Shazam It! Consumers Get a Deeper Content and Sharing Experience with Music, Ads and TV Shows

Have you ever heard a song you like, but you just can’t remember the name of the band? Or maybe it’s a new song that you immediately fall in love with and you just have to know who sings it immediately. Shazam! Now you can.

In my opinion, Shazam is one of the coolest – and most underrated – apps available. If you have never used or heard of Shazam, it is an app for your iPhone, iPod or other mobile device that can identify almost any song in just seconds. It’s perfect for those “senior moments” or new songs that grab your attention. A couple of years ago, they quietly introduced Shazam for TV advertising as well –a brilliant use of the app as a second screen for content and calls to action. According to Adweek, Shazam powered up to a third of the ads during the 2012 Superbowl.

This week, Shazam released its fifth iteration, Shazam 5.0, which is faster than the older version and includes a richer user experience, including an updated interface and sharing capabilities with Twitter and Facebook. Check out their video via Mashable. It looks and sounds like the company is beefing up the app in order to beef up its advertiser roster and increase revenues in return.

You don’t really hear people talking about Shazam like they do about Pinterest. Do you think their new and improved app with sharing buttons will raise the buzz level? Have you or would you ever Shazam a commercial on TV?  

When Discounts Go Social on Twitter

One of the latest innovations in the world of social media is the new partnership between Twitter and American Express. Now, you can hook up your AMEX card to your Twitter account and start getting deals just by tweeting with hashtags created by American Express, or by other brands that you are following. The most unique part? The offer is loaded directly onto your credit card, no discount code necessary.

Let's say that you tweet #AMEXcoffee and get a Starbucks discount coupon. Then, you go to Starbucks and purchase a coffee. The offer will be applied as statement credits on your card. No need for discount codes, printouts, or anything else. It's that simple.

Check out this detailed video explaining the process in full. Is this something you would want your business to participate in? Or is this an invasion of privacy to be avoided?

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents New Facebook Timeline for Pages: The Aftermath

Margie Schneider first introduced us to Facebook's new Timeline for business pages last month, but now the change is mandatory. Were you prepared for the sudden design change, and does your page reflect the new layout? If your Facebook business presence is not as prominent and everything seems out of place, then this Wednesday's webinar is perfect for you!




Click here to register (4/4/12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/timeline2register

Margie Schneider has been involved with the interactive medium since 1994. She has participated in everything the Internet has to offer: developing, designing and delivering web sites; online advertising and promotion; search engine marketing: SEO and PPC and community and electronic communication. Her specialties include: social media, search engine optimization SEO, PPC management, online reputation management, project management, personnel management, strategizing web development and design solutions; as well as experience marketing across all media types.

Click here to register (4/4/12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/timeline2register

Pinterest + Copyright = Pinfringement?

There’s been so much hype about Pinterest lately that some of the low grumblings about the possibility of copyright infringement have not been heard. MarketingProfs posted a good article recently about why companies shouldn’t sue for copyright infringement – it’s free publicity, right?

In the same article, they point out that Pinterest’s Terms of Service places any copyright blame squarely on the shoulders of the pinners, cleverly calling it a possible "pinfringement." The work in question has to be registered with the US Copyright Office in order for a lawsuit to be brought against someone, but how do you know if something is copyrighted or not? It’s a thin line.

As a marketer, CEO or business owner, it’s great if you can accept people posting and re-posting your works, copyrighted or not, as an opportunity to reach more fans. The MarketingProfsarticle even suggests watermarking your works before posting them to ensure you get proper credit. But what if you’re that person or business who gets singled out for violating a copyright on Pinterest?

Is the possibility of copyright infringement going to stop you from using Pinterest, either as an individual or as a company? Sound off in the comments below.

What Does Google Play Mean?

Have you noticed the latest addition to your Google navigation bar?

Yes, you are reading it correctly, “Play”. I wasn’t too sure about the name when I first heard it too…

Google Play is described to be the one consolidated location for music, books, movies, apps, and games – all accessible from the Web as well as any Android device.

This digital destination also allows you to:

• Store up to 20,000 songs for free and buy millions of new tracks
• Download more than 450,000 Android apps and games
• Browse the world’s largest selection of eBooks
• Rent thousands of your favorite movies, including new releases and HD titles

Does this new Android market designation change your strategy at all when developing new eBooks, Android apps, etc.? For business solutions, I’m finding it difficult to say, “Check out our enterprise solution at Play”. It just doesn’t necessarily fit to say “play” with “business”.

What do you think is the purpose for this rebranding? Maybe it is just part of Google’s fight for the commoditization of Android.

Click “play” on this video to be introduced to Google Play.

Email is Still More Popular Than Social Media

According to this article on Mashable, although social media usage around the world has grown by leaps and bounds, the majority of internet users still mostly use the internet for email:

Private research firm Ipsos polled 19,216 adults in 24 countries last month and found 85% of them used the Internet for email while 62% used it for social networking.

In the US, there is a higher focus on social media: 61% of internet users focus on that more than email. Still, that leaves 39% of people in the US who use the internet more for email. It's definitely something to think about when preparing for your next marketing campaign. If your audience is global in nature, you may want to consider focusing more on email, whereas if your audience is mostly in the US, you may want to include a larger social media component.

How do you primarily communicate on the internet: email or social media sites?

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents: Making Data Make Money

David Shteif was ready to present his Making Data Make Money webinar with us back in January, but a scheduling conflict shifted this presentation to this Wednesday. The CEO of Revenue Entertainment explains how the information sitting in your computer servers can generate thousands, and even millions of dollars. Data monetization is brought to light in this exclusive IMC webinar, broadcasting live tomorrow at 12:30 PM EST.

Click here to register (3/28 at 12:30pm)
http://bit.ly/makedataregister

A natural-born visionary, David immediately realized the potential of digital marketing and in 1999 entered the online space as a co-founder of Direct Media Buyers. Focusing on media buying and Email List Building, client's included Home Depot, Old Navy, Pfizer, Warner Brothers, Disney,
and Travelocity.

With his extensive knowledge and experience, this webinar should teach you valuable lessons in monetizing your website's data.


Click here to register (3/28 at 12:30pm)
http://bit.ly/makedataregister