Tag Archives: social media

Tiny Desk Concerts

Posted in Public Relations, Social Media by

As an avid NPR listener, I was thrilled to get the chance to help my friend with her video submission to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest. If you haven’t seen a Tiny Desk Concert, they are exactly what you would expect – a concert at a desk. These talented musicians truly make it their own. Here are some highlights to get familiar with the concept.

I’ve been helping local SF singer/songwriter, Samaya, increase her social media presence and thought this opportunity was just perfect for her. With an iPhone in hand, a few mood lights and a keyboard we recorded her new single “Cycles”. I see a great future for her as an artist and excited to be a small part of her success.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand…GRPs

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Social Media by

Last week Apple announced a new advertising campaign featuring user-generated iPhone photography — shedding a spotlight on how fabulous the iPhone camera has become and proving you can even blow them up to billboard sizes.

The quality of photos that are produced from the iPhone are truly amazing and create one of a kind masterpieces like this magical shot from Shan L. in San Francisco, CA.

iPhone_ad campaign_cover_0_0

From a marketing and advertising standpoint, it’s great to see real, authentic photos being used as content by major brands like Apple. With mobile phones containing professional grade cameras in everyones pocket, and companies required in the information age to continuously churn out content on a regular basis, it seems only natural that brands start using content created from their users.

If you think about it, using user-generated content will only create a stronger connection between a brand and its customers since they will be seeing familiar and relatable content. This is what every brand wants – to truly connect with their target audience.

The one barrier I see with this trend is properly licensing photos and the legal ramifications companies could face. Once this is solved though and more brands begin to use this type of content for advertising, marketing and social media, I bet we will see an increase in positive interactions, Gross Rating Points (GRPs) and overall conversations.

Twitter Connections

Posted in Funny, Social Media by

The power of Twitter never ceases to amaze me. It’s a place that delivers breaking news, connects unlikely friends and allows anyone to have a voice. This post was inspired by recent events that took place on my Twitter feed. Here’s my thoughts on how brands can really take advantage of Twitter.

Quick and helpful response

When a customer takes the time to reach out to a company they, rightfully so, expect a response. I know, I know, our constant need for instant gratification is out of control, but really this is a perfect opportunity for a company to set themselves apart. A good example of what not to do came from my experience with 24 Hour Fitness.

Instead of responding to my SOS, 24 Hour Fitness followed me…which was extremely confusing. Maybe it was an olive branch but I was searching for some sort of sympathy for my situation. At least @CrunchGym was there to the rescue!

Screen Shot 2014-04-03 at 10.11.16 PM

On the flip side, @nordstrom_rack did a great job reaching out to me. I tweeted something on my mind, silly really, not expecting a response. Although a somewhat general reply at least there was effort.

 

Personalization makes it special

My recent encounter with @WholeFoods on Twitter was fantastic and I would expect nothing less. Their brand persona on social is extremely friendly and helpful and it shows through the interactions with customers. This simple, thoughtful, personalized tweet made me feel special. Gold stars for Whole Foods!

 

Celebrity encounters 

Eric Stonestreet may possibly be my favorite celebrity to follow on Twitter. He’s completely transparent and connects with his fans on a whole new level. Today a fan sent out a simple tweet about her dad being on the same train and initiated a hilarious public chat. I encourage you to take a look at the flurry of tweets, which concludes with Eric asking if she’s done her homework and a priceless selfie.

 

Twitter, like any tool, is only as powerful as the user. Brands can use this direct communication to rise to the top of the pack or sink to the bottom. I’ll tell you this much, I cancelled my gym membership but walked into that Nordstrom Rack – just sayin’.

By the way, follow me! I swear I do more than air my grievances 🙂

Smashing Writer’s Block

Posted in Marketing, Social Media, Writing by

I’ve been in a little writing rut recently and on a quest for inspiration. While browsing ‘The Google’ (my newest expression) I stumbled upon this great tool from HubSpot and had to share. It’s called HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator and it is just ridiculously easy – and fun. You simply input three nouns and voilà, there are five blog stories waiting to be written. Here’s my blog topics:

social media, San Francisco, startups

  1. Think You’re Cut Out For Doing Social Media? Take This Quiz
  2. What Will San Francisco Be Like In 100 Years?
  3. Why We Love Startups (And You Should, Too!)
  4. 20 Myths About Social Media
  5. 10 Quick Tips About San Francisco

Now I think I can work with that. With a little research, some personal insights and a large cup of coffee one of these will make a great post.

Speaking of inspirational blogs, the HubSpot Blog has a plethora of really fantastic articles about every aspect of marketing. The mix of information, timely and fun articles published daily keeps me coming back for more. One of my favorites that has saved me many times is “The 6 Marketing Metrics Your CEO Actually Cares About”. Great reminder that marketing is about results.

HubSpot Logo

Disclaimer: These thoughts and opinions are my own – I’m not getting paid to endorse HubSpot (although I wouldn’t refuse! *hint hint*) – just a true fan.

Global Communications in the Digital Era

Posted in Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media by

Last week I attended an event hosted by LewisPR (@Lewisprus) with a very interesting panel discussion on Global Communications in the Digital Era. The experienced panel included:

#globalPRpanel

#globalPRpanel

  • Talia Baruch @TaliaBaruch – International Program Manager at LinkedIn
  • Kristin Wahl @k2w – PR Director at Citrix
  • Lynn Fox @foxycar – Principle at Fox Communications, her own PR consulting agency

One of the most important take-aways from the night was the importance of localization in PR and marketing in everything from messaging and branding to images used. The pros of this strategy is the innate connection with locals of the targeted countries. On the flip side it is important to keep a consistent brand image and mission across all geos. This is obviously a challenging task to balance the needs of different cultures while not diminishing the brand.

Talia Baruch brought up the concept of a ‘glocal’ mindset companies should incorporate into all communication strategies. The concept is to think global and act local. A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to help your brand stand out or become integrated into new cultures. It’s all about tailoring the product and messaging to cultural norms. An example of product globalization is McDonald’s offering distinct menu items within different countries. This in no way diminishes their brand mission “to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink”, in fact, it supports the mission.

All the panelists agreed any strategy begins with doing your homework. The more work you put into understanding the location the better your message will be received. A great example of this is Airbnb taking localization to a new level. Back in September at a Searchmetrics seminar, Dennis Goedegebuure, Head of Global SEO at Airbnb discussed the launch of Airbnb Neighborhoods. Airbnb is becoming hyper-localized by bringing users more than just a place to stay but also a full travel experience and value to local businesses where tourists may not have gone otherwise.  Goedegebuure disclosed the first task when developing this concept was to conduct surveys on the ground in each location to discover what people are doing and create a comprehensive economic impact study. This allows Airbnb target specific interests based on location and become completely immersed and knowledgeable of the culture.

To find out more about the event check out the LewisPR blog or search for #globalPRpanel on Twitter. Also got this handy dandy Global Media Guide. Looking forward to the next LewisPR event!

Social Parody

Posted in Funny, Social Media by

I’m always in the mood for a hilarious YouTube vid but when one makes fun of social media, that really hits my funny bone. My friend, who is also social media obsessed, sent me this video from Cracked.com and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Probably my favorite part is the interaction with Google and Bing. They really did get all these personas down perfectly! Just proves there is always truth in comedy.