Social Media Integration
It’s time for a confession. I’m a magazine junkie. Flipping through the pages of Vogue, InStyle, Real Simple and Travel & Leisure serves as my escape from the digital world. Even so, I often wear my marketing and communication hat while contemplating a time in my life when I might wear Prada. Sometimes that can be a good thing, because I’ve noticed that many magazines are using a full page to direct traffic to their websites and social channels.
But Glamour takes it one step further on their “See It, Share It” page. They call out the people who are pinning and posting, those who are interacting with them online. I love this. Glamour encourages social interaction with the incentive that your pin or post might make it to the pages of Glamour Magazine. Very smart. Glamour has found a clever way to integrate what’s happening in social media with their traditional form of communication. Here’s the See It, Share It page (note that this is a photo from the digital version, which you have to tap to read the captions):
And that is our challenge for this week: What can we do to integrate our social media activity with more traditional forms of communication like newsletters and magazine, websites and e-news? In this week’s video, I share tips for my clients – Private Clubs, Athletics, Greeks and Graduate Schools. Take a look:
The purpose of doing this is to encourage those online to visit and engage with your more traditional marketing pieces, and for those who are already avid newsletter or magazine readers to engage with you online. By integrating your social media with more traditional communication, Your are breathing life into all of your communication channels and rewarding those who interact with you the most. Your members and students gain recognition and reward, you grow effective brand ambassadors and highly engaged fans.
So now it’s time to tell me how you plan to integrate your social media into your traditional communication channels. Have you seen someone else do this really well? Leave a comment below and get this discussion started!
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JCPenny Missed the Train to the Super Bowl
These are four tweets that had everyone talking about JCPenny on Super Bowl Sunday, but for all the wrong reasons.
Here are the series of tweets in the order they were tweeted:
We're ready for the big game no matter the temp. Staying warm thanks to #TeamUSA mittens! http://t.co/xzB8FLljox pic.twitter.com/pqocEbkC9K
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 2, 2014
Who kkmew theis was ghiong tob e a baweball ghamle. #lowsscorinh 5_0
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 2, 2014
Toughdown Seadawks!! Is sSeattle going toa runaway wit h this???
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
Oops…Sorry for the typos. We were #TweetingWithMittens. Wasn't it supposed to be colder? Enjoy the game! #GoTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/e8GvnTiEGl
— JCPenney (@jcpenney) February 3, 2014
Apparently, the folks over at JCPenny thought it would be funny to tweet with mittens. It would have been funny if the weather had remained freezing and if their mittens had Broncos and Seahawks logos on them. But the mittens they used said “Go USA” and they used the hashtags #GoUSA and #GoTeamUSA. Not a mention of #Superbowl or #SB48 or even #brandbowl. It seemed they thought the “big game” was the Olympics? Hard to tell what they intended.
Apparently, Good Morning America was the only other brand who could find a clever way to respond, as that is the only retweet JCPenny made on the issue. The rest of us in the field of social media, branding and communication were talking about how far JCPenny missed the mark. Yes, thousands were retweeting and talking about JCPenny, but when most assume that the intern you’ve hired to do your social media posts is drunk because the tweets are so awful and off-topic, that is not attention you want.
Cutesy never works on Twitter, and ill-timed, irrelevant material works even less. I’m not sure why the JCPenny team didn’t have one more meeting before SuperBowl weekend to re-work their strategy, especially when the weather became a non-issue. Whatever their team is doing, they should read the negative sentiment as a major mis-fire and rethink the people on their strategy team. It just didn’t work. It is super clear that the marketing team doesn’t understand what does work during these types of events.
On a side note, Snickers took advantage of the situation and used the JCPenny missteps to boost their own brand, tweeting:
Eat a #SNICKERS, you’re not you when you're hungry RT @JCPenney Who kkmew theis was ghiong tob e a baweball ghamle. #lowsscorinh 5_0
— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) February 3, 2014
Now that’s how you do it. Timely. Clever. Funny. On point.
One of the other brand commercials who had their head in the game was H&M. Shortly after their first David Beckham commercial aired, they put up the “instant replay” on their Instagram Account. That was super smart. Want to see a lot of David Beckham again and again? Click here —> http://instagram.com/p/j7ycBBAUaN/ … It yielded high brand engagement for all the right reasons.
Finally, the Twitter feed for @Tide was on fire during the entire game. They found a way to integrate their brand with others. And yet they didn’t pay for a Super Bowl ad. For example, after the Cheerios ad, they tweeted a vine:
Adding a puppy to the family @Cheerios? Beware of puppy stains. @Tide #GetsItOut #SB48 https://t.co/hvKzXFm8q9
— Tide (@tide) February 3, 2014
And that was the opportunity they looked for in most of the big brand ads. From the Budweiser spots to some fun with John Stamos and the yogurt ad. Simply brilliant.
What was your favorite TV or social ad during the Super Bowl? Which ad was your least favorite? Leave a comment below and share with the rest of us. Unfortunately, I’m not sure any of the ads were strong enough to save us from the horror that was the Super Bowl! What a game!
Daily Digital Detox
For those of you who know me, you know I love social media. I’m fascinated by the fact that we have all these nifty tools right at our fingertips which allow us to communicate with anyone in the world. We are more connected to each other than we ever have been before.
At the same time, the digital devices we use to access these social networks serve as a distraction when we need to communicate offline. We struggle to engage in quality, in-person conversations because we are so worried about what is happening online.
So as much as I love being connected through social media, I want to challenge you to a Daily Digital Detox. You may have read articles where some folks do a digital detox by going off Facebook for a month or staying off of social sites while they are on vacation. When I speak of a digital detox, I want to take it one step further. Let’s turn off our digital devices and put them away.
I have thought about how WE can do this on a daily basis – and I plan on taking this challenge with you because goodness knows I am always connected to my laptop. Watch this video to hear the four ways we can meet the challenge of a Daily Digitial Detox.
Let’s re-cap those four great tips so you can meet your Daily Digital Detox challenge!
1. Get a traditional alarm clock.
If you use your cellphone for your alarm (like I do), you have a huge temptation to check your e-mail, facebook, twitter and more, as soon as you turn your alarm off (like I do). This is no way to wake up! In your state of grogginess, you do not want to reply to that e-mail from your boss. If you use an alarm clock that is not your phone or your tablet, you can get out of bed, get ready and wake up to your day before you get plugged in.
2. No digital devices at meetings or meal times.
If you have your cell phone on the table during meetings and meal times, you are not fully present in that moment. Unless you are working on website design with your team or building the next great app, do not even bring your digital devices into that next team meeting. You will be a more conscious contributor and you can enjoy more productive meetings. When you are with your friends, your family or your client, make sure your phone is turned off and put away. Be fully present in that moment and in the conversation. You will find that you engage in higher quality conversations and enrich your relationships because your focus is on the people in front of you, not on the notification rings and dings of your phone.
3. Enjoy the experience, live in the moment.
The next time you are at a concert, enjoying a sporting event or at the park with your kids, put the phone away. Sure, take a few snapshots, record that one favorite song the band plays, but aside from that, put the phone away and soak it all in. If you record every moment of your life through the screen of your cell phone, that’s all you are experiencing. You are missing the bigger picture and the opportunity for a more memorable event. When you live in the moment, you are creating a richer memory. When you speak about the event at a later date, you will remember more of it, because you actually lived it – all of it.
4. Establish a digital curfew.
If you tend to go to bed at the same time every night, this will be a bit easier for you. What I’d like you to do is shut down your computer, your iPad and cell phone one hour before you go to bed. Give yourself some time to unwind and relax before you go to sleep so that you can feel more rested and rejuvenated in the morning. If you are on your computer two minutes before you plop your head on the pillow, you are likely one of those people who are dreaming about work and wake up completely stressed out. Give your body the opportunity to digitally detox and calm down before you drift off into dreamland. You are making for a better night’s sleep.
Now it’s time to challenge you!
While I don’t anticipate that you will incorporate all four of these tips at once, I challenge you to adopt one of them right now. Give yourself the next three days to incorporate your Daily Digital Detox and be sure to let me know how you do. I’m curious how it makes you feel and how it enhances your conversations and your life.
It is simply amazing and wonderful to be digitally connected to the world, but it is so important that we do not forget how to communicate with those who are sitting right in front of us. The human connection is far richer than a text message or a tweet. We crave interaction with people, so let’s unplug those digital devices and enjoy each other more.
Thanks for sharing this article with your friends who can take the daily digital detox challenge with you! If you want your weekly serving of positivity and purpose, as well as helpful tips for strategic communication, branding and social media, please make sure you subscribe to Beaming Bohemian news. It lands in your inbox every Friday!
Four Tips for Better Networking
After attending a few business functions in the past couple of months, I see that few people are taking the opportunity to grow their contact base and network. I’ve even attended networking mixers where people did not bring their business cards or didn’t reciprocate when I handed them mine. Awkward! So with these experiences and the start to 2014, I thought I would share my four tips for better networking.
To expand on the points I mentioned in the video…
1. Always have a business card on you!
You never know who you will meet and where you might meet them. Tuck business cards into your purse, briefcase, wallet, car, gym bag and other things you carry so that if you happen to meet the one person who can help you get ahead in this world, you are not scribbling your information on a napkin. Or worse, you don’t exchange information at all.
STUDENTS: Set yourself and your personal brand apart by having contact cards made. Include your name, field of interest, and one or two ways to get in contact with you, including a social network, like Twitter. If you are a student-athlete, mention the sport you play or use graphics on the card to express this point. Vista Print is an affordable option. I like the designs available at MOO.com.
2. Be approachable and responsive at events.
If you are attending a business function or networking mixer, even a cocktail party, it’s time to be open to meeting new people. If you stand in the corner with your nose to your phone or speak only with your friends, you are missing out on the opportunity to expand and grow your network. What’s the point of attending a function in the first place? On that note, if someone is brave enough to walk up to you and introduce themselves, by all means, be friendly and welcoming, engage in conversation and exchange business cards. If you are the host of what you call a “networking mixer” it is your job to introduce guests to each other and help people work the room.
3. Listen up!
Your secret ingredient to being a top-notch networker is your listening skills. Develop the ability to listen to the person you’ve met and figure out what or who you have in common. Do you know someone who works at their company? Do you share the same love of the outdoors and hiking? Maybe they have a family and their kids go to the same school as yours. Maybe you are both UCSB Gauchos! Learning about your new contact will help you develop a better relationship with them and connect them to others in your network. The art of networking rests within the ability to make connections. If you approach people with the idea that you want to see what you can get out of them, you are not networking. If you recognize that your role is to connect people you know, you will be a very successful networker. The more you connect other people to each other, the more they will connect others to you. What you give, you will receive.
4. Connect online and follow up.
Once you’ve collected those cards, go home and jot down some notes. This will help you keep your memory in tact! What event did you meet at? What do you have in common? Was there a funny story you enjoyed? If you know who you want to connect them to, write their name down too. Figure out what social channel your new contact is on and connect. Follow up by introducing them to another person in your network and scheduling that coffee meeting you spoke about. Periodically going through your business cards will jog your memory of the people you know and set you up for success when you are out and about or at business-specific functions. Those notes you wrote on the cards will help you follow-up and nurture your relations.
STUDENTS: Your contact base may not be as large as a seasoned professional, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot play by these rules. At the next young executives gathering or a networking function, challenge yourself to meet five new people or ten new people, whatever you find reasonable for the event. Apply these tips and watch how fast your network grows.
And that’s four! Pretty easy to adopt and very effective tips for better networking. Remember, networking is not about you. It’s about helping connect the people you already know. This lands you a reputation as a good networker and that person who “knows everyone.” To grow in your career or expand your business, networking is an essential skill.
Now it’s time to challenge you. Take these four tips with you to your next business or networking function and let me know in the comments below how well it worked for you. Have a tip of your own? Leave a comment below and share with us! Besides, you never know who you might meet in the comment section. Think of it as digital networking.
Thanks for watching the video. If you want your weekly serving of positivity and purpose, as well as helpful tips for strategic communication, branding and social media, please make sure you subscribe to Beaming Bohemian news. It lands in your inbox every Friday!
Leveraging LinkedIn – Graduates
If you are a senior in college, and you have yet to set-up a LinkedIn profile, now is the time to do so! There are so many features LinkedIn has built in, specifically for recent grads (or about to be grads in your case). You can take advantage of sections like Test Scores, Honors & Awards, even a Courses section so that you can share your areas of expertise, without feeling the pressure to have a lengthy “Experience” section.
A few things you want to pay attention to in LinkedIn:
1. Your headline (what appears under your name), the summary section and your work experience are all key-word rich and searchable. Pay attention to key words used in your industry and pepper these sections with the right words so your profile is discoverable. Fill these sections out, add your Skills & Expertise and other sections (like Projects) to “beef up” your profile.
2. Start connecting with your professors or university staff you know well. Think about who you know who is working in the industry you want to go into, even if it is your parents’ friends or colleagues. Connect with any professionals you met during internships or summer jobs. Start building your contact base.
3. If you’ve completed internships or held relatable summer jobs, connect with and get recommendations from your supervisors, as well as others who worked directly with you. If you worked at the ice-cream stand for two summers, don’t bother getting recommended by the owner, unless you have a desire to work for Ben & Jerry’s. If your career path is in marketing, and you helped boost sales for the ice cream stand, then go ahead and ask for the recommendation. That’s what I mean by relatable.
4. Join groups focused on the field you are interested in and jump into the discussions. Comment professionally and on the topics where you actually have knowledge or experience. You don’t need to participate in ever discussion in your groups. Filter out the discussions that aren’t related to your career or won’t move you forward.
5. Keep an eye on the companies you are interested in working for, as often times they post jobs to LinkedIn before other sources. If you start applying for jobs prior to graduation, you are likely to graduate with a job, versus being at the start of your search.
6. Make sure you are behaving yourself on other social sites! If a recruiter or hiring manager finds you on LinkedIn, they will likely check out your other accounts. Every post, photo, tweet and video should work to make you look good! Don’t let one tweet ruin your chances of getting your dream job. You are what you tweet!
7. While you are on other channels, be sure to share the link to your LinkedIn account so that you increase your visibility. Good way to invite others to connect with you, too. Don’t be embarrassed to promote yourself. Do you want to get an interview with that company? Do you want the job? Humble self-promotion will also help you stand-out from your peers, as there are few who will take this advice to heart. I hope you are one of them.
While I originally posted this (below the next photo) in April 2013, I wanted to update this post now – it’s good timing for YOU! While there have been only a few changes to LinkedIn since then, I hope to see a major shift in the number of seniors who raise their hands in my seminars who say they HAVE a LinkedIn profile. Those will be the students and student-atheltes I know who are on the road to success.
If you are a college student and have a LinkedIn account, please share with us in the comments how this has helped you. Who have you connected with that helped pave your career path? How have you made LinkedIn work for you?
If you want more helpful tips like this in your inbox every Friday – just subscribe in the box on the right.
In the last few weeks, I spoke with a handful of undergraduate student groups. I nearly fell flat on the floor when I learned that most of the students do not have a LinkedIn account. (Many of them have neglected Twitter, too.) One class I spoke with were all seniors and business majors, to boot. They are graduating, and they are job hunting! Thank goodness I could give them a bit of a nudge with advice to nurture their personal brand and tips to take advantage of social media, where a good 92% of companies are looking to find talent.
LinkedIn’s newest features, like the Skills & Expertise, Honors & Awards, Organizations, Test Scores and Projects sections were created specifically for college graduates. While the soon-to-be grad’s Experience section may be a bit slim, these other areas can paint the student in a positive light and help tell the story of the past four years.
For those of us who do have a healthy amount of work experience under our belt, these sections can also be used to highlight career achievements and extracurricular activities that show we have a healthy work-life balance. The information provided in these sections can also perk the interest of hiring managers if they see that you share the same core values are a good fit with the brand culture.
If you are the parent of a college student, or know a friend or family member who is graduating, please – Please! – encourage and help them get set-up on LinkedIn. This is a must in the digital age. You are helping your student get found and giving the gift of employment, come graduation. If you need help, of course, I am available to consult with you privately. Contact me at 619.244.2400 or [email protected]
Nick Saban, “The Process” and Tweeting
photo via 60 Minutes
On the November 3rd edition of 60 Minutes, the program featured Alabama head coach Nick Saban. 60 Minutes was granted rare access to the football team’s practices and behind the scenes. It was a look at what makes Alabama so successful, namely, the coaching philosophies and strategies of Nick Saban.
The team chant is “Get your mind right.” You’ll hear Saban shout at his players, “Do it again,” in an effort to make sure that they do their job the right way, perfectly. He talks about creating a standard of high achievers. The part which I loved the most was his talk about “The Process.” He teaches his players to, “Ignore the scoreboard. Don’t worry about winning. Just focus on doing your job at the highest level – every single play. The wins will follow.”
Nick Saban challenges his players to “play every play of the game like is has a history and life of its own.” He enjoys seeing his players take “pride in performance.”
While I had many flashbacks to the life lessons I learned from my tough-as-nails softball coach (a.k.a. “Dad”), I also kept thinking about how Nick Saban’s process could be so easily applied to our communication and what stories and messages we share with the world through social media.
If we approached every tweet, every post, every photo, every video with that same mentality, just think about how awesome our messages would become. If we stopped for one moment before we hit the send button and asked ourselves out loud, “Is this the best tweet of my life?” I wonder how quickly we would achieve more positive and purposeful communication? What examples could we set for others to follow? What pride in our performance might we gain?
Nick Saban may be on a quest for perfection on the football field, but his players know that it’s not just all about the game. He makes them better people. I have often said that we can tell a lot about our society by what and how we communicate. What we say to each other (in person and online) demonstrates the state of our community and how we treat each other, what level of respect we have for our fellow humans and how we feel about ourselves. If we focus on communicating at the highest levels (every message is your absolute best), then I believe we will grow communities of people who are nicer, kinder and more compassionate. We will be better people. And the wins will follow.
The full 60 minutes segment is included in the following video…
If for some reason the video doesn’t load, you can watch it here: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50158430n
To watch the 60 Minutes Behind The Scenes on this story, follow this link:
This segment was also an extraordinary look at a truly amazing and inspiring man.
New Facebook Insights
As you may have noticed in the last week or so, Facebook has launched some new features within Insights, as well as dressed up our view of the data. I’m really pleased with this upgrade. One of my favorite new features is the “When Your Fans are Online” tool. This tells you when you should be posting to your page. Couple that with the “Best Post Types” data and you should start to see some increases in engagement.
Here’s an example of what it look like. The main page (Page>Insights>Posts>When Your Fans Are Online) gives you the average time of day your fans are online, weekly view:
Facebook’s new Insights tell you when your fans are online.
But if you hover over any day of the week, it will give you the specific data for that day:
This is a super helpful tool for those who manage pages and are trying to figure out when to post and what types of posts their fans like the best. This would be an awesome tool for Twitter, should they ever decide to add analytics to the mix.
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