WHY ! ? ...Why?

Does a bear tweet in the woods?

So last night I saw this pic on a favorite time killing website/app I go to when I need a good laugh or need to kill some time between commercials. www.9gag.com 

The bear is right people... don't push Twitter to Facebook, as a matter of fact don't push anything to anywhere, keep it on the platform that it belongs to! If you don't know why then this is the blog post for you, if you do know why then you must be a follower of ours at Talking Finger.

So here is why and its really simple. 

Twitter is different from Facebook, Facebook is different from Linked In, Pinterest is different from YouTube, Blogs are different from...well you get where I am going here. Each social media platform has its target market segment. You wouldn't advertise a Justin Beiber concert on the 6 pm news you would advertise on MTV. (Yes we actually mentioned that name...sorry I had to get tough on you.) Each message you have is intended to do a specific thing to the person who reads it.

Here is an example:

Blogs tell a story - To much to post on FB. 

Twitter tells the audience what is happening NOW, right now.

Pinterest is where you post images to the mostly female audience. 

Facebook is where you inform the largest concentration of people what is happening. 

YouTube is where you show anything that can be spun into a video.

Linked In is where you wear your suit and be professional. 

Here is your breakdown........based on a night out for sushi...At one of my favorites Nobu.

Blog: Sushi...Blah Blah Blah...Sushi...etc (Tell a story about it)

Twitter: OMG this is the best sushi place ever! I love @Nobu #RockShrimp 

Pinterest: Here are the pics of them making my dish! (insert 5 photos here)

Facebook: (Question Post) What's your favorite sushi? 

YouTube: Take a look at the sushi chef making our rolls and all the people in here!

Linked In: Update status. Let your connections that Nobu is a great hip place to have a client lunch or dinner.

See how every message is different yet they all talk about the same thing. Why, why, why would you post the same thing on every platform??? It makes no sense. The audience is different! 

This is what happens when you say the same thing on all channels. 

By posting the same thing everywhere you are like Stewie. Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy....after a few times your audience hears the same thing on different platforms...they unfollow/unlike, aka they leave you.

So, while you may feel that you are saving time and money you are actually doing harm to your brand.  You are telling your audience that you just want to force feed them information, and you don't care about them, you only care about your agenda. Each platform has a unique demographic that uses it and yes they may follow you on all your channels but they DON'T want to hear the same thing on them. Give them a reason to follow you on different channels, change it up to cater to them. 

These are your customers! 

They are your brand advocates!

They are the conduit to the people WHO DO NOT KNOW about you yet! 

So respect the audience, speak to them properly on the platform you are posting to. 

And bears do not tweet. I googled it. 

The BEAUTY of Social Media

For those of you who don’t know, my name is Cheri and I’m the Summer Intern at Talking Finger. I’m currently a student at The University of Connecticut and someday hope to work in the corporate side of the beauty industry. Some of you may wonder why I’m interning at a Social Media Marketing Company instead of a place like Vogue or Covergirl… WELL, beauty and social media are two of my big passions and I’m determined to intertwine the two into a career!

It all started a few years ago with a search of “smokey eye make up tutorials” on YouTube and discovering this new phenomenon of “Beauty Gurus.” Below is a short news clip about “Beauty Gurus” to get a better sense of what I’m talking about.

Sisters, Blair and Elle Fowler, started off as making video’s on YouTube about fashion and makeup as a hobby, with all of the subscribers they gained they both applied to become a YouTube partner, which basically means that they’re getting paid for making these videos.

The astounding amount of views and subscribers lead them to be contacted by many different cosmetic companies for reviews, casting for modeling jobs, their own website, cell phone case line through Celaris, spreads in Seventeen, hosting their own YouTube reality show sitcom, a novel, and now their own cosmetic line.

… this doesn’t stop with YouTube! These beauty gurus’ follow up with connecting with their viewers through all different platforms including: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Blogspot. Talk about the power of social media!

Cosmetic companies all jumped at the opportunity at working with these girls by providing them with sponsorships to mention them in their “Monthly Favorites” videos or free products to use in an upcoming make up tutorial. 

Most companies rely on word of mouth, and these girls were a direct connection to millions of their target audience. An issue of whether or not the beauty guru was being deceiving in their reviews came into play, which caused the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Law. Under the FTC Law, all YouTuber’s must state in their Drop Down Info Bar whether or not they are being paid, sponsored, are affiliated, or if they received free products by the company.

What I think is remarkable is how most of these “gurus” have little to no experience. They are not even official make up artists or have gone through any schooling for beauty/fashion, yet so many people turn to hear about their review of new products by MAC Cosmetics, L’Oreal, etc.

Though I’m not going to lie, I’m so jealous of the lifestyle of these girls and being a “Beauty Guru” would be my absolute DREAM… the reality is, however, that their time is limited and I want to incorporate my love for beauty in my career for the rest of my life (not just my teenage years.) I do have my own beauty blog, if any of you are interested on reading it.

There are many other social media sites that have a large focus on fashion/beauty such as” Polyvore, Pinterest, Lockerz, Lookbook, Pose, etc.

Many of you probably aren’t as interested as I am in the social media fashion world, but I think it’s something all businesses can grow from. YouTube can be used for more than just looking up that funny SuperBowl commercial… It is an awesome place for businesses to reach their target audience. Whether it is a review, tutorial, demo, or informational video, YouTube provides a great opportunity to market and increase sales!

Talking Finger is on the YouTube Bandwagon, are you?

 -Cheri, The Intern