5 reasons an Amazon Echo Dot is a “must” for any PR person’s office
A few weeks ago, I bought an Amazon Echo Dot.
Complete impulse buy.
If I remember correctly, we were at Best Buy to purchase something for my son. But, I walked out with an Echo Dot.
A few weeks later, I hadn’t touched it. Until earlier this week, when I added it to my office environment.
Really, I just wanted to experiment with it professionally. That was my whole MO for buying the darn thing. But, as I started playing around with it this week, I’m starting to think: Every PR/social person should have one of these things in their office.
Why? Mostly for the multi-tasking capabilities (and really, the novelty). And, as PR people, we love our multi-tasking.
But also, for the improved productivity. As a one-man-band, I thrive on productivity (don’t tell my wife that–doesn’t translate to personal life :). Not to mention, they’re pretty cheap–just $50 for the Dot.
So, the Echo Dot intrigued me.
And, so far, it hasn’t disappointed. I’m just one week in, mind you, but Echo has helped improve my office environment and productivity in the following ways:
Instead of reading the news–I now HEAR the news
I still read the newspaper every morning (one of the few left, apparently), but when I have a few minutes of downtime, I’ve found it useful to “hear” the national news via Echo. Multiple ways to do this–the most easy: Simply saying “Alexa, what’s in the news?”
Voice-activated music catalog
Obviously, this is one the functions most people use Echo for. And, as a power Spotify user, I’ve found it very useful. Not much different than using my Jambox, but I like that I can get my news, do research and get my music in one spot with Echo. I also like that the example on my Alexa app is “Alexa, play Taylor Swift.”
Check your calendar with a simple command
Again, all I have to do is click and I can see my calendar, but it’s all about multi-tasking, right? For example, let’s say I’m on a call, and I can’t remember my schedule for the afternoon. A simple, “Alexa, what’s my calendar?” will tell me what’s coming up, at what time and who I’m meeting with. All I had to do is sync up Echo with my Outlook calendar. Pretty slick.
Conduct basic research
Now, to be clear, this isn’t going to replace more hard core research. But, for easy research requests, this is a nice option. For example–you get a question from a client on a call about how many users are on Facebook these days? Simply mute your phone and ask: “Alexa, how many Facebook users are there?” Boom–answer in seconds. You look brilliant. Amazon magic in motion.
Quiet your mind with a babbling brook or thunderstorm
I do a decent amount of work during the day to music. But, one thing I can’t do with music in the background is writing. And since writing is such a big part of my day, that’s an issue for me. Enter babbling brook and thunderstorm sounds via Echo. A simple “Alexa, open thunderstorm sounds” and I’m instantly transported. And, if you haven’t tried this yet, believe me, it’s worth it (warning: You may fall into a deep, deep sleep, but after you wake up you’ll be so refreshed! :).
Those are just a few of the “skills” I’ve found useful in my first week. Do you have an Echo (or Google Home or similar tool)? Have you used it for business? What skills and tips would you share?
- Published in Technology, Trends
Why some brands are hesitant to use Periscope and Meerkat
I realize everyone is writing about Periscope and Meerkat right now.
To the tune of 3.65 million responses when I Google “Periscope app.”
I realize I’m not contributing to the content marketing vortex.
Yet, when I read most of these posts, I don’t see too many people talking about the realistic implications for brands.
Sure, I see the upsides. I’m excited. I get all the opportunities.
Livestreaming events.
Livestreaming trade shows.
Livestreaming product launches.
Livestreaming puppies (see: Barbox).
But, with everyone urging brands to jump in, I see very few people (as usual) talking about the nuts-and-bolts of what this means on a corporate level.
For example, as with any new tool, on the corporate side there can be a resistance to try something out right away (contrary to what people think about the “shiny object syndrome”). Convincing companies to experiment with a new tool can be tough (not everyone is Mtn Dew or Red Bull). So, you have the adoption issue right off the bat.
But, I see a handful of other issues I’m sure midsized and larger companies will struggle with when it comes to Periscope and Meerkat, too.
No archiving capabilities.
Meerkat and Periscope use “ephemeral” video (I can never say that word). It’s here one minute. Gone the next. Cool for kids and people who love tools like Snapchat. Not so great for brands who like to actually see something they’ve worked hard to create for more than 30 seconds. Brands want to show off. Brands want content they can stick in an archive and refer back to at some point. Brands want content they can stick on the web and make searchable, so people visit their site and buy stuff from them. The archiving aspect of this is a big turn-off for brands, I think. Note: Periscope does offer brands the chance to save a video for 24 hours.
Here one minute. Gone the next.
So, you take the video, You stream the video on Twitter. You interact with fans. Then, it’s gone? Isn’t that the conversation marketers are having with management right now? The “ephemeral” video component of this should not be under-played–that’s a big issue. Sure, for people who use tools like Snapchat, this is second hand now. But remember, not all brands are using Snapchat. And, most brands have egos–very large egos. So, if they put a lot of time and effort into creating video content, they want that video content to then live on their YouTube channel where people can like, comment and share it. They want to use it in e-newsletters. They want to point to it from advertising. The “ephemeral” aspect of video can actually be a huge turn-off for brands.
Some brands still over-think video.
For many brands, video is still a big production affair. Videographres. Assistants. Full-day shoots. That’s video for a big company (not all, but I’d say many). It’s also costly since they typically don’t have the resources to do video in-house. So, along comes Meerkat/Periscope. You can now livestream video on your iPhone. Cool! But here’s the thing: Most brands may think that’s “cool”, but it’s not remotely “doable.” They’re simply not comfortable with it yet. Again, I’m not talking about ALL brands here (I just saw Target do some interesting things with Periscope for a product launch this week). But, I do think this is a big issue for a LOT of brands. This involves legal. This involves management. This involves governance. Once brands can dot all those is and cross all those ts, we may be in business. But, that’s going to take a while.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m just as excited about the possibilities for brands around livestreaming video as you are. But, I also want to be realistic. And, as someone who’s worked for big companies before, and as someone who consults with big brands now, I can tell you–there are hurdles. And, they are very real.
So, maybe we just need to be a bit more realistic about how this all unfolds. Brands and marketers are excited about livestreaming video, sure. But implementing it might be a bigger challenge than most people think.
photo credit: Twitter’s Periscope App TODAY Show NBC via photopin (license)
- Published in Technology, Tools
Will Meerkat be the next Twitter–or the next Ello–for marketers?
The last week, my Meerkat notifications have been BLOWING UP!
Of course, that’s on me. I could turn those off anytime I want. But, I chose to turn them on initially to see how mad the rush was to the new platform.
And boy, has it been a mad rush.
In case you haven’t heard, Meerkat is the new social video app that uses Twitter as its engine to share live video streams across the web. And, it’s much like Snapchat–once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
Like many of the previous new social media apps and platforms, tons of folks (especially in our world–PR and marketing) have rushed to try out the new tool.
As a result, we’ve seen everything from local tech nerd and new space150 VP of everything, Greg Swan, Meerkat a car wash (see above) to folks like Gary Vaynerchuk setting up advance Meerkats of his #AskGaryVee show.
So, we’re obviously very much in the experimental phase.
But, the question on everyone’s mind is really pretty simple: Will Meerkat blow up and becom the next Twitter? Or, will it flame out as fast it as it came on the scene and become the next Ello?
Since the topic is bound to come up with colleague and clients in the next week or so, I thought I’d share my thoughts here:
Perfect time to launch an app
It’s that time of year. Yep–it’s that time when agency folks and digital geeks from across the country gather in northern Texas for one week to talk all things digital and interactive. What better time to launch a soon-to-be-killer-social-media-app? Twitter capitalized on that timing years ago. Foursquare–same thing. Meerkat knew what it was doing. Now they have thousands of geeks captive in Austin later this week who will be sharing their every move on video (spoiler alert: This could get ugly. I mean REAL ugly. And I plan on tuning in!). At the very least, Meerkat should earn a nice chunk of additional media hits, and completely flood Twitter streams across the world.
It’s capitalizing on an already hot trend
From a marketing standpoint, nothing seems hotter than video content right now. Facebook is pushing it hard–so hard that video content is completely crushing text, link and photo updates on the platform. YouTube continues to be an “A platform” with marketers and advertisers. And, surprisingly (to me, at least), brands continues to flock to Vine to partner with “influencers” to co-create content. So, along comes Meerkat. Social video–powered by Twitter. That makes sense right now, right? Feels much more Twitter than Ello to me.
It’s not solving a problem–but I’m not sure it has to
I thought this was Ello’s big problem from the get-go. It didn’t solve a problem for users. Sure, it CLAIMED to solve a problem (no more brand advertising!). But really, it didn’t (Turns out, no one cares about that). Now, Meerkat doesn’t solve a problem either. No one was clamoring to share real-time video streams on Twitter. But, truth be told: it’s just fun. That’s what you’re seeing right now. People having fun. And that’s a big part of social media. I wouldn’t discount that at all. So, does Meerkat have a viable value prop? Not really. But, people are having fun right now. And, if they can sustain that somehow and figure out a way to refine the experience a little, again, I’m feeling much more Twitter than Ello.
More brand potential than previous apps
From a marketing perspective, the big issue with some of the other social apps/tools unveiled recently has been they’re simply not useful. What’s the immediate use for Ello? What about Path? Brands never hopped on that one. But Meerkat is stupidly easy to use. And, it could end up being a fantastic storytelling tool for brands. Boom–instant usefulness for marketers. Think about the potential, just from a storytelling perspective. I know it’s ephemeral, but so is Snapchat and brands are already all over that. To me, it could be a GREAT publishing tool–for media outlets and brands. Again, much more Twitter than Ello here.
KIFS
One question we’ve heard a lot in regards to Meerkat so far: How is this any different from Ustream and other livestreaming tools of the past? To me, one big thing comes to mind: It’s effing simple. I mean, REALLY effing simple (you can probably figure out what “KIFS” stands for). Anyone who has tried it knows what I’m talking about. Oh, and it actually works. I remember the early days of Ustream when the video stream would routinely go down. Now, that was years ago–tech was different. So, that’s not entirely fair. But man, Meerkat is awfully easy to use. Much easier and more intuitive than Twitter was back in the 2007. And a helluva a lot easier and more intuitive than Ello was (I still can’t figure that one out). Again, more Twitter than Ello.
So, as you can see, I guess I’m leaning HEAVILY toward Meerkat being the next Twitter–not the next Ello.
The reality is it’ll most likely fall somewhere in the middle. How far it leans toward Twitter or Ello will be the question. And, that will determine if marketers jump in and start using it was a storytelling tool.
What are your initial thoughts of Meerkat? Think it’s got a chance to be the next Twitter?
- Published in Social Media Tools, Technology, Tools
What will PR technology look like in 2025?
A few weeks ago, the MN PRSA folks asked me to present at the local APR study session on “technology.” It’s always a fun thing for me to do since once upon a time I was APR certified (different story for a different day).
I love going back and 1) Giving back to the an organization that gave me so much over the years, and 2) Seeing who is going through the APR process.
I’m not sure I’m the right person to talk about “technology”, but I guess given my business and its connection points with digital marketing, I may know enough to be dangerous.
In my presentation, I tried to set things up by taking a look back at where we’ve come from when it comes to tech in PR.
Just look at what PR tech looked like in 1985:
Everyone remembers where they were when they got their first word processor, right?
In 1995, technology looked like this in the PR world:
The Mac Classic is one of the computers I grew up with. This model was actually on the scene earlier than 1995, but it gives you a good sense for what tech was like 20 years ago.
Now, what about 2005?
This is what YouTube looked like just 10 years ago. THIS! Can you imagine?
Or, think about what cell technology looked like 10 years ago…
What does PR tech look like today? We now have access to technology like smart watches:
And, virtual reality, which was laughable 10 years ago:
Pretty crazy to see how far we’ve come in the last 30 years, huh? From word processors to virtual reality that is so damn real it actually makes you sick.
Where will tech be in another 10 years? That’s the question you hear most often. And, it’s the one everyone wants an answer to.
While I’m no technologist, I think it’s fun to take a peek at the future from time to time. After all, who could predict that Facebook would become an essential took for PR pros in 2005? Or, that you would be able to produce entire brand videos right from your smart phone?
Safe to say, technology can amaze us, and exceed our wildest expectations fairly easily.
So, predicting what will happen in another 10 years in 2025 is next to impossible.
But, I’ll take a shot 🙂
Wearables will completely transform the way we tell stories
From the get-go I was a pretty big Google Glass doubter. It just seemed too early. The hardware was too geeky (and offensive in some cases; you remember “glassholes”, right?). And the software needed fine-tuning (if you ever tried one on, you know what I’m talking about). But, the second, third and fourth generations of such wearables will improve. And, when they do, they’re going to start to completely change the way we tell stories. You saw a glimpse of it with Victor Oladipo at the NBA Draft last year. My feeling is we’ll see much more of that by 2025 as wearable tech gets better, and people start to open up a bit more to the possibilities.
Facebook won’t exist, but social media will still be key to PR success
It feels like we’re almost at a tipping point with Facebook. I know the stock price is crushing. I know user numbers continue to grow. I know it continues to be the dominant platform in social media marketing. I know all that. But, I just can’t shake this feeling that Facebook will take a big plunge in the next five years. And, when it does, it’s going to take a BIG plunge–like a MySpace-like plunge. It’ll fall completely off the radar. Remember, for as fast as tech can enter our lives, it can leave our lives even faster. Case in point: Blackberry (remember when Blackberry was THE mobile phone a while back? Look at them now). But, when Facebook falls off, social media won’t go with it. Social media and its landscape will merely shift. Another platform will step in. Another tool will shape our experiences. I have no earthly idea what that platform or tool will be, but I guess the idea here is to keep paying attention. Because when the landscape shifts, it is going to SHIFT. Big time.
Virtual reality will become a key PR tool (but only in spots)
Look, I’m no virtual reality bobo. And, I’m not an expert either. I’ve really only tried it a couple times (including Oculus Rift at a MIMA event last year, which was downright incredible). But, I do know two things: 1) Right now, motion sickness is the biggest issue to mass adoption, and 2) It’s still pretty expensive for a headset (save the Google Cardboard option) and fairly futuristic in the minds of *most* people. So, VR has to fix #1 ASAP. And, they will. And, they need to win folks over in #2 (and they will), and bring the prices down (which they also will). Given all those issues are addressed, VR will become a key tool for PR folks in 2025. Heck, it’s already happening in very niche spots (check out what the folks at space150 and Victory Motorcycles did with VR at a recent trade show–pretty effing cool, and the only way I’d EVER ride a motorcycle!). VR is coming folks. So, start thinking of how you can use it NOW.
Video technology will render conference calls useless
The funny thing is we’re already there with the technology. You may have heard of it–Google Hangouts. But, many organizations (big and small) need easy video conferencing that can exist behind a super firewall where employees can discuss proprietary information. That’s the key. And, I think it will eventually happen. It HAS to happen, right? I mean, for those who have been on an audio con call (OK, that’s everyone, right?), you know how frustrating a audio con call with 5 or more people can be. People talking over one another. Awkward silence. The inability to read body language. And, we HAVE the technology NOW. We’re just not far enough along yet. But, it’s coming. And when it does, it’ll put an end to my taking conference calls in my sweat pants and Homer Simpson slippers 🙂
The fall of content marketing tech
Content is king. Right now. But, what about five years from now? Will companies still be investing millions in content marketing? Or, will we be knee deep in what Mark Schaefer refers to as the “content shock?” I tend to fall closer to the latter. And, when that happens, all these content marketing tech companies are going to dry up pretty quickly. I get it–content marketing operations like Scripted have their place. You need fast, cheap content. You hire it out at a lower price. Makes sense. But, it only makes sense in the current content marketing arms race culture. When that goes away (and, I tend to believe it will), the companies that support it go away, too. And, we largely go back to employees within organizations developing good, quality content. The way it really should be.
- Published in Technology, Trends
Why don’t we teach our kids how to use the internet to create, invent and do good?
I read a post by Jay Baer recently about teaching social media to kids in high school. The post alluded to teaching cyber security to kids as a way to protect themselves and their personal reputations and data.
But, I couldn’t help but think. Sure, we want to teach our kids about the RISKS of the internet. I’m with you–I want the same for my kids (and I’m starting to talk to them about this kind of thing now, and they’re in grade school).
But, what about all the wonderful potential the internet and social media holds? Don’t we want to teach our kids about that, too?
Isn’t that even MORE important than teaching them about the risks?
Couldn’t any class cover BOTH?
I say yes–and would LOVE to see such a class taught to our kids. And, I’d take it a step further–I think it needs to be taught at all levels. It’s that important in today’s society.
And yeah, any class would involve lessons around online privacy and cyber security, as Baer points out.
And, I would also add in an element of how others are using social media for cyber-bullying and how to manage that. You don’t think THAT would get support from Mom-and Dad-paying taxpayers across the country?
Like I said, I think the other half of this coin is teaching kids how to use the internet for good.
I mean, these kids are learning how to use the web at a very early age now (for my kids, that was about age 3). But, are they really LEARNING how to use the web? Or, are they merely adapting to it and figuring it out on the fly?
Now, adapting isn’t all bad, but there’s some legit weight to organizing a class and cirriculum taught by an actual teacher about how to actually use the internet to learn, invent and make the world a better place.
It actually boggles my mind why we’re NOT teaching this in some shape or form right now.
I know some schools have adopted iPads in the classroom. Good for them. Using technology in the classroom is a great thing.
But, that’s significantly different from teaching kids how to USE the internet. BIG difference.
For example, why couldn’t we teach out kids:
* How to effectively search for information on the web (and no, just typing something into Google does NOT qualify–anyone can do that)
* How to use social networks to find and connect with the right communities–folks who can help you learn about a particular topic, develop a new product, or make the world a better place to live (withe the context of being careful WHO you meet and talk with on the internet).
* Maybe most importantly, why aren’t we teaching our kids how to CREATE on the web? I mean, there’s a whole new legion of folks who are CREATORS on the net today. Those people are thriving–really thriving. And, to a large extent, they’re self-made. Why isn’t the education system embracing this as a form of artistic and personal expression? Isn’t that a big part of what education is supposed to do?
When I asked my son about what they teach him in the computer lab, he mentioned three things.
* They teach them how to illustrate poems (OK, illustrating poems, I’m on board; it’s creative expression at least; but this should be one of many forms of creative expression they discuss)
* They teach them how to change your desktop (OK, again, that’s useful but very how-to-run-a-computer 101; I would argue there are many more useful how-to-run-a-computer-type tips and lessons we could teach our kids before we start with “how to change your desktop”)
* They teach them how to type (I do like this; however, keep in mind, most of the kids I see typing these days STILL use the hunt-and-peck method; I still contend the class I took in typing as a high schooler was one of the best and most useful classes I EVER took!)
Now, at a fourth grade level, you probably don’t need to be getting into cyber security issues and online bullying (I think that comes in middle school). But, I do think you could cover a few of the areas I mentioned above.
Namely, how to search the internet for information. Maybe some discussion around what social media is and what it works (believe me, at fourth grade, they’re already hearing about it, and in some cases, using it).
What do you think? Shouldn’t we be teaching our kids the power of the internet instead of constantly trying to protect them from it?
- Published in Other, Technology, Trends