Monthly Archives: August 2016

The Glorious Debut of Instagram Stories

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Yesterday, a certain social media giant made a blockbuster move by introducing Instagram Stories. I never saw it coming but when it dropped on Tuesday I experimented with it and read up on it as much as possible. It is what you have to do when you are a social media professional.

So although I still have a lot to learn, let me say this: Instagram Stories is pretty cool.

The introduction of Instagram Stories rocked the social media world this week.

The introduction of Instagram Stories rocked the social media world this week.

Over the past 36 hours, people have expressed either their love or hate for Instagram’s new rollout. I don’t see what there is not to like. You can now go to a powerhouse social media channel, one that most of us already have solid followings, and perform two important social tasks. You can post a beautiful, filtered picture or you can send off your grainy, silly 24 hour picture message. How is this bad?

Right by my house there is a joint Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts store. In my opinion, this sure beats going to each individual location if you woke up one day and wanted both an ice cream cone and a chocolate donut. To have ice cream and pastries under one roof is helpful, much in the same way that having artsy photos and sloppy images under one app is.

Best of all, Instagram did Instagram Stories right. Besides no geofilters (yet), Instagram’s version of 24 hour storytelling social media is perhaps better than Snapchat’s. Instagram rolled out a product that is easy to use, that is accessible, and that is powerful. I have perhaps 25 people that look at each of my Snaps in any given story. With still four hours left before my first image I posted to my debut Instagram Story disappears, I have already had 57 people view it.

As you can see from the number at the bottom of this image, 57 people have already viewed this terrible selfie.

As you can see from the number at the bottom of this image, 57 people have already viewed this terrible selfie.

But that is small potatoes compared to how big Instagram Stories will be for brands. Images I have posted to the Coastal Carolina inaugural Instagram Story just this morning are already receiving 2,500 views. Earlier I asked our audience to screen capture an image on the story and post to Twitter. Since then, multiple people have completed this tedious task. Keep in mind that this feature hasn’t even been out for 48 hours yet. For it to catch on this fast says a lot.

To test how our audience would respond to directions given over Instagram Stories, I posted this on the @ccuchanticleers Instagram account this morning. The response has been fantastic.

To test how our audience would respond to directions given over Instagram Stories, I posted this on the @ccuchanticleers Instagram account this morning. The response has been fantastic.

I have a reality to bring up and a question to ask. First the reality. This addition by Instagram obviously means more work for social media managers. Instead of telling one 24 hour story, we will be telling two. Of course telling the same story across both Snapchat and Instagram Stories won’t suffice. People in my industry are going to have to upgrade both the workload and creativity.

Our first test at Coastal will come this Friday at our summer commencement ceremony. Because I am fortunate enough to have two student workers, I will place one on Snapchat and one on Instagram Stories. I will then post myself to our regular Instagram platform. This will hopefully result in three different unique perspectives (but one voice) that will translate into great coverage.

My question is this: How will Snapchat be impacted? My opinion is based on what I have learned in the past. Remember when Instagram shattered Vine’s world three years ago with the release of video? At the time, I said Vine could remain respectable. I was wrong. Although Vine has survived, it is a shell of itself. The service still has a cult following but it is anything but a major player in the social media game.

Will Instagram take down another social media channel and force Snapchat to meet a similar fate as Vine? I don’t think Snapchat will be as doomed. Because of advertising and a massive number of people using the service, Snapchat won’t become irrelevant. But it won’t come away unscathed either. Mark my words, Instagram will take a big bite out of Snapchat. Money, contracts, and celebrities will help Snapchat continue to float but Instagram delivered a huge blow with yesterday’s rollout.

It is kind of weird getting to know my Instagram friends on a Snapchat level. But like with any social media change, after a week it will be the new normal. Well played, Instagram. Don’t Blink.

My Top Five Favorite Summer Olympics Events

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I have said it over and over again, I think the Summer Olympics are far superior to the Winter Olympics. At the base of this opinion is just that the games in the Summer Olympics are much more relevant to the entire globe. With that said and with the opening ceremony occurring this Friday, I thought I would share the events I look forward to watching the most at the Summer Olympics. So, without further adieu, here is my countdown of the top five sports I thoroughly enjoy when it comes to the summer games.

5. Basketball – I know basketball is perhaps a little bit regionalized but it makes my list mostly for nostalgia. I was mesmerized in 1996 (first time I ever remember watching the Olympics) by the United States men’s basketball team destroying the competition. To see all the superstars from the NBA come together for a common goal stuck with me. With Coach K once again leading the team this year, I get excited at watching America’s athletes transform their NBA game to the international level. I will be watching.

4. Swimming/Diving – Sorry to lump two different sports together but this list is too short. I don’t get as excited about swimming as some do, but it is still a Summer Olympics hallmark sport and I love the photo finishes. Also, with the technology available these days, the actual broadcast/coverage of the races is superb. Diving is great because it makes me nervous and it makes me hold my breath. Not to mention what they do in the air before making a perfect splash is incredibly cool.

3. Beach Volleyball – To me, beach volleyball is plain fun. It screams summer. The rules are simple, the chemistry between teammates is top notch, and high level athleticism is on display at all times. I also enjoy admiring the physiques of the participants. This isn’t in some sick way either. Beach volleyball participants, both women and men, are a crazy type of fit. My full respect goes out to them all.

2. Weightlifting – In terms of the goal, weightlifting is an easily defined sport. But everything that goes into catapulting a bar that is five times your weight over your head is not. Rather, it is a science. I am intrigued at watching the athletes go through their whole routine. Watching them get in the zone, approach the platform, brace themselves, practice perfect technique, and then execute the lift is quite the sight. You can feel the tension the whole way through and then you can also feel the unrivaled accomplishment as the athlete drops the bar after a successful attempt. So much power, yet so much discipline. I love watching weightlifting.

1. Track and Field – The easiest part of making this list was designating my #1 favorite event to watch. By far, I enjoy watching track and field the most. In my thought process, track and field is synonymous with the Olympics. When you shut your eyes and think of the summer games, a vision of people running, jumping, and throwing should appear. But my joy of watching track and field at the Olympics goes beyond just symbolism. The competitors you see compete in track and field this month are the best athletes in Rio. How can you not like watching people perform a full out sprint for 800 meters? Or use a pole to fly over a bar 19 feet in the air? Or hurl a ball of metal 75 feet? Or glide through the air covering ten yard sticks?

With track and field, I just find it the epitome of athletic competition. The title of “World’s Greatest Athlete” that is bestowed on the decathlon winner is the most accurate description in sports. When the lights go on in the stadium at Rio and the track and field events start that is when the 2016 Summer Olympics truly begin.

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Can you tell I am excited for Friday to get here? We only have the opportunity to enjoy this once every four years so start preparing yourself. What events can’t you miss? Don’t Blink.

Why This August Will Be the Best Ever

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I like months. I organize my life according to months and, come to think about it, that probably isn’t that weird of a thing. It is a big reason for why they exist, right? Well, anyway, I think it is possible to say that I might focus more than others on the 12 four-week periods of time that dominate our calendar year.

I have written before on how I really enjoy March and July. I have also written about how I don’t really care for January and February. Additionally, I have briefly mentioned my thoughts on other months as well. But believe it or not, I have never really addressed August.

I think there are people out there who are afraid of August. In fact, these people dread August so they start to despise July just because they know it is the month before August. I get it. School starts, obligations return, the party ends. The start of August seems to signify “the last hurrah” of summer and once the mid and end of the month arrive, it is back to business.

Personally, I enjoy the month of August. As someone who loves the heat, I don’t mind the hottest month of the year. I love that it coincides with the start of football season. As someone who works in higher education, I like that it does signify the start of school because it makes my job so much more interesting. To me August is still summer but it carries with it a preview of autumn.

But like I said, I know others don’t care for the month. This makes me feel bad. I know my wife takes August hard because it means she has to go back to work. Believe me, it takes A LOT to plan and start a school year. Many people who work in the service and tourist industry don’t welcome the month with open arms either. It means the season and decent paychecks are coming to an end. Folks who plan their lives around summer vacations and escapades also experience a letdown with the arrival of the eighth month of the year.

With that said, let me say this: August 2016 should be the best August any of us have experienced for years.

I am not saying this because we are living in a historical time right now with the closest and nastiest presidential election we have seen. I am not saying it because this season of “Big Brother” is incredible and this month is going to be full of terrific episodes. I am not saying it because “War Dogs” will drop in movie theaters on Aug. 19.

I am saying that August 2016 will be great because we will have the Summer Olympics to watch.

I have said before that the Olympic games seem to define certain periods in our lives. When I think of the Athens games in 2004 I immediately think of the summer of my senior year of high school right in the middle of football double days. I would come home between practices and watch the games.

When I think of the 2006 winter games in Torino I think of watching them over at a fraternity house where I had a short stint of seeing what it was all about (I never joined). When I think of the 2008 Beijing games I take myself back to the University of Montana campus where I was in resident assistant training.

The 2012 London games remind me of coming home after long days working in the athletic department and sitting down on the couch to watch the prime time coverage. The 2014 Sochi games conjure up the feeling I had of holding my breath the whole time hoping that nothing would go wrong.

So not only are the Summer Olympics vastly superior to the Winter Olympics but the games act as sort of a time capsule of our existence. Don’t we want to remember these moments with happiness?

The Summer Olympics are awesome! Make sure to enjoy the games while allowing them to capture your heart and imagination. If you do this, there is no way you will have a bad August. Don’t Blink.