tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48747508994671489982024-02-21T19:12:36.222-08:00lucyrk78Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-2712612661426609802016-02-16T11:06:00.002-08:002016-02-16T11:13:40.844-08:00Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake BarsBecause one or the other isn't enough, right?<br />
These are very rich, so perhaps the best part is, you don't eat too many at once and truly savor the flavor of the cookie dough along with the sharper flavor of the cheesecake.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
Crust:<br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2TQ5jY4r1uJjKiG00dctqh3nMNQDkDdWm0GNwswh_Dv3i9KiCAcvrTZ-gQ-40cpLWDPfvwv-_TkJBs4pmciVBWLIaCG25yOeGheFoJL910OgsTTZD9i3Xnm4KWvRd6vB_SMBdCQQSHI/s1600/IMG_5666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2TQ5jY4r1uJjKiG00dctqh3nMNQDkDdWm0GNwswh_Dv3i9KiCAcvrTZ-gQ-40cpLWDPfvwv-_TkJBs4pmciVBWLIaCG25yOeGheFoJL910OgsTTZD9i3Xnm4KWvRd6vB_SMBdCQQSHI/s320/IMG_5666.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>2 cup flour</li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>2/3 cup softened (not melted) butter</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>2/3 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>2 tsp Vanilla</li>
<li>2 cup chocolate chips</li>
</ul>
Filling:<br />
<ul>
<li>8 oz softened cream cheese</li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
</ul>
<strong><u>Instructions</u></strong><br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA_8XBibwADFW7IlhyMHsKSZmakFETHlkcj2rHr7nAUcG5IsTho88ID1P1tRP6lzf-NmO_xbS5pmRvAvjhFxlRJ6RSK9TtSPocdUm-5A2aSh_RG4R-Ptp0UzscX2GdLBDpqX6W66MfEM/s1600/IMG_5678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA_8XBibwADFW7IlhyMHsKSZmakFETHlkcj2rHr7nAUcG5IsTho88ID1P1tRP6lzf-NmO_xbS5pmRvAvjhFxlRJ6RSK9TtSPocdUm-5A2aSh_RG4R-Ptp0UzscX2GdLBDpqX6W66MfEM/s200/IMG_5678.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Preheat oven to 350</li>
<li>Line a 9x9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray</li>
<li>Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt (for the crust)</li>
<li>Mix (with electric mixer) together butter, brown sugar and sugar, until fluffy</li>
<li>Add the egg and vanilla, and keep mixing until it's all mixed together</li>
<li>Add in your flour mixture and mix until all incorporated</li>
<li>Fold in the chocolate chips slowly</li>
<li>Press 2/3 of this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, and smooth so the layer is even</li>
<li>Combine your filling ingredients and beat until blended</li>
<li>Spread the filling over the cookie dough layer and smooth so it's all level</li>
<li>Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the filling layer</li>
<li>Bake for 1 hour, or until the cheesecake is set and the cookie dough begins to brown</li>
<li>Cool completely before slicing</li>
<li>Enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGguijaLaKamxA40QAR4QSUePPJIOmxUwi3tDuXhs2Y8j_DApVTpRboSR6eRaiDxjesq6rhW8NxIwfayfzCIUcZHzC7Qg1tpRbl1y_AhTF4X7X0eEgN2Y4M_rR4VQ5RbIdk66EGKwSu5s/s1600/IMG_0211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGguijaLaKamxA40QAR4QSUePPJIOmxUwi3tDuXhs2Y8j_DApVTpRboSR6eRaiDxjesq6rhW8NxIwfayfzCIUcZHzC7Qg1tpRbl1y_AhTF4X7X0eEgN2Y4M_rR4VQ5RbIdk66EGKwSu5s/s320/IMG_0211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-91400131952055359092016-02-12T07:33:00.001-08:002016-02-12T07:34:32.006-08:00Market To Everyone and You Reach No One<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ftGWrN6dOloryXXpTJ8TN7gPKjOfta4TTriOSbIdSGxVmouucr-yjFp6IxbtOfyF9HmU6kVESMvLwEda_-ADO6vJpZYFkJZ8w48V_0sK7fEopnFo93iU14AF14S6cPB2Tnq9jCfEt18/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ftGWrN6dOloryXXpTJ8TN7gPKjOfta4TTriOSbIdSGxVmouucr-yjFp6IxbtOfyF9HmU6kVESMvLwEda_-ADO6vJpZYFkJZ8w48V_0sK7fEopnFo93iU14AF14S6cPB2Tnq9jCfEt18/s200/IMG_1640.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A successful marketer knows how to read people. I think about
this every day, as I’m creating strategies, programs and content for my
clients, and always can hear Kenny Loggins singing in my head. “I’ve made a
living out of reading people’s faces…” We used to have to put together
elaborate buyer personas, and market to people who fit into those molds.
However, with the rise of social media, and the increasing number of people
from all demographics using various social media platforms, we can now create
content and programming based on real people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prior to social media, marketing tactics were more
widespread. We could put together a great promotion and send it out to a wide
variety of stores, or place an ad in a newspaper where hundreds of people would
see it, or even put up a billboard. That was how we used to reach people. We
would throw messages out en masse, in hopes that it would reach both our
current customers and potential new customers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">That doesn’t work anymore. Today, we realize that we need to
personalize content, to “each” person, and market to that “one” person.
Consumers today are not just smarter to the ways of marketing, but they are
suffering from marketing messaging and ad fatigue. Even if a great ad comes
across them, they might tune it out without even meaning to – there are simply
too many messages being thrown out there on too many mediums today.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, how does someone break through that? If people are tuning
out ads without even knowing they’re doing it, how can we ensure our messaging
won’t get tuned out? It is a lot easier than many marketing folks realize, and
while it takes more work to market with personalization, it will help ensure
the messages are landing where they need to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Know Who
You Are Talking To<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkpijtHIXzV8dlRpNrr7n1oV9HdugEAPX2kX8Yp9Ogmna36WgnrFcr_ECdyUlaDoN3jO_UQg_tTN2X-j82WZWNPKDtwbjL6U3G-M3F1UAnD2dO5Jh5hfkyteJcbU7GWLThjFrc9bWCfQ/s1600/IMG_3155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkpijtHIXzV8dlRpNrr7n1oV9HdugEAPX2kX8Yp9Ogmna36WgnrFcr_ECdyUlaDoN3jO_UQg_tTN2X-j82WZWNPKDtwbjL6U3G-M3F1UAnD2dO5Jh5hfkyteJcbU7GWLThjFrc9bWCfQ/s200/IMG_3155.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This goes a bit deeper than simply saying “know your
target audience.” You need to get more specific in your head with who IN your
target audience you are speaking to. My target audience for a brand I work with
might be men and women, ages 18-40 who live in Southern California. Sounds
pretty specific, right? Yet it’s not specific enough. I need to delve deeper
and start listening to what segmented groups of that audience are saying about
my brand, what their buying habits are, and how I can reach them before they
even realize my brand can enhance their life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Relate Your
Messaging to “Me”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We are all consumers at some point in our day, of a
variety of different products. What makes you choose one brand over another?
For me, I will choose a brand that makes the most sense for my life. As a
marketer, I need to reach “me” and show you how my brand can seamlessly fit
into your life, and how much easier or better your life will then be, due to
using, eating or drinking my brand. What questions are being asked by the
people you are trying to reach, and how can your product or service answer
those questions? Those answers need to be provided in your content and
messaging.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Where Can I
Find My Audience, and in What Format?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Not only does the content I send to you need to be
relevant on topic, but it also needs to land in the right spot for “each”
person. I am pretty vocal about my love for Twitter. Some people don’t use
Twitter and prefer to use Facebook. If the person I’m trying to reach prefers
to receive their messaging on one platform, my personal preferences don’t
matter – YOURS do. How “you” want to receive content needs to be a marketer’s
main focus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Emails have employed this idea since inception– how many
times have you signed up for an email subscription and been asked if you prefer
messages in HTML or plain text? That is an example of personalization. Today,
people consume content in more ways than simply plain text – does your target
audience prefer infographics? Blogs? Do they attend Twitter chats for the
information they seek?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Don’t Be
Creepy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Bibke25I1yk_2CnSloBt8YMtdDq5cM6GVtLrvFvtZvVhDoDNtZWAjpQvYp5s8Qx8yiYy6d0uDDlt6IqNXda3v3dpvKkvyeONYCUGPQ0IoRIna26ADgstQJFNmJUGHKpm9QN8_JsIxA/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Bibke25I1yk_2CnSloBt8YMtdDq5cM6GVtLrvFvtZvVhDoDNtZWAjpQvYp5s8Qx8yiYy6d0uDDlt6IqNXda3v3dpvKkvyeONYCUGPQ0IoRIna26ADgstQJFNmJUGHKpm9QN8_JsIxA/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Personalization, when done right, is smooth. You don’t
want to personalize too far down, to the point that people feel like their
space or privacy is being invaded. You can personalize content and strategies
without it seeming like you have been listening in on people’s private conversations.
Social listening does not mean stalking!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Undoubtedly, personalized content marketing takes much
longer than any marketing of the past. However, what happens to the very best
content ever produced in the history of man when it’s not seen? Did it really
exist? If you are taking the time and psending the money to put out marketing
messaging, it only follows that you want those efforts to pay off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There is more data to be found and more ways to have
real conversations with your target consumer than ever. Understand who those
people are, so you can develop relevant content for them that is then delivered
at the right time, in the right format and where they are best able to benefit
from it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-66549646279708261062016-02-08T07:25:00.001-08:002016-02-08T07:25:59.143-08:00All Social Platforms Were Not Created Equal
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sure, you can easily lump all the different social media
platforms into a large bucket and call them “Social Media,” but to truly reach
your target audience today, it means tailoring your messaging for each
platform. While a “spray and pray” method used to work in the past, it doesn’t
anymore. Consumers talk about content fatigue, and are getting much smarter in
their abilities to tune out “bad” marketing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, to really speak to THAT consumer you are writing each
piece of content for, it has to be relevant. And relevance isn’t limited simply
to the topic; the platform and method of content delivery is equally important.
I have a few friends that will write something they are proud of, or think is
great for who they are trying to get in front of, and they will post the same
piece, word for word on both Twitter and Facebook. Here’s why I’m already tuned
out – if I were to see it on only Twitter or only Facebook, I might feel it’s a
bit more tailored to me and my needs. But the second I see it just thrown out
there, my mind has become trained to begin ignoring what the piece is about,
even if it is exactly what I’m looking for. Social media has trained my brain
to look at marketing messaging cast out in a huge net and phishing. Also, and
here’s the catch – if you are posting the same thing on both Twitter and
Facebook, what is my (and countless hundreds of others) incentive for following
you on both sites? While personalizing your marketing is important, if you are
posting identical content on both of those platforms, you are losing out on
potentially millions more people seeing your content.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhtaCtd7kC9WAgJRIieGSjzrS5AisUba_ZG9LVFPLqUMQ4CpmCmTZbkGGJc2WuMIlquCnfGRCWGV8MsQkh-gO84-7HiKVInCKdy_P-5saZY_T31Z_SR7D4boDb-1jUuEeLwayujGGuPk/s1600/IMG_5350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhtaCtd7kC9WAgJRIieGSjzrS5AisUba_ZG9LVFPLqUMQ4CpmCmTZbkGGJc2WuMIlquCnfGRCWGV8MsQkh-gO84-7HiKVInCKdy_P-5saZY_T31Z_SR7D4boDb-1jUuEeLwayujGGuPk/s320/IMG_5350.JPG" width="197" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unfortunately, these friends of mine that are doing this
aren’t necessarily “new” to marketing, or “new” to using social media
marketing. Nor are they alone – I am surprised almost daily at people I used to
think of my go-to’s for “best practices” doing this exact same thing. I like to
think that it’s not a misunderstanding of how to use social media platforms
correctly, but then what am I left with? Are they simply lazy? Or do they truly
not recognize that each social media site is different? WHO you are writing for
needs to be just as much of a focus as WHERE you are writing for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For brevity, let’s focus on just Twitter and Facebook here.
Both are necessary for businesses and brands to garner attention, new
customers, and deepen relationships with existing customers. Those current and
potential customers, as well as you and me (and millions of others) go to each
of those sites for different reasons. It is our job as marketers to learn what
those reasons are, and what drives people to one site for certain information
and sharing, where they are most receptive to information we are aiming to
provide for them, and where ultimately, we can convert them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twitter vs Facebook:
What’s the Big Difference?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are generalizations we can make about who visits each
site, and break those down by demographics. When we understand who is going
where, we can begin to come up with strategies to get in front of those people,
to achieve each of our goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The statistics seem to change daily, but it appears that
Twitter users skew younger than Facebook’s average users. That makes a
difference when you think of what content to share on Facebook. Many articles
have recently been written that the biggest growth in users that Facebook is
seeing recently is within the 65+ crowd. So while emojis and gifs may be all
the rage on Twitter, they will most likely not be as relevant on Facebook. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We can then generalize and say that content written for
Facebook needs to go a bit deeper in information and topic, and be written for
a more mature audience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Working off personal knowledge, (as marketers need to be
able to do) Facebook friends are more often people you know in person, as
opposed to Twitter, where you are more likely to have “Twitter friends” you
have never met. Think of the people you engage with the most on Twitter – if you
are like me, they span the globe more than the people you are friends with on
Facebook. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is important to keep in mind for writing content –
content for Twitter may need to have a more global feel than Facebook posts. If
you are a brand, odds are that the people that have liked you on Facebook are
more concentrated in where they live – that would make sense, since people are
more likely to like a brand they can purchase. If you only sell in the US, it
follows that you will not have many likes coming from the UK or Australia,
while on Twitter, people from another country may follow you more for your
content, than for availability, coupons or deals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How do topics differ
between Twitter and Facebook?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Right away, you can see that with the character restraints
currently on Twitter, content must be written to grab your audience much
faster. Facebook allows you to write more in a post, whereas on Twitter you
would have to send someone off the platform via links to get your full message
out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we mentioned with friends vs people you haven’t met,
Facebook topics tend to be more personal in nature. Twitter topics are less
personal, focusing more on trending topics, news and opinions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twitter moves much faster than Facebook. The average life
span of a tweet is under an hour, where on Facebook, posts are seen for much
longer (depending on how many friends you have). Because of this, you will want
to repeat certain tweets during different times of the day, where on Facebook,
you will only post the same post once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the flip side, Twitter is like a raucous soiree in which
everyone is talking over everyone else. Therefore, the relationships are pretty
superficial and all about the fun they are having at that moment in time. You
may find that Facebook is better for your brand for converting casual consumers
to more loyal buyers. I believe this is because with the more personal nature
of sharing on Facebook, influence amongst friends recommending products to one
other is stronger, because people are more connected and personal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, because of hashtags and Twitters search functions,
people that influence others will tend to influence many more people than they
do on Facebook. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do we do now,
with this information?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We begin by learning to write for Twitter and for Facebook,
but not with the same content at the same time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s start with
Twitter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twitter allows you to post 140 characters per Tweet.
However, it is recommended to use much less, so that people can RT your posts
and still have space to include commentary, as well as allowing yourself room
for hashtags that will help each<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tweet
reach the people you are writing it for. Hashtags will also allow you to
encourage conversations between people around those terms. I would suggest
aiming for no more than 100 characters/tweet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will want to have something compelling and relevant to
say in the beginning of your tweet to grab followers’ attention and stand out
in an increasingly busy stream. Images are perfect for attracting people to
your tweets and can say much more than your allowed 140 characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now for Facebook<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If we researched and learned that Facebook is more personal,
posts on this platform will need more emotion tied to them. You have more room
here to tell more stories from a personal point of view, so take advantage of
that time and space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Images are just as important on Facebook as they are on
Twitter. They still help grab attention on the News Feed and give people more opportunity
to connect with your visual and your words. Now, you even have the option of
adding a personal video or even live stream without having to take users off
the platform they are already looking to connect with you on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Know Your Audience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No matter the platform, you will need to know who is going
to see your posts and when, and what their preferred method of receiving your
content is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The better and more personally you can get to know your
target audience, the better you can craft posts for them, no matter the site.
It takes time to listen, chat and engage with all the people you want to, but
without doing so, you won’t have the edge on knowing what types of content they
are seeking, and where they are most likely to see it. The time you spend
getting to know your audience will definitely pay off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-6208490412978002372016-02-01T07:47:00.000-08:002016-02-01T07:47:03.453-08:00Skinny Chocolate MuffinsI am all for rationalizing my indulgences and turning guilty pleasures into just pleasures. Especially when it comes to chocolate. I recently made these muffins and loved them. I want to work on making them stay a bit moister for longer - let me know if you have any tips!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ef6DMayXjPAqK4DRDwIVEIKJJc-2-Zdq8FxAg7FSKZw0xCNToobPk6WzgGxr8BrZR36WLilWMwqPvP_elpoM0QaKPxPRIUXva8IMARBbgrQWRnxSPwFvesnViED0j1x1mnN0BTx-3Ds/s1600/IMG_5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ef6DMayXjPAqK4DRDwIVEIKJJc-2-Zdq8FxAg7FSKZw0xCNToobPk6WzgGxr8BrZR36WLilWMwqPvP_elpoM0QaKPxPRIUXva8IMARBbgrQWRnxSPwFvesnViED0j1x1mnN0BTx-3Ds/s200/IMG_5359.JPG" width="183" /></a><strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 c brown sugar + 1 tbsp. brown sugar, firmly packed</li>
<li>3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa</li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/4 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/2 c water</li>
<li>1/4 c unsweetened applesauce</li>
<li>1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar</li>
<li>1 1/2 margarine, melted</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla extract</li>
</ul>
<strong><u>Instructions</u></strong><br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1muxUsknVlQ6OtBut4HkkpiUjNCT8yF8Z5TOIArW66uypbpjW_nZRioINwiWFThcs6W0VxpCAURewUkN14u_9EaOf_7Sbnsqw0vleCMCax89zkS4u5M5qpGOT6s8CGsHCaecpC15xBg/s1600/IMG_5355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1muxUsknVlQ6OtBut4HkkpiUjNCT8yF8Z5TOIArW66uypbpjW_nZRioINwiWFThcs6W0VxpCAURewUkN14u_9EaOf_7Sbnsqw0vleCMCax89zkS4u5M5qpGOT6s8CGsHCaecpC15xBg/s200/IMG_5355.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Preheat oven to 350</li>
<li>In one bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt</li>
<li>In a second bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients</li>
<li>Pour the mixture from the second bowl into the first bowl</li>
<li>Stir until you have a smooth batter</li>
<li>Pour into a nonstick muffin tin coated with cooking spray</li>
<li>Fill until half full</li>
<li>Bake 20 minutes, or until the toothpick test comes out clean</li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y25MD_Q8R_6XaarENgyTsNXNuEvtkiUN8woH1NTfGLrypNzzQUrKIiENWiLRaxSGAq6LS9eICmECCGwqsv1Y0pe9ehQo191EFGI5ES1C3vCSqESlPnUIirl-4hki-UN4FHK3lqqWiGY/s1600/IMG_5360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Y25MD_Q8R_6XaarENgyTsNXNuEvtkiUN8woH1NTfGLrypNzzQUrKIiENWiLRaxSGAq6LS9eICmECCGwqsv1Y0pe9ehQo191EFGI5ES1C3vCSqESlPnUIirl-4hki-UN4FHK3lqqWiGY/s320/IMG_5360.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-43716436185065821052016-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:002016-01-29T07:53:18.309-08:00All-Natural Homemade Pumpable LotionI am on a big DIY kick lately. One of the main things I wanted to learn how to do was make my own lotion. I use lotion often (especially during these harsh Chicago winters) and wanted to save money and be able to have exactly the scents I wanted. <br />
<br />
The first few lotions I made were great, but very thick and a bit hard. I wanted to find a lotion recipe that I was able to put into a pump and also into small containers to keep with me. After much trial and error, I found a recipe I was able to adapt - and now I want to share it with you!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong><br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1v4qUuxPBxNbrWnCn1iC6DbMrCHmmf6NkVk_dpHAKTp_JAqXrZrLxcaWComKWWt6bZ_v9G0qpNyjy3ErJTNn5q3A6k0QjieTKWAYrgjKJK76mi_jUT0D55gDvmZ8Tm5mzwhEMvhz3YM/s1600/IMG_0100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1v4qUuxPBxNbrWnCn1iC6DbMrCHmmf6NkVk_dpHAKTp_JAqXrZrLxcaWComKWWt6bZ_v9G0qpNyjy3ErJTNn5q3A6k0QjieTKWAYrgjKJK76mi_jUT0D55gDvmZ8Tm5mzwhEMvhz3YM/s320/IMG_0100.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>1 cup water</li>
<li>1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats</li>
<li>1/2 cup almond oil (I also have used jojoba oil and it works exactly the same)</li>
<li>1/2 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil</li>
<li>3 tbsp. beeswax pellets (I use the pellets as they're the fastest to melt)</li>
<li>1 tbsp. Vitamin E oil</li>
<li>Essential Oils for scent (optional)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u><strong>Instructions</strong></u><br />
<br />
1. Put the water and oats into a Mason jar and soak for 12 hours at room temperature.<br />
<br />
2. Drain the oats, keeping the water from the oatmeal. You want to end up with 1/2 cup of oatmeal water. You'll be left with oats for breakfast! Set aside the oatmeal water for a later step.<br />
<br />
3. In a bowl that can be heated (I use a glass measuring cup), add in the almond oil, coconut oil and beeswax. Heat this in a double boiler until fully melted. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NK6gC-6U9wgiJbeqN2tKSULYjbnxdlJ-B6Lv4NWWP2c4aAiC9k9kqqd890m9pfeeQweCElnMtr58cpY0K4rctswlgUJiHJuSbmvj0B1DSMQw3sFjQ54_KXvtLGEE6HLWMxMJ_-vzCOk/s1600/IMG_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1NK6gC-6U9wgiJbeqN2tKSULYjbnxdlJ-B6Lv4NWWP2c4aAiC9k9kqqd890m9pfeeQweCElnMtr58cpY0K4rctswlgUJiHJuSbmvj0B1DSMQw3sFjQ54_KXvtLGEE6HLWMxMJ_-vzCOk/s320/IMG_0102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
4. Put the oil mixture into the fridge for 45 minutes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lB6cBTrqDcUpyCBSjDkqeUgrFilOCpgp5FcOLUWqcPSbh9EYlFe7Racjkp_ZTh_-So4mG-_kgAWYzzscHf6kcrxDXVpApP5lZPcV-lX4DnYeW-XKnQ7UppNByiZU7geoguUTXGZfelM/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lB6cBTrqDcUpyCBSjDkqeUgrFilOCpgp5FcOLUWqcPSbh9EYlFe7Racjkp_ZTh_-So4mG-_kgAWYzzscHf6kcrxDXVpApP5lZPcV-lX4DnYeW-XKnQ7UppNByiZU7geoguUTXGZfelM/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5. Place the oatmeal water, Vitamin E oil and any essential oils into a mixing bowl. Scrape the container from the fridge into this bowl and mix both mixtures together with a handheld mixer. Continue to whip until it looks like soft, creamy lotion.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighXlr0KEdgQtxvtWp8BmdyTIjMbuzepMOX0JgrcYxkd_PYox_Zf_SxK5G39kEqsYSAhyphenhyphendSdXlu_JI1yeRkkUhyVSh2HkwmY0FFiHjIdaAMne_mXe-I8PAA09Pru395oOFLap6-Mvg7Mc/s1600/IMG_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEighXlr0KEdgQtxvtWp8BmdyTIjMbuzepMOX0JgrcYxkd_PYox_Zf_SxK5G39kEqsYSAhyphenhyphendSdXlu_JI1yeRkkUhyVSh2HkwmY0FFiHjIdaAMne_mXe-I8PAA09Pru395oOFLap6-Mvg7Mc/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
6. Pour the lotion into an empty Ziploc bag and snip off a corner (like a homemade pastry bag). Squeeze the lotion from the bag into your pump bottle. <br />
<br />
7. Use and enjoy! You can store this lotion at room temperature.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-75115557284472908122016-01-25T06:25:00.000-08:002016-01-25T06:25:13.240-08:008 Ways To Be More Productive Working From Home
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the sixteen years I have been working professionally, I
have been fortunate to spend 9 of them working from home. My very first job out
of college, at 21, was a work-from-home job. I had never had a “real” full-time
grown up job before, and it was very exciting. However, I had no clue how to
manage my time. (Why isn’t time management a college business course?) Still
living at home, I set up a home office in my bedroom, with a little desk that
sat me in front of a window that opened onto the street, and I would either
spend 15 hours each day working at that desk, or I would end up spending more
hours inches away in my bed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of us work more productively working from home, as
opposed to working in an office environment. On Twitter, I see many people
complaining about working from home, or writing blog posts about “How To Keep Your
Sanity” when you work from home, but personally, I don’t agree with those. I
find that my gratitude for never having to battle traffic, having no stress
that perhaps I’m not home and my dog needs to go out or there are dishes
waiting for me in the sink outweigh any negatives. That does not mean it is
without its challenges. As I mentioned before, time management is the number
one. It takes a lot of self-discipline to successfully work from home, and it
is an ongoing process to continually find the best ways to be the most
successful. What works for me may not work for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAsp5wvcyHXAZKvVOxES0MIrQ34c0VSys_FghEwaGpYj7qpq4kIuO4mkEzBw96KiYFHH9_jHAlIDWVFrzqHtvW2z7FFcQytTrC1obLf_PhyEEGkU2VQGt7gKkaXJMtuL9QVrwZlrfLhQ/s1600/home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAsp5wvcyHXAZKvVOxES0MIrQ34c0VSys_FghEwaGpYj7qpq4kIuO4mkEzBw96KiYFHH9_jHAlIDWVFrzqHtvW2z7FFcQytTrC1obLf_PhyEEGkU2VQGt7gKkaXJMtuL9QVrwZlrfLhQ/s320/home.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are 8 tips I hope will help make you more productive
when working from home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Give Yourself a “Commute” to the Office<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have a spare bedroom in the current house
that I use as my office. On the weekends, I do not enter this room at all. I
only go into my office when I am working. Are there some weekends I DO have to
work? Absolutely, and I will go into the office to work, and then go into any
other room to give myself a weekend. Your office set up is also very important –
it should have the “right” light and desk set up for you to be most productive.
The main idea is to keep your work space and home space separate. I would
highly advise against taking your laptop into bed with you. It’s important to leave
work behind and clear your head, and it can become a bit depressing to feel
like work is always there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Keep Regular Office Hours<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This has taken me years to abide by, but I
find it helps immensely. I start work every day at the same time, I try to end
work close to the same time every day. The biggest issue with time management
was I began to feel burned out when I worked too many hours, since I live and
work in the same house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have a Routine<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Similar to keeping regular office hours, I
find that it helps to have a routine. If you worked in an office you would have
certain things you did before leaving for work – perhaps that is hitting the
gym or packing a lunch. You can do the same routine when you work from home. When
you first begin working from home it is easy to take an extra-long lunch break
or still try to catch the same shows you watched prior to working, but sticking
to a routine will help safeguard against using this as an excuse to slack off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take Breaks<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you were in an office, there would be
times you would take a break to visit a colleague, or walk around the office,
go for coffee – you need those same breaks when you work from home. There are
easy stretching exercises you can find to do sitting down or away from your
desk, if you have any home fitness equipment you might want to take a 15 minute
exercise break at the same time each day or you might even get to the gym at a
certain time daily. I take breaks to walk the dog every four hours, or visit my
“water cooler” (more info on that next).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find Your Water Cooler<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not working in an office can at times, be a
bit isolating. I believe it is important to guard against this. You might find
your own water cooler by phoning or texting a colleague and sharing a bit of
info with them. For me, my water cooler has been found in Twitter Chats. I have
a calendar of chats I try to make on a regular basis where I have gotten to
know a few key people in each one and have allowed them to get to know me. It’s
a nice break in the day and it gives me an outlet for communication outside of
work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have the Right Tools For Your Job<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you work remotely for a company you will
be given an employee laptop and other such essentials, but if you freelance or
own your company it will be imperative that you have a laptop and printer that
works best for you. I’d also suggest finding a conferencing solution such as
Zoom or Go To Meeting for all team meetings and screen sharing. I also believe
everyone should have a VPN. Your scheduling and document management will also
be critical to maintaining a productive workspace. Personally, I am old-school
when it comes to my calendar. I use a paper planner where I can view the whole “Month-At-A-Glance”
and use a color coding system to differentiate between work appointments and
notes, and personal dates. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work When You Are at Your Most Productive<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am a morning person. So I begin my days
earlier than some other people. This can at times be a challenge when needing
email responses or calls scheduled for West Coast workers, but I believe it’s
most important to schedule the bulk of your workday around the time you are going
to have the most energy and do the best work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eat
Well<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t mean prepare six course lunches and
spend hours slaving over the stove simply because you have the time to. I have
found that it is all too easy to have a bag of chips next to me at my desk and munch
throughout the day while I’m sitting in front of my laptop. Take time before
work and after work to do simple meal prep, so you always have healthy fast
options available to you when hunger strikes. Set times to eat just as you
would if you were at an office. Your mind and body will thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
might take you some time to adjust to working from home, but it really does pay
off in the long run. What are some of the tips YOU have to share, on what helps
your work from home experience work for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-46553348034328525192016-01-11T10:26:00.000-08:002016-01-11T10:26:26.620-08:00Meatless Monday Motivation: Minestrone!It's 11 degrees in Chicago. I can't think of a better time for a hearty hot soup! Minestrone has always been a fave of mine - it's easy to make, (even easier with this recipe in a slow cooker) and it's chock full of veggies. <br />
<br />
Working from home, I love using my slow cooker. I can decide on meals ahead of time, buy the ingredients, throw everything in and not have to think about dinner the rest of the day (or week, depending on how well I plan!) <br />
<br />
Here's my latest recipe for slow cooker Minestrone, just in time for Meatless Monday<br />
<br />
<strong><u>INGREDIENTS</u></strong><br />
<br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfdiVOFsBMzRMKUuqgOK6GBJULhbLXlU172oFagQIAA_uXYTsFjO1denVvcIYZuoQzysK-aVhtSdJP0nOgYwsfvmZfmewhIkEBF8VdXMoqfM7KLtX-UR1VMNYMeT0gGEhm2qZuygdA5E/s1600/soup+on+spoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfdiVOFsBMzRMKUuqgOK6GBJULhbLXlU172oFagQIAA_uXYTsFjO1denVvcIYZuoQzysK-aVhtSdJP0nOgYwsfvmZfmewhIkEBF8VdXMoqfM7KLtX-UR1VMNYMeT0gGEhm2qZuygdA5E/s320/soup+on+spoon.jpg" width="308" /></a>
<li>1 box (1 qt) of reduced-sodium chicken broth</li>
<li>1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained</li>
<li>1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained</li>
<li>1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained</li>
<li>1-2 cans (at least 15 oz) diced tomatoes - I used two cans, because I like the soup base a bit thicker</li>
<li>5 baby carrots, thinly sliced</li>
<li>1 bunch green onions or scallions, sliced</li>
<li>4 celery stalks, sliced</li>
<li>1 onion, chopped</li>
<li>1 package frozen spinach, thawed</li>
</ul>
<br />
<strong><u>DIRECTIONS</u></strong><strong><u> </u></strong><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Add broth, beans, tomatoes (with juice), carrots, scallions, celery and onion into the slow cooker. Stir to combine ingredients.</li>
<li>Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.</li>
<li>Add spinach and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to cooker.</li>
<li>Cover and cook for 30 more minutes.</li>
</ol>
Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of the soup and enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTIdEd7Ys16euJ7puoe_SOk8eEO6NvpZ-kxI3ct_zDlxGKjVxMFMVT7Z6ar-grHYW3C8_8j1DQoCHbPlOvQ6Gn5os7Q8paBOAXVRqSoC4kEkM4xQLFjR4t_23T487R33Ymql_yPkAjHA/s1600/cooking+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTIdEd7Ys16euJ7puoe_SOk8eEO6NvpZ-kxI3ct_zDlxGKjVxMFMVT7Z6ar-grHYW3C8_8j1DQoCHbPlOvQ6Gn5os7Q8paBOAXVRqSoC4kEkM4xQLFjR4t_23T487R33Ymql_yPkAjHA/s320/cooking+soup.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-82519248817461918022015-12-21T13:35:00.000-08:002015-12-21T13:35:07.018-08:004 Ways Social Listening Can Benefit Your Business
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Admit it, marketers. There are times we have a bit of
trouble finding the right balance between talking about ourselves and talking
with our communities. Are we truly listening to people that take the time to
talk with us, write about us, spend time chatting about us and our brand? Are
we really listening to what consumers are telling us, or are we listening while
we think of a way to interject our brand into their conversations?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Social media listening is often also called social media
monitoring. It is the process of finding out what is being said about our
company, products, brand and team and analyzing that data. Done right, social
listening can be one of our most important tools to gather intelligence from
our customers. We then have the ability to take that intel and use it in our
content, business development, R&D, customer service and real-time
marketing campaigns. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIPzyDTKGLKYIYrRcKoLk20WbPjtTNVOI16Pdqt8PaZp_CSaQU2TjeYVphqSdtlTImmxxC4wlkGV8uHJJ5WLWUJaERAY5N_fsN8IiMVXP6XoeC4L23iTS6RHpyaHr5Bee15Sy8aNfjFo/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIPzyDTKGLKYIYrRcKoLk20WbPjtTNVOI16Pdqt8PaZp_CSaQU2TjeYVphqSdtlTImmxxC4wlkGV8uHJJ5WLWUJaERAY5N_fsN8IiMVXP6XoeC4L23iTS6RHpyaHr5Bee15Sy8aNfjFo/s320/IMG_2466.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seen in San Francisco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I’ve got a Facebook page! I tweet every day at the
optimized times! Social listening is more than simply setting up a Google Alert
to see what people are saying about us on their social platforms. It’s about
finding where those conversations are taking place, and engaging with the
people having those conversations: responding, delivering content to them that
they have shown an interest in, helping them with problems where you can that
they have mentioned, and giving them offers that will enrich their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If our goal is to reach a targeted group of consumers, the
way to their hearts is through relevant, personalized and engaging content. How
many times have you shaken your head at an ad you’ve been shown on social
media, wondering how you possibly were targeted by that brand? It happens to me
almost daily, lately. Think of it in terms of your own life – if you had a
friend that constantly tried to have conversations with you that weren’t based
on anything you were interested in or wanted to engage about, how long would
that friendship last? When you focus on social listening, you can avoid being
tuned out by the people you are trying to reach, by getting to know what they
want to talk about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are 4 ways social listening can benefit your business:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get An Edge Up Over Your Competition<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can set up keywords to monitor words and phrases that
relate to your product. My tip – do varieties of your product name, as well as
common misspellings (if there can be any). You may find that people are
complaining about a competitors product or customer service, then step in and
ask them to explain what shortcomings they are finding. From there, you can
show them that you are there for THEM, that they are important to YOU, explain
your product’s benefits and that you are available to them. This can then lead
to finding new customers for your business! People will see that your brand
cares about the people that are building the brand, and that makes you more
attractive to potential consumers, watching your interactions. I’m willing to
bet your competitors are already monitoring your brand and what is being said
about it, so it’s only fair for you to have the same advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Identify Influencers and Brand Advocates<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding out who is sharing your information and organically
spreading positive attributes about your product or brand is a great way to
find relationships to begin building. Who are your brand advocates? Once you
know, you can reward them for their unaided help in spreading the love for your
brand. A happy customer that talks about you without being asked is marketing
gold. Continue to build upon those relationships!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Find Your Tribe<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With social listening, you don’t have to guess where the
best place to focus your marketing efforts might be. Guess work and lost time
is saved by knowing what platform is best for your social media marketing. You
can see where people are having the conversations surrounding your product and
talk to them there. It might be on Twitter, or Facebook or Instagram…join those
conversations and get to know both your current and potential consumers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Improve Customer Service<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are focused on listening, you will hear both
positive and negative feedback. It can easily be argued that negative feedback
is better to find, because then you are being directly told how to improve. If
someone is taking the time to complain, they are not yet a lost consumer! That
is them showing you they still DO like you, your product or brand, and are open
to being helped through a problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnJyprK7oO_3JnI5vgCV0rkFusgrQrV66m0ZPxnvo4gMzoQ2Lh5QO7dvYwTKgTPQi9wxw6b-I1TXD_86ooX-IeeqQkd-PNdzmpjEW5dTji7LGSfAJl9vxTDG9TQL0FCYYOFAbwbxP9o/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfnJyprK7oO_3JnI5vgCV0rkFusgrQrV66m0ZPxnvo4gMzoQ2Lh5QO7dvYwTKgTPQi9wxw6b-I1TXD_86ooX-IeeqQkd-PNdzmpjEW5dTji7LGSfAJl9vxTDG9TQL0FCYYOFAbwbxP9o/s320/IMG_1391.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Social listening requires patience and empathy to understand
consumers’ points of view. It might be hard at first, but try to listen with an
open mind. Do not get overly defensive while you are gathering data and finding
out what people are saying. There are a great number of additional benefits
social listening can provide your business. So…let’s get out there and start
learning!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #3d3d3d; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt 21pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-14538382263244700542015-12-11T13:10:00.001-08:002015-12-11T13:10:40.660-08:0010 Questions to Ask When Hiring A Social Media Consultant
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today, more than ever, people are leaving in-house marketing
jobs, choosing instead to begin their own consulting business. Even I did it.
After 12 years in corporate America, working in-house as a Senior Marketing
Manager, I chose to break off on my own and open my own consulting company. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are both pros and cons for small businesses looking to
hire a consultant. The pro is that you can find people with years of experience
and can hire them as consultants. Not bringing them in-house means you save
money on their insurance, bonuses and at times, even equity. The cons come in
when you realize there is a lower barrier to entry now; anyone with a personal
Facebook page and a large number of Twitter followers can offer their services
to you. While they might be more affordable, it is sometimes hard to discern if
they have experience building brands, or if they’re simply good at promoting
themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once you decide it is time to outsource, you will want to strongly
vet potential consultants and/or agencies. Here are 10 things I recommend you
ask or consider:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can they
show you a proven track record?</b> Ask what brands the person or agency has
worked with and is currently working with (to ensure they are not working with
a competing brand). Don’t be shy about asking for references. Ask about a brand
they worked with where something did not work out – how did they handle that?
Were they able to quickly adapt and change course? Do they have the necessary
experience in your industry to properly advance your business? The more they
know about your industry, the less of a learning curve there will be, and the
more resources they will bring to your brand. What are their first steps when
taking on new clients?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where can
I find current and past examples of your work?</b> Anyone with experience will
be readily able to show you a portfolio of work as well as links to initiatives
they have run or been involved in creating. Look for campaigns that have been
repeated. You know things are working when you keep doing it! Have the campaigns
led to brand exposure? Sales leads? Will this experience help your market?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who will
be handling my account and what background does this person come from?</b> The
background of each person working on behalf of your brand is important. If you
are looking for marketing, PR and/or social media help, you want people that
have leveraged those skills working with prior companies. Do these people have
knowledge and experience with trends in these areas, or have they recently
realized how easy it is to call themselves a consultant and pitch for your
business?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How will
we track ROI?</b> We know that not everything will have immediately ROI that is
trackable when it comes to social media, but most is. You want to know that
this consultant or agency isn’t simply looking to add likes, followers or fans,
but is actually able to analyze conversion rates. Brands that hire an outside
agency will want to know that the agency or consultant is consistently
monitoring results, and is being held accountable. You will want to know there
is a standard monitoring and reporting process in place that works for both you
and the agency or consultant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is
their process for reporting?</b> How often will you meet with them? How often
will you be provided status updates or check-ins? If the agency doesn’t have a
method to suggest immediately to you on how they will communicate, it might be
a red flag that the agency isn’t as connected with their clients as you will
want to be, or that they haven’t even thought of this yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What will
you do if something goes wrong?</b> How would you handle a social media crisis?
Marketing campaigns that look great on paper can go wrong in application, no
matter how seasoned the consultant is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
will they react? How do they respond to negative reviews? Tweets? Negative
Facebook comments? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How do
they come up with strategic plans?</b> How much does writing content figure
into their experience and plan for your business? A good consultant will have a
workflow that works for them and you. They will know how to integrate social
media with PR and traditional media. They will want to talk to your sales team
and find out what plans they have and will know how to integrate them into all
they are doing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How will
content be developed?</b> And, will you have to approve all of the content
written on behalf of your brand? Will it all have to be planned, or will you
trust this person or agency to create on-the-fly content for you? Does this
person have the experience necessary to understand the nuances of writing
content specific for each platform? Content developed for your brand needs to
be likeable and shareable. A consultant or agency should be able to show you
examples of previously created content for other clients, as well as their
content calendar, or what their content creation process looks like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What does
success look like, and how will we measure it?</b> Brands that are investing in
consultants and agencies must have clear goals in mind when starting this
process. An agency should be able to help you achieve your KPIs. The consultant
or agency you choose will help you establish these KPIs and will (with you)
write strategies and tactics to hit those goals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What will
this cost?</b> Outside of the monthly retainer or fee you agree to with the
consultant or agency, you want to know that your budget is being kept in mind
in all they are doing. Are there going to be additional costs in monitoring
brand mentions? What is the process for getting additional budget approved,
before this consultant agrees to something? Do they have a plan for ads on
Facebook and Twitter? What will that cost?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By no means is this an
exhaustive list. Choosing a consultant or agency is a big decision for every
brand. You are entrusting your baby to someone outside the “inner circle.” You
want to know what influencers they are friends with and for how long, what
their personal social media profiles look like, how they conduct their
networking…What other questions would YOU ask? Are there any questions you wish
you’d asked prior to hiring a previous agency or consultant?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-19742985908680665842015-12-06T04:53:00.000-08:002015-12-06T04:53:40.050-08:00Marshmallow Dreidels for Chanukah<br />
Tonight is the first night of Chanukah! Here is one quick and super easy dessert I will be bringing to my family's Chanukah party this evening. <br />
<br />
<strong><u>What you need:</u></strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Wax or parchment paper</li>
<li>Cookie Sheet</li>
<li>Microwave safe bowl</li>
</ul>
<u><strong>Ingredients:</strong></u><br />
<ul>
<li> 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or candy melts (I used chocolate chips)</li>
<li>12 large marshmallows</li>
<li>12 thin long pretzel sticks, salted or unsalted </li>
<li>12 chocolate kisses</li>
<li>1 tube white icing for the Hebrew letters</li>
</ul>
<u><strong>Directions:</strong></u><br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj-Jtm4hfPBlKsGMKPi6neFFjcNHLGsmIKknrON8YIMbLVLEBtchMO6V842MtnN_OZJ7jvBKfYIga_qy2qRPMz6rnJz5qot3c24Hy60zoBLo4OzwbmUST4zBAZRWzvo2WhqAXo7ihJL8/s1600/IMG_3782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimj-Jtm4hfPBlKsGMKPi6neFFjcNHLGsmIKknrON8YIMbLVLEBtchMO6V842MtnN_OZJ7jvBKfYIga_qy2qRPMz6rnJz5qot3c24Hy60zoBLo4OzwbmUST4zBAZRWzvo2WhqAXo7ihJL8/s200/IMG_3782.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgeJZzGh7M06jthnajpr_lhzzHwwwy8eu3jLMUJvNGjiNjpNHBPLgdTRPyDBEBuEzufxyGDjyk0CSItb36YdDz3wEbUKTX9i9W-dWkcUeN26Dk0CA7Li8gy5EbL9O-Wcmc8BEQJWfx8s/s1600/IMG_3780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgeJZzGh7M06jthnajpr_lhzzHwwwy8eu3jLMUJvNGjiNjpNHBPLgdTRPyDBEBuEzufxyGDjyk0CSItb36YdDz3wEbUKTX9i9W-dWkcUeN26Dk0CA7Li8gy5EbL9O-Wcmc8BEQJWfx8s/s200/IMG_3780.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Line a baking sheet with the wax or parchment paper</li>
<li>Insert a pretzel stick into each of the marshmallows, you will want the pretzel to go in almost to the bottom of the marshmallow. I then cut off the top of the pretzel stick so the "dreidel top" wasn't too long</li>
<li>In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips or candy melts. Do not over heat or they will begin to burn.</li>
<li>Stir the chocolate chips or candy melts, then dip the bottom of a chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and stick it onto the bottom of the marshmallow, on the opposite side of where you have inserted the pretzel stick</li>
<li>Place the marshmallow on its side on the wax or parchment paper to allow the chocolate kiss to set. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows</li>
<li>Place the cookie sheet into the fridge for 30 minutes to ensure the kisses stay attached to the marshmallow</li>
<li>Reheat the chocolate chips or candy melts so that it is soft again. Using the pretzel stick as a handle, dip each of the treats into the chocolate so that it is coated up to the top of the marshmallow</li>
<li>Place the dipped desserts back onto your lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining marshmallows</li>
<li>Put the cookie sheet back into the fridge for 30 minutes so that the outer shell of chocolate can set</li>
<li>Taking your white icing tube and add Hebrew letters onto one side of the dreidels</li>
<li>Let the dreidels set for 30 minutes</li>
<li>Serve and enjoy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgtAnWRka6KbdDGLlLlDXzRVi_K1RIX1UmKPr9v0nKwU02IKmbQq7Oj50X6nWZ0vDbVMtfdSIHtphKlvYYjbDCZEq3_Tj2ENnPf-ZQvpoGkTyNbdSaUx4bJt1pCiwpDLJQbQww0t6P5Q/s1600/IMG_3785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgtAnWRka6KbdDGLlLlDXzRVi_K1RIX1UmKPr9v0nKwU02IKmbQq7Oj50X6nWZ0vDbVMtfdSIHtphKlvYYjbDCZEq3_Tj2ENnPf-ZQvpoGkTyNbdSaUx4bJt1pCiwpDLJQbQww0t6P5Q/s320/IMG_3785.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-28354042849368465182015-12-01T13:42:00.001-08:002015-12-01T13:42:15.016-08:00Tis The Season
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many businesses realize
that affiliating themselves with charities are not only a great opportunity to
get involved in giving back, but it is also a powerful marketing tactic. The
business gets to develop a larger network and it helps others at the same time.
Consumers like to associate themselves with businesses that support causes –
while they may not have the means to donate regularly to a charity (even if
they wanted to) it makes people feel good that they are giving back while
purchasing something they need. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjmRyiNZmvsEsmy0o7h2vLc8qKVKKdIa43gHIiCEUUedtNa-HplO9abP-GvWS8uLr14V8Dg9h9x9uOldvyPKFmTS7Dg-noo_daP9bsagdcf_-Xzx2b_w-7UJPygW4VwCNBJ8CcTOy4QQ/s1600/IMG_3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjmRyiNZmvsEsmy0o7h2vLc8qKVKKdIa43gHIiCEUUedtNa-HplO9abP-GvWS8uLr14V8Dg9h9x9uOldvyPKFmTS7Dg-noo_daP9bsagdcf_-Xzx2b_w-7UJPygW4VwCNBJ8CcTOy4QQ/s320/IMG_3760.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This idea is nothing new
– the idea of companies “giving back” goes by many different names and uses a
variety of marketing slogans: Social Corporate Responsibility (CSR) and “Voting
With Your Dollars” are the two I tend to hear most often. Simply put, CSR
refers to the idea of participating in initiatives that benefit others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a marketing or brand
manager, it can be confusing and overwhelming to decide what charity to align
with. Once you have done your research and found charities that are worthwhile,
transparent with where the donations they receive go and have similar views and
visions, how do you pick one? When I do this with clients, I tend to choose
charities that I am personally drawn to, and also ones that seem to be close to
my consumers’ hearts. It is more important that the chosen charity would be one
that my current and target consumers would support, than if I would support it
with my own money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The next criteria to
choosing a charity from a brand standpoint, is one that gives the brand a
broader reach than they would get on their own, and brings a meaningful and
engaged community to your brand. This is a win-win for both you and your
charity. Charities, like brands, are interested in building their membership
base. Partnering with a charity not only brings their community to you, but it
also allows the charity to get their message out to all the people your brand
interacts with, with the goal being to bring new members to support them, as
well as your brand. Cause marketing is actually no different than any other
partnership you might form between your brand a for-profit business. You are
looking for another like-minded company, where by coming together, you both
will have the opportunity to amplify your messaging with a shared voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge30YHi-q_nEJM6_wHuaKzpMfAWfaymqkTAavNMlQZ__Vce0n65UvFZtIk3H26ZVGGODrPxyKQ5MRgkIFSzawApuJADnGtAyGQZx6aO1Q1oHwNhrVoR97dEVOrvzy3sqDP2Zl3SgY2HEE/s1600/IMG_3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge30YHi-q_nEJM6_wHuaKzpMfAWfaymqkTAavNMlQZ__Vce0n65UvFZtIk3H26ZVGGODrPxyKQ5MRgkIFSzawApuJADnGtAyGQZx6aO1Q1oHwNhrVoR97dEVOrvzy3sqDP2Zl3SgY2HEE/s320/IMG_3748.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As you build up the
relationship between your brand and the charity you have aligned with, you will
want to get in front of the employees that work with the charity and explain
your product or services to them. Most charities also have people that follow the
charity or support the charity in some way. These people are all target
consumers by indirect association. As the relationship deepens, you can look to
these people to become brand ambassadors, as their charity will also benefit
from your brands success. Perhaps you are donating a specific portion of your
brand’s sales to the charity- you can invite the charity to help get the
message out that they will be the beneficiaries of sales during a specified
time period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While you are working on
a charity marketing initiative, it is important to keep your motives clear. I
would suggest that the end goal is always helping people, making a difference. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-90346307482188410492015-10-19T08:13:00.000-07:002015-10-19T08:13:09.859-07:00Chicago Cubs' Postseason Dreams Unite
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JbjrbFm31hN3W08mlPmCy3LQRLuadPfZQLzGh03nGqtg4LCK3WOIOZxDgIUj1e47y-JMB-9lcMDUvi2vvfpwO7G6FoYPAoZVClcnmp4lZwJUbsExnB7SZWrBfRwaRxxmYcQSgPUrOww/s1600/IMG_3624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JbjrbFm31hN3W08mlPmCy3LQRLuadPfZQLzGh03nGqtg4LCK3WOIOZxDgIUj1e47y-JMB-9lcMDUvi2vvfpwO7G6FoYPAoZVClcnmp4lZwJUbsExnB7SZWrBfRwaRxxmYcQSgPUrOww/s320/IMG_3624.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are a Cubs family. When I was in elementary school, we
were season ticket holders for years. Dad and I would go to games, but Mom
never had much interest. As I got older, I got to bring my friends from school
to the games with her ticket. My dad spent a week in Arizona at Cubs Fantasy
Camp, my parents have an “A Cubs Fan Lives Here” sign in their front yard, and
my dad has had CUBZ FAN on his license plates from the day you were allowed to
go from 6 characters to 7.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mom doesn’t understand any sports. She listens to me when I
go on and on about stupid plays Jay Cutler made, or when I rave about Aaron
Rodgers, and she spends time reading every article I write for NFLfemale.com
although I imagine for her, it’s the same as if I were to hand her an article written
in another language. Yet, she is absolutely glued to each Chicago Cubs game,
since the Postseason has begun. She texts me throughout the game with comments
and anxiety and thoughts on the plays. She doesn’t understand the rules, but
that doesn’t matter. We can still watch the games together in our own homes and
share the excitement of the chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s not easy to be a Cubs fan. We haven’t won a World
Series in any of my family members’ </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> lifetimes. Chicagoans like a challenge
however, and we’re up for them and aim to overcome. It’s not like Southern
California is some mythical place, we know it exists, we recognize that there’s
no snow there, yet we still stay in Chicago despite freezing pipes, cancelled
school days and brutal winters. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhroQPgteibQDHAFQ88BH3wptYBkI5WudREJul_eNhMvybER-bTAU4LGqD17TVXR0EFIqQnHR6UYz-fxpYQDoh4yLP0GiLo3BOjnUDaXw-iM5mNvfJOuOb1_6gzag9JLyH-ksLOwTT_XY/s1600/IMG_3539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhroQPgteibQDHAFQ88BH3wptYBkI5WudREJul_eNhMvybER-bTAU4LGqD17TVXR0EFIqQnHR6UYz-fxpYQDoh4yLP0GiLo3BOjnUDaXw-iM5mNvfJOuOb1_6gzag9JLyH-ksLOwTT_XY/s320/IMG_3539.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chicago is consistently named one of the “Top 5 Friendliest
Cities.” Chicagoans love to talk, and we especially love to talk about Chicago.
Our city gives us a lot to connect on, we’ve got two Major League Baseball
teams with their respective fans depending on where on the city map you grew
up, we have the Chicago Blackhawks and their own winning records, and of
course, we have the Chicago Bulls. Mention you grew up in Chicago to anyone
over the age of 20 and somehow Michael Jordan’s name will still be brought up
in the conversation. Walking through Chicago, you might think there is a game
being played year round with any of our teams. We wear our pride on our
clothing, with flags hanging from the windows of our cars, and many Chicagoans
sport some sort of Chicago tattoo. We also connect around our city’s
world-class food scene, the weather, and have you seen our architecture?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjFngtir17H0az2u-K_T9ifDKvbyPXRBjJOfpIkzQjTN6UVAUuLIN0mbH8SEPmz9NaT8Y2rpF8JVhBvMX85F7w8bhQOZdTWGXUdlLVVATD4s011aUwzUE8dpCv3SKgRXLCfWImeqf4w4/s1600/IMG_3624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjFngtir17H0az2u-K_T9ifDKvbyPXRBjJOfpIkzQjTN6UVAUuLIN0mbH8SEPmz9NaT8Y2rpF8JVhBvMX85F7w8bhQOZdTWGXUdlLVVATD4s011aUwzUE8dpCv3SKgRXLCfWImeqf4w4/s320/IMG_3624.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Social Media has facilitated the unity the Cubs postseason
continues to provide. On social, we connect with like-minded people in various
communities, and #FlyTheW has helped us to establish new communities, and find
other Cubs fans within our existing communities in cities around the world.
Maybe it’s a bandwagon, maybe people like to root for an underdog, or maybe
hard-core MLB fans are just happy there’s still baseball being played in late
October. I’m fine with it. Join us. We’re friendly, right? And just as
welcoming. There will always be seats for new Chicago fans on our wagons. It’s
fun to watch the Cubs games on Twitter. I enjoy seeing who is rooting for and
against me, and I’ve even got some friends in New York that I look forward to
smack talking with before each game and after each scored run. I’ve met more
people online to chat with because of the Cubs. I’ve found I’ve got more things
in common and more to talk about with friends, both online and off, because of the
Cubs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV4pktFPqrjfYWthzDyxYyaPb7jBR857aJCnJc9zuzEdbRtFyl3Sfh-vPrMgewPS6NeGQyx_1Nh3vq7snQQgaZIvxCDVjbZaoj26N9GGdTcPKP0OXsiEW6hh1gP0N6T-OoTrqBJEZe6Q/s1600/IMG_3529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV4pktFPqrjfYWthzDyxYyaPb7jBR857aJCnJc9zuzEdbRtFyl3Sfh-vPrMgewPS6NeGQyx_1Nh3vq7snQQgaZIvxCDVjbZaoj26N9GGdTcPKP0OXsiEW6hh1gP0N6T-OoTrqBJEZe6Q/s320/IMG_3529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In what might be the ultimate literal symbol of unity, Mom
has agreed that if the Chicago Cubs win the World Series, she will get a Cubs
tattoo. I have 32 tattoos. 16 years ago, the day before I was going to get my
first one, I asked her to come with me. Our family dog had just died, and I was
going to take one of my mom’s </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/reneerk/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">photographs</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
of him and get it tattooed on me in remembrance. She wouldn’t come. Throughout
the years as I added to my tattoo art collection, I’ve asked her to join me and
still, she wouldn’t come. I told her I would accompany her to HER first tattoo,
and I, too, would get whatever Cubs image she chooses. More ways the Chicago
Cubs Postseason will hopefully be uniting us. So, Cubs, win or lose, I’m
already winning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-74634588446214416192015-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:002015-09-29T12:34:09.596-07:00Building a Thriving Online Community
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We have all heard
the saying “Your vibe attracts your tribe,” and know that an engaged social
media community is key to online success, but how exactly do you go about
building an online community? What does it mean to have a successfully engaged
community?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For a brand, your
community is the number one reason to join social media. Not only is your
community made up of current and potential consumers, but it’s also where you
will find both brand advocates and brand ambassadors – people that will help
amplify your messages to their networks, so your reach is spread way beyond
just that of your own. More and more, you can find studies that show that
people trust recommendations from friends and family over brands, so these
social media advocates are gold for companies. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">An online
community is simply a group of like-minded people, that have gathered together
around a common interest, idea or goal. It builds as people find your content
and your brand, and begin to engage with it. Engagement can take many forms,
depending on the social media platform. It can be simply following you, or
deepen to include engaging with you, sharing and promoting the content you put
out, and talking about your brand both online and off. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most importantly,
you need to keep open two-way communication with your community. I am a huge
advocate of treating online and offline relationships in exactly the same way.
When you meet someone new in person, you introduce yourself and find out what
you have in common, how you can relate to this person. You take an interest in
them and find out what THEY are interested in. There is no difference when you
meet people online that are members of your same community. If you are running
the social media for your company, you aren’t above or outside any of the
community members, you are one of them, the same as everyone else is. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij31AsnpfCfakrQ7H55asAgzyvofSRYjwOz5QEBvrfitH-S5soMjwDEtefMGxzgkQUayMbLidciWibdQynoufTOa1ryJWHG-OwQAjUcS5_qj0J8XSIdqbxa5H5nXFoAWf4VdmpMBlABL8/s1600/4.7.15+LA+TweetUp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij31AsnpfCfakrQ7H55asAgzyvofSRYjwOz5QEBvrfitH-S5soMjwDEtefMGxzgkQUayMbLidciWibdQynoufTOa1ryJWHG-OwQAjUcS5_qj0J8XSIdqbxa5H5nXFoAWf4VdmpMBlABL8/s320/4.7.15+LA+TweetUp.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Creating
meaningful relationships online means you will be doing a lot of listening in
the beginning. You want to find out what is important to the other members,
what they want to know, and then you are better able to begin crafting and
sharing content that provides value to your followers and fellow community
members. Yes, your content will sometimes talk about your company and your
product, but the focus needs to go far beyond that. You will be focusing more
on the personal interactions, rather than broadcasting information or talking
AT people. You will need to be able to respond to all comments and questions
that come from members of the community, not shying away from anything negative
they might bring up. In fact, sometimes negative feedback is the best way to
learn and grow! At first your followers will be just that – people that have gathered
because they heard about your brand, or want to learn more, but if you nurture
each relationship, they will turn into loyal community members. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What’s next? How
do you keep your community interested and engaged?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here are some of
the tips I have learned:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">High Quality
Content</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: The
most important tip I have learned is that is not ever about you. It’s about the
community. You want to consistently provide the highest quality relevant
content possible. Content varies. Sometimes it takes the form of a how-to, or
it can be something inspirational that will resonate with your community
members, or something written or shared to entertain them – the key is to
listen and talk with people long enough to find out what they want to know, and
then provide that to them in a unique way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Consistency</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">: How often do you
post? Do you disappear after posting an article, until the next one comes out?
You want to build trust and let people see that you are someone to use as their
go-to for information, so being consistent in your messaging and responses is
important. Consistency goes beyond posting schedules. It means that all your
messaging is the same, no matter who it comes from in the company. It means
that you do what you say you are going to do and always follow through. You are
credible and build trust through being who you portray yourself to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Honestly Care
About Your Community:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> What if suddenly everyone in your community jumped ship and went to
follow a similar brand? You would have no company any longer. The people in
your community are your brand’s life blood and if you look at them that way, it
is easy to be grateful for each and every one of them. So let them know!
Respond to each comment or post. Remember that people have millions of choices
of what brands to support and they’ve chosen YOURS! We’re all busy, but they’ve
taken the time to chat with YOU! Show people your gratitude. Maybe that means
reposting a blog post they have written, or asking about their day when they’ve
posted about having a tough time. Again, this is no different than how you
would treat an in person relationship with a friend. Say thank you when someone
shares a photo or a post. A simple acknowledgment can be makes someone’s entire
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGlShPs13LI0yFeMqoYAZfkj_tBRK_8LiPjCUeqvKu6W4sRhL0rWUIcmMqzWJ__8R3D86EnO0LLPgPhG0lJry0fMm8Xn5_79z4CBAMyIUeRoeSHV9Gn7LwfTxFqokKtzp3_Ic8E-91K4/s1600/ryan+basford+chuy+todd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGlShPs13LI0yFeMqoYAZfkj_tBRK_8LiPjCUeqvKu6W4sRhL0rWUIcmMqzWJ__8R3D86EnO0LLPgPhG0lJry0fMm8Xn5_79z4CBAMyIUeRoeSHV9Gn7LwfTxFqokKtzp3_Ic8E-91K4/s320/ryan+basford+chuy+todd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Remember that all
relationships take time. There is no overnight success when it comes to
building, nurturing and growing an online community. There are ebbs and flows
and sometimes people leave. Prepare to work really hard at these relationships,
but know that the time spent will be worth it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What are some of
your tips? Tweet me at @lucyrk78 and let me know!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-51795455403164691802015-09-16T08:17:00.003-07:002015-09-17T07:34:46.199-07:00Facebook Says Relax: No Dislike Button Is Coming<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mark Zuckerberg didn’t quite break the internet, but he may
have broken some people’s hearts Tuesday. During a Q&A session at Facebook’s
headquarters, Zuck said, “<span class="s1">I think people have asked about the
dislike button for many years. Today is a special day because today is the day
I can say we’re working on it and shipping it….What [users] really want is the
ability to express empathy,” Zuckerberg added. “Not every moment is a good
moment.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Previously, he has been adamant about not
offering a “dislike” button alongside the “like” button, for fear of the
negativity it could (and most likely would) invite. Is this truly something
being given to the users because they (we) have asked for it? Or, is this new
button going to be offered so Facebook can find out more information about it’s
users? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It should come to no surprise to any user
that Facebook is based on a series of algorithms that curate your News Feed. Each
time you go to Facebook, the algorithm shows you top or “most recent” posts
from your friends and brands you have liked, in order of what you’ve told the
site you want to see most – what you “like” most. Posts that receive the most
likes are shown higher up in your feed, because that is what the algorithm has
determined will attract the most user engagement. What throws this off, is all
the posts that express emotions you don’t want to necessarily be seen as “liking.”
Think of the time your friend posted about something sad – you didn’t know what
to comment, but you wanted that person to know you felt for them – wouldn’t
some sort of empathy button have helped?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps you didn’t even see that friends post, because the algorithm had
already buried stories of that sort, from lack of likes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This new button that for now, we seem to be
calling the “dislike” button, would help you balance out those posts that would
be odd to “like.” I imagine that what Zuckerberg and his team is working on isn’t
a “bully” button, to hate on people, but will be a way to still interact with
posts you don’t want to hide, but also don’t want to “like.” These sort of
posts will still be viewable and come up high in your News Feed, and you won’t
have friends coming to you weeks later inquiring why you didn’t mention anything
about their father passing away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who does this help the most? Us? Facebook?
This early on, I’m still a bit divided in my own thoughts. I think this will
give us a chance to see more of what is important to us and our friends, at the
same time giving Facebook the chance to keep us on their site longer, and find
out more about our feelings, which leads to more ads and more dollars in Zuck
and Facebook’s shareholders pockets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What will this new button look like? A thumbs
down would provide the yin to the yang of the thumbs up “like” button, but that
doesn’t seem to be what Facebook wants to portray. Perhaps what would be more
helpful would be a button that signals to the person that put up the post “I
saw this,” or “I hear you.” In my eyes, that would be more of an empathy
button, whereas a thumbs down button (and we do not yet know that is what this
new button will be) gives off more of a judgmental feel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, will hitting “dislike” really show
empathy? Or is it the lazy man’s response? Will it be more of a show, like “I
want people to see that I don’t like this. But I can’t take the time to write
out a true comment or express my feelings, so phew! I’ll just hit this button.”
Liking something doesn’t actually equal engagement. Sorry, but it’s true.
Actually engaging, sharing thoughts and feelings – that is what creates
engagement, not the push of a button. Even the most perfectly placed emoji
seems to create more engagement and has the ability to show more empathy than a
“dislike” button push. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Honestly, I think it’s too early to start
hating on this new button just yet. I don’t think Zuck would take the chance of
alienating the 1 billion users by giving us all something that could offend and
hurt people, or turn the site into a negative Reddit rabbit hole. We just don’t
know what exactly is being created right now, and it seems too judgmental to
fully express opinions on it without having all the information.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-13517152685139817152015-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:002015-09-12T13:31:52.770-07:00Spaghetti Squash Zucchini CasseroleI used to really love cooking. Living alone now, I tend to cook more for my dog than I do for myself, however. Though I hate to admit it, I'm pretty lazy when it comes to making my own meals. I will spend four hours making chicken, sweet potato and carrots for my dog, but will settle for a microwave dinner or something easy to grab for my own dinner.<br />
<br />
Last week, someone was at my house and said, "You have such a pretty kitchen." So I decided to start using it! I'm back to running daily and it makes less and less sense to not eat well when I'm treating my body better. <br />
<br />
So! Healthier eating starts today. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><u>Spaghetti Squash Zucchini Casserole </u></strong></div>
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRgheoj8WDyNvELe6ctXx9Mi3N_YQj3xbaHTdq5RDg29zhSv7orPdj1D1Jq9w3KdO4hv7vkwDCRRFuzNVz7KWu9tSeVg1Y7yGIOlKt_9q_mmmuNWu7JLhKcM6TUnxVBsHCxzFCGBS6yE/s1600/IMG_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRgheoj8WDyNvELe6ctXx9Mi3N_YQj3xbaHTdq5RDg29zhSv7orPdj1D1Jq9w3KdO4hv7vkwDCRRFuzNVz7KWu9tSeVg1Y7yGIOlKt_9q_mmmuNWu7JLhKcM6TUnxVBsHCxzFCGBS6yE/s200/IMG_3653.JPG" width="200" /></a><strong></strong><br />
1 spaghetti squash<br />
1 tbsp. garlic<br />
1 bottle spaghetti sauce<br />
1 large tomato <br />
3 medium zucchini<br />
1 package light shredded mozzarella<br />
1/2 package shredded parmesan<br />
<br />
<strong>Directions</strong><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350F.<br />
2. Poke spaghetti squash all over with a knife and cook in the microwave for 9 minutes, or until soft.<br />
3. While squash is cooking, add garlic and zucchini to a non-stick pan and sauté over medium heat.<br />
4. Once squash is soft, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and with a fork, scrape the flesh. It will come out easily in long strings, like noodle spaghetti.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBME6vOiamQWNHbal0VqWXg902gjr8e74onOmNHm7nL2aeMM3ZZyD_ZWOFrNW8pzz3g5OI8yRjxGYLPPbhgu9cN4OAQdH8reEEVDgDfPDzG5RIBCxayQmSTBN2K_-5qpgfudc5jyure4/s1600/IMG_3654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBME6vOiamQWNHbal0VqWXg902gjr8e74onOmNHm7nL2aeMM3ZZyD_ZWOFrNW8pzz3g5OI8yRjxGYLPPbhgu9cN4OAQdH8reEEVDgDfPDzG5RIBCxayQmSTBN2K_-5qpgfudc5jyure4/s320/IMG_3654.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
5. Place the spaghetti squash "noodles" into a casserole dish.<br />
6. Add the cooked veggies, diced tomato, sauce and most of the cheese. Mix well.<br />
7. Sprinkle leftover cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aOIJHp68i6j82RsBL87ecS9S0UxjjPFZB82dWH8nMZ_nKiC9Ivmur8zXVeoUvsERvO3cVeqycSka9oL5m4unsr1sBmGHVVDWqqYnh-V8WngxdGedsvrSFytwV6HCbg9LU7O5n9Hbhy4/s1600/IMG_3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aOIJHp68i6j82RsBL87ecS9S0UxjjPFZB82dWH8nMZ_nKiC9Ivmur8zXVeoUvsERvO3cVeqycSka9oL5m4unsr1sBmGHVVDWqqYnh-V8WngxdGedsvrSFytwV6HCbg9LU7O5n9Hbhy4/s320/IMG_3657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
8. Let cool slightly, serve and ENJOY!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7dakyt80IeM_j3ztUmvsxopUVqt22AL7VhlgAzlLcA60S2AD03RLXP_6Ay6TLbSbSCJfLzOEpPATg0fErdYY6Z5Z3HMO_fsQfzy_PGDmewJZG81RsBAFHisgKdffL65ny2Vl_MaaywQ/s1600/IMG_3662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7dakyt80IeM_j3ztUmvsxopUVqt22AL7VhlgAzlLcA60S2AD03RLXP_6Ay6TLbSbSCJfLzOEpPATg0fErdYY6Z5Z3HMO_fsQfzy_PGDmewJZG81RsBAFHisgKdffL65ny2Vl_MaaywQ/s320/IMG_3662.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-49652507935947521972015-09-06T08:19:00.000-07:002015-09-06T09:00:07.638-07:007 Tips Towards Building Your Personal Brand<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Until recently, the word “brand” only referred to companies,
to businesses. However, in today’s world, we are more aware that every one of
us has our own personal brand. I liken each of our own brands to what we used to
call our “permanent record.” Remember how scary it was to hear “This will go
down on your personal record?” With the internet and especially with social
media, that personal record is no longer a mythical list of our wrongdoings –
it’s searchable and at anyone’s fingertips at all times. Your digital footprint
is available to future bosses, spouses, trolls… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whether or not you are actively building your personal
brand, it is still being built up with every tweet you post, every selfie you
take, how you dress, what faces you make when people speak to you and every
email you send. It’s up to you if you choose to nurture your brand, or let it
be defined for you, without you. More and more your reputation is the most
important part of you, and your personal brand can craft, to an extent, how
people see you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are a few of my own suggestions on how to positively
contribute to the growth of your personal brand:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHGgOh-Q9BwNbqjJP2sFq-JF9hx3s0qOA-Csq_TO7X87CEJei27PWxi1YP7cmXPLqpzCv6hcLTnpYuTbCj7jWPNVH4eJL3UadvEgWcyVL1kaEqG2USclo7zpLTffcZW0CS3X9G1bN4C4/s1600/BrandChat+hat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHGgOh-Q9BwNbqjJP2sFq-JF9hx3s0qOA-Csq_TO7X87CEJei27PWxi1YP7cmXPLqpzCv6hcLTnpYuTbCj7jWPNVH4eJL3UadvEgWcyVL1kaEqG2USclo7zpLTffcZW0CS3X9G1bN4C4/s200/BrandChat+hat.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Start with
an audit: </b>What is the current perception of you? How do people feel about
what you share, how you act, what you say? Before we can begin to better
strategize on how we’d like to be seen, we have to understand how we are seen
right this second. What comes up on the first page of a Google search for your
name? Ask other people how they would describe you, what they think are
strengths you possess, and what they would suggest are areas you could work on.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Figure
out what you stand for:</b> It takes a long time for some of us to truly “find
ourselves” and perhaps even longer to really understand ourselves. You have
undoubtedly seen people on social media that seem to change their views often,
perhaps in an effort to gain favor from thought leaders, or garner attention from people
they look up to on social media. You want to have a strong understanding of
what YOU believe in, what you stand for, and be confident enough to publicly
make those views known. Your beliefs will guide your action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be YOU!</b>
Authenticity is the key to each of our personal brands. This isn’t something we
can fake our way through, nor is a personal brand a persona. In time, people
will see through that, and you will have a pretty steep mountain to climb to
change perceptions. The essence of your personal brand is all the parts that
make you, you. What do you like? What don’t you like? Where do you like to eat,
shop, spend time on weekends? Authenticity also means that you do what you say
you will do. You walk your talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Identify
your goals:</b> What are you goals in your personal life? In your professional
life? What is it you would LIKE to be known for? Once you define your goals,
you can develop ways to then go out and grab them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Find ways
to add value:</b> Social media is often referred to as “noisy” but have you
ever found someone that helps you annoying, or talking for the sake of talking?
I haven’t. I try to be of service both online and off, and would like a big
part of my personal brand to be someone people can rely on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Show
people what you’re good at:</b> The best way to do this is through content
marketing. Write blogs or articles, or use Twitter to become a trusted resource
within your community on topics you have expertise on. When people want to find
information on something, rather than immediately going to Google, they go to
people that they trust and those people that have helped them in the past…become
that person for at least one other person! What differentiates you from
everyone else that studied the same topics? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take it
offline:</b> We don’t all live solely online. When I see someone that has a
strong personal brand, it is because they are the same online as they are
offline. There are always ways to network offline – all industries have meet up
groups you can attend, and if you can’t find one, you can host your own
Tweetup. I find Facebook Groups to be the most meaningful parts of that
platform for me and my own personal brand, to meet more like-minded people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your personal brand isn’t going anywhere.
Just like you yourself are, your personal brand is ever evolving. Building your
own brand takes time, but it’s infinitely worth it. The more I stay mindful
that everything I do contributes to my personal brand, the more I find I learn
about myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are some additional items you would add to this list? What
has worked for you in building and nurturing your own personal brand? Tweet me
@lucyrk78 and let me know!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-82223864552917520582015-08-17T06:46:00.001-07:002015-08-17T06:46:39.984-07:00Rising Above The Noise
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As someone that works in social media, we often hear how “noisy”
it is. Naturally what follows next is people wondering how to cut through that,
how to get heard in a social media atmosphere that more people are delving into
each day with their own messaging. Personally, I don’t find social media to be
noisy. Perhaps a topic for another blog, but I find that if you are analyzing
your data and joining the communities you truly fit into, as well as spending
the most time in the communities where you want to be heard in, you won’t find
it noisy at all. I believe that the more people, brands and companies that join
a “space,” the more credence it lends to being IN that space or industry, and
the more it is able to grow and thrive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTsxy0MPrPRcRsV_vV35DHZclqkkSL9d8PTvmEaQhltqlyTl_4R0oFQgBwx6NpA96cOMIB8WQvV_ucGl_xwScHnvBtqflXgG2nifhUBPHWp4uDqOgtAz13AgGR2sK-A3OQW1ZnDZ4ULs/s1600/IMG_3394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTsxy0MPrPRcRsV_vV35DHZclqkkSL9d8PTvmEaQhltqlyTl_4R0oFQgBwx6NpA96cOMIB8WQvV_ucGl_xwScHnvBtqflXgG2nifhUBPHWp4uDqOgtAz13AgGR2sK-A3OQW1ZnDZ4ULs/s200/IMG_3394.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't Be Afraid to Stand Out!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For many startup companies, I think the “noise” they are
seeing can be pretty overwhelming. Brands and people come into social media
with no concrete plan or strategy and that is when I recognize noise. That is
when social media turns from a WE activity, to a ME activity. Here are some
tips I’ve found to help combat some of that and work towards joining a
community where you can be heard, as well as hear others:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ABT</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">à</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
Always Be Testing: Your analytics are a goldmine of information. Paying
attention to them will teach you when your target audience is online, what
posts you put out get the most attention, and what topics your community most
responds to. You can use that information to then tailor your content to fit
into what your audience and community wants more of, they will begin to see you
as the resource we know you can be, and you will begin to garner more attention.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let Go Of The Ego: Remember, a group of
like-minded goal oriented people will always accomplish more than the one
person that thinks they know it all and can do it alone. Grow your community by
being the same person online as you are when you meet new people offline. You
don’t walk up to potential friends and introduce yourself, then go on to pitch them
on what you do for a living and how they can buy in, they’d get bored and walk
away. Rather, you introduce yourself to people and ask questions about them,
try to get to know them, see what they are interested in and where you have things
in common. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Focus on the Consumer: This is a bit of a follow
up to #2. When people feel that they are important to you, they pay more attention
to you. Thank people for posts or sharing your posts. Ask questions that help
you get to know people better, and when you are asked questions, answer them
honestly as YOU. We all know there are faces behind each brand, let your
personality come out from behind the brand as well. Allow yourself to be the
fun, engaging and relatable person you are offline, online!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do More Than Just Listen: Active social
listening is one of the most important items in any social media plan, in my
opinion, but you have to do more than simply listen and place people into
little persona boxes. You have to have open two-way, mutually benficial
conversations with them. I believe that is the only way to truly get to know
people, find out what’s important to them, and find ways you can help make
their lives better. We already know you’ve got the best product/brand/service
in the world, how can you let your communities know that as well, without
directly telling them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Add Visuals: Look at your own timeline, and take
some time to scroll through. What catches your eye? The miles and miles of
text, or a picture or video that pops out? I’m willing to put my money on the
visuals! Use one-of-a-kind photos (best if you take them yourself!) that
represent you or your brand and intersperse them with your text. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Be Consistent: Keep your core values top of mind
through all content mediums and platforms. Each time someone has a touchpoint
with you or your brand, they should be able to recognize it as the same from
another medium, without thought. Consistency also leads to reliability and
reliability leads to trust. And trustworthy people and brands always stand out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are able to put all or some of these items
together, you can better create a top-notch user experience for your
communities, consumers and potential consumers. People will begin to see you as
helpful, responsive, someone who cares about their needs. When you speak to
people as they like to be spoken to you will have no problem with any noise on
social media. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What stands out to you on social media? What brands are doing this well? Tweet me and let me know @lucyrk78! </span></div>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-78213240578012631452015-08-13T09:10:00.001-07:002015-08-13T09:28:21.335-07:00Building an Authentic Brand<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The more time you spend on social media, especially in
Twitter chats, the more you’ve heard the term “authenticity” being thrown
around. It is often discussed, and we as marketers, are always told that
building an authentic brand is the only way for companies to survive in these
digital times, but how often do you actually hear people talking about building
a strategy around authenticity? I hear people say that to be authentic you have
to be honest, but it goes much deeper than that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
Authenticity is a vital component for any brand. It relates to how you are
perceived, and how much trust you garner from both potential and existing
consumers. What does “being an authentic brand” mean to you? To me, an
authentic brand is one that is relatable, doesn’t seem like a large corporate
entity but does business on a personal level, and is one that I feel
comfortable spending money on because I feel I can trust in the company and the
people that make up the company. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: #282828; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that these days, there are
many people and companies that feel you can “learn on the fly” – especially because
social media and “new marketing” is ever changing and evolving, but I am a big
proponent of putting plans to paper, with goals, strategies, tactics and firm
ways of measuring where I (my brand) is at any given time. When I consult with
my clients on building an authentic brand, here are a few strategies I suggest
starting with:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">LISTEN!</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>The
only way to connect authentically with your community is to find out what is
important to them, who they are, what they value, what they’re looking for. I
am a firm believer that if you are truly listening to people, really actively
listening (as opposed to listening while thinking of what you’re going to say
next) people will tell you everything you need to know. Getting to know people
as your brand is no different than getting to know new friends. It is a give
and take relationship. How many friends would you keep around you that only
talked about themselves, and never asked about YOU or cared what YOU had to
say? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3C0Bp8hnAbTlJNkZlGqLFS1Q76B9pKwV8nCOOIzNXuJMzrHJ3TMJiaeLIl8EUyL8IR-uSa_YirQ3K5dCT5Tc1S_Nd4STgpHASDNCbmmDKzcPdnMx1DwFRbeuft_FCs7WfUgFsg8tpo4/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3C0Bp8hnAbTlJNkZlGqLFS1Q76B9pKwV8nCOOIzNXuJMzrHJ3TMJiaeLIl8EUyL8IR-uSa_YirQ3K5dCT5Tc1S_Nd4STgpHASDNCbmmDKzcPdnMx1DwFRbeuft_FCs7WfUgFsg8tpo4/s200/IMG_1459.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allow people a peek inside!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Don’t Be
Afraid to Show Your Brand’s Personality</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>Without the people making
up the brand, there is no brand. Consumers are savvy enough to understand that
there is someone (or a group of “someones”) behind the corporate handle on
social media platforms talking with them and sharing with them. Let people get
to know those people “behind the brand.” You have hired them and put them into
the position of leading your social media for a reason, and I’m willing to bet
it’s because there was something about each of those employees that drew you to
them. Let your communities be drawn in by them as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Use Images</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>Images
help people see what it’s like to be a part of your brand. If you post a
picture of you in your office, people will be able to have an image in their
minds of who they are chatting with each time they see you in their social
media streams. People connect easily with images and if you show behind the
scene images that instantly helps your brand come off as more authentic, over
another brand that hides what is going on behind the curtain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Keep
Scheduled Posts to a Minimum </span></b>this is a hot button topic in social
media these days. I am not a fan of scheduling or automating posts at all,
unless it’s for A/B testing. While it might seem more convenient to schedule
your posts, so you can get more done, authenticity comes from posting in real
time, in my opinion. I believe that if you’ve got the time to talk with people
about the posts you’re putting out (and isn’t that the point? Why post
something if you don’t want any engagement on that post?) then you’ve got the
time to post it, and then respond when people respond to your post. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Be
Available</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>Nothing builds authenticity faster than being
available for conversations when your community wants to have them. Social
media allows you to have honest 1:1 conversations with people, take advantage of
that! Even if you only find one person each day to chat with, people will see
that you are a brand that cares about people and your community, and perhaps
something you say to someone else will make them want to speak with you the
next day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Admit When
You’re Wrong</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span>There is nothing worse than watching a brand deleting
negative comments or avoiding talking about a mistake that was caught by the
public. Brands can establish authenticity on social media by immediately taking
responsibility for mistakes, being public and open with their apologies and not
hiding or becoming overly defensive about their wrongdoing. Depending on the
error, you might lose fans or consumers, but I believe you might GAIN fans or
consumers by how well people see you owning up to your mistakes and promising
to do better moving forward. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #282828; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Tell (true)
Stories </span></b>Stories help create an emotional connection between your
brand and your consumers/community. People trust people, so let your stories
not only be about how your company began, but about the people that make up
your company. Tell stories that help people relate to your brand, so that they
can see how your brand slides effortlessly into their daily lives. The goal is
for people to feel that your brand is just like them, has similar values and
goals, and makes them feel better about themselves for being a part of your
brand story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A truly authentic brand isn’t born in a day. It takes time,
and you will need to be patient and allow yourself the time to create
authenticity and trust. The more you understand your consumers and the
communities they are a part of, the easier it will become to align your
content, messaging and marketing activities to fit with their needs in a
relevant way. Embracing authenticity is a long term strategy for brands.
Whatever time it takes will be worth it, as you build loyal consumers that want
to do business with you for years to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXFpK8IwCt2jWuEmUHh0a7hsQEJepZzXoJAejiXV6vJxYLfFA1o8LLYfW2pcJTFY45ATDRPiU1KofVH1Ej2hTtABlVgrAGEhuQi7lfBM-B3pq2y87-HF-wM70tzeZIHa9iYzxk0jAt38/s1600/IMG_3391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXFpK8IwCt2jWuEmUHh0a7hsQEJepZzXoJAejiXV6vJxYLfFA1o8LLYfW2pcJTFY45ATDRPiU1KofVH1Ej2hTtABlVgrAGEhuQi7lfBM-B3pq2y87-HF-wM70tzeZIHa9iYzxk0jAt38/s200/IMG_3391.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children are great examples of living authentically</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-75344500100550704502015-08-12T09:18:00.001-07:002015-08-12T09:26:31.757-07:005 Ways To Turn Consumers Into Brand Advocates<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As marketers in industries such
as CPG, one of our main goals is often turning casual consumers into repeat
buyers. There are a few ways we can do that, through methods such as influencer
marketing, consumer education, sales…but one of the most important and best
ways to grow brand loyalists is to take your consumers on a path from people
who simply buy your product, to people who advocate and live with your product.
Simply put, brand advocates will do more for you than your own marketing ever
will. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having worked in the CPG industry
from the beginning of my career 15 years ago, and learning from amazing
companies I have had the fortunate opportunities to be a part of, I work hard
FOR my brand advocates. What may surprise many people, is I do this strictly organically.
I have worked with some of the best, brightest and biggest brand champions and
have never once paid them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ40hKZjgFOFl80v7BIgfDXzFJhJ6Bwtb_ZkKjjBHuxwyO1d31gB1wZQkrMPld5KA4IjVJtyXGeJ3xeTbW24SX1OkYpAjBy7wUffC7_6InGuP3rXO3S0o_DWvLBqUDu-_ZGQif_9YRDY/s1600/Lucy+store.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZ40hKZjgFOFl80v7BIgfDXzFJhJ6Bwtb_ZkKjjBHuxwyO1d31gB1wZQkrMPld5KA4IjVJtyXGeJ3xeTbW24SX1OkYpAjBy7wUffC7_6InGuP3rXO3S0o_DWvLBqUDu-_ZGQif_9YRDY/s200/Lucy+store.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any company can “pay to play” or
throw money at people to talk about their product. How effective is that,
though, really? I’m a firm believer that the more honest and trustworthy people
are, the more we will listen to what they say. No-brainer, right? People trust
friend’s reviews and recommendations more than they trust brand’s
recommendations, as we know, so the more unbiased peer advice is, the better. So
to me, it would only follow that my consumers will trust my brand advocates
more if they know they’re not paid to talk about my product, and are doing so
because it truly fills a consumers need, to enhance their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is definitely the harder
route, developing brand advocates based on emotions and relationship building,
as opposed to giving them money to do things you ask of them. However, it leads
to more fully engaged people talking about, using and purchasing your brand,
and I’d argue it is much more of a long-term strategy. I also will often see
companies, SMMs and brands using the terms “Brand Advocates” and “Brand
Influencers” interchangeably, when they are quite different. It is not unusual
to not pay Brand Advocates. That is part of the misconception. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsInuWwEYiYFW0fJ9HTP0tiGd3a3FFov981q8-WSsTrlho5MDODIhyphenhyphenwWC5BBc7HeOH_9gaZm-IMiygOUnQg8QZaPwKAxgfAJt33sqn3hOTKq2s4MOMQ6mLLpglhhMULYLpF9WT6QegTP4/s1600/12.22.14+Mothers+Market+Irvine+Consumers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsInuWwEYiYFW0fJ9HTP0tiGd3a3FFov981q8-WSsTrlho5MDODIhyphenhyphenwWC5BBc7HeOH_9gaZm-IMiygOUnQg8QZaPwKAxgfAJt33sqn3hOTKq2s4MOMQ6mLLpglhhMULYLpF9WT6QegTP4/s200/12.22.14+Mothers+Market+Irvine+Consumers.JPG" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brand Advocates willingly share your brand with others via WOM, social media,
etc because they truly enjoy and get something out of your brand. They are
motivated not by cash from the brand, but the ability to be looked at as
thought leaders within their own networks, as they continually recommend things
to their communities that people also get something out of. They thrive on
helping the people in the groups they keep themselves in and getting
recognition from brands for doing so. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have identified who your
most loyal consumers are, you can begin to join them along a path towards Brand
Advocacy. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few ways that have
worked for me, to transform casual consumers into powerful brand advocates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Focus on What’s in it For Them, not What’s
in it For Me?</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You’ve got a product or service that you stand behind and one that has been
designed to fill a need in consumers lives. What more are they looking for?
Recognition from the brand? Doing product reviews on their sites that you bring
to your community, offering your advocates a larger reach and more eyeballs on
THEIR products as well as yours? As in any other relationship you are growing,
you want it to be beneficial for both parties.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be Grateful.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without
people purchasing your products/services, you have no brand/company. Without
your brand advocates, you don’t have credible help growing your sales, sharing
your offering to a larger audience or bringing more people to you. I don’t see
a way not to feel grateful for these people! Let them not just see yu saying
thank you, but you want to ensure you are making them FEEL thanked and that you
are happy to be working with them. I’d advise having a tracking procedure in
place prior to beginning to work with your advocates so you can keep track of
what each of them are doing with you, and how you plan to keep them happy and
continue to build on what you’ve started with them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Give Them An “Inside View.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” Your advocates are great people to give first looks of new products or
campaigns to. Allow them to feel the exclusivity of being the first ones with
knowledge or sneak peeks into your content. Let THEM do the sharing of this new
information, rather than you as the brand. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Share Your Passion.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The more your passion is for your brand is communicated to your consumers,
the more they can get excited and inspired by you and begin to feel that
passion for themselves. How do you create an emotional connection with complete
strangers and your brand? Share your brand stories, the stories of your
employees and encourage your consumers to share theirs with you. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Offer Incentives.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Besides getting inside knowledge, I like to seed my advocates with
product. They already are purchasing and love your product, why not ensure they
always have a stash available to them? Through the building of relationships,
networking and sheer time I’ve been involved in the industry, I am also able to
offer my advocates access to things they, on their own, might not have access
to – backstage passes, tickets, unique experiences….people will always remember
how you make them feel, I try to always make people feel appreciated. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marketing is no
longer a one-size fits all approach, nor is it done by sending out messages to
the masses. It is built one personalization, creating an emotional experience
between consumers and your brand, and via the building of honest, true,
long-term relationships. Your investment into your brand advocates translates
directly to their investment with your brand. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd love to hear what tips have worked for YOU! Tweet me and share your stories? @lucyrk78</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-13630509444336685712015-08-06T15:01:00.002-07:002015-08-06T15:01:45.457-07:00Top 10 Qualities of Great Marketing Managers
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In an industry where the only constant is evolution, how do
you know what to look for when hiring a Marketing Manager? If you were looking
for an accountant, you would know to look for someone with accounting skills
and who went to school specifically aiming to work in accounting, but very rare
are marketing managers who possess an actual degree in marketing. And that’s
ok! Because I believe that if people have these 10 traits, they will be just as
good (and usually better) than someone that spent four years or more studying
what I have been focused on learning for the past 16. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Boundless
Enthusiasm:</b> Great marketers have passion for what they do oozing out of
them. You never doubt they love this field, and you will never hear them say “God.
Work is SO boring.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Creativity:
</b>Great marketers don’t do things “the way it’s always been done.” It isn’t
that we’re trying to reinvent the wheel, but I’d argue that we’re always trying
to look at that wheel in a way that no one else ever has before. And we can
make you look at it that way, too. Great marketers are willing to take risks
with what some may call a “crazy idea.” They aren’t afraid to fail because the WIN
feels so good when those ideas connect. I’m willing to bet these people have
notebooks full of ideas scribbled down, and at the ready wherever they are and
ideas might come. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Loyalty:</b>
I might not drink the beverage that I worked on when starting my marketing
career, and in fact, I actually drink their main competitor daily, but I go on
auto-pilot if I hear someone say something about that first brand that isn’t
true. Great marketers don’t just work for a brand, they live that brand. That
brand’s products or services are part of their daily lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know
Their Audience:</b> I always think of the line “I’ve made a living out of
reading people’s faces…” when I think about what I do. You generally only have
a couple of seconds to grab someone’s attention, and great marketers need to be
able to tailor their message (I hate the word ‘pitch’) to differnet people so
it makes sense to THEM. For example, I’m not going to try to sell someone in
their 80s on the benefits of coconut water for strenuous workouts, nor am I
going to talk about why a mental focus supplement is great for students, to a mom
with 2 kids in her grocery cart and a very pregnant belly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Adaptable:</b>
No matter how much you plan, or how good you are, problems arise. Plans change.
New legalities pop up. A great marketer can pivot and adapt and switch their
entire focus at any point in any project. They don’t get too tied into one
plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Great marketers don't just accept change, they thrive on it.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5-fJ9EHNi-Sn4gIuBp86ANzyspOctw90iWy583WjQvwejlMlikjxfcyKarIibZlIBX9V2BJf9jMoJLB-3ZDTUVm_mJ141J0Gv2tDdRh3k1uBHndWwrN3R3kCzCxsIDMrLnAVOtwAhoE/s1600/IMG_3106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5-fJ9EHNi-Sn4gIuBp86ANzyspOctw90iWy583WjQvwejlMlikjxfcyKarIibZlIBX9V2BJf9jMoJLB-3ZDTUVm_mJ141J0Gv2tDdRh3k1uBHndWwrN3R3kCzCxsIDMrLnAVOtwAhoE/s200/IMG_3106.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great marketers love meeting new people!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They are
Great Listeners:</b> If you marketers are anything like me, you love to watch
people. Find out what they like, where they go, what they do. What their habits
are, what makes them NEED a product…We know what questions to ask to help draw
people out and allow us to get to them, when we begin as total strangers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They’re
Great Sales People</b>: It might be a cliché, but it’s repeatd so often for a
reason. Great marketers CAN truly “sell ice to an Eskimo.” And they can get
that sale before the Eskimo even realizes he needs ice. If you ever come across
someone in marketing that hasn’t made sales, or thinks they don’t or won’t need
to, move along! If sales puts items on a shelf, it’s the marketers that take it
off, and that is because they know how to communicate clearly and show people
WHY they need your product or service. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">See The
Big Picture</b>: It’s so easy to get bogged down in details, who needs to go
where, looking at analytics, becoming overly focused on wanting to attach the
brand to a specific event…it can be hard to take a step back, but we need to.
The overall goals of the company must always be top of mind, and our first
thought when deciding what to get involved with, what can wait, and what we can
pass on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vBGltfVf8BNEMByLOc-nL_1nyU-ldNqnYfAeWZkZVU_p9HE_-iTpDWHf1IyTZChbnih9jGCtotJ9R5pKAM0t0IepGWoTrKQGEkaps1QYTQ9gpyL6vroQWcUreYOrbRO-hkGmBlFUf_c/s1600/IMG_1680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vBGltfVf8BNEMByLOc-nL_1nyU-ldNqnYfAeWZkZVU_p9HE_-iTpDWHf1IyTZChbnih9jGCtotJ9R5pKAM0t0IepGWoTrKQGEkaps1QYTQ9gpyL6vroQWcUreYOrbRO-hkGmBlFUf_c/s200/IMG_1680.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is this story about?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Storytellling:
</b>You definitely want someone that can tell great stories that not only draw
people in, but are able to relate to. To get people excited about and choose
your company over any others in the same category, you need someone that can
get people to FEEL deeply and emotionally connect with the stories you are
telling. You want someone that can get people to see themselves already using
your brand in their lives, not just thinking it might be fun to try once. You
want consumers, both potential and existing, to see themselves in the brand
stories you’re marketing manager is telling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Team
Player:</b> Great marketers know they don’t work alone. Marketers best work is
not born out of a boardroom or silo. Sales, Finance, Logistics…marketing is
dependent and must work well with all of the employees in these various
divisions. Teamwork is KEY to great marketing, and great marketers are humble enough
to realize this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wish Top 10 Lists went to 11. There are so many other
qualities that great marketers possess. What are some you don’t see on this
list? Tweet me @lucyrk78 and let me know!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-16678679854388031682015-08-03T12:41:00.000-07:002015-08-03T12:41:25.823-07:00Coming to Believe in Influencer Marketing<div align="left">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><div align="left">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Influencer Marketing is most certainly a term you hear
bandied about the interwebs these days. On any given day, you can find a
Twitter chat focused on it, read a blog about someone’s experience with it, and
if you are a CPG brand, undoubtedly you have had a company pitch you on one of
their “influencers” you can pay to work with. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">14 years ago, I had just graduated from undergrad, and
immediately got a job working at what is still one of the largest and coolest companies.
In those days, influencer marketing was simple – you paid a celebrity, and they
endorsed your brand. It could be through billboards, commercials, ads,
appearances or a combination of all of those. We weren’t the only brand doing
this, all the brands that could afford to did it. And it worked. Kids saw their
favorite sports stars drinking something, asked their parents to go buy it for
them, they did, and sales for the brand went up. Marketing had “worked.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, it didn’t work for ME. There was a pretty big star
in MLB that had an endorsement with a beverage company (not my brand) that had
a similar product to what we sold. You couldn’t go down most streets without
seeing his face, smiling while enjoying one of their products. Ironically, he
didn’t actually drink those products, though. How do I know? Because I once
went with a co-worker to meet him in a dark alley, where we delivered OUR
product to him. He oculdn’t be seen drinking OUR brand, it would have been a
breach of contract with the company he was currently endorsing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">I immediately became skeptical of him, and the whole idea of
this celebrity marketing. At the time, no one was talking about “transparency” or
“authenticity” but I noticed that this was anything but. Celebrity marketing
took quite a long time to die down, but with the increasing rise of “influencer
marketing,” it has begun to. People are looking more to people they TRUST when
seeking new products or brands to follow, rather than looking to celebrities,
and mimicking what we see them doing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">The more you read or listen to people talk about Influencer
Marketing, the more you realize that almost everyone seems to have their own
version of what it means. It’s subjective, just as what an influencer actually
is, or who it might be. It’s personal to each of us. Someone that incites ME to
action, might not never make you change a habit or behavior or adopt a new one.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Marketers have long been aware the Word of Mouth was one of
the biggest tools in our marketing toolkit. As social media has grown and become
more widely adopted, we have been given even more resources to use the tool,
and amplify the voices recommending our brands. People trust people they look
up to, or those that “influence” them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Influencer marketing to me, is a form of marketing where
brands and companies target individuals with influence to affect change in
buying patterns or habits over other people. As we’ve seen, where those
individuals used to only be celebrities and pro-athletes, today anyone can have
just as large an impact. It’s not follower numbers that determine someone’s
influence on a given social network, but rather someone that people trust.
Influencers are people that have strong feelings about something or an affinity
to a certain company and a good relationship with others where people know this
person knows their stuff. It’s a matter of finding people with credibility. Quite
simply, influencer marketing is developing a mutually beneficial relationship
with people that help create visibility for your company or brand. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Influencer marketing is closely tied to content marketing.
In today’s world, consumers are becoming more aware of being “marketed to” and
tend to trust peer recommendations over branded content. This means that you
are more likely to have content shared on behalf of your brand if it comes from
an “influencer” than if you posted the exact same content on your company blog.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who are these influencers, then? The way I find influencers
is by looking for a certain number of factors:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">People who engage with me in the communities I
choose to be in, and say things of value, thought leaders or people that look
like “experts” to me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Someone who has an audience they actively work
with <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Authenticity – no matter what they are talking
about, they do it with authority and don’t change or sway from their beliefs
with every new thought. They aren’t saying things simply because they’re paid
to say them, the majority of their tweets don’t have #ad after them, and they
aren’t compromising themselves in a ploy to gain more followers<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Does every brand need to employ influencer marketing? I
believe that every brand COULD use influencer marketing, but need is a strong
word. Smart marketers have always known that the more people talking about a
product or brand or service, the more people find out about it, gaining new
audiences in a variety of places traditional marketing wouldn’t hit. Influencer
marketing is nothing new, it’s just another piece of marketing with a new name
and new importance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m not saying celebrity marketing doesn’t work. Done right,
it absolutely can increase sales or “move the needle.” Within the past 7 years,
there was a day I was at work (for another rather popular brand) when suddenly
our website crashed. Our sales on Amazon were skyrocketing. Why? Because I had
sent product to Anne Hathaway, and she was photographed holding a bottle of our
drink walking down the streets of New York. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s just important to learn how the audience you are trying
to reach wants to receive messages, and what they respond best to. The more
tactics you have, the better off you will be when trying to reach your ultimate
goals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-84451456325074613432015-07-31T14:51:00.000-07:002015-07-31T14:51:01.903-07:0010 Qualities of Successful Social Media Managers
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are as many titles for those of us that work in social
media as there are people doing it. And that number, in both instances, is
growing daily! Whether call ourselves “Social Media Managers,” “The Person that
Runs Social Media for X-Brand” or “Community Managers,” we all have a lot in
common.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what makes for a successful Social Media Manager? What do
you aim to look for in the people you hire for this highly exciting, super
busy, changing-as-we-speak position? This position didn’t exist even as
recently as five years ago – do we even know what we should be looking for?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Generally speaking, you are looking to your social media
manager to be the voice of your brand (and often the face, as well). This is
someone that espouses who your company is, and often represents the first
impression people will have with your brand. Therefore, the person will stand
for what your company as a whole stands for and not only understands and buys
into, but understands your brand’s overall strategy and objectives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are 10 qualities I believe people need to possess, in
order to be successful managing social media for a brand:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Someone
who is friendly and responsive:</b> Social media managers are conversational,
able to speak with people from all sorts of demographics, and enjoy doing so.
They draw their energy from their communities and are highly attentive to the
members of their communities daily. They look forward to discussing a variety
of ideas and topics, and are timely in their responses to comments and
questions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsooaY_U0PzoFRR_-HcgiOe0vKOHwE-q9ZLNusAlYJm1qFvaYGLDo9s30vsgmtaqzYeOqVrLDK2XiS8LE-jrG9NGYB9OkkJ5lU5OiF-7T9CLd3SGdtRNmTci5YYrpUUrrY5yTALet8BGs/s1600/IMG_3062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsooaY_U0PzoFRR_-HcgiOe0vKOHwE-q9ZLNusAlYJm1qFvaYGLDo9s30vsgmtaqzYeOqVrLDK2XiS8LE-jrG9NGYB9OkkJ5lU5OiF-7T9CLd3SGdtRNmTci5YYrpUUrrY5yTALet8BGs/s200/IMG_3062.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's true. We are always on our phones.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Someone
who is highly passionate:</b> Exactly what they are passionate about can and
will vary, but they need to be able to tie into their passions, and those of
their communities. They enjoy social media and enjoy their job and the work
they do, and it is evident through their communications. To get other people
excited about something (i.e. your brand!) you need your social media staff to
be just as excited. Excitement is contagious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Has
experience in online/digital communications:</b> I see people discussing this
on Twitter a lot lately, in highly charged chats and direct messages. The idea
that “everyone is a consultant these days.” You want someone that doesn’t just
have a Facebook and Twitter page set up. In my opinion, you want someone with
experience. A person who isn’t just learning on the fly as they go along, but
someone that has a proven track record of success online. You get what you pay for,
right? If you want to get the best, I believe it’s in your best interest to
hire someone with at least 2 years of experience leading communities, putting
together and tracking online campaigns. Remember, someone with less experience
might have a much more amazing personal Facebook page, but that doesn’t mean
you should automatically trust them to run yours for your business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Someone
with a passion for constantly learning:</b> It goes without saying (but does
it, really?) that your social media manager is staying on top of what people
are talking about: reading blogs, subscribing to feeds, learning all they can
about social media and technology, and helping to ensure they know not only
what tools, apps, and media are available to them and your brand, but more
important what is coming. If you’re not a step ahead, you run the risk of being
10 steps behind. Are they just as consistent in looking to learn more about
themselves? About other people? It’s not brought up often, but something I
always admire in social media/community managers is the quality of
self-awareness and confidence. These people don’t have to be told not to go
after shiny new objects all the time. They know how to take time and vet
opportunities. They are patient, realizing that while social media is
constantly changing, they don’t need to follow the crowd. They are strong
enough in themselves to be willing to openly engage with people, making their
voices heard, without worry about being disliked for having an opinion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Has a
thick skin:</b> I think this is a continuation of #4. It’s a long road to
social media success. It’s hard, takes a lot of time and isn’t all puppies and
sunshine. (and anyone that says it is, or makes it LOOK like it is 24/7 isn’t
being as transparent as they’re most likely telling you they are) You’ll make
mistakes. You’ll send out errant tweets for your brand, thinking you’re still
signed into your personal account. It helps to find someone who is calm under
pressure, realizes not everything is an emergency, doesn’t have a lot of drama
surrounding them, and isn’t found on most days crying under their desk. Don’t
get me wrong, I’m not the voice of doom and gloom for those of you looking to
get into community management positions – it’s one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve
ever had. I thrive on the daily excitement of my online communities. I am just
being realistic and trying to manage expectations from the very start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Does not
call themselves an expert or a guru:</b> Self-confidence is admirable, yes, but
not when it is seen as ego, or is entirely misplaced. I was talking to someone
about this the other day and mentioned that I think “ego is the enemy of influence.”
Overconfidence prevents people from asking questions, admitting and being
willing to learn what they do not yet know. I’d take a step back from anyone
with the words guru, expert or maven in their online bios. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Possesses
analytical skills:</b> Here’s another one that is really more of a two-parter
from #6. Social Media is a “must” for pretty much any and every brand, but it’s
not EVERYTHING. A good social media manager realizes that social media isn’t
the “be all end all,” but another element in your overall marketing mix. Your
social media should always be a part of the larger plan, the overall company
strategy. You want your social media manager to keep tabs on what is and is not
getting you closer to your goals every single day, and going back to having a
thick skin, is able to adapt in a moment’s notice when necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Has clear
motives:</b> For better or worse, there is a rather low barrier to entry for
social media professionals. In today’s digital world, anyone can simply call
themselves a social media consultant and begin consulting people. And they are.
It is increasingly easier to become “internet famous” these days. Some people
are pretty obvious in their goal to become an insta-celebrity, but there are
people (admittedly, I’ve fallen prey to a couple) that hide it too well, and
only disappoint you once you realize who they really are. I’d recommend finding
someone that is in it for YOU, for your brand. And by that, I mean someone that
realizes it’s actually not about your brand at all! Contradictory? Maybe.
Absolutely necessary? Without a doubt. True social media “professionals”
recognize that everything they do needs to be done for the consumer. The people
without whom, you wouldn’t have a brand at all. I look to people that are
rarely talking about themselves, whose accounts are not devoid of @ replies
solely pushing out their own content, those that believe in their brand and the
fact that their brand was founded on the ideals of helping people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">An
understanding of how people think:</b> I’m not saying we have solved the Men
are From Mars, Women are From Venus conundrum. But success in social media is
tied into finding emotional connections with people and your manager needs to
be able to do that. Not by phoning it in or saying what they think people want
to hear, but via truly connecting with people hearts first and then their
minds. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPEXlKkDU1HxPfHfeYOn5nDRkiuKjjI64g4yqsvaD7qyi29iUTEJPerxXFECg37ZYh1ljAAcWNpxwDVYXp42MCP3_LuhSX7LjA-g6b9ThfYx8oEQ1G2sYAW2GmMnDvGHZa6PXzZ-aMsI/s1600/IMG_1669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPEXlKkDU1HxPfHfeYOn5nDRkiuKjjI64g4yqsvaD7qyi29iUTEJPerxXFECg37ZYh1ljAAcWNpxwDVYXp42MCP3_LuhSX7LjA-g6b9ThfYx8oEQ1G2sYAW2GmMnDvGHZa6PXzZ-aMsI/s200/IMG_1669.JPG" width="198" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">They are
insomniacs:</b> Just kidding. Kind of. This might be the only time those of us
that struggle to sleep have found an outlet for our late-night lives. Social
media management cannot be done by someone looking to keep 9-5 hours. Social
media doesn’t sleep, but that doesn’t mean your manager can’t. It just means
that they need to be able to manage their time better than most people. Can it
be intrusive into our lives at times? Perhaps, but I think it's all a matter of
perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Your turn!</b> This is by no means an exhaustive list. Tweet me at
@lucyrk78 and let me know what qualities YOU admire in social media managers?
What do YOU think makes them successful?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-32033226170207266902015-07-25T05:32:00.001-07:002015-07-25T05:32:39.179-07:00A Blog About Not Blogging
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel guilty. I haven’t blogged in two solid weeks. I was
on a great streak- feeling inspired and fulfilling a goal of blogging every
day. Then I went on a two week business trip, and didn’t blog once while I was
gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYFJs6ppYbF8nJVnmuRUfFBHUVL4xpOIS4K2YeZzxRReK7la6zx_c1okBAM5fsCa9RRwRl7b83hL5w8cu0Cd8N1adbvRuPdeX0NIOFeH3Xr2a3tXyy4IcAuXdhTYtWEPFaak1ES6uq-Q/s1600/IMG_3146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpYFJs6ppYbF8nJVnmuRUfFBHUVL4xpOIS4K2YeZzxRReK7la6zx_c1okBAM5fsCa9RRwRl7b83hL5w8cu0Cd8N1adbvRuPdeX0NIOFeH3Xr2a3tXyy4IcAuXdhTYtWEPFaak1ES6uq-Q/s320/IMG_3146.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Runyon Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Was I out doing amazing things while I was gone? Some of the
days. I had the opportunity to work two really fun volleyball events, meet
celebrities that were playing and other professional athletes…I got to work
with my team that I don’t get to see as often, now that I don’t live in Los
Angeles anymore. I went hiking in Runyon Canyon, one of my most favorite
places. I ate the freshest sushi and a more delicious burrito than I can get
here in Chicago. I swam, tanned, shopped and worked. Hard. Often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I traveled to Boulder for a meeting with my entire
client team, as well as my bosses. People flew in from around the country and
we learned, planned, presented, ate and visited. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There certainly was time for blogging. I certainly thought
about blogging. But I thought more about not blogging. I have always been vocal
about making a case for not creating editorial calendars, preferring to “let
inspiration strike” and find blogging topics from being fully engaged and
present within my online communities. But can you also be fully present, and
stock up topics to write about when you’re “busy” and not fully inspired to
write? Or for the times you’re out living your life so completely and are so
present that you’ve got the ideas in advance? Don’t I always tell people “You’re
never too busy. You make the time for things that are important to you?” I’m
big on consistency – I tell my clients it’s one of the most important items in
your marketing plan. So where was my consistency in blogging?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xko6jMxaITK5PazG7cVhvNf9cjWxUNjoZS53D29FSk9CdtpUpcf28zcZfD4QCB0WkwQoYvr0KcN0_zOmjLTnIuMVOV3CQ8UJ2DZpmefAQO9ZAUVp2W9HMMF64mXb3M9ed_JDEqInLzA/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Xko6jMxaITK5PazG7cVhvNf9cjWxUNjoZS53D29FSk9CdtpUpcf28zcZfD4QCB0WkwQoYvr0KcN0_zOmjLTnIuMVOV3CQ8UJ2DZpmefAQO9ZAUVp2W9HMMF64mXb3M9ed_JDEqInLzA/s320/IMG_3070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jayo Invitational</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Would it be an excuse to say that during these two weeks I
was making new experiences to come back and blog about? Isn’t that what THIS
blog is about, after all?! Or, and this would be the most surprising to me, am
I actually a creature of habit? Someone that can only write if I’m sitting in
this office, in this chair, in my own home? Can I only write here? Whoa. Isn’t
the unpredictability of life as a marketing director what drew me to marketing
in the first place? How many interviews have I gone to, and how many late night
discussions with others in my industry have I had where we’ve all sung the
praises of our lives and chosen career, for it NOT being the same every day?
Not knowing precisely where we’d be or what we’d be doing each day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps it’s egotistical to feel guilt for not having
blogged. Perhaps none of you even noticed. This blog isn’t my job. I do it for
fun, to share ideas I hear people talking about wanting to know more about, to
muscle up my writing, the same way I do when I run or lift weights. I wasn’t
overwhelmed with work while on this extended trip, nor was blogging not a
priority. I simply didn’t write. I don’t have a deep explanation for why I didn’t,
nor do I want to make any excuses. I have read many blogs where the writers
have apologized for not writing or posting in the past week, month or longer.
They report feelings of guilt over that, too. Should we be feeling guilty for something
we do for fun? Should “fun” make us feel bad, when we’re not doing anything
wrong? At all? Doesn’t every single workout plan in the history of workout
plans tell you to take rest days? Should bloggers not get that same break,
without feeling poorly about themselves for taking it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This blog isn’t an obligation, nor would I continue it if it
ever began to feel as such. I don’t post every day just for the sake of it.
Even during my “blog every day” goal period, I would miss one day at times,
(but never more than one) if I wasn’t inspired, or didn’t feel I had anything
to say that was different than everything else that was being blogged about, or
if I didn’t think I had anything to put out that might help someone. I woke up
this morning excited to write. Excited to share these thoughts, get them down
on paper, and the idea of people responding and sharing their own thoughts with
me on taking blogging breaks and discussing these ideas with others excited me.
Isn’t that what blogging is really all about? The creating and sharing of
ideas?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve written the line “I have a renewed passion for writing
and my blog” and then deleted it a few times. What if I don’t blog again this
week? What if nothing inspires me enough to write about? What if these last two
weeks were too long of a break and my (creative/writing) muscle memory has been
lost? Why am I feeling anxious about blogging tomorrow, and not relaxing in
finding the joy blogging today?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe it all comes down to acceptance. How many things do I
feel guilty about RIGHTTHISSECOND? How many do YOU? Not working out enough,
eating that chocolate chip cookie, even though it was the best thing I’ve ever
eaten, not blogging enough…can we even feel guilty for feeling guilty for any
of these things? Are any of these things all that significant in the grand
scheme of our very full lives? No. Truly, they’re not. We deserve to be happy.
And do things that make us feel GOOD, not guilty. Today, I will work on doing
more of those things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-61704272244984803922015-07-09T08:11:00.001-07:002015-07-09T08:11:51.026-07:00Meerkat Breaks From Twitter & Adds in Co-Stars in Massive New Update
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Live streaming app Meerkat rolled out several major updates Wednesday
morning, including the ability to sign up on the platform through Facebook
instead of Twitter, a feature they are calling Cameo that lets you invite those
watching your stream to take over that stream for 1 minute, and a final update,
giving users the ability to save streams in something called the Meerkat
Library rather than simply on your phone. All of these are huge improvements,
and as we always talk about, things they have listened to users asking for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1fQmKmRiVOzpwi-5R8ooENurrgPOQ2k5MbO_Rh9HDnYP5pPzhyTyNFjDpRpgkx0WGgthLUsMu02fKsWoqPrpawqA4na2pxVUsD7papqBlccSpLcuUDHV4RjkQAU4St8Pw7HktMUC_r4/s1600/meerkat+update.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1fQmKmRiVOzpwi-5R8ooENurrgPOQ2k5MbO_Rh9HDnYP5pPzhyTyNFjDpRpgkx0WGgthLUsMu02fKsWoqPrpawqA4na2pxVUsD7papqBlccSpLcuUDHV4RjkQAU4St8Pw7HktMUC_r4/s1600/meerkat+update.PNG" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mingling with Facebook is a biggie. When Meerkat first
launched, users would only be able to sign into Meerkat via Twitter, and could
tweet out that they were streaming. Then Periscope arrived, and Meerkat was cut
off from Twitters social graph. <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">This
new update now means streamers have the ability to sign up via Facebook
registration, not even needing a Twitter account. It will also help
those already on the platform to find their Facebook friend’s streams. It
was only a matter of time before Meerkat partnered with Facebook, they had to
find a way around the blockade Twitter forced upon them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I believe the
real “game-changing” update is the introduction of Cameo, however. With
Wednesday’s update, Meerkat added the ability to invite anyone watching your
current stream to take over. If the chosen viewer accepts, everyone watching
the stream can see that user make a “cameo” appearance during your stream for
up to 1 minute. Since inception, I have watched many users want to be able to
toggle between the original streamer and someone watching. This makes
engagement grow faster, as it gives the chance to have more of a “normal”
conversation between streamer and viewers. With one streamer, it is more of a
broadcast, but Cameo has made Meerkat much more inclusive, adding to more of a
community feel. For brands, Cameo is ripe with marketing possibilities. They
now have the opportunity to have their sponsored athletes, celebrities, and
influencers appear on their streams, to speak directly with their community. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The biggest
problem I have noticed with Meerkat is how regularly it drops streams. Though
this update has promised “bug fixes and stability improvements,” I still
watched interrupted streams as quickly as last night. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Currently, this
update is only available in the App Store and on Google Play. There has been no
mention of a date when Android users will be able to take part in these new
additions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4874750899467148998.post-23415127013428053462015-07-08T16:04:00.002-07:002015-07-08T16:04:46.902-07:0010 Ways Brands Are #DoingItWrong On Social Media
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s a big difference between “being on social media” and
“being social on social media.” Just because you are on social media as a
brand, doesn’t mean that you can’t still be yourself, and still be social. In
fact, I would venture to say that as a brand, it’s even MORE important to be
your authentic self, despite being “behind the logo.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In today’s digital world, social media is often the first
experience potential consumers have with your brand. More often than not, they
are going to your social media profiles first, before even visiting your
website. Knowing how to use your profiles is of utmost importance in getting
consumers to get an affinity with your brand. You can build trust through
social, and trust leads to lasting, loyal consumers. Unfortunately, many brands
are still missing out on this opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Done right, social media can be a game changer for your
business. It can be the difference between a consumer choosing your brand over
another similar product. It can be effective in finding your audience, engaging
with them, and winning them over. Unless you’re making some very common
mistakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are currently struggling, all is not lost! Let’s look
at some common mistakes I see brands making on social media:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jumping
in without a plan:</b> If you are going to do anything ever, you think about it
first, right? You want to do something, you have to have a “why” you want to do
it, goals on what you’d like to accomplish by doing said idea, and at least
some thoughts on how to get there. Without a plan, with realistic achievable
goals, how will you know if you’ve done it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Auto-DMs
on Twitter:</b> Don’t. Just don’t do it. Never ever. Send a personal message or
don’t send out anything at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thinking “It’s
not you, it’s me”:</b> No. It IS you. The collective you. Social media isn’t
about you broadcasting your message or talking about yourself 24/7. All your
content should be focused on your community, your audience, your consumers,
your end users. Think about who you want to reach by using social media and
tailor every message to that person. Yes, person – as in, I believe your
content should speak to people as individuals, not throwing out words and blogs
and tweets and posts en masse. Everything you send out or post should be
addressing someone’s needs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Posting
the same message to all social networks:</b> Do all of your friends offline
hang out in the same spot all the time? Do you have certain friends you see at
some places and other friends you see in completely different places? Social
networks are no different – you have different communities on each platform.
People like Twitter over Facebook or Facebook over Instagram for various
reasons, so you’ll need to tailor your content to each platform. Twitter only
allows you 140 characters, but LinkedIn and Facebook don’t set that limit. So
why post the same abbreviated content when you don’t have to? If you post the
same message everywhere, you’re missing the opportunity to connect with people
that don’t respond to certain platforms nuances. Also, why should I follow you
on more than one network if I’m just going to see the same message everywhere?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You aren’t
responding quickly:</b> When someone takes the time to contact you, whether it
be for a positive or negative comment, respond to them. And FAST. I like to
keep myself to under an hour as a response time. Social media gives us the idea
that someone is monitoring profiles every hour of every day. While that’s not
always the case, I’d recommend having part of your plan include a way of
monitoring and listening to what people are saying, and developing a way to respond
to them in as timely a manner as you possibly can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You are
inconsistent:</b> Consistency relates to quality and trust. Think of your
friends – do you have one that you would call “flaky?” Someone that cancels
plans at the last minute, doesn’t call or text you back as soon as you’d like
them to, or someone you have a great night out with and then don’t hear from
for a month? Don’t be that guy on social media. Let your community and
consumers know they can rely on you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVJMWrMdMlRDv5mSvvjoJm6fc9glk7yvoj_qBKRaWHE15SzQxsY1iHxAIinPf8I3iVqNA3rbV96PR_d86HrU-CndZR3j0ns5V6d5oF_qaxxZt-K1_GVAdcyNaNNmNqlW8LRxH7zBOAmU/s1600/IMG_2359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVJMWrMdMlRDv5mSvvjoJm6fc9glk7yvoj_qBKRaWHE15SzQxsY1iHxAIinPf8I3iVqNA3rbV96PR_d86HrU-CndZR3j0ns5V6d5oF_qaxxZt-K1_GVAdcyNaNNmNqlW8LRxH7zBOAmU/s320/IMG_2359.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This WAS a pretty great snack...</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Brands
are forgetting to show personality:</b> People respond to people. People are
what makes up companies, and people are who is at their laptop or on their
phone posting to social media sites. So why do some companies sound robotic? By
offering opinions and taking part in conversations, you are able to emotionally
connect with people and that will draw them in so they want to do business with
you. Post things about yourself, add value to people’s lives. Help them. Answer
questions. Be interesting and interested in other people – I promise, they will
then be interested in you. This doesn’t mean you should share pictures of your
breakfast every morning, but if you have a spectacular pancake, bacon sandwich
or green smoothie to share, post it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sell!</b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sell! Sell! </b>No. Don’t. If you walked
up to me at a concert I was at, said hello and introduced yourself, that might
be enough for us to begin a relationship of some sort. I would realize that we
shared common interests, and a simply “Hi! How are you?” would show me you were
interested. If you walked up to me at the same concert and introduced yourself,
then immediately tried to sell me concert shirts, I’d be pretty turned off. It’s
not any different online. Social media isn’t an advertising platform, nor is it
a commercial. It’s a…ready for it? SOCIAL NETWORK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You are
expecting overnight success:</b> Does it happen? Sure. But for most of us,
building, growing and nurturing communities takes time. Allow yourself that time.
I’m willing to bet that your best friends took time to get to know, right?
Again, no difference online. Invest the time it takes, it will be worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You tell
me!</b> I get all my inspiration from my social media communities – I’d like
YOU to tell ME what #10 should be! Tweet me @lucyrk78 and let me know?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873603125225686854noreply@blogger.com1