The Office and more in your home…

Do you remember Pam and Jim’s wedding? Or what about the Princess Unicorn Doll? Have you ever checked out Ryan’s Twitter page? Well if you ever have a couple of hours to kill and you are a fan of the office I suggest on checking it out. You can do anything that the characters to on their website. You can play a “who dun it?” game. You can check out the Subtle Sexuality’s newest pics. You can buy Serenity by Jan products. You can sign the registry from Jim and Pam’s wedding and you check out the emails from Dunder-Mifflin. You can also look at Dunder-Mifflin’s website. Anything that was ever mentioned on the show is on the website. It really bring the show to life and makes you feel like the characters are real as well as the company. You know the company may be real…check out the site and let me know what you think.

Gossip Girl Bring You In…

In today’s society everyone wants “in”. What they want in to is up for discussion but everyone wants in. The Show Gossip Girl is a show about the glamorous lives of the people who are “In” but the catch is that there is a person out there who is writing all about their dirty little secrets on her blog. She is known as Gossip Girl. Keeping up with the theme, the creators of Gossip Girl teamed up with Verizon Wireless to create a way for the audience to get “in” to the show. If you go to the Gossip Girl website (http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gossip-girl/) at the bottom is a box that links you “into” Gossip Girl. Here you can sign up to get the Gossip Girl texts when the characters get them in the show. You can also fill out some basic questions and have Gossip Girl post something about you. While answering the basic questions the website asks for a picture and allows you to connect to Facebook to get the picture and publish to your wall what Gossip Girl says about you. This is a show that brings the audience “in” to the world that they have created for the show.

Radiohead's Social Media Site

Well, I am not a fan of Radiohead, however they did launch their own social media platform, w.a.s.t.e.-central.com, last year.  They created it with facebook in mind and shares a lot of similarities with myspace and facebook.  The site includes comments, tour dates, photos, national and area events, and merchandise. So, pretty much...it's myspace.  By the way, it's not a good site nor effective.  First off, they do not offer anything different or out of the ordinary social media site.

I can't really explore too much because in order to do so, I would have to make an account...and I really do not want to bother. The site popped up on the internet without warning (very Radiohead-like.) So, yeah...I guess if you're a die hard Radiohead fan, you probably will enjoy it a little. For everyone else, don't bother...seriously.  I guess I'm a little bias...

Just in case you're interested now...
http://www.waste-central.com/

Shop and be styled on line!!!

Social networking sites are increasing everyday. If you're in Advertising, Marketing, or even Public relations it's very important to stay on top of the main social networking sites in your industry. AdAge recently listed the top social fashion sites that every fashion marketer should be familiar with. Among those sites here are the ones I thought to be most interesting: 

Shopflick combines videos and shopping to create an online fashion and shopping experience through a social community. This site portrays a network upcoming designers to provide shoppers the ability to find cutting edge and unique items. Shopflick also helps these designers engage with current and new customers through branded online stores, videos and much more.

Sense of Fashion is the marketplace for fashion designers that are at the very begginging of their career. It has an eBay-like capability for people to sell their fashion, shop or interact in this social network. Fans can showcase their individual styles and favorite brands. The goal is to connect designers with the people who may inspire them and to provide a platform for users to show off and sell their merchandise.

StyleCaster may become the future number one site of online fashion through optimized fashion advice that is targeted to each user. This is the Amazon of fashion sites. With every click of the consumer they get to know their personal preference and taste. This allows StyleCaster to give educated advice and marketing. This site is a mash-up of social network, editorial content and shopping. Another interesting fact is that this site has just been given 4 million in funding.

Fashion Tweets

Can you influence the world with 140 characters or less? Twitter can. 

Twitter combines social networking and blogging together for entertainment and informational use. While I am not a Twitter fan I certainly see how it benefits a company or a brand to "tweet" about themselves. 

For those that are very much into fashion they choose to "follow" certain companies or brands for the simple reason of staying in the loop and never falling short of knowing everything to know to stay trendy. For example, Lady Gaga...... now her fashion sense may be a little out there for most but in places across Europe, Lady Gaga is a fashion icon. One of the companies that Lady Gaga follows is London Fashion. London Fashion (LDNFashion) tweets about models, launches of new collections, and the people in the entertainment world that are wearing the latest and hottest trends. They serve as fashion news and style advice. Lady Gaga can be seen in many of their "twitpics". 

If you're really into a certain type of category, such as fashion, movies, gaming, etc., my question to you is does following a company really have an affect on you? Think about it...... You're constantly seeing their name, their activity, and the many name droppings they use to get your attention. 

Big Box Bookstores & Social Media

I spoke earlier about some St Louis-area indie bookstores and how they're implementing social media, and I've been thinking about the big chains. What's their presence on Facebook, Twitter, or blogs? Here's a rundown:

Twitter:
None of the searches brought up actual accounts from any of the major retailers, but they are being talked about. Oh, wait: the Borders Facebook page includes a link to their Twitter feed. It includes a good mix of random thoughts, article links, replies to others' comments, and retweets; 35,000 followers. Pretty good.

Facebook:

• Barnes and Noble seems to be doing pretty well:  nearly 50,000 fans, author discussions, guiding you to their website, 500+ comments to wall posts such as "Finish this sentence: All I want for Christmas is _____"
• Borders: the first hit on Google is for a England-specific fan page, but the second hit is the real deal. And it appears to get the process, with 90,000 fans; comments about the holidays; video clips of authors' appearances; book excerpts

Blogs:

• There is a Borders blog website, but so far there are only two: one for science fiction (Babel Clash) and one for romance (True Romance), and it's hard to determine who's blogging for them. For Babel Clash, it may actually be authors, but again, it's not specifically mentioned (or if it is, and it's now archived, it's not easy to see). Additionally, it was hard to find the blogs in the first place, and they're very narrowly focused--and they don't appear to be popular (no or very few comments).
• I can't find anything for Barnes and Noble blog-wise

Overall: both get good points for Facebook, and Borders is ahead for Twitter. But I don't know what's worse: the fact that Barnes and Noble doesn't have a blog, or that Borders has blogs that are somewhat problematic.

Ever wonder what you would look like as a Zombie?

If you haven’t seen the movie Zombieland which came out on Oct. 2, 2009 I suggest you get onto your computer and find the nearest theater that is still playing it and go see it. After you do that I suggest going to the movie’s website: http://www.zombieland.com/. Here you can check out things from the movie such as the rules, zombie kill of the week, and you can take the quiz to see if your loved one is a zombie. The Best part of this website is the zombify yourself. There you can upload a picture and then add all of the wonderful components to make yourself into a zombie.

All the News That's Fit To Print (or Blog)

For quite some time now, traditional news sources have had websites to publish more up-to-date news stories. Newsweek, The New York Times, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch--all have websites which update on a regular basis throughout the day. This allows traditional publishing times to fly out the window.

No longer does the Post-Dispatch only print stories that happened yesterday, or Newsweek only stories that happened in the last six days. Stories can be updated as they unravel, completely changing how print media works. No longer do the television news sources have the up-to-the-minute breaking news advantage.

Some news sources exist only in cyberspace. Some are blogs, run only by one or a few people, others are fully actualized news websites, the only difference between them and "traditional" sources being the lack of actual printed content. Slate is a good example of the latter.

In addition to constantly updated websites, news sources now push their content into their readers' awareness. Email updates, RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook all allow readers to get informed of news stories without even opening a browser and checking out the website.

Another benefit of the online presence is the ability to publish content only available online--it's not featured in the newspaper or magazine. This can range from further commentary to related slide shows to articles not picked up for inclusion in the published version.

Some printed versions will acknowledge the online content, and others will merely assume that the reader will seek it out if interested. Newsweek has a small section in each weekly magazine of what the most popular online stories were for the previous week.

Additionally, some news sources permit the general public to read an article for only a limited time--a few days, a week--and, in order to view older articles, one must be registered. The registration may be free, may be included with subscription to the print version, or may require a specific subscription.

These innovations are great for the consumer--easy access to updates, more current information, access to additional information--but they may quickly spell the end of traditional print news.

Fan, Friend, & Follow Fashion

I was on facebook today looking at different ways fashion has utilized fan pages and came across a couple of interesting sites. Most of these designers or companies have links to their fan page or their twitter account on their website. So I became a fan and checked out a few pages. 

The most interesting fan page I saw was of Bluefly.com. Bluefly is an online shopping site featuring clothing and accessories from over 350 top European and American designers. They have created a Facebook page, a twitter account, and even have a Youtube account all linked to the Facebook fan page.  I also found it interesting that they have about 8 links on the page allowing you to fan them, friend them, or follow them. Check it out to see what I'm talking about!!! 

http://www.facebook.com/Bluefly?v=wall#/Bluefly?v=wall

Companies and designer could really benefit from giving consumers the opportunity to fan, friend, and follow their brands. For those that are into fashion and find a couple brands they tend to buy more than others, following their favorite brands maintains brand loyalty. Both parties benefit.

Another thing worth noting on Bluefly's facebook page is not only can you shop and see new items but they also ask if you're interested in working with them to send in a resume. There are also photos of fashion shows Bluefly has been a part of worth looking at as well. They posted photos on facebook that otherwise

cannot be found on the website. That's a perk of becoming a "fan"!!! 

One more thing on independent bookstores...

In addition to going and seeking out the sites of individual independent (indie) bookstores yourself, there's a quicker way to do it: IndieBound.

It was originally Book Sense, a program of the American Booksellers Association (according to always-right Wikipedia), and it was rebranded and relaunched in 2008 as a more site more geared toward social networking. The website is well stocked, featuring a blog on the front page, links to joining the community or finding it on Facebook and Twitter, as well as a store locator.

And, what Book Sense was known for is still prominent: lists. Up-and-coming works, Bestsellers, Most Wished For (on the front page), and probably many more. There's also the ability to create your own lists.

Additionally, IndieBound is available in, you guessed it, iPhone app form. It's very clean, very simple, easy-to-navigate. Three categories at the bottom: Book Lists (IndieBound or yours inside), Book Search, and Store Finder. And it uses the "current location" function to let you know what's in your neighborhood.

The entire IndieBound system seems a bit oxymoronic, as these are independent bookstores, but no man is an island and all that jazz, so a network to link them together--and their consumers to them--is actually a smart idea.

Indie Bookstores & Social Media

Many people, when looking for a specific book, don't think twice about where to go: usually, it's a big-name chain retailer like Borders or Barnes and Noble (or any of their affiliates). They're all over the place, and it's really easy to order online from their websites. Or, there's always Amazon.com.

But what about independent stores? They are, for the most part, small, locally-owned stores competing for customers. So how do they compete? Many have websites, which may or may not feature e-commerce, and some are getting into the social media game. Blogs, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages--all are relatively easy to maintain, and can easily get the word out about the bookshop.

Here are a few that I looked into (note: I have not actually been to any of these stores, but I'll be changing that soon)

Pudd'nhead Books - A relatively new store right by campus, the site includes links to Twitter and Facebook in a highly visible spot. The site also functions pretty much the same as the blog itself does. The Facebook page has a few hundred members, shows a good use of events and the wall, and there are a few photos of the store itself. I'd love to see more pics of the events, of book club, of visiting authors, etc. And it's actually a group page, not a fan page--is that problematic? I haven't decided. The Twitter feed is an interesting mix of sales & events updates and personal tidbits, and there's a decent number of followers.

The Book House - A bookstore in Rock Hill, the site feels like an older generation of web design, and kind of cluttered. They are on Facebook, a fan page, but the link is at the very bottom of the website's home page. The Facebook page itself appears a little lackluster: only one event (last May), half of the photos are actually profile photos (mostly the logo), and there are "Discussions" and "Reviews" tabs with nothing posted under them.

Star Clipper Comics - Located in the Loop, this store focuses on graphic novels & manga. The site looks really good, but the links to all their social media sites are are on the bottom. Star Clipper has a blog, MySpace, and Twitter. The blog is really well done, lots of in-depth and frequent posts (including one about a Dr Horrible comic, omg), liberal use of images, and includes some links. The MySpace page has nothing objectionable about it, per se, but the status was last updated in September, and the blog was last updated in May. I think, with such a great blog, it should either be linked to the MySpace page, or the MySpace could just be dropped. I've also heard that Facebook is more amenable to venues (I admit I know very little about MySpace, so I can't honestly critique it as fully as I can Facebook). The Twitter feed has a low-ish number of followers, but a pretty good number of tweets, and is updated regularly.

Subterranean Books - Also in the Loop, they just use a blog as their site. It includes lots of internal links made handy by tabs across the top. The blog itself has good posts, and lots and lots of links to other blogs, St Louis-area stuff, St Louis media, and others. Right at the top are links to Facebook, Flickr, and MySpace. There's a Facebook fan page, or a friend page--I don't know why there's a need for both. The fan page seems a bit light on content, so perhaps it's the newer of the two. I think they should just keep one presence, and a fan page is the best bet. Looked at together, there's some good content--but most people wouldn't be looking at both for info. The Flickr page features a good selection of photos--events, store windows, merchandise--but it hasn't been updated since late 2007. The MySpace page's blog was last updated in 2008, and features the song "Sick of Myself" by Matthew Sweet--interesting choice.

NickJr…getting them early

My cousin was about four by the time she could log herself onto the computer find the Nick Jr website and play games by herself. Well that is exactly what Nick Jr wants. Their shows all prompt learning of different things and they extend this learning to the web. The website breaks down to picking a show and then you can play games about the show. While this isn’t technically social media, there is a pre-social media to it. Kids start to learn that the web can include some extensions from their favorite shows. One the Nick Jr website you can watch videos, listen to the radio, and play games with your favorite shows. This website shows how shows aren’t just on TV anymore.

Citizen Journalism has gone too far...

About a week ago, I had the luck to come across a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I visited Rihanna's website just to check for updates on her new "Rated R" album (which just came out yesterday, I believe.)
As it turned out, I was just half an hour away from viewing a free, live performance broadcast from London, in which Rihanna would perform a medley of new and old songs.
I watched in anticipation while a large group of Rihanna fanatics crammed into the theatre, anxiously awaiting her arrival.
At the bottom of the webpage was two buttons, one for Facebook and one for Twitter, for fans to tweet about their excitement for the concert....

Then I saw the Twitter feed.

Thousands of people were saying the exact same thing under the #rihannalive hashtag.
"I'm so excited!"
"Where is Rihanna?"
"OMG SQUEE I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M HERE!"
....you get the idea.

And then, just before the opening of the show, a stage manager came out and followed the as-usual theatrical precautions procedures. These are the exits, no flash photography, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And then, immediately as the lights went down...
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!
....wait. Did that guy not just say something along the lines of NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY?

And then, throughout the entire performance, looking out into the audience, you can see the luminous screens of cell phones and digital cameras.
And the Twitter feed was going nuts.

Now, if I were Ri-Ri, and was singing my heart out on stage, I would want my audience to be looking at me through their own eyes. Because no matter how much they record and document, what is seen and heard is what will stay in their memories. Viewing the world through a digital screen not only distorts your memory of unique events, but also does nothing good for your eyesight.

The September 11th attacks were best documented through the digital capabilities of the citizens of New York. Those that had the equipment and the safe angle were able to document this tragic event as it unfolded. Their perspectives made it personal and real to the world.

Yet a crowded auditorium full of people seeing the exact same thing, and recording it with phones and cameras with less-than-perfect sound and video quality, is absolutely unnecessary. When we search on YouTube for videos of Rihanna's performance, we won't get the professionally-recorded segments (though you can watch the ENTIRE thing on her website), we get amateur video, with blurry visuals and sound drowned out by screaming fans posted just because these people think it has some journalistic value. In reality, it just takes up space for more worthwhile and relevant videos.

I have decided to take an oath:
I solemnly promise to only record and broadcast those events that have relevance and newsworthiness.
I further promise to use sound judgment when making decisions as to what does and does not belong on the Internet.
I finally promise to give priority to experiencing the world through my own eyes and ears, as they will never mislead me like a piece of digital technology could.

I encourage you all to take this oath as well.

Project Natal...say what?

Xbox 360 is soon to have a whole new way to connect.

Take the video capabilities of a standard web cam, combine them with the motion-sensor capabilities of a Wii controller, and what do you get? PROJECT NATAL.

Limiting the amount of equipment you need, it makes your body the controller. You can play games solo, or with other people. And it knows who you are. It can identify your facial features, and body structure. It recognizes your voice. Sounds a little creepy.

Want to see something creepier?
Meet Milo.



We now have digital friends. Someone that reacts in the same way that real people do.
Am I the only one who sees this as a major step back in our society? Right now we're trying to keep in touch with everyone through a website or phone, next we're making friends with people on a different realm. What's next?

I like the idea from the first video of interacting with other people with the same software. Getting face time without having to leave home. Even playing against other families. Awesome.

But creating a technology that turns face-to-face time into face-to-screen time? That frightens me a lot.

This, I don't consider to be gaming.
I don't quite know what to call it.
It just isn't gaming....

Online clothing designer wants you to decide what they should produce.

ModCloth sells dresses, shirts, jackets and skirts that are more complicated to produce. Which is where the virtual buyers come in. As ModCloth explains: "sometimes there are designs that we absolutely adore, but the designer can only put them into production if they make a large quantity. As a small company, it’s difficult for us to make these big inventory commitments without knowing if you will love the designs as much as we do."

There are 61 designs for ModCloth's fans to vote on. They are encouraged to comment on each design, and to share their voting decisions on Facebook and Twitter, turning the voting process into a useful marketing tool for ModCloth.

If a design is taken into production, the customers who voted for it will receive an email notification as soon as it's available, allowing them to be the first to buy it. Winning designs will be for sale a few weeks after voting ends.

While the concept won't work for every retailer or manufacturer, it's definitely one that many could benefit from, both by making customers feel more involved and by taking some of the guesswork out of buying decisions. 

To participate go to www.modcloth.com/storefront/products/be_the_buyer

Constant Reinvention: Is Gen. Y Already Behind?

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how my generation, Generation Y, sort of has an advantage in the job market, having grown up with the Internet and its constant change and reinvention.

It has made me think of my late great grandfather, Charlie. Though I don't remember much about him--he passed away when I was 3 or 4--one memory my great grandmother always mentions of him is that he loved technology. Every time a new computer came out, a new telephone, or anything, he had to grab it and play with it. He wanted to know all there is to know about new technology.
Though it was a seemingly ancient time of car phones and electric typewriters, he was never behind with the technological trends.

And now that I think about him, I wonder...is my generation already behind? Or are we almost behind? Sure, we have Facebook and MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs. We can keep track of our lives through our phones, and our video game characters look like real people. But how up-to-date are we?


I attended the 60th Anniversary dinner of St. Louis's PRSA chapter the other night, and our guest speaker, John Byrne (right), executive editor of BusinessWeek magazine, discussed the evolution in social media.
He talked about how newspapers are dying out by the dozens, shifting our demand for news to the online realm. Perfect example: The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, which ceased publication in 1986, is returning only online on December 8.
He also discussed how with this new world of social media, businesses can now reach the consumers directly, cutting out the need for the middle man. They can now do all their work internally, without having to reach out to third party groups to do the work for them.

So where does that leave my generation?
We do have the advantage. Having grown up during the evolution of social media, we can easily navigate these sites and relay the desired information out. Awesome selling point for those groups jumping on the bandwagon and opening a Twitter account.

Yet with the constant reinvention of our technology (Droid phone, anyone?), we must stay up-to-date. We must never stick to what is comfortable, because before we know it, the rug is going to be yanked right out from underneath us. We must read the other blogs, know how people are communicating today, and ride that new current before it becomes yesterday's news.

Otherwise, our knowledge of social media will be just as relevant as knowledge of using an electric typewriter.

The Tudors

The Tudors is a Showtime show that is about 16th century England during the reign of Henry VIII. But to bring that time to the audience the website offers an array of things. There are the customary things like games and pictures but the Tudors is much more. Not only are they crossing over into Book and CDs. They have parts were you can take a tour of the history of the Tudor, all historically correct. You can also purchase the authentic clothes that is made for the actors in the show which is also historically correct. You can also send a video to your friends to find out if they are the missing heir to help them solve the mystery. This website brings together some interesting things about social media. I urge you to check it out.

Aranda is Doing it "Right"

There are a lot of bands out there that are left under mainstream eyes.  Some bands are fine with that, where as others are looking to social media for an escape from the unknown.

Aranda is a band from Oklahoma City and they are doing it right! My band and I were fortunate enough to have played with them here in St. Louis a little over a year ago.  Since then, they have made leaps and bounds. Recently getting one of their songs covered by pop , Kelly Clarkson, and another as a featured song on WWE "The Bash." They seem to be linked in quite well with many forms of social media. 

Their Myspace page is filled with ways to keep in contact with the band. They have accounts with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and their own online forum. All of them are kept well organized and updated constantly. Social media is an important and vital extension of being in an up-and-coming band. Never before could you be so connected with the artist. Kudos to Aranda!
Aranda's Myspace

Reader Connectivity

Reading tends to be a solitary activity, until you throw in book clubs. But what about people who aren't book club people? Or those who are interested in sharing their tastes with friends and family on the opposite coast? That's where social media comes to the rescue.

There's now a small collection of social networking sites dedicated to bookworms. Or there's the option of adding an application to your existing social network profile. Both can be great, and I'm going to tell you about my two favorite (also the two that I use).

The first is LibraryThing. It's a site for readers to share their libraries, review books,  and connect with each other and authors. You can be as connected as you want: include info about yourself, link to your Facebook profile, or skip those altogether. The few features I find really cool:

• recommendations for you based on other books you've added
• members with libraries similar to yours
• the author cloud: size-based text depiction of the site's author popularity. Some I'd expect (Shakespeare, JK Rowling, Terry Prachett) but then there are a few that are HUGE that I've never heard of (Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card), so it's fun to look at

You can look at my profile to see what it's like.

The next is the Reading Social app for Facebook. It's very similar to LibraryThing, but it's on your Facebook profile page. The same general idea prevails: share your library and review books; see what your friends are reading.

Of course, there are other options out there, so if you're a bookworm like me, go check them out.

The Gaming World--A Social Media Perspective

Yo! My name is Nick Dunne and I am a junior public relations major. In this blog, I will be discussing with you how the gaming world applies social media for its audience.


Good old Facebook. Only there can you "poke" people, write on their walls (didn't our moms yell at us for doing that as kids?), and willingly spam other people with ridiculous applications.

It's gotten to the point that Facebook has been flooded with different games.
Take YoVille for example.


YoVille lets you create your own avatar, then puts you in this imaginary, cheaply-animated world where you can buy furniture, appliances, and new clothes.

You earn "YoCoins" by interacting with your friends who are also on YoVille, or by baking goods at the Sweets factory.

Sound like a really cheap version of Maxis' The Sims?
Yeah, sounds about right.

The interesting thing, though, is that it allows users to switch between servers and interact with others that are online at the time, either to play games (including Tic-Tac-Toe) or to make trades and sales. Users can then add each other as buddies (like having "friends" isn't confusing enough), allowing for more interaction.

As cheap as it is, YoVille has proven to be, admittedly, one of the most addicting Facebook applications I've ever used. It allows me to create trades for rare items, and connects me with people from all around the globe in a fun, free environment.

So despite the annoying YoVille notifications about "So-and-So just kissed you on YoVille!" and "Your best friend's mom just sent you a 50's record player!" I can honestly say that it is bringing together a large group of people with a common interest for simply having fun.

Social media and books and newspapers, oh my!

I'm Ellie, a public relations major and international relations minor. I'll be discussing the use of social media in the world of print publications--including but not limited to books, newspapers, and magazines. It may also involve book reviews and recommendations, and links to interesting articles, since I'm constantly reading. In fact, here's my current rundown (and yes, that's actually my nightstand):

-Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt (for a class)
-The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (finally getting around to it)
-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith (started as my lake book, but haven't finished it)
-The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (the inaugural family book club selection)

the bottom three are on the read next list--well, this week, anyway (The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston & Mario Spezi; Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin; First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde)

Social Media and the Music Industry

My name is Pat Gable and I am going to be talking about "Social Media and the Music Industry."  Bands and record companies are using social media sources such as MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, for promotional uses and just overall awareness.

The industry has started to use Twitter and Facebook now more than they ever have in the past. However, MySpace has become the industry standard for web awareness and merchandise. Some, underground and even bands signed to major labels, have decided to use MySpace as a platform rather than creating their own personal websites. With MySpace, bands can post their songs, pictures, merchandise, schedules, bio's, etc.  Facebook has become more savvy for bands, now allowing song uploads, pictures and many features that MySpace has offered for years. Twitter, while not as integrated and complex as MySpace and Facebook, allows bands to be a little more personal with their fans. Many groups have each member create Twitter profiles so that fans can keep track of what's going on in each of their lives. Twitter is also a very easy way to update and announce specific dates, events, and or promotional offers in a timely manner.

Here are a couple examples of my band, Red Card Royale, using social media.
http://www.redcardroyale.com
http://twitter.com/redcardroyale

Fashion Forward...

Hi!!!! Let me intoduce myself. I'm Ashley. A full time student at Webster University and a professional model..... I am one of 5 bloggers on FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT and although I am not a designer or a stylist, I know one or two things about the fashion world. I will be blogging about the world of Fashion and how this particular industry has integrated into the world of Social Media!         

         Trend setters who keep up on the latest fashion trends usually picked up the latest Cosmo or Vogue issue to know about the ever-changing trends in the fashion industry. However, social media has changed this completely. Social media, like Facebook, Twitter, even YouTube enable the fashion industry to connect with their customers using the latest social networking technology. Now these trend setters can see the latest in fashion as soon as they log onto their Facebook or MySpace page. 

         It is now possible for a fashion designer or a fashion company to generate publicity across online communities and websites. The entire purpose is to generate interest about a brand. The brand can promote itself to a large amount of customers for a very low cost. 

         So stay tuned as we explore some Fashion brands that are taking advantage of this.