MediaJoltz

Sitting watching the premier of Pushing Daisies last night (we have a friend who did all the 3d composite shots and wanted to show support) I saw a commercial from Orbitz that I have seen often-the person with the floating circle above their heads giving them updates on their travel arrangements. But this time something caught my attention-it said travel updates by real people!!

I had to go check this out. Orbitz, as of September performed an upgrade to their “Traveler Updates” program where now, you get the updates to any selected airport made by real people. Very similar to the set-up twitter has, someone writes about a topic ranging from security line, check-in, traffic-and it gets sent to you as an alert.

Orbitz even called it a community on the commercial. I think this is a great idea and that more companies could follow. You don’t even have to set up a new website or your own alert system. You could simply get an account with twitter.

Now when I mention twitter to some company owner I usually get the weird look like “isn’t that just a social communication thing like IM where people write useless updates about their day?” Well that depends on who you subscribe to. And while Orbitz isn’t using twitter, it is the same idea-and I think it can be useful in several different applications.

The Today Show has joined twitter and posts links to the video segments of their news shows. Thanks to Jim Long because now I only have to find the one that interests me and watch it instead of sitting through a whole show just to get one segment.

A laundry room at a college has a twitter account and updates how many washers and dryers are available.

The Los Angeles Fire Department uses twitter to inform of accidents on the road-which could help you avoid traffic if the radio doesn’t pick it up immediately as well as any other incidents that they are called to respond too. Interesting use of Twitter and they have 300+ people following them.

I use twitter a ton. I use it to keep up with friends, to gather information-it came in very handy when a friend Jesse Stay gave us play by play action on the BYU vs NM game while I was flying back from PME. I wish there was a BYU tweeter on so then all of Jesse’s non-byu fans wouldn’t get mad at him.

Right now I get updates on my phone about the weather in my area. But I only get it once a day. What if I was traveling? Sure I can check online or watch the weather channel, but I think it would be cooler if I got real time updates from people. What if the weather channel allowed for people of their area to post a weather report throughout the day so then I can get real time updates. A 40% chance of rain-well did it rain that day with 40%?

So how can a company use twitter? I want to forward you on to a great post by PR-Squared on an interesting way a Pharmaceutical company can use twitter and hopefully it can get your mind working on ideas too.

PR-Squared’s “Social Media Tactics” Series…Using Twitter to Create & Inform Communities

From my post yesterday about what you would do if the internet went down, I found another topic to discuss: Online relationships, how are they different from real life relationships?

Max Web made a comment on my blog about how being online has impeded our social skills because now we are so use to “friending” and “unfriending”. He made a really good point stating:

“I think we have avoided or even ditched, “real life” relationships in some ways because of the ease of Internet relations… if I don’t like you on the internet, it’s not too hard to “un-friend” you, but if I screw up my relationship with a neighbor, what do I do, move? The Internet has been the greatest invention for social slackers, it allows us to have great people we might never meet or relate to in real life, as “friends.”

But for some people, being online has helped them go out of their comfort zones. Where in real life they would never approach someone and start talking to them, online they are a popular social bug. But then again, what happens when there is a meet-up? I felt that at the PME where I suddenly got scared that people wouldn’t like me in real life. But I’m the same in real life as I am online, at least I think I am. I have no trouble approaching people in both situations, but that’s me. I know of others who are online who are not as outgoing in real life-but they are comfortable with this almost alter ego online.

Max brought up another good point- are the people you are connecting to online, the same type of people you would hang out with and be friends with in real life? That’s an awesome question. At the PME I overheard a conversation about how there are some people that get on this group’s nerves. I sat there thinking, why are you connected to them then? Well, its because this group saw that there was value in these people’s knowledge. Would any from the group actually hang out and be friends with these people in real life? Probably not.

Do you feel a little more free about whom you connect to online? How many people are you connected to simply because they share good knowledge, vs. those you really would want to be friends with?

Cammon made a comment about how he likes relationships online because he can talk on his own time.

“It’s easy for me because I have the time to connect with people on my own schedule. It’s hard for our neighbors to all get together because we all have different free time. So staying connected with someone online is not hampered as much by time, it’s easy to write a quick note or post a video and you stay connected.”

I bet a lot of us feel that way. We’ve even got voicemail on Facebook! Now I have to be careful because Cammon is my husband, but, playing devils advocate, why not leave a note on your neighbor’s door? Is that not like an email? You are giving them a message that you are thinking of them, they don’t get it until they are ready for it. Why are we so against direct contact?

Are these skills that we are learning online, hurting or helping our real life social skills? Are they making us more lazy, or are they providing us with an extra means to make more friends. Those you are connecting to, online, do you really consider each one a friend? If not, why?

(a note about the comments-my php friend will be fixing the black text on gray box problem tonight!)

What if the Internet crashes?  And I don’t just mean for a day or two.  What if for some bizarre reason, the Internet one day just doesn’t exist.

Let me take a step back.  This post was inspired by a conversation I had with Chris Brogan yesterday, so the original thought comes directly from him.  But he asked a question that got me thinking deeper.  What if Facebook just crashed one day?  Would you be okay with that?  Would you still be able to keep in touch with the friends/clients  you have made?

And so my mind started turning and the topic got more and more exciting for me.  Just think about it.  I remember when not TOO long ago :0)  I was only allowed to carry a cell phone with me when I ventured the two hours it took to get to my softball travel team practice.  Now, I can’t leave home without it-I don’t even have a landline!

Dave Delaney from Two Boobs and a Baby +  recorded a video about how he felt when twitter went down for maintenance.  At the Podcast and New Media Expo-I went a whole day without being able to get on the internet from my computer, but I was okay because I had the web on my phone/pda.

We are so dependent on the Internet for connections, are we ignoring vital face to face connections that can also help our company, home and lifestyle?

I belong to several networking groups in my local community and I remember at one lunch the director said “I want to make sure you develop deep relationships with the people of this community such that if we close our doors tomorrow and never have another event again, you have no problem continuing those relationships without us.”

So what if the Internet crashed?  Where are all your relationships? Are you speaking to all of your customers through one medium?  If the Internet crashed would you still be able to talk with them?

What if we are talking about a single application like Facebook, or email-what if your customers stopped using an application-are you able to talk to them through another way?  Are you everywhere you ought to be?

What about personally? Do you have people you can turn to right in your own neighborhood?  Do you even know your neighbors?  Not that I’m promoting solicitation in church, but do your fellow friends at church even know what you do?  Why not?

How about the friends you know online.  Do you have a way to get in touch with them?  Do they know how to get in touch with you?  Is it all simply Internet based or have you taken that online relationship and made it real through mail or through the phone?  I’m not saying to broadcast your phone number out to everyone, but those you really are connecting with, what are you doing to make sure there is an ongoing dialogue no matter what.

Are you mixing the medium and/or crossing platforms?

Hey so I apologize for not writing, thought I would have time during the Podcast and New Media Conference I went to, to put up posts, but turns out I had such good time hanging with people I’ve been talking to that I burned out by the night. But lets jump right into some meat for you guys to read:

One of the classes I went to helped me to realize something that I learned about myself and my blog. The class was “10 Secret Habits to Podcast Stardom” taught by Franklin McMahon of Franklin McMahon Studio.

What we need to remember is that habits need to be practiced over and over again-so APPLY THEM!! Its not going to be easy, and it is very repetitious, but that’s what makes the difference between succeeding and failing.

I really liked the fact that he brought up the fact that we need to get out of the bubble. I believe Chris Brogan put it: “get out of the fishbowl.” You can read his first posts about this topic here Extend the conversation and 5 ways to extend the conversation.

When you are talking about podcasting with those not familiar with the term, you can very easily scare them off by talking about podcasting and RSS and subscribtion and iTunes. To get someone easily connecting to your show, just tell them you have created a show, send them to your website and make sure you have an easy website that has a play button for them to watch/listen right away.

So for an example instead of saying-“Hey I’ve got a podcast on surfing that is really cool because you can subscribe to it and the code in the subscription will let your computer know when a new episode has been uploaded blah blah blah,” make it about the show.
Say “Hey I’ve got a show that’s about surfing. It gives tips and tricks on how to do some of the most awesome moves-AND some ideas on how to make sure you keep your board in the best shape it can be.”

And don’t just think about new media marketing for your show, you can do press releases, tv and radio interviews. We do need to keep in touch with each other, but we also need to be doing our part to help others understand this technology.

I wanted today to add some of my thoughts. The podcast and new media expo 2007 was my first “new media” conference you could say and I learned a lot. One of the main things I realized (and it was in this class) that those of you reading this blog, probably aren’t my target audience. I’ve been worried that I haven’t been posting good things and that’s why I haven’t hit 30K downloads a month. But, my target audience is probably not reading blogs-beacause they don’t know how.

Those who are my target audience need me to help them get set up online. They are businessmen and women who already have a website but want to do more because they understand the importance of online relationships-but don’t know how to start.

What am I going to do about it? Well I came up with a few ideas and one of those is to start having more seminars. I want to tell people about this technology, I want to make more friends online and I know of so many people who would benefit from making friends with some of the people I know-I want to share it with everyone. So seminars it is-and heck, maybe I’ll get into the speaker/presentation arena. I got a great friend named Laura who consults on presentations. Her company Pistachio Consulting is “helping lots of presentations suck less.” I think I’ll give her a call.

But I also wanted to throw out there a thank you to those of you who are reading my blog as my support group even if you aren’t learning something new everyday.

The Wasatch Business Conference is being held November 2nd at the Utah Valley State College.

Wasatch Business Conference Wesbite Link 

The conference is a great day full of education and networking with some of the most awesome business minded people in all of Utah County.

There will be presentations on topics covering marketing, finance, technology and management targeting the small business.

I am on the panel discussion talking about blogging, podcasting and networking.  It should be tons of fun.  Last year I made some new friends and learned some great tips-even some great tips on blogging!

So go check out the website, register and come join me on November 2nd!

Today is the middle of the week and so it is time for a promotion post.  There are two reasons why I do this:

1. Because the assignments I have given you so far-find and listen to podcasts to start formulating your own podcast, takes longer than a day to do.  So I want you to continue doing the searching, with a satisfying break in the middle.

2. I wouldn’t be where I am today-however unfamous I might be even still, I wouldn’t be as far as I am today with out these people-so where else to give them love than where I am excelling?!!

So today I give some love to my husband, Cammon Randle.  Cammon was the one who got me into technology.  He is a video guy.  Anything and everything that has to do with video-he knows.  He has his own company, CopperRain Productions and does corporate high definition video.

He was voted Businessweek’s Top 25 Entreprenuer under the age of 25 in October of 2006 and won three national videography awards including the Telly Award.

What has been fun though, is that while normally he is the one explaining how things work to me, lately he has been coming to me with help on social networking.  Asking questions like how to make the best use of Facebook?  He is now even on twitter-and that is how I know he is coming home from work!

He is a great guy-a great husband and will one day make a great dad.  And you can bet every moment is captured and stored on dvd!

Disclaimer: I forgot to mention that iTunes is not the only place to find your favorite podcasts. There are lots of places on the web to find podcasts-just do a google search for “podcast directory” you will find that there are lots of places to look for podcasts. I just use iTunes because it is convenient for me to find the podcast and hit the subscribe button.

So now, what if you found a podcast but it isn’t in the itunes directory? All you need to do if find the RSS feed button.
The orange button is the universal symbol for an RSS feed-or the url you need to add to your podcatcher.
It could also be written out in text. Below is a picture of some of the things you could see to click on.

Now the add to iTunes will open up your iTunes. But it is possible, because it could be a podcast and blog mixed that you will be directed to a window that looks like this:

You can see the option to add to other web-based podcatchers, iTunes, as well as a url for the feed.

Take that URL and head on over to your podcatcher, mine being iTunes and add it:

And you can see that it is being added to my iTunes Podcast selection:

Happy listening!

What are your favorite podcasts??? comment in the field below so that we can all check out some awesome shows!