We hear a lot about how it was “better back in the day.” Gauzy nostalgia aside, I assume the “day” being referred to is some analog world (or, at least pre-file sharing world) where people purchased physical goods, and artists—ostensibly, at least—got paid a portion of the transaction associated with these purchases. The refrain seems to go something along the lines of: pre-file sharing there was a system in place in which labels signed artists, promoted them, and then, when their records sold, paid them. Sometimes stated overtly, and sometimes implied, in this line of reasoning is that, by dint of the fact that labels could only sign so many artists, they selected the more meritorious artists to release, and therefore the customer had fewer (and, following this line of reasoning, better) choices. As opposed to today, where anyone who wants to release a record can, and, in so doing, “clutters” the market, which makes it more difficult for deserving artists to gain attention. In other words, there are artists (and many industry types) who long for a return to these “simpler” times when an artist could make some demos, get signed, release a more-difficult-to-share record, and get paid.More
Nielson is out with some new statistics on the iPhone, pointing out that — as of March 2012 — about 1 in 3 smartphone owners globally are using iPhones. Earlier this year, Nielsen reported that smartphones account for half of all new mobile phone purchases in the U.S.
Nielson also said that Apple is also a top destination on the web, with 72 million unique US visitors to their site during April 2012 and “has been among the top 10 web brands overall.” Visitors to Apple’s website spent nearly 1 hour on average during the month.
The analytical firm also said that iPhone users download 50 apps on average and that Facebook is the most used app followed closely by Maps. A third of iPhone users downloaded a paid app in the past 30 days.
Over at Business Insider, Henry Blodget argues that Apple’s success is due to broader distribution (adding Sprint and other carriers), having lower priced models (including the 3GS), additional distribution partners such as Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy and the fact that iPhones cost about the same as competing products.
And, based on recent news, it could get even better for Apple. Virgin Mobile announced that it will soon offer the iPhone 4s on a pre-paid plan with no contract. The phone itself will set users back $649 but the total cost of ownership over a two-year period, according to PC World, will be $1,369 which is $300 less than AT&T and more than $500 less than Verizon and Sprint.
As I pointed out in a previous post, one advantage of the iPhone over its Android competitors is a simpler number of choices compared to the highly fragmented Android market. While having a lot of choice and competition in the Android market has some advantages, having a (so far) a single screen size for Apple iPhones and an eco-system of accessories that mostly work across the line, has its advantages as well as does Apple’s enormous app eco-system.
Apple has consistently ranked at the top of J.D. Power and Associates rankings of smartphone manufacturers and, in March, achieved a store of 839 on a 1,000 point scale. HTC came in second with a score of 798. –Forbes
Lady Gaga might have been “Born This Way,” but the success of her megahit album of the same name didn’t happen by chance. Instead it followed a comprehensive social media campaign led by strategist Jaunique Sealey.
Sealey, whose company specializes in social media marketing and branding, audience development and digital media distribution, was charged with developing a campaign to help make the album’s release the largest in history. The 1.1 million copies sold in its first week made “Born This Way” the fastest-selling album in 2011.
“Lady Gaga’s team is huge, and I would never claim the success was because of me, but I do think that the strategy we used was very groundbreaking,” Sealey tells BusinessNewsDaily.
The goal was to roll out the album in much the same way movies are released. “We wanted to drive interest in every possible platform,” Sealey says.
The centerpiece of the campaign was a partnership with social network game developer Zynga. Known for itsfan favorite Farmville, Zynga and Sealy created a spinoff called “Gagaville” for the album release.
The three-day feature let Lady Gaga fans complete tasks that, when finished, unlocked online versions of unreleased songs from the album.
“No one has ever used a gaming platform to release an album before,” Sealey says. Her strategy resulted in more than 13 million users downloading songs.
Sealey says the key to this campaign’s success, as for any social media campaign, was to always focus on the target audience.
“A large part of the conversation involved the fans,” Sealey says. “Our first concern was: How do we involve the fans?”
The trick is knowing the audience, knowing which social media outlets they visit and tailoring the message specifically to them, she explains. “You need to craft a message that they will understand.”
But according to Sealy, the biggest mistake others make is constantly thinking about what can be done instead of what should be done.
“They are chasing after new platforms but are not focusing on why people are using these platforms,” she explains. “So their efforts end up being for naught.”
Sealey recently authored the book Piece of the Fame: Rockstar Social Media Marketing Strategy for Everyone. The book is a guide to creating a successful brand online. It provides in-depth views of social media platforms by examining them from both conceptual and literal angles and gives advice on how to take advantage of the close relationship with consumers that social media offers. –Mashable
Greetings! Marissa from Team Cyber PR® here, and I have a question: Do you consider yourself mobile-savvy? I’m not just talking about texting (although that’s important!). I’m talking about using your smartphone to tap into and enhance your online presence while being up-to-date on all of the cool apps to make your life a little easier. If you could use a little help understanding the magic of mobile, then this blog post is for you! Here are some interesting mobile statistics to keep in mind:
There are 165 million Twitter users, and 50% of them use Twitter Mobile.
Over 1/3 of Facebook’s 900 million+ users also use Facebook Mobile.
Mobile internet usage will overtake desktop internet usage by 2014.
Mobile coupons get 10x the redemption rate of regular coupons.
3 out of 5 internet searches are done with a mobile device.
91% of mobile internet access is to socialize.
In March 2012, Smartphones were in use by 50.4% of consumers in the US.
As you can see, the popularity of mobile devices is currently on the rise! And even with social connections aside, new apps are always finding ways to make just about anything possible from your phone. If you’re ready to simplify your life and amplify your fan interactions (mostly for free), then get your smartphone in hand and check out these 7 apps:
1. Square / Cost: FREE
Let’s say you just played a show, and you’ve got a newly converted fan that absolutely can’t get enough of you. She loves your music so much that she wants to buy 5 CD’s – one for her, and the rest for some family and friends. Awesome, right? One problem, though – she only brought her credit card. Well, that’s a bummer. How are you going to scan her card without some sort of card reader? Oh, wait, do you have a smartphone? Then consider your problem solved! Square is a fabulous app that allows you to swipe any credit card and deposit the money into your bank account. Once you sign up on the website, they’ll send you your free card reader. Then just download the app and set everything up, and you’ll never have to worry about the “cash-only” dilemma again! Read the rest of them after the jump! –Music Think Tank
2. Tweetbot / Cost: $2.99
Twitter is one of the easiest ways to keep up with your network in real time while you’re out on the road. While Twitter does have its own app, many find it somewhat lacking. For a Twitter app with a little personality and some cool features, why don’t you try Tweetbot? Tweetbot lets you read and create tweets, of course, but there’s more! You can create lists of different types of people, such as co-workers or fans by location, and view timelines of only their tweets. You can also read a whole conversation thread with a single swipe of your finger, and customize the app so you can use it however you’d like best.
3. Facebook / Cost: FREE
You DO have a Facebook fan page, right?! Good!
Make sure you’re staying on top of your page with the Facebook app. Let everyone know what you’re up to, scroll through your news feed, upload your cool photos easily, and check into your favorite coffee shop! You can pretty much do anything you could normally do with Facebook, right on your phone.
4. Instagram / Cost: FREE
Think you’re a good photographer? With Instagram’s effects, you could even wow yourself. And with photos acting as one of the most well-received and popular kinds of Facebook updates, there’s no reason not to post them more often!
Instagram provides a smooth, easy, and great-looking interface to snap pictures with your phone, add different filters to transform them, and share them easily with your social networks. Warning: it can be addictive!
5. Dragon Dictation / Cost: FREE
Okay, so you’re out getting some lunch with your buddies, and suddenly…inspiration hits. You saw or heard something, and you got a cool idea for some new song lyrics. But you’re in the middle of lunch, so what do you do? Quick – just record your voice!
To record your voice and turn it into text with surprising accuracy, give the Dragon Dictation app a shot. You can even use it to write emails, which could be especially helpful if you aren’t the world’s fastest texter.
6. Tonepad / Cost: FREE
If you’ve ever wanted to create musical compositions on the go, then you should start playing around with Tonepad! This nifty app lets you play different notes with a touch of your screen. There’s no limit to the number of songs you can create and save!
If you want to share your creations, you can hit the “Upload” button to get a special code and give it to your friends. If they also have the app, they can input the code and hear what you made. Now, start creating!
7. SendHub / Cost: FREE
Mobile marketing has actually been around for a while, but many still aren’t taking advantage of it because they’re not sure how. One of the reasons it’s so useful is because people tend to have their phones with them all the time. How do you reach out to your fans and let them know you have a surprise show that night? The same way you’d reach out to any of your friends: with a text!
SendHub is a service that allows you to send texts to groups of people, and they’ve just released a mobile app. Just sign up on the website with your mobile number and download the app to use the site easily from your phone. SendHub provides you with a unique number, so your real number can stay private. Anyone can subscribe to your group texts by texting the group’s keyword to your SendHub number, and can unsubscribe by texting “STOP.” The app lets you create your groups right out of your iPhone contact list and manage your account on the go! A free account gets you up to 1000 messages per month and up to three groups, with 50 numbers max per group.
As you can see, the popularity of mobile devices is currently on the rise! And even with social connections aside, new apps are always finding ways to make just about anything possible from your phone. If you’re ready to simplify your life and amplify your fan interactions (mostly for free), then get your smartphone in hand and check out these 7 apps:
