Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This

Figure 13.1 Someone was having fun advertising the new media through the old.

13Social Media Is the New Creative PlaygroundIt Seems Like a Free-For-All, But There Are Some Basic Guidelines

Social media is our global virtual coffee shop and, like any coffee shop, there's a new one opening every eight minutes. Among the many platforms out there (as of this writing) are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope, Pinterest, Vine, Google+, Flickr, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and the 200 million or so blogs (the best two of which, according to some—us—are heywhipple.com and Creativity Unbound).

This is the new media landscape (Figure 13.2). It's undoubtedly changed since this writing, but you get the idea. Our customers aren't flipping through magazines. They're not sitting back listening to the radio. And if they are watching TV, chances are they have a second screen open on their smartphone or tablet. This is the social Web.

Figure 13.2 This is where your client's customers are hanging out. Open your own account on each platform and study how they work.

The first stage of the Internet had been relatively passive. Early Web pages were static. Visitors could basically look and read and maybe leave a comment. But Web 2.0 made it possible for users to share, interact, and collaborate ...