Anniversaries:
Megan (2001)
Birthdays:
Stacey – May 16th
Category Archives: May 2010
TuneWiki – Music To Your Ears
In the mood for some Romanian Kiss FM music? Feel like singing along, karaoke-style, to your favorite songs, no matter where you are? Want to find out what people are listening to, and from where, around the world?
If any of these prospects intrigue you, then you must check out “TuneWiki”, a robust iPhone music app (also available on Droid), that has, for many, become a replacement for those smart phones’ default music players. One of TuneWiki’s most popular features is its ability to synchronize song lyrics and display album covers and information. You can also create playlists, access YouTube videos, and stream local and international radio stations.
There is also a social media component that ranks most popular songs, indicates how many listeners are “tuned in” to specific songs and radio stations, and pinpoints where they are located on Google “music maps”.
This app is fun, easy to use, and offers access to a multi-media world of radio, video, and song lyrics. Whatever your taste, it offers a smorgasboard of audible delights. Enjoy!
TwitterCasting
Turn your tweets into more than just a headline. Twitter Casting allows you to break the 140 character limit with live streaming messages. Tired of trying to cram a complete thought and url into a single sentence? Now you can take your time and express yourself in a clear message that will stream to your followers. It’s podcasting for Twitter. Already creating podcasts? Now you can distribute them online for instant streaming or download.
Websites and apps like mp3twit.com, tweetmic.com, and chir.ps allow you to record or upload audio to be tweeted out to your followers. Now you can quickly and easily “broadcast” yourself via Twitter. Let your followers know what’s on your mind and let them hear your voice.
Don’t like the sound of your voice? Looking for something more professional? Turn to your audio marketing partner, HOLDCOM, for the right voice for your Audio Tweets. Go to voiceprompts.com to sample voices.
Click here to check out a sample Audio Tweet. Ask us how to turn your Message-On-Hold program into an Audio Tweet you can send out to your followers.
Interested in other audio applications for Twitter? Check out Twuner, which lets you listen to your tweets.
SOCAP Atlanta – Gets Social
The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for the Spring Symposium. With the focus on Social Media, much of the discussions were centered around who in the organization should have ownership over responding to Social Media comments/responses as well as tools and processes for filtering and reporting on Social Media mentions.
The better than average attended conference, once again brought consumer affairs professionals from around the country to share ideas and content to improve customer service. Keynote speakers – including Jim Parker, former CEO of SouthWest Airlines; Senior VP of Global Public Affairs & Communications Clyde Tuggle of Coca Cola; and Michael Tchong Anyalyst and Founder of Ubercool - related past, present and future ideas of customer service, brand loyalty, and tipping trends.
In addition to the educational and networking take-a-ways, below are just a couple of video take-a-ways that were shared at the conference.
The first video, which was featured in Clyde Tuggle’s keynote, was created by the marketing minds at Coke and was designed as viral video.
Michael Tchong used the comedy of Ellen Degeneres to drive home his point of “Time Compression” (click on the link to view the video).
If you were unable to attend, you missed a great conference. Mark your calendars now for the annual Fall conference which will be held in San Francisco, October 17 -20. For more information about SOCAP, visit their website at www.socap.org.
Change
Over the course of twenty years of providing Message-On-Hold services, it is interesting to reflect on changes in technology and how they have affected the industry.Long gone are the days of the endless loop tape, floppy disc systems, and even the first “primitive” digital announcers that were less than user friendly. The evolution of digital technology has led to the development of MOH systems that take full advantage of the latest in digital storage and transmission, including USB Flash Drives and the Internet. Remote load units, which have been around for at least a decade, are still in vogue, since their capacity for convenient, automated programming and hands-free maintenance continues to be appreciated by most multi-location companies.And more recently, the migration from traditional phone systems to VoIP has, in many cases, eliminated the need for peripheral MOH equipment altogether. This shift in focus from hardware to software has created efficiencies by removing physical media requirements. MOH programs can be delivered via email or FTP as digital audio files, independent of discs and cartridges, and copied directly to an MOH server or PC. No more shipping…almost instant gratification!
On the production side, many talents who were once inaccessible for multi-lingual projects, particularly those located in other countries, can now FTP their recordings to Holdcom for post-production, file preparation, and delivery. And, with improvements in microphones, mixers, and computer-based recording and signal processing software, professional audio engineers and producers can deliver more with less than ever before.
Changes in technology have also influenced the way businesses market themselves, which has an impact on MOH content.For example, when it became clear that every company worth its salt needed a web presence, driving traffic to their web sites became paramount.Every form of advertising, in every media, from business cards to TV commercials, soon included a URL address.Message-On-Hold was no exception, and today, almost every program produced by Holdcom encourages a visit to a website.Most recently, with Social Media the rage, MOH programs are directing callers to Twitter, Linked In, company blogs, Face Book, and other networking sites.Whatever the impact of technology, Message-On-Hold will continue to provide value as an effective way to reach customers with one-on-one communication.
Spring Cleaning for your Script
Ah Springtime!With everything in nature in full bloom, it’s no wonder people take this opportunity to “Spring Clean” their house and revive things after a long, cold winter.The same should adhere to your Message-On-Hold program. Now’s the time to take a look at what’s currently playing on-hold and freshen it up.Not much of a wordsmith?Well fortunately HOLDCOM’s Script Department consists of experienced and knowledgeable professionals who are ready to lend a hand.Simply call 800-666-6465 or email scripts@holdcom.com and request a copy of your current message to review and revise it.And you never know what may grow from enhancing your on-hold marketing material!
Paperless or Clueless?
Parents with children in school know that email has become a preferred means of communication, and this school year my sister signed up for this service. This would allow her to only print what she REALLY needed, and make a small contribution to conserve natural resources and help the environment. Well, her eco-friendly gesture backfired. Now, she not only receives multiple, redundant emails, but ALSO paper notices and flyers announcing the same events… and often several copies of them! This leads me to wonder if we’re any closer to achieving the goal of a “Paperless Society”.
I’m proud to say that my current work habits at HOLDCOM have me using far less paper – I often don’t print anything for days at a time. I used to print out a daily call list of clients, but now I create a PDF file for reference throughout the day. And thanks to e-mail, scripts are delivered “virtually” to clients, eliminating the need for faxing, which was a standard day-to-day operation when I first started as a Script Consultant.
But this isn’t about patting myself on the back; it’s about asking you to evaluate your daily work habits and identify ways to decrease dependency on the hand-held copy.
What are some other things you can do? I know some companies still fax, but at least consider switching your fax number to an email conversion service. This way, you’ll get an email notification of the fax you’re receiving and then you can decide if it is print-worthy. At HOLDCOM, we offer clients a choice of how they would like their invoices sent. While some clients still prefer to receive a hard copy through the mail or have invoices faxed, most prefer to have invoices emailed. This makes for fast distribution, easy payment processing and provides a digital record of the invoice. Not to mention all the paper, envelopes, toner and postage that are saved. Can your organization provide invoices and other documentation digitally?
HOLDCOM recently produced audio recordings for TME Consulting Limited, whose product line eliminates paper through the use of digital documentation and electronic signatures. Check out how their services can help your organization obtain this goal at www.securedsigning.com.
The HOLDCOM Voice would love to hear your suggestions about how you’ve helped minimize paper use. Email us at newsletter@holdcom.com