Yik-yak and Tinder; Newest Social Media Platforms?

I was scrolling down my Yik-yak feed a few days ago, and came across a post asking if Yik-yak was considered a form of social media or not. I knew that I saw Yik-yak as social media, and judging by the responses to the post, it seemed that most people agreed with me. For those that do not know, Yik-yak is similar to Twitter, but the posts are anonymous and location based. For example, when I open the app when I am on or near Temple's campus, all I will see are posts from people near me. Yik-yak has said that this is because they do not want people under 18 years of age to use the app, as most of the content is not monitored, except by the community. As you view your Yik-yak feed, you have the ability to up or down-vote every post; they start at zero and if they get to negative five, they are automatically deleted by the system. Posts with a very high number can make it into a 'Top Rated' category, viewable by anyone using the app, anywhere. The app is primarily aimed at college students, so the locations in which posts are grouped go by colleges, which you can search for and view, but not vote on. Here is the link to the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yik_Yak.

 

Tinder has made a big splash across the country in the last few months, from outrage to incredulity at an app seemingly aimed at enabling quick hook-ups. But, due to the app's popularity, it has increasingly been featured in television and movies, and already has advertisements within it. Tinder shows you a few pictures and a short bio of people around you; you can choose which gender to see, and you either swipe right to say you like the person, or swipe left if you do not. If someone you have 'liked' also swipes you right, you are matched together and able to chat.

While these two apps might not seem immediately conducive to us in the public relations world, I have already seen examples of how they can be. On Tinder, every so often you will get an advertisement instead of a person; if you swipe right on the ad it will give you more information about it. The last one I heard about was ads for an upcoming Jason Derulo concert, swiping right would bring you to a page where you could enter to win free tickets. Both of these apps are definitely aimed at college- age people, so any company or product that wants to reach those audiences should make use of these apps. Yik-yak has started introducing hiring people to be their brand ambassadors on college campuses; intended to promote usage of the app. Since anyone is able to post to the app as long as they are within a certain area, it should be easy to create and upload posts by any PR professional, looking to expand their company's social media presence.

Have any thoughts on Yik-yak or Tinder as social media? Let us know in the comments, we would love to hear from you!

This post was authored by Faiz Mandviwalla, a senior at Temple University and an Assistant Firm Director with PRowl Public Relations. You can follow him on Twitter here.

Twitter Made Me Do It

Social media plays a big role not just in the lives of PR professionals, but in the lives of just about everyone. I’m constantly checking Facebook, tweeting about something, or scrolling through Instagram all day long.  I know that I am not the only one guilty of doing so on a daily basis!  It’s safe to say that people love social media, but have you ever thought about how you apply social media to your life? You obviously use it to stay in the loop of the lives of your favorite celebrities, have a serious case of FOMO when you see what your friends are up to, and to creep on your ex boyfriend or girlfriend, but have you ever noticed how often you blame social media for something?

Think about it this way: now-a-days most conflicts begin with a subtweet or a status that offends somebody else, in turn, creating an argument. Also, social media has managed to become people’s outlet for when they need to vent, again causing conflict. How about the excuse, “It’s just Twitter/Instagram/Facebook, it doesn’t mean anything…”? This statement can stir up a huge fight in relationships or create a stir in a business. Little do most people realize, social media is extremely powerful and it isn’t always just those 200 followers that see your tweets or posts. Your words on social media are often times more puffed up than what you meant for them to be and can be taken the wrong way in a split second. This is a very important fact for PR professionals to understand.

 In the PR industry, you absolutely cannot blame social media for the words that you put out, because after you hit that send button there is no turning back. So instead of blaming social media for your mistakes, try to remember these three rules.

 Don’t use social media as a crutch. Otherwise don’t use the infamous “I didn’t mean to post that.” STOP USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN EXCUSE FOR YOUR ERRORS!

Understand the purpose of social media. Social media was created to spread news in a faster and more efficient way. Your thoughts and feelings may not be headliners, but one slip of the tongue can turn you into the latest news.

Know your role on social media. This is the most important rule to follow. Know your role is simply knowing your place on social media. Before you go posting something take a minute to think about it, the meaning behind it, how you feel about the comment, if it’s offensive, and if it reflects you in a positive way.

Next time before you run off and start playing the blame game, think about what your actually using social media for in order to avoid all conflict. After all, if you’re in the office you won’t go off running blaming your mistakes on the guy next to you, so why blame social media?

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Alissa Steele.

Instagram Direct: What Does It Mean for PR?

Whether you like it or not, social media is one of the fastest growing platforms for public relations students and professionals alike. With a community of over 150 million users from around the globe, Instagram is one of those social media platforms that has grown to monumental heights over the past three years. Instagram can be great for PR students and professionals because it allows them reach out to an audience creatively through picture and video sharing. However, avid Instagram users have most likely noticed the small change on the top-right side of their Instagram screen.

Recently, Instagram introduced a new feature: Instagram Direct. Instagram Direct allows you to send a picture or video to up to 15 Instagram users simultaneously. Within this direct message users can track who has seen the message, start a conversation, and like the photo or video. But what is the use of this feature for PR professionals?

Instagram Direct may not be great for getting your message out to a large audience, but it will show your followers that you care. If there is something that you feel as though may be more relevant to a smaller group of people, this feature allows you to send that image or video to a smaller number of avid or important followers, and allows for marketing strategies such as contests or prizes that become exclusive to certain followers. 

Another approach to Instagram Direct is to use the feature to pitch to journalists and bloggers. Though it may be difficult to pitch with the brevity of just a photo or a 15 second video, if done right, you can really be able to pitch a great product or story to these users.

Though Instagram has a very “user-first” mentality, PR students and professionals can use this to their advantage. By connecting to more personally to certain followers, and pitching to journalists and bloggers, Instagram Direct can open a brand new portal of opportunity.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Rute Barkai.

TV and Social Media

Social media is changing the face of television as we know it. Any time that you sit down to watch your favorite TV show, you are most likely going to have your phone or computer right by your side so that you can post about what is going on. Social media has become a staple in the TV watching process and everyone is contributing.

TV shows and networks are a major part of why social media is playing such a crucial role in the TV watching experience. Many shows and networks encourage their viewers to post on social media while watching their favorite shows. They develop hash tags and social media contests so that viewers can take an interactive role in their favorite shows.

This viewer to show interaction has both positive and negative effects on the TV watching experience. On one hand, it allows the viewer to be a more active participant with their favorite shows. People are able to connect via social media and share their thoughts and opinions about what is going on during the episodes they are watching. They are able to view the tweets and posts of their peers that are also watching, which establishes a more connected fan base for the programming.

On the other hand, these TV show blasts can also ruin the TV watching experience for some viewers. Often times I hear of people complaining about cliffhangers being spoiled because they logged on to Twitter or Facebook before they had a chance to watch the episode. This experience can be frustrating for viewers and could potentially cause a decrease in viewers for future episodes.

Have you had an experience with social media affecting your TV watching? Leave us a comment and let us know!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Lexi Drexler.

Fake It Till You Make It #ChipotleTweets

Most of the tweets posted Sunday were intended to tie into their 20-day long treasure hunt called "Adventurito," which features 20 days of puzzles. Sunday's fragmented tweets were clues of the ingredients they use to make their mouth-watering guacamole. Most of the clues from "Adventurito" have been popping up all over the place and this was the first time they tied them into their social media presence, which surely confused a lot of people.

This past Sunday, American food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill did something out of the ordinary in the social media world; they faked their own Twitter hack.

Chipotle took the expression "fake it till you make it" to a whole new level. According to Mashable,  its main account, @ChipotleTweets, posted a series of confusing and seemingly random tweets over the course of an hour. Now, the company has come forward and admitted that it faked having its account hacked as part of a publicity stunt tied to its 20th anniversary promotional campaign.

In the end, however, it worked out in Chipotle's favor. A representative from the company, Chris Arnold, reported to Mashable that their Twitter account added more than 4,000 followers the day of the "hack," compared to its normal rate of adding about 250 followers a day. The supposedly hacked tweets, which have not been deleted, were retweeted about 12,000 times. By comparison, Chipotle's Twitter account usually sees about 75 retweets per day.

What do you think about this social media saga? Would you advise your brand to stage a Twitter hack? We want to know!

Next Steps for Tumblr: Babblr

Tumblr, the popular microblogging site, has always been criticized for the lack of social interaction available between users. Only having the ability to like, reblog,  send "fan mail" and submit questions to other blogs has left users wanting more direct ways to communicate. As of today at 6pm, Tumblr will officially give its users what they want via a new third party Google Chrome application called Babblr.

Babblr, which is currently in its developmental Beta mode, allows Tumblr users to chat in real time. It was developed as an add-on application and is downloaded through the Google Chrome browser as an application. Once users download the app, it is synced with Tumblr and imports followers as chat contacts. The contact list even organizes itself, making groups of followers, people you follow, and the option to create unique groups.

One of the more creative features of Babblr is the censorship function in the chat. Instead of allowing users to use inappropriate words, Babblr turns the words into funny sayings. For example, when I user attempts to send an "f-bomb", Babblr will convert the word to "fudge." With Tumblr users being big on free speech and de-censorship, it will be interesting to see how they respond to this feature.

Babblr will officially be available for download as of 6pm tonight. Users who signed up for the service prior to today automatically received downloads for free, but new users will have to select a payment option. Babblr is branded as a pay-what-you-want app for Google Chrome, so users will either select a dollar amount to place on the app or share with friends, and give Babblr a little free publicity, to receive the app for free.

Have you heard of the new Babblr app? Will you download it to check it out, and if so would you pay to use it? Share your thoughts!