Make It Snappy

SnapChat, has reached the point in an app's life cycle where it is too popular for you not to know about. 

Just incase you missed the memo; SnapChat is the best of both worlds- Instagram and texting. Snap a picture, then chat it.. Get it? You can also draw things on your picture, write a funny caption, even set a timer for how long you want the recipient to receive your snap for. Once the time runs out, then the photo disappears... forever. (Unless the receiver takes a screenshot, that is). 

The fact that this app is number-three in the free downloads section of the Apple app store goes to show that I need to drop out of school and pursue an app-invention career. Seriously. Think about the last couple big app trends; SnapChat? DrawSomething? FatBooth? Society is pretty much begging for me to dig deep for the dumbest thing I can think of and make an app for it- and I’m up for the challenge. 

Any suggestions?

An Emoji's Worth 1,000 Words

Good news emoji lovers! Apple is stepping their game up and making all Apple product owners proud to be Apple product owners.

I can honestly say the best thing about waking up to the new Apple iOS 6 update was the 200+ new emojis on my iPhone's keyboard (#PRIORITIES). I can’t be the only one that prefers typing out modern-hieroglyphic style messages versus plain, old, boring text… Am I right or am I right?

I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to incorporate every single one of these beauties into my everyday conversations. Watch out contact list.

Which one is your favorite? Mine is 100% the pizza one.

JT Is Bringing Sexy.. I mean MySpace.. Back

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE: Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back to MySpace. The former N*Sync heartthrob tweeted;

From what it looks like, MySpace has reinvented itself and is now all about music; featuring radio and playlist sharing options. The demo also highlights that users can now use MySpace to connect all of their social networks.. Including rivals Facebook and Twitter. From what it looks like, you can bring over your photos and videos, find your FB/Twitter friends- even update your Facebook and Twitter statuses right from the new MySpace.

I have to admit, MySpace is looking dayuuum good, featuring an entirely new slick futuristic Pinterest-like design.

What do you guys think? Does this outdated social network stand a chance against Facebook/Twitter/Instagram? Only time will tell whether or not MySpace’s attempt to come back from the dead is even possible, but signs of life are definitely present.

Reliable Web Hosting Thanks to Fatcow

Since learning about web hosting in my E-Marketing class, I took it upon myself to check out some web hosting sites that I may be interested in using. The one that caught my eye happened to be a site called Fatcow. Fatcow is a web hosting site most suitable for small businesses offering the best customer satisfaction and support, real value to your business, easy pricing, simple user-friendly options and personalized service to small businesses. 

The simplest option Fatcow offers is its 'MiniMoo' package, which helps users start off their site on the internet by providing them with their own domain name and email address priced at just $5 per year! The 'Original Fatcow Plan' includes disk space, bandwidth, easy to use site creation tools, easy to install blog and forums, free Google and Yahoo! advertising and selling options such as credit card and PayPal integration. This plan would be best suitable for small businesses as they strive to make a profit via the Internet. This package is priced at only $3.15 per month, how cheap!

So be sure to check out this awesomely-named site in your quest to create your own up and running website! 

Instagram on the Internet

It's official. Instagram is no longer a strictly mobile app! Instagram has created mini-profiles for all of its users so that people can look through other's photos while on the web rather than their smart phone. This small fact has undoubtedly created a buzz, as many people enjoyed the mobile app and fear its online version will steer it towards that of Facebook. I have heard an array of complaints, especially when it comes to advertisements. While using Instagram, not one person has had to worry about viewing those annoying ads that pop up along their screen. But will Instagrams debut on the world wide Internet succumb itself to annoying ads?! Who knows but people are talking!

But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Instagram is nowhere near the capabilities of Facebook, as Instagram is not yet a full-blown site. Many of you probably aren't aware that you can view your own page by typing in www.instagram.com/(your username). The reality is that Instagram is not a site that you can visit to 'stalk' your friends, typing in their names and becoming friends. It has simply made a page for its users, showcasing your photos and information on a small scale webpage, such as the photo shown above^. But what does this mean for Instagram? It could mean that companies may jump on the mobile app bandwagon, creating their own page and passing it along to their consumers and fans! But who knows, Instagram may still have a long way to go before marketers are interested in showcasing themselves and their companies. Until then, let's enjoy Instagram for the simplicity it is known for; simple photo sharing!

Be creative. Be engaging. Go viral.

"Be creative. Be engaging. Go viral.," is the slogan for the up and coming marketing company called Thinkmodo. Thinkmodo mashes up viral fun with marketing function to create effective viral video campaigns for brands. Their unique strategy generates tremendous online engagement and valuable earned media coverage worldwide. They are based in New York City and founded by writer-filmmakers and digital geeks James Percelay and Michael Krivicka. 

I first got a glimpse of this viral marketing company while watching the Today Show one morning. I had never heard of this company until they started playing snippets of their viral videos that I have seen in my Professor Taylor’s marketing class. Immediately I was intrigued because of my interest in e-marketing. I thought how perfect it was for filmmakers to embark in the marketing industry since anything going viral these days automatically generates buzz. Their videos for products like The Popinator or a watch by TechnoMarine automatically increased sales and traffic to websites just because of these viral videos. 

While searching through Thinkmodo’s website of all their viral videos, one that grabbed my attention was for the Technomarine watch. Thinkmodo actually created an underwater night club that one must see to believe. The link below directs you to the Vimeo website that has the video of an unbelievable transformation of a pool that becomes a fully stocked nightclub. Go ahead and click!

Making of Underwater Nightclub  

Do you think a viral video should be produced for all companies to gain tremendous online engagement? Or do you think this is just fad. Personally, I love these videos and who doesn’t want to get the people talking about your product! To me, Thinkmodo is brilliant for producing these videos and would not be surprised if more companies like Thinkmodo start popping up.