Media Manipulation in the So-Called Age of Transparency

Media manipulator

Igniting a frenzy in the media is not difficult to do, not with reality TV stars and political scandals staining the front pages of papers and coloring the homepages of websites. More importantly, it’s what you want to do.

But, inciting fear in the hearts of the very media outlets responsible for the frenzy– now, that takes some prowess.

Ryan Holiday, Director of Marketing for American Apparel and the publicist behind the controversial author Tucker Max, has published a book that will do just that. 

Trust Me. I’m Lying. | The Media Manipulator Speaks

With endorsements ranging from the positive to the fearful, Trust Me, I’m Lying details Holiday’s life as a media manipulator. From billboard campaigns to roundabout press releases, Holiday spares no detail in how he takes invisible or little-known brands and applies the pressures that make them go viral.

From Holiday’s blog:

“The strategies Ryan created to exploit blogs drove sales of millions of my books and made me an internationally known name. The reason I am standing here while other celebrities were destroyed or became parodies of themselves is because of his insider knowledge.” —Tucker Max, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

A Media Strategy in Your Corner

In these uncertain times, it’s pivotal to have the right people in your corner. iQuarius Media brings several years of industry experience and knowledge to the table, and unprecedented tools to make your brand sterling.

The media space is constantly changing, and in response, we are constantly evolving to meet your needs.

We specialize in website design, social media management, reputation management, and so much more! Look through our Services page and then bring your questions to our offices!

Google+ Hands Beats Down Facebook In Customer Satisfaction Scores

LikeThe American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) measures customer satisfaction across different industries and releases results monthly to bring stakeholders in-depth coverage of various sectors of the economy.

In previous years, the ACSI has measured the customer satisfaction rates of Facebook and YouTube, but this year, it has added Facebook competitors for the first time, including Twitter, Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google+ (G+ or Google Plus).

So who came out on top for customer satisfaction? Did you say Google+? Because it most certainly was. With a score of 78 out of 100, it came up 17 points stronger than Facebook’s score of 61 (down 7.6% since last year). LinkedIn and Twitter were only a few points above Facebook with scores of 63 and 64, respectively.

The Big Winners For Google+

ACSI points out that some components of Google+ keep users incredibly faithful:

  • Protection of user privacy
  • Clean interface without ads in prime space
  • Superior mobile presence

There are still not nearly as many users on Google+ as there are on Facebook or Twitter, but those that are there seem to be happy there – a lot happier than the other social networks.

But Why Is Facebook Down There?

ACSI offers that privacy issues and a user interface overladen with ads is partly to blame for Facebook’s low score. It points out that the drop in Facebook’s score coincides with the introduction of the Timeline redesign:

Facebook’s drop coincides with the release of its Timeline profile, a significant change to the look and organization of its pages. Users complain that they cannot opt out of the new profile design. The big drop in user satisfaction—coming on the heels of Facebook’s somewhat disorderly IPO—doesn’t bode well for reversing the company’s sliding stock price.

Interesting. We’ve talking for the past year about the user experience, customer engagement, and the need for mobile strategy. Connect with us — we’ve got plenty more to say and want to hear your opinions as well. iQuarius on Google+  and Facebook.

Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Backplane Builds on Social Networking

Social network Titans of media are getting savvy with their celebrity. Nowadays, there’s a social network for everything from books to spelling errors. And now, there’s even one where music fans can follow their favorite celebrity exclusively.

Backplane, the celebrity-based social network, premiered with Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” last weekend. Gaga, known as a fashion icon and music sensation, totes 26, 860,068 followers on Twitter and now holds 20 percent stake in Backplane.

How is this Social Network Different?

Unlike other sites that aggregate fans with similar music interests, littlemonsters.com is a social media platform exclusively for Lady Gaga fans. Users can share Gaga’s music internally on the site as well as their “passion and creativity in a community full of art, acceptance, monsters and Gaga,” as the site proclaims.

This type of brand awareness is not limited to music, but it is instead a celebrity social network and a hub for their fans. Do celebrities need more attention? No. But, the loyal fans of celebrities can now enjoy this fusion of photo-editing tool Canvass, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google Calendars.

Age of the Niche Market

Before, big name brands and businesses were the focal points for consumers, but this is the year of the niche market, and Backplane is its home.

As the future of the Web continues to evolve and forge new paths, iQuarius Media will be there to answer all of your questions.  From Internet marketing to website design, we’ve got you covered.

 

Internet Ads: The Numbers Are In

Internet adsThe Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports that ad revenues last year were up 22% from the year before, hitting $31 billion. Here’s the biggest news:

  • Mobile ads grew the most of all categories, up 149%, or $1.6 billion
  • Search was the largest category with a 47% share (up 27% to $11.7 billion)

Digital video rose 29% to $1.8 billion and display advertising made up the rest with 35% of all revenues.

“This historic moment, with an especially impressive achievement in mobile, is indicative of an increased awareness from advertisers that they need to reach consumers where they are spending their time—in digital media,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of IAB, in a press release.

Ad Revenues versus Ad Spending

Internet ad spending is huge – the next biggest after traditional television advertising. $31.7 billion of ad spending in 2011 was on Internet ads. Retailers spent the most (22%), followed by telecom (12%), and leisure and travel (8%).

Unsurprisingly, Internet ads’ revenue growth has outpaced all other media outlets’ over the past seven years. Retail has seen the most growth in Internet ad revenues, followed by financial services, telecom, auto, then computing products tied with leisure travel.

As for the minutiae of what makes a great Internet ad, that our business. Let’s talk about whether and what kind of Internet ads are best suited to your business. iQM.

The PDF of the full report is here.

Google Now Makes Web Browsing More Visual

Google Now

Google Now

With Google’s newest mobile application for Android, there is no excuse to be late. Google Now will geo-locate you and give you a virtual nudge in the right direction when it’s time to get moving.

In other words, if you have a meeting on your Google Calendar, Google Now will identify how long it will take to get to that location and when would be the best time to leave.

What does this mean for the way users interact with Google? With Google Now, Internet searches return tabs and photos instead of the traditional blue hyperlinks changing the way Internet traffic is funneled to sites.

What Does Google Now Mean for Internet Search?

Mark Wilson of Fast Company explains, “They’re pulling us from an era of blue hyperlinks and typos to one fueled by the places we go and things we see, showing us the places we’re going and things we’ll see.”

As a result, photo content on websites is now becoming increasingly important. With the emphasis on visuals and less on content, the way people search for topics will change along with the results they see.

Hugo Barra, Director of Product Management for Android, explains: “You used to have to enter a search query or type in a street address, but that changes with Google Now.”

Similar to the way Google currently functions, Google Now will enjoy aggregating data in the same way in an effort to optimize search results. With Google’s new widget-like search feature, searches are fueled by tons and tons of user data; the more it collects, as you might imagine, the more accurate its predictions and suggestions will be.

Check out the video below for more information on Google Now.

Your business should be at the top of every Google search. Let the team at iQuarius Media optimize your site for SEO, Internet marketing, and more.

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