Global Media News

Presidential Candidates Using Twitter to Appeal to Hopeful Voters

Social media has always had a large impact in getting people engaged on campaigns and election conversations, with candidates and their supporters and detractors. With people going on Twitter to voice there opinions on all things going on in politics on Social Media.

Candidates are using Social Media to appeal to a broader audience, especially in 2016. The Twitter accounts and various Social Media accounts are used to get the message out on  upcoming elections, as well as campaigns which they use for advertising and outreach to hopeful voters.

Particularly it is important because voters, especially millennials (Which is mostly they target audience when using Social Media).

According to the Pew Research Center “Following the 2014 mid-term elections, 16 percent of registered voters followed candidates for office, political parties or elected officials on social media, up 10 percent since 2010.”

Those number seem low but, but in actuality the millennials as well as member of generation Z are increasingly showing more  interest in politicians on social media as well as are  registering to vote. 

Most things that are taking place on Twitter are polls that people take in seeing as to who is the right fit as president that share there similar views. Data from Twitter polls, has a couple of advantages over traditional polls. Twitter polls can be used to share this data with the public, campaigns and journalists. It is faster, which means it can pick up late-breaking surges for different candidates.

An example is a poll that was taken on how Americans felt about Global Warming and the influence a Presidential Candidate has in reducing it.

 

Americans more likely to vote for a candidate who supports #climateaction in #election2016: https://t.co/RxJMvdYqk2 pic.twitter.com/tJovSeYp3L

— Yale Climate Program (@YaleClimateComm) May 2, 2016

Ralph Legnini, senior creative strategist at DragonSearch, a digital marketing agency."It's not just about motivating this generation to vote, but getting their friends to," "They need to create advocates where one kid will get others to vote.”It is still not clear as to how Social media will influence on who is elected in the presidency. It is still early for campaigns to see which efforts work and which ones don’t work in appealing to voters.

 

How Animal Shelters Are Using Social Media To Increase Adoptions

    There are thousands of animals that need good homes. Animal shelters in the United States are taking to social media to promote and bring attention to these animals.

    North Shore Animal League America, NSALA, located in Port Washington, New York is the worlds largest no kill shelter. They have taken to their social media platforms, mostly Facebook and Instagram, to bring attention to their organization. They are posting biographies and photos of the cats and dogs that are temporarily calling NSALA their home with invitations to come down to shelter to come meet them.

    NSALA has also started something unique that they are doing with their Instagram page. AniPals is a program that was recently launched by the league. This program asks volunteers to  go through dog or cat handler training, them once said training is complete the are then asked to come to the shelter and get to know their new pal. They take photos and post them on their personal social media accounts in order to bring attention to their furry friend.

    A program that allows you to go and play with cats and dogs and still do something good who would't want to participate? Certain hashtags must be used like #getyourrescueon and #AniPal, one must also tag the league page to the photo or post.

    #getyourrescueon is a social media campaign started by NSALA simply supporting rescue animals and organizations. It helps to promote adoption rather then buying from a pet store.

    Hope for Paws  is a Los Angeles based rescue. They also are very active on social media. Their YouTube channel showcases their rescues (get the tissues some are really tough to watch). These videos show how they go about rescuing these little guys and then showing a small timeline of their recovery process.

 

    These organizations are doing some great things go check them out!   

Millennials and Social Media: A Perfect Fit?

Social Media is very popular among Millennials. People in their 20’s use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and others to obtain their news and communicate with others.

In an article by the American Press Institute, “Younger Millennials are even more likely to use a mix of social networks for news than older members of this generation.”

This age group turns to more than one platform to get news. Using multiple platforms can be a great way of receiving different angles of news stories.

These platforms may not have started as news platforms but now they are a central place and source for millennials to get their news and stay up to date on what is occurring around them.

Users of Facebook for example, use the platform not only to check out news but comment, post, like and create their own news on the site.  According to the American Press Institute, Users are participating in “news in ways they that are not entirely possible in more traditional platforms.”

While flocking to social media platforms is a way to get news, users still use them mainly for social reasons. They want to see what other users and their friends are doing and talking about. They also use social media as a way to entertain themselves and find their interests through “funny lists, articles, or videos.”(American Press Institute)

Millennials are also a target group for politicians and elections. Politicians try to appeal to a younger demographic by having a presence on social media. They believe that it is important to reach the younger population and their votes are the most important.

Since people get a lot of their news on social media, Politicians have created accounts and handles so they can be spotted and talked about by users of such platforms. 

Different political parties have stronger presences on different social media platforms. 

Facebook was “the only site studied where Republicans and independents were both more-represented than Democrats” according to an article on eMarketer.com. 

The article on eMarketer also says that, “Facebook is the place to reach millennials of all political persuasions.” 

Millennials are turning to social media every day, multiple times a day to get their news, entertainment and to stay in touch and in tune with what is occurring around them and in their own world. 

Global Media News Webcast #12: Thursday, May 5, 2016

Listen to Global Media News for Thursday, May 5, 2016.

This week on Global Media News:

• Baseball! How Is MLB Using Social to Attract Young Fans?
• MLB Apps: Can Apps and Social Play on the Same Field?
• Live Video Streaming:  YouTube Live Stream Takes on the Competition
• Hashtag Activism:  What is #ActuallySheCan ?
• Looking Down: The #SelfFeet Trend on Instagram
• All About the Tubmans:  Social Reactions to the New Money Debate
• Adopt Me: Animal Shelters Using Social to Reach the Pet Lover in You!
• Celebrity Social:  From Kobe's Last Game to Lemonade!

Global Media News is a weekly webcast covering new media news from around the world.  GMN is a production of  Media Studies students from the SUNY College @ Old Westbury.   We scour the web for news about new media, journalism and technology.

This is our last webcast of the season.  We will return in September with a brand new season of Global Media News.

See you in the fall!

Subscribe Now!

Baseball's Tactics to Scoring Big with Its Youth Fanbase

Major League Baseball is trying to find ways to reach a younger audience. They want to not just appeal to those that are 65 and older. They want to appeal to millennials. To do that they have to create a strong presence on social media because thats where most millennials go to get their news, communicate with others, and express their opinions.

According to Hannah Kurtz’s article on Linkedin, MLB is making strides in reaching their projected younger audience. She says this is how they are doing it:

 

1. Real Time News - releasing pressing information to keep fans up to date and also as a customer service center.
2. Exclusive Content - teams give out “exclusive codes and specials” on their social media accounts. It encourages “interaction with the team while at the ballpark to win exclusive merchandise”
3. Embrace many social networks: they diversify and customize content for each network to become “better connected with their audience.”
4. Promoting Celebrities - fans want to see their favorite players work out regiments and daily routines so they can idolize them instead of the players that fell from grace because of steroid use. By showing a player that plays the game right and doesn't have tumultuous personal life, fans embrace baseball and its players more.

These are just some ways baseball is innovating itself and creating content youth can relate to and want to view and share.

According to Yvette Halawani of yashi, the MLB is making “Stats, scores, highlights, and pitch-by-pitch updates just a few keystrokes away.”

Baseball’s increasing involvement with social media has brought in more fan interest.

Yvette says,“accessibility” is “an essential factor in growing numbers across all age groups.”

Meaning, MLB has to make content for users easy to get, navigate, and share.

MLB is also letting fans create content and share their baseball opinions and ideas. 

One platform goes so far as to let fans upload videos of themselves pitching which then gets compared to the professional pitchers in baseball. 

Yvette also says that “Sports commentators and players have hopped on the bandwagon of cutting out the middleman, taking to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to share their opinions and build their fan base.” 

Players having their own social media accounts can be a way for them to build up their own brand and have followers see who they really are outside of the baseball field. 

 These days, millennials flock to social media to talk about anyone and anything. Baseball players want to get in on that action and create a name for themselves and reach fans in a different way than just their batting average and other statistics being displayed on screens.

Why Is Whatsapp so Big in Brazil?

What's up with chat apps in Brazil, one chat app, in particular, is Whatsapp why is it so popular? Well According to Marcelo Teixeira " Since its launch, WhatsApp has continuously expanded its reach to Brazilian cellphone users, and the country currently represents one its largest global audiences". This is because "With the surge in sales of smartphones there was increased coverage of mobile internet connections, Brazilian cell phone users have become much more inclined to send messages through over-the-top applications, and therefore save money that would otherwise be spent on SMS". Whatsapp has had a great feedback in brazil. 

In Brazil, Whatsapp is used daily by many users , "which the group chat function is one of the most popular". Not only is it used for texting friends it is also used for business. According to Marcelo Teixeria, " widespread adoption of WhatsApp by Brazilian smartphone owners led to interesting usages of the service such as Brazilian companies" . It is also used for political reasons"president Dilma Roussef, rival candidate Aécio Neves and many others have also used WhatsApp for campaign purposes". 

Unfortunately, on May 3, 2016 an ban was put into affect. According to Aljazeera America "A Brazilian judge has ordered mobile-phone carriers to block access to WhatsApp for 72 hours throughout the country, the second such move against the messaging application in five months".  This decision was made on Monday and is reported to be " the second time since mid-December that WhatsApp has been the target of a blocking order". This has affected many users. Nothing has been hear as of yet if the ban was lifted.

In conclusion, Whatsapp will always have the most users worldwide, even though it might have its problems it it had proven to be very beneficial to many people and businesses in brazil .   

MLB's Own Apps Change the Game

            The Major League Baseball Empire has taken over the app stores with its latest upgrades to their apps. They’ve had some help with partners such as T-Mobile to help promote their brand. The MLB has released two major apps MLB.com At Bat, and MLB.com Ballpark. These two apps help give fans access that they cannot find on any other app, and it’s leaving every other major league sport in the dust.

 

            The app MLB.com At Bat has everything so a fan doesn’t even need to put their phone down to miss a pitch. The app features favorite team selection, standings, scores, news, MLB’s shop, and team news. Also the app allows fans to stream any game as long as they are subscribers to the app. However to enjoy the games doesn’t require a subscription because fans who might not want to put a dent in their wallet can stream the broadcasts of any game for FREE.

            T-Mobile who is partnered with the MLB came up with a great idea to give customers a season subscription for free. This marketing tactic is by far one of the most brilliant ideas because now you have fans accessing the content for free, so if they love it then they’ll invest in the brand. The two companies are hoping to gain a huge turnover in sales because of this marketing stunt.

If you’re a @TMobile customer & can get a free year of @MLBTV, you do it. Sign up at https://t.co/X8Ea8DCyHm pic.twitter.com/tPD26pNaf0

— T-Mobile (@TMobile) April 9, 2016

            The MLB.com Ballpark app gives fans access into the teams stadiums like no other app. Ballpark features locational services which will bring up the stadium the fan is at, which will showcase several features the fan can access after they check-in at the stadium. Citi Field offers fans the chance to enter into a newly added game called baseball bingo sponsored by New York Lottery. However baseball bingo can be accessed at home as well, but during a game the Mets promote the game throughout several intermissions between innings. This is a fun and interactive way that fans can enjoy watching their favorite team. The app also offers ticket upgrades, ticket purchases, locational services to help direct each fan throughout the stadium, and food service information as well. This app has become a fan favorite because of all the access they are granted.

            Kevin Samborski of TicketingToday.com states, “MLB.com at the Ballpark is changing the game as we know it. A team’s schedule, social media, in-seat food and merchandise ordering, purchasing tickets for an upcoming game — everything fans need to sculpt the perfect experience is at their fingertips.”

            Major League Baseball has realized what the fans want and gave them exactly that. In order to be a successful organization you need fans, but to succeed to even higher levels you need happy fans. These apps have changed the game of baseball as we know it and it's exciting to see what fantastic idea Major League Baseball will come up with next.

Live Tweeting and Sports

         Live tweeting events such as sports can be a challenge. You need to be on the edge of your seat waiting for your next tweet. If you blink you might miss an important play and it will set you back completely. But you don't need to tweet every single thing about the game to get the likes and retweets.

         At the beginning of my semester I had the opportunity to establish a name on twitter for myself in the sports field by live tweeting sporting events. I mainly focus on hockey and it was definitely one of my biggest challenges throughout the semester via social media. Tweeting hockey is really insane because it is such a fast sport so as a live tweeter you need to be aware 24/7 during the game. A big part of success on twitter is being able to get your tweet out first and not late, getting your tweet out as soon as the event happens is very key because everyone is going to see your tweet and potentially like or retweet it so they don't have to tweet themselves.

         Hashtags are very important because it informs your followers or fans about what is going on or even what event your covering. For example I had the opportunity last week to cover the New York Lizards vs. Rochester Rattlers professionally for the Lizards.

2 POINTER! @PaulRabil cuts the @RattlersLax lead to 12-10. #ROCvsNYL

— New York Lizards (@LizardsLacrosse) April 23, 2016

I ran their twitter account throughout the game and was told to use the hashtag #ROCvsNYL. This hashtag was labeled onto every single tweet I made during the game to help promote the brand as well as an easy access to fans to click on the hashtag and see what is going on from the fan perspective. Hashtags help bring out your tweet to others your not following allowing you to potentially get more likes and retweets as well as even more followers.

         GIFs are one of the best inventions social media has ever made. GIFs give a nice personal touch to each tweet.

Lizards win! Final Score @LizardsLacrosse 19, @RattlersLax 16 #HailtheScales #KisstheRing #RattletheSnakes #ROCvsNYL pic.twitter.com/65nZkNTNYw

— New York Lizards (@LizardsLacrosse) April 23, 2016

They tend to be an instant hit for organizations such as the MLB, NHL, and NFL. Whether it’s showcasing a goal, highlight, or even celebrating a win GIFs help paint the picture for fans just scrolling through their feeds.         

You've seen the GIF, now here's the video replay. Take a look at the goal that kicked off tonight's scoring.https://t.co/aPC6TU4nS7

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 3, 2016

For the future live tweeters should aim to have a cheat sheet with them when tweeting games. Having some guidance during events is key because you always want to be able to let tweets flow smoothly and quickly. As a live tweeter you are trying not to get stuck thinking about a specific tweet because you might be delayed and miss a big play and it will set your feed back.

         One of the biggest issues I had to overcome was being caught up on a specific moment. When you get caught up with a tweet, as I live tweeter you need to figure out how to overcome the obstacle thrown your way. Key words help knock down those walls standing in your way, if you gather yourself and your thoughts and have some key words you will be able to bounce back from getting caught behind.

Google Is Evolving

2016: The focus has shifted to Social, when search results dominated the internet just a few years ago, big names were attempting  to figure out the Google algorithm. Professionals today, in any field need social. A small to large business or chain may utilize social for advertising, comedians and musicians look to entertain and gain/maintain a following, and when major events such as award shows and album releases occur they aim to be trending across the boards. 

Google Plus is a social media platform similar to Facebook but it never got much attention when it was launched in 2011. Many of its former employees agree that it was unsuccessful due to its inception being a clear "competitive stand-point" against Facebook. Others said it was created without the ease of the user in mind and did not move into mobile quick enough to be successful.  

whats been trending so far this year? #Grammys #KanyeWest #ViewsFromThe6 #Oscars #KobeBryant #Lemonade #TLOP

Just a few examples, but this is how the focus has shifted.

"Google is experimenting with a new feature that allows marketers, media companies, politicians and other organizations publish content directly to Google and have it appear instantly in search results." 

This has been a feature on google for quite some time now but they have only recently been working on perfecting it. Their ultimate aim is to avoid link searching for their users, you type your search into google and there it is. Example below: Bill Gates Net Worth Google Search

It effectively could end the need for URLs and reaffirm Googles dominance on the internet yet again in a very new way. The benefits are clear for Google, when you get your answer in this way you have no reason to leave the platform. 

"Fox News has worked with Google to post content related to political debates, for example, while People.com published posts related to the Oscars in February. Earlier this week, HBO published 'news articles related to fictitious characters in its popular show 'Silicon Valley' to promote the season 3 premiere."

Apple is working on its own news platform where publishers would post directly to it without link clicks as well. 

 

 

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