What is G+ good for?

What is g+ good for?

 

Google+ was launched on June 28, 2011 and was meant to compete with the likes of Twitter and Facebook for reigning social media champ. However, it never quite took off as expected and there's debate over what g+ is really good for at this point. While some think it was a failed attempt at becoming the next big social media hit there are others who argue that g+ still has value in being a place for fans of Google products to gather and as a successful platform to connect many of Google's applications together.

 

 

Personally, I don't think g+ is a mainstream social media success. I feel in that aspect it has failed and I don't see how it will ever really be able to compete against the current powerhouses we have, especially for being over 3 years old already. I do believe, however, there is huge potential in focusing attention at primarily the google fan boys instead of trying to appeal to the masses. G+ is great in the way everything google is connected (hangouts, google photos, communities) and having this social network for the large group of Google's followers is something they should continue to cater to. The more Google expands and brings out new ideas the larger the g+ community will continue to grow and the more multi-dimensional g+ will become.

 

 

In closing, while g+ may not have met its initial expectation of rivaling Facebook as it's number one social media competitor, it has been a successful platform for many people, especially those who are avid users of Google's products. G+ has a lot of room to grow and we should keep our eye on it for the future.

 

Podcast:

http://twit.tv/show/this-week-in-google/278

 



How to speak so that people will want to listen

If you've ever been talking and felt like no one was listening to you than it may be beneficial to watch Julian Treasure's video on How to speak so that people will want to listen. He goes through what he calls the 7 deadly sins of speaking and also what you can do to keep people interested in you while you speak.

7 Deadly Sins of Speaking (Try to refrain from doing these in your speaking)

• Gossip
• Judging
• Negativity
• Complaining
• Excuses
• Lying
• Dogmatism

Julian Treasure and his DO's of speaking

Practice these when you speak

• Honesty - Be clear and straight
• Authenticity - Be yourself
• Integrity - Be your word
• Love - Wish them well

And using these tools can also help increase the power of your speaking

• Register - Speak from your chest
• Timbre - The way your voice feels ( Rich, Smooth)
• Prosody - Changes in tone
• Pace - Slow down to emphasize
• Silence- There is nothing wrong with silence, don't need to use fillers like "um"
• Pitch - Can indicate arousal
• Volume - Can be used to show excitement or can be lowered to make people pay attention

Julian's take on being a more effective speaker was very convincing. He kept the audience drawn in to him and his use of humor and presentation tools worked well to compliment his already strong speaking skills. He kept the pace of his presentation fairly quick and it never seemed to drag at any point. As someone who often struggles with speaking I was engaged the entire time and found myself inspired to try his take on being a better speaker.

http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_how_to_speak_so_that_people_want_to_listen#t-539641

How Chili's and Red Lobster utilize social media

In today's age of technology it's rare to find any successful business that doesn't use social media to help build it's image. This is no different for two powerhouse restaurants like Red Lobster and Chili's. Both of these companies have a very active Twitter and Facebook page that do wonders for their sales and image.

Since these companies are quite similar they utilize many of the same techniques to help promote business. For instance, right now at Red Lobster they have their Endless Shrimp promotion which is probably the most popular of their promotions during the year while Chili's has many posts advertising their 2 for 20 deal. Both restaurants also heavily promote their VIP program where users can enroll in and receive electronic coupons to free desserts or appetizers when they dine in. In addition to promoting their deals they also use these social media outlets to help connect with their customers and make them feel valued which will make them want to come back for repeat business. On all these pages they show pictures of family's enjoying themselves at the restaurant as well as actively respond to questions people may ask on their page. The companies really are trying to show their consumers how important their business is to them.

In closing, Facebook and Twitter are being utilized by many successful businesses, like Red Lobster and Chili's. These sites help spread the word of their promotional deals and new food or drinks that are coming out. They also help connect with their consumer base to answer questions and show that they value and appreciate their business. Without the tactical use of these social media sites who knows if these restaurants would be as well-known as they are today.




https://www.facebook.com/redlobster
https://www.facebook.com/Chilis
https://twitter.com/redlobster
https://twitter.com/Chilis

Why am I at MATC?

           Why am I at MATC you ask? Well... to be perfectly honest, cause its free for me at the moment. The military allows me to get a cheap education and I need to abuse these benefits before I lose them, which is in about a year since I procrastinate everything. I'm taking mostly general classes with one IT class right now since I'm still rather undecided on what I want to spend my life doing. However I think getting myself into a field involving computers is the right move as far as job security and pay goes. It also seems like a field that would come easier to me than most I think. I grew up with computers throughout my life, constantly on social media or playing video games, so I'm more accustomed to using them compared to some others that are older than me. I've also held jobs where most of my duties revolved working on a computer in a high volume setting. So the speed at which I type is pretty impressive if I do say so myself. Also one of my main roles in my job was troubleshooting many possible errors I would get trying to submit orders to be shipped out, so I've had a lot of experience dealing with critical thinking and problem solving which are pretty key to working in many of the IT related fields. I hope these next few years in school continue to capture and fuel my interest in IT because the future has never looked this bright.