be Continued…

Build Yourself. Build Your Network. Build Your Future.

{ February 23, 2009 @ 4:00 am } · { New Media Drivers License }
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The importance of a social network CANNOT be emphasized less. No matter what you do and what your goals are, the social network you have built is an essential asset you have. Especially, if you are a college student like me who’s eager to find a job in this stressful economic time. If you’re concerned about how you are going to get a job after your school, think about taking this class when you have a chance: New Media Drivers License course offered by Michigan State Univ. The course basically offers you a chance to learn more about new media and to build your own social network with what you learn.

There two very good reasons that you, as a student and as a job seeker, have to take this course into your consideration.

ONE, you would learn to build and manage your own social network. As i mentioned earlier, a social network is your basic asset that is even more important than just getting an A in your marketing class. No matter what your field of interest is, there’s no such field that you don’t have people around. With a little help from the internet and new media, you can have a greater base asset to start with. TWO, you would learn to advertise yourself. Social network doesn’t just mean to keep in touch with your friends and plan up for a bar crawl. Not only you get to build your social network, but also you can use your knowledge on new media to advertise yourself to potential employers. Not to mention that the course would provide you a certificate called New Media Drivers Lisence which would look good on your resume, you get to have a most effective and cost-efficent adveritisng tool in your hand to only advertise yourself.

Afterall, there’s still more you can learn from school!

What do you have to do to exist?!

{ February 15, 2009 @ 4:53 am } · { New Media Drivers License }
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If people can’t find you, do you exist??Search Engine Optimaization(SEO) is all about letting people find you(your website) easily and effectively. What is the point of having a great, beutiful website and no on can’t find it? Think about a basic idea of social networking. It’s not about how well you can play hide-and-seek but letting people know who you’re and introducing yourself. As much as being brave and expressing yourself is important, it is important that making people actually SEE and LISTEN what you have to say. Basically, what you have to do is to find a link between your website and what people are lookiing for. Let’s talk more about how we can improve your visibility.

KEYWORDS is probably the most critical area. You have to pick keywords that is specific and actually related to(it is important!!!) your website. But don’t repeat the same keywords too much(it’s called stacking). There are many helpful websites that would help you optimize your keywords like SEO Book Keyword Suggestion Tools, and also check out  Google’s SEO Starter Guide as well it contains useful informations for especially beginners like myself. The TITLE is also important: the title of your blog, the title of your post and so forth. They are important for a same reason that a movie title, book title and your name is important: it’s the shortest summary of what you’re going to say. Once you believe you have effective keywords, now you have to TEST if they are actually effective. Google provides a very useful application: Google Analytics. You can track and analyze your traffic, and consequently you can optimize your keywords. Lastly, but not least, trying to UPDATE your website regularly. As you research and learn more about SEO, you should keep applying your skills and knowledge to your website. SEO is not one time thing, but something that you would have to constantly keep working on.

Again, I’m not an expert at all on SEO, but rather a beginner who just started learning. The most important thing to remember is to keep trying to get better. I hope this blog would be helpful to everybody out there who just started running websites or blogging like me. Good luck~!

New Way to Make Friends

{ February 9, 2009 @ 7:47 pm } · { Marketing & Advertising, New Media Drivers License }
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Do you remember back in days when you just knocked on your friends’ house asking to hang out? Well….I do. but I do not remember when I stopped doing it. Maybe it was when I got my first cell phone, or maybe it was when I had my first internet experience, or maybe it was when I realized that I wasn’t a kid anymore. I don’t remember when I stopped running around from house to house and making friends. All I know is I don’t do it anymore. Then, what do I do? I make phone calls, I text, I use online messengers, I do facebook, and I also do blog.  These are the new ways (although I would really say it’s a better way) to make friends and keep in touch with people you know.

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Facebook Friends List

What is the advantage of having facebook or any other social networking services? One of the most convenient and valuable thing is that you can actually keep in touch with your desired friends as long as you want to. With a little knowledge about a person, you can search a person and stay in touch with. Even if you don’t know the person’s name you’re looking for, you can find him/her as long as you know his/her friend or maybe his/her friend’s friend. Everyone is reachable. That is powerful.

Also form a marketing perspective, this can be a truly powerful tool. What is marketing? If someone asks me, I would say marketing is about people. Of-course it’s about money and profit and all that, yet the key part remains to be people. More specifically, it about a relationship between  people. As you all are well aware of, Facebook, Twitter or which ever you use, they are all about a relationship: who you are friends with, which organization you belong and which activities you engage with.  The relationships, they are the resources you have and you want to continue to have.

My goal with social media is simple. I hope to build a positive relationship through online and develop myself as a person who can influence the relationships I build. Yes, I want to remember and I want to be remembered.

You probably have heard or said something like “Are we facebook friends?”, the expression which I doubt anyone used back in 90s. but in 2009 I ask you, “Are you my facebook friend?” If not here’s my profiles: facebook, twitter, and linkedin.

Google AdWords…What am I missing??

{ February 2, 2009 @ 12:16 am } · { New Media Drivers License }
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Okay..I’ve been playing with this Google AdWords for a week now, yet I’m not so satisfied with the result that AdWords is giving me. I’m aware of that the keyword that I’m putting in is what really matters, but no matter how I change and modify my keywords, I don’t seem to be able to get my ad up on google search.

My Google Ad

My Google Ad

Google AdWords gives you pretty promising words about how effective it can be. It is very easy to set up the account and google did a great job walking you through how to start. It seems quite effective once you really get to know how to use, and it’s definately cost effective comparing to other advertising method. As you already know, the cost is one of the major advantages that so-called “new media” can offer, and Google clearly understand its roll as a bridge that connects people and new media.

While it was easy to set up the account and create the ad, the hard part was the part that actually making your ad show up on a screen. Here’s my current keyword.

Keywords

Keywords

I tried many different keywords and changed the budget back and forth from $5 to $100, but I still couldn’t get my ad up on the screen. While I am not (obviously) satisfied with the result, I’m planning to keep playing and studying with Google AdWords until I get the positive result. So if there’s anyone who can give me any advice on it, please~ HELP ME!!