News

More than 1,000 artists from 24 countries and 44 states are now registered to compete in ArtPrize, an unprecedented competition that will award, based on a public vote, nearly one-half million to prize winners, including $250,000 to the first-place artist.

ArtPrize will take over a three-mile district throughout downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. transforming it into an art exhibit space from Sept. 23 through Oct. 10. ArtPrize has no curator or jury. Artists were invited to show their work online to venues in the city and the matching between artists and venues was left entirely up to them. The winners will be chosen by public vote through mobile devices or the web beginning Sept. 23.

ArtPrize has leveraged its social networking presence on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube to draw interest from thousands of artists from around the world. ArtPrize.org is now averaging about 90,000 page views each day and the Facebook page has more than 5,200 fans.

The deadline for registered artists to match with one of the city’s venues, which includes the city’s bridges, parks, buildings and many pedestrian areas, is at midnight EDT on Saturday, Aug. 15. For more information about ArtPrize, go to artprize.org.

-Ground breaking business TV channel, yourBusinessChannel, has this morning launched an app which links Facebook and YouTube together like never before. The app allows people on either platform to comment on videos, with their comments appearing on both platforms simultaneously.

YouTube and Facebook are amongst the biggest names in online social media. With literally hundreds of millions of people spending many hours a month on these platforms, it comes as no surprise that many businesses are looking for a killer social strategy to allow them to leverage marketing results from the enormous popularity of these sites.

The app launched by yourBusinessChannel’s business advice team has the potential to revolutionise Facebook marketing by allowing the two popular platforms to “talk” to each other. Video content and the posting of comments is completely synchronised across two platforms.

The potential for this application to transform social marketing in general and Facebook marketing in particular are enormous, says Mark Sinclair, Features Editor at yourBusinessChannel.

“Some of the social marketing applications of this tool are fairly obvious, such as allowing users to read and respond to comments regardless of what social media platform they are on,” says Sinclair. “But what is really exciting about the tool is that once it’s out there, there will be hundreds of new and different business development uses that we can’t currently foresee. The power of the internet is that it allows everyone to access and collaborate using new technology.”

The App has been engineered by a team of specialist social media developers with expertise in Facebook, Twitter and Google integration. The development team says that it has built technology to allow a new level of synchronicity between almost any combination of platforms.

To encourage initial take up of the Facebook application, yourBusinessChannel is putting together a package of freebies for everyone who installs it, as well as a prize draw valued at up to US$60,000, all of which will be announced next week.

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=65406196214

NuVox, a leading competitive communications provider of voice, data, business applications, and security solutions for business customers throughout the Southeast and Midwest, recently launched a Social Media campaign to increase brand awareness and establish a greater presence on the web. NuVox’s overall marketing strategy combines social media tactics and traditional public relations practices to promote the NuVox(R) brand to its target customers.

The Social Media campaign will build awareness of NuVox’s products and services by using the latest social media tools. By incorporating social media into its marketing strategy, NuVox extends its overall reach making information on products and services more accessible. With a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, Flickr, and the NuVox YouTube Channel, these social media networking sites act as an effective outlet for releasing information to key audiences.

“Our Marketing team is constantly exploring and developing creative ways to promote the NuVox brand to small and medium- sized businesses,” said Sid Earley, Vice President of Marketing for NuVox. “Utilizing social media tools allows us to target customers, prospects, dealers, vendor partners, referral agents, and friends. We believe this initiative will boost our presence on the web and allow us to continue building brand awareness for NuVox.”

One of NuVox’s most recent social media endeavors included launching a series of funny, yet informative videos on YouTube. The videos, featuring the “NuVox Office Genie,” are available on NuVox’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/NuVoxComm

Today, everyone knows that social media is the place to be, yet few have mastered the concept and are able to deliver the types of results that yield brand awareness in a big way.
“Record sales keep declining. DVD sales are continuing to wane. Entertainment companies keep slashing their budgets. The companies with the big budgets are big corporate clients and they are all very interested in joining forces with online tastemakers and celebrities,” explains Johnny Royal, CEO and Chairman of social media and viral branding agency, Luthier Society, Inc. “Whether you like it or not, this is the new model for both the entertainment industry and corporate branded campaigns.”
Understanding the need to deliver something exceptional, Luthier Society paired their client Michael Welch (“Twilight” Saga) with iNDELIBLE’s campaign for pharmaceutical giant, Allergen, who recently launched their Aczone product line by developing a multi-media website and online video series at AczoneTheMusical.com, featuring the already buzzed about “Twilight” star Michael Welch. The campaign ignited a new media wildfire with features on top social media websites such as Buzznet.com, About.com, Examiner.com and Bebo.com. The viral buzz spread across “Twilight” blogs, fan sites, music portals and online pop culture havens, resulting in millions of impressions in the company’s targeted demographic, where a pharmaceutical company would not normally live.
Luthier Society runs multi-tiered campaigns and is considered one of the most innovative social media and viral branding agencies in the world. Creative integrations such as the Luthier Society National Collegiate Social Media Program are just one element the company utilizes to stay ahead of the curve. The program runs simultaneously through every DMA in the U.S. with the top collegiate marketing, public relations and communications curriculums. A total of 300 students are given the task of building their own e-team and street team, creating their own blogs, writing press releases, taking screenshots of their work and learning how to use Luthier Society’s proprietary public relations and multi-media reporting system, ARCHIMEDES.
Developing a field strategy and excelling at online execution have been but a few aspects of Luthier Society that have turned heads. In 2010, the company will launch ARCHIMEDES 1.0 to the public. The ARCHIMEDES platform will function as the first monetary based value-measured system of analysis for internet users around the world and will relay traffic patterns and placement values similar to the NASDAQ.
Luthier Society, Inc. is a boutique social media and viral branding agency based in Los Angeles that provides all aspects of online communications and public relations to the music, film, fashion, lifestyle and technology industries. They employ a boutique specialized staff and have worked with clients ranging from Universal Records to The White House to Sony. Luthier Society, Inc. was founded by Johnny Royal in 2007.
Luthier Society: http://www.luthiersociety.com
Archimedes 1.0: http://www.luthiersociety.com/mediakit

Across the globe, business owners are continuously looking for new and improved ways to market their companies. The introduction of so many online tools has made this easier than ever; and Twitter – an online service similar to text messaging, but with the capacity to reach thousands of potential customers at once- is no exception.

Twitter allows business owners to build large lists of Twitter followers who are interested in the services and knowledge they have to offer. In order to help business owners discover the power that using Twitter can have when used as a part of their overall marketing strategy, leading Twitter expert Sean Malarkey has released a Twitter how-to course entitled Twixplode.

The course is designed to teach business owners how to best implement Twitter as a part of their online marketing plan; as well as show them how to build a massive, and responsive, list of potential customers. By building a relationship with a business owner’s Twitter followers, another aspect Malarkey teaches in his course, he or she has a willing audience for sales, new product releases, and even feedback on a company’s service.

Twixplode (which can be found at http://www.twixplode.com ) includes a full workbook which walks business owners through the entire process of using Twitter – from account creation to finding potential followers; a series of video tutorials which show users the exact steps Malarkey himself took to gain more than 80,000 followers in less than five months; and a series of audio sessions. Also included in the course is a personal coaching program designed as a classroom setting in which business owners can get their questions about Twitter answered by Malarkey himself.

This version of Twixplode is actually the updated version 2.0, having twice as much content as the original version. There is also a member’s area where users can access the private content Malarkey has included. Those interested in learning more or purchasing Twixplode can do so by visiting http://www.twixplode.com

Privacy and Social Networking Sites

To protect yourself on social networking sites, you must begin by recognizing that the integrity of your account on any Web site may be compromised. Once something is available online, it is no longer private. Your seemingly private profile may be accessed by any number of people, in many different ways.

Your soon-to-be ex-spouse may know your standard passwords or may be able to answer your security questions. Although few would debate that such invasions of privacy are unacceptable, people sometimes make bad decisions in the midst of divorce. It is best to be prepared for all contingencies, including the possibility that your future ex-spouse will look places he or she should not. Make sure that you are using strong passwords that are difficult to guess, with challenging security questions.

Furthermore, although many social networking sites provide privacy controls, this privacy can be little more than illusory. For example, if everyone in your network is allowed to see your profile, and your network includes a company or a city or a school, your profile may be available to thousands of people you do not know. If you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse are both members of the “Atlanta” network, you may be able to see each other’s profiles despite the fact that you have eliminated your direct online connections. When preparing for divorce, check your privacy settings; make sure that you have narrowed the scope of your networks to those people you really want to have access to your profile.

Even if your passwords are secure and your privacy settings are restricted, any person that you provide access to your profile may leak information to your future ex-spouse. Most married couples have friends in common, and these friendships are likely to extend into online social networking services. These mutual friends may share information without understanding the consequences of such disclosures.

Particular Actions to Avoid

Given the lack of legitimate privacy protections, it is important to remember that anything you put on a social networking site may ultimately come back to haunt you as part of divorce proceedings. Beyond this general warning, though, there are a few specific actions to avoid when you are involved in a contentious divorce.

First, avoid demonstrating reckless behavior on social networking sites — especially if your divorce involves a child custody dispute. Divorce can be an emotionally draining and stressful experience, and people often deal with this stress in many different ways. However, many of these coping techniques are best left outside the courtroom, and therefore best left off of social networking sites.

Also, limit references to extravagant spending. Mentions of your most recent vacations or newest purchases may provide the court with an unrealistic picture of your finances; this can be important when establishing alimony payments or child support levels.

Finally, don’t accept “friendship” requests from other users unless you know and trust them. Fictional profiles are easy to generate and may be used to obtain information that isn’t intended to be public.

Conclusion

Clearly, social networking sites can raise a wide range of problems for people working through divorce. For some people, the best solution is to simply avoid these sites entirely. You can deactivate your accounts and return once the terms of your divorce have been finalized.

However, for other people this is not a wise option. Social networking sites can help to maintain connections with support systems, which can be critical when working through divorce. In these cases, the goal should be to minimize the potential risks of social networking sites.

Ultimately the key is to avoid displaying private issues in public spaces, and to remember that the Internet is a public space. Assume that your future ex-spouse and his or her lawyer will see anything you post, and restrict your posts accordingly.

Article provided by The Siemon Law Firm
Visit us at www.siemonlawfirm.com

comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study on social networking usage in Australia, which found that more than 70 percent of Internet users in Australia visited a social networking site in June, up 29 percent from the previous year. Facebook continued to show significant growth, while Twitter came onto the social networking scene with a bang in 2009, quickly amassing a significant following. The study also found that social networking users are ubiquitous across the Web, comprising nearly 90 percent of the audience base of the top Internet properties in Australia in June.

Reality Digital, the leading provider of social network software for brands and businesses, has identified that social networking trends have had a positive effect on relationships, on both a personal and familial level.

The rise of social media has inevitably spread to a wide range of audiences, an example of this being that parents are flocking to the likes of Facebook and Twitter, adding social media into their everyday lifestyle. As a result, brands are now able to communicate their messages through social media to a more mature generation of consumer, as well as the already present younger one.

As well as being able to communicate through social networks, families can now use multimedia within these networks to share videos and photographs, with video platform integration within social networks becoming increasingly popular. Video social networks such as Skype have also become popular as a way of maintaining relationships over long distances.

Social networks appear to have made big events such as children moving away to college or simply moving out easier for parents, as they no longer need to worry about not having any idea what or how their children are doing. Reality Digital has indicated that this development shows how far the effect of social media can reach.

Rob Proctor, Head of EMEA for Reality Digital, commented: “Social media is really starting to prove its vast worth as a communication tool for businesses to reach out to their consumers. The emerging age demographics on social networks provide a huge opportunity for brands, as it means that their ability to reach out to key audiences is enhanced.

“This is in turn paving the way for brands with a more mature consumer base to start using social networks as part of their marketing activity.”

Reality Digital provide web community software solutions for brands, increasing the reach of their marketing strategy by creating an online presence in the digital world. Brands can implement a variety of features to suit their needs, giving the network a unique feel to their audiences.

For more information on Reality Digital, please call 0203 1785 883, or visit realitydigital.com

http://www.socialchangenews.com/, the internets’ hub for news on social change today launched their beta website. The site combines original user-created content (UCC) with the latest aggregated news on organizations, and individuals working to transform society. The website provides an opportunity for prescreened change organizations to submit unedited, unfiltered and unchecked breaking news Absolutely Free, and have it published immediately upon submission.

News Aggregator websites have exploded primarily due to demand over the past few years however, until now there has never been a portal that monitors news on social change. The organization intends to serve this niche that no one else does, by not only aggregating social change news, but by recreating the method within which news is delivered.

Their source of information will be two fold:

Breaking news will be submitted directly to the publishing platform by pre-screened change agents that are not edited, filtered or fact checked.
Open source applications will aggregate the latest social change news globally, and group the mentions in sections & categories.

“We wanted to create a portal where people who shared a common interest in social change issues, could stay abreast of who the change makers are, and what they are doing to change our world,” said Brigham Coombs, Founder of SocialChangeNews.com. “We’re very excited with what lies ahead, not just because we’re the first aggregator for social change news, but it’s how we intend to collect original content that could revolutionize the way news is reported.”

One of the key goals for the organization is to develop an online library of original UCC, and create their own API for social change news that will eventually open up to developers. The website is built on Joomla, one of the most popular open source content management systems and only utilizes free open source software.

To join this cause and keep the Social Change discussion on the forefront of mainstream media, simply go to www.socialchangenews.com and register – registration is free.

Registered users requesting authorization to access the news publishing platform for the first time must send a request to [email protected]. The initial screening process can take up to 72hours, however once authorization has been granted to the platform, all subsequent news posts will be published upon submission.

SocialChangeNews.com is a global initiative dedicated to creating a fundamental shift in thinking by raising awareness on the power of social change. We are committed to being the premier source in online news for social change, by highlighting breaking news on organizations and individuals working to transform society.

Media Contact: Daniel Coombs (305)300-7307 [email protected]

New media is growing and stirring up a hot online wave of skills needed for professionals and businesses who wish to make their mark using the internet. If you are looking for a job in this arena, that makes you a part of this ever-growing industry.

This social media website caters to all who want to seek a job that serves their creative interests. Those seeking jobs can search jobs related to various fields of media like advertising, content management, online and mobile marketing, traffic management, copywriting, web development and many more.

Newmediahire.com brings forth the best international networking plus jobs in the field. Employers can register and network to find suitable employees for their organization and view their resumes at no charge. Employees also use the site as an easy and effective method to get their vacancies filled at literally a fraction of the cost, especially during this economy. Many professionals who are looking for new opportunities or just new to the industry can have access to trade events and career information on the website that can help further their career.

On the website you can search for existing users of the website and even get important related businesses from the directory that the website makes available. Users can share their experiences in the blogs or learn the latest news from the media industry. The major benefit of the site is the ability to interact with social and digital media professionals from all areas of new media in one place.

There is so much more to the website that you can explore. Suggestions, ideas and new partnerships are welcome. Read career related articles, join friends and mix up professionals from the same field. If you have any information about a new event, you can post it on the website. This is the perfect place to be for web designers, creative writers, digital producers, advertising and multimedia professionals who wish to make long term connections in the media industry. There is no limit to the opportunities in media. Depend on newmediahire.com to get you the best jobs that match your media skill.

About NewMediaHire.com

NewMediaHire.com is a rapidly emerging preeminent new media and digital media job board. For further information please visit us at http://www.newmediahire.com.

Critical Exposure, a small D.C.-based nonprofit organization that empowers low-income students through photography and advocacy training, used an array of social media channels — including Twitter, Facebook and crowdsourcing — to mobilize hundreds of supporters and prevail over larger, more-established organizations in the recent GlobalGiving U.S. Open Challenge.
The contest pitted more than 70 charitable organizations against one another for $9,000 in cash bonuses and permanent spots on GlobalGiving.com, an online marketplace for international philanthropy. By strategically leveraging social networking and micro-blogging, Critical Exposure’s staff of four was able to generate the most individual donations and win two bonuses totaling $5,000.
“The GlobalGiving Challenge was a great opportunity for us to engage people through social media,” said Critical Exposure Co-Director Adam Levner. “Our supporters became personally invested in the competition through regular updates through Facebook, Twitter and email letting them know just how close the race was. The other key to our success was asking people to make just a $10 donation, which made it easier for friends and supporters to reach out to their networks.”
By the end of the challenge, held June 8-30, Critical Exposure raised $15,669 from 614 donors, winning an additional $3,000 for acquiring the greatest number of unique donors and $2,000 for finishing second in overall donations — for a total of $20,669.
Crowdsourcing — the act of calling upon a large, undefined group to perform a task — played a major role in the organization’s success. During the competition’s last days, Critical Exposure placed an open call to supporters, providing them with sample Facebook updates to post, Twitter messages to tweet and emails to send.
“The response blew us away,” added Levner. “Our supporters became a powerful fundraising force, taking it upon themselves to reach out to their personal networks, who then forwarded our messages to even more people. As a result, we received 300 donations on the last day alone.”
“On the final day of the contest, my Facebook page overflowed with status updates from dozens of supporters asking their friends to make a donation,” said Critical Exposure Co-Director Heather Rieman. “This contest proved that a small, dedicated group of people comfortable with social media tools can compete with anyone and win.”
Critical Exposure teaches low-income youth how to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for education reform and social change. The money raised through the GlobalGiving challenge will allow Critical Exposure to provide cameras and training to 60 students over the course of a year.
For more information on Critical Exposure, or to receive the “Student Photo of the Month” email, please visit www.criticalexposure.org.
About Critical Exposure
Critical Exposure empowers young people by teaching them how to use photography and their own voices to create social change. By combining art and advocacy, the organization’s unique approach gives youth a way to build public support to address serious issues they face daily, like poor school facilities, teen pregnancy, youth unemployment and homelessness.
Critical Exposure was founded in 2004 and has trained more than 450 middle and high school students in seven states. The powerful images produced by students have engaged the public and helped convince legislators to allocate more than $400 million dollars in new funding for public schools in under-served communities.
The students and their images have been featured on Oprah, CNN, the Washington Post, and other media outlets, reaching millions of people. By helping young people make a big difference with something as small as a camera, Critical Exposure is giving youth a chance to improve their lives and be leaders in their communities.

Rinnai Corporation, one of the world’s leading gas appliance manufacturers and the number one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America, has launched its first Facebook fan page, adding a new element to the company’s growing social media strategy. The page, entitled “Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters,” is designed for consumers and dealers who are fans of Rinnai’s tankless water heaters and for those who are interested in learning more about tankless technology. The page, which features basic company information, product images and videos, will serve as a platform for Rinnai to announce select promotions and events as they occur throughout the year.

“Social networks have really changed the way Rinnai communicates with consumers and dealers,” said Kelly Matheny, Rinnai’s e-marketing manager. “Networks like Facebook and Twitter allow us to create an ongoing dialogue with online audiences, which is of immeasurable value to our company. We’re not just using social media as another way to advertise; it’s helping us get a feel for what matters most to consumers and dealers as well as their overall impression of the Rinnai brand.”

The company’s foray into Facebook is the second step in a tiered social media strategy, which also includes participation in Twitter. Over the past few months, the company’s Twitter efforts have proven to be extremely valuable in a variety of areas, helping Rinnai address consumer inquiries, dealer requests for marketing materials and customer service issues.

“We branded our Rinnai Facebook and Twitter pages as corporate sites with the initial goal of reaching individuals who are already familiar with our brand. This allows us to provide information to captive audiences who are interested in the latest Rinnai news or are looking to interact with Rinnai regarding a particular product or marketing request,” said Matheny. “The beauty of social networking is that we will be able to leverage these existing relationships by encouraging our online networks to share their enthusiasm for Rinnai with others who may be unfamiliar with our brand. Ideally, we want to reach anyone who enjoys the comfort and convenience that hot water brings to daily life.”

Individuals can become a fan of the “Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters” Facebook page by visiting www.facebook.com/RinnaiTankless and clicking on the “Become a Fan” option. Twitter users can follow Rinnai at www.twitter.com/Rinnai. For more information about Rinnai, visit www.rinnai.us.

About Rinnai
Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances, including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the number one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in North America. Annual corporate revenues, including those of its subsidiaries, are in excess of $2.5 billion. With a global perspective to create 21st century products for the home and office, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and the pursuit of comfortable lifestyles. For more information about the Rinnai Corporation and Rinnai products, visit www.rinnai.us.